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What To Look For In A Gaming Laptop?

What To Look For In A Gaming Laptop Cover

It’s no secret that over the past couple of years, gaming laptops have become a lot more viable than they used to be. Nowadays, you can buy an excellent gaming laptop that will deliver the performance that you are looking for, and that too, with ease.

So, if that is one thing that you have been after, the option is there for you to look into, and you will not be disappointed, in all seriousness.

But what to look for in a gaming laptop? That is the question that people keep asking us, and honestly, we are going to answer it in this post and all your concerns that you might have.

What To Look for In a Gaming Laptop

Choosing a gaming laptop should not be hard at all, but in most cases, it is exactly like picking up a gaming PC.

The only difference here is that you do not get to mix and match, and despite that, you still have to look for the specs you want so you don’t end up buying something that you don’t want.

If you are wondering what to look for in a gaming laptop, the pointers below are going to help you do just that. So, let’s have a look.

#1- Latest Generation Processor and Latest RAM

If you have finally decided that you want to get a gaming laptop, then why not get a proper one, right? After all, you cannot just go for something that is average at best. There are a lot of things that add up to it, and the more you look into it, the better.

I would highly suggest that you are looking at the latest generation processor and latest RAM, for the simplest reasons that they are going to last you longer and will deliver the performance that you have been looking for.

It is not at all complicated and should result in something that is actually good for you going forward. So, always be sure of this when picking a new laptop.

#2- Graphics Card Should Be Able to Run New Games

Moving further, another important factor, and perhaps the most important factor, is that you are choosing a laptop with a graphics card that is capable of running all the modern games without any issues whatsoever.

CGI internals of a laptop with NVidia GPU
Credits: Nvidia

Now, laptop GPUs are not always the fastest in the business, but you can get some really good overall experience, and that too, without any issues that might come in the way.

#3- How Much Should a Gaming Laptop Cost?

When you are getting your hands on a new gaming laptop, you will have to figure out how much you are willing to pay for it.

This can vary from laptop to laptop, but in the majority of cases, you should expect to pay anywhere, starting from $1,000 to higher, to get a good laptop that is going to last you a significant time, as well.

So, always keep this in mind before you are investing in a new laptop.

#4- The Cooling Mechanism Is Excellent

You should not be picking up a laptop that has average cooling, to be honest. Especially if you are talking about a gaming laptop, then in such a case, you are going to need good cooling because you would be gaming on the laptop, and under no circumstances do you want the cooling to be inadequate as it will only introduce more issues and we are trying to stay away from that.

#5- A Laptop with A Longer Battery

Gaming laptops are generally notorious for having average battery life, for being honest. But over the past couple of years, we have seen this trend where the gaming laptops that you are looking at are actually with some really nice battery life.

a guy playing overwatch on hp omen laptop

So if that is the concern that you have, you will be more than happy to know that the battery life has to be good. Thankfully, you can switch off the external GPU and preserve a good chunk of battery, as well.

#6- Upgradability and Future-proofing

The one thing that a lot of people, including myself, love about a good gaming laptop is the fact that it can be easily upgraded, and that allows for future-proofing.

However, I would highly advise you that you know that the upgrading can go as long as changing the RAM or storage as you will not be able to upgrade other factors of the laptop such as GPU and CPU, so it is better to know about this.

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#7- Storage (SATA or NVMe)

When you are getting your hands on a gaming laptop, you have to be certain that the storage you are getting is fast enough, and there is plenty of it, as well.

image of an M.2 ssd with for laptop

We all know that modern video games require a lot of storage, and not having enough storage is not going to work for anyone. So, be sure that you have enough storage so you do not have to go ahead and upgrade the storage later on.

#8- What Display Should a Gaming Laptop Have?

With gaming laptops, display plays a huge role, because if you are not being careful, you can end up with a display that simply is not good enough, and we don’t want that, to be honest. Therefore, paying attention to the display is very, very important.

