Long gone are the days when an average, run-of-the-mill computer is all you need to play video games. These days, the games are so advanced that you need an advanced laptop as well. Thankfully, the solution is to buy a computer specifically designed to play games. Here are a few things you should look for when you purchase your next gaming laptop.
Before You Shop
Before you start window shopping for that long-awaited gaming laptop, you should know going in that they are typically quite expensive, a top-of-the-line model can run thousands of dollars. If you are on a limited budget, you may want to look into getting a personal loan to purchase the device. While this may seem extravagant on the surface, you will be satisfying a particular want that you have with a very credible budget solution. Loans for smaller amounts such as this would require are typically quite easy to get. There is also the added benefit of increasing your credit score by making timely payments. If you use a computer for work and are responsible for purchasing your own, or if you are self-employed and use a computer as part of your work, there may even be added tax benefits to purchasing with a loan.
Graphics Card
Of course, a video game without killer graphics is essentially useless. When you are buying a new computer, the first thing you will want have to have is the latest graphics card, otherwise known as a GPU (or graphics processing unit.) Graphics cards implement tiny processors called CUDA cores. The more of these processors the card has, the more realistic they will appear. To fully enjoy modern games, you will need to play with settings to their highest level and to have that function properly, you need to buy the highest-rated card you can afford.
This is not a part of the system on which you can cheap out. Another thing to remember when it comes to graphics is that you may be given the choice between a dedicated card or an integrated card. An integrated card means there is no separate graphics card and all processing is done by the main CPU of the computer. This is undesirable as it will slow down the processing power of the CPU. Always choose the dedicated card whenever possible.
Computer Monitor
While your GPU does all of the work in processing the graphics of the video game, you still need a monitor that can actually display all of the rich and vibrant colors that those graphics have to offer. A sub-par monitor will be unable to display with any clarity the details of the game. To solve this dilemma, look for a monitor with a high resolution. Ideally, this will be a resolution of 4K, which is currently the highest being sold.
This is a great way to future-proof your gaming setup. If for some reason, you cannot get a 4K monitor, you should have at least one rated high definition. Two other aspects you will also want to have rated as high as possible are the contrast ratio and the refresh rate. Both will provide extraordinary graphics, much more so than using a monitor that is rated for standard non-gaming purposes.
Keyboard
This is probably the part of a high-quality gaming computer that is overlooked the most. Look for a mechanical keyboard vs. a traditional membrane keyboard most often found on laptop computers. A mechanical keyboard will ensure a much swifter and reliable response. They can also be customized to virtually any design that the user desires. Mechanical keyboards are far sturdier than the typical keyboard used today, in fact, when most people picture a keyboard in their mind, it is the mechanical keyboard of which they are thinking.
