The demand for gaming laptops has seen a massive rise in the last few years thanks to gaming laptop makers, who now offer some impressive specifications for the price. Be it from playing some amazing AAA games to video editing and even programming, a beefed-up gaming laptop is the one that can be a great choice to go with. There are many gaming laptops on the market today, varying in price from budget-friendly to mighty gaming monsters. With numerous options, it can be challenging to decide which one to choose. To help you out here, we have covered you with the top 20 things to remember before buying a gaming laptop.
1. Understanding The Necessity
If you buy something, you will have a reason behind it. We can apply this same methodology to buying your next favorite gaming laptop, too! Folks use gaming laptops for programming to play AAA games smoothly, and a small percentage even purchase these laptops for video editing. Gaming laptops can perform most heavy tasks, from gaming to video editing; however, choosing the right gaming laptop to meet your choices is important. For example, A gaming laptop with a low-end graphic card may not efficiently perform while playing top-level AAA games, and even a few gaming laptops struggle while performing heavy editing, so here you can consider which one is the most suitable gaming laptop that meets your needs. Even if you are looking for a gaming laptop to fulfill your gaming needs, other specifications like the Higher Refresh Rate display also come into play.
2. Plan A Budget
Before going with the best laptop, it is essential to set a budget in mind. You can ask yourself about your budget and the highest amount you can go. Clearing out your budget can help you narrow down the best options you have for the price, and even if you don’t get the best one, we can still consider adding a few extra bucks to our budget or upgrading the specification, like adding additional Ram or storage to the gaming laptop.
3. Choosing Between AMD And Intel CPUS
CPU acts as the brain of the computer, and when it comes to considering the best gaming laptops to suit your needs, it’s essential to consider the CPU that can cater to your needs. Intel and AMD are the two most prominent manufacturers of CPU processors in the market today. Gaming laptops with Intel chipsets are often priced higher than those with AMD chipsets. If you want a verdict from our side, here you should also consider the second point we mentioned, your budget, as both companies do make some fantastic CPUs. Besides budget, gaming laptops with Intel CPUs perform well in tasks like multitasking and gaming. In contrast, AMD managed to overcome Intel in battery and pricing.
4. Clock Speed
Clock Speed is also essential to remember before buying your favorite gaming laptop. Clock speed defines the capability of a CPU to perform a number of tasks simultaneously, so the higher the clock speed, the more the number of tasks the CPU can perform. Clock Speed is measured in GHz, and the most common clock speed found in CPUs is 3.2GHz, which means 3.2 billion Cycles per second. There are expensive CPUs that can go up to 5GHz as well. AMD takes an edge over Intel, as most of the budget-friendly AMD chipset supports overclocking.
5. Number Of Cores And Threads
Cores are the embedded units within the CPU that help the CPU perform many tasks and even offer battery efficiency to not only gaming laptops but also other laptops. The working of cores is more like dividing a big task into different threads, and even separate threads are assigned to separate cores. If that sounds jargon, the more cores you have, the better the CPU will perform when it comes to multitasking. They support multiple cores; there should be many threads, too. Around 6-8 threads are enough for a CPU with 6-8 cores. You can also find the performance review of the cores and threads of a processor with the help of the Cinebench software.
6. CPU Variants And Generations
Both AMD and Intel offer different ranges of CPUs like Intel Core i5, Intel Core i7, and, in the case of AMD, AMD Ryzen 5 and AMD Ryzen 7. So here, the i7 will perform better than the i5, and the Ryzen 7 will serve better than the Ryzen 5. You can choose the best suitable CPU by accounting for your budget. We would advise you to go with an i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processor at least for better performance. Besides variants, the next factor is generations, so we compare within the Intel Core i7 and K series lineup; there are two distinct generations of CPUs: the Intel Core i7-11700K (11th Gen) and the Intel Core i7-6700K (6th Gen). The more recent CPU, in this case, is the 11th Gen., Whereas AMD has 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, and 7000 series of CPUs. Also, you need to consider which lineup of CPU you are getting, so if we look at the example above, the Intel Core i7 is the variant, and the K appears as a suffix, which signifies its lineup. Similarly, Intel has other lineups like the H and U series, where U is for budget-friendly laptops. This same rule applies to AMD, too, where you get CPUs with different suffixes like G, GE, X, XT, and more.
7. GPU Brand
After GPU, the next vital factor to consider is the GPU of your gaming laptop. Here, the budget plays an important, so you can consider the budget and see what’s the best GPU you are getting; if you find an even better GPU for a little extra buck, considering pushing your budget is a good decision here. Currently, we have NVIDIA and AMD, who have their lineup of GPUs, which are now having straight face-to-face competition against each other. AMD has its Radeon lineup of GPUs, whereas NVIDIA has options like GT, GTX, RT, and RTX, where RTX is among the most powerful GPUs you can get, and within the RTX lineup, the 3090 GPU is the most powerful as well as expensive graphic card you can get. So, you can also consider different model names. Also, within the Nvidia lineup of GPUs, you can choose between a standard and a Ti version. For example, you can get the Nvidia RTX 3080 and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti, where the Ti variant offers twice the speed.
