Warframeis a free-to-play online action RPG that has been going strong for over ten years now. The game was originally released in 2013, and developer Digital Extremes has been dedicated to supporting it the whole time. It has been ported to all platforms and is evena “Verified” title on the Steam Deck. Being such an old game, it doesn’t demand the latest and most powerful hardware and can run on afairly basic gaming setupwithout any issues, which is also why so many people are still drawn to it.
The game has “Very Positive” reviews on Steam, not just because of how entertaining it is but also because of how easy it is to run. You don’t need a massive gaming tower to enjoy Warframe, and a laptop will allow you to explore the universe on the go, though you would want to have aproper keyboard/mouseor controller setup to fully immerse yourself in the game. That being said, there are plenty of laptops that can deliver an excellent gaming experience in Warframe.
GIGABYTE Aorus 16X (2024)
ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 OLED (UX6404)
The developers have shared the minimum requirements for Warframe and they are:
OS: Windows 10 or later
Processor: Intel Core i7 860, Intel Core i5 750, or AMD FX-4100 (SSE 4.2 support required)
Storage: 50 GB available HD space
Game Rant’s Picks for the Best Laptops to Play Warframe
GIGABYTE Aorus 15 (2023)
The GIGABYTE Aorus 15 (2023) packs the Intel Core i7-13700H CPU and the Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU (140W). It comes with 16GB RAM and 1TB storage. There is a 15.6-inch QHD 2560x1440 display with a 165Hz refresh rate. The Aorus 15 is backed by a 99Wh battery.
While it may be a bit overkill for Warframe, the GIGABYTE Aorus 15 BSF is an excellent gaming laptop that offers great value and longevity. The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700H CPU and the Nvidia RTX 4070 (140W) GPU makes this laptop capable of running pretty much any modern AAA title you throw at it. Warframe, being over 10 years old, will run as smooth as butter on the GIGABYTE Aorus 15 BSF.
You can max out the settings and enjoy the game at thefull native 2560x1440 resolutionand 165Hz refresh rate. Speaking of which, the GIGABYTE laptop is equipped with a 15.6-inch display that has slim bezels and comes with up to 100% DCI-P3 coverage. It comes with 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB of Gen4 SSD storage. There is a total of two DDR5 slots and two M.2 SSD slots, which means you can expand them both later down the line.
Warframe requires you to be online, and while a wired connection is generally recommended for gaming, the Wi-Fi 6E capabilities of this laptop should perform just as well. The GIGABYTE Aorus 15 BSF is backed by a massive 99Wh battery and a beefy cooling system – the WINDFORCE Infinity cooling system – which puts it on the bulkier side of gaming laptops at a little over 5 pounds.
The keyboard is comfortable to type on and has three-zone RGB lighting, so those looking for per-key RGB will have to make some compromises. Overall, the GIGABYTE Aorus 15 BSF is the best laptop for Warframe.
MSI Cyborg 15
The MSI Cyborg 15 (A13VE-218US) is a budget-friendly gaming laptop that features the 13th-Gen Intel Core i7-13620H CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU. It comes with a 15.6-inch FHD, IPS-level display capable of 144Hz refresh rate. The laptop has two 2W speakers and a single color backlight for the keyboard.
Powered by the Intel Core i7-13620H CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 laptop GPU, the MSI Cyborg 15 offers performance way above the minimum requirements of Warframe. It is backed by 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for storage and while the RAM is sufficient for most modern titles, you may need to invest in external storage in the near future. That being said, the MSI Cyborg 15 can still deliver an amazing gaming experience in Warframe.
On the subject of immersion, the gaming laptop features a 15.6-inch FHD (1920x1080) IPS-level display that refreshes at 144Hz, which should give you a competitive edge whenever you switch to your firearm in the game. For connectivity, you get Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, which are not the latest standards, but you should not face any issues when connecting to Warframe servers without a wired connection. If you do want a wired connection, there is a Gigabit LAN port on the side.
MSI is using a shared heatpipe design for the CPU and GPU which, according to the company, allows for “real-time heat dissipation balancing between CPU and GPU for improved efficiency.” There is no RGB lighting for the keyboard, and it only has a blue light, so keep that in mind before purchasing.
You can have an enjoyable gaming experience in Warframe with the MSI Cyborg 15 without breaking the bank.
ASUS ROG Strix G16 (G614JIR-XS96)
The ROG Strix G16 (2024) G614JIR-XS96 is a high-performance gaming laptop that features an Intel Core i9 14900HX CPU and an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, a combination that can smoothly run all AAA titles, with minor tweaks to the settings. It has a bright and crisp 16-inch (2560x1600) display that is capable of a 240Hz refresh rate.
If you are looking for a great all-around high-end laptop and the budget is of no concern, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 is the one for you. It leans into the gamer aesthetic quite strongly with its large ROG logo at the top, ventilation all around, RGB lights, and a fairly beefy chassis. But, with all these bells and whistles comes incredible performance thanks to the Core i9-14900HX CPU andthe RTX 4070 (140W) GPU, paired with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.
As the name suggests, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 comes with a 16-inch QHD+ (2560x1600) IPS-level display with a 3ms response time and 240Hz refresh rate. The combination of the hardware should allow you to play at maximum settings and native resolution and still achieve a super high refresh rate. The gaming laptop is backed by a 90Wh battery and ships with a 280W power adapter.
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 also features a MUX Switch with Nvidia Advanced Optimus which can automatically switch between the iGPU and dGPU depending on the task, which not only optimizes performance but also battery life. It is a fairly expensive gaming laptop, but there is no task that it cannot handle, so beyond getting the best performance in Warframe, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 is a strong all-rounder that can even replace your desktop PC.
Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 gaming laptop is a sleek yet powerful machine that is powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS processor and the Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU. It features a 16-inch WQXGA (2560x1600) display capable of 300 nits brightness and 165Hz refresh rate. It comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
Fans of AMD CPUs will find the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 checks all the right boxes. The laptop, from the outside, has an unassuming appearance, but on the inside, it packs impressive performance that is more than capable of running Warframe at max settings and high FPS. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS processor and the Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, along with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.
Even though the Legion Slim 5 has a 16-inch WQXGA (2560x1600) IPS display capable of 165Hz refresh rate and 300 nits peak brightness, it is fairly compact thanks to the slim bezels around the display and the 19.7mm thickness. It also weighs under 2.3 kg, so it is not the lightest but fairly reasonable for a 16-inch laptop.
As is typical with Lenovo’s Legion lineup of laptops, the screen flips 180 degrees and most of the ports are located at the back, freeing up space on the left and right sides of the laptop. Both the back and the sides have ventilation to push hot air out more effectively. You also get afull-size keyboardwith a number pad, which some users still appreciate. The trackpad, however, is not centrally located under the keyboard because the arrow keys have been pushed down a bit to accommodate the full-size keyboard.
The GIGABYTE Aorus 16X (2024) is powered by the Intel Core i7-14650HX CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU which makes it a strong mid-range gaming laptop. It packs a 16-inch WQXGA (2560x1600) display that supports 165Hz refresh rate and comes with NVIDIA Advanced Optimus. It is equipped with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.
The AORUS 16X AKG is the 2024 offering from GIGABYTE that incorporates the latest generation CPUs from Intel and the latest generation GPUs from Nvidia. The AORUS 16X AKG is powered by the Intel Core i7-14650HX and the Nvidia RTX 4060 (140W) GPU, a combination that can run Warframe without breaking a sweat. In fact, it can push the full native 2560x1600 resolution at max settings and deliver a lag-free high-FPS gaming experience.
The 16-inch display not only supports Dolby Vision but also comes with 100% sRGB coverage and Pantone validation, which means you can use it for tasks like photo and video editing. It also supports Nvidia G-Sync and Advanced Optimus. This configuration comes with 32GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB PCIe SSD for storage. There are two DDR5 slots, which means you can have a maximum of 64GB RAM and two M.2 SSD slots should allow you to take the storage up to 4TB, regardless of your initial configuration.
For connectivity, the GIGABYTE AORUS 16X AKG comes with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, as well as a Gigabit LAN port. There is a 99Wh battery supporting all this hardware and what’s great about this laptop is that it supports fast charging so it can reach 50% battery with a 30-minute charge. On top of that, it also supports 100W PD via a USB-C port.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 OLED (UX6404) is a thin and light yet powerful laptop that can run most games without breaking a sweat. It is powered by the Core i9-13900H CPU and the Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, along with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The display refreshes at 120Hz, which makes it a great gaming machine. It is also lightweight at just 1.65 kgs.
Those looking for a thin and light laptop that can also run Warframe with ease should take a look at the ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 OLED. It is a compact all-around laptop package that has an impressive display and a strong CPU and GPU combo that gives it plenty of power for not just casual gaming but competitive gaming as well. The Intel Core i9-13900H CPU and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, along with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, give the laptop plenty of performance headroom.
You get a 14.5-inch 2.8K (2880x1800) OLED display that supports a 120Hz refresh rate and as low as a 0.2ms response time. It also gets plenty bright at 550 nits HDR peak brightness and comes with 100% DCI-P3 coverage, Pantone validation, and a touch screen. While it is not a dedicated gaming laptop, it has a sophisticated cooling solution which ASUS calls IceCool Pro. It is a combination of two fans, five heatpipes, and four external exhaust vents.
The thin and light form factor of the Zenbook Pro 14 OLED sets it apart from the competition as it is just 17.9mm thick and weighs only 1.65 kg. Despite the compactness, it packs a powerful punch that is more than enough to enjoy Warframe without any issues.
Factors to Consider When Looking for the Best Laptop for Warframe
CPU and GPU: The combination of the CPU and GPU will effectively determine what kind of games you can play on the laptop. Fortunately, Warframe is not a demanding title, and you can get away with even older hardware. This means you do not need the latest 14th Gen Intel CPU or Ryzen 7000 series CPUs to get the best experience. Similarly, a lower end GPU like the RTX 4050 and RTX 4060 can deliver excellent gaming performance in Warframe.
Screen size and Resolution: Gaming laptops and laptops in general come in a range of screen sizes that can be as small as 13 inches and as big as 18 inches. A 16-inch laptop is somewhat of a sweet spot where it doesn’t have to be too huge and still be reasonably priced. If you typically use an external display, even a smaller laptop should suffice. As for resolution, you can find 14-inch laptops that have4K displays, but 2K or 1440p is the sweet spot for laptop gaming.
Budget: Seeing how low the requirements for Warframe are, you can have an enjoyable gaming experience without having to spend an arm and a leg. The entry-level options that start under $1000 are good enough for 1080p gaming, especially in games like Warframe. For the absolute best experience, you may need to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $1200-$1500.
FAQ
Q: Can Warframe run on a laptop?
As Warframe is not very demanding in terms of PC hardware, it should run on most laptops but to have an immersive and high FPS experience, you may need to invest in a dedicated gaming laptop.
Q: Can Warframe run on a Macbook?
Yes, you can run Warframe on a MacBook through Steam on macOS.
