RAM: Random Access Memory (RAM) is your gaming laptop’s short-term data storage and the more your device has available, the better. For gaming laptops, you will want 8GB RAM at an absolute minimum, though we recommend 16GB if your budget allows.
Storage: The more storage your gaming laptop has the better. Given the size of many modern games, some of which can easily take up over 100GB, a Solid State Drive (SSD) of 1TB or above is what you should be looking for. Most gaming laptops let you add a second SSD, but some do not. We always try to open up our review samples to see if there’s an option to upgrade the storage, add to it, and increase the memory.
Display: Your gaming laptop could house extremely powerful internal components, but they would be wasted if your device doesn’t have a display capable of doing them justice. You will want a display with at least Full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080p) although QHD+ (2,560 x 1,600) is better yet, while 4K displays (3,840 x 2,160p) are starting to become more common but are significantly more expensive.
Bear in mind that your GPU needs to be pretty powerful if it’s to render graphics at playable framerates at native 4K resolution, although upscaling systems such as DLSS3 and FSR3 are starting to make 4K gaming a possibility with mid-range GPUs.
Pay attention to the display’s refresh rate, too, as this dictates how many frames per second it can display. Refresh rates are measured in Hz, with a higher figure resulting in smoother onscreen action. Budget gaming laptops often only have 144Hz displays. Pay a little more and you’ll get 165Hz. High-end machines should offer at least 240Hz or sometimes even 360Hz or 480Hz though these are really only necessary if you are a hardcore eSports competitor.
If you want a good HDR gaming experience you’ll need one of the latest Mini-LED displays that feature Full Array Local Dimming (FALD) for the super-bright high contrast display. OLED gaming laptops are not a thing right now but there are some multi-purpose machines with OLED displays and discrete GPUs.
Lastly, consider the size of the display. Traditional 15.6in machines are now being superseded by 16in models with a 16:10 rather 16:9 aspect ratio which gives games more on-screen room. Similarly, at the top end, 17.3in 16:9 models are being replaced by 18in 16:10 machines. The larger the display the more screen real estate but the heavier the device becomes.
Connectivity: You’ll always want to connect headphones, keyboards, mice to a gaming laptop so a good selection of ports is more important than with regular machines.Keep an eye out for Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C 4.0 spec USB-C ports here and, if you plan on connecting your laptop to an external monitor, make sure the USB-C ports support DisplayPort video output. All gaming laptops have an HDMI video output but sometimes they can’t deliver the full potential frame rate whereas DisplayPort always can.
Keyboard: If you’re not using an external controller, a gaming laptop’s keyboard becomes an extremely important feature. Most gamers favour mechanical keyboards over their membrane counterparts as they’re more precise and tactile.
Keyboards are also where a lot of gaming laptop manufacturers like to incorporate some form of RGB lighting. This adds a colourful twist to your device and many allow you to customise the colours of each key individually. While far from a necessity, those who want a personalised portable gaming experience will want to ensure their gaming laptop sports RGB lighting in some form.
Battery life: If gaming laptops have one big weakness, it’s battery life. The power required to run demanding games means they won’t last very long when not plugged into the mains. This isn’t a big deal if you’re going to spend most of your time gaming at your desk but it’s worth bearing in mind if you’re looking for a device to use portably.
How much should I spend on a gaming laptop?
Gaming laptops don’t come cheap. The powerful internal components needed to run AAA titles mean that even budget options will set you back around £1,000. Very few machines worth owning cost much below that figure. There are a couple of exceptions, though, so choose carefully if you want a satisfying gaming experience but are strapped for cash.
Decent mid-range options tend to cost in the region of £1,200 to £2,000, while premium devices designed for gamers who want top-end specifications and all the bells and whistles can expect to pay anything between £2,000 and £4,500.
