To sign up for our daily email newsletter, CLICK HERE
Finding the best gaming laptop can be a challenge, so let’s look at some of the essential features to look for in a gaming laptop.
While the desktop continues to reign among many PC gamers, there are times when you need something a little more portable. A gaming laptop is a portable gaming setup where you can play games while being small enough to carry with you.
However, while purchasing gaming laptops, you are not solely concerned with the specifications. A complete computer, with a built-in keyboard and monitor, is what you’re looking at. All of the choices you’ll have to make when purchasing a gaming laptop are discussed here to ensure that you choose a laptop that both meets your requirements and is within your budget.
GPU
While certain games use the CPU, the vast majority of games are still GPU-dependent, making this one of the most important considerations when purchasing a gaming laptop. Nvidia GeForce GTX or RTX GPUs are found in a vast majority of gaming laptops on the market.
Graphics cards of the Nvidia RTX 30-series, ranging from the RTX 3060 Max-Q to the RTX 3080, are the most recent additions to the series. The Radeon RX 5000M series for AMD includes the RX 5500M for budget PCs and the RX 5600M and RX 5700M for systems that need more performance. Later this year, we anticipate releasing a new generation of AMD discrete graphics processors for laptops.
Entry-level: If you don’t need to play at the highest settings, a GTX 1650 or an RX 5500M will do, as they will allow you to play the majority of games at a reasonable frame rate on medium settings. A GTX 1660 Ti will provide you with a little boost in performance, which we believe is visible and well worth the price. A laptop equipped with these GPUs will cost you between $800 and $1,100.
Mainstream: However, as the year progresses, Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2060 is expected to be replaced by the RTX 3060 and RTX 3070, which will be more powerful mid-range cards that will allow you to play most games at high settings. The Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are regarded to be the minimal standards for virtual reality. Thus, this is the lowest quality setting you should use for your virtual reality headset. When it comes to AMD graphics cards, the RX 5600M isn’t quite as powerful as other options, but it will get the job done. Laptops equipped with these cards are expected to cost between $1,100 and $1,500.
Hardcore: In terms of performance, RTX 2070 will enable you to play through almost everything on high settings, while the RTX 2080 or RTX 2080 Ti are the most powerful 20-series cards available and allow for a smoother and better VR and special effects performance. The RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 will be the graphics cards that push the maximum pixels as the year progresses. Laptops in this category may start in the high thousand-dollar range. Depending on the additional specifications you need, it can cost more than $3,000. However, with the new RTX series, you will be able to play ray-traced video games while experiencing quicker frame rates. In addition, an RTX 2070 or RTX 2080 may be sufficient for you to play games in 4K.
CPU
You might get a Core i7 CPU or even a CPU that can be overclocked, like the Intel Core i9-9980 HK. Laptops equipped with desktop processors are also available on the market. But since most games benefit more from a high-quality GPU than a powerful CPU, a Core i5 processor is more than enough for most purposes.
It may be worthwhile to save a little money if you find anything older than the most recent Intel 10th Gen Core or something with less power. Because CPUs are usually not upgradeable, you will only have to make this decision once. Intel unveiled its 11th Generation Intel Core H35 processor at CES 2021.
RAM
Gaming can be memory (RAM) consuming, which is why we suggest at least 8GB of RAM. If you have the option, you should go for 16GB of RAM on a gaming PC. A laptop with a GTX 1650 or 1660 Ti graphics card is often equipped with 8GB RAM. By the time you get to a GTX 2060 or above, certain models will have 16GB of RAM. If you cannot get a laptop with 16GB of RAM at this time, you should consider upgrading it in the near future.
Storage
Which is better, a hard disk or an SSD? Why not have them both? Some cheap gaming laptops may only have a hard disk. However, most gaming notebooks will also include a solid-state drive (SSD) to act as the boot drive. A 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD are used in combination with one another. Getting a bigger SSD may result in faster loading times. However, it will also cost you a significant amount of money. Make sure you purchase a quicker 7,200-rpm hard drive rather than a slower 5,400-rpm hard drive.
Storage is often upgradeable in gaming laptops, just like RAM. So, if you need additional storage capacity, install a 2TB or bigger hard drive.
Display
The majority of gaming laptops have displays of 15 or 17 inches in size. Never pick anything less than a 1920 x 1080 resolution screen. Some gaming laptops include 4K (3840 x 2160) displays as an option. The majority of laptops you’ll come across will feature a 1080p resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate, and for many gamers, it is sufficient. Some manufacturers provide full-HD displays with a higher refresh rate for better gaming performance, such as 120 Hz, 144 Hz, 240 Hz, or even 360 Hz.
Conclusion
When purchasing a gaming laptop, choose one that will serve you well for several years. If you can afford it, invest in a mid-range to high-end graphics card. A better card will undoubtedly provide greater performance. However, keep in mind that you will not receive a long battery life. Good luck, and happy gaming!
