Not long ago, a friend asked me for help choosing a gaming laptop. Precisely because he was in this situation, he had saved money and wanted to buy one, but he was lost, and indecisive on which model to choose. In fact, he didn’t even know where to start since many models with different components had very similar prices, which he found extremely confusing.
Unfortunately, choosing a gaming laptop is very complicated, as there are always a number of items that require a good knowledge base and for you to be completely up to date on what comes out in the market, because otherwise you risk making a bad purchase.
His situation led us to publish this guide that will give you the most important information you should consider when shopping for a gaming laptop, so you can correctly choose the one that best fits your needs and budget. It will even help you avoid being ripped off.
Preliminary considerations
You must understand a gaming laptop is not like conventional notebooks. Depending on the manufacturer and your price range, they clearly have differentiating factors among them, such as more powerful and efficient cooling systems, as well as a higher build quality to withstand long gaming sessions.
On the other hand, the price of these devices is usually much higher than that of utility models, and also higher than what it would cost you to assemble a desktop with similar power. So before you buy one, it is important to thoroughly consider whether you really need a portable gaming system. Maybe it would be wiser to opt for a PC for your gaming needs.
Mobility is another aspect you must be willing to sacrifice with these computers, since more powerful components mean their autonomy is very low when they are at full capacity and they are much less efficient than other laptops, like ultrabooks, for example.
Finally, it is vital to understand that to really play on a laptop at a similar level to what you would enjoy on a desktop, you must be willing to spend a minimum of of around 800 dollars, approximately. Still, the computer you buy for that price will be much less powerful than its desktop equivalent at the same budget.
The Processor: The heart of the computer
On gaming portables, compare to AMD, Intel has a clear domain, which is unfortunate for the consumer. So for obvious reasons we will focus on solutions from this manufacturer.
Processor Generation:
You can find Haswell based processors, identified as the series 4000, and Broadwell, which are recognized by the 5000 series.
The difference between them is limited essentially to the manufacturing process. The first ones come in 22nm and the second in 14nm, but this detail does not make a real big impact, since most models that interest us — the high performance ones — have an identical TDP in almost all versions.
By this we mean you should not obsess about spending more money on a computer with a Core 5000 series, as one with a Core 4000 series processor is just as perfect for gaming.
Processor range:
Since your goal is to play, we are just going to focus on the larger models, i.e. the Core i5 and Core i7, as they are the ones used in these types of portables.
Core i5: Unlike a desktop model, the Core i5 has two cores and four threads, not four real cores. This means they can divide the burden of those four threads between the two cores, which generally provides good results. However, it doesn’t give good results in games that really take advantage of more than two cores. They integrate Turbo Boost technology that increases work frequency when necessary.
Core i7: The Core i7 has four real cores and eight threads, just as a standard desktop version. They are preferable because, when used with games that can properly exploit their potential, they clearly mark a difference, especially at minimum FPS levels and overall stability. They also have better guaranteed “aging”. Turbo Boost technology is an added feature that increases the working frequencies and can even turn off cores that are not used, further increasing the speed of the nuclei that are still active, so that even those games that only use two cores will be greatly benefited by the presence of Core i7.
Core i7 extreme range: These are versions that maintain the above specifications, but come at higher frequencies. Normally, they greatly increase the price of the computer but don’t compensate, so when it comes to price-value relation, they’re best avoided.
We discarded low-energy solutions, identified with the letter “U”, as they sacrifice performance in order to increase the battery life(the Core i7 U series, for example, only has 2 cores and four threads).
The graphics card is an essential component, as it determines the resolution and graphics quality you can play on, as well as the life of the portable and its price.
You should note that its performance does not match the desktop offering of those with whom they share the same name, and usually they’ll always be lower . As an example, we can mention the GTX 960M, which does not yield a performance even remotely like a GTX 960, but rather like a GTX 750 Ti.
