Gaming Laptops: What should you look for before buying ?
Gaming laptops have never been pocket friendly but they sure in hell worth the price, only if you know which one to choose. In fact, the high-quality performance from the gaming laptops of today can be in some ways superior to the top notch gaming consoles of today such as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
The million dollar question here is: “What should I look for in Gaming Laptops ?”
Gaming Laptops must have a decent mid-range processor and dedicated graphics card, as well as an adequate cooling system. It is highly recommended that you get the best possible graphics card within your budget since, unlike memory and storage capacities, it is not upgradeable in most circumstances.
Graphic Cards
The sad thing is that the prices of graphic cards have gone sky-rocketing since the pandemic, as their demand is extremely high and not just for gaming but for cryptocurrency mining as well. We must remember that high-end cards can cost up to half the total price of the laptop.
First things first, you must have a budget in mind, because only then you will then be able to narrow down the available Gaming Laptops in the market. While there are affordable options that start from RM3,500, the sky’s the limit when it comes to a fully decked-out powerhouse.
A mid-range, at about RM6,000, should be able to handle anything you throw at it without breaking a proverbial sweat. For those who want something thin, light, and powerful, you will likely have to fork out anywhere from RM7,000 onwards.
Since you would want your gaming laptop to last as long as possible, it makes sense to pay top ringgit for the best. There is no better time than now, so don’t fall into the trap of thinking: “There’s a new processor/graphics card that will be released in a couple of months; I will wait until then so that current-generation prices will drop.”
By the time the new processor or graphics card is released, you would not want to settle for previous-generation hardware.
Cooling System
The next thing to take into consideration is the cooling systems of these Gaming Laptops. Overheating is not good for any gadget, and it is very likely that continuous and excessive usage may cause your laptop to face that. So it needless to say that it is imperative that these Gaming Laptops have good cooling System.
It is very unlikely that a thin, light laptop will be able to provide the best cooling solution because it is limited by space. In order to to get your laptop cool down faster you may need bigger and faster fans along with more number of outlets to get that heat out. Smaller Gaming Laptops may find it difficult to accommodate all of that so if you were to take our suggestion, we’d say go for a laptop with a larger chassis.
Some laptops come with an external cooling solution, but these are far and few in between.
A larger device not only provides you with a better viewing experience when you game, it also provides more space for future memory and storage upgrades while offering a better cooling system. This usually translates to the ability to handle a more powerful graphics card.
Memory and Storage
Always leave room for future upgrades, especially in terms of RAM and storage space. Most gaming laptops come with two RAM slots, and 16GB is recommended these days at a minimum, though double this figure would be better. As far as possible, try to avoid laptops with soldered-on RAM.
With the traditional hard drive going the way of the dodo, solid-state drives (SSDs) have taken over. A 512GB SSD will fill up faster than you think, so it is best to have at least another slot to take in another SSD for expansion purposes.
Ports
You must prefer Gaming Laptops that come with Thunderbolt 3 or 4 port, which not only ensures faster and, high-volume data transfer, but they are also able to harness the power of an external graphics processing unit (GPU) in the event your laptop’s graphic card is no longer able to handle current needs.
A gaming laptop will need to be plugged in for it to run as intended, so don’t expect the battery life of an Ultrabook. With it being plugged in most of the time, the battery might be subject to more rigorous charge than that of a regular laptop, so keep an eye out on your laptop’s chassis for signs of a bulging battery and get a replacement if necessary.
Conclusion !
At the end of the day, you should do your due diligence on the brand and model of the gaming laptop you hope to purchase. Also it boils down to, what you are looking for in your Gaming Laptop.
Enjoy your purchase without regrets, and may your frame rates never drop below 60fps!