Best gaming laptop for CS2 & Counter Strike 2 laptop requirements
Can You Play Counter-Strike 2 on a Laptop? Best Gaming Laptop for CS2 based on official info
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This is a brief guide to help you find the best gaming laptop for Counter-Strike 2 aka the best gaming laptop for CS2 based on official confirmed information, to match your needs and budget.
Our guide will help you determine whether playing Counter-Strike 2 on a laptop is possible on your current machine (if you have one), through discussing the laptop requirements for CS2. If it turns out it’s not, we list a few different gaming laptops capable of running the game at different resolutions and settings, covering a range of price points.
- 01Best gaming laptop for Counter Strike 2 @ 1080p
- 02Best gaming laptop for Counter Strike 2 @ 1440p
- 03Best gaming laptop for Counter Strike 2 @ 4K
Can my laptop run CS2?
Below we’ve listed the official minimum system requirements for CS2. You always want to aim well above these, as usually they will barely run the game. Recommended requirements are a much better guide, although Valve have yet to list these.
In addition to the above you also need to be aware that the official system requirements are always created with desktop users in mind – given laptops always have less powerful components than desktops (even if the model names for the CPU and GPUs sound very similar) you should always aim one SKU higher to generate the same performance.
Due to the absence of the system specs for Counter-Strike 2, we have listed the requirements for CS:GO below, though bear in mind these are referencing desktop components that are more powerful than those in a laptop. For a laptop, you always want to aim for one SKU higher for a similar FPS. Further down this page we’ve listed three different laptop models that should run the game at different resolutions. If instead you want to build a full-on desktop PC for CS2, then we have the best CPU for CS2, the best GPU for CS2, and the best settings for CS2 to help you on the way to building a CS2-capable machine.
CS2 minimum system requirements (desktop)
- CPU: 4 hardware CPU threads – Intel® Core™ i5 750 or higher
- RAM: 8GB RAM
- GPU: Video card must be 1 GB or more and should be a DirectX 11-compatible with support for Shader Model 5.0
- Storage: 85GB available space
- Operating System: Windows 10
Best gaming laptop for CS2 @ 1080p
HP Victus 16 (RTX 3050 / 3050 Ti, 1080p)
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 / 3050 Ti (80W)
RAM
16GB
Storage
1TB SSD
Screen Size
16.1”
Max Refresh Rate
144Hz
The best choice for playing Counter-Strike 2 at 1080p is Victus 16, assuming it’s discounted to the circa $800 price it often drops to. It is an affordable and stripped-down version of the HP Omen series laptops. The laptop has a cheaper build quality but has a great 16-inch 144Hz panel. The hardware options are solid for the price; you can get a variant equipped with RTX 3050 GPU and i5-12500H CPU for only $800 from the HP Store.
Alternatively, you may want to spend a bit more money and pick up an Acer Nitro 5 (2023) with RTX 4050 – a newer, much more powerful RTX 40-series GPU, as listed on our best gaming laptop under $1,000 guide.
Best gaming laptop for CS2 @ 1080p/1440p
ASUS ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition (165Hz 1440p)
CPU
AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX
GPU
AMD Radeon RX 6800M
RAM
16GB
Storage
512GB SSD
Screen Size
15.6″
Max Refresh Rate
165Hz
Playing Counter-Strike 2 at 1440p for high FPS may require a bit more oomph. Our pick is the ASUS ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition, available in various configurations, including a 1080p model with a high 300Hz refresh rate panel, which is probably the best choice for players wanting to play Counter-Strike 2, as the display is best suited for fast-paced games and will enhance the reaction time. Alternatively a 165Hz 1440p model is also available.
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 is an all-AMD gaming laptop. The laptop has an AMD CPU and GPU to maximize the communication between the core components, resulting in a greater performance boost. The laptop performs on par with more expensive RTX 3070 laptops in FPS terms, although the Ray-Tracing performance is weaker, but this won’t matter on a game like CS2.
The laptop also doesn’t have a webcam, not that you need one for playing Counter-Strike 2. But if you want a different pick with a webcam, look at our best gaming laptop under $1,500, but you won’t find a better one here.
Best gaming laptop for CS2 @ 4K
ASUS Zephyrus S17 (4K, 120Hz, RTX 3080)
CPU
Intel Core i9 11900H
Graphics
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 (100-140W)
RAM
32GB
Storage
1TB SSD
Screen Size
17.3”
Max Refresh Rate
120Hz
The biggest issue with most 4K laptops is the refresh rate limitation at 60Hz. A 60Hz refresh rate isn’t bad for general use, but it is too low for anything other than strategy titles, and especially for playing a lightning-fast-paced game like Counter-Strike 2 where reaction speed is paramount. However, more and more 4K gaming laptops with higher refresh panels are entering the market. Our pick is one of them, the ASUS Zephyrus S17. The laptop has top-tier specs, a complete overkill for playing Counter-Strike 2, however, you are guaranteed ultra-high-level performance at maxed-out settings and the highest 4K resolution. If you’re looking for even more power (albeit at a higher price) also consider the MSI Raider GE76, or the Razer Blade 17.
Best Gaming Laptop for Counter Strike 2 : Final Word
We hope this guide to the best gaming laptop for CS2 has told you everything you need to know on the subject. If you didn’t find a laptop you like the look of above, we suggest you also take a gander at our main best gaming laptop page or various other gaming laptop guides in the mega menu at the top of this page.
