Are Gaming Laptops Worth the Investment

With so many laptops to choose from, you might be wondering if gaming laptops are worth buying or if you can get the same specs in a different machine that doesn’t come with the high price tag. The truth is that gaming laptops are priced higher because they have more reliable components that are specifically required for gaming. While you can certainly find high-end laptops with all the same components, they’regam going to cost even more.

Gaming laptops put the power where you need it most while using basic components for everything else in order to keep the overall cost down. If you have the funds to buy a top-of-the-line laptop, you’ll be able to use it for games, but if you’re on a budget, a gaming laptop is the way to go.

What is a gaming laptop?

Since today’s games require significant computing power, gaming laptops are designed to meet some specific needs. For instance, nobody wants to play a game that lags. Games need a powerful processor and graphics card to produce smooth visuals and that’s one of the components you’ll get with a gaming laptop.

Typically, and compared to standard devices, a gaming laptop will have a superior graphics card, speakers, and memory.

What specs do you need for gaming?

While the specs each person needs will vary depending on the games they play, it’s recommended that you have the following:

·  An Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen CPU

·  At least 8GB of RAM, but 16GB is ideal

·  512GB of disk space at minimum

·  A good graphics card, like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 or the AMD Radeon RX 560

·  A 1080p display resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate minimum

These are just the bare minimums that will create an enjoyable gaming experience. There are plenty of other factors to consider, like the screen size and overall weight.

What games are you playing?

If you’re just sitting around playing Tetris or solitaire on your laptop, you don’t really need much power. You can get away with using just about any laptop in that case. The same is true if you only play simple online games. However, if you’re playing games like Warhammer 3, Halo Infinite, Starfield, The Ascent, or Baldur’s Gate 3, you need a laptop that can handle intense graphics. These are just some of the most graphically-demanding games around, and if that’s what you’re playing, a gaming laptop will be useful. Other games like God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Dying Light 2: Stay Human are equally demanding and will push your device to the limit.

Sometimes these games aren’t too demanding outright, but when you scale your resolution and texture quality, or start building in-game armies, you’ll need better specs than your average laptop. Plus, it’s always more enjoyable when you don’t have to worry about holding back in a game just because you know it’s going to cause problems.

Don’t worry too much about the battery life

Typically, battery life is a main factor when choosing a laptop, but it’s a little different for gaming laptops. If you plan to use your device for other purposes, then by all means, focus on battery life. However, if it’s just for playing games, you’ll get a better experience playing while your laptop is plugged into the wall.

Typical batteries can only store around 60-80 Wh of power, and are unable to discharge faster than twice their Wh/hour rating. Games that require significant power will strain the battery and even reduce its lifespan. A laptop’s GPU will throttle the clock speed to protect the battery from overheating, which means your games will slow down. Playing with your laptop plugged in is a good way to avoid this issue.

Gaming laptops are great for everything else, too

If you buy a gaming laptop for entertainment, you can use it for everything else, including work, school, and even running your business. As long as you have enough storage space, or you use an external drive for most of your files, your gaming laptop can be a versatile device.

Sometimes it’s nice to only have one laptop to keep track of and that’s a huge benefit of condensing your usage to one device. That way, you can take it with you anywhere you need to go and work on your business and then play some games to take a break.

Are gaming laptops worth it?

The short answer is yes, gaming laptops are worth buying because they have the components that create a smooth and fun gaming experience.