The big PC gaming-related announcements at this year's CES were all about laptops: Nvidia's mobile RTX 30 series announcement, AMD's Zen 3 transition, and Intel's H35 special edition chip announcement. AMD Zen 3 and Nvidia RTX 3080 were the biggest desktop releases of 2020, it was inevitable that they would make their way to laptops in 2021. And this is definitely a good thing.

The remarkable thing about many of these gaming laptops is that the chassis has not changed at all. Because they don't have to. The fact that the new GPUs and CPUs are effectively integrated into the existing design is reason enough to deploy them once more.

We won't have to wait very long to get our hands on these new models. Laptops using the latest kits are expected to start appearing by the end of this month, and many more will be available during February.

But which laptops should you look for, and which technologies will catch your eye the most? Frankly, there are so many models coming to market that it is almost impossible to list them all.

Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model

Razer has not changed the chassis of the Blade 15 for the latest update, and they are quite proud of that fact as well. Then again, if you've got a machine that looks this good, it's understandable why. At its heart is an 8-core, 16-thread 10th generation Intel chip, but combined with an RTX 30 series GPU, it's ready for serious game play. It can also spec a 240Hz QHD screen for on-the-go gaming that will challenge many desktop setups.

MSI Stealth 15M

Razer has long held the "thinnest gaming laptop" trophy. Not anymore; the MSI Stealth 15M, at just 0.63 inches thick, is here to take that title away from Razer. In case you're wondering, it's also 0.03 inches thin, with an Intel H35 Tiger Lake Core i7-11375 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The graphics side is handled by the RTX 3060 Max-Q variant, connected to a 144Hz screen; Newegg already has it available for pre-order for $1,499.

Gigabyte Aorus 17G

Gigabyte is updating nearly all of its laptops to include the new RTX 30 series GPUs, and even the Aorus 15G will feature Nvidia's top-of-the-line RTX 3080 space somehow; we chose the Aorus 17G because it can fit a 300Hz 1080p IPS panel into its slim form. The clicky mechanical keyboard is also ideal for gaming.

Asus ROG Flow X13

Asus has a number of laptops we can't wait to get our hands on: the Scar 17 can run a Ryzen 9 5900HX, RTX 3080, 240Hz; the TUF Blah looks like a really good choice, and the new Duos There's also the new Duos. This is definitely more expensive, but looks perfect if you really use streamers and second screens.

But the standout laptop from Asus for me is the Flow X13. I like the idea of a small gaming machine that weighs less than a ton and doesn't look out of place at a conference; the GTX 1650 is great for gaming on the go, but it also offers the flexibility of being able to use it as a tablet and connect to an external GPU at home.

Acer Nitro 5

The Acer Nitro 5 may not look much different from last year's model, but what matters is what's inside. This is nothing but a gaming machine.

The best of AMD and Nvidia can be used to create impressive specs. So if you are eager to put an RTX 3080 and a Ryzen 9 5900HX on your dream laptop, you may want to look into this product. Combine these two with a high-resolution screen and you're almost there. [Acer says the 15-inch Nitro with a Ryzen 7 CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, and 512GB SSD starts at $750; the 17-inch Nitro 5 has the same core components for $850, but obviously has a larger screen.