How to buy a gaming laptop: quick tips
- Go straight for the spec sheet
- Ignore flashy ads
- Set a clear budget early
- Aim for 16GB of RAM if you want to play the latest games
- You don’t really need a 4K screen
- Get a dedicated GPU, not integrated graphics
- Prioritise the GPU over other components
- Intel Core i9/Ryzen 9 is usually overkill
Particularly if you’ve never purchased a gaming laptop before or have been using the same ageing gaming setup for years, figuring out how to purchase a gaming laptop can be a challenging endeavour. These laptops are actively marketed by their producers through carefully designed advertisements that lack the necessary information.
Considering the amount of money you could possibly spend on a subpar gaming laptop, it’s essential to know what specifications to look for and whether you’re getting a good deal. Those spec sheets can be deceptive, and a laptop that initially appears to be of high quality may conceal one or more subpar components.
Fortunately, we’re here to demystify the lingo so you can get a great bargain on one of the finest gaming laptops on the market without emptying your financial account. Soon, you will be able to play all of the top PC games with fluid framerates and stunning visuals.
Tools and Requirements
- A notepad for writing down specs
- A clear budget
- A lot of Patience
Steps
- Go straight for the spec sheet, ignore flashy ads: We all know that manufacturers use ads to promote their products, which isn’t a bad thing in itself. But any ad for a gaming laptop likely won’t give you actual useful details about the product being advertised. The key thing to focus on here is the laptop’s spec sheet.
- Set a clear budget early: The very first thing you should do here is to figure out exactly how much you are willing to spend on a gaming laptop. This allows you to accurately prioritize certain specs.
Which specs to target depending on your budget
- Regardless of other components, it is recommended that your gaming laptop have at least 16GB of Memory. 8GB is plenty if you’re not expecting to play anything demanding (such as old games or independent releases), but 16GB is required for the latest triple-A titles.
- Consider whether you actually require a 4K display. Certainly, they may look amazing, but many laptop GPUs are simply not powerful enough to take advantage of the higher resolution without causing a significant drop in frame rate. A 1440p or 1600p (QHD/QHD+) resolution will typically offer you with excellent graphics and still allow you to use upscaling tools such as Nvidia’s DLSS. A 1080p or 1200p display is also quite acceptable. On a smaller screen, the difference in resolution between a desktop monitor and a laptop display will be less apparent.
- A discrete GPU is indispensable. The sales of ‘gaming laptops’ and ‘gaming Chromebooks’ with integrated CPU graphics rather than a discrete graphics card are on the rise. They should be able to play older games without issue (and are viable solutions for game-streaming services like Nvidia GeForce Now), but will struggle to play the most recent titles.
- Advice for bigger budgets:
- In general, you should always place the greatest importance on the GPU. Nvidia and AMD produce GPUs for laptops, with Intel entering the market very soon; therefore, you need conduct separate study on the performance of these cards. Get the greatest GPU you can afford, and make sure it’s a current-generation model, such as the RTX 3070 Ti or RTX 80.
- The CPU is also an important component, but it has a lesser impact on gameplay than the GPU. Microsoft Core i9 and AMD Ryzen 9 processors are typically overkill for a gaming laptop and will drive up the price; we recommend selecting a current-generation Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 CPU instead. That ought to be more than adequate for gaming.
Final thoughts
You only need to learn how to get a gaming laptop once, and it’s not quite as difficult as it may initially appear. Each product listing will include a spec sheet with the above-mentioned important specifications, making it easier to compare gaming laptops. Knowing which specifications are essential, which specifications to prioritise, and which configurations to avoid can make purchasing a gaming laptop lot easier.
Also Read : Govee AI Gaming Sync Box Kit review: taking PC gaming to the ultimate level