Although many PC gamers love the desktop, there will be times when you need something more portable. A gaming laptop is a portable gaming system that packs enough power to allow you to play your favourite PC games as a pro.
However, specs are not everything when choosing a gaming laptop.
A whole computer is available with both a keyboard and a display. A gaming laptop purchase is one of the most important decisions that a gamer will make. It’s a large investment that should last a few years.
Gaming laptops cannot be upgraded and are generally more expensive than comparable-specced desktops. This is why it’s important to carefully consider before making a purchase.
It is important to ask about the most important features you should be looking for when upgrading your laptop.
The features you require will depend on the games you play and your budget. There are general facts about gaming laptops that you should know, even if these criteria are not important.
Five Tips to Choose a Gaming Laptop
Here are top five things you need to consider before you make the investment.
- Size Matters
Although it may seem counterintuitive, the physical dimensions of your gaming laptop are more important than the components it contains.
The physical dimensions of your gaming laptop will determine everything about it, including the amount of hardware it can hold and how long its battery life is.
If you want an ultra-portable gaming notebook with a 13-inch display, low weight and extended battery life, then you will be restricted to lower-end CPUs or GPUs.
- Is It Visually Amazing?
Your gaming laptop’s heart is made up of the graphics card (also known as the GPU). The graphics card processes the data and sends signals back to the monitor to display the visuals. This process can be quite demanding for gamers, so you will need a discrete GPU that has its own dedicated memory.
VRAM (video memory) is also known. While there is a “more-is-better” mentality when it comes to gaming PCs, most gamers will be able to handle 4GB of VRAM.
Nvidia GPUs are the most common choice for gaming laptops. You can customize your system with specific brands if you prefer AMD.
- Brain Power – The Processor
Your laptop’s central processing unit (or CPU) is the brain of your computer. It sends signals to all other components and processes all instructions provided by your software. The CPU you choose will influence everything you do, including the frame rates of games and the response time of applications.
This can also affect your laptop’s battery life and battery life. Core count and clock speed are the most common CPU parameters.
There are many factors to be aware of, including overclocking potential. It is important to understand the basics of CPU features.
- Don’t Forget memory.
Random Access Memory (RAM), which governs how fast you can access data on your hard disk, regardless of its location, is called Random Access Memory. A computer’s RAM is determined by how many jobs it can handle simultaneously without slowing down.
To begin with, you should aim for storage capacities between 8 and 16 GB. RAM isn’t the most expensive component of your computer. So get as much RAM as you can.
Gaming laptops often have the option to swap out hardware. This is a great way for you to increase your RAM.
- Battery Life
Manufacturers’ battery life estimates are almost never comparable to the actual experience of using a laptop. Battery life is affected by many factors.
Manufacturers cannot predict how they will perform. Your battery life is affected by screen brightness, screen resolution, background apps, Wi-Fi connectivity, and whether you are connected to Bluetooth devices or Wi-Fi networks. Battery life can also be affected by the operating system a laptop uses.
Chrome OS ultrabooks, convertibles and convertibles have longer battery lives than Windows 10 ultrabooks or convertibles.
What To Look out for in a Gaming keyboard
You’ll get chiclet keys with LED lighting if you buy an entry-level gaming keyboard. There are many other things to take into consideration:
Macro keys:
Although it is more difficult to locate macro keys on gaming laptops than on desktop keyboards (but not impossible), You can easily complete most tasks in games with a good set of programmable keys. The laptop manufacturer usually provides this software.
Anti-ghosting, n-key rolling over:
These two features will help you perform at your best in PC games. Anti-ghosting is when multiple keys are pressed to perform different actions or create combos. N-key rollover also means that each key will register independently of any other keys.
Key Travel:
This is the maximum distance you can press a button. We prefer keys that have more than 1.5 millimetres in key Travel. If you can reach 2mm. This will prevent you from hitting the keyboard’s frame or “bottoming out”. You can even find mechanical keys on some very expensive laptops.
Actuation:
This indicates how much force you must apply to a key in order to push it down. It should be between 65 to 70 grams. This is sufficient to give resistance but not feel soft.
Backlighting:
Budget gaming laptops may have backlighting, but it is either red or white. RGB backlighting is the best feature on keyboards. Some allow you to customize the lighting by key or zone, while others can do it per key. Some allow you to adjust the lighting depending on your game.
What to Look Out for in a Gaming PC display
Displays are often forgotten, but they are vital. The built-in screen is the only way to see your games if you don’t connect your laptop to a display.
- The Display Size – Most gaming laptops have 15- to 17-inch screens. However, there are some large systems with 18-inch panels. A few designs have 14-inch displays. What size screen you prefer is up to you, but the larger and heavier the laptop, the better.
- The Display Resolution – Never gets less than a 1920×1080 display. You will rarely find one with a lower resolution. But if you do, go for it. You can get 4K screens (3840×2160) on some gaming laptops. However, you may still need to adjust some settings, particularly if you have enabled ray tracing.
- Avoid Touch Screen Gaming PC– Touch screens are not recommended for gaming notebooks; some 2-in-1 models included. They can reduce battery life and make the display too glossy.
- Refresh Rate – The majority of Gaming laptops that you will see will have a 1080p resolution and a display at 60Hz. For many gamers, this is sufficient. While higher resolution displays (2560×1440, 3840×2160, and 3840×2160) look great, they are only 60Hz. For some gamers, 1080p might be the best choice.
More on Gaming PC Refresh Rate
FHD displays are available from some vendors with faster refresh rates, such as 144 Hz, 248 Hz, or 360 Hz. This allows for smoother gaming. To take full advantage of FHD displays, you will need a powerful GPU and settings that place emphasis on frame rate rather than graphical fidelity.
Nvidia FreeSync and Nvidia Go-Sync: Some notebooks for gaming, especially those with high-end models, have technologies that allow you to sync your display with your graphics cards. This eliminates ghosting and screen tearing.
Final Thoughts
Make sure you choose a gaming laptop that will last as long as possible when buying a gaming laptop. If you have the budget, a high-end GPU is a good choice. A better card will give you better performance.
This decision is much more important than RAM or CPU, but you should still take into consideration these components as they are integral parts of your setup. Storage is the most likely to increase, though it is better to start with more space because games can take up much of your storage.
Decide whether you prefer faster screens or high resolution. Consider what software you will need. But, keep in mind that your battery life won’t be great.
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Tola Yimika
