Are Gaming Laptops Good? Gaming laptops are laptops equipped with heavy processors and other hardware equipment to accommodate the requirements of heavy games. The most important feature only a gaming laptop can offer is portability. Have you ever wondered if there is a difference between the performance of a gaming laptop and a gaming PC? Are gaming laptops good? Can a gaming laptop replace a work laptop? Can it be the other way around? In the following article, we will discuss the specialties of a gaming laptop and in which cases, buying a gaming laptop over a gaming PC could be beneficial for you.
What Is a Gaming Laptop And Are Gaming Laptops Good?
A gaming laptop is a laptop specifically designed for gaming. Their features are designed according to the demands of heavy gaming, like heat dissipation, powerful processors to accommodate high visuals, powerful graphic cards, durable hardware quality, etc
Gaming laptops also differ in their structural design. Having a sturdy body instead of a sleek design, a backlit keyboard, and a heavy build-up. With all these features, a gaming laptop’s price becomes way higher than a gaming PC or a console.
6 Reasons Why You Will Not Regret Buying a Gaming Laptop
Having a gaming laptop allows you to enjoy the following benefits.
Portability
Portability is the major advantage of owning a gaming laptop over a gaming PC or a game console. Being lighter than a gaming PC and easy to set up, a gaming laptop allows you to catch up on your game anywhere and anytime feasible for you.
Dual Usage
A gaming laptop can also perform exceptionally well as a work laptop, and with its features, it might perform better at running software. Owning a gaming laptop as a student or a remote worker makes it easy for you to carry both your entertainment and work necessities compacted in one PC. A major advantage gaming laptop offers over game consoles is that you can cater to your work engagements during your game, like sending emails, writing or editing articles, editing documentation, etc.
Versatility
Aside from allowing multitasking on the computer itself, it also has ports to attach different external devices or attach screens, to efficiently make use of it. There are ports to make wired connections with external devices like another keyboard, mouse, USB, etc, providing you with an exclusive desktop PC experience. It is another feature that gives a gaming laptop an advantage over gaming consoles. Accessing game communities on a gaming laptop is way easier than on a game console. Accessing game communities help you understand your game and solve your queries a little faster.
High-End Specs
Gaming laptops are designed to withstand and cater to the heavy demands of gaming, thus possessing high-end specifications. A powerful Processing Unit, with a high-performing Graphic Processing Unit and a high-resolution display, all combine to provide the best and smooth gaming experience. These high-end specifications justify the expensive price of gaming laptops.
Better Resale Value
Resaling a gaming laptop is the most profitable among gaming gadgets likea gaming PC, regular PC, or a game console. It is because the high-end specifications of a gaming laptop allow its worth to depreciate at the slowest rate among other tech products.
Aesthetics
Laptops are good for gaming and have an overall better quality build. The metal build of gaming laptops lasts longer and allows you to add different flashy gaming-focused decorations to your PC like lighting, accessories, etc. A gaming laptop becomes a perfect accessory to show off and add to your gaming aesthetics because there is a lot of room for designing your laptop, like back-lit keyboards, lit exhaust ports, etched designs with built-in lighting, etc.
Downsides of Buying a Gaming Laptop
A gaming laptop is good, but it might not have the same benefits for everyone. Here are some factors you need to consider before buying a gaming laptop
Expensive Purchase Price
Gaming laptops cost more than game consoles and gaming PCs, in terms of cost-to-performance ratio. It is because all the heavy performance items are required to be adjusted on the small chassis board.
Heat Buildup
Squeezing the high-performing components like the GPU in a compacted space leaves little room for heat dissipation. You will need to buy adjacent heat sinks like a laptop cooling pad, to protect your device from heat damage. One thing you need to keep in mind is that the heat exhaust should not be anywhere near the cables, as the high heat may cause the cables to melt.
Difficult to Upgrade
No flexibility in trying to future-proof your device. The most you can do is upgrade the RAM and SSD of your gaming laptop. You only have a few options in upgrading the processors or the GPU.
Size and weight
Although a gaming laptop weighs lighter than a gaming PC, it still is heavier than a regular work laptop.
Reduced battery life
Gaming laptops are more susceptible to breakdown. The main reason behind this is that the components in a gaming laptop are underpowered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth gaming on a laptop?
A gaming laptop is absolutely worth buying if you have specific necessities. If the portability of the PC is more important to you than the power, or upgradation, then getting a laptop for gaming will be a good option for you.
Is it worth buying a gaming laptop over a gaming PC or a game console?
No, gaming laptops are a good option if they are necessary to adapt to your lifestyle. For example, if you travel a lot, or if you have to stay away from home for a long time. In case you do not have these problems, then buying a gaming laptop over a game console or gaming PC will be a waste of your resources. It is because a gaming laptop will provide the same features as a gaming PC at an expensive rate.
What is the most important factor you need to consider while buying a gaming laptop?
When buying a gaming device, the most important feature you should look for is the graphics card. After getting the required graphic card, the next thing you need to consider is the chassis and the cooling system, because a compatible cooling system is necessary for a graphic card to function.
Do gaming laptops last long?
If you talk in the context of performance, if maintained well, a gaming laptop can last on average 5 years. The performance of a gaming laptop mainly depends on the GPU, so keep that in mind. If we talk in the context of upgradation, you cannot upgrade as many components of a gaming laptop, as you can with a gaming PC, so weigh your options thoughtfully.
Conclusion
Buying a gaming laptop has its benefits, which include portability, versatility, better resale value, dual usage, high-end specs, etc. But just as with any other device, buying a gaming PC also has its downsides that you need to consider and weigh with your benefits. The most important ones among these downsides are heat buildup, difficulty in upgradation, and expensive price. If the pros overweight your cons, you should buy yourself a gaming laptop, and enjoy the perks.
