CaptainGString's Guide To Buying A New Gaming Laptop
Hi, I'm CaptainGString and today we are going to talk about buying a new gaming laptop and answering some of the common questions I see asked on the sub. Just read the questions you ask your self. The entire guide is not necessary
Check out my Guide to Undervolting your CPU using Throttlestop
Updated 6/22/2022
Needs and Wants.
There is a difference between what you want and what you need. In terms of gaming laptops it really comes down with what you plan to use it for. Do you plan on playing old games and some light browsing? Or maybe you had a desktop that needs to be replaced but are starting school and need a laptop now, but you want to still play games competitively. It makes no sense to lug a big desktop around campus all the time. Maybe you are starting a new job that uses 3D software or CAD, but you also play the newest and biggest AAA games. Well there is a laptop for everyone. Budget is important for almost all of us and getting the best performance for every dollar is the best way about going to look for a laptop. Do you really need a $5000 laptop if you only play indie games and watch youtube? No. Can you make a laptop that only cost $800 play the latest heavy AAA titles on ultra though? No. So try to keep your desires and your needs balanced. Research, research and did I mention research? Come to the sub and ask questions too. Also make sure you get something you want though too, because there is a lot left to desire after the fact when making purchases like this. Taking the time to really make the informed choice can save you from asking later, "did I get the best deal", "am I happy?" and "Did I get ripped off?"
We use three terms in this article and I want to tell you about them:
Entry Level
Mid Level
High Level/Desktop Replacement
ASUS ROG STRIX SCAR 17 SE Special Edition 2022
Entry Level Laptops are your basic bread and butter, low cost laptops. They usually contain a low tier graphics chip, or no dedicated graphics chip. Maybe even a integrated graphics chip. If you only play light games, need to do school work and depending on your job, this is probably perfect for you. For many first time gaming laptop owners, this is the right choice. They can offer powerful performance while meeting all your needs from a gaming laptop. They usually contain GPUs such as the GTX 1650/1650Ti, RTX 2060, RTX 3050/3050Ti, RTX 3060 or AMD 6600M. These laptops start around $800 and go up to $1300
Mid Level Laptops are laptops designed for both heavy and light gaming. They contain fast processors like the 11800H,12700H or AMD 5800H,6800H. They can take on the best AAA games playing on high settings while delivering powerful performance across the board. They usually have dedicated GPUs like the RTX 2070, RTX 3070/3070Ti , AMD 6700M and sometimes the 8GB version of the 3080 with a lower TGP/TDP profile. These laptops usually start at around $1400 and move all the way to $2200. Many times finding the right Mid Level Laptop can save you a lot of money while competing with the big desktop replacements. For most people, this is the sweet spot. Most higher end mid range laptops can run games on the highest setting while keeping a decent battery life, noise and for a good price.
Heavy Level and Desktop Replacement Laptops are laptops designed for the most demanding games. They usually have the best of everything. They have such CPUs like the 11980HK, The AMD 5900HX, 5950HX, 6900HX, 12900HK, 12800HX, 12900HX, 12950HX and they have GPUs like the RTX 3070Ti, RTX 3080, RTX 3080Ti and the AMD 6800M. These laptops are usually $2200 and up. Most people do not even need a laptop like this unless they are looking for something to last for 4-5 years while keeping up with the highest graphics settings in a game. Or maybe you are a professional photographer who uses photoshop, or design 3D artwork with high compression rates.
Now lets discuss COST
The most important aspect of almost everyone on this sub is cost. How much should I spend when buying a laptop? Well lets consider what you are going to use it for. Do you want to game and work? Do you purely plan to buy this laptop to play every game that's coming out. How long do you need this laptop to last? Most people are usually happy right around the $1600 mark on average. You can look at this one of two ways. You buy the biggest and best laptop you can and you ride it for 5-10 years. Or you can buy an entry level laptop and replace it every 2-3 years at the same cost of buying a medium/heavy laptop. So two for one, or one for all. If you want to play heavy AAA titles on Ultra with the best display, you will need a desktop replacement. If you are okay playing every game on high with a decent display you will need a medium. if you do not have a lot of money and just want to game on a laptop, entry is for you. Do not be shy or ashamed about entry level laptops. Their performance can be superb and play games on high as well. The 3060 is a very powerful card and only trails the 3080 by 20-25 fps. Sometimes on heavy games on high settings this can still be well over 60 fps. Certain times of the year like Back to School, Black Friday, Labor Day and Christmas are usually the best time of year to buy a new laptop. Check your student and military discounts on check out. If buying from Lenovo on their website, open a chat support window and tell the agent you want a discount code. They are usually more than happy to provide one. Some users were getting their premium high end 7i for $2400 during the Christmas Sale. Newegg, Amazon and B&H Photo are my opinion staples of the US market for a gaming laptop with solid 30 day return policies and good openbox deals. Speaking of Open Box, its how I got my laptop. It came brand new so you never know.
