Choosing a gaming laptop has a lot of factors that come into it. Of course, you want to play all the games you desire and have the smoothest experience possible. However, you also want to factor in the longevity of your machine because you don’t want to be replacing it annually.
It would be a painstakingly frustrating process for someone who isn’t a wiz in computers and just wants to game to not only choose the first time but do it again shortly thereafter. There are a lot of things to consider and non-tech savvy people will find this task daunting.
We are here to provide a short and comprehensive buyer’s guide to purchasing your first gaming laptop for newbies. Define all this “tech talk” and make it easier for you gamers to choose your next gaming laptop. Without further ado, let’s get into it,
CPU & GPU
At a gaming laptop’s core, the CPU and GPU are the most important pieces of hardware. It’s the main driving force of your gaming experience. Needless to say, a better CPU and GPU equals a better overall performing gaming laptop. When it comes to a CPU you should at least be looking for a 10th or 11th Gen Intel Core-i7 processor. You can even consider an i9 processor.
For the GPU or Graphics card, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX or RTX GPUs are some of the most highly-recommended options available on the market, with the RTX 30-series one of gaming’s premier GPUs right now. On the AMD side of things, another major manufacturer of GPUs, the AMD Radeon RX 5000M series and the RX 5500M, 5600M, and 5700M are your best options.
Upgradability (RAM)
RAM is a form of temporary computer storage that allows stored data to be received and read almost instantaneously. When you launch a program, it becomes temporarily stored in your computer’s memory (or RAM) for easy access, as opposed to being written on the permanent hard drive.
Again, one of the things to consider is to upgrade your machine and not replace it. Gaming laptops and gaming PCs are way different than traditional gaming consoles. Picking a machine you can upgrade can save you a lot of money and time as well as extend its life cycle allowing you to game with the same machine for years to come. Go for a gaming laptop with, at the very least, 8GB of RAM.
If your gaming laptop is indeed capable of being upgraded on the fly. Then, choose to upgrade to 16GB of RAM. That kind of storage space and processing power stacks up with most gaming PCs. Always ask the question “is it upgradable?” when buying a gaming laptop. You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble in the future.
Minimum Requirements For The Average Gamer:
These requirements shown above can be considered the bare minimum for an excellent gaming experience. You’re not sacrificing the integrity and performance of your games while not breaking the bank. Of course, it will matter what kind of gamer you are. These specifications are considered to be optimal for all the mainstream triple-A games out there. It can handle most games with no problem.
Some gamers can ramp it up in terms of specifications for the absolute top-tier gaming experience. However, if we were to suggest something that perfectly balances out the performance aspect, price, and, longevity. Meet the requirements above and you will be on your way to gaming in no time.
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