Purists will suggest that a PC is required to truly play games, especially if you prefer pushing the boundaries of graphical quality beyond what a gaming console can manage. The gaming desktop remains king in this sense, especially when it comes to having the components and horsepower required to run 4K games smoothly and support virtual reality (VR) installations. However, if you want or need something you can carry around the house or over to a friend’s house, we can assist you in selecting the best gaming laptop.
What Should You Expect to Pay for a Gaming Laptop?
Gaming systems have higher-end components than typical consumer laptops, so they will cost more, but the price range is vast: from under a grand to $4,000 and over. Budget gaming laptops start at approximately $750 and go up to around $1,250. For that money, you get a machine that can play games in full HD (1080p) with most settings dialed down, or at top quality settings in simpler titles. For storage, a hard disk or a small-capacity solid-state drive can be utilized (SSD). The superior option is always a solid-state drive (SSD).
Do you want something more? On a better-quality 1080p screen, midrange computers should handle VR headsets and deliver smoother gaming at high or maximum settings (typically in conjunction with a dedicated high-refresh screen; more on that later). Depending on the model, these variants will cost between $1,250 and $2,000.
High-end computers, on the other hand, should provide seamless gaming at 1080p with all graphical details turned up to 11 and, in many cases, a high-refresh screen. If your screen allows it, they could even let you play in 4K resolution. A high-end model should be capable of powering a VR headset as well as supporting several external displays. These workstations are usually equipped with fast storage components such as PCI Express solid-state drives, and they cost more than $2,000, if not more.
Some laptops in this class offer QHD (2,560-by-1,440-pixel) or 4K displays as optional extras, as well as a hard drive to support the SSD and ultra-efficient cooling fans. A rising number of them are even small and portable, thanks to technological advancements. With laptops in this grade, you’ll either pay a premium for high-end performance in a small chassis or a premium for the most potential power in a chunkier chassis.
Prioritize the GPU: Graphics Are Crucial.
The graphics processing unit is the main feature that makes or breaks a gaming laptop (GPU). Unless a laptop contains a discrete graphics chip from Nvidia or (less typically) AMD, we don’t consider it a gaming laptop. For the uninitiated, here’s a fast crash course: The higher the number in a GPU series, the more powerful it is in general. An Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, for example, will deliver greater frame rates and graphics quality than an RTX 3070, and so on.