Guide to Choosing the Best Laptop for Gaming
Buying the best laptop for gaming should be seen as what it is, namely, an important investment, which aims to make your life easier and beautify the way you spend your free time!
Contents
- 1 Guide to Choosing the Best Laptop for Gaming
- 2 Specifications of a Gaming Laptop
- 3 Top 10 Recommended Gaming Laptops in 2021
- 4 Which is the best gaming laptop?
- 5 Is a gaming laptop comparable to a gaming PC?
- 6 Is it worth buying a cheap gaming laptop?
- 7 How To Choose The Best Laptops For Gaming?
- 8 Gaming Laptop Accessories
- 9 Laptop Gaming Controller, Mouse and Keyboard
- 10 Joystick, Cooler and Gaming Headphones for Laptop
- 11 Steering wheel, chair and gaming monitor for laptop
- 12 Laptop Speakers, Webcam and Mouse Pad
However, some people run away from the idea of using a laptop for games, as they think they are poor in performance. False, because the exact same hypothesis applies to desktop computers, namely, it is not the platform that matters, but the specifications it has.
For several years now, Asus has been seriously entering the laptop gaming industry and is trying to optimize its configurations and components to create a gaming laptop model, it is perhaps the only competitor of the already famous AlienWare gaming laptops in the top range of laptops in world in 2021.
So, to avoid the mistake of buying a weak laptop, we decided to come to your aid by giving you as much information as possible about choosing a good gaming laptop, as well as a list of the top gaming laptops.
Specifications of a Gaming Laptop
Video Card (GPU)
The most important aspect to remember is that if you want a good gaming laptop, it must have a dedicated video card, without a doubt.
Even though most manufacturers promise that you will be able to play certain games easily and on an integrated video card, as we discussed above, a gaming laptop is an important investment, and you certainly will not want to regret at some point. that you did not opt for a dedicated video card.
As for this, it is recommended to be a nVidia GeForce 10 series video card (like 1060) – see examples.
Processor (CPU)
The processor of a laptop is very important, as it performs all the tasks that are not related to the video card.
For example, the processor of a gaming laptop also helps to process the other characters in the story of the game you come in contact with (such as GTA 5 or Mafia 3), while also taking into account other processes, such as the browser or the software. video recording if you stream or capture video from the game to YouTube.
As a benchmark, the processor of a good gaming laptop must be Intel, preferably from the 7th or 9th generation, the Kaby Lake series (ex: i7-7700) or Coffee Lake (i7-8750H) – see example.
Remember that the series that start with 7 are Kaby Lake, while the series that start with 8 are Coffee Lake. As cores, it is also important that the processor be quad core (4 cores), or hexa core (6 cores) – see examples .
Memory Capacity and Type (RAM)
In short, the more RAM, the better, because the RAM capacity is directly proportional to the number of tasks and executions that the laptop can perform and run.
As a benchmark, a gaming laptop should not have less than 8 GB of RAM (DDR4), ideally 16 GB – see examples.
It should also be borne in mind that during games, most likely you run other processes, such as browser, Discord / Skype, Steam, Battle.net, etc., which in turn eat RAM resources – see examples .
Display and Resolution
It would be a shame for the gaming laptop you choose to meet all of the above recommendations, but not for the display or resolution.
Fortunately, most gaming laptop manufacturers have complied, as fortunately it is somewhat difficult not to find a gaming laptop that is not Full HD, which is the recommended standard for the display. As for the resolution, the ideal you should opt for is 1920 × 1080 – see examples.
Top 10 Recommended Gaming Laptops in 2021
Most laptops configured for gaming and video editing are optimized to perform at full power only when connected to the mains. When they run on battery power, they will no longer run at full power to conserve energy.
Otherwise we will not be able to have more than 2 hours maximum 3 gaming on the battery. Their purpose is more to be easy to carry, not to be able to play on battery. So, if you notice that the gaming laptop works hard, most likely those limitations are active when you play on the battery. There are some optimization tricks to work at maximum performance for Windows. Leave a comment if you have problems.
Which is the best gaming laptop?
There are only 3-4 companies fighting on this budget segment for gaming laptops, Asus, Lenovo, Acer (excluding Alienware). There are also attempts from other companies but they fail and I cannot recommend them.
