In the phrase “what is the best gaming laptop to choose,” the key word is “gaming.” Computer performance in video games depends on the video card. The better it is (the higher the bandwidth, memory size, number of CUDA cores, and other parameters), the better it will look to run on a laptop game. And the more fun you can run. Conventionally speaking, on regular laptops that only have an “embedded” (that is, a graphics chip built into the processor), you are likely to be able to run only something from the “retro” category. For example, isometric strategies or role-playing games of the late nineties or early noughties – Fallout, Baldur’s Gate, and other hits. Choosing a laptop with RTX 3050 allows you to enjoy several modern games – from Red Dead Redemption 2 to Cyberpunk 2077. So when buying any gaming laptop, you should always look at its graphics card first.
The choice of graphics card is directly related to the budget. In gaming laptops, the graphics card affects the cost of the device. Immediately say that you do not need a powerful computer if you are a fan of slots in online casinos in India, online money games, and the demo. Such entertainment is also optimized for weak computers. Let’s look at categories of gaming notebook budgets that you can pay attention to at the beginning of 2023.
Gaming laptops under $800
Early 2023 laptops with GTX 1650 or RTX 3050 (or RTX 3050 Ti) are predominantly found in this category. Most often, the amount of video memory is at most 4 GB. What can run these graphics cards? Everything that came out before 2023 will come out in 2023. But it would help if you remembered that in today’s gaming industry, 4 GB of video memory is very little, even for a laptop. The newer the game, the more memory it requires. Textures get sharper; special effects get prettier, and so on.
GTX 1650 and RTX 3050 can run Cyberpunk 2077, but only on medium graphics settings and at low frame rates – 30 on GTX 1650 and 40 on RTX 3050. Recall that comfortable for the eye frame rate for a video game – is 60 frames per second (also referred to as frames per second, fps).
Gaming laptops under $1000
In this category, finding a laptop with a graphics card with less than 6 GB memory can be challenging. Mostly there are models with RTX 3060 6 GB and even RTX 3070 8 GB (their cost is close to 1000$). These graphics cards will not only run all the novelties, but even please raytracing – games will run at a stable 60 frames per second or higher, and also they will be wonderful.
Gaming laptops above $1000.
Here, the more expensive, the cooler. Manufacturers are installing more powerful graphics cards (with 8 GB of memory) and excellent screens. There are models with 2K resolution and 4K resolution. In general, as they say in the people, you will find “full stuffing” – the company does not deny itself the pleasure of installing inexpensive laptops with large SSD capacity, a lot of RAM (32 GB), a powerful processor, and so on. Such laptops give a decent margin of safety: games released before 2023 will go very stably, but the novelties of the next few years probably will not require you to reduce the settings to a high or medium level.
We often talk about RTX models. Nvidia is great in the notebook market, offering great solutions for video game enthusiasts. It is a unique technology that improves the performance of video games with no loss of quality.
Large developers benefit from working with Nvidia and embedding DLSS support in the game. Therefore, feel free to worry that some AAA-novelty (in the gaming industry, this is the name of the blockbusters, expected by many gamers) will not support DLSS. It will be because it benefits everyone – both Nvidia and the video game creator.
What about other parameters: weight, screen?
The main thing in a gaming notebook is the graphics card. If it weighs 500 grams more but has a better graphics card, would you give up on a gaming notebook? Weight is significant in a computer for work for those who often travel and work from a hotel or cafe.
The screen of almost all models is unified: it is IPS-matrix with a matte finish and Full HD resolution. A higher resolution is usually found in models from 1000 dollars – they have graphics cards that can pull this resolution, i.e., demonstrate games with good quality. Yes, there are exceptions, but they are scarce.
Gaming laptop – this is often a compromised device. The manufacturer can only improve some aspects at a time because it increases the cost of the device and deprives the person of choice. In addition, many of the parameters of the laptop can be improved independently. Need more RAM? It’s easy to buy one slat and expand up to 16 GB. Plug in an external SSD, and so on.
Processor
You can often find laptops with Intel processors, but models with AMD chips are also in the market.
- Budget ones include AMD Ryzen 5 5600H and Intel Core i5-11400H processors.
- Medium-budget includes AMD Ryzen 7 5800H and Intel Core i7-12700H processors.
- The flagship ones are AMD Ryzen 9 5900H and Intel Core i9-12900H.
Manufacturers select processors, so the graphics card feels comfortable and does not create a “bottleneck” effect. It is a process where, for example, the graphics card has a lot of power, but the processor does not allow it to be realized. So, all things considered!
If suddenly some manufacturer decided to insert a processor with the letters U or Y (instead of H, as above), then bypass such models: they are energy-efficient processors. And saving energy in gaming laptops is impossible: games will work unstably.
RAM
As we noted above, more often than not, gaming notebooks are a compromise solution. It is more profitable for manufacturers to install 8 GB of RAM – this is enough for most modern games. If the buyer feels he does not have enough, he can buy more when opportunities allow.
It is an excellent choice if you can initially lay out the money for a laptop with 16 GB RAM. That’s what AAA projects require in 2023.