And just as in the previous case, the presence of AMD is very limited, so we will focus on NVIDIA solutions.
To make everything easier to understand, what follows is a summary of base models grouped into three broad ranges, a classification that must be understood within the context of gaming solutions.
Recommended minimum to play at 1080p: The 2GB GTX GTX 860M- 960M are the recommended minimum to play. The second is a renamed model of the first and both have a lower performance than the GTX 750 Ti, but we can compare them so you’ll have a better idea. Always seek computers mounted with GDDR5 memory, avoiding the DDR3 versions, keeping in mind that the GTX 860M and GTX 960M are identical to the GTX 850M and GTX 950M, the only differences are the working frequencies. (Read More: Gaming Laptop under 1000)
Optimal level to play in 1080P: The GTX 970m is our goal. It’s not a rebranded solution, but rather it mounts a new GPU based on second-generation Maxwell, which marks a significant leap over previous models. The 6GB GDDR5 models have no real performance improvement compared to the 3 GB ones in many games. If you’ll play some high-end games needing more VRAM, more VRAM is necessary.
High performance in 1080P without excesses: If you want to play at Full HD with ultra quality and without choking with virtually no game, the GTX 980M is the best choice for your money. Yes, the GTX 1070 is more powerful, but increases the price of the computer and it’s not worth much. If you want to play VR gaming, you should a laptop with GTX 1060, GTX 1070 or GTX 1080 graphics card.
You must not forget that the most expensive is not necessarily the best. When you overcome the medium-high range barrier of graphics cards, the performance-per dollars spent goes down to levels not advisable in most cases.
RAM Memory and storage
You can play with guarantees if you have 4 GB of RAM in most cases, but it is best to choose laptop models with 8 GB of RAM, since it makes a difference in some current games, such as Battlefield Hardline, and the trend to higher RAM consumption in upcoming games is clear.
But overcoming the recommendation of 8 GB of RAM and buying computers with 32 GB of RAM is not a good idea, as more RAM does not mean better performance. Instead, it increases the overall cost of the computer, so it is best to spend that extra money on a computer with a better graphics card.
Regarding storage, a SSD is recommended – but not essential – and it usually increases the cost of the computer. So, if you have a limited budget, you should opt for enhancing the processor and graphics card, even if it means to conform to a mechanical hard drive, and the combo CPU + GPU + RAM will ultimately determine your user experience in games. In any case, you always have the time to change the HDD for an SSD quickly and easily.
As intermediate option, there are computers that mount a hybrid HDD with a certain amount of flash memory acting as a cache. They are not the panacea, so you should only take them into account when the price increase is not so absurd.
Practical examples
Generally, an affordable gaming laptop will consist of a Core i5, a GTX 850M-GTX 950M 2GB GDDR5, 8 GB of RAM, and a mechanical 1TB 5400 RPM HDD. Its price should be around 800 dollars, approximately.
With a computer of these features, you could play almost everything that exists today in the market at 1080p, and at medium to high quality — ultra even in very specific cases. In GTA V, you could play to said resolution and high quality at an average of 29 FPS.
In contrast, an upper-middle range model would be one with a Core i7, 8GB of RAM, a GTX 960M or 965M with 2GB DDR5 VRAM, 1TB 7200 RPM HDD and a 128GB SSD. However, the cost would exceed 1,300 dollars.
With it you could play almost all current games in 1080p and at a high quality, even on ultra-quality in many of them. Continuing the above example, GTA V would run on this computer at 55 FPS on average in Full HD and high quality.
Finally, the computers with the same base as above, but with GTX 970M usually hover around 1,500 dollars. In GTA V you could play at 1080p and with high quality you could get 70 FPS.