#8.1- Size:

You are ideally going to find a gaming laptop that has a screen size of 15.6-inch to 17-inch, and after some time with modern-day gaming laptops.

I have realized that this is more than enough for it because you are getting an excellent experience and you will definitely not regret getting your hands on a new laptop with this screen size.

#8.2- Resolution:

Resolution plays an important role whenever you are trying to pick up a nice gaming laptop. If you genuinely want the experience you are looking to go for, I’d suggest you start at 1080p and then see what options are available.

I’d normally suggest something in the middle, like 1440p, as that makes the most sense on a laptop screen.

#8.3- Refresh Rate (Hz):

Gaming on a high refresh rate is a lot of fun, and the good news is that when you are investing in a new laptop, there are high chances that you will be getting a laptop with a higher refresh rate, to be honest.

I don’t remember the last time I saw a gaming laptop with a 60Hz refresh rate. Yes, they did exist in the past, but that is no longer the case, and you are good to go.

#8.4- Nvidia G-Sync:

An adaptive refresh rate is always a blessing because it makes sure that you are not running into any weird lag that can break the experience.

So, if you are getting a laptop that has G-Sync, you are good to go, as the gaming experience is going to be very, very rewarding.

#8.5- AMD FreeSync:

Moving further, you have AMD FreeSync, something that works just like Nvidia G-Sync, and finding the feature is not at all difficult in modern gaming laptops. Still, you might have to look around for a bit to find the right option.

#9- The Design and Aesthetics

While you are in the process of getting a gaming laptop, you might want to look at the design and the overall aesthetics.

Some users like to get their hands on laptops that are very aggress in terms of how they look, while at the same time, I know so many people who are not that concerned with how the laptop looks. Therefore, this distinction is very important.

#10- Connectivity and Ports

I know it might not matter a lot, but when you are buying a gaming laptop, I would highly suggest that you are looking at the connectivity and ports, because, without these, you are not really paying attention to what you are getting.

You are going to need more ports going forward, and that will only make your experience better. So, it is better that you are paying attention to this.

#11- The keyboard is durable and responsive

Last but not least, I would highly suggest that you look at a gaming laptop that has a good keyboard that is durable and responsive.

image of rog strix gaming laptop

Especially if you plan on using the keyboard a lot because otherwise, you might run into some issues in terms of performance, and we don’t want that.

– My Final Verdict:

There you have it, folks. If you have had any confusion about gaming laptops, then this post is for you because we are here to clear out any questions that you might have about making the right decision.

I do understand that picking up the right gaming laptop can be an arduous task, but hey, we are here to help you, and you should not run into any issues with this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: How much RAM should a gaming laptop have?

This depends on what games you are looking to play, to be honest. However, just to be on the safe side, I’d suggest that you are going for at least 16 gigs of RAM because that is an excellent baseline for anyone.

Question 2: Which Graphics is best for a gaming laptop?

Honestly, any modern-day GPU should be more than enough for a gaming laptop, but it also comes down to your personal preference. Therefore, it is better that you know about this when going for a new laptop.

Question 3: How much should I spend on a gaming laptop?

Ideally, you are going to be spending anywhere from $1,000 or above on a gaming laptop. Therefore, it is still better to know this.

Question 4: Is 8GB enough for a gaming laptop?

8GB RAM won’t be enough in a gaming laptop due to games demanding more.

Question 5: Which is better, RTX or GTX, on a laptop?

RTX GPUs are infinitely better than GTX GPUs in both laptops and desktops.

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Gregory Rosales

Gregory Rosales

I've been building gaming PCs for the last 13 years and purchased my first console seven years ago. My passion for exploring what's inside these things helped me develop professional writing skills. I benchmark the computer hardware first with the right equipment and post them here for you.
My expertise is in Computer Hardware, Gaming Hardware, Computers and Laptops, Gaming Consoles, and Consumer Technology.

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