If you’re anything like the rest of us, the epidemic most likely drew you into the realm of gaming. To be honest, after all those lockdowns, we became really enthusiastic players!
Now that you’re there, the prospect of buying a new gaming laptop is enticing (to say the least). However, is it worth it?
YES, if you have a large sum of money available.
If not (which is generally the case), you’re probably being held back by more than simply the price tag.
Continue reading to determine whether you should finally buy that gaming laptop. (Or if it is truly not for you.)
Are Gaming Laptops Worth It?
It is, in fact, NO LONGER A SECRET.
A gaming laptop is not the greatest option for the majority of individuals. In comparison to its exorbitant price tag, performance nearly usually FALLS SHORT.
Desktop PCs provide superior gaming performance – significantly superior to any gaming laptop at the same price point.
It’s the preferable option if you want to improve your gaming experience.
Is a gaming laptop’s mobility worth it?
Assume for the sake of debate that you have money to squander on gaming equipment.
You’ll still reap the most benefits from setting up a gaming PC. It may be more cost-effective to purchase a (separate) standard laptop for your on-the-go needs.
The Nitty Gritty of Gaming Laptops
Both PC and smartphone gaming have exploded in popularity throughout the epidemic. Due to a lack of social connection, we sought additional sources of enjoyment.
As your interest in gaming grows, should your next laptop be a gaming laptop? Is it worth investing in gaming laptops?
Before deciding if gaming laptops are right for you, it’s critical to understand how they vary from standard laptops.
This is critical when it comes to choosing THE RIGHT DECISION for your circumstances.
Normal laptops are designed to do DAY-TO-DAY COMPUTER ACTIVITIES. It’s ideal for routine chores such as surfing and document creation.
The low power consumption results in longer battery life and an on-the-go gadget.
A gaming laptop, on the other hand, is optimized for high-performance applications such as gaming.
Gaming laptops have a faster processor, more memory, better graphics, and a greater total processing capability.
Worth It or Not: Why It Is
Expensive things typically have to tout a laundry list of benefits before we decide whether they’re worth buying.
This also holds true for EXPENSIVE gaming laptops.
Here are some reasons why, despite the high price tag, a gaming laptop is an ideal option for you.
Portability
The mobility of a gaming laptop is perhaps the MOST IMPORTANT feature.
Assume you’re not the kind to sit still when playing games.
A gaming laptop enables you to play often at your friends’ places. You may even play while relaxing at your favorite coffee shop, dining room, or even on your bed.
Simply keep in mind that the majority of games require a significant amount of energy.
What’s nice about gaming laptops is that they enable you to enhance your gaming experience wherever you go (NOTE: Make sure you’re near a socket to charge your battery brick.).
Even if you have the greatest gaming laptop with excellent battery life, your power brick will last less time.
REMINDER: A gaming laptop that is not plugged in will also perform poorly. In general, performance degrades linearly with battery life.
Versatility
The majority of people who are considering gaming laptops are unlikely to be professional gamers. As such, we value more than just superior gaming performance.
You may be a writer completing articles, a scientist completing documents, or a creative person editing movies and images. A gaming laptop enables seamless transitions between activities.
Regardless of the task at hand, you may quickly save your progress and take a brief gaming break.
When it comes to a variety of usage, gaming laptops outperform gaming consoles and home PCs. The versatility of a gaming laptop makes it worth considering.
For those of us who lead fast-paced lifestyles, the usability of gaming laptops enables us to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Power
This is, by far, our FAVORITE part of the entire list!
The enhanced specifications provide the gaming laptop an advantage over a standard laptop.
Typically, you’ll receive a greater resolution, more storage, more RAM, and a more powerful GPU.
These are the very minimum requirements for us to play the most recent games competently. The advantages, however, are not limited to the games we play.
Additionally, higher specifications equate to a speedier, more capable laptop for our general demands. The gain in overall performance justifies the purchase of a gaming laptop.