Best Gaming Laptop comparison:
Models
Detail Information
Screen
CPU/GPU
Storage
Connectivity
Battery/Weight
Premium Gaming Laptops (Price above 2000 dollars)
MSI VR Ready GT73VR
More information and user reviews on Amazon
17.3 inch IPS 1920 x 1080
2.7 GHz Intel Core i7-6820HK
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB DDR5X
1 TB 7200RPM + 512 GB SSD/32GB DDR4 RAM
5 x USB3.0
1 x USB3.1 Type C (Thunderbolt);
1x HDMI,
Bluetooth 4.1
DVD+RW
8-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery;
16.85 x 12.36 x 1.76; (L x W x H) 8.6 pounds
ASUS ROG G752VS-XB72K
More information and user reviews on Amazon
17.3 inch IPS 1920 x 1080 (G-SYNC)
2.7 GHz Intel Core i7-6820HK
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB DDR5
1 TB 7200RPM + 256 GB SSD/32GB DDR4 RAM
4 x USB3.0
1 x USB 3.1
1 x Thunderbolt 3
1x HDMI,
Bluetooth 4.1
DVD+RW
8-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery;
16.4″ x 12.7″ x 0.8″ ~ 1.9″ (L x W x H) 9.5 pounds
MSI VR Ready GT72VR Tobii-031
More information and user reviews on Amazon
17.3 inch IPS 1920 x 1080
2.6 GHz Core Intel Core i7-6700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB DDR5
1 TB 7200RPM + 512GB SSD/32GB DDR4 RAM
6 x USB3.0
1 x Thunderbolt 3
1x HDMI,
Bluetooth 4.1
DVD+RW
9-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
16.85 x 11.57 x 1.88 inches (L x W x H) 8.33 pounds
Acer Predator 15 G9-592-73BR
More information and user reviews on Amazon
15.6 inch IPS 1920 x 1080 (NVIDIA G-SYNC)
2.6 GHz Core Intel Core i7-6700HQ
NVIDIA GTX 980M 8GB DDR5
1 TB 7200RPM + 512GB SSD/32GB DDR4 RAM
4 x USB3.0, 1xThunderbolt III;
1x HDMI,
Displayport
Bluetooth 4.1
Blu-Ray Disc
8-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery;
15.39 x 11.79 x 1.52; (L x W x H), 7.5 pounds
Alienware AW17R3-8342SLV
More information and user reviews on Amazon
17.3 inch
3840 x 2160 (4K display)
2.6 GHz Core i7-6700HQ/
NVIDIA GTX 980M 4GB DDR5
1 TB 7200RPM + 256GB SSD/16GB RAM
4 x USB3.0,
1xThunderbolt III
1x HDMI, Bluetooth 4.0
8-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
15.19 x 10.64 x 1.34 inches (L x W x H), 7.1 pounds
ASUS ROG G752VY-DH72
More information and user reviews on Amazon
17.3 inch IPS 1920 x 1080 (G-SYNC)
2.6 GHz Core i7-6700HQ/
NVIDIA GTX 980M 4GB DDR5
1 TB 7200RPM + 256GB SSD/32GB DDR4 RAM
1 x USB3.1
1xThunderbolt III
4 x USB 3.0
1x HDMI,
Bluetooth 4.1
Blu-Ray RW & DL DVD-RW
8-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
16.40 x 12.50 x 1.70 inches (L x W x H) 9.5 pounds
Best Gaming Laptop under 2000 dollars (Above 1500 dollars)
ASUS ROG GL502VS-DB71
More information and user reviews on Amazon
15.6 inch IPS 1920 x 1080 (G-SYNC)
2.6 GHz Core Intel Core i7-6700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8G GDDR5
1 TB 7200RPM + 256GB SSD/
16GB DDR4 RAM
3 x USB3.0,
1 x USB 3.1
1x HDMI
Bluetooth 4.0
4-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
15.4 x 10.5 x 0.94 inches (L x W x H) 4.8 pounds
MSI VR Ready GT62VR
More information and user reviews on Amazon
15.6 inch IPS 1920 x 1080 (G-SYNC)
2.6 GHz Core Intel Core i7-6700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8G GDDR5
