The best gaming laptops we've tested can take Microsoft Flight Simulator to the next level, especially if you're looking to realize your dreams of controlling realistic aircraft anywhere you go.
I've rounded up my top picks based on the recommended specifications and some personal input from playing the game myself. With each update, more complex content is added to the game, and these low-end requirements don't always reflect the best-suited components.
I looked through more than 35 recent laptop reviews — totalling hundreds of hours of testing from the team at Windows Central — to find the best options for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
With everything from performance to display to port selection in mind, my top pick is Lenovo's Legion Pro 7i (Gen 10), but there are great alternatives to check out.
June 13, 2025: I've added the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 10) as a new top pick now that the Alienware m16 R2 has been discontinued. I also added the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 as an alternative for those who want the best performance possible. A new honorable mentions section adds a couple more options. — Cale Hunt
Best overall
Lenovo's refreshed Legion Pro 7i (Gen 10) for 2025 gets a cooling redesign to accommodate the latest Intel and NVIDIA hardware, including up to an RTX 5090 Laptop GPU. The new OLED display doesn't hurt, either.
Premium pick
The Blade 18 is a mighty 18-inch gaming laptop available with the latest CPU and GPU configuration options. The display is incredible, and the design is as slim as possible while fitting a ton of hardware inside.
Portable pick
For portable simulation, ASUS' compact 14-inch ROG Zephyrus G14 can handle practically anything you throw at it. The specs are far and above the recommendations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, and you can hook up an external monitor or play on the go.
Load the next products ↴
Best performance
This 18-inch powerhouse from ASUS features the latest Intel and NVIDIA hardware, giving you more than enough power to max out Flight Simulator settings. It has a bright mini-LED display and high-end features that make up for the asking price.
Best value
The Legion 5i (Gen 9) is one of Lenovo's more affordable gaming laptops, available with Intel and NVIDIA hardware up to an RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. Models are usually discounted, and I've spotted them as low as $1,580 for an RTX 4060 model in recent weeks.
My favorite gaming laptops for Flight Simulator in 2025
Why you can trust Windows Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Best overall gaming laptop for Flight Simulator
Lenovo's Legion Pro 7i (Gen 10) is the best overall gaming laptop we've tested so far this year, so it makes sense to recommend it as the best option for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
It's been redesigned for 2025, and unfortunately, the rear port bank that provided easier cable management has disappeared.
That's due to the buffed cooling system now made to keep NVIDIA's latest RTX 5000 mobile GPUs and an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX under control.
Our own Zachary Boddy reviewed the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 10), noting:
"The performance is unmatched, the thermals are cool and breezy, the OLED display is among the best I've tested... Pit the Legion Pro 7i against a rampaging truck, and I feel this laptop may emerge from that confrontation the victor with how sturdily it's built."
The 16-inch display now uses an OLED panel for far superior color and contrast compared to IPS. It has a QHD+ resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate, among other high-end specs.
With Thunderbolt 4, USB-C, three USB-A, Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, and 3.5mm audio, you should be able to connect all your favorite Flight Sim peripherals without issue.
A model with a Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU, 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and OLED display costs about $2,909 at Lenovo, and I recommend waiting for one of Lenovo's frequent discounts before buying.
👉 Read our full Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 10)
Best premium laptop for Flight Simulator
Razer's Blade 18 is what you get when you take desktop-class performance and put it into a sleek 18-inch frame.
There are no worries here about Flight Simulator performance, as even the baseline Blade 18 models come with an RTX 5070 Ti and powerful Intel Core i9 or Core Ultra 9 CPU.
Windows Central Senior Editor Ben Wilson reviewed the Razer Blade 18 (2024), remarking:
"It makes incremental improvements and delivers an ultra-powerful 14th Gen Intel HX processor with the latest Wi-Fi 7 tech and Thunderbolt 5 USB-C standard. The RTX 4090 inside is still the most powerful GPU you can get in a laptop, and it performs best in the Blade 18 (2024) with zero issues running any game you can think of. It'll cost you a fortune, but Razer isn't ripping you off — it's still the best gaming laptop in the world."
Wilson, of course, reviewed it before NVIDIA launched its new RTX 5000 GPUs, so performance has only improved.
For the 18-inch display, you have a choice between a QHD+ resolution with a mini-LED panel and 300Hz refresh rate or a dual-mode display that can switch between UHD+ at 240Hz and FHD+ at 440Hz. Either way, you're going to have a great time.
