With new and heavy games coming at almost on a regular basis, the gaming laptop industry has become really competitive, where every company is trying to create a better system than other. Some of the latest games are so taxing that you can’t even install them if you don’t have a powerful GPU or a really high amount of RAM, and even if you do manage to install them, then they won’t run, and even if they do, you would be thinking that you were better without it because of the poor graphics and lags that can kill your normal laptop.

That’s when you think about getting a gaming laptop, the one system that has enough power to handle the most taxing games without any hitch. But when you go to the market or you search online for a gaming laptop, then you’re presented with literally hundreds of different machines. If you’re not aware of what you’re doing and what is it exactly that you need in your new gaming beast then you will surely get confused.

This guide is aimed at removing that confusion a little by giving you some tips on what to look for. So, here are some things that you should first consider when you go looking for a gaming laptop.

A Strong GPU is the core of gaming

Almost every game that you will see being launched in the recent years, will have an elaborate requirements page. And a very crucial requirement of almost every game is a strong and powerful GPU.

Graphic Card has the task of providing you with the real textures, and images as well as animation. So, the more powerful your GPU is - the clearer and detailed the textures on your screen are going to be. Latest heavy games almost rely entirely on your GPU, because they have so many details to show, it simply can’t be done with a less powerful GPU.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080

This is by far the strongest as well as the most expensive option in Graphics Cards. Needless to say, if you have a laptop with this graphics card (for instance the Razer Blade Pro) then you won’t have to worry about your graphics anymore, you can play high-end games like GTA V with their graphics settings turned highest and built in support for VR makes your games more fun and realistic.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070

A little trimmed down version, which also costs less. It can handle most of your games at high resolutions and impressive frame rates. Although it tends to be slower than GTX 1080 and might not support the highest graphics settings, it still can be a pretty solid purchase.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060

Even smaller, but not so much in quality you can still play a majority of games with impressive graphical details and speed, it also supports 4K resolutions like 1070 and 1080, if you’re on a budget then you probably should opt for this one.

Below this, there’s GTX 1050 & 1050Ti, which, even though can let you play most games but with the compromise of graphics and details. And games that are more on the heavy end tend to get pretty unclear and bland on this.

CPU and RAM will play an equally important Part

Everything on your laptop that is not related to graphics gets handled by your CPU/ Processor, and if it's not powerful enough then you will not be able to enjoy your favorite games.

Intel is the major supplier of gaming processors, you will find systems ranging from the Core i5 series to the latest 7th Gen Core i7 Quad-Core ones. Anything less than Core i5 and below 6th Generation will get you into unnecessary troubles in terms of performance and game requirements. Opt for at least an Intel Core i5 processor, preferably a Quad Core one, with high clock speeds.

Many Quad Core processors are over clock able so you can increase their power, Clock speeds higher than 3GHz will give significantly provide faster performance. If money isn’t an issue and you want to get the most powerful one then you should definitely go for the latest 7th Generation ‘Kaby Lake’ Quad-Core Core i7 machine.

As far as the RAM is concerned, the more - the better. However, 8GB should be your bare minimum while choosing a laptop because less than 8GB will give you serious lags.

Why Display Needs Attention

The lowest resolution that you should consider while buying a laptop for gaming is 1920×1080, less than that and you’re inviting poor graphics that will seriously affect your display even if you got a high-end Graphics Card. Preferably your laptop should support G-sync or Free-sync, which makes graphics clearer, having a matte surface or a glossy one - depends upon your own personal choice, you might experience some dullness in matte display and glare in glossy ones so check the display before buying.

If budget allows, a laptop with 4K Display will provide with the best quality picture. Alienware 13 R3 OLED, introduced the OLED technology which gives you perfect color and contrast, so if the display alone is your biggest worry then you can have a look at it.

Audio & Keypads

Even though most gamers prefer head sets, it doesn’t hurt to have well built in audio system as well. The top three audio software are Nahimic Audio, Alien ware Dell Audio, and the Dolby Home Theatre v4; these are by far the best speakers so look for a system with those; if audio is your concern.

Keypad will play a significant role in your gaming, even if you buy an external one it’s good to have a comfortable keypad, you should carefully look for key travel distances, back lit, anti ghosting (multiple keys can be pressed simultaneously) and actuation (force needed to press keys, preferably 60g).

Size Matters

If you’re only going to use your laptop for gaming then you should go for bigger screens, 17-inch and 18-inch provide a decent viewing area and display. But if you are planning on doing some other work on your laptop as well then you might have to consider a lower screen, usually, a 15-inch will provide a sufficient display and lower weight so you can carry it around.

Bigger screens like in Dell Alienware 17 - usually offer better gaming experience but at the expense of portability and weight.

Plenty of Companies to Choose From

There are plenty of gaming laptop manufacturers, which means more options for you. Famous companies ones like Alienware, ASUS, RAZER Blade, LENOVO, MSI, Origin-PC etc. All have many great systems that you can choose from according to your needs.

Budget

Finally, the budget will be the deciding factor for most users. Most gaming systems range from $1000 to a massive amount of $5000.

Even below $1000 you can find some decent systems with Core i5 processors and 8GB RAM, but serious gaming with high settings won’t be possible, if you’re looking at $1500-$3000 then you can easily find systems with Core i7 Quad-Core Processors, 16GB RAM, and powerful graphics cards, these will be most suitable as they will support almost every game with decent graphics and even with 4K resolution.

If money is no issue and you want to spend more than $3,000 then you can find the most powerful systems with the highest display qualities; and sizes, RAM up to 64GB, dual Graphic Cards with a high 8GB VRAM GPU, and a whole lot other things.

It all depends on what actually you will be doing, if you want to be a hardcore gamer then it would be best to find the most powerful system, but if you want to use it as a regular laptop then you have to consider things like size and battery power etc.

If you’re interested in purchasing a gaming machine after you read this article then check out our Gaming Laptop's Section where you can find all the latest gaming laptops available in Pakistan!