Acer
Of all the 3, it seems to me that the fight is in vain, the only thing that attracts is the price. Reliability is somewhere forgotten by manufacturers. But this does not mean that it will be left behind when it comes to gaming experience, the performance will be similar. With small deficiencies at gpu + cpu temperatures that exceed the limit.
Asus
It sacrifices from the construction of the case that looks like a cheap gaming laptop at the first touch, but when we test it in gaming it changes our first impression radically. Reasonable gaming temperatures for a laptop, outstanding performance, grade 10 sound. But the noise produced by the fans is ubiquitous.
Lenovo
It is somewhere between the 2 mentioned above, it scores a plus in each chapter but it does not excel in anything. Maybe in the integrated speakers option which is very inspired to go on JBL speakers. The case being much more pleasant than Asus together with the speakers give a certain plus to the sound without distortion at maximum volume.
MSI
It has come a long way and I have to admit that their gaming laptops don't look bad at all. Neither in terms of performance nor in terms of the appearance of laptops. Not long ago they made “mistakes” with some models of gaming laptops. Either they had problems with cooling, or the batteries died after 1 hour of intensive testing. Now, I have to admit that it looks good from MSI.
Is a gaming laptop comparable to a gaming PC?
NO, if we look at the price, we cannot have the same performance at the same price. But no desktop PC is as portable as a laptop. But, we can find configurations on high-end laptops that are more powerful than some PC gaming systems but at a lower price category.
I said at the beginning of the article that if you want to buy a gaming laptop, you have to accept compromises.
Don't think that gaming performance is comparable to a desktop gaming system, this is not the role of a laptop. It will complement a gaming PC system, it does not aim to replace the traditional PC. The purpose of a laptop is to be easy to transport, during which time it can be used at quite high performance, judging by the size of a laptop.
So you will have to make this compromise from the start.
Is it worth buying a cheap gaming laptop?
If you have a strict budget, laptops are cheap and good for gaming. You don't have very high performances, but for a few games with minimal details you can easily play. I prefer a much better desktop PC at that price, because I'm used to working on 27-30 inch monitors and I sacrifice mobility to the detriment of performance and production capacity.
How To Choose The Best Laptops For Gaming?
Laptop price
In general, the price is the most important aspect, and as with any other product, there are facilities for laptops that are worth the investment or not.
We will go over each aspect below, but, given that a gaming laptop is not the kind of accessory we change monthly, it is important not to limit yourself strictly to exactly the needs you have at the moment.
As we are used to, new games will appear constantly, and they will be constantly growing in terms of requirements, so the laptop must be able to keep up with them.
Storage Capacity and Type (HDD / SSD)
A good gaming laptop you can buy should not be without an SSD as a type of storage, vital at least for the operating system installation partition.
This will drastically reduce the waiting time from the time the laptop is started until it enters the interface, as well as the fluidity and speed of using the programs installed on the SSD.
For the rest of the needs, such as movies, games or documents, a simple HDD is enough.
As a standard capacity, a 120 GB SSD is enough for the operating system, and as a HDD, depending on your preferences, you can opt for a 1TB HDD.
Keyboard
The best keyboard of a gaming laptop is among the most important things, because whatever you do with the laptop, you will get in touch with it, becoming practically your command center. Equally important is the mouse, but it is purchased separately with other laptop accessories, we will discuss it separately.
Depending on your habits as a gamer, you need to be careful that the laptop keys have the same size and positioning as the ones you are already used to. So, as selection criteria for the laptop keyboard, we list:
- tactile feedback when pressing the keys;
- sufficient distance between the key and its base;
- enough space between the keys;
- important keys (ESC, Enter, Backspace, etc.) to have normal sizes;
- (optional) to have Numpad.
Audio / Sound
It is important to mention when it comes to the audio part of the laptop, it would be ideal for the laptop you choose to have two separate audio jacks – one for headphones, and another for microphone.
However, laptop models with two audio jacks are becoming increasingly rare, which is not very handy, because as a gamer, you need a microphone almost as much as you need headphones.
Fortunately, there are also 3-ring audio jack gaming headphones (such as the mobile phone), which allows the same audio input and the use of headphones and microphone simultaneously. Remember that the required plug must have 3 rings on the audio jack.
Operating System
As candidates for operating systems for a build quality laptop, we have Windows, Mac (OS X) and Linux (Ubuntu). In short, the best option we recommend for a gaming laptop is Windows 10.
