Purchase guide of the best gaming laptops for gaming enthusiasts, those with which to combine maximum performance and autonomy without neglecting mobility to play with your laptop from anywhere.
The gaming laptops have become thinner, lighter and more powerful, to which we must add that they increasingly optimize energy efficiency to increase their autonomy. We review and classify the best gaming laptops of the year and explain to you in what aspects you should look before the purchase.
Buying Guide For The Best Gaming Laptops For 2020 Games
There are several aspects that you should take into account when looking for a laptop that offers reasonable mobility and performance. If you add the price handicap to this, the choice is complicated by having to shuffle various variables.
You need a CPU that is trained in cores and speeds. Also a graphics chip powerful enough to support high resolutions without losing details in the graphics.
No less important is the amount of system RAM and storage, with drives that offer large capacity to store games and other files. Finally, a reasonable resolution screen next to a design chassis that supports the shipments as a result of your movements.
With all this in mind, we have developed a series of buying tips for each component of the notebook to help you in your final decision. You can check here if you wish, how to know what hardware my PC has : How to know the graphics, CPU and RAM.
Which Processor is The Best?
If we talk about Intel as the world’s leading manufacturer of notebook chips, its 9th generation Intel Core processors adapt well to the current requirements of a gaming laptop
However, you may also have enough power with the previous code-named Coffee Lake, as they remain energy efficient, while providing a considerable increase in performance.
As you will see below, choosing a model of laptops with a previous generation chipset could result in a better price for your pocket. You don’t need the latest to get good experiences.
What Graphics Card to Choose?
Without a doubt, the graphics chip is the most important component of any laptop for gaming, since it does most of the work when the game runs on your computer, freeing up the workload of the CPU.
In addition, unlike what happens with a desktop PC, you will not be able to access inside to update or replace the graphics card at any given time, so the decision you initially make will be decisive.
The Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti, 1080, 1070, 1060 and 1050 graphics chip laptops will be the ones you should mostly keep in mind when buying your new equipment. You will see ‘Max Q’ versions of these graphics, created to fit inside the laptop’s chassis.
You will find the GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti in slightly cheaper gaming laptop configurations . Predictably they could go down, but the reality is that they continue to be around € 1000. Current demand for graphics to encrypt cryptocurrencies is raising the price of GPUs.
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What Screen do I Need?
The screens of the laptops have improved considerably in recent years, to offer resolutions considered Full HD (1980 x 1080 pixels), also using better technology than the basic TN type panels found in cheap laptops.
As far as possible, search among the range of laptops with IPS panels, which offer a wide and consistent display from all possible angles, as well as a better contrast ratio and a wider and more real range of colors.
Do not be fooled by the brightness of the screen: the contrast ratio, especially with lower brightness settings, is much more important than dazzling your eyes with values above 300 cd / m2.
You may find screens with anti-glare finishes that are more practical if you use them in offices, reversing the trend of high-gloss reflective panels that were previously unavoidable for most brands.
The price of laptops also goes in relation to the screen resolution. When they are higher than HD, such as UHD or 4K, graphics chips will need to offer higher performance to move games.
Keep in mind that for most players, FHD (1920 x 1080) or QHD (2560 x 1440) will offer enough values to represent a high level of detail, with very acceptable fps display ratio.
If what you want is to offer a more uniform and smooth viewing experience, you can purchase 1080p or 1440p models with a screen refresh rate of between 120 and 144 Hz, values that handle the Razer Blade 15 or Asus ROG Scar 2 devices of the comparative.
How Much Storage do I Need and What Type?
Undoubtedly, solid-state storage units have greatly improved the performance and consumption that traditional hard drives with mechanical parts were offering. The user experience when it comes to turning on a PC immediately, starting programs, or opening and saving files, has changed considerably, reducing times significantly.
This will not make the games run faster, although it can reduce the loading times between levels, as well as causing them to start faster.
However, the NVMe unit solutions that use the motherboard’s PCIe connection to connect to the system have proliferated for some time. Our recommendation is that if you can acquire a configuration with this type of unit, opt for it because it will provide your operating system with a higher speed (3 times that achieved with SSD). Remember that modern games take up a lot of space.
Do Gaming Laptops Have Better Sound?
The Mouse to your gaming laptop set ups has improved in recent years, in addition to the fact that manufacturers manage to make equipment that turns out to be quieter in order not to disturb your game.
