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Options for Gamers On The Go: What To Look For In Gaming Laptops

By: Chris Channing If you ever see a PC gamer outside of his or her house, consider yourself lucky. All jokes aside, gaming laptops have only recently been able to keep up with some of today's modern games. The question is- are laptops ready for the gaming scene, or are manufacturers marketing to gamers for extra cash flow?

Laptop Options For Gamers

The gaming laptop has finally dropped in value so that the average consumer can buy one without breaking the bank. Advances in technology have allowed laptops to be more powerful, yet also be smaller in size.

Processors are now sporting Duo-Core technology, which is a fancy phrase for the use of two processors. This allows for more processing to be done in a multitasking environment- meaning smaller clock rates on processors are needed, which in turn produces less heat. (And as laptop owners know, heat will destroy a laptop quicker than anything)

Hard drives are another feature of laptops that could go with some further improvement. As of current, laptops commonly stay away from higher RPM speeds, because it creates excessive heat and takes up too much space in some cases. This is a loss for laptop owners, but the drop in RPM is quickly becoming less of a problem as other technologies are advancing.

The very heart and soul for gamers is the graphics card. This is the component that helps render graphics and data to the screen. Without it, PC gamers would have nothing to play! Sadly, the latest graphics cards are commonly too bulky to be put into laptops. There are, however, specialized mobile editions of graphics cards- although they also cost a bit more money on average.

Pitfalls In Laptop Gaming

One of the biggest flaws that gamers will notice is battery life. PC gaming laptops will typically drain a laptop in just a couple of hours, depending on the performance and options. This is compared to normal laptops that can often get 10 hours of battery life without problem. PC gamers on laptops can carry a charger with them- but this will help heat up the laptop and require more cooling.

Next, gaming laptops are rather small and provide poor mouse support. A laptop gamer will find that playing games on a touchpad just isn't worth the effort. Carrying a USB mouse around can work in most situations, but it's a hassle and finding a good place to put the mouse may pose as a problem.

Final Thoughts On Gaming Laptops

Gaming laptops are becoming more and more popular as society shifts towards the gaming culture that is has been becoming over the past few decades. Keep in mind that if you value the life of your laptop, you should only buy from manufacturers that have great reviews. Also be sure to buy a cooling pad or extra fan to help extend the life of your investment.