Updated: October 15, 2021. Call of Duty: Warzone is CoD’s latest foray into the battle royale genre. It’s free-to-play and part of latest CoD titles. That said, Warzone doesn’t play like a classic CoD title. But we’re not here to compare it to PUBG or Fortnite, are we? We’re here to find the best laptop for Warzone.
In addition, I’ve prepared a buyer’s guide that will guide you through the selection process in case you’re not sure which one to buy. Before that, let’s take a look at what are the recommended and minimum system requirements for playing Warzone.
Requirements for a Call of Duty: Warzone laptop
Major Graphics card
Call of Duty: Warzone is a game that can run on a entry-level graphics but it can also take advantage of a high-end graphics card. For this reason, I’ve made a split my recommendations by 3 distinct price brackets.
Minimum graphics (under $1000)
If you’re on a tight budget, you should know that integrated graphics will not be enough to run Call of Duty: Warzone. While on paper latest integrated chips can deliver ~30 FPS on lowest settings, it’s not recommended since lag spikes are going to be the end of you. I recommend to start off with GTX 1650, which can deliver 45 FPS on medium settings.
Recommended graphics ($1000 – $1700)
The next step up is to go for an mid-range AMD or Nvidia card. For AMD, I recommend RX 5600M, which is the better option. It delivers 65 FPS on the ultra settings with some compromises in visual quality. And for Nvidia, I recommend GTX 1660 Ti, which can reach 60 FPS on ultra settings with no compromises in visuals. Of course, if you play with competitive settings (medium/low settings mix) – you’ll have a much better framerate.
Best graphics ($1700 and up)
If you’re willing to spend around $1700 and up, then the best option is to go for RTX 3070 or RTX 2080. These cards are expensive and will require you to make serious compromises in terms of battery life and size, but they will be able to deliver 75 FPS on ultra settings.
- if you’re on a tight budget, go for GTX 1650 (but it’s not recommended)
- if you’re willing to spend around $1700 and up, go for RTX 3070 or RTX 2080 (but they are expensive and will require you to make serious compromises in terms of battery life and size)
Major Processor
If you want to get the most out of your GPU, you’ll need a fast processor. Especially if you’re easily annoyed by FPS dips (to be fair, who isn’t?). And if you’re playing on a 144Hz+ display, a fast CPU is just as important as the GPU.
Requirements
Call of Duty: Warzone is quite demanding, at least when compared to other battle-royale games. It’s also not optimized for AMD processors, but that can be fixed with a couple tweats to the settings file. The important thing is that the game is demanding enough to require a fast processor.
Recommendations
If you’re not keen on tinkering with your settings file, or if you don’t want to deal with the inconsistent performance of AMD processors, Intel has some good offerings with their i5 line-up. For most people, that’ll be more than enough to provide a stable FPS at high graphics settings.
So what are the best laptop processors for playing Call of Duty: Warzone? Here are my suggestions for different budgets:
- i3-1115G4 – a budget processor
- i5-1135G7 – a good mid-range processor
- i7-10870H – the best option for gamers with high refresh rate displays
AMD is also a good option in the mid/upper-range with their latest Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 CPUs. For the absolute best performance, you could look at Ryzen 9 5900HS, but that’s an overkill for most.
Comparison chart
If you’re interested in a complete comparison, here’s the processor chart with all options:
- when it comes to COD:WZ, any laptop will do
- Core i3/Ryzen 3 is a good start
- Core i5/Ryzen 5 is enough for most people, but you could go for Ryzen 7 if you want more power
- Core i7/Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 are recommended for 144Hz+ displays
Major Memory
The best way to optimize your gaming experience is to get the right laptop for the game you want to play. For Call of Duty: Warzone, you need a lot of RAM, preferably 16 GB or even 32 GB, if you want an all-rounder workstation.
Minimum (8 GB)
If you’re on a tight budget and can’t afford a new laptop with better specs – I suggest buying an 8GB RAM laptop. That way, you can buy a second stick of RAM later on when your budget allows it.
Recommended (16 GB)
If you’re looking for a cheaper solution but don’t want to skimp on quantity – 16GB RAM is the sweet spot. You’ll be able to play most games, stream, work, and whatever else.
