Can a normal laptop be used for gaming
While the desktop remains supreme among many PC gamers, sometimes you just need something a bit more portable. A gaming laptop is a rig on the go, with the power to play games in a size you can take with you. Show But when youre buying agaming laptop, youre not just looking at specs. Youre looking at a whole computer, including a built-in keyboard and display. Here, we explain all of the decisions youll have to make when buying a gaming laptop so you can get the best one for your needs and budget. Quick Tips
What GPU do you need?While some games use the CPU, the majority of games are still GPU-bound, so this is one of the biggest decisions you make when buying a gaming notebook. At the moment, the majority of gaming notebooks come with Nvidia GeForce GTX or RTX GPUs. The latest graphics cards on the Nvidia series are the newest RTX 30-series cards, from the RTX 3060 Max-Q through the RTX 3080. On the AMD front, there's the Radeon RX 5000M series, which consists of the RX 5500M for budget systems, and the RX 5600M and RX 5700M for more performance. We are, however, expecting a new range of AMD discrete GPUs to hit laptops later this year. The RTX models command a premium. In the meantime, if youre looking for a deal on a current-generation gaming laptop, keep an eye on our Best Tech Deals page.
What other specs should I look for?While the GPU is important, youll also want to be on the lookout for a good CPU, enough RAM and lots of storage space.
If you see something older than the most current Intel 10th Gen Core (model numbers begin with 10) or with less power, consider saving a bit. CPUs usually arent upgradeable, so youre making this choice once.Intel launched its 11th Gen Intel Core H35 at CES 2021, while a 45W part will come later in the year.
Like memory, storage is often upgradeable in gaming notebooks. So if you need more space, you can toss in a 2TB or larger HDD. What should I look for in a display?Displays are often overlooked but are hugely important. If youre not connecting a laptop to a monitor, the built-in screen will be how you see all of your games.
What should I look for in a keyboard?If you get an entry-level gaming keyboard, youre going to get chiclet keys with LED backlighting. But theres so much more to consider:
What do specific brands offer?Each gaming laptop brand has a bit of special sauce. Some have specific hardware designs that stand out while others focus on custom software. Here are a few to note: Alienware (Dell) - Alienware has gotten into the thin-and-light game with theAlienware m17,but also made its own desktop-class powerhouse wit the Alienware Area-51m. Dell also makes its own entry-levle machines. Asus - Asuss Republic of Gamers brand has some slick designs. Its ROG Gaming Center software shares device information including temperature, storage and RAM usage, while the Armoury Crate program allows you to customize RGB backlighting. Asus also makes the Zephyrus G14, the best AMD laptop we've seen. Acer - Acer is known for having affordable hardware, though it has wowed us with innovation like its ridiculous Predator 21X featuring a curved display and mechanical keyboard. The PredatorSense app lets you monitor your CPU and GPU usage and customize fan speeds. HP - HPs Omen lineup has a classier design as of late, but maintains a gamer aesthetic. Its app is the Omen Command Center, which details GPU and CPU use, RAM utilization and a network booster that lets you prioritize bandwidth. Gigabyte & Aorus - Gigabyte and its sub-brand, Aorus, offer some variety. Gigabytes tend to be lower-end with more color options, while the Aorus models are sleek and thin. Whichever one you go with, youll get Fusion software for RGB customization. Aorus machines have Command and Control for easy overclocking. Lenovo - Lenovos gaming lineup is called Legion, and has been recently redesigned to be more minimalist. Rather than creating new software, the company altered its Vantage app to focus on CPU, GPU, RAM and HDD info, as well as a button to boost fan speeds. MSI - MSIs gaming laptops are often big, black and red, though the companys recent Stealth Thin showed it can do something more subdued as well. Of course, youll always notice the trademark dragon logo. MSI includes its Dragon Center software, which recently went through a redesign. It allows for system monitoring, multiple performance profiles, controlling the fans and customizing keyboard backlighting. Razer - Did someone say Chroma? Razers design is some of the best in the business, and it's known for its RGB lighting. Razer Synapse lets you record macros and set lighting on both laptops and accessories. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)How About Battery Life?The short answer is not to count on your gaming notebook being super portable. If youre using your laptop to play games, you need to keep your laptop plugged in to get the full performance out of your GPU. And if you dont, youll be lucky if your laptop lasts an hour gaming. In our testing experience, most gaming laptops last only a few hours on a charge when performing other tasks, but never as long as ultraportables without discrete GPUs. If you need something to last 8 hours while you work, it wont be a gaming notebook. Some do last long, but thats often at the expense of the display, and you dont want to play all your games on a dark, dim or inaccurate screen. Saving Money on a Gaming LaptopWhen you're shopping for a gaming laptop, you may find savings by checking out the latest Best Buy promo codes, Newegg promo codes, Corsair coupon codes, Dell coupon codes, HP coupon codes, Lenovo coupon codes or Razer promo codes. We also maintain a list of the best gaming PC and laptop deals. Bottom LineWhen buying a gaming notebook, get one that will last you for a few years. If you can afford it, get a mid-range to high-end GPU, though obviously a better card will offer better performance. That choice is more important than RAM and the CPU, though you should pay attention to those as well. Storage is the most likely to be upgradeable, but more is better, as games take up a lot of space. Decide if you prefer high resolutions or faster displays and consider what software will be helpful to you, but realize that you wont get great battery life. How all of those work together determines just how well a gaming notebook does on the Toms Hardware test bench. Recent news{{ articleName }} |