1 TB 7200RPM + 256GB SSD/
32GB DDR4 RAM
3 x USB3.0,
1 x USB 3.1 Type C (Thunderbolt 3)
1x HDMI
Bluetooth 4.0
8-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
15.35″ x 10.47″x 1.56″ inches (L x W x H) 6.5 pounds
MSI GS60 Ghost Pro-002
More information and user reviews on Amazon
15.6 inch 1920 x 1080
2.6 GHz Core i7-6700HQ
NVIDIA GTX 970M 3GB DDR5
1 TB 7200RPM + 128GB SSD/16GB RAM
2 x USB3.0
1x HDMI
Bluetooth 4..1
6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
15.4 x 10.5 x 0.8 inches(L x W x H) 4.2 pounds
ASUS ROG G752VT-DH74
More information and user reviews on Amazon
17.3 inch IPS 1920 x 1080
2.5 GHz Core i7-6700HQ/
NVIDIA GTX 970M 6GB DDR5
1 TB 7200RPM + 256GB SSD/24GB DDR4 RAM
1 x USB3.1
1xThunderbolt III
4 x USB 3.0
1x HDMI,
Bluetooth 4.1
DVD±RW/CD-RW
8-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
16.40 x 12.50 x 0.90 (L x W x H) 8.4 pounds
Razer Blade Gaming Laptop
More information and user reviews on Amazon/ Razerzone Official Site
14 inch 3200×1800 pixels (QHD+)
Touchscreen
2.6 GHz Core Intel Core i7-6700HQ
NVIDIA GTX 970M
6GB DDR5
256GB SSD
16GB RAM
3 x USB3.0
1 x Thunderbolt 3
1x HDMI, Bluetooth 4.0
70Wh rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery
13.60 x 9.30 x 0.70 (L x W x H) 4.5 pounds
Alienware AW15R2-8469SLV
More information and user reviews on Amazon
15.6 inch IPS
3840 x 2160 (4K Dsiplay)
2.5 GHz Core i7-6700HQ
NVIDIA GTX 970M 3GB DDR5
1 TB 7200RPM + 256GB SSD
16GB DDR4 RAM
4 x USB3.0,
1xThunderbolt III
1x HDMI, Bluetooth 4.0
8-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
15.19 x 10.64 x 1.34 inches (L x W x H), 7.1 pounds
Best Gaming Laptop under 1500 dollars
ASUS GL502VM-DB74
More information and user reviews on Amazon
14 inch IPS 1920 x 1080(G-SYNC)
2.6 GHz Core i7-6700HQ/
GeForce GTX 1060 6G GDDR5
1 TB 7200RPM + 256GB SSD
16GB DDR4 RAM
3 x USB3.0,
1 x USB 3.1
1x HDMI
Bluetooth 4.0
4-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
15.4 x 10.5 x 0.94 inches (L x W x H) 4.8 pounds
MSI VR Ready GS43VR(Slim and Light)
More information and user reviews on Amazon
14 inch IPS 1920 x 1080
2.6 GHz Core i7-6700HQ/
GeForce GTX 1060 6G GDDR5
1 TB 7200RPM + 128GB SSD
16GB DDR4 RAM
2 x USB 3.0
1xThunderbolt III
1x HDMI,
Bluetooth 4.1
4-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery;
13.58″ x 9.65″ x 0.87″;
(L x W x H), 3.75 pounds
ASUS ROG G751JY-VS71
More information and user reviews on Amazon
17.3 inch IPS 1920 x 1080
2.6 GHz Core i7-4720HQ
NVIDIA GTX 980M 4GB DDR5
1 TB 7200RPM/
16GB DDR3 RAM
4 x USB3.0,
1xThunderbolt port,
1x HDMI
Bluetooth 4.0
Blu-Ray RW & DL DVD-RW
8-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
16.40 x 12.50 x 1.70 inches (L x W x H) 8.4 pounds
MSI GE62 Apache Pro-001
More information and user reviews on Amazon
15.6 inch IPS 1920 x 1080
2.6 GHz Core i7-6700HQ/
NVIDIA GTX 970M 3GB DDR5
1 TB 7200RPM + 128GB SSD
16GB DDR4 RAM
1 x USB 3.0
1xThunderbolt III
1 x USB 2.0
1x HDMI,
Mini-display ports;
Bluetooth 4.0
6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
15.07″ x 10.23″ x 1.06″
(L x W x H), 5.29 pounds
