Is an Nvidia RTX 4090 gaming laptop overkill?

Is an Nvidia RTX 4090 gaming laptop overkill?
Rory Greig Updated on by

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If you’re wondering whether an RTX 4090 gaming laptop is overkill then stick with us and we’ll break it down.

The RTX 4090 is, to put it simply, the most powerful consumer graphics card currently available. Nvidia made a huge breakthrough with their latest 40-series and the RTX 4090 is its crown jewel.

It wasn’t even a surefire thing that we would ever see this card put into a gaming laptop. The RTX 3090 never got a mobile version for example. It seemed possible that the RTX 4090 could be heading the same way until CES 2023 when NVIDIA announced RTX 40-series gaming laptops.

It wasn’t just the RTX 4090 being unveiled either, we can also now get our hands on the best RTX 4060 gaming laptops.

While, of course, the mobile versions of these cards are less powerful than their desktop counterpart they still have exceptional performance, capable of handling the most demanding games on the highest of settings. So is the RTX 4090 overkill for a gaming laptop?

Is an RTX 4090 gaming laptop overkill

Whether an RTX 4090 gaming laptop is overkill or not does not have an objective answer, instead it all comes down to hardware and personal preference.

The mobile GPU has behemoth specs boasting 16GB of GDDR 6 memory, 9728 CUDA cores, and a 256-bit bus width. This is capable of playing games at incredibly high frame rates and resolutions but only if you have the hardware to back it up. There’s no point in having a GPU capable of 4K or 240Hz if your display isn’t, for example.

Fortunately, as these are sold as pre-built gaming laptops the manufacturer should have the right components to unlock the incredible potential of this GPU. As you can see below, two of our top picks for best RTX 4090 gaming laptops, have high enough specs to match the 4090, both carrying 32GB of RAM, a 240Hz refresh rate and a 13th Generation Intel i9 Processor.

If you have the right hardware and are looking to game at the highest frame rates, and resolution possible, in demanding triple A titles, then the RTX 4090 is not overkill, it is, in fact, the exact GPU you could be looking for.

MSI Raider GE78HX

Display

17.3 inches

Resolution

2560x1600p

RAM

32GB

Refresh rate

240Hz

GPU

RTX 4090

CPU

Intel i9 13th Gen

Razer Blade 16 RTX 4090

Display size

16in

RAM

32GB

Resolution

4K

Refresh rate

240Hz

GPU

RTX 4090

CPU

Intel i9 13th Gen