The Best Gaming Laptops for Dungeon Runs in Hades II

As a seasoned gamer with years of experience under my belt, I wholeheartedly recommend the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 for any enthusiast looking to dive into the captivating world of Hades II. This powerhouse of a laptop offers an unparalleled gaming experience with its top-tier Intel Core i7-14700HX CPU and Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, ensuring you can savor every pixel of this masterpiece in stunning detail.

The eagerly awaited follow-up to the hit game from 2020, titled “Hades II“, is rapidly gaining recognition similar to its predecessor due to its captivating and demanding gameplay, coupled with a visually striking design that doesn’t need high-end hardware for optimal performance. Developed by Supergiant Games, this game has garnered “Very Positive” reviews on Steam and has been confirmed as compatible with the Steam Deck for portable gaming pleasure. As a result, these recommended gaming laptops will allow you to enjoy an outstanding “Hades II” experience on the go.

Contemporary gaming laptops boast sufficient power to handle intensive games, but for a game like Hades II, a decently equipped, slim and light model will suffice. However, keep in mind that a budget gaming laptop won’t provide the optimal gaming experience for Hades II. Below you will find some of the top laptops for Hades II, along with key factors to consider when purchasing a new gaming laptop.

Here are the essential and suggested specifications for Hades II, as disclosed by Supergiant Games:

Minimum Requirements:

OS: Windows 10 64-bit

Processor: Dual Core 2.4 GHz

Memory: 8 GB RAM

Graphics: GeForce GTX 950, Radeon R7 360, or Intel HD Graphics 630

Storage: 10 GB available space

Recommended Requirements:

OS: Windows 10 64-bit

Processor: Quad Core 2.4ghz

Memory: 16 GB RAM

Graphics: GeForce RTX 2060, Radeon RX 5600 XT, or Intel Arc A580

Storage: 10 GB available space

Game Rant’s Picks for the Best Gaming Laptops for Hades II in 2024

The Acer Predator Helios 16 excels at providing top-notch gaming performance in the game ‘Hades II’. Featuring a spacious 16-inch high-resolution screen that can refresh up to 165 times per second, it offers an IPS display with a resolution of 2560×1600 and a 16:10 aspect ratio, providing more vertical viewing space. Equipped with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage, this laptop is well-equipped to handle most modern games, including ‘Hades II’.

What’s powering this excellent experience is the Intel Core i7-13700HX and the Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU that can take the full 140W of available power. This CPU and GPU combination is much higher than the recommended settings from the developer, so it will be more than enough to enjoy the game at maximum settings, running at the native 1600p resolution at a high FPS. All this performance is backed by a 90Wh battery that can be charged via the included 330W adapter or the USB Type-C port.

Should you opt for the Acer Predator Helios 16’s keyboard instead of a game controller, you’ll appreciate its mechanical switches that offer quick key response (0.3mm) and individual RGB lighting for each key. On the other hand, most gamers, when playing Hades II, tend to prefer using a controller on a PC for an optimal gaming experience.

Using the Acer Predator Helios 16, Acer employs their fifth-generation AeroBlade 3D fan cooling technology. This system works alongside a liquid metal thermal compound and strategically placed heatpipes, all aided by two fans.

To enjoy top-notch gameplay in Hades II, you don’t necessarily have to splurge on high-end equipment. The MSI Cyborg 15 offers an affordable gaming laptop solution tailored for less demanding games like Hades II. It features a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920×1080), IPS-level display that can refresh at a speed of up to 144Hz, although it may not be the most color-accurate or responsive due to its budget-friendly price point, typically priced under $1000 and often discounted to $800.

The MSI Cyborg 15 computer system boasts an Intel Core i7-13620H processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 laptop graphics card with 6GB of VRAM, which is comparable to the Nvidia RTX 2060 and AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT GPUs, both recommended for Hades II. Despite having only a 1080p display, this system, when paired with an Intel Core i7-13620H CPU and 16GB of RAM, is more than capable of running the game smoothly.

In terms of storage, this gaming laptop offers a 512GB NVMe SSD, which is one of the trade-offs you’ll find in budget gaming models. Another con regarding the MSI Cyborg 15 is its relatively small battery capacity, at 53.5Wh. However, since you’d typically be playing games with it plugged in, you’ll receive a 120W power adapter for that purpose. On the positive side, you’ll have plenty of connectivity options and the keyboard, though comfortable to type on, only features a blue backlight.

Without a doubt, the RTX 4070 is excessively powerful for Hades II if budget is a factor. However, should cost not be an issue and superior performance is your priority, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2024) G614 is ideal for you. This laptop boasts a full 140W RTX 4070 GPU with 8GB VRAM, allowing it to run Hades II smoothly at its native QHD+ resolution of 2560×1600. Additionally, it comes equipped with an Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, which can reach the laptop’s maximum refresh rate of 240Hz.

Regarding the panel, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2024) G614 boasts a 16-inch IPS-grade screen, which ASUS labels as Nebula Display. This display is color-calibrated and offers a peak brightness of 500 nits, support for Dolby Vision, and Nvidia G-Sync. It’s an exquisite screen that promises to bring the vibrant colors and visual splendor of Hades II to life as intended. The premium qualities of this laptop don’t end with the display; they extend to its cooling system, keyboard, trackpad, and other aspects as well.