Acer Predator 15 G9-591-70VM
More information and user reviews on Amazon
15.6 inch IPS 1920 x 1080
2.6 GHz Core i7-6700HQ/
NVIDIA GTX 970M 3GB DDR5
1 TB 7200RPM + 128GB SSD
16GB DDR4 RAM
4 x USB3.0, 1xThunderbolt III;
1x HDMI,
Displayport
Bluetooth 4.1
DVD-Super Multi
8-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery;
15.39 x 11.79 x 1.52; (L x W x H), 7.5 pounds
Eluktronics P640RE
More information and user reviews on Amazon
14 inch IPS 1920 x 1080
2.6 GHz Core i7-6700HQ/
NVIDIA GTX 970M 3GB DDR5
512GB SSD
16GB DDR4 RAM
4 x USB3.0,
1x HDMI,
Displayport
Bluetooth 4.0
3-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery;
13.74 x 9.72 x 1 (L x W x H), 4.5 pounds
ASUS ROG GL502VT-DS74
More information and user reviews on Amazon
15.6 inch IPS 1920 x 1080
2.6 GHz Core i7-6700HQ
NVIDIA GTX 970M 6GB DDR5
1 TB 7200RPM + 128GB SSD/
16GB DDR4 RAM
3 x USB3.0,
1x USB Type-C;
1x HDMI,
Mini DisplayPort 1.2;
Bluetooth 4.0
4-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery;
15.35 x 10.47 x 0.92 ” (L x W x H), 4.85 pounds
The Ranking of these Graphics Cards:
GTX 1080 > GTX 1070 > GTX 1060 > GTX 980M > GTX970M
My Recommend: ASUS ROG G752VS and ASUS ROG G752VM
The Asus ROG G752VS and ASUS ROG G752VM offers the best value for a 17 inch gaming laptop on the market today. The larger, 17 inch IPS screen itself is a great draw, and the GeForce GTX 1070/GTX 1060 GPU, Intel Core I7 6820HK or i7-6700HQ quad core processor and 16GB/32GB/64GB DDR4 of RAM makes this laptop an absolute beast. Storage space and expansion possibility is just the icing on the cake. All of these specifications combine to create a machine that runs even the latest games at the highest graphics settings and resolutions. Besides delivering top-quality you, the ASUS G752VS and is relatively quiet, cool and sturdy.
Performance:
The ASUS ROG G752VS offers 1TB 7200RPM HDD and 256GB SSD storage, had 32GB of RAM and has an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card. The slightly less powerful ASUS ROG G752VM has just 16GB of RAM, an 128GB SSD instead of 256GB SSD storage and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060.
VR Ready
GeForce GTX 10-series graphics cards are powered by Pascal to deliver up to 3x the performance of previous-generation graphics cards, plus innovative new gaming technologies and breakthrough VR experiences.
If you want to save money on an excellent gaming laptop, the second option ASUS ROG G752VM is more than sufficient for most needs. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 offers powerful graphics display, but suffers a bit when set side-by-side with the GTX 1070. Although the former is just one step down from the latter, the step is considerably large and does make a bit of difference if you want to play most graphically intensive games in high-definition. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 as a higher clock speed (1442MHz versus 1404MHz), 37% more shader units (2048 versus 1280) and more memory (8GB versus 6GB). This makes the GeForce GTX 1060 considerably weaker than the other graphics choice.
