A gaming laptop is designed to be as powerful as possible and this usually means a lot of components. This inevitably leads to them being more expensive than regular laptops. However, if you want to play the latest games at high settings then you will need a laptop that is able to cope with this level of hardware utilisation for long periods of time. It is not possible to achieve this on a non-gaming laptop because they are not designed for such intense hardware use. If you try to run a non-gaming laptop like this for too long then it will start to heat up and eventually stop working altogether.
Laptops are also designed to be portable and compact which again adds to their cost. Unlike desktop PCs which can be built from parts that are cheaper, laptops have to include more expensive components in order to get the performance they need.
In some cases, you can find budget gaming laptops for under $1000 that are able to handle some of the most popular games at reasonable settings. However, if you want to play modern titles at higher resolutions or at the highest setting then you will need to spend closer to $2000 on a laptop. The good news is that a lot of laptops are on sale around Cyber Monday so you can pick up some bargains. Just be sure to check the exact specifications of any laptop that you are considering buying because a cheap price does not always mean that it is a great deal. You will want to make sure that you are getting the latest generation of CPU and GPU in your gaming laptop. The new RTX 40-series mobile graphics cards are already available and although they might not be as fast as the older RTX 30 series cards they still offer a decent amount of power for a laptop. You will also want to ensure that you are not skimping on storage because most modern games require a lot of space.
Gaming laptops are often designed by specialist technicians who are skilled at fitting the many different components into a small chassis. These technicians also perform tests on the laptops to ensure that they are durable and can withstand prolonged periods of heavy hardware utilisation. They will also be able to identify any problems with the laptops and fix them before they are released for sale.
For gamers, a gaming laptop is a no-brainer because they want to be able to experience the game at its finest with minimal load times and graphics turned up to 11. In some cases this will even be worth paying the premium over a PlayStation 5 console. However, for white-collar professionals who need to work on the go and who only play at home, a gaming laptop is not always necessary and you would be better off with a blinged-out desktop PC instead. For more of the best tech news, reviews and deals, subscribe to Tom’s Guide!