Gaming Laptops are the fastest growing market in game consoles
Lets discuss what CPU you need.
Most 12th gen CPUs are well over the mark of whats needed for gaming and how well the RTX 3000 GPUs are performing. I think Intel has already really maxed out GPU performance in a sense on the 10th gen Intel chips. So 10th gen is still very good. Most users could game on a 8th cpu with a RTX 2070 and be fine today. When looking for a CPU, remember this: 5 numbers with a H at the end means high performing cores. HK on the end means high performing and fully unlocking for undervolting/overclocking. 4 numbers with a G at the end means its usually a 4 core CPU that was designed for entry level/low cost performance. They are cheapest but are still decent. Most games still do not use beyond 4 cores to this day. AMD CPU(s) cost much less and deliver almost as much as the Intel chips. Youll find AMD laptops are substantially cheaper in cost with great quality. They also use less power giving you a longer battery life. You can find a AMD laptop with a AMD GPU that delivers almost as much as a high end laptop at entry level cost. If you are on a budget, finding a laptop with a AMD CPU can save you quite a bit while keeping great performance. 12th gen Intel chips do outperform AMD and some of them are up to 20% faster, so its something to consider when choosing the right laptop for you. In gaming you probably wouldn't see much of a difference but if you are doing work related stuff that requires a CPU like compression, 3DFX, CAD or Photoshop then you will put more focus on this aspect. It is true though that the newer the CPU the more the GPU will perform as its less of a bottleneck. Great entry level CPUs to look out for are the AMD 4800H, 5700H, 5800H and the Intel 10700H, 10750H,10800H, 11300H,11800H and the 12700H. Some Mid Level CPUs are the AMD 5900HX and Intel's 11800H,11900H, 12700H and 12900H. Desktop Replacement chips are the 10980HK, 11980HK, 12900HK, 12800HX and the 12900HX. The AMD 5950HX, 6900HX. Just because a entry level has a 11800H doesn't mean you wont find the same chip set in a mid level laptop with the same 11800H. Other factors come in to play like memory and GPU. Sometimes a certain manufacturer will capitalize on good CPU while including a entry GPU or Memory/Storage.
Intel 12th Generation HX Integrated Desktop Chips
What GPU do I need?
I personally think the GPU is the most important aspect of any entry level gaming laptop. Knowing which GPU suits your needs in gaming can save you a lot of money. If you only play light games or older games you only need a 3050/3060 or AMD 6600M. If you are playing newer AAA games you might need a medium entry laptop. If you want to play everything and on the best settings, like we discussed earlier, a 3080 or 6800M is for you. When you go to buy a new gaming laptop and you are on a budget really dig and look through every listing on every major website. Try to find the highest GPU you can. Ive seen RTX 3070s gaming laptops as of 6/18/2022 going for $1300. This will give you the ultimate performance in your game for your dollars. This can be more important than the CPU and the ram when deciding what you need when it comes to the GPU. Now some games are dependent on CPU and RAM but you always add more RAM(memory) and the CPU in most gaming laptops are already more than enough. Now something REALLY important to remember is that each laptop manufacturer can designate their own wattage to the GPU. This mean you need to check something called the TGP or Total Graphics Power. This is how powerful your GPU chip in your laptop is. Now for example, if I bought a 3060 laptop and it had a 130w TGP and then another laptop that is a 3070 with a 80w TGP that 3060 is going to outperform that 3070. This is how much power the GPU chip is getting. AMD GPUs have really stepped up with the 6800M costing as much as a RTX3060 while delivering the same performance as a 3070Ti. If you are on a budget do not shy away from laptops with AMD GPUs. The only problem is there are not many to choose from.
How much memory do I need?
