Ten Wonderful Reasons Why You Should Buy A Gaming Laptop
As a blogger and content writer, my laptop is the lifeblood of my business. I’m also an online student studying for a business degree. I probably spend about 13–16 hours a day on the computer. When my 8-year-old Toshiba Satellite finally gave up on me, I needed a new one ASAP. I need a powerful beast that’s portable and can handle everything I throw at it.
A quick Google search for robust laptops pointed me to one thing: a gaming laptop.
Sure, I had some doubts about it at first. The high price tag was enough to lure me away, but I bit the bullet and bought one anyway. I purchased an ASUS ROG GL503 and I couldn’t be happier! I wish I bought one sooner. If you’re thinking of buying one, I say “Do it!”.
I believe that gaming laptops have advantages over regular PCs which could help you in school or work.
In this article, I’ll be talking all about gaming laptops: What are they? Who uses them? What’s different about them? What’s good about them? What’s bad about them?
Ready. Here we go.
What are Gaming Laptops?
Contrary to its name, gaming laptops are not limited to gaming. These powerful machines are configured to handle heavy usage and extreme multi-tasking. Unlike regular PCs, you can open multiple tabs and computer programs easily on a gaming laptop. This won’t slow down your computer at all.
What’s the Difference?
The biggest difference between a gaming laptop to a regular one is its cooling mechanism, keyboard, and overall design.
1. They can handle the heat.
These laptops can withstand high heat levels thanks to built-in dual cooling fans. They also have more vents for better air circulation.
2. Keyboards
Gaming laptops have a simplified gaming keyboard built-in. Gaming keyboards are engineered to provide gamers with high end-performance and better usability.
They’re designed to travel more distance across the board and give users precise feedback. Almost all gaming laptops have illuminated keyboards (high-end keyboards with LED lights at the back)
3. Appearance
The look of a gaming laptop is different due to its unique casing. They look tough or masculine and often only sold in the color black.
Who Use Gaming Laptops?
Lots of people use gaming laptops.
- Professional gamers and gaming enthusiasts (obviously)
- Audio professionals (sound designers, sound editors, recording mixers, sound engineers, audio technicians)
- Musicians (DJs, music producers)
- Animators and multimedia artists
- Digital designers (web designers, graphic designers, game designers)
- Graphics editors
- Film or video editors
- Programmers
- Entrepreneurs, particularly those who use digital services to power their businesses.
- People with digital careers (online marketers, online content writers, E-commerce specialists, social media managers, digital analysts)
- People who hate upgrading computer components often
Ten Wonderful Reasons Why You Should Buy a Gaming Laptop
Buy a Gaming Laptop Reason #1: Easy To Use
When I told my mother that I was thinking of buying a gaming laptop, she thought it was similar to a PlayStation or Xbox. I had to explain to her that gaming laptops are not video game consoles- they’re computers.
Contrary to what some might believe, gaming laptops aren’t just for gaming. You can it use for anything!
Gaming laptops have the same operating system, same programs, and have the same layout as regular computers. My new ASUS gaming laptop operates on Windows 10, has Microsoft Office 360, iTunes, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge. Heck, it even has good ol’ Windows Paint.
Gaming laptops are incredibly easy to use. You don’t need to learn anything new to use it. There’s no learning curve to worry about.
Buy a Gaming Laptop Reason #2: Speed
This is my favorite feature. Whenever I press the power button, my new gaming laptop only takes about 5 seconds to boot up. This speed is due to its powerful processors (which I’ll talk more about a bit later). This speed is useful for editing videos or running large software like Photoshop, Quickbooks, and VRay.
Buy a Gaming Laptop Reason #3: Unique Design
You can tell a gaming laptop and a regular notebook apart easily by looking at its appearance. Gaming laptops have a distinct, futuristic look.
Traditionally gaming laptops are blocky and brightly-colored like this Acer Predator 17. But lately, manufacturers are producing simpler and sleeker designs.
MSI GS65 Stealth is simple and subdued, while the Razer Blade features a sleek all-black design.
Gaming laptops are also known for their neon-colored lighting. It’s rare to find one without a colored backlit LED keyboard. High-end models feature multicolored or “Rainbow” backlit keyboards.
Buy a Gaming Laptop Reason #4: High-Quality Materials
Gamers are a picky bunch- they don’t settle for “usual” computer components. Their computers must be top quality. High-quality materials make it easy to run games that require high specs.
With this in mind, manufacturers produce gaming laptops with high-performance components: powerful processors, plentiful memory, and advanced graphics cards.
Now you may be thinking, “Gee, that’s great Catherine...but I’m not a gamer. I’m just a regular user. Do I even need all those?”
I believe that most people benefit from having a top-quality computer, especially if you spend hours on your PC daily. Better quality often means less hardware and processing problems.
According to BabaMail, one of the most common computer problems is a slow computer. Gaming laptops come with powerful processors that don’t lag and freeze as much. It can also handle more information at once.
You may not think much about graphics cards but they could be useful to non-gamers too. A good graphics card comes in handy for multimedia and video processing. Also, having a better graphics card certainly improves the performance of high definition videos.
Buy a Gaming Laptop Reason #5: Better-Quality Audio
Laptop speakers are HORRIBLE!
I find that the thinner the laptop, the crappier the sound. Speakers can’t really decrease in size too much, and they put a limitation on manufacturers.
Instead, they put teeny speakers on laptops and assume that customers will buy separate headphones and speakers. This is where the likes of Harman Kardon come in and charge us $200 for fancy transparent SoundSticks.
