Are gaming laptops good for everyday use? If you're currently considering upgrading to any of the best gaming laptops you've likely asked yourself the same question.
Gaming laptops are impressive machines and while arguably not as powerful as their desktop equivalents, they pack a punch when it comes to performance.
We know they're great for gaming and handling a number of graphically demanding titles, but how do they do with everyday usages, such as watching content, design work, writing, or just browsing?
Let's take a closer look.
Gaming laptops and everyday use
Let's break this down a little by the type of usage and how gaming laptops will handle it.
Are gaming laptops good for browsing?
Gaming laptops usually have a ton of RAM, in many cases above 16GB. This is typically over double the amount of RAM when compared to a regular laptop, which usually has around 4GB - 8GB.
More RAM helps with having multiple tabs open at the same time, making them great for browsing.
The same goes for general work, where you need more than one tab open at a time.
Are gaming laptops good for video editing?
Video editing is quite a challenging task for most devices, so having a powerful gaming laptop can really stack the odds in your favour.
Not only do they pack powerful processors and graphics cards, but they also have excellent screens with high refresh rates.
Most gaming laptops are FHD and have refresh rates of around 144hz to sometimes 240hz, in the case of the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro.
click to enlarge
Credit: Lenovo POWER UP: Most gaming laptops will make a breeze of everyday usageHigher refresh rates allow for higher frames per second, which works well with fast-paced video.
You'll also find that the displays are sometimes HDR certified, meaning you can enjoy deeper contrast and a wider colour range too.
Are gaming laptops good for travel?
Gaming laptops can be a little heavier than you'd expect, due to having more components.
Typically speaking, gaming laptops tend to be a bit bulkier than regular laptops, with some of the best Chromebooks providing a stark comparison.
That being said, laptops like the Razer Blade 14 are quite low profile, so there is a mid-ground to be had.
Read More: Are gaming laptops worth it?
The best laptops for travel need to have long battery lives, and since gaming laptops can use an immense amount of power to handle everything they have thrown at them, battery life can be a little on the short side when using them as intended.
If you're travelling a lot, you may find yourself preferring something lighter weight with a longer-lasting battery.
Are gaming laptops good for everyday use?
We'd say they are, as they're purpose-built to handle seriously demanding tasks. Everyday usage should be a breeze, but you may find that travelling with a gaming laptop and using it unplugged may not be optimal from a size and battery life perspective.
However, if you're looking for something with a fantastic screen, tons of RAM, and a great graphics card so you can play any of the AAA titles available for PC, then we'd say going for a gaming laptop is practically a no-brainer.
Read More: Do gaming laptops overheat?
Nowadays, people are no longer satisfied with just playing games on game consoles or mobile phones, and most gaming lovers would like to play games on computers. They pursue higher visual enjoyment [graphics] and faster gaming speed, and may want to deal with entertainment and work with just one device, so gaming computer is the way to go.
With more and more computer games available on the market, gaming performance is becoming a standard feature in computers today, and it has been an important factor to consider for most young people while buying a computer. Depending on whether to do gaming on the go, users may choose gaming desktops or portable gaming laptops.
Compared with gaming desktops, gaming laptops make it possible to enjoy PC video games out of home, but it is much more expensive. All things being equal, a gaming desktop will be more powerful, as similar components will perform better on a desktop which has a bigger chassis and more fans for better cooling and heat dissipation.
Is a gaming laptop worth it? Generally speaking, it is not recommended to buy a gaming laptop unless you are a professional player or gaming enthusiast who needs to do gaming on the travel. Because it comes with many disadvantages which are not so acceptable for common users.
- On average, the cost of a gaming laptop is twice as much as that of setting up a gaming desktop.
- Gaming laptops are not effective at getting rid of heat and it usually gets overheating.
- Most gaming laptops use membrane keys that can’t withstand continuously being pressed down hard or for a long time.
- Gaming laptops are designed to be compact, so commonly there’s no space for you to install additional components. As the existing ones are fixed in their places, it is complicated to upgrade them.
Tip: If you want to learn about more differences between laptops and desktops, this article might be helpful for you.
Precautions for Buying a Gaming Laptop
If you need to buy a laptop for gaming, here are some precautions you might need to pay attention to.