8. Choosing Between Integrated And Dedicated Graphic
Another factor you must consider for GPUs is distinguishing between Integrated and Dedicated Graphic cards. Integrated Graphic has a CPU, and a dedicated graphic card is a separate GPU card. Integrated Graphics can perform basic tasks and support AAA games in lower resolution. Also, gaming laptops with Integrated graphics are cheaper. Dedicated Graphic has a dedicated VRam, which can help run AAA games smoothly.
9. RAM
After CPU and GPU, the next important hardware is Ram. Gaming laptops do come with a faster Ram where you can usually get around 3200Mhz faster Ram. Considering the usage for gaming, video editing, and even programming, we recommend you go with at least 8GB of Ram, and for smoother gaming, we recommend having 16GB of Ram. However, you can also consider upgrading your Ram after buying your laptop. It’s essential to check whether the laptop you are buying has additional slots for Ram upgrade.
10. Storage
Storage is the next important hardware you should consider. Here, you will be getting the option to choose between HDD and SSD storage. HDD storage is usually slower and has the risk of losing data and getting corrupted in the long run, and when it comes to SSD storage, you will be getting faster Read and Write speeds, and it is risk-free from storage corruption. Gaming laptops with SSD are more expensive than laptops with HDD Storage. However, you can also find a few laptops that come with a combination of both SSD and HDD.
11. Display
In a gaming laptop, most of the time you will be spending will be watching the screens. So, it is important to consider a display that suits your needs. Usually, gamers and Video editors prefer a display with a 100% RGB (Red, Green, Blue) ratio. Another factor considered here is the NTSC percentage, where the higher the percentage, the more accurate color production. The following important factor is the type of display panel where you can choose from TN, IPS, and VA panels. TN (Twisted Nematic) panels are commonly found in budget-friendly laptops. Then, the IPS (In-Plan Switching) panels offer fantastic color reproduction, image quality, and viewing angles. Last but not least, you also go with VA (Vertical Alignment) panels. Here, you can get similar features from IPS panels. However, VA panels are only suitable for general use.
12. Keyboard And Mouse
After the display, the next hardware that you will be interacting with is the keyboard of your gaming laptop. Gaming laptops support mechanical keyboards and offer a better tactile feel. You also enjoy keyboard clicks, and the gaming experience can be suitable with mechanical keyboards. However, few enthusiasts consider buying an additional keyboard and mouse for gaming as using the trackpad is not convenient.
13. Battery Life
The difference between sleek and gaming laptops is with the battery offered. Usually, gaming laptops provide lesser battery life than other sleek laptops. Enthusiasts who consider gaming laptops usually give less consideration to battery life as most of the tasks, be it from gaming to video editing, require a lot of processing. It could be because most users keep their gaming laptops plugged in. However, if you take your gaming laptop outside and use it without plugging it in, a better battery backup is essential. Consider the least battery life of up to 4 hours with normal usage.
14. Cooling Systems And Number Of Fans
Gaming laptops produce a lot of heat while performing heavy tasks, from gaming to video editing. Here, it is essential to have a gaming laptop with more embedded fans to help release heat from the laptop and keep it cool for a longer time period. When it comes to fans, you can consider the number of fans combined with a high RPM, which will help release heat more efficiently.
15. Build Quality
Build Quality usually needs to be addressed by many users buying gaming laptops. If you are a rough user, then it is essential to consider the overall build quality. Gaming laptops come in two different qualities, including rugged plastic and metal gaming laptops. However, metallic gaming laptops are expensive and heavy.
16. Ports
The next important factor you should consider before buying a gaming laptop is the ports you are getting with the laptop. Gaming laptops usually come with all of the ports, from a faster USB port to a USB Type-C Port, and you even get an HDMI and Ethernet port, too. Consider having more closed USB ports where USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 will work.
17. Wireless Connectivity
Connectivity features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can also be an essential factor for a gaming laptop. Usually, gaming laptops come with the latest Bluetooth version (5.3) and Wi-Fi (6), allowing you to enjoy faster data speed. When it comes to Wi-Fi connectivity, few gamers prefer using an Ethernet port as it offers faster internet speed over Wi-Fi connectivity and it’s necessary that your internet router also supports Wi-Fi 6 compatibility.
18. Future Proofing
It can be extremely beneficial to have a future-proof gaming laptop. You may use your laptop for longer periods without being out of trend. Choose a robust CPU, GPU, and Ram if you want a laptop that will last. Also, you can consider laptops offering an expansion of storage and Ram, helping you to carter your future needs.
19. Laptop Warranty
It can be beneficial if your laptop is covered for a longer time. Usually, gaming laptop makers offer a warranty of 1 year, and a few of the gaming laptop makers offer up to 2 years of warranty. Besides that, it’s also essential to consider the terms and conditions of the warranty as few companies don’t cover full warranty and follow strict conditions; only some gaming laptop makers allow upgrading Ram or storage, but few companies do.
20. Reviews And Recommendations
Last but not least, considering reviews and recommendations of the laptop you have chosen is also an essential factor for you to consider. With the help of reviews and recommendations, you can get a great idea about the laptop in real time. You can easily find reviews about the laptop you have chosen on YouTube and even in the comment section of e-commerce pages. These are the 20 things you should consider before buying your favorite gaming laptop.
