Gaming laptop FAQs
Michael Chan and Paige Clarke/Insider
How much should I expect to spend on a gaming laptop?
A “budget” gaming laptop will retail for around $1,000 to $1,400, but you should expect a lower amount of storage space, less powerful CPUs, and dimmer screens. You can even find some options for less than that, but there will be more compromises in performance. Check out our guide to the best gaming laptops under $1,000 for our top recommendations in that price range.
The best gaming laptops that excel in all areas (graphics, display, processing power, storage, and more) will likely range from $2,000 to $3,000 in price. And a gaming laptop that goes above and beyond, with a massive amount of storage and top-tier hardware, will cost even more than that.
Budget gaming laptops will be powerful enough for most users, and a standard gaming laptop — like the Asus ROG Zephyrus M16, for example — should be perfect for pretty much anyone, with hardware powerful enough to last for years. You’ll see diminishing returns past that point.
On the whole, the best gaming laptops tend to be more expensive than regular laptops, but less expensive than our picks for the best gaming PC desktops.
Is it better to buy a gaming laptop with Nvidia or AMD graphics?
When it comes to graphics cards (GPUs), the two titans are Nvidia and AMD. Most of the best gaming laptops — especially the more expensive ones — only offer Nvidia RTX graphics. But it’s not uncommon to find models with AMD Radeon GPUs.
Both brands have their upsides. Nvidia GPUs tend to be more powerful, and can better handle advanced graphical features like raytracing. Nvidia 40-series GPUs also offer a feature known as “Deep Learning Super Sampling” (DLSS), which can massively boost frame rates in high-end games using AI. AMD GPUs aren’t as strong, but tend to be less expensive, and modern AMD cards can still handle nearly any game you want to play.
The laptops in this guide all use Nvidia RTX graphics. In general, we recommend sticking with Nvidia cards — they perform better, and if you’re just buying a pre-built laptop (like any of the laptops in this guide), you likely won’t notice the price increase.
Read our AMD vs. Nvidia comparison to learn more about how the two brands stack up.
What does refresh rate mean?
Every computer monitor has a specific refresh rate, measured in hertz (Hz). This is a measure of how many times per second the screen “refreshes,” or displays an entirely new image. This means that the higher a monitor’s refresh rate, the faster it can update to show you the next frame of a game, movie, or even just your mouse moving.
The industry standard for refresh rates on high quality gaming laptops is 165Hz, meaning that the screen will update 165 times per second. High-end gaming laptops usually go up to 240Hz. But if you shell out some money, it’s not hard to find external monitors at 360Hz or higher.
Just note that even if you have a high refresh rate, games and movies you play still won’t move any faster than their individual frame rate. So on a 165Hz monitor, a game running at 60 frames per second will still only update 60 times every second.
Are gaming laptops weaker than gaming desktops?
Modern gaming laptops are powerful, and can accomplish pretty much anything you’d want. But dollar-for-dollar, gaming desktops are still more powerful.
The biggest reason for this is that gaming laptops and desktops use different types of CPUs and GPUs. Even if a laptop and desktop both say they have an RTX 4090 graphics card, for example, the laptop’s card is weaker because it’s a “mobile” graphics card. Mobile hardware is smaller and slower than the standard hardware you’d find in a desktop.
When you buy a gaming laptop, you’re mostly paying for portability. In every other aspect, gaming desktops will still outclass laptops. This means that gaming desktops are the best choice for consistent 4K or 8K gaming, virtual reality, and intensive video editing.
For more details, check out our gaming laptop vs. desktop guide.
Can I build my own gaming laptop?
With enough effort, you can build anything! But compared to building a gaming desktop, trying to build a laptop is almost certainly a waste of time and money.
It’s relatively simple to build a gaming desktop since desktop parts are easy to buy online, and it doesn’t take much effort to slot them into the right place. Building a desktop is usually even cheaper than buying one pre-built. But laptops have their own specially designed “mobile” components that are more difficult and expensive to buy, let alone check for compatibility issues.
If you want a gaming laptop, buy it pre-built. You’re guaranteed to get great (or at least stable) performance, and it’ll save you a world of frustration.