Best (32 GB)
If you’re looking for the absolute best laptop for Warzone and gaming in general, I recommend going for 32GB RAM. Yes, it’s more expensive; in fact it’s found starting at $1,200 – but this is one of the easiest ways to future-proof your system and give it more headroom.
- for Call of Duty: Warzone, get 16GB RAM or 32GB RAM
- 16GB RAM is the sweet spot, but 32GB RAM is better if you’re willing to spend more money
Optional requirements for a Call of Duty: Warzone laptop
Optional Display
Panel type: TN vs IPS
For many, the best laptop to play Call of Duty: Warzone means a screen with a high refresh rate. Often that means getting a TN panel. Frequent screen refreshing demands a swift response time, and the TN panel is the cheapest way to achieve that. So if you’re on a somewhat restricted budget and you need a laptop optimized for kills – you shouldn’t mind much if a laptop has a TN panel.
If you’re not as strict on your millisecond response times and you’re OK if your laptop is not a 100% purebred gaming machine… then yes – TN panels should be pushed aside. If you want to get a more well-rounded laptop, the IPS panel type should be your heavy favorite.
Also, if you want the very best laptop for Warzone, then I can’t really label a laptop as “the best” if it has a TN panel. TNs are fine for external displays, which are almost always positioned at a fixed angle. Still, the best laptops almost always come with an IPS that offers flexibly wide viewing angles, improved contrast, and color reproduction.
Do you need to go beyond Full HD?
For a game like Call of Duty: Warzone, the answer is no. Full HD is still good enough for most players.
4K is a hotly debated topic. The only issue I have with 4K is that it’s not that good for competitive first-person shooters. If you’re just a casual player – it’s a fantastic option. But for someone who wants to get the best laptop for CoD: Warzone – I recommend prioritizing other aspects over display resolution.
Is 60Hz enough?
Yes, and no. If you’re playing Warzone only from time to time or you have an external display – then it’s 60 is plenty. But if you want the best laptop for Warzone, then there’s no way around it – you’ll benefit from 120, 144, 240, or even 360Hz. Of course, the difference between 60 and 120Hz is substantial, but 120Hz vs. 300Hz? In CS:GO, some could tell the difference because framerates are off the charts, but in Warzone, no one’s playing at 300 FPS+, so there’s no point to fixate on the highest hertz number out there.
G-Sync vs FreeSync
G-Sync and FreeSync are both similar technologies that synchronize the monitor’s refresh rate to the frame rate. G-Sync is proprietary, which means it’s only available on NVIDIA graphics cards. FreeSync is open-source and compatible with AMD graphics cards.
But they’re both superfluous for Call of Duty: Warzone.
TN panels are fine for external displays, but the best laptops almost always come with an IPS that offers flexibly wide viewing angles, improved contrast, and color reproduction.
Optional Storage
Is HDD an option?
These days hard drives are all but outdated. An HDD may be the best option for those on a tight budget. Then prioritizing other specs, such as a better graphics card or a faster CPU, makes plenty of sense. That is especially relevant when Warzone is probably the “heaviest” free-to-play title out there. With 50 GB+ as a minimum (and quite a bit more if you want to have Modern Warfare too). The recent March update helped curb the space requirement, but that will fall by the wayside once all the updates start pouring in.
Getting the right size
You could try getting a 256 GB SSD if you’re on a tight budget. But as soon as you need more space, you’ll start seeing that the deal you got was raw. It’s time to get a larger SSD. Unless Warzone is literally the only game you’re playing – you’ll need at least 500 GB, and even then, it can quickly run out. Now, I don’t know you or your storage needs, but if I were to buy a new gaming laptop, I’d really try to get either 1 TB SSD or 500 GB SSD that I can later update.
Upgrading
You can upgrade the storage of your laptop in the future, but that might void your warranty. So make sure you buy a machine that will satisfy your needs for at least a year or two.