As much as you can get. Try to make sure the laptop has 16gb of ram. This insures you can operate the laptop at full capacity and has dual channel memory. Every CPU operates better if it has 2 sticks of ram. If you see a laptop with 8GB of ram, then it means it is single channel usually. Its losing as much as 40% of its processing power. The higher, the better. Just remember that. Now there are different types of memory like DDR4 and DDR5 and it can have an impact on performance but if you are on a budget DDR4 is great and you wouldn't see much of a difference in most games. If you are looking for the best of the best then you will want the DDR5. Remember that you can add more memory later. Usually up to 64GB and some of the highest end laptops can be upgraded to 128GB of memory.
How much storage do I need?
Try to get at a very minimum 256gb of Storage on a SSD. But realistically you want 512GB so you can store a few games on it + run windows. Again, the more the better. Now a Hard drive is okay or HDD, but these are MUCH slower than SSDs. You can have a really great laptop with a 3060 and 10700H but its going to bottle neck if you do not have a SSD in it. Try to aim for 256gb minimum so it can run windows and you can store your games on the SSD. I really dont see many laptops for sale these days with a HDD anymore. One of the things you can upgrade in a laptop is storage so you can always add more later. Lots of laptops also offer 2 slots for SSDs so you can double down as well. Check laptop reviews to confirm the one you are buying has 2 slots. Also many entry level laptops come with SSDs soldered in so it cannot be upgraded but offer a 2nd slot for an upgrade.
What kind of display do I want?
Some factors to decide when choosing a display is Brightness, Color Accuracy and Type: OLED - Beautiful but with some flaws. It can be dim, or too bright and left alone for too long can burn an image on the display. IPS - Beautiful but can come in so many variations that come from not accurate and poor color grade. Lets focus on what most modern laptops are: 1080P FHD, 1440P QHD and 2160P 4K or UHD. Most users could not tell the difference between 4k and 1080p on a 15'' display. Whats really important for you is going to be the refresh rate. This is the rate that image is refreshing on the screen. You want to aim for a minimum of 144Hz. This will give you a good start and help in FPS games. 240Hz is even better but do not be fooled by displays offering 360Hz. If that's what it comes with its fine. Its not like you will lose performance if it doesn't match your FPS. That's another thing, your refresh rate is dependent on how many frames per second you are getting off of your GPU. This is why most of us should look for a 1080P/1440P display with a minimum of 144Hz. If you are using 4K, try to aim for 120Hz even if you will only be getting 60FPS tops out of most games. Here I will link a video more about the subject: [LTT: Does 240Hz Matter
Where do I find the best deal for a laptop?
I think this is the main question people are really looking for when coming to r/GamingLaptops and let me tell you, we take pride in our ability as a community to find you the BEST laptop. There is just no one place that is the BEST. But I personally always start with Amazon. They are safe and deliver quickly to my area. You should know the local big box stores for your country/area and start there. But Amazon, NewEgg, Target, Walmart, B&H Photo. Now theyre laptop boutiques and they usually have exclusives with the big manufacturers like MSI,ASUS,LENOVO ETC. But they are more expensive. Sometimes a flat out ripoff. But sometimes they are the only ones that have new releases. XOTIC.com,Ill add more soon
The absolute GOLD STAR winner is COSTCO. Nobody has lower prices on certain laptops than Costco BUT...and a big but is you usually need a membership
Which laptop has the biggest battery and last the longest? What about noise?
First I want to say that AMD laptops have the best battery life usually in gaming laptops. Try to find a laptop with a AMD CPU or AMD GPU if battery life is the most important factor. Intel chips usually use more watts and run hotter. AMD has done an excellent job with core efficiency. Intel with the new 12th Gen CPU has added new E cores into their chips to save power and better utilize the power they receive demonstrated in the picture below. On the other hand AMD claims on their new 6000 Series CPUs that they are 250% more efficient than Intel's 12th gen in power.
