What Matters in a Gaming Laptop and What does not Matter?

Not long ago, gaming laptops were not a thing. And no hardcore gamer would entertain the idea of owning one. But times have changed, and now manufacturers have devised better ways of packing all the gaming power you need in a laptop.

A gaming laptop is different from a regular notebook. Talk about the GPU, CPU, screen resolution, frame rates, cooling, and all the talk about hardware that provide a superior gaming experience.

We are here to demystify the features that will help you win it big as you bring home a real gaming monster that you will take wherever the game takes you.

Let’s talk about the GPU.

Perhaps the most critical feature on a gaming laptop is the graphics. The graphics processing unit (GPU) is at the heart of your gaming experience. It drives the images to the monitor by processing the graphics data and transmitting the relevant signal.

A gaming laptop must have NVIDIA or AMD graphics chip. Otherwise, you are looking at a regular notebook that is only good for processing words and numbers and watching regular movies.

AMD chips are a rare find these days unless it’s a Radeon Vega card. Nvidia GeForce GTX graphics cards scale the heights of performance when it comes to playing complicated games, delivering fast frame rates, and excellent imagery.

You will want your graphics cards to have enough video memory or VRAM to be able to deliver top-notch imagery.

With a good GPU, it will oversee gaming imagery especially if they have G-Sync and FreeSync technologies that give power to the GPU to deliver the right frame rates according to the game you are playing. This, in turn, provides perfect visuals in the latest games.

Max-Q: The New Name in Gaming

Gaming laptops pack some pounds thanks to the hefty GPUs and cooling systems. But Nvidia is introducing new technology to slim down your notebook while retaining powerful gaming features. It is a combination of elements from innovative design to better thermal and electric solutions to get a slim laptop that can store a GeForce GTX 1060, GTX 1070 or GTX 1080 card.

Not many laptops feature this technology and those that do, may sacrifice graphics and the battery life. But they go into slim bags and don’t weigh you down when carrying it for extended periods.

Some of the laptops using Max-Q include Asus ROG Zephyrus, MSI GS63 Stealth Pro, Acer Predator Triton 700, and Aorus X5 MD.

The Brain Behind the Game: CPU

The CPU is another important aspect of a gaming laptop. It processes all other data that is not concerned with the graphics. This comes in the form of speed while running multiple tabs and overall gaming performance.

Intel processors are considered the best for gaming, and that is for a good reason. But not just any generation of an Intel processor is going to cut it.

Here you are looking at 7th generation CPUs from Intel Core i5 and above. The 7th gen Intel Core i7 quad-core processor has the most satisfying results. It uses hyperthreading technology and is based on the Kaby Lake chipset to ensure that it is used to the maximum.

With an 8th gen Intel Core processor, you can expect faster clock speeds and better gaming performance even on an i5 and i7 CPU.

What about RAM?

Without a good GPU and CPU, it will not matter if you have 32GB of RAM because it does not make that much of a difference in improving speeds. Midrange laptops come with 8GB RAM while high-end models have 16GB RAM. Do not go below 8GB if you are looking to play any significant game.

Why is SSD more Important than HDD?

Laptops do not have a decent memory. But you need good storage as well as boot up speed. That’s where an SSD comes in. Although they are a bit expensive, they are still the best shot at having faster boot up speeds, speedier launching of games, and speedier wake up time from sleep.

Since games take up lots of storage, you will also need to consider a Hard Disk Drive. You will be able to store most of your games on the HDD.

A notebook that comes with the SDD is better than one with the HDD alone. But balancing the two is key. You can configure your gaming laptop with a 256GB SSD but with room for an HDD that is expandable to 1TB or higher.

Display

Your notebook’s display plays a vital role in bringing the graphics and frame rates into perspective.

Resolution is the first thing you will need to look at. The lowest resolution you can have on a gaming laptop is 1920 x 1080 pixels. This will take care of most graphics, but they are not the best. For more color fidelity and immersive gaming experience, you are looking at 2560 x 1440 QHD and 3840 x 2160 4K panels.

4K display laptops have the highest price tags, but you can expect unmatched high-level graphics.

Audio

Lots of firepower is what you want in a decent gaming laptop. This way, you will match the visuals with the sound that’s coming from your notebook. You will want to have great surround sound to improve your gaming experience.

Whether you are playing first-person shooter games or multiplayer games, it will feel more fulfilling if you have a great sound to go along with your games.

Cooling

The last thing you want is a machine that hums like a vacuum cleaner. That is why cooling is equally important in a gaming notebook. An excellent cooling solution is the key to proper cooling. This means if you overclock your laptop it will bring down the temperature of the GPU and CPU significantly.

Keyboard

Your gaming keyboard is something you will want to get right the first time. This is because you will not be able to switch it out after choosing your ideal laptop. Look for anti-ghosting keys and n key rollover to help in quick operations.
RGB backlighting also improves your gaming experience as it allows you to allocate different lighting to different keys.

Conclusion

There’s so much about gaming laptops. We have done more than just scratch the surface. The best specs to look for are right here on our list. Just keep in mind the sacrifices and compromises you can make and those that will reduce your gaming quality. If you're in a market for a good gaming laptop, check DefinitePoint article on top 10 best current gaming laptops.