Windows 10 dominates the gaming market compared to other operating systems, and not only that, but game makers first consider perfect game optimization for Windows, even before thinking about whether to launch it for another gaming system. operation.
However, Mac (OS X) keeps up as well as possible in terms of games, but as a brand, they are not designed for gaming, and, between us, they are much more expensive due to the brand.
So, in conclusion, the only version of the operating system for a gaming laptop is Windows 10.
Cooling and Ventilation
In general, the thinner a laptop, the more problems it will have with cooling and ventilation, as the lack of space inside deprives it of the freedom to have sufficiently large and efficient fans.
However, a gaming laptop should not be too thin, as it will certainly have problems with heating, which will require a separate cooling pad.
Warming up the laptop will not only affect the performance of the games, but will also give an unpleasant sensation, because depending on the model of the laptop, certain keys (such as W A S D) will also heat up.
Also, the material of which the laptop is made also helps to alleviate the problem, especially regarding the heating of the keys.
Connectivity
When we talk about connectivity, we refer to the ability of the laptop, through the input and output slots, to be able to connect or to be connected to other devices.
Unfortunately, many of the new laptops no longer have an optical drive (CD / DVD), which can be problematic if you need it, but fortunately, you can buy an external one.
Therefore, as benchmarks, it would be ideal for the laptop you choose to have the following:
- Optical drive (if possible) – CD / DVD-RW;
- HDMI output;
- USB 3.1 type C, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports;
- Exit Mini DisplayPort;
- Audio input (if possible – for microphone);
- Audio output;
- RJ-45 input (LAN / Internet cable plug);
- Card reader;
- Wireless – 10/100/1000 – 802.11 ac or 802.11 ac 2 × 2.
Battery
For a gaming laptop, our suggestion would be not to have high hopes for the battery or its life.
True, some laptops can support gaming quite easily and when running only on battery, but when you play without a power cord, you have a choice between the quality at which you want the game to run and the duration of the gaming session (long battery life), since they are inversely proportional.
The better the quality of the game on the battery, the less it will last, and vice versa, the lower the quality, the longer the battery will last.
In conclusion, for a gaming laptop, it must be taken into account that for its maximum performance, it must be connected to the mains, so do not worry too much about the chosen battery.
Gaming Laptop Accessories
Today's gaming, even at the level of eSports, is no longer the same. So, regardless of the skills of a good player, some tailor-made accessories can only bring advantages, even if you already enjoy a product from our list of top 10 gaming laptops!
For example, we have all felt the ghosting that happens on a simple keyboard at a certain point, namely its inability to process multiple keys while some are already pressed.
This is as frustrating in an MMO game as it is a poor quality mouse in an FPS game.
So, if you are passionate about gaming, especially competitive, whether you play World of Warcraft, League of Legends, Fortnite, PUBG or Call of Duty, we have brought you the most useful gaming accessories, compatible with both a laptop and with a desktop!
Laptop Gaming Controller, Mouse and Keyboard
We start with the most important accessories of a gaming laptop, namely: controller, mouse and keyboard.
Even if the controller is optional depending on the game played, any real gamer needs a gaming mouse and, depending on the game, a custom keyboard (maybe even mechanical), as laptop keyboards are known for ghosting.
Joystick, Cooler and Gaming Headphones for Laptop
Further, we reach the other peripherals, namely headphones, joystick and cooling pad.
Although most games can be played perfectly with the mouse and keyboard or controller, there are some designed for a unique experience with a joystick, for example, aerial simulators.
Steering wheel, chair and gaming monitor for laptop
This section is designed for laptop gaming at the next level, namely with steering wheel, gaming chair and monitor.
As with the joystick, the gaming steering wheel offers a unique experience for the games for which it is intended, for example the Need for Speed series or simulators such as Euro Truck Simulator, which, in turn and depending on preferences, can be played on a larger monitor with an HDMI adapter.
Laptop Speakers, Webcam and Mouse Pad
In the final section of accessories for a gaming laptop, except for the mouse pad, we find the speakers and the webcam, which are optional.
The purpose of the speakers is to replace the headphones, but we rarely see gamers who prefer a set of speakers over a headset, especially in FPS games.
As for the webcam, its only role is streaming on platforms such as Twitch or YouTube.
Last update on 2021-07-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
