Are you an avid gamer who has been pondering whether it is time to give in and get your own gaming laptop or gaming desktop (depending on if you need portability)? If so, then this guide may be for you.
We will offer up reasons why you may want to buy a gaming laptop as well as reasons against it.
If you know that you are someone who would rather game at home rather than move locations, then it may be best for you to stick with desktop PCs/gaming PCs instead as you will just be wasting money.
You could look at making a custom desktop PC to make it your own with a high-quality gaming setup, but that depends on your needs and if you are a serious gamer or not.
So, without further ado, are gaming laptops worth it? Let’s find out.
What is a Gaming Laptop?
Gaming laptops are not like typical everyday laptops that people will use for school or work, e.g. a non-gaming laptop, they have a rugged appearance and are a lot tougher as they provide high processing power for great gaming visuals.
Why Are They Different?
The visuals they produce are high quality and are designed for people to immerse themselves in the game.
These high-end gaming laptops have a longer life span than other laptops as well as a powerful graphics card that is already within the laptop so you do not have to buy one.
Are They a Reasonable Price?
Most gaming laptops are expensive, so when you are looking at buying a gaming laptop, you may be amazed to see the prices. However, the content that they are created for and what they can produce makes buying a gaming laptop worth it for the right person.
The cost does vary and it is important that you look around and see what is available especially if you want to add to your collection.
For instance, if you are buying a gaming laptop for when you are away from your gaming PC, then you may want to think about adding to your gaming setup as well.
Gaming Setups
Adding more to your collection will raise the prices, especially if you are looking at gaming monitors, gaming rigs, and other desktop counterparts.
If you have the money then that is your choice, but if a gaming laptop is the first thing on your mind, stick with that and look at portable gaming machines that have a solid gaming performance.
Pros For Buying a Gaming Laptop
If you are happy with paying the gaming laptop price and need a high-end gaming machine to play games on and just have as a reliable laptop, then you may want to look into what other pros gaming laptops have to help make your decision an easier one.
More Power For Working
Whilst your gaming laptop is great for playing your favorite games, it can also be used for everyday needs, and unlike business laptops, it can make programs run a lot faster at the same time, which weaker desktop PC’s can’t handle.
Loading times become a lot shorter as it is working at a faster capacity, plus how many tabs you have open won’t matter as it will still be efficient when you are web browsing.
Your productivity will be increased and if you think that your desktop computer is running too slowly for you to complete essential work or assignments, you can switch to your gaming laptop to get it done without delay.
They Are a Lot More Versatile
The great thing about gaming laptops is that they can be moved anywhere and everywhere, you are not stuck to a desk. If you have to move rooms or take it to work or school, there are no issues, you don’t have to download items onto a USB or transfer files, you can take it with you anywhere.
They can make it a lot more comfortable for you to work from as you have that flexibility with how you use it. It acts like normal laptops but better.
They Run Games Better Than Portable Consoles
Consoles are great for gaming, and their sole purpose is for people to play games and take them wherever they like, however, just because it is made for this action does not make them the best of the bunch.
Gaming laptops have a far better gaming performance and since their graphics are so good, people can find themselves locked into the game which can elevate the gaming experience.
It may not be as powerful as a desktop PC when games are played on it, but it is certainly better than normal laptops and consoles.
They Are Very Stylish
This may not be a huge draw in for everybody, but gaming laptops are very stylish and they are designed with the user in mind.
High-quality materials are used to construct this, plus people can be provided with additional features such as LED lighting around the screen, colored keyboards, and so on.
The aesthetics of these laptops can draw people in, and laptop manufacturers know this, so they make laptops that will appeal to gamers and market them as a good thing to have for an all-around gaming experience.
Cons For Buying a Gaming Laptop
As with everything, there are cons when buying a gaming laptop. When you are thinking “are gaming laptops worth it?” you need to also look at the downsides to make an informed decision, otherwise, you could find yourself with a piece of hardware that you are not using as much as you thought you would.
They Are Expensive to Buy
As previously mentioned, gaming laptops are expensive and that can put a lot of people off when they are deciding to buy one or not.
They are expensive as the materials used to build them are of the highest quality so they can work as efficiently as they are supposed to.
You could find yourself paying around $1,000 for a great quality gaming laptop, which is pretty steep when you look at what it is for.
You can buy ones for cheaper, but you are still looking in the hundreds, and the lower you go the less performance you can get from them, so it may not be worth it.
Heat Management
These laptops produce a lot of heat that can be very uncomfortable, especially if you are sitting with it on your lap.
You will need to buy cooling pads to reduce the heat so you are not scorching yourself or anywhere else. You will also need to aim the exhaust pipe of your laptop away from your cables as it has been mentioned that they can melt from the heat produced.
They Are Not Upgradable
Unfortunately, these laptops are not able to be upgraded, so if you are looking for the latest features that have just come out, you cannot upgrade it to have them.
You will have to scrap it to buy a new one or sell it to someone at a cheaper price to help pay for a new laptop.
This can be a very costly way to own a gaming laptop, so a PC may be the better choice if you do not want to shell out a lot of money each time you are looking to upgrade.
Screens Can be Quite Small
The screens on gaming laptops are 15 or 17 inches, which is not exactly too bad, however, compared with other laptops that have larger screens and desktops with monitors that are even bigger, this can be a downside.
When you are playing competitive games with friends, a bigger screen would be best as you get to see more and be more aware of what is going on. You can have a better time gaming when on a desktop PC.
They have flat screens that don’t open up their field of vision much, whereas curved monitors can make viewing a lot more comfortable when played on a desktop.
Conclusion
Whether this guide helped you make a decision on whether you should buy a gaming laptop or not, it may help you decide whether a PC would be better in general.
It is never easy to decide on something you really want, as despite that pull you feel to buy one, the cost and usability will always swarm around in your head.
If you think that it would be worth it then go for it and be happy with your choice, but if there is doubt in your mind, it would be best to hold off until you have moved closer to certainty.