Ports include HDMI 2.1 and Thunderbolt 5 for strong external display support. Otherwise, you get three USB-A 3.2 (Gen 2), 2.5Gb Ethernet, and an SD card reader.
👀 Read our full Razer Blade 18 (2024) review
Best portable gaming laptop for Flight Simulator
On the other side of the gaming laptop size spectrum is the compact ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, perfect for those who often travel with their PC.
It's a 14-inch PC that weighs just 3.31 pounds (1.5kg) and measures 0.63 inches (16.3mm) thin, yet it packs in up to an NVIDIA RTX 4070 Laptop GPU and an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS CPU.
This combination will easily handle Flight Simulator. As Windows Central laptop expert Zachary Boddy puts it in their ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) review:
"ASUS set out to perfect its 14-inch gaming laptop and kissed the feet of sublimity with the latest version. It's a very different laptop from its predecessor with different focuses, but the result is one of the most refined and premium devices in this category. It's more than powerful enough to play all the latest and greatest PC games but trades top-end performance for a stunning, impeccably constructed aluminum chassis."
The 14-inch OLED display is a standout feature, offering incredible color and contrast at a sharp 2880x1800 resolution. The 120Hz refresh rate is more than enough for a smooth experience, and it hits 500 nits max brightness.
Port selection isn't bad either, especially for a smaller laptop. HDMI 2.1 and USB4 can handle external display duties, and you get multiple USB-C and USB-A for accessories.
👀 See our full ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) review
Best performance gaming laptop for Flight Simulator
ASUS created the ROG Strix Scar 18 (G835L) to deliver supreme performance, and indeed, it's one of the most powerful laptops I've ever tested.
The 18-inch chassis is home to a tri-fan cooling system, and it's able to keep up to an NVIDIA RTX 5090 Laptop GPU and Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU running without throttling.
It'll have no trouble running Flight Simulator with maxed settings, but I recommend against buying the RTX 5090 model. Save yourself about $1,100 and go for the RTX 5080 model; gaming performance is hardly any different.
The QHD+ mini-LED display is almost worth the price alone. It comes with more than 2,000 separate dimming zones, allowing for backlighting that's more precise than you'll get from OLED.
It hit 100% sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts in my testing, as well as 926 nits brightness without enabling HDR. If you want to fly planes in your backyard, you won't have any issues with glare.
Considering that models with an RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU, Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, and mini-LED display start at about $2,699, you're looking at a competitive price compared to the other high-end PCs in this roundup.
👀 See our full ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 (2025) review
Best value gaming laptop for Flight Simulator
The non-Pro version of the Legion 5i (Gen 9) drops to an even more affordable price.
A model with an Intel Core i7-14650HX CPU, NVIDIA RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, 16GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and QHD+ display starts, at the time of my most recent update, at about $1,580.
In usual Lenovo fashion, there's plenty of opportunity to upgrade hardware as needed. An Intel Core i9 CPU and RTX 4070 Laptop GPU will provide an even better Flight Sim experience.
Windows Central's Zachary Boddy reviewed the Legion 5i (Gen 9), noting:
"Performance is where you'll most wonder if you really need to spring for the more expensive Lenovo Legion Pro 5i, as the Legion 5i (Gen 9) boasts many of the same configuration options and is able to perform admirably with that hardware. Its only real flaw is that these fans are extremely loud, enough that the speakers aren't quite enough to drown them out. You'll want a headset for gaming."
The laptop's IPS display is quite good and gets the job done for those without an external monitor. It's sized at 16 inches with a QHD+ resolution, 165Hz or 240Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision, NVIDIA G-Sync, and up to 500 nits brightness.
With multiple USB-A, USB-C, and HDMI, you should be able to connect all of your Flight Sim accessories and an external monitor without much trouble.
👀 See our full Lenovo Legion 5i (Gen 9) review
I'm a huge flight sim fan who enjoys getting the full setup with peripherals and the right display. With my own experience in tow, I can offer the right PC buying advice for anyone who wants to get started with Microsoft Flight Simulator.
I've been testing and reviewing laptops at Windows Central for more than 8 years, and my love for PC gaming extends to flight sims. I know what's required to run the game smoothly, and I know which gaming laptops are the best on the market today.
