PC gamers who want to game while traveling have always been in sort of a rough spot. For a long time, gaming laptops were considered a bit inferior to desktops in technical specifications, yet costing almost twice as much for the convenience factor.
That’s been changing in recent years though, as gaming laptops have improved in capabilities, and a lot of them are priced fairly competitively with traditional desktop computers. In this article, we’re going to show you 5 ways to improve your laptop gaming experience.
Consider the future so you aren’t holding a lemon in 2 years
When it comes to raw gaming power, three of the most important considerations are CPU, GPU, and RAM. While physics-heavy games that do a lot of script computation are CPU intensive, stunning hi-res graphics are driven by the GPU. Gaming can also use a lot of RAM, for reasons that involve technical wizardry and black magic, but 16GB of RAM is a good starting point.
The laptop display itself is also important. You can always connect your laptop to a high-definition monitor, but it’s to your benefit to buy a laptop that already has a great screen. This HP touchscreen laptop for $1300 is worth consideration.
It’s a little difficult to upgrade these components in a laptop, compared to a desktop, so you want to make sure the gaming laptop you buy has a bit of future-proofing in its technical specs. When shopping around, make sure to get a little bit of extra “oomph” in power, so you aren’t left in the dust when the next great desktop GPU comes out.
What Is an eGPU?
Because you can’t go opening up a laptop and insert a desktop-sized GPU, you can give your laptop a high-performance upgrade with an eGPU. This is an “external GPU” which is basically a box that houses an external graphics card, like the one you would put inside a desktop PC, and you’re able to connect it to your laptop for a significant gaming improvement.
Thunderbolt 4 laptops with Intel’s 11th Generation “Tiger Lake” Core CPUs are only just beginning to hit the market. Last autumn, we saw the first Tiger Lake laptops with Thunderbolt 4 connectivity in the newest Asus ZenBook 13 (UX325EA) and Dell XPS 13 models (9310).
There will undoubtedly be more, but not every Tiger Lake laptop with USB-C ports will enable Thunderbolt 4. Look closely at the spec sheets for the Thunderbolt logo, since if you don’t see it, you’re probably looking at a standard USB4 port with Thunderbolt 3 capabilities from the previous generation.
Oculus Quest / Oculus Rift S
The Oculus Quest and Rift S are two of the greatest VR headsets money can buy in 2020, and have come a long way since the early nausea-inducing versions.
The Quest can be used wirelessly, allowing for untethered laptop gaming, and it has a Snapdragon 835 CPU built in, so its performance isn’t limited by your laptop’s specifications.
It also features an IPD slider that can be adjusted, as well as an OLED screen with a resolution of 2880×1600 and a refresh rate of 72Hz. As a standalone device, it supports a wide range of PCVR and mobile VR titles.
The Oculus Rift S, on the other hand, is powered by your computer’s hardware, thus it should provide a better VR experience if you have a more powerful computer. The Rift S offers a slightly lower 2560×1440 resolution display but a faster refresh rate of 80Hz and a wider catalog of Oculus games.
While the Rift S appears to be the superior pick for dedicated PC gamers with VR-capable hardware, many people prefer the Quest because of its general flexibility as a PC and mobile VR headset.
Logitech Z906
No “7.1 channel” headset or 3.1 channel soundbar will ever sound good enough after experiencing genuine surround-sound gaming. The Logitech Z906 is a 5.1 surround sound speaker system that includes a 165-watt subwoofer, four 67 watt satellite speakers that may be mounted on the wall, and a 67-watt center channel speaker.
It requires 6-channel direct input, which should be supported by your onboard audio system (the pink, blue, and green ports behind your PC). While not the finest 5.1 speaker system on the market, the Logitech Z906 system is an excellent entry-level surround sound system for PC gamers who are accustomed to headsets or terrible soundbars for a little over $100 USD.
Microsoft Elite Series 2 Xbox One Controller
While first-person shooters and real-time strategy games benefit from the use of a mouse and keyboard, there are other game genres that are much better played with a gamepad.
Because many Xbox console games have been translated to PC, they already feature XInput support, allowing for plug-and-play compatibility with the Xbox One controller with no button remapping or configuration.
Adjustable-tension thumbsticks, Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth compatibility, swappable paddles and D-pads, and even voice-assistant instructions distinguish the Elite Series 2 from a normal Xbox One controller.