CPU, GPU and RAM
Most video games have certain requirements for CPU, GPU, and RAM for the device. As it is difficult to upgrade these for a laptop, you had better make sure these components can meet the requirements of your games while choosing a gaming laptop.
For CPU, Core i5 is enough for most games, and bigger numbers [like Core i7] mean better performance. Besides, the CPU should aim for quad-core or above, because dual cores aren’t as capable in gaming.
For GPU, most gaming laptops are equipped with Nvidia GeForce GTX or RTX. If you don’t play games on high settings, GTX 1650 or AMD RX 5500M might be enough. An RTX 2070 can enable you to play through about anything on high settings. You may also choose a laptop with better GPU which might greatly affect the price.
For RAM, 8GB is enough in most cases. But if you tend to perform multiple tasks at one time, such as playing a game with many programs running in the background, perhaps 16GB RAM is needed. If you can’t afford a gaming laptop with 16GB RAM, you can choose one with 8GB and then upgrade it later, but it is risky and may mess up the laptop’s warranty.
Storage
Some budget laptops come with just one hard drive which is usually 1TB, but most gaming laptops also include a small SSD to act as the boot drive. You need to choose a 7200-rpm rather than a 5400-rpm HDD.
There are no many choices for storage of gaming laptops, but the price may vary greatly by capacity. If large storage is not an urgent thing for you now, you had better choose a gaming laptop with smaller storage. When needed, you can invest an external HDD or SSD to upgrade the storage later.
Size
Most laptops for gaming have 15 or 17-inch screens, and some also have 18 or 14-inch panels. Of course, the device with a larger screen is always bigger and heavier. Some top-end gaming laptops contain a degree of ventilation which also makes them large in build.
Brand
Each gaming laptop brand has its own positioning. For example, Acer provides users affordable hardware, and Asus gives its gaming laptops stylish designs and offers software to share device information.
So, if you are caring much about a certain aspect for a new laptop, it is a wise choice to select a brand that focuses on this aspect at first.
Battery Life
It is quite important to check the battery life and choose one that can last long while purchasing a portable device. After all, you cannot always charge for it when you are outdoor.
Where to Buy
You should avoid buying a gaming laptop from an untrustworthy retailer which might charge you more and lack of quality assurance. Instead, you had better visit the official flagship store either offline or online where you can purchase products without worries.
If you prefer online shopping, then Amazon, eBay, or Best Buy should be great options for you.
Best Gaming Laptops in 2020
A gaming laptop that is able to run most modern games with high quality is commonly more than $1000. If you want to purchase a laptop for gaming under $1000, you can check the products introduced in this guide. If you care much about the gaming performance and have adequate budget, you might be interested in the following products.
Here are 5 best gaming laptops, and let’s check them out one by one.
Tip: The prices listed below are for reference only. Please refer to the actual prices on the purchase platform. For more information about these produces, please visit their official website
5 Best Gaming Laptops at a Glance
- Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
- Gigabyte AORUS 17X
- Alienware Area-51M
- Razer Blade
- Lenovo Legion Y740
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS – 9 4900HS
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
- RAM: Up to 32GB
- Screen: 14-inch Non-glare Full HD [1920 x 1080] IPS-level panel, 120Hz – 14-inch Non-glare WQHD [2560 x 1440] IPS-level panel, 60Hz
- Storage: 512GB / 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0
- Price: $1,229 – $3,179 at Amazon
This should be the best AMD laptop on the market, providing an incredible performance with its AMD Ryzen 4000 processors and NVIDIA RTX 2060 graphics. Besides, it has the best-in-class battery life which can last all day long and offers a fast display with a 120Hz refresh rate. However, it lacks of webcam and the fans may get loud.
2. Gigabyte AORUS 17X
- CPU: 10th-generation Intel Core i7 – i9
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 16 series – RTX 20 Super series
- RAM: up to 64GB
- Screen: 13" Thin Bezel FHD 1920x1080 240Hz Anti-Glare Display
- Storage: 1TB SSD [PCIe], 2TB HDD
- Price: start at $2,956.81 [currently available]
This gaming laptop dominates all-around performance and provides a gorgeous display, a mechanical keyboard, and durable built quality for you on the go. As you can see, it is relatively expensive and heavy, and its RTX 2080 model needs 2 power adapters. But it will be worthy if you are seeking for maximum overall performance and stability.
