Gaming Laptop Guide

Lugging around that gaming rig, with your keyboard, mouse and screen in tow can get a bit tiring, especially if you do it on a constant basis. But how else are you going to be able to play your favourite games, since they require graphics and processing power that most mainstream laptops just don't have? There's a solution to nearly every question in life, and for this one, the solution just happens to be a gaming laptop.

The solution is to invest in a gaming laptop. Just think of it as a portable gaming solution - you get to have the most powerful processors and video graphics in a package that's easier to carry around than your gaming tower. With a gaming laptop, you can do nearly all of the things that you would be able to do with your desktop gaming rig without having to lug a colossal tower around.

The first thing to consider when buying a gaming laptop is how big you want it to be. Gaming laptops range from 15" models that are convenient for carrying around to 18" models that offer the largest screens and the best video graphics cards available. Laptops are generally referred to by the size of their screens, so keep this in mind when choosing one. Also keep in mind how often you plan on carrying around your gaming laptop before choosing a size. Most 17" and above laptops are considered "desktop replacements" and thanks to their size and weight, these models aren't recommended for constant carrying around.

Processing power is a big concern when it comes to gaming laptops. In order to play the latest games at the fastest settings available, there has to be enough processing power to handle such strong demands. Processors such as Intel's Core 2 Extreme and Mobile Core i7 are designed to address the needs of gamers and other power users, with multiple processing cores and the ability to overclock for added processing power.

Dedicated graphics cards are nearly mandatory when it comes to gaming laptops. Companies such as nVidia and ATI offer powerful graphics solutions that deliver superior performance over "integrated" graphics solutions. In fact, dedicated graphics cards are much different than their integrated counterparts. Instead of being graphics chips directly mounted on the main motherboard, dedicated cards are on their own board that is connected to the motherboard by a slot. With their own specialized memory and graphics chips, these cards perform much faster, giving gamers a better playing experience.

2GB of RAM is the bare minimum of what most companies will supply their gaming laptops with. Of course, custom ordered laptops are available with upgrades for system RAM, as well as hard drives and other features. Keep in mind that the maximum amount of RAM for most gaming laptops is 8GB, with some laptops only allowing 6.8GB of that RAM to be used thanks to certain hardware limitations.

Gaming laptops can get pretty expensive, especially if you end up checking everything on the options checklist. For $1500, you can get a decent gaming laptop that can hold its own against any other system, while $2000 or more can get you the laptop of your gaming dreams.

Matthew Kerridge is an expert in conusmer electronics. If you would like more information about gaming laptops or are looking for a reputable gaming laptop retailer please visit http://www.ebuyer.com

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