So you’re in the market for a gaming laptop, but don’t really know where to begin? There are a lot of different brands offering different things when it comes to gaming laptops, so it can certainly get confusing, even frustrating, considering how much money you’re about to drop on one of these bad boys.
[jwplayer rQNicHPJ]
Before we get into comparing the units themselves, there are a few things you should think about before purchasing. Firstly, consider whether a desktop is a better solution for you. The only advantage a gaming laptop has over a desktop computer is that it’s ultraportable, but that portability comes with a pretty hefty price tag. If you’re doing the majority of your gaming at home, you’ll be able to get the same performance – but more likely, better – out of a desktop, which will cost you less for similar specs.
Secondly, desktops are easier to upgrade, which ultimately means they’ll last longer. For example, I’ve had my desktop for about 5 years now and by simply upgrading the graphics card every couple of years, it’s saved me needing to buy a whole new rig. That’s not to say upgrading a gaming laptop is impossible, it can just be more a lot more expensive.
It’s also worth noting that the battery life on any gaming laptop is going to be rubbish when used for gaming. The reason for this is that gaming is heavy on your computer’s graphics processor (GPU) which draws a lot of power. So consider that you’ll wanna be plugged into a power source for most of your gaming on any laptop.
Best Gaming Laptops To Buy In 2018
Gaming laptops suit those who are on the go often, perhaps traveling frequently for work and need something to game on while they’re away from home. If you’ve decided the highly portable Nintendo Switch just isn’t for you and are ready to take the plunge, here are some of the best gaming laptops for 2018.
Portability – Razer Blade 15 Gaming Laptop – $3,699
One of the thinnest gaming laptops on the market, the Razer Blade 15 packs an Intel Core i7-8750H, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q GPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD hard drive, and a 15.6-inch 144Hz display. In lesser nerd terms, this thing has all the makings of a hefty gaming PC, but with the portability of a fairly standard laptop.
The only downside with this one is that it doesn’t have an ethernet port, which can be an issue if you prefer a wired internet connection. Gaming over WiFi can be a patchy experience, so a lot of gamers like to avoid it where possible.
Still, if you’re looking for a highly portable gaming laptop and aren’t afraid to drop a good chuck of change on it, the Razer Blade 15 is a great option.
Price – Lenovo Ideapad 330S – $1,397
If you’re looking for the absolute cheapest option available, the Lenovo Ideapad 330S is a decent choice. It’s not strictly a gaming laptop, but has the specs to keep up with current games as long as you’re not cranking the graphic detail up to max.
It features a 15.6-inch display, an Nvidia GTX 1050 GPU, an Intel Core i7-8550U, 8GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive, and an added 128GB SSD hard drive.
The downside of using this unit as a gaming laptop is the trackpad placement, which could get in the way when using the W A S and D keys, which are generally bound to movement in games. But if you’re gonna be gaming, I’d wager you’d be using a USB mouse, so it’s fairly easily fixed.
Power – MSI GT75 Titan – $3,799
If you’re after sheer, brute force power and money isn’t a hurdle, this hulking bastard has all you could ever want in a portable gaming rig. It has an Intel Core i7-8750H, an Nvidia GTX 1080, 64GB of RAM, a huge 17.3-inch 120Hz G-Sync display, and a 1TB hard drive with added 512GB SSD drive.
In other words, this is one powerful motherfucker, featuring what was until recently, the most powerful consumer graphics card on the market. The GT75 Titan will play any of the latest games with ease.
But all that power comes at a cost, which clocks in at almost $4k. It’s also fucking enormous and pretty heavy, so it’s going to be a bit trickier to carry around.
Value – Acer Predator Helios 300 – $2,099
In terms of value for money, the Predator Helios certainly packs a punch. It contains an Intel Core i7-7700HQ, Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB GPU, 15.6-inch display, 256GB SSD hard drive, and 16GB of RAM.
It’s not the best looking gaming laptop around, but it’ll certainly get the job done and to be fair, that’s what counts. Its biggest downfall is probably the small hard drive, but that’s easily fixed with a decently sized portable drive.
All-rounder – ASUS ROG Strix SCAR II – $2,500
If you’re looking for a solid all-rounder when it comes to value, portability, power, and a little bit of fanciness, the SCAR II is certainly one to consider. It packs an Intel Core i7-8750H, an Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB, 15.6-inch 144Hz display, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive with extra 256GB SSD drive.
The fancy bit comes down to the keyboard on the unit, which features some pretty wild lighting.
There you have it, folks, from the cheapest, to the most powerful, there should be something in here for every gamer with a few grand to chuck around. If you’re looking for a decent retailer, JW Computers is a good place to start.
Looking for info about the next generation Xbox console? We got you covered, mate.
Want some sweet free online games to check out, too? Suss out these ones.
