When choosing a good laptop, it matters what games you play.
- The Witcher-3 or Prey require significant power if you turn the graphics to the maximum.
- For fans of MMOs like World of Warcraft, "serious" power is not needed.
Let's figure out how not to miscalculate with performance and choose a laptop according to the parameters "for yourself".
What are the criteria for choosing a laptop
Weight and dimensions of the laptop
According to the degree of portability, the device is divided into three categories.
- Maximum portability for models with a monitor size of 13-14 ". They are light in weight - up to two kg, and the battery holds a charge of up to seven hours in stand-alone mode. However, such models are often not equipped with powerful processors and video cards.
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 910: Big Screen on a Small Body
- Average portability for laptops with a 15-16 "display. They last 5-6 hours on a single charge. Good option if you need a serious, but not too heavy system.
- Laptops with a screen from 17 "are not compact. The devices are heavy, gluttonous and will not last long without recharging. But all these shortcomings are covered by one bold" plus "- they are the most powerful. Taking these on a trip is not the best option. They are more designed for work at home.
Apart from the screen diagonal, there are three important parameters to consider.
- Monitor Resolution: the minimum (which is the most common) that a gaming laptop must support is 1920x1080. With less, the streams are not as colorful. Take a closer look at models that support QHD (2560x1440) and 4k (3840x2160) resolutions - it hasn't caught on among gamers yet.
- Touchscreens - an interesting but controversial innovation. Suitable for multimedia laptops, they are not used in game models. They are more expensive than conventional screens and consume a lot of electricity. For most gaming computers, this feature is not so important: not all games can be controlled from the screen. So weigh the pros and cons before buying a laptop with a touchscreen.
- G-Sync and FreeSync technologies synchronize the refresh rate of the monitor and the speed at which the image is rendered by the GPU. The frame rate in games is not constant, and the monitor frequency has a fixed value. Therefore, the laptop sometimes "slows down". G-Sync and FreeSync technologies minimize this problem.
Graphics card for gaming laptop
Most laptops are equipped with video cards with chips from Nvidia. Games are quite fast on the GTX 1060 chip with 3Gb memory. Such cards provide a resolution of 1920x1080 and all kinds of effects - for example, reflections in water. For the GTX 1060, it is not a problem to "work" with a virtual reality headset like the Oculus Rift. For demanding gamers, cards based on GTX 1070 and 1080 chips are suitable.
Which processor to choose a laptop with
There are few AMD gaming laptops, so you should choose from Intel products. The minimum at the moment is the previous 6th generation Core i5 processor. These CPUs are labeled as, for example, the Core i5-6200, where the model number refers to the generation of the processor. If you want to buy a budget laptop model, then focus on these CPUs.
The best option is the latest, 7th generation (Kaby Lake). Processors in this line went on sale in early 2017.
The number of cores and clock speed also matter when choosing a laptop for gaming and work.
- Two cores are an acceptable option, but quad-core processors are better, of course. They are marked with the suffixes HQ or HK. The latter, HK, are faster and can accelerate. Core i7-6700HQ is the best choice for today.
- The higher the clock speed, the better.
Hard drives
The load time of a game or save is when you are not playing. The faster the game loads, the better. In this respect, SSDs definitely outperform HDDs. The downside is that they are more expensive.
You shouldn't take an SSD less than 256 Gb.Several dozen "hectares" will be occupied by the operating system, modern games are also demanding in terms of volume. In addition, it is recommended to leave a quarter of the SSD storage free, otherwise performance will drop. As for HDD, 1Tb will allow you to have at hand not only your favorite games, but also movies with music.
RAM
The minimum amount of RAM for a gaming laptop is from 8Gb. For good I recommend 16Gb and higher, the game PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS does not pull at low power.
Sound
It is unlikely that those around you are happy with the sounds from the virtual world, or the voices of your game partners. But if you prefer speakers to headphones, it makes sense to look at MSI laptops with Nahimic Sound technology.
Which laptop to buy: brand matters
The question is not in the logo on the case, but in the solutions offered by the manufacturers.
- Alienware (Dell): combines space design and high-end solutions.
- Asus: Rebuplic of Gamers gaming laptops with elegant design and impressive hardware.
ASUS ROG G752VY Gray: Handles up to 30 simultaneous clicks for masterful combat control
- Lenovo: have a discreet design and powerful performance at an affordable price.
- Razer: manufactures the lightest and thinnest notebooks.
- MSI: the most innovative company offers extravagant solutions. For example, multiple SSDs, a mechanical keyboard, and a digital touchpad in one case. MSI laptops have the best audio technology.
MSI GT73VR Titan: Fastest, Smoothest Gameplay Ever Gaming Laptop
- OriginPC: They do not “brag” about their head-blowing design, but they are ahead of all in terms of customization possibilities (adaptation of a product for a specific consumer, taking into account his interests and requirements).
- Acer: a wide range of budget models (Aspire VX15) and "super monsters" like the Predator 21.
- HP: this brand does well in the market with the Omen line.
Now the matter is small: it remains to choose and buy a good laptop.
Good luck!
Interesting article: "Why the laptop is warming up and how to cure it"
Watch a video review of MSI laptop presented at Computex 2017
