There’s no doubting the fact that gaming has come a long, long way since its earliest days. Back then, who could have imagined that most of us would have phones in our pocket that we could use virtually anywhere, let alone that could play games too?
And, once upon a time it was only PCs that people played games on. But things change and today fewer and fewer of these are being bought.
But, for those who want the larger screen size than a phone offers along with the performance of a PC, laptops make for a great alternative.
Manufacturers are very much alive to this fact and have stated to go all-in on designing models with gaming as their main purpose in life.
What makes a great gaming laptop?
There are certain features that must all be present and correct to make a laptop perfect for gaming.
Undoubtedly, the most important of these is the GPU, or graphics processing unit. This is the piece of hardware that handles the graphics and image processing. The big names in GPU production include Nvidia and GMD – so any laptop with gaming pretensions will probably feature their components.
Of course, a quality GPU is useless without a display to match. So Full HD resolution is a bare minimum. If your budget stretches to it then a 4K display is best. In terms of size 15.6 inches is ideal, but if you feel bigger is better you’ll also have a choice of plenty of 17 inch screens.
Next up is the CPU which controls how quickly the laptop executes command. Their power is measured in GHz, the higher the better.
You’ll also be looking for plenty of Random Access Memory. 8GB is the least you need but 16GB is better. When it comes to permanent storage the ideal amount is 512GB on a Solid State Drive if you want to be able to save all of your games for instant access.
Finally, there are a couple of factors to do with practicality when gaming on the go. Look for a lighter laptop if you’re carrying it round with you and also for one offering as long a battery life as possible. After all, it’s not always possible to plug it into the mains.
So those are the main criteria for choosing your laptop, now which ones fit the bill?
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i
If you’re looking for a 16 inch laptop that punches well above its weight for the price then the legion Pro 7i makes good sense. The Nvidia RTX 4080 mobile GPU offers amazing performance matched by the crystal-clear screen. Its Intel CPU is also capable of incredible speed too.
It all makes it perfect for every kind of game as well as for other forms of gaming, for example for playing in online poker tournaments where speed of reaction can often be the key to success.
Alienware m17 R5
Here’s a laptop for the hardcore gamers out there. The laptop features the maker’s distinctive heavy-duty styling that shows it means business. Its exceptionally high frame refresh rate makes games visually stunning and the Ryzen CPU is lightning fast. Add to this an impressive battery life and it makes this into a true heavyweight in more ways than one.
Gigabyte G5
This could be perfect choice for a gamer on a budget. It’s powered by an Intel Core i5 12500H coupled with an Nvidia RTX 4060. Even though it only has 8GB of system memory, the 16GB upgrade is easy enough to do and will give you a machine that matches some of the very best.
Asus TUF Gaming F15
Here’s one for anyone looking for a mid-range machine between the budget and the premium laptops. Its 12th generation Core-i7 chip and RTX 3060 GPU generate a huge amount of power. The display is also much sharper and more accurate than you might reasonably expect for the price. Plus, it’s incredibly robust so can stand up to all the use the dedicated gamer will put it to.
Acer Predator Helios 16
As the name suggests, the Acer Preadator Helios 16 offers an incredibly bright, sharp and accurate 16 inch display. But it’s not just surface beauty that this laptop offers. It may not be the fastest gaming machine out there but the Nvidia RTX 4080 and Intel Core i9 13900HX provide all the power that you need for a captivating gaming experience.
So there you have them. Five great laptops built with the gamer in mind. Which one to choose is all going to depend on personal gaming habits and preferences. But we’re pretty sure that the selection we’ve provided should include the solution for exactly the kind of gamer that you are.
