Features To Look For In A Gaming Laptop

Over the past few decades, gaming went from a 2D console experience that’s largely focused around a single goal, to massive multi-faceted worlds with amazing graphics and gifted writing. The gameplay is measured out much differently now. It’s the cinematic aspect of video games that captures our hearts and keeps us invested in inactivity. But to truly appreciate something as awesome as modern gaming, you have got to get the right gear. This is where gaming laptops come in.

You’re probably not going to want that giant “mom’s basement” rig setup. Not in this day and age. You want something powerful and portable. Here are the best features to look for in a gaming laptop to boost your experience to the next level.

GPU

The granddaddy unit of any gaming laptop is going to be the GPU. For the uninitiated, GPU stands for “Graphics Processing Unit”. It’s the piece of tech that makes a gaming laptop unique. See, most laptops are built for work. They’re built for movies. They’re built for enjoyable experiences with more efficient user control. Not gaming laptops. Gaming laptops are like supercharged sports cars, and the GPU is the supercharger.

This is especially true for MMORPGs. When you’re looking for the best laptop for World of Warcraft for example, you want to milk every detail that the designers programmed. You want to be wowed by the ability to move in and around this vast universe. That’s what the GPU allows you to do. It provides richness in detail. You need at least 4GB, preferably 6GB or higher if you’re going to play in 1080p.

Display

Next up is the display. What’s the point in having a fancy GPU if you don’t have the display to handle it? Get something that’s around 15-17 inches. That provides the perfect optical plane for gaming at the typical distance one would be at if they’re playing on a laptop. The absolute minimum resolution should be 1920×1080. That’s just a given. But there are retina 4k displays out there that companies like Alien and Apple are putting out.

Aside from the resolution, another important detail is the refresh rate. That’s the frequency at which images are “refreshed”. This means that your display can keep up with the rate at which the game changes. This leads to the “smoothness” of a game. The bare minimum is a 60Hz refresh rate.

Audio

Of course, you can’t have a good game without good audio nowadays. So if you’re going to get a gaming laptop, make sure you see the specs on the audio and compare it to the top offerings. Don’t just settle on something being called “HD audio”. High definition from five years ago is a lot different than high definition now. Legally people can still put that label on there if it’s a product from that era. So be sure to make a solid comparison. Stick to a 5.1 surround sound headset if you can.

Gaming is not just for kids anymore. It requires some serious firepower. If you’re ready to take your experience to the next level, upgrade on the things that matter. Look at the display, sound, and processing power. Once you have that down, you’re ready to do some major. Tell the squad to get ready.