Other Features:
Asus Turbo master overclocking to give this great gaming laptop a 5% performance boost, a “3D Vapor Chamber” cooling system with two upgraded independent fans and copper heatsinks brings more efficient cooling. The GameFirst III four network optimization to prevent lag.
The G752 series offers sleek styling even though many of the design elements were changed. It takes some inspiration from the F-22 Raptor military jet. The keyboard features chiclet keys and a backlight the glows red. There is a glowing ROG logo on the lid of the aluminum chassis. All of this power and style fits into 1.5 inch thick laptop that only weighs 8.8 pounds.
These features and upgrades combined with the characteristics that already elevated the G7 series into the forefront of the gaming laptop industry makes the Asus ROG G752 our pick for one of the greatest options available on the market today.
More information about Asus G752 on Amazon: ASUS ROG G752VS (1070 version) | ASUS ROG G752VM (1060 version)
MSI VR Ready GT72VR Dominator Pro
If you want Intel’s sixth generation Skylake processor in a gaming laptop, you might consider the new MSI GT72VR Dominator. For game enthusiasts who are looking to go mobile instead of being tied down to a more powerful desktop computer, the GT72VR offers tons of features that you will love. All that power is housed within the heaviest and largest refreshed laptop out there.
The Dominator Pro houses the top of the line hardware which sneaks ahead of MSI’s GT80 Titan. This GT72VR model comes with the latest Intel i7-6700HQ quad core processor, which has been rated at 2.6 GHz to 3.5 GHz. The included Turbo Boost gives you a blast of processing speed to maintain high performance even during the most rigorous video game battles.
As a gaming laptop, you know the Dominator Pro needs a powerful graphics system. It has the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060/GTX1070 with 6GB/8GB of dedicated graphics memory. This video card not only delivers clarity and detail using the Pascal architecture of graphic tech (VR Ready), it also improves speed and how long your battery will last during those on the road again sessions. You will have no problem pushing the graphics up to ultra on any old or current game. The Dominator Pro also has G-sync technology in order to cement it firmly in the gaming laptop arena.
The GT72S not only performs outstandingly, but it also has plenty of memory to store biggest games along with your processing system and a few cat videos. It’s 128GB/256GB SSD can handle Windows 10 and your favorite video games. It also features 1 TB hard drive. The SSD uses NVMe technology on a PCI-E Gen 3×4 in order to deliver boosts of speed exactly when you need it.
With 16GB/32GB of the new generation’s DDR4 2133MHz memory, you get performance speeds over 30% faster than ever before. This incredibly powerful laptop allows you to play the latest games with no lag, run complicated programs, multitask like a pro and view 4K content with no problems.
The Dominator Pro cannot only handle all the latest games at the best graphics settings, but it will display them on its full 17.3 inch display with high definition resolution and IPS capabilities. This means not only will every scene look person clear, but you also get the benefit of True Color Tech and can view the screen clearly from wide angles.
While the hardware of the gaming laptop is impressive, the other features are just as exciting for people who want convenient and portable power. This GT72VR includes a lightning fast Super Port for file transfers or hooking up an additional 4K display. With a built-in cooling system, the laptop will never overheat at a crucial time. Also, the multicolored and animated lighting options for the SteelSeries keyboard makes the whole machine look simply amazing.
Not only is the GT72VR and also gaming laptop, it is fully equipped as a desktop replacement as well. Although all laptops are portable, this one is not really suited for throwing in a bag and looking around town. The laptop itself is approximately eight pounds with three more pounds coming from the cord and charging brick.
If you were in the market for a computer that is portable yet powerful, the GT72VR Dominator Pro is one of the most advanced gaming laptops on the market today. In its price range, it offers a top-quality gaming experience, ability to handle the most strenuous or applications, photo and video editing and more.
More information about MSI GT72VR Dominator on Amazon: Check Here
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