A gamer is only as good as their gear, and you deserve the best gear you can. If you’re looking for a device powerful, yet versatile, it’s time to choose some gaming laptops.
With so many laptops for gaming available, you run the risk of choosing poorly. Buying a gaming laptop without a guide might mean wasted money and effort. To make the most out of your experience, you need a guide. Many laptops can run games, but only gaming laptops run games well. Buying one includes a bunch of decisions you need to make. Read on to figure out how to make the best decision. From knowing what to look for in a laptop to its laptop specifications, we’ve got you covered. So prepare yourself and get ready to game on.
Determine Your Budget
Before your laptop gaming journey has even begun, you need to know how much you are willing to spend. All that money will translate into higher performance, so you need to strike a compromise.
Gaming laptops aren’t cheap, there, we said it. Buying a new laptop will cost way more than a desktop with the same specs due to its overall versatility. A laptop’s price will also increase depending on components such as your hardware and software.
Examples of these components include powerful processors, graphic cards, and cooling systems. Many games are intense programs that need top tier computing to run perfectly. On any other laptop, expect poor performance and frequent crashes.
Most gaming laptops end up above the 1,000 dollar mark due to this hardware. While there are a few laptops under that standard, expect a drop in quality among these. Some hardware such as storage or cooling does not hold up and may decrease your experience.
Above the thousand-dollar mark are where things get competitive. In the midrange, devices are likely to deliver amazing gameplay for their price range. With laptop technology increasing, consider grabbing deals from big brands like Lenovo when you can.
While you can go for an ultra-expensive gaming laptop, you don’t always have to. Many laptops are decent enough that they suffice unless you wish to show off. If you have the cash to burn, however, then go on.
Prepare for the Games
An essential part of choosing your device is knowing yourself as a gamer. You don’t need a two-thousand-dollar beast if you’re only playing World of Warcraft. Consider what games you enjoy playing and pick a corresponding device.
Knowing your preferences will affect your decision on your laptop’s hardware. If you enjoy immersing yourself in a vibrant RPG, opt for better graphics. If you find yourself ready for fast-paced action, get hardware that can take a beating.
With almost half of all adults having active video game lives, consider asking your gaming community. Knowing what gear they run and what is best for your favorite game will give you good ideas. Even better, it might help you get higher performance out of yourself.
Disarm These Traps
While there are many good deals out there, some laptops have red flags you may want to avoid. A few have features that sound good on paper but are impractical. Here are a few things you might want to watch out for.
Firstly, you don’t want a touch screen laptop. While these are alright for normal work laptops, a gaming laptop doesn’t need this. It puts a huge drain on your battery and will interfere with your graphics.
Secondly, a bad display and screen mean a bad experience for you when you play. Don’t buy devices with poor video quality. Video games need a good graphics card to work and if your screen can’t handle it, your game will crash.
Thirdly, watch out for keyboards you don’t enjoy. A keyboard is your primary interface with your laptop, and you want it to feel comfortable. A bad keyboard experience will affect everything you do on your laptop.
Game Anywhere, Anytime
What gives laptops the edge over desktops is mobility and the ability to game anywhere. While desktops are bulky and difficult to transport, laptops are at home on the go. This makes laptop sizes an important standard for your laptop.
If you plan on keeping on the go, invest in light and thin laptops such as those from MSI or Asus. Laptop technology has made thinner laptops more competitive than ever before. Take note though that a thin and powerful laptop is likely more expensive.
Lighter laptops typically stay under 14 inches in length and weigh 5 pounds on average. These are perfect for light gamers as they don’t have heavy power for huge games. Furthermore, these are likely to last longer in terms of battery as they don’t need high performance.
If you plan on occasionally bringing your device, get a medium laptop. Most laptops have 15–17-inch screens and a bigger screen means a heavier laptop. If you plan on using your laptop in the office or at home, a medium laptop is a possibility.
A heavy laptop means more power and performance. Alienware laptops and high-end laptops dominate this category. These laptops are expensive but powerful, don’t expect them to last long as well with a 2-hour battery life.
Push for Power
When it comes to laptops, power is king. A processing power from newer hardware will handle even the most complex games like a dream. Higher-end central processing units control how the game functions outside its graphics.
When getting a processor, aim for an intel i7 core or an AMD Ryzen 7. These are solid enough to handle most games and guarantee smooth performance. If you must aim lower, invest in i5 and Ryzen 5 variants which is the lowest you want to go.
It’s worth it to remember that the more cores your processor has, the better it will run. A four-core CPU will run better than a dual-core CPU. This is also a great way to know how much you can multitask at a given time.
Your CPU will also require enough random access memory or RAM to function. The higher the RAM, the more complex things you can do. For normal gaming, 16GB of ram is the standard while 8GB is the bare minimum.
It’s also worthy to note that many new CPUs and chips are under development now. The arrival of these new products is likely to push laptop prices down and save you some cash.
Pick Your Eye Candy
Graphics are almost the holy grail when it comes to gaming laptops. A good graphic processing unit or GPU, and a good display will please yourself and your computer. This is because graphics are the most intense part of running any game.
When you choose your screen display, there are a few things you’ll need to know. These are factors such as your refresh rate, resolution, and screen size. Most games have recommended settings according to these, and you’ll want to plan.
Refresh rate refers to the number of times your screen can redraw an image per second. A higher refresh rate makes games appear smoother and more immersive. Opt for a 120hz or a 144hz refresh rate for the best performance and experience.
Photo by Max DeRoin from Pexels
Your resolution indicates how many pixels appear on your screen and thus how much detail it can cram. A 1080p is standard for most laptops, but you may choose a 1440p or even a 4k display. Do note that higher displays require more power and cooling to run well.
To cap off your screen, screen size will influence how big and immersive your screen is. Laptops with more power favor bigger screens.
GPUs such as the RTX 3080 power the pixels that go into your screen. Higher-end GPUs can fit with higher refresh rates and resolutions. This makes it a necessity for your screen and GPU to work well together.
Amass Your Game Library
Storage is an important part of your laptop as it sets how many games you can play on it. The more storage, the heavier and pricier your laptop is likely to be. For the best results, get a device with both a solid-state drive (SSD) and a hard disk drive (HDD).
An SSD is faster when it comes to retrieving data and is the preferred storage drive for gaming laptops. An HDD has a bigger capacity which supplements your SSD. With expensive games containing more data, you’ll want a mix of both drives to play well.
What’s in a Brand?
Some laptop brands have been in the game longer than others. These brands have gaming lineups with millions of fans worldwide. Lenovo’s Legion brand contains a professional minimalistic look, while Acer’s Predator lineup sports a gamer aesthetic.
Many other brands such as the ASUS Republic of Gamers and Dell’s Alienware are famous for their laptop brands. These are quality assured products which are worth it if you can afford them. While many custom laptop makers abound, brands are still your safest choice.
Pick Your Gaming Laptops!
Gaming laptops are a huge investment that requires a lot of planning. Luckily, you’ve found this guide to get ready. So now, arm yourself with your device and explore countless worlds.
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