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Are you in need of a powerful laptop to play Counter-Strike 2? Here are some of the top premium laptops to play CS2 on right now.
The game Counter-Strike 2 is built on the Source 2 engine. It incorporates dynamic smokes, tick-rate-independent networking, and more realistic lighting into the traditional Counter-Strike formula. Unfortunately, it still lacks support for ray tracing. Although you can play CS2 on low settings with any hardware, you need flagship-level gaming laptop models to get 144+ FPS at 1440p or enter 4K with the highest textures.
The laptop must have a powerful CPU, a GPU with 12+ GB VRAM, dual-stick DDR5 memory, and a display panel of 144 Hz to 240 Hz. Today, we have shortlisted some of the best premium laptops on the market right now, on which you can enjoy CS2 to its maximum potential. Let’s get into it. By the way, we also explain important factors to consider when selecting a gaming laptop for Counter-Strike 2.
Note: The listed laptops’ prices are accurate as of July 5th, 2025.
System Requirements for CS2
While each laptop on this list offers performance that is beyond what is required to play CS2, it is still an important aspect to discuss. The table below presents the official minimum system requirements to play CS2:
| Requirement | Specification |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Processor | 4 hardware threads (Intel® Core™ i5-750 or higher) |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | DirectX 11-compatible GPU, Shader Model 5.0, 1 GB+ VRAM |
| DirectX | Version 11 |
| Storage | 85 GB available space |
The system requirements of CS2 seem to be quite low. However, for an optimal gameplay experience, you should pick the most powerful system possible as per your budget. Competitive gameplay in CS2 requires a high amount of FPS. Playing above 150 or 250 FPS increases the smoothness of your keyboard and mouse input. In order to aim properly, a powerful gaming laptop is recommended. Let’s check out our recommended high-end gaming laptop options!
1. Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI Gaming Laptop
$1,899.99
Specifications
| Specifications | Details |
| OS | Windows 11 Home |
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (24-core, up to 5.4 GHz) |
| Memory | 32 GB DDR5-6400 (dual-channel) |
| Storage | 1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (12 GB GDDR7) |
| Display | 16″ OLED (2560×1600), 240 Hz, 500 nits, G-SYNC |
| Ports | Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, 2× USB-C, 3× USB-A |
| Battery | ~ 4–6 hrs mixed-use |
| Weight | ~ 5.07 lb |
Overview
The Acer Nitro Neo 16S AI gaming laptop is very powerful, featuring a 24-core processor, the Intel’s Core Ultra 9 275HX. This CPU has a boost clock of up to 5.40 GHz. It features 8 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores. This gaming laptop from Acer also features Nvidia’s mid-range RTX 5070 Ti graphics card with 12 GB VRAM.
This CPU and GPU combo makes the gaming laptop a very balanced option. Together, these specifications work to maintain 160 to 180 FPS in 1440p at the highest settings and 100 FPS in 4K on medium. On AAA games, this GPU has support for DLSS 4, bringing multi-frame generation and a Transformer model for high-quality upscaling. Combined with 32 GB of fast DDR5-6400 dual-channel memory, gaming is not a problem even when streaming programs or background apps are running.
The 1 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD brings almost instant load times and game startups. It has a 16″, 240 Hz OLED screen with 100 percent DCI-P3 and G-SYNC coverage, which provides deep blacks and smooth movement to aim accurately. Supporting Nvidia’s Advanced Optimus feature, the Acer Predator Helios Nitro Neo 16S AI gaming laptop can dynamically switch to integrated graphics when needed.
During light browsing or watching content, you can get extended battery life on the laptop thanks to Nvidia Optimus. Moreover, there is a strong dual-fan cooling system to manage temperatures. Even when you play CS2 for long hours, this premium gaming laptop can keep up without slowing down the performance.