- HDD is not an option in this case
- get at least 500 GB of storage space on an SSD
- but if you get 1 TB SSD, you’ll have plenty of space for other games and files too
- getting a larger SSD is always better than getting two smaller ones, but you might need to upgrade your laptop’s storage in the future if you get one now
10 Best Laptops for Call of Duty: Warzone
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-55-53E5
Pros and cons
- Great graphics card (RTX 3050)
- Excellent display (15.6 144Hz IPS)
- So-so processor (i5-10300H)
- So-so memory amount (8GB)
Alternatives
MSI GL65
- Awesome memory amount (16GB)
- Average processor (i5-10300H)
- Average graphics card (GTX 1650)
HP Pavilion -Inch
- Terrific display (15.6 IPS Touch)
- One of most affordable laptops with an Intel i5 processor
- Unexceptional processor (i5-9300H)
- Unexceptional graphics card (GTX 1650)
HP Pavilion
Pros and cons
- Up to scratch processor (Ryzen 5 4600H)
- Great memory amount (16GB)
- So-so graphics card (GTX 1650)
- Bulky (4.4 lbs)
Alternatives
Asus TUF
- Exceptional memory amount (16GB)
- A lot of storage 512 GB SSD 1000 GB HDD
- Middle-of-the-road processor (i5-10300H)
- Average graphics card (GTX 1650)
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-45-R83Z
- Superb processor (Ryzen 5 5600H)
- Great display (15.6 144Hz IPS)
- Average graphics card (GTX 1650)
- Unremarkable memory amount (8GB)
Acer Predator Helios 300
Pros and cons
- Awesome processor (i7-11800H)
- Great graphics card (RTX 3060)
Alternatives
MSI GL75 Leopard I
- Up to scratch display (17.3 144Hz IPS)
- Very good memory amount (32GB)
- Garden-variety processor (i7-10750H)
- Unremarkable graphics card (GTX 1660 Ti)
Sager NP7879KQ
Pros and cons
- Terrific processor (i7-11800H)
- Good display (17.3 144Hz Matte)
- Middle-of-the-road graphics card (RTX 3050 Ti)
- Run-of-the-mill memory amount (16GB)
Sager NP7879PQ
Pros and cons
- Exceptional processor (i7-11800H)
- Splendid graphics card (RTX 3060)
- Average memory amount (16GB)
- No IPS Panel (worse contrast)
Sager NP7879PQ
Pros and cons
- Splendid processor (i7-11800H)
- Awesome graphics card (RTX 3060)
- No IPS Panel (worse viewing angles)
Alternatives
MSI 15 Inch
- Exceptional graphics card (RTX 3060)
- Solid display (15.6 144Hz IPS-level)
- Not the best processor (i7-10750H)
MSI GP66 Leopard
Pros and cons
- Terrific processor (i7-11800H)
- Exceptional graphics card (RTX 3080)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus
Pros and cons
- Awesome processor (Ryzen 9 5900HS)
- Solid graphics card (RTX 3070)
Alternatives
MSI GE75 Raider 17
- Sufficient graphics card (RTX 2070)
- Competent display (17.3 144Hz IPS)
- Garden-variety processor (i7-10750H)
Clevo X170 KMG 17
Pros and cons
- Great processor (i9-11900K)
- First-class graphics card (RTX 3080)
- No IPS Panel (worse contrast)
Alternatives
Lenovo Thinkpad P17
- Ample 1TB SSD
- Numpad
- Not the best processor (Xeon W-10855M)
- Average graphics card (Quadro T2000)
ASUS ROG Strix Scar G733QSA-XS99
Pros and cons
- Awesome processor (Ryzen 9 5900HX)
- Solid graphics card (RTX 3080)
- Unexceptional memory amount (32GB)
Table of Best Laptops for Call of Duty: Warzone
Laptop | Price (approx) |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-55-53E5 | $770 |
HP Pavilion | $900 |
Acer Predator Helios 300 | $1230 |
Sager NP7879KQ | $1380 |
Sager NP7879PQ | $1550 |
Sager NP7879PQ | $1700 |
MSI GP66 Leopard | $2460 |
ASUS ROG Zephyrus | $2600 |
Clevo X170 KMG 17 | $3750 |
ASUS ROG Strix Scar G733QSA-XS99 | $3800 |