Every laptop we have figures for

Frame rates measured by Notebookcheck.

What it asks of a laptop

Notebookcheck’s measured figures cover only four laptops, all tested at 1,920 x 1,080 using the High preset with upscaling off. That is a small sample, so these results show what these particular RTX 2070 and RTX 2080 machines achieved rather than establishing a rule for every laptop with those graphics chips.

Within that sample, Just Cause 4 is not especially punishing at 1080p High. Every recorded machine exceeded 100fps, with results ranging from 101fps to 120fps. The 19fps gap between the fastest and slowest result is noticeable, but it is not the kind of spread that separates smooth play from compromised performance. The median result was 116fps, and all four systems comfortably cleared 60fps.

The GPU-tier averages are also close. The two RTX 2080 laptops averaged 116fps, while the two RTX 2070 laptops averaged 110fps. That is a 6fps difference in these measurements. It suggests that, at these settings, the step from RTX 2070 to RTX 2080 did not transform the experience. Both tiers produced high frame rates, and the individual laptop result matters at least as much as the badge on the GPU.

That is visible in the machine-by-machine figures. The MSI GE66 Raider with RTX 2070 reached 119fps, almost matching the 120fps recorded by the Asus Strix Scar 17 with RTX 2080. Meanwhile, the Acer Predator Triton 500 with RTX 2080 returned 113fps, only 12fps ahead of the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB with RTX 2070 at 101fps. On this evidence, Just Cause 4 at 1080p High is forgiving enough that these laptops are not being cleanly sorted into radically different performance classes by the RTX 2070/RTX 2080 distinction.

None of the four results reached 144fps, however. The fastest measured figure was 120fps. That does not mean 144fps is impossible on all laptops or at all settings; the available figures cannot establish that. It does mean that a buyer targeting a consistently 144fps-class result at 1080p High should not treat either of these measured configurations as proven to deliver it.

What runs it

For a 60fps target, all four measured laptops are comfortably suitable at 1080p High with upscaling disabled:

• Asus Strix Scar 17, RTX 2080: 120fps
• MSI GE66 Raider, RTX 2070: 119fps
• Acer Predator Triton 500, RTX 2080: 113fps
• Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB, RTX 2070: 101fps

There is considerable headroom above 60fps in every case. Even the slowest recorded system, the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB, was 41fps above that threshold. If your aim is a conventional 60Hz display experience, the measured data indicates that each of these specific machines has more than enough performance at the stated settings.

For a 100fps target, the answer is again all four laptops. The Gigabyte system sits closest to the line at 101fps, while the other three are between 113fps and 120fps. This makes 100fps a result that the full measured group achieved, not merely an average boosted by one unusually quick laptop.

By GPU tier, both measured RTX 2080 systems and both measured RTX 2070 systems cleared 100fps. The RTX 2080 average was 116fps across two laptops; the RTX 2070 average was 110fps across two laptops. Those averages are useful context, but the sample is too small to claim that every RTX 2070 or RTX 2080 laptop will behave the same way.

For a 144fps target, none of the measured laptops qualified. The RTX 2080 group averaged 116fps and the RTX 2070 group averaged 110fps, while the best single result was 120fps. A high-refresh display can still benefit from frame rates in this range, but these numbers do not support calling 144fps at 1080p High a demonstrated outcome on the tested systems.

The cheapest laptop that handles it

No prices are included in the fact sheet, so it is not possible to identify the cheapest of the four measured laptops in GBP without inventing information. The performance data does show that all four handled Just Cause 4 above 100fps at the stated settings, but it cannot tell a buyer whether the Asus Strix Scar 17, MSI GE66 Raider, Acer Predator Triton 500 or Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB represents the lowest-cost option.

If price is the deciding factor, the useful conclusion from the measurements is that the RTX 2070 machines were not left behind here. The MSI GE66 Raider delivered 119fps, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB delivered 101fps. Both cleared 60fps and 100fps, so a lower-priced example of either specific measured laptop would be worth considering for this game at 1080p High. That is a comparison between the recorded machines, not a claim about the wider RTX 2070 laptop market.

What this means if you’re buying

For Just Cause 4 specifically, the measured results favour buying for the laptop’s overall value rather than paying a large premium solely for an RTX 2080 over an RTX 2070. Across these four systems, both GPU tiers delivered strong 1080p High performance without upscaling: 110fps on average for RTX 2070 and 116fps for RTX 2080.

A 60fps buyer has substantial measured headroom on every listed laptop. A buyer with a 100Hz or 120Hz display also has credible results to work from, although only the two fastest machines came close to 120fps: the Asus Strix Scar 17 at 120fps and MSI GE66 Raider at 119fps. The Acer Predator Triton 500 at 113fps remains comfortably above 100fps, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB at 101fps is the more cautious choice if maintaining a figure above 100fps matters.

For a 144Hz-focused purchase, be more careful. The sample contains no 144fps result, so this game should not be used to justify assuming that these particular RTX 2070 and RTX 2080 laptops will fully saturate a 144Hz panel at 1080p High. Their recorded performance is still high, but it sits below that target.

The practical buying message is straightforward: these measured RTX 2070 and RTX 2080 laptops all run Just Cause 4 very well at 1080p High, with 60fps and 100fps both achieved by every system in the sample. The figures do not show a decisive advantage for the RTX 2080 tier, and they do not provide enough evidence to make broad claims beyond these four laptops.