Intel adds new E cores to their 12th gen line up for better battery life
AMD 6900H series claim 2.5x the power efficiency of Intels 12th gen
2022 Gaming Laptops have taken a new turn with a focus on battery life and power efficiency instead of raw power and performance. Intel and AMD both are trying to get the most of our 1440P displays and your battery. Gaming on the go has never been better. If battery life is the biggest concern you will want to get a 12th gen Intel or 6000 Series AMD CPU. Now no two laptops are like in this regard. One laptop could have a 65 battery and another laptop could also have a 65w battery and the difference can be night and day. While Laptop A can run for 8 hours unplugged browsing the web, Laptop B can run up to 16 hours on the same battery because of the difference in its configuration. Now lets talk about configurations. Each laptop manufacturer has the choice on how power or watts to give the CPU and the GPU. While laptop is running a powered 55w 11800H, Laptop B has decided to give its Laptop a 45W configuration with a 11260H CPU. This smaller 6 core 11260H CPU does give the same big performance as the bigger 8 core 11800H, but it uses less power, giving for a better battery life. You should always look over the fine specs of your laptop and see the wattage. Decide if you need the bigger, more powerful CPU for bigger performance or choose the smaller CPU for better battery and lighter activities.
As for noise they're two types of laptops usually when choosing a gaming laptop and that's Regular and Stealth/Slim. Stealth/Slim laptops are designed for people who need to be in public places, the office or just do not like the sound of laptops. They have no RGB, are usually Black or Matte and have lower TGP/Wattage as to make less noise and get less attention. if you have ever heard a gaming laptop at 100% usage then you know they can get very loud. They often have GPUs were less Watts to run cooler and different configurations than the bigger gaming laptops. They are slimmer and lighter as well, meant for your life on the go. Carrying a big bulky game laptop can get tiring quickly. These laptops are designed for students and workers in mind. Often they only perform at half the performance of its full performance gaming laptops in comparison. So if you only need to do some light gaming and plan to be on the go often, these were meant for you! If you want a full powered gaming laptop but do not like the RGB, most laptops can disable the RGB with software provided.
How long will my gaming laptop last?
A good gaming laptop will 4-5 years. They can also last up to 10 years but can also die within 3 years. Yes, thats right 3 years. The entire question in based on much you use it, how well you take care of it and how hot it gets. Heat is our biggest enemy and laptops that run exceptionally hot can burn out quickly. Always prop the bottom of your laptop up so it can get airflows. The intake is on the bottom. Also make sure you do not have the rear exhaust against a wall. Make sure you clean your laptop every so often and including every year removing the bottom panel and giving it a dusting. Make sure if you use canned air on the bottom fans, you hold the fan still while you spray it. Blowing the fans can cause damage to them, so its best to be safe.
Premium Features To Look For
Newer gaming laptops are adding more features and hardware than before like Liquid Metal. Liquid Metal is a thermal conductor used between your CPU and the heatsink to keep the CPU cool. Its only recently been used in laptop CPUs by Asus in 2020 and was invented in 2005 by MIT. So look to see if it has Liquid Metal cooling. Brands like MSI, Lenovo,ASUS, Alienware and Dell have added this to their high end laptops. The next feature youll want to check for is a Vapor Chamber. These are metal plates that have a wick material inside that turns liquid to gas and back to liquid as it travels through the material. Its vacuumed sealed and is the premium cooling feature for laptops. Right now very few laptops have them but more and more laptops are starting to add them. Lenovo, MSI, ASUS and Dell have all added them to their premium laptops like the ASUS Strix 17 SE, MSI GT77HX and Lenovo Legion 7i. While not necessary and realistically hard to find, any laptop that has these features is just a bonus and probably a sign it has good cooling. Good cooling is usually a sign of good performance.
How do I know what I need though? Ive read this entire thing and ive learned nothing.
I think watching a video like this will help: Understanding Gaming PC Parts explained . I have assumed youve come with some general understanding of computer parts, but if not thats okay! Watch this and other similar videos to learn all about computer parts. Im over here talking about a 11800H or a RTX 3070 and youre thinking what the hell is that?! Its a time of learning
Some Last Thoughts
I think you should double check your purchase one last time before you hit buy. Make sure there is not a newer generation laptop out that is the same price. You could be getting more performance for the same cost. I also think you should come to the sub and post about your choice and get some others people opinions. Of course take them with a grain of salt. Every laptop is different and thats what I love about them most. Its a self contained environment that has its own style and performance. From the beauty of an alienware to the elegant style of ASUS, laptops are amazing. You can simply pick your gaming station up, put it on your bag and head to a friends house and be gaming within 30 seconds. No desktop has that on us. If you need portability but want to game, look no further.
Check out my Guide to Undervolting your CPU using Throttlestop
If you have any suggestions feel free to comment below. This is a community and were in this together.
As always, Im CaptainGString and thanks for stopping by.
Posted Jun 19, 2022, 7:03 AM UTC · edited