Gaming laptop specs for dummies
Buying a laptop can be a big decision, and there are a lot of options to consider. This guide will walk you through the basics, and help you find the best gaming laptop in 2021.1 2 Buying a laptop can be a big decision, and there are a lot of options to consider. This guide will walk you through the basics, and help you find the best gaming laptop in 2021.1 2 It can be hard to know where to start when choosing a new gaming laptop. There are a range of features to consider, including the display, form factor, battery life, and of course, the components powering it all. Upgrading agaming laptopwith new hardware isnt usually feasible, so its important to plan ahead, and think about how you want to use your system. Prioritizing the features that are most important to you is a great first step. Well be covering all of these subjects in more detail, but lets start by going over some of the basics. Choosing the Best Gaming Laptop: Key Features
Lets take a closer look at the features youll encounter when looking for a gaming laptop, starting with the first thing you see when you open it up: the screen. DisplayThe right display can have a significant impact on your gaming experience, but there are more factors to consider than just the size of the screen. Laptop Display: Key Features
A simple way to enhance the portable PC experience is by connecting a laptop to an external monitor. This allows for the option of a laptop with a portable form factor to use on the go, then coming home to a screen with 4K resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, or an ultrawide aspect ratio. When considering an external display that has a high resolution or high refresh rate, ensure youre choosing a CPU and graphics card capable of taking advantage of those features. Compare the components in the laptop youre considering against the recommended specifications of the games youre hoping to play, and prioritize your component choice accordingly. For more detail onhow to choose a gaming monitor, see our complete guide. CPUThe CPU, or central processing unit, acts as the brain of your laptop. It sends signals to the other components in your system, and processes the instructions sent by all the software running on your machine. Your choice of CPU can have a significant impact on everything you do, from the frame rates you see in games to the response times of applications, and even the laptops battery life. The most commonly cited CPU specifications are core count and clock speed, but many other attributes come into play, including its potential for overclocking3. The CPU features that matter most to you will vary based on how you use your laptop, so its worth knowing the basics. CPU: Key Features
To maintain consistent in-game performance while streaming or recording gameplay, we recommend at least anIntel® Core i7 processor.Higher clock speeds and core counts are particularly important if youre interested in live streaming gameplay, as capture software often requires significant processing power to encode video. If youre looking to dig deeper into CPU specs and the different options, see our guide on how to choose a gaming CPU. GPUA laptops GPU, or Graphics Processing Unit, creates the pixels that form the images on your screen when gaming. Along with your CPU, its the key to enjoying smooth frame rates and high-resolution gameplay. If youre looking to game in 1440p or 4K, a capable CPU and GPU is a must. Higher resolutions mean more pixels on-screen: running a game at 4K resolution, for example, pushes four times the number of pixels as standard 1080p. GPU: Key Features
StorageSolid-state drives (SSDs) outperform older mechanical drives (HDDs) in most areas that impact gaming. SSDs use a type of flash memory (NAND) to electronically read and write blocks of data without any moving parts. HDDs, on the other hand, use mechanical platters spun by a motor, accessed with a moving drive head. One key advantage of SSDs over HDDs is high random read/write speeds, which means they can quickly access data stored in different places on the drive. They generally load programs and files faster than a comparably sized HDD, and can help cut down on system startup times. Because SSDs dont use moving parts, and have processes to equalize wear across memory blocks, they also have a longer lifespan than traditional HDDs. SSDs usually cost more per gigabyte than a comparatively sized HDD due to higher manufacturing costs. For this reason, some systems feature both an SSD and a high-capacity HDD for storing large files, though increasingly, modern laptops are relying solely on SSDs. Laptop Storage: Key Features
For more on HDD vs. SSD technology, see our guide to choosing the right storage. RAMRandom Access Memory, or RAM, is memory that temporarily stores data for rapid retrieval by your CPU. Unlike an SSD or HDD, it doesnt permanently store data, and resets whenever it loses power, but it also makes that frequently used data available more quickly than a storage drive. Additional RAM allows a PC to run more processes simultaneously, and enables a system to more rapidly switch between programs while also running background services. How much RAM you need in your laptop depends on how you plan to use the system.