If you’re a casual player who also dabbles in video editing and other creative endeavors, your experience will be enhanced.
Here are some of the features I enjoy most about gaming laptops.
- Superior image
- Superior sound
- Increased memory
Ease
A gaming laptop is already included in the price.
Buying a gaming laptop combines the display, processor unit, and keyboard into one package.
You will not be required to “create” a setup, which is more time-consuming and difficult.
Utilizing it is likewise as simple as flipping a single button. There are fewer components and wires, and they are often easier to operate daily.
Its simplicity of use and general accessibility make it ideal for students and professionals on the go.
A word of caution: replacing an all-in-one machine is also more difficult and expensive.
Is It Worth It or Is It Not?
It makes little difference whether you’re a seasoned gamer or a casual player.
The ACTUAL TRUTH is that a desktop computer will better suit your gaming demands than a gaming laptop.
The following are some reasons why a gaming laptop is not worth the investment.
Laptops for gaming are EXPENSIVE.
Standard laptops come with a set of specifications that enable you to accomplish a variety of jobs. They’re ideal for word processing, research, and even a little light gaming.
To play the latest games more effectively, you’ll need more powerful graphics cards, dedicated RAM, additional storage, and a larger screen. What are they all in common?
THE EXPENSE.
As is the case with the Lenovo Legion series, high-end gaming laptops may easily cost more than $2,000. At that price, purchasing a gaming laptop for the sole purpose of gaming might be DANGEROUS.
Cost is typically the decisive issue for the majority.
Upgrades for Laptop vs. Desktop Edition
The cost will grow regardless of whether the machine is a laptop or a desktop.
BUT! Not identically.
Making the components smaller to suit the laptop’s little frame is EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. That is why, even when a gaming laptop and a gaming desktop have identical specifications, laptops tend to be more expensive.
The basic rule is that increasing the specifications of your laptop will ALWAYS be more costly.
Additional Considerations for Laptop vs. Desktop Edition
There are a few more factors that laptop makers must consider when designing a gaming laptop.
Gaming laptops are significantly smaller than their full-size desktop equivalents.
The significant size and weight difference are useful for portability. However, it has drawbacks in other areas, such as heat regulation.
Inadequate heat regulation can significantly shorten the life of your laptop. This increases the cost even further in the long run.
Typically, a gaming machine’s heat regulation is improved by installing additional cooling devices. This, however, precludes the aim of ‘virtually quiet operation.’
Usage
Gaming laptops and gaming desktops with (theoretically) identical hardware are rarely identical.
The majority of gaming laptops have UNDERCLOCKED specifications. While both appear to have the same qualities on paper, you should always anticipate they will differ in a real-world application.
For example, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX in a Lenovo Legion or Razer Blade will perform significantly worse than the same graphics card in a gaming PC.
If you choose a low-cost gaming laptop, the components will be much weaker.
Additionally, the playability of your favorite games will always be improved while using a gaming PC.
No gaming laptop brand, in our opinion, can match the tactile sensation of a mechanical keyboard on a professionally designed desktop gaming machine.
Practicality
The majority of consumers choose gaming laptops for their mobility. However, even that point is debatable for the majority.
For optimal graphics, high-end gaming laptops often include a 15-inch or 17-inch display. After all, a high resolution on a small screen might be deceptively impressive.
17-inch versions, on the other hand, may easily weigh between 7 and 10 pounds.
I’m not sure about you, but it doesn’t seem very portable to me. A 17-inch model might be somewhat difficult to pack in standard suitcases.
If you choose gaming ultrabooks, you can keep portability. It will, however, come at the cost of some graphical and computational capacity.
I’ve stated this previously. Additionally, the finest gaming laptops require a significant amount of power. It will quickly deplete the battery life of your gaming laptops.
If we’re being practical, it’s impossible to play games at high settings without a nearby socket.
Customizability
Technology advances at a breakneck pace.
To stay current with technology and get the most out of your gadget, you’ll need to periodically refresh your laptop components.
