Gaming is a great hobby for a lot of people. To get the best experience you need a good desktop or laptop. It is very easy to get things wrong because you might be confused about the different options and factors you have to think about. Before you start your search, it is important to know what to look at to determine if a laptop could be great for gaming. Here is what you need to look for.
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Build Quality
When it comes to build quality, there is not a lot to think about as it simply refers to the quality of the construction. Gaming laptops are made using plastic, metals like aluminium, or a combination of the two. Because of their construction, gaming laptops are often more rigid and heavier than ultrabooks and other laptops. If you have a choice, always go with a laptop made out of the various metals that are available. Plastic laptops are a great option, but they are a lot less durable so you will have to deal with imperfections like scratches sooner.
The CPU (Central Processing Unit)
This is one of the essential components that you should consider carefully when buying a gaming laptop. The first thing you need to understand is the generation. Both AMD and Intel release updated CPU generations every year and these generations are a great way to gauge the overall performance of a CPU. The general rule here is that newer generations have better performance.
You can tell the generation by looking at the first numbers in the CPU. For example, the Intel i7-11700K processor is an 11th generation chip while the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 HX is a fifth-generation CPU.
The clock speed is the other consideration. The clock speed is a measure of how many instructions a CPU can execute in a second. A 2.7GHz CPU can execute 2.7 billion instructions per second. A CPU with a higher clock speed will often beat one with a lower speed, but there is a caveat: because newer generations have new technology, a new CPU with a lower clock speed might perform better than an older one with higher clock speeds.
The other factor to think about is the number of cores. If you do a lot of multitasking, you will need more cores. If you play simple games like casino games, you can get away with a CPU that has four cores. There are numerous casino games that you can play without putting too much strain on your laptop. To play these games, you have to choose a casino, and you can make this process easier by reading in-depth reviews that look at various online casinos.
For other games, you will need at least six cores. If you want to stream while you play, you should go for one with eight cores, preferably more.
The Graphics Card
Your graphics card is responsible for processing graphics and video output. A good GPU is important for smooth gameplay and consistent frame rates. For the best experience, you should avoid laptops that have an integrated graphics card unless you want to play the simplest games.
A dedicated GPU is what you want if you are serious about gaming. This GPU is separate from your CPU, and they do not share resources like the memory. For laptop gaming, you want a GPU that has at least 4 GB of VRAM (video memory) but preferably 8 GB. The latest generation of graphics cards from Nvidia are the 30 series cards while AMD has the 60 series cards.
There are dedicated reviews that pit two comparable graphics cards against each other, and they are your best resource for deciding on whether to go with Nvidia or AMD.
Random Access Memory (RAM)
The RAM enables the handling of multiple processes by holding the things you are working on in memory. The RAM works with all other components to give you a great experience. There are too many options to list here but go with DDR4 memory that is at least 3000 mega transfers per second. DDR5 is also just coming into the market, but it would be best to wait until manufacturers have ironed out all its bugs. For gaming, the minimum you should go for is 8 GB for casual gaming and 16 GB if you want to play the latest games. You can go with bigger memory for multitasking and streaming.
Storage
A hard drive has mechanical parts which move as you read and write data. An SSD (solid-state drive) does not have any moving parts and is thus faster. A hard drive is also cheaper than an SSD and comes at higher capacities. This makes it great for the storage of bigger files, while an SSD is great for the operating system and games you play often.
There are other factors to look at including the display and ports. However, once you get the major components right, you can go into detail looking at laptops that have a display and other additional features you will like.