In addition to the headphone output, there are many brands that have been associated with other prestigious sound in order to offer a set of surround speakers for those cases in which you do not use headphones.
Thus, we can see solutions from B&O, Harman Kardon, Onkyo or Dolby Surround. Our experience is that sometimes you will be able to appreciate these differences, but it does not always imply that you will have a better sound experience. We also tell you our opinion of each one of them.
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Battery Life and Other Aspects
The autonomy of the laptop may not be as decisive as the users who work daily with their laptops on journeys or journeys can look for. The user of a gaming laptop will prioritize mobility over autonomy.
In addition, the power of the processor has a direct impact on energy consumption, so if you opt for a laptop with great performance, the equipment will hardly be energy efficient. We will see all these aspects below.
The Best Gaming Laptops of 2020
Razer Blade 15
From $ 1,599 | Model reviewed £ 2,399
The Razer Blade 15 is a powerful laptop in the gaming area . The company, specializing in all types of accessories for this market, currently has a portfolio of 7 computers that include the most powerful graphics chips with high-performance hardware .
The Razer Blade 15’s screen also lives up to the circumstances. The one mentioned here has an IPS panel with the possibility to choose between the model with FullHD resolution, or the one with 4K quality working at 60 fps and in multi-touch mode.
At the specification level, it includes the 8th generation Core i7 processor and an Nvidia RTX 2070 Max Q graphics. You can also find this same model with GTX 1070 graphics in the Full HD display mode at a cheaper price.
Gigabyte Aero 15X
From $ 1,999, model reviewed $ 2,499
The Gigabyte Aero 15X v8 model comes with a balanced configuration thinking of those users who want to combine working hours with leisure time in a lightweight portable format that is easy to transport.
Its 4K screen is excellent, with a tough overall build quality and a configuration designed to handle the latest game titles at a resolution of 1080p.
For connectivity purposes, the Aero 15X guarantees the new USB C and Thunderbolt 3 connection modes along with the more traditional Ethernet network connection, HDMI 2.0 output and three USB 3.0 ports. Its backlit keyboard will also allow you to focus more on the game and the controls.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 2
From $ 1,699; Model reviewed $ 1,999
For design purposes, the ROG of Asus has evolved compared to the previous generation with a narrower screen frame and more modern visagras that aesthetically make it more colorful, although it maintains a weight of 2.54 kg and a thickness of up to 26 mm.
Another improvement of the ROG Strix Scar 2 of Asus is offered by the type of keyboard, with highlighted WASD keys and in transparent mode to be able to locate them immediately by the player. Its AURA lighting does the rest with improved membranes that speed up the pulsation recording.
If you can put aside the fact that it is a somewhat heavy solution, as well as that its battery is not as long-lasting, the rest of the aspects will not disappoint you, either by design, variety of ports and response of keyboard and trackpad.
Alienware M15
From $ 1,499
If you are willing to pay for a powerful and mobile solution, Dell Alienware m15 offers a multitude of configuration options, starting at an economical price that is currently at € 1,449.
Unlike the vast majority of laptops, the Alienware m15 continues to have connectivity on its back, along with a cooling system known as bee panels that guarantees an optimal indoor temperature for its components to work.
If you don’t mind paying an extra price for portability, the m15 is one of the best options to simulate great lighting details. The slimmer and lighter design does not take its toll on its power and performance, with a very positive battery life.
Point out that these models of Alienware AlienFX mSeries laptops are marketed in our country with alphanumeric keys in English (US international) , a detail to take into account if you consider it important for you.
Acer Aspire VX15
$ 799
Looking at the purchase price of the Aspire VX15, we might well think that it is the PC configuration for gaming that best meets the needs of the mass public, with a price below € 700 which is sometimes half of what they cost other models.
The secret? It seems to be based on the quality of the components, such as the laptop case, which is basically plastic. That does not mean that for cooling you have large vents with contours in red.
When playing a video in 720p quality loop mode, the Aspire VX15 lasts about six hours and 40 minutes, enough to use it as a productivity PC, and not far from the best 9-hour times offered by the Inspiron 7000 Gaming from Dell.
But let’s not fool ourselves, since the contrast of the screen and the somewhat weak colors will not make your games look splendid, although others such as the Dell Inspiron 7000 Gaming have a similar problem. Nor will you feel comfortable with the offered trackpad , something that you can solve with an external mouse and mouse bungee.
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