Things to Consider When Buying a Gaming Laptop
Every hardcore gamer knows the importance of choosing the right gaming laptop for all their gaming needs. It should include all the features and specs for providing the perfect gaming experience. Thus when buying a gaming laptop, it pays to make sure that the following factors are taken into consideration:
1. Graphics
The best graphics, the better. This applies particularly to graphic designers and gamers. Serious gamers will be obsessed when it comes to graphics. And they have a reason to be. The graphic greatly affects the gaming performance. So, when buying a gaming laptop, go with the latest graphic chipset in your laptop. Some top rated graphic chipsets include: the ATi Mobility Radeon 9700, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 and ATi’s Mobility FireGL V3200.
2. RAM
Get the largest amount of RAM as possible for your gaming laptop. The RAM (or also known as Random Access Memory) will determine how much graphics your laptop will be able to handle. To be safe, get the largest amount of RAM you can possibly afford. For Operating Systems Windows XP and Mac OS X, it’s good if you have at least 256 MB of RAM. Other operating systems though will require only 128 MB. RAM will also determine the number of applications your laptop will be able to handle.
3. Speed
Fast is always good. A fast performing PC will prevent you from having annoying freezes or lags when you are in the middle of major gaming action! This will allow your PC to handle the latest and heaviest 3D video games effortlessly.
To have the fastest processor around, go for SATA (or Serial Advanced Technology Architecture). SATA is a type of hard drive developed by a group of companies that includes Intel, Dell, Seagate, Maxtor, among others. SATA is able to transmit data in a single stream. They use less power, making them more ideal for laptops.
Don’t forget to check your hard drive speed. The best choice is a 7,200 RPM hard drive, as compared to a 5,400 RPM or a 4,200 RPM.
4. Functions
Do not forget the laptop functions when buying a gaming laptop. Some features should include: 3D games, wide screen High Definition TV, mobile video editing, graphic processor, and more. There should also be integrated graphics, where components can be shared.
5. Display
Go for the sharpest, brightest and fullest display. The display quality and screen resolution is crucial to the total gaming experience. The best quality monitors include Panasonic, Toshiba and Sony. Try looking for SVGA (800 x 600), XGA (1024 x 768) or SXGA (1280 x 1024).
6. Hard Disk Space
Games take up a ton of space; so once again, afford the largest amount of hard disk space you can afford. You should have at least 200 GB of disk space, or better yet, 1 TB or terabyte of space. Check if there are also solid state drives-they are not that common in gaming laptops yet but having solid state drives are a big plus.