Gaming laptops often have better quality audio than regular computers. Take for example Acer’s Predator Triton 700, an ultra-thin gaming notebook that houses Acer TrueHarmony™ speakers for clear, crisp acoustics.
Some have built-in audio suites that can enhance audio quality and deliver an immersive audio experience. ASUS Republic of Gamers’ Sonic Studio II offers audio controls like reverb, bass boost, equalizer, vocal clarity, and surround sound.
Buy a Gaming Laptop Reason #6: Customizable
Want a product that perfectly suits all your individual needs? Say hello to the awesomeness of customization.
Gaming laptops are fully customizable. You can choose the features and hardware components you want upfront. The official HP Online Store allows you to customize your purchased HP Omen laptop. There’s also a myriad of PC builders that offer custom modification services such as custom painting, custom wrapping, laser etching, and hydro-dipping.
Actually, you can customize any laptop, but most PC customization services cater to gamers and their gear (obviously).
People with ample IT knowledge can DIY it. They can easily open up a gaming laptop and customize, tweak, and replace any component.
Buy a Gaming Laptop #7: Versatility
Just as it is customizable, it is also versatile.
It’s incredibly easy to change old components to new ones. Need to replace that old hard drive? Not a problem. Need to swap that fried motherboard for a new one? A piece of cake.
Upgrading and replacing parts is more economical. You save money instead of buying an entirely new computer, especially when your laptop is more than 5 years old.
Buy a Gaming Laptop Reason #8: Portability
It’s a laptop, which means you can take it anywhere!
Gaming laptops are powerful machines squeezed down into a smaller, more manageable size.
Recently Asus released ROG Zephyrus, the world’s thinnest gaming laptop. It’s as almost as thin as a Macbook!
Its convenience makes it popular with college students, road warriors, people who travel or move often, and deployed soldiers (assuming they have time for gaming and are fine lugging around an expensive laptop).
Buy a Gaming Laptop Reason #9: Lighted Keyboard
Gaming laptops typically outfit a simplified gaming keyboard. These keyboards provide better performance and usability. Almost all gaming laptops have illuminated keyboards (high-end keyboards with LED lights at the back).
There are advantages to using a lighted keyboard. It comes in very handy when working or gaming in dimly lit rooms. They can also make typing a bit quicker due to its better visibility. This is really useful for gamers, writers, and programmers.
I like using my backlit keyboard. Not only is it pretty to look at, but it also makes using keyboard shortcuts easier.
Some people may not like lighted keyboards, and that’s fine. You can always turn off the lighting feature if bright neon-colored lighting distracts you.
Buying a Gaming Laptop Reason #10: Long-Lasting
Because gaming laptops are made of high-quality materials, it doesn’t get outdated as quickly as regular laptops.
These powerful machines can handle the intense specs required by future games and computer programs.
Disadvantages of Gaming Laptops
Gaming laptops are amazing but they are not perfect. These powerful beasts come with their own set of hitches.
The biggest drawback is their high price tag. Entry-level gaming laptops will cost you about $800 (but that’s far cheaper than entry-level prices 6 years ago) while luxury high-end gaming laptops cost $6000.
Gaming laptops are heavier because they house multiple components: multiple hard drives, more complicated power circuitry, larger fan, and sturdier casing. Some models have a bulky power supply.
They’re notorious for their mediocre battery life. A typical gaming laptop has an average battery life of 2–5 hours, depending on its usage.
Attention Female Readers: Gaming Laptops are not Girly
Because the majority of my readers are women, I need to get this key information out of the way: Gaming laptops are not girly.
Some women might even call them fugly.
But gaming laptops are not meant to look cute or dainty. They’re not made to match your outfit of the day. They aren’t frou-frou, Instagramable, nor Pinterest-worthy.
They are powerful computers designed for core gamers. The NPD Group defines core gamers as those who play “core” games for at least 5 hours per week. Majority of core gamers are male.
Gaming laptops feature futuristic, masculine designs that appeal to their predominantly male audience.
Sorry ladies, gaming laptops don’t come in pink, white, or pastel colors (at least not yet). They have a very limited color range- gaming laptops usually only come in black with few secondary colors like grey, red, green, or blue sprinkled on the sides.
I’ve never been a girly-girl so I don’t feel the need to make my gaming laptop look “feminine” but you could if you want to.
The easiest way to dress up a drab all-black gaming laptop is to get a laptop skin and colorful keyboard cover. You can get customized decals and keyboard covers online. DecalGirl has a collection of beautiful laptop skins and stickers.
Pro Tip: Gaming laptop skins rarely come in feminine designs. Instead of buying a skin specifically for a gaming laptop, find a skin for universal laptops or universal-fit laptops. Universal is just a fancier term for “generic”.
Expensive But Worth It
Still unsure if gaming laptops are worth splurging on? Well, think of it as an investment.
Thanks to their high-quality materials, gaming laptops have the advantage of having double the lifespan of regular PCs. You won’t have to worry about upgrading or replacing components as often.
You may be plunking down a ton of cash upfront but you’ll be saving a boatload of money in the long-run.
Conclusion
Gaming laptops are not limited to gaming. People with varying occupations use gaming laptops for work and business.
There are many advantages to using a gaming laptop instead of a regular notebook. These powerful machines are known for their speed, customizability, high-quality components, ease of use, portability, and longer lifespan.
Gaming laptops are a wonderful option for students, road warriors, people who demand robust PC performance, and those who depend on their computer to earn an income.
- *This article was originally published in www.doyennelife.com
- **This article was originally written by content writer and digital marketer Catherine Tabuena. To find out more about her, visit www.catherinetabuena.com
