3 Reasons Why You Should Avoid Laptops for Gaming

If you’re looking to buy a new gaming rig to enjoy all of the latest titles on, then you should probably be looking at a desktop computer, preferably one that features a custom-built design. Unless having the portability of a laptop is a strict requirement for you or you don’t mind spending the large amounts of money demanded by one of the best machines on the market, buying a laptop for gaming is rarely a good idea.

Many companies, such as MSI, Asus and Dell’s Alienware division manufacture dedicated gaming laptops that can easily compete with high-end desktop machines in modern games. Nonetheless, they tend to be extremely expensive, and are still subject to the same issues as any other laptop. If you’re thinking of buying a gaming laptop, make sure you are prepared for the major drawbacks first:

1. Poor Performance

As technology continues to get smaller, the average computer user is happy to get rid of the hulking beige tower cases of old and make way for a smaller and more portable solution, such as a tablet, laptop or even a smartphone. Nonetheless, as things get smaller, they also get slower. As such, no laptop can come close to desktop-like performance when you’re comparing the most powerful among each.

Laptops designed with gaming in mind tend to offer comparable performance to that of a mid-range gaming PC, but they still cost a great deal more, and they’re not usually very future proof. Additionally, they’re much larger and heavier than normal laptops, since they have to pack in essential components such as dedicated graphics cards, more memory and faster processors.

2. Overheating Risks

Perhaps the most common problem with any high-end laptop including, but not limited to, those designed specifically for gaming, is lack of airflow. Due to the limited amount of space inside the chassis, there’s a far higher chance of overheating and, because of their portable nature, laptops often end up collecting a lot of dust as well, which can be very difficult to clean out of the interior of the machine.

No matter how great a new gaming laptop might be, it will still run extremely hot during an extended gaming session to the point that it would not be comfortable to have on your lap. Unfortunately, this issue affects laptops across the board, although some manufacturers, such as Asus, are now building gaming laptops featuring water cooling for more efficient and quieter thermal performance.

3. Fewer Upgrades

Most gamers prioritise upgradability and versatility almost as much as they do performance. However, even the most versatile laptops provide very limited upgrade options when compared to a desktop PC. By contrast, desktops allow you to swap components in and out without any restrictions. The upgradability of desktops over laptops also makes them a lot more affordable, since you don’t need to buy a new computer every time you need to upgrade.

Laptops generally only allow you to install more memory or replace the hard disk, but these upgrades don’t have a major influence on performance in most cases anyway. A few high-end gaming laptops allow you to replace the processor as well, but only with something else that’s compatible with the motherboard.

Final Words

The above reasons make a clear case against buying a laptop specifically for gaming, although for those who need portability, a gaming laptop might remain the only choice. Fortunately, the gaming laptop market has evolved enormously in recent years, and the range of quality products on the market is greater than ever before. However, if performance and versatility are your only priorities, then the desktop wins hands down every time.