3. Alienware Area-51M
- CPU: Intel Core i7-9700 – i9-9900K
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 – 2080
- RAM: 16GB – 64GB
- Screen: 17.3" FHD [1920 x 1080] 60Hz Anti-Glare IPS – 144Hz IPS NVIDIA G-SYNC
- Storage: 1TB SSHD – 2TB RAID 0 SSD + 1TB SSHD
- Price: $3,499 – $5,759 at Amazon
This is the most powerful gaming laptop on the market so far, equipped with bright RGB lighting and powerful desktop hardware which makes it quite heavy. Its comfy keyboard and VR readiness are also impressed features. Its steep price makes it more suitable for these high-end players.
4. Razer Blade
- CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H – Intel Core i7-9750H
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 [6GB GDDR6 VRAM] – Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q [8GB GDDR6 VRAM]
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 15.6-inch FHD [1,920 x 1,080] 144Hz – OLED 4K [3,840 x 2,160] Touch 60Hz
- Storage: 256GB – 512GB SSD
- Price: $1,570 – $3529 at Amazon
This gaming laptop delivers amazing power and portability, and its 15.6" Thin bezel Full HD display provides an immersive and insanely fast visual experience. It attracts plenty of users with its compact and svelte design.
5. Lenovo Legion Y740
- CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 [6GB GDDR6 VRAM] – RTX 2070 [Max-Q 8GB]
- RAM: 16GB – 32GB
- Screen: 15.6-inch FHD [1,920 x 1,080] Nvidia G-Sync 144 Hz
- Storage: 256GB SSD – 512GB SSD+1TB HDD
- Price: $1,249.99 – $1,549.99 at Amazon
As one of the best gaming laptops, this product has powerful internal components and is effective in thermal cooling. However, its unfortunate keyboard and webcam placement and poor battery life restrain the desire of some users to buy it.
Is a gaming laptop worth it? How do you choose a laptop for gaming? You can get answers in this guide.Click to tweet
Not Pursuing the Ultimate Gaming Performance? Upgrading Disk Is Enough
As mentioned before, it is not recommended for ordinary users to purchase a gaming laptop. But this doesn’t mean that you have to give up better gaming performance.
If you want to improve gaming experience but don’t pursue the ultimate performance, upgrading your disk should be a relatively effective, reasonable, and affordable option. According to your own needs, you can choose to upgrade to an SSD or a larger HDD.
Tip: If needed, you can also go to upgrade your CPU, GPU or RAM.
You can use MiniTool Partition Wizard to transfer all the data including operating system from the original disk to the new one. Here’s a simple guide:
Free Download
Step 1: Install the program and register with your license key. Connect the prepared disk to your device.
Step 2: Choose the original disk and click Copy Disk from the left pane.
Step 3: Select the new disk to save the source content and click Next button.
Step 4: Configure the new disk according to your needs and click Next button to proceed.
Step 5: Read the note on how to boot from the destination disk and click Finish. When you go back to the main interface, click Apply to execute the pending operations.
After that, you can replace the current disk with the new one and then enjoy a better gaming experience.
Are gaming laptops worth it? After reading this article, you should have already gotten the answer in your mind. If you are eager to buy such a device, you can refer to the best gaming laptops listed above. If you don’t pursue ultimate gaming performance, you can also choose to upgrade your disk instead.
We will appreciate it if you share your own experience and ideas in the comment zone. For any problems about MiniTool software, you can contact us via .
Are Gaming Laptops Worth It FAQ
Is a gaming laptop better than a PS4?
Well, it depends. If you play video games commonly at home or you have the TV already, buying a PS4 might be a wiser choice. But if you want to spend most of your gaming time on the go and don’t care much about the cost, a gaming laptop may provide you better portability, performance, and visual experience.
Does gaming reduce laptop battery life?
Gaming requires more computing power from your PC than other regular tasks, and it will drain battery quickly. It may impact on laptop battery life a little more than these less heavy work, but you don’t need to worry much.
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Position: Columnist
Amanda has been working as English editor for the MiniTool team since she was graduated from university. She enjoys sharing effective solutions and her own experience to help readers fix various issues with computers, dedicated to make their tech life easier and more enjoyable.
She has published many articles, covering fields of data recovery, partition management, disk backup, and etc. In order to provide more useful tips and information, she is still committed to expand her technical knowledge.