Gaming Laptops (106 products)

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Gaming laptop vs gaming desktop

It wasn't too long ago that choosing a gaming laptop over a gaming desktop meant massively sacrificing performance, but nowadays that's no longer the case. With mobile CPUs and mobile GPUs from Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA getting more and more powerful - with each new generation of hardware further closing the gap between laptop components and their desktop counterparts - gaming laptops are better than ever.

Why buy a gaming laptop?

Although a dedicated gaming desktop can offer the best performance - with a watt-guzzling graphics card that consumes the same amount of power as an entire gaming laptop - for many it's not a suitable option. Once you factor in a desk, a large gaming monitor, an external keyboard and mouse, and the desktop tower itself, a complete desktop set-up takes up a considerable amount of room.

On the other hand, the portable and self-contained nature of a gaming laptop means it's not tied to one location. It can be placed anywhere and stowed away easily as needed, perfect for those who lack the space to devote to a dedicated computer set-up. What's more, with a gaming laptop can you play on-the-go, take the session to a friend's place, or just enjoy playing from another spot in your house.

For cutting-edge performance and high-resolution graphics in a small package, a gaming laptop is the computer for you. Really, all you need to pair with a gaming laptop is a gaming mouse, then you'll be able to truly to take on the competition.

How to buy a gaming laptop

Integrated graphics built into the CPU are better than they have ever been. Some can run low-spec esports titles at playable frame rates. However, if you want to run the latest big-budget releases with all the bells and whistles enabled, a standard laptop simply won't cut it. For these titles, you need a gaming laptop that's built to handle cutting-edge graphics. And with our huge range of gaming laptops, you're spoilt for choice.

Graphics processing unit

If you're not sure where to start, by far the most important component to look for in a gaming laptop is the graphics processing unit, or GPU for short. Any serious gaming laptop will have a discrete GPU - as in, one that's separate from the processor's integrated graphics. Keep an eye out for discrete, high-performance GPUs from NVIDIA and AMD.

NVIDIA's 50-class GPUs - the GeForce RTX 3050, for instance - are meant more for ultra-smooth performance in esports titles. The further up the stack you go - from 50-class GPUs to 60, 70, and 80-class GPUs - the more performance you get, letting you run more graphically-demanding games at higher settings, resolutions, and frame rates.

Upgradability

The GPU is often the bottleneck of a gaming laptop, holding performance back. And unlike a gaming desktop, it's impossible to upgrade the GPU of a gaming laptop to a newer, faster model. This means you'll have to buy a whole new laptop when your games aren't running smoothly anymore, even if it's really just the GPU that warrants an upgrade.

So, when you're looking to buy a gaming laptop, make sure it's equipped with the best GPU for your budget. Other components, like the memory and storage, and usually upgradable in a gaming laptop. As you can upgrade them later, it's worth considering a gaming laptop that fits your budget with less memory capacity and storage space but a more powerful GPU.

To learn more about the components of a gaming laptop and what you should be looking for, check out our blogs linked below.

Gaming laptops at Ebuyer

When it comes to gaming laptops, gamers will have all the best brands to choose from at Ebuyer. We stock the likes of MSI, ASUS, Lenovo, and more, so you know you're getting the best quality when you pick up a gaming laptop from our range. Start browsing today and see what cheap gaming laptops deals we have on offer, and spread the cost of your purchase with our flexible finance offers.

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