Every laptop we have figures for

Frame rates measured by Notebookcheck.

What it asks of a laptop

There are only two measured laptops for Death Stranding 2, so this is a very small sample. Both results come from Notebookcheck at 1,920 × 1,080, High preset, with upscaling disabled. That is enough to show what these two high-end machines achieved, but not enough to set reliable expectations for mid-range or entry-level gaming laptops.

The measured spread is 72fps to 97fps, with an 84fps median. Both laptops cleared 60fps, which suggests that a well-equipped gaming laptop can run the game smoothly at 1080p High without relying on upscaling. However, neither result reached 100fps, despite the two machines using powerful discrete GPUs. On this evidence, Death Stranding 2 is not a game that effortlessly delivers very high refresh-rate performance at High settings with native-resolution rendering.

The 25fps gap between the two machines is substantial. The Chuwi Gamebook R9, with its RTX 5070 Ti configured at 140W, recorded 97fps, while the Razer Blade 16 Early with an RTX 4080 at 175W recorded 72fps. It would be unsafe to treat that as a direct GPU ranking: there is one result per GPU tier, and laptop performance also depends on factors beyond the graphics chip. What the figures do show is that performance can vary considerably even among premium gaming-laptop configurations.

For a buyer targeting a consistent 60fps experience at 1080p High, the available numbers are encouraging for these particular machines. For 100fps or a 144Hz-panel target, though, the measured figures suggest that High settings without upscaling may be a demanding target.

What runs it

Notebookcheck’s measured figures cover two GPU tiers, each represented by only one laptop. Both delivered more than 60fps in the stated 1080p High test, but neither met the 100fps or 144fps thresholds.

• RTX 5070 Ti, 140W: The Chuwi Gamebook R9 recorded 97fps. That is comfortably above 60fps and close to 100fps, but it does not actually clear the 100fps mark in this test. It is also well short of 144fps.
• RTX 4080, 175W: The Razer Blade 16 Early recorded 72fps. That clears 60fps with room to spare, but it does not reach 100fps or 144fps.

In threshold terms, 2 of 2 measured laptops reached at least 60fps. None of the two reached 100fps, and none reached 144fps. Those are firm statements about the available measurements, rather than guarantees for every laptop carrying either GPU name.

That distinction matters particularly here. The RTX 5070 Ti result is 25fps ahead of the RTX 4080 result despite the latter having the higher stated power figure. With just one system in each tier, it is not possible to say that this will hold across other RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 4080 laptops. Buyers should look for results from the exact laptop configuration they are considering, especially where a high-refresh display is part of the purchase decision.

The cheapest laptop that handles it

The fact sheet does not provide UK prices for either measured laptop, so it is not possible to identify the cheapest machine that handles Death Stranding 2 from the supplied data.

The two specific laptops with measured results are the Chuwi Gamebook R9, at 97fps with an RTX 5070 Ti at 140W, and the Razer Blade 16 Early, at 72fps with an RTX 4080 at 175W. Both handle the game at more than 60fps at 1,920 × 1,080 on High with upscaling off. Without prices, however, neither can be presented as the better-value or lower-cost option.

It is also important not to infer a budget floor from these results. The available sample contains only two high-end GPU configurations. There are no measured figures here for cheaper GPUs, lower-power versions of the listed GPUs, or laptops using the same graphics chips in different chassis.

What this means if you’re buying

If your aim is simply to play Death Stranding 2 at 1080p High and 60fps or better without upscaling, both measured laptops achieved that target. The Razer Blade 16 Early’s 72fps result is the lower of the two, but still leaves a 12fps margin over 60fps. The Chuwi Gamebook R9 provides more headroom at 97fps, though it remains below 100fps in the measured run.

If you are buying around a 120Hz or 144Hz screen, do not assume that Death Stranding 2 will use all of that refresh rate at High settings with native rendering. Neither measured laptop reached 100fps, let alone 144fps. A high-refresh panel may still be useful in other games, but these figures do not support buying one specifically on the expectation of 144fps performance in Death Stranding 2 at the tested settings.

The most useful conclusion is therefore a cautious one: the game looks manageable at 1080p High on the two tested premium laptops, but its performance is not so light that very high frame rates are guaranteed. With only two measurements, shoppers considering a less expensive laptop should seek data for that exact model rather than extrapolating from the Chuwi or Razer results.