2. GIGABYTE AORUS Master 16 Gaming Laptop
$4,299.99
Specifications
| Specifications | Details |
| OS | Windows 11 Home |
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (up to 5.4 GHz) |
| Memory | 32 GB DDR5-5600 (dual-channel, up to 64 GB) |
| Storage | 2 TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD (expandable to 4 TB) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (24 GB GDDR7) |
| Display | 16″ OLED WQXGA (2560×1600), 240 Hz; 100% DCI-P3; True Black 500 |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Ports | USB4, USB 3.2 Gen2-C, HDMI, Ethernet, etc. |
| Weight | 5.52 lb |
Overview
The AORUS Master 16 is fitted with a 24 GB VRAM RTX 5090 that delivers 200+ FPS in 1440p ultra and 120+ FPS in the 4K high setting. Coupled with dual-channel 32 GB DDR5-5600 and 2 TB Gen4 SSD, it loads the game quickly and can multitask without any hiccups. A 240 Hz 16-inch OLED screen provides tear-free images with bright colors in 100 percent DCI-P3. Such a high refresh rate display makes playing CS2 an amazing experience. Compared to slower displays such as 144 Hz, this 240 Hz display on the GIGABYTE Aorus Master 16 gaming laptop
Although CS2 lacks ray tracing, the dedicated RT cores in this laptop excel in other modern games. NVIDIA Advanced Optimus switches to the integrated graphics depending on the situation. This feature ends up saving battery life when the dedicated GPU is not being used to play games.
The AORUS Master 16 gaming laptop also features RGB lighting that can be customized. This gaming laptop has modern connectivity features too. With USB 4 support, you get a high bandwidth port for speedy file transfers. It also has Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth v5.4, ensuring seamless wireless connectivity performance. Playing CS2 on this premium laptop ensures that you are able to deliver your best performance.
3. MSI Titan 18 HX Gaming Laptop
$6,899.99
Specifications
| Specifications | Details |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro |
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (24-core, up to 5.5 GHz) |
| Memory | 96 GB DDR5-6400 |
| Storage | 2 TB NVMe SSD Gen5 + 4 TB NVMe SSD Gen4 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (24 GB GDDR7) |
| Display | 18″ UHD+ (3840×2400) Mini-LED, 120 Hz, HDR 1000, DCI-P3 |
| Ports | HDMI 2.1, 3× USB-A 3.2, 2× Thunderbolt 5, SD Express |
| Wireless | Killer Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Battery | 99.9 Whr (approx. 3–4 hrs) |
| Weight | 7.93 lb |
Overview
The MSI Titan 18 HX is one of the most powerful gaming laptops available today. It features Intel’s Core Ultra 285HX CPU, which boosts up to 5.50 GHz. This processor has 24 cores with 8 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores. The graphics card here has a staggering 24 GB VRAM, which is the RTX 5090 GPU.
Effectively, MSI’s Titan 18 HX has such powerful specifications that it can establish itself as a laptop that can replace your gaming desktop. With such specifications, it can deliver 180 FPS to 200 FPS at 4K medium and more than 250 FPS at 1440p ultra. This GPU is the fastest gaming laptop GPU available at the moment.
The MSI Titan 18 HX features a 120 Hz refresh rate Mini-LED display. While this is good enough for competitive play, a gamer who wants the best experience for CS2 may want a higher refresh rate instead. Still, this is a Mini LED display that includes local dimming zones and HDR 1000 brightness, providing a cinematic contrast. While the refresh rate is lower that what you would expect from a laptop in this price range, it is good for a casual gamer. The huge amount of 96 GB DDR5 RAM ensures you will never have slowdowns when multitasking heavily.
For storage, there are 6 TB of NVMe storage. You can easily store tons of games and all your other files without any issues with such a massive storage capacity. The MSI Titan 18 HX also features an advanced cooling system that keeps temperatures stabilized throughout long marathons of playing CS2. Such features and specifications, make this laptop, the very best premium laptop to play CS2 on.
Important Factors To Consider Before Deciding on a Laptop for Counter-Strike 2
There are a few things you should keep in mind before finalizing your gaming laptop to play Counter-Strike 2. Like many other competitive first-person shooter games, CS2 is a very CPU-intensive title. Because of this, you should prioritize picking a gaming laptop with as fast a CPU as possible. So, the GPU is not as important as the CPU when you want the ultimate gameplay experience for competitive shooters like CS2.
However, there is more to the story. Gamers who play at low settings won’t need a very fast GPU, but those gamers who like CS2 at higher settings should opt for a fast GPU option as well. Otherwise, the FPS will be too low. Apart from the laptop specifications, it is also important to select a gaming laptop with a high refresh rate. Such displays allow you to flick and track targets much easier than traditional 60 Hz displays.
When looking for a premium gaming laptop, you should look for options with a 240Hz display or higher. However, if you are playing CS2 without the intention to play very seriously, then opting for a 120Hz display is also fine. But definitely avoid picking a laptop with only 60 Hz refresh rate!
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