The majority of gaming laptops now have an Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX or NVIDIA RTX graphics card. The Intel Core i7 processor combined with the RTX GPU enables you to play at the highest settings with ease.
A brief guide to gaming: The ideal gaming laptop will include the most sophisticated graphics card available.
The issue with the majority of laptops is their inability to be customized.
The majority of laptops (whether they are ordinary laptops, lightweight laptops, or gaming laptops) are not upgradeable, which means that your gaming setup in a laptop will arrive completely assembled.
This is in contrast to a desktop rig, which you can easily take off to replace the RAM or GPU.
A brief search of internet communities will reveal that upgrading your laptop may wind up costing more than buying a new one.
Longevity
When we get a new laptop, we intend to keep it for as long as possible. We want to get the most for our money.
Maintaining gaming laptops is not difficult. If properly cared for, gaming laptops may last between 4-6 years.
However, they are nearly hard to update. What exactly does this imply?
This implies that your gaming laptop’s physical components may survive a long time. However, it will almost certainly fall behind in software development sooner or later.
The mobility of a gaming laptop also makes it more prone to being dropped and broken. Carrying it about also raises the likelihood of it being stolen.
If you can afford a laptop that costs twice as much as a desktop configuration, it’s generally prudent to budget for replacement as well.
In comparison to gaming laptops, a home PC is an investment in the long run. Even with minimum upkeep, it will endure a long time.
Consider when choosing Gaming Laptops
While the desktop remains the gold standard, gaming laptops have grown in popularity. Numerous things must be considered to guarantee that you are receiving the most value for your money.
Here are some data that may assist you in deciding which gaming laptop to purchase!
GPU
Among all the features to consider, the most critical is the GPU. Your favorite game is almost certainly GPU-bound. Due to the fact that the majority of gaming laptops are not upgradeable, you should avoid skimping on the GPU.
A high-quality GPU is essential for a long-lasting gaming setup.
If you’re new to gaming, a GTX 1650 may be sufficient. A GTX 1660 Ti is also a decent alternative if you want a little bit more power to play at higher settings.
If you want to play at the maximum settings, the RTX 3080 or RTX 3080/Ti are excellent choices. The RTX 3060 is an excellent compromise for mid-range players.
Processor & RAM
Typically, the GPU is more critical. However, a strong CPU and sufficient RAM will ensure that your games run as smoothly as possible.
When it comes to the CPU, the best option is either an Intel Core i7 or i9 processor. If you’re on a budget, the Core i5 is generally sufficient for most.
In terms of RAM, I recommend a minimum of 8 GB. However, the price difference between the 8GB and 16GB capacities is typically not significant.
If you have any more money, the 16 GB model is completely worth it.
Display & Keyboard
The display size is determined by your requirements. While a 14-inch screen is less than ideal for gaming, it is the more portable option.
For us, the more critical decision is RESOLUTION.
I prefer a 4K display to catch all the intricacies of the games, but they are often more expensive and can lower the refresh rate.
Regardless of the resolution or speed, avoid going below 1080p!
By contrast, keyboards are frequently disregarded.
In general, I prefer keys with a key travel of 2 mm and an actuation force of roughly 70 grams for superior resistance. However, the more critical component for us to consider is ensuring that the keys are self-contained.
Conclusion on Are Gaming Laptops Worth Buying?
I’m not sure about you, but I’m feeling really anxious right now.
The optimal gaming setting will DEFINITELY assist me in unwinding. However, which is it?
Gaming laptops are ideal for casual gamers wishing to enhance their experience without being tethered to their workstation.
However, if you intend to play the latest games at their highest settings, even the most powerful gaming laptop may be insufficient.
Therefore, are gaming laptops worth the investment?
Finally, everything comes down to personal choice.
I hope this post has aided you in determining whether or not to invest your hard-earned money in a gaming laptop. Whichever route you take, I wish you the best of luck!
Read also: Why Is My Lenovo Laptop Camera Not Working
