Buying a gaming laptop under a tight budget is undoubtedly a challenging task. Even the experts on this topic can get confused about what features to consider and what to compromise. A laptop made for gaming has three key qualities of a regular laptop - excellent GPU, better cooling system, and RGB (fun intended but it is usually extra CPU cores). Differences in the number of performance cores affect the overall gaming experience. Some additional features are easy to spot in a gaming laptop which are a high refresh rate display, fast storage, and ultra-fast RAM that is clockable. All these things add to the gaming experience but if you are on a budget, then being picky about a few features is necessary. In case you are buying a used gaming laptop then it might be the best bang for the buck. However, getting your laptop checked by a Laptop Repair Services provider can come in handy. Moving forward, here are five key components that require the most attention while buying a new or a used gaming laptop.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
Graphics card or GPU has the primary role in making your laptop run games smoothly. Most laptops with no graphics card come with integrated graphics and those laptops can’t run AAA titles adequately. Always consider a dedicated GPU in your gaming laptop. Nvidia and AMD Radeon are the two dominating brands manufacturing GPUs. You can consider the latest gen GPUs, but it can spoil your budget. To eradicate this problem, last Gen GPU from Nvidia is an excellent choice.
You can consider Nvidia RTX 3050 or 3060 on your laptop. In AMD, you can go with the AMD Radeon RX 5500M or 5600M lineup.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
CPU is the brain of a computer/laptop which processes your inputs through the transistors inside it. There are a few things to consider while choosing a CPU:
Generation of processor
Manufacturer (Intel or AMD)
Number of Performance core and Efficiency core
Performance cores have higher frequency whereas efficiency cores are for simple tasks and save you battery. Gaming laptops with at least a quad-core CPU can handle games without any issues. However, you will get a poor battery in such laptops.
Cooling System
Gaming laptops generate loads of heat while running games, video editing, and rendering software. An effective cooling system in a gaming laptop helps in improving performance, reducing chances of CPU throttling and enhancing the lifespan of c7omponents. Laptop manufacturers claim a big number in terms of effective cooling, but it is a better idea to check reviews. You can consider checking videos online and it will let you avoid making any mistakes. Keep in mind that there is always a difference in claims vs. real-life performance.
RAM (Capacity and Type)
DDR5 is the latest generation of RAM used by manufacturers in laptops in 2023. Going with the latest and greatest futureproofs your laptop, however, it will cost you extra. DDR4 is still a thing and you can get excellent deals with DDR4 laptops. The performance difference is not that significant, but if you want the best of the best in an affordable range, then consider getting a laptop with at least 8GB DDR5 RAM. In addition, make sure that the laptop has an expandable slot to add a new stick. You can take help from the Laptop Repair Store if you want to expand the storage. If you have more RAM, games will load faster, boot time will be lesser, and your experience enhances with this.
Battery Life
Budget gaming laptops usually offer 55Wh batteries with their laptops. A gaming rig equipped with a fairly minimum specification can consume the whole battery juice within 3 hours while gaming. Also, battery backup doesn’t make any sense with these laptops. However, you can look for fast charging support.
A laptop that comes with at least 120w charging capacity can make things easier. Also, the battery backup varies with the loads. If you are cranking up your game settings to ultra, and using ray tracing while being on battery power, then you can’t expect more than 2 hours on a budget laptop.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, getting all the fancy features in an affordable gaming laptop is difficult. But, you should at least get a laptop with 8GB DDR5 RAM with expendability slots. You can upgrade the RAM when you have extra cash to spend on. Laptop Repair Shop in Vaughan can help you install the new RAM and enhance the performance.
Meanwhile, you can't change the display in a budget laptop, but you can buy additional monitors with higher refresh rates, better viewing angles, and more brightness. Compromising on these small features won’t affect you much, but compromising on CPU, and GPU can cost you the poor gaming experience.