Though the amount of RAM available to your system is arguably the most important metric for the average user, there are other RAM features that are worth considering as well. RAM: Key Features:
DesignGaming laptops come in all shapes and sizes. Entry-level options may strive to balance portability and performance, while more powerful gaming laptops have traditionally taken up more room. In recent years, however, that tradeoff has become less universal. Premium laptops with advanced thermal designs can stay relatively thin and light while still utilizing high-performance components. Consider the tradeoff between power, price, portability, as well as available ports and performance-enhancing extras when thinking about laptop design. Design: Key Features
PortsMore ports mean more options for expanding a laptops functionality. Some gaming laptops may cut down the number of ports available in order to achieve a smaller form factor, so keep this trade-off in mind when comparing. Laptop Ports: Key Features
If the laptop you want has limited ports available, consider using a multiport USB hub or a docking station. If youre struggling to connect a mouse, headset, webcam, external hard drive, or other peripherals to a slim laptop with only two USB ports, these options can provide new connection options. For more ideas on how to build out a laptop-centered gaming station, see our Ultimate Laptop Setup Guide. Laptop CoolingImprovements in cooling have allowed laptop manufacturers to upend the old stereotype of thick, unwieldy gaming laptops. Today, some of the most powerful systems on the market are thin laptops with meticulously engineered cooling systems. Though their internal workings are complex, the fundamentals of cooling systems in laptops still mostly consist of vents, fans, cooling pipes, and heatsinks. That said, huge progress has been made in how these cooling tools are designed and implemented, allowing for the smaller form factors we see in modern gaming laptops. Comparing one systems cooling to another can be difficult from the manufacturers description alone, so its worth checking reviews to learn about real-world performance, and how it might relate to your usage needs. Check out our guide to PC cooling to learn more. InputsTaking full advantage of a laptops input and output options can enable a desktop-like gaming experience at home. Connect a gaming mouse, a more responsive keyboard, or premium audio to create a fully featured gaming station with a laptop at the center. Laptop Inputs: Key Features
Which Laptop Is Right for You?When choosing a laptop, what matters most is how you plan to use it. If you plan to game on an external monitor, it might make sense to prioritize the CPU and GPU rather than a feature-rich built-in display. If you edit video or create content, 32GB of RAM, a solid CPU, and a high-resolution display might be more important than the latest GPU architecture. Its not just about comparing one gaming laptops components or form factor to another: Its about identifying the features that you value most, and finding the machine that has everything youre looking for. The right display can have a significant impact on your gaming experience, but there are more factors to consider than just the size of the screen. Laptop Display: Key Features
A simple way to enhance the portable PC experience is by connecting a laptop to an external monitor. This allows for the option of a laptop with a portable form factor to use on the go, then coming home to a screen with 4K resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, or an ultrawide aspect ratio. When considering an external display that has a high resolution or high refresh rate, ensure youre choosing a CPU and graphics card capable of taking advantage of those features. Compare the components in the laptop youre considering against the recommended specifications of the games youre hoping to play, and prioritize your component choice accordingly. For more detail onhow to choose a gaming monitor, see our complete guide. The CPU, or central processing unit, acts as the brain of your laptop. It sends signals to the other components in your system, and processes the instructions sent by all the software running on your machine. Your choice of CPU can have a significant impact on everything you do, from the frame rates you see in games to the response times of applications, and even the laptops battery life. The most commonly cited CPU specifications are core count and clock speed, but many other attributes come into play, including its potential for overclocking3. The CPU features that matter most to you will vary based on how you use your laptop, so its worth knowing the basics. CPU: Key Features
To maintain consistent in-game performance while streaming or recording gameplay, we recommend at least anIntel® Core i7 processor.Higher clock speeds and core counts are particularly important if youre interested in live streaming gameplay, as capture software often requires significant processing power to encode video. If youre looking to dig deeper into CPU specs and the different options, see our guide on how to choose a gaming CPU. GPUA laptops GPU, or Graphics Processing Unit, creates the pixels that form the images on your screen when gaming. Along with your CPU, its the key to enjoying smooth frame rates and high-resolution gameplay. If youre looking to game in 1440p or 4K, a capable CPU and GPU is a must. Higher resolutions mean more pixels on-screen: running a game at 4K resolution, for example, pushes four times the number of pixels as standard 1080p. GPU: Key Features
Solid-state drives (SSDs) outperform older mechanical drives (HDDs) in most areas that impact gaming. SSDs use a type of flash memory (NAND) to electronically read and write blocks of data without any moving parts. HDDs, on the other hand, use mechanical platters spun by a motor, accessed with a moving drive head. One key advantage of SSDs over HDDs is high random read/write speeds, which means they can quickly access data stored in different places on the drive. They generally load programs and files faster than a comparably sized HDD, and can help cut down on system startup times. Because SSDs dont use moving parts, and have processes to equalize wear across memory blocks, they also have a longer lifespan than traditional HDDs. SSDs usually cost more per gigabyte than a comparatively sized HDD due to higher manufacturing costs. For this reason, some systems feature both an SSD and a high-capacity HDD for storing large files, though increasingly, modern laptops are relying solely on SSDs. Laptop Storage: Key Features
For more on HDD vs. SSD technology, see our guide to choosing the right storage. Random Access Memory, or RAM, is memory that temporarily stores data for rapid retrieval by your CPU. Unlike an SSD or HDD, it doesnt permanently store data, and resets whenever it loses power, but it also makes that frequently used data available more quickly than a storage drive. Additional RAM allows a PC to run more processes simultaneously, and enables a system to more rapidly switch between programs while also running background services. How much RAM you need in your laptop depends on how you plan to use the system.
Though the amount of RAM available to your system is arguably the most important metric for the average user, there are other RAM features that are worth considering as well. RAM: Key Features:
Gaming laptops come in all shapes and sizes. Entry-level options may strive to balance portability and performance, while more powerful gaming laptops have traditionally taken up more room. In recent years, however, that tradeoff has become less universal. Premium laptops with advanced thermal designs can stay relatively thin and light while still utilizing high-performance components. Consider the tradeoff between power, price, portability, as well as available ports and performance-enhancing extras when thinking about laptop design. Design: Key Features
More ports mean more options for expanding a laptops functionality. Some gaming laptops may cut down the number of ports available in order to achieve a smaller form factor, so keep this trade-off in mind when comparing. Laptop Ports: Key Features
If the laptop you want has limited ports available, consider using a multiport USB hub or a docking station. If youre struggling to connect a mouse, headset, webcam, external hard drive, or other peripherals to a slim laptop with only two USB ports, these options can provide new connection options. For more ideas on how to build out a laptop-centered gaming station, see our Ultimate Laptop Setup Guide. Taking full advantage of a laptops input and output options can enable a desktop-like gaming experience at home. Connect a gaming mouse, a more responsive keyboard, or premium audio to create a fully featured gaming station with a laptop at the center. Laptop Inputs: Key Features
|