Honorable mentions
The six top laptops I've selected above should be your first considerations, but I've included an honorable mention from Dell's Alienware lineup.
It was once my top pick, but it's been replaced by Dell's refreshed Area 51 laptops. Once we have a chance to test the latest PCs from Dell, I'll be sure to update this guide.
- Alienware m16 R2: Dell's Alienware m16 R2 is getting harder to find, but a model with Core Ultra 7 CPU, RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, 1TB SSD, 16GB of RAM, and 16-inch QHD+ display at 240Hz can still be found at Best Buy for about $1,899. 👉 Read our full Alienware m16 R2 review
- HP OMEN MAX 16 (2025): The most powerful gaming laptop ever from HP gets a lot right, but you'll have to make peace with the loud fans and mushy keyboard. Still, it's a powerful option at a competitive price. 👉 Read our full HP OMEN MAX 16 review
How we test gaming laptops at Windows Central
Many laptops come our way at Windows Central, and we apply the same testing process to each one.
Because we "adopt" the PC for regular use during the testing period, any quirks quickly become apparent.
We start with the outside of the PC, checking for design quality, hinge durability, port layout, exhaust, intake, and more. Because we actually use the laptop, the keyboard and touchpad are easy to analyze.
Beyond testing other hardware like the webcam, speakers, fingerprint reader, SD card reader, and more, we also use a colorimeter to measure a laptop's display color reproduction and brightness.
👉 Related: How we test and review laptops at Windows Central
For performance, a wide range of synthetic benchmark tests are applied, including those from Geekbench, Cinebench, CrossMark, CrystalDiskMark, PCMark, and 3DMark. Battery life is measured with benchmarking software, but we also pull averages from the Windows Battery Report during our time testing the PC.
In terms of gaming laptops, the CPU and GPU are put to the test in a variety of demanding titles. This gives us an idea of what sort of FPS you can expect when gaming.
With the laptop under load, we also test heat with a FLIR camera and system noise with a decibel meter.
I urge you to click through to the corresponding reviews on any of the laptops I've selected in this guide, as they have a ton of extra information that could be key in your buying process.
How to choose the best gaming laptop for Flight Simulator
We've moved up a couple of hardware generations since Microsoft Flight Simulator was first released in 2020, so even entry-level equivalents have a decent chance of running the game without much stress.
Razer's Blade 18, one of the best gaming laptops in general, is a gigantic beast that can play practically anything at maximum settings, including simulated flights with complex lighting effects.
But if you'd like to get the most out of your hardware, I recommend something like the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18. It has a much higher thermal capacity, allowing even NVIDIA's latest RTX 5000 mobile GPUs to run without throttling.
Still, the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 10) will likely make sense for more gamers. It's more compact, it has the latest hardware from Intel and NVIDIA, and you can often find it deeply discounted.
Your choice ultimately comes down to your needs, so if you plan to enjoy some flight sim sessions on the go, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) is far better suited to portability with its 14-inch chassis.
Even the most affordable Lenovo Legion 5i (Gen 9) configurations can handle the game with some of its fancier visual luxuries turned down or switched off completely, and once you've taken to the skies, the graphical demands of Microsoft Flight Simulator settle down by a fair margin. On the runway, mid-range picks and above start to shine by rendering airports and other buildings with lifelike qualities.
What are the Flight Simulator system requirements?
Flight Simulator 2024 is a direct follow-up to 2020's Microsoft Flight Simulator, but thankfully the minimum PC specs didn't change.
The game is listed as requiring at least an AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or Intel Core i7-6800K CPU and NVIDIA RTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 GPU for Flight Simulator 2024.
Recommended specs go up as expected; listed is an Intel Core i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X CPU with NVIDIA RTX 2080 or AMD Radeon RX 5700XT GPU. You'll also want at least 16GB of RAM.
As is the case with most games, buying a laptop with better performance hardware is only going to make Flight Simulator run more smoothly.
What about desktop PCs for Flight Simulator?
Desktop PCs, due to their higher performance potential and larger selection of ports, are generally the go-to hardware for die-hard flight sim enthusiasts.
You won't be able to carry your setup around as easily, but a desktop will serve as a much better permanent installment in your would-be cockpit.
Be sure to check out my picks for best desktop gaming PCs for Flight Simulator for more information.
