Gaming Laptop Roundup
Gaming laptops are really getting it right. Bennett Ring
It’s
finally happened – after reviewing gaming laptops for more than a decade, I’m finally convinced that the manufacturers have nailed it. In the past, we’ve had to make too many compromises to get gaming power into a laptop chassis. The most obvious problem was a lack of GPU power, but NVIDIA’s latest mobile chips are now delivering performance on par with its desktop parts, and have been for about a year or two. However, they had one major issue – fan noise that sounded like you were firing up a hairdryer every time you played a game. I’m happy to report that the following laptops all remained relatively quiet during my testing, quashing this final issue once and for all. So now that I’ve given gaming laptops the thumbs up, what should you look for when buying one for yourself?
MOBILITY VERSUS PERFORMANCE VERSUS PRICE
I’m constantly asked for advice on gaming laptops from friends and family, and the first question I ask them is whether they want something light and portable? If that’s the case, they’re going to have to pay a little extra, while getting less performance. It’s now possible to pick up a 13-inch or 15-inch gaming laptop that weighs a couple of kilograms, but I’ve also found that these tend to have louder fans – the smaller internal space means the fans have to do more hard work.
If mobility isn’t an issue, then I usually suggest going for one of the 16 to 17 inch monsters like those I’ve reviewed here. Sure, they weigh a good five kilograms or so, but if you’re only moving it twice a week, that won’t be a backbreaking load. Larger laptops don’t need such specialised components, so they tend to offer better performance at a reasonable price.
The final consideration is – obviously – price. There are now dozens of “gaming” laptops selling for around the $1300 price point, but sadly they lack the serious grunt required for the latest games. They’ll play the likes of World of Warcraft with ease, but fire up The Division and you’re going to be looking at a slideshow. At a bare minimum, you’ll need to pay around two grand to get decent levels of gaming performance, and you can double that if you want something that can churn through anything you throw at it.
The following laptops are all premium models with a focus on power and features over mobility and affordability. The good news is they’re all up to snuff when it comes to gaming prowess, and start off at a very reasonable price point. They might not be exactly portable, but at least you know they’re going to do what you want them to, unlike gaming laptops of the past, without requiring ear plugs every time you hit the Play button in Steam.