How to Choose the Best Gaming Laptop for Your Needs in 2023 If you are a serious gamer, you know that PC gaming is the real deal. PC gaming offers more graphics and processing power than any console, and gives you more freedom to customize and choose your games.
But PC gaming can also be tricky. Unlike consoles, which are ready to play out of the box, PC gaming requires a lot of research on each component. GPU, CPU, RAM, monitor, keyboard… there are many things to consider. And getting them right can make a huge difference in your gaming experience.
One of the biggest decisions you have to make is whether to go for a desktop or a laptop. Desktops offer the best performance, but laptops suit the modern lifestyle better. Laptops let you carry your gaming rig with you wherever you go, and you can find a laptop for every type of gamer and budget. Whether you want a powerhouse that can run VR and 4K, or a budget-friendly option, there is a gaming laptop for you.
But how do you know what to look for in a gaming laptop? And what are the best gaming laptops in 2022? In this article, we will answer these questions and help you find the perfect gaming laptop for your needs.
How to Choose the Best Gaming Laptop for Your Needs in 2023
What to look for in a gaming laptop? When shopping for a gaming laptop, there are many components to pay attention to. Here are some of the most important ones:
- CPU: The CPU (or processor) is the brain of your laptop. It determines how fast your laptop can process input, store data, and execute output. Your CPU is constantly communicating with other parts of your laptop, so it has to be good. The most common CPUs for gaming laptops are from Intel and AMD. Intel CPUs are usually more powerful and expensive, while AMD CPUs are more affordable and energy-efficient.
- The latest generation of Intel CPUs is the 11th Gen Core series (also known as Tiger Lake), while the latest generation of AMD CPUs is the Ryzen 5000 series (also known as Zen 3).
- GPU: The GPU (or graphics card) is what makes your games look good. It ensures that your games can run at the desired graphics quality and frame rate. The better the GPU, the better your laptop can render details like textures, shadows, reflections, and more.
- The most common GPUs for gaming laptops are from Nvidia and AMD. Nvidia GPUs are usually more powerful and expensive, while AMD GPUs are more affordable and compatible with AMD CPUs. The latest generation of Nvidia GPUs is the RTX 30 series (also known as Ampere), while the latest generation of AMD GPUs is the RX 6000 series (also known as RDNA 2).
- RAM: The RAM (or memory) provides short-term storage for applications so they can access data quickly. It stores information that your laptop is actively using. The more RAM you have, the more applications you can run at the same time without slowing down your laptop. For gaming laptops, we recommend having at least 8GB of RAM, but 16GB or more is ideal.
- Storage: When it comes to storage, you have two options: hard drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD). HDDs have higher storage capacities than SSDs, but they are slower and louder. SSDs have lower storage capacities than HDDs, but they are faster and quieter.
- SSDs also have no moving parts, which makes them more durable and reliable. For gaming laptops, we recommend having an SSD as your primary storage device, as it will improve your loading times and performance significantly. You can also have an HDD as your secondary storage device for extra space.
- Display: The display is where you see your games come to life. There are three things to look for in a display: resolution, refresh rate, and size. Resolution is the number of pixels on your screen. The higher the resolution, the sharper and clearer your image will be. However, higher resolution also means more demand on your GPU, so you need a powerful GPU to run games at high resolutions smoothly.
- The most common resolution for gaming laptops is 1080p (Full HD), but some laptops offer higher resolutions like 1440p (Quad HD) or 2160p (4K). Refresh rate is the number of times your screen updates per second. The higher the refresh rate,the smoother and more responsive your gameplay will be. However, higher refresh rate also means more demand on your GPU.