With a three-fan cooling setup, Asus incorporates seven heat pipes and top-tier Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal for cooling both the CPU and GPU. The keyboard offers per-key RGB illumination and Overstroke technology, which detects keypresses earlier in the keystroke for quicker responses and swifter input. The ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2024) G614 boasts a 90Wh battery and Type-C fast charging capabilities.

The Intel Core Ultra and Ryzen AI processors are energy-saving yet incredibly efficient mobile processors that leverage AI to streamline workflows. Due to their exceptional efficiency, laptops incorporating these CPUs with built-in graphics are exceptionally slim and lightweight compared to standard gaming laptops. Although they’re not marketed as gaming laptops, they pack a powerful punch, and the MSI Prestige 16 AI EVO serves as a testament to that capability.

The MSI Prestige 16 AI EVO laptop boasts an Intel Core i7-155H processor with integrated ARC graphics, 32GB of memory, and a massive 2TB storage capacity. It sports a 16-inch QHD+ IPS screen offering a resolution of 2560×1600 pixels, albeit with a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, limiting its maximum frame rate to 60 FPS. Despite this, the graphically demanding game, Hades II, will still provide an enjoyable gaming experience on this panel, just as it does on faster 240Hz screens.

The overall convenience that the MSI Prestige 16 AI EVO brings goes beyond its thin and light form factor. The 1.5 kg and 19mm thick chassis still houses a 99.9Wh battery, so expect excellent battery life of this machine. On top of that, it supports 100W charging via USB Type-C, so you can carry a single cable for your phone, laptop, and other devices. The keyboard has a white backlight but for the best feedback, go with an external mechanical keyboard or a controller.

Laptops, for the most part, are supposed to be portable, and while a 16-inch or even 18-inch laptop is still portable, at least more portable than a desktop computer, it is not the ideal form factor for those looking to travel with their laptop. Enter the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and its compact 14-inch display. Even though the screen is small, the performance is decent. It is powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS processor and the Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU.

This CPU and GPU combo can not only run the game at the native 14-inch QHD 2560×1440 resolution, but also hit a super high FPS consistently. The display is capable of hitting 165Hz, but you don’t need that high of an FPS rate to enjoy Hades II. Anywhere in the 60-120 FPS range is sufficient for the game and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 can hit that easily. You also get 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is available in both black and a striking Moonlight White, making it one of the rare white gaming laptops out there. Apart from the display border, every aspect of this laptop is designed in a pristine white hue. This sleek, white design may require more frequent cleaning due to its susceptibility to showing oil stains and discoloration, but aesthetically speaking, the Moonlight White ROG Zephyrus G14 is an elegant piece of machinery.

While laptops and portability go hand in hand, many users stay planted with their laptops at their desk. These users would prefer to have a bigger screen rather than a compact one, and 18 inches is the biggest you can go with commercially available laptops. The Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 stands as the best value large screen gaming laptop, especially for Hades II. It is powered by the Intel Core i7-14700HX CPU and the Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, which is pretty overkill for a game like Hades II.

In simpler terms, the game will run beautifully on this system because it has a high-performance display that refreshes up to 165 times per second, and a powerful CPU and GPU combo that can handle most modern games at their native resolution (2560×1600) and 60+ frames per second. The Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 also comes with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, which is typical for a gaming laptop in this range.

While some might contend that an 18-inch laptop ought to feature a 4K screen instead of a 2K one, the reality is that running a 4K display is more challenging and power-hungry, leading to a substantial hike in the laptop’s price. However, the Predator Helios Neo 18 strikes the ideal balance between resolution and processing power.

Similar to the Predator Helio 16, the Predator Helios Neo 18 incorporates a 5th Generation AeroBlade 3D Fan cooling system. This innovative technology ensures that both the CPU and GPU remain cool even during extended gaming sessions on Hades II.

How to Choose the Best Gaming Laptop for Hades II

Choosing the optimal gaming laptop for any title can be tricky, but here are some key aspects to help simplify your buying process:

Resolution and FPS

As a fan of fast-paced games like Hades II, I’ve found that it performs optimally within the 60-120Hz frame rate range. While higher FPS can enhance other competitive shooters and quick movement games, in this case, the additional frames don’t significantly improve gameplay. However, having the capability to reach such high frame rates is definitely a bonus for smooth gaming experience. Consequently, a gaming laptop with a 2K display would be an ideal choice for Hades II.

Screen Size

Various gaming laptops come in a variety of screen sizes, with smaller screens making the laptop more compact and travel-friendly. However, this reduction in size might necessitate some sacrifices when it comes to performance. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, sporting a 14-inch screen, and the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18, boasting an 18-inch display, are excellent choices for the smallest and largest screens respectively.

CPU and GPU

For games that are more graphically demanding, it’s best to opt for high-performance gaming laptops. However, a mid-range setup would be sufficient for games like Hades II. Depending on the resolution you intend to play at, even a CPU with integrated graphics such as the Intel Core Ultra 7-155H in the MSI Prestige 16 AI EVO could suffice. But if you’re aiming for a 2K gaming experience, it’s advisable to have a GPU like the RTX 4060 or better.

FAQ

Q: Is Hades 2 a demanding game?

According to the suggestions given by the game’s creators, Hades II doesn’t require significant system resources. A computer with moderate capabilities, such as a lower to mid-range model, should comfortably handle the game at a resolution of 1080p and maintain a frame rate of 60 frames per second.

Q: Is Hades 2 Zagreus sister?

In Hades II, the main character, Melinoe, is the offspring of Hades and Persephone, and she’s also the little sibling to Zagreus.

2024-08-29 16:06