"I'd Never Get a Gaming Laptop!"

Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop

Why in the world would anyone ever get a laptop for gaming?  This is a question people ask me all the time, especially after they find out I'm using a gaming laptop for nearly all the gaming I enjoy.  I suppose it always comes down to a person's specific need.

Reason One: Portability First

The first reason I would offer, that many people can relate to I'm sure, is the need for portability above all else.  I've carted my laptop back and forth to college, or used it to write papers and take notes in class, and when you only want a single machine to do all this, you need a laptop.

Phones and tablets can take over many of the portability concerns, this is true. Most people, however, can still type faster on a real keyboard. Additionally, there are many times when someone needs to use a program that only works on a computer. Wouldn't you prefer to use your own system rather than wait for the computer lab at school?

Battery life is a concern, and one I consider carefully when evaluating a laptop for school that is also powerful enough to play games.  Modern battery technology has greatly improved, and so have the power saving features that include the ability to clock down your CPU and disable your GPU when you are not actively gaming you can maximize battery life without sacrificing any performance when you actually need it.

Reason Two: Simplicity

I cannot overstate the importance of an elegant and simple setup.  The ability to have your monitor, keyboard, and a trackpad available instantly, along with a fast Wi-Fi connection and even a webcam for meetings is a life saver.  It's an all-in-one solution, and that is important for a number of reasons.  First, setup and teardown takes a matter of seconds rather than minutes.  Taking a desktop computer with monitor and accessories over to an event or a friend's house can be a real chore, and sometimes that takes a toll on the hardware leading to painful troubleshooting sessions when you least want to deal with that headache.

If there are any show-stopping problems with the laptop, there is one company responsible for the entire device, something that can be a real pain with a custom desktop.  It's nice to have support from a company after the sale, regardless of the skills one might have personally to repair a malfunctioning laptop.  If a gaming laptop is working, then it is ready to game, and if you want accessories, you can easily throw them in the bag, which brings me to my final reason...

Reason Three: Versatility

The pure utility factor of a well-equipped gaming laptop should be a surprise to no one, and is an area where phones and tablets still struggle to compete.  When a laptop has a display out, USB connectivity, audio out and maybe an SD card reader, there is no limit to your AV options.  With a small USB 3.0 hub and a gig bag with a 10-keyless keyboard, USB headset, mouse, and any specialty items you need like a high quality webcam or digital camera, you can really do all your work on the road.

The dual-role gaming laptops have as media creation and portable work devices are a testament to their heritage as personal computers built in a portable form factor.  This is something that you can't say about specialized devices like phones, tablets, and even non-gaming laptops like Chromebooks and gaming consoles like the Playstation 4 or X-Box One.

Taking a look at the equipment prominent YouTube personalities (like Paul's Hardware below) take with them to events and expos all over the world are truly inspiring and just a glimpse into the possibilities out there for a quality experience.  The best part of a versatile laptop is the fact that the whole system with accessories can fit in your carry-on, so you never have to risk losing it with your luggage or let it out of your sight.

Recommendations

I'm not here to sell you on any specific laptop brand or model, just to tell you about my opinions when it comes to portable gaming.  A mid-range gaming laptop is about as expensive as a mid-range desktop PC once you factor in a good monitor and a battery backup (lets not forget about that!) while the highest end gaming laptops can certainly fetch a premium over a comparably equipped desktop.  It all comes down to priorities so I'll offer some great options for mid-2018.

First, take a look at the $1750 Huawai MateBook X Pro, a nifty MacBook Pro alternative with Windows 10.  You have some nice low-mid gaming on the Geforce MX150 GPU, an Intel i7 6-core CPU, and a gorgeous IPS touch screen with an infinity edge.  This might not be a gaming laptop primarily, but it has some gaming chops in a professional package making it perfect for school or business.  Check out ScienceStudio's review below on this sweet option, and look for the affiliate link in his video description if you want to add this to your arsenal.

Next, take a look at the $1200 Acer Predator Helios 300, more what you would expect from the design language of a typical gaming laptop, featuring high-end options like a 144Hz screen, a Geforce GTX 1060 6GB GPU, and a powerful i7 6-core CPU.  Check out the Teach Deals promo of this laptop showing some live Ghost Recon: Wildlands with excellent performance.  Again, if you are interested in grabbing this deal, please use the affiliate like in Tech Deal's video to help support his channel.

Finally, to get a good idea of all the options out there, Dave 2D does a great job breaking down the pros and cons of the 2018 laptop landscape featuring all the most popular brands and models with his stunning video production style.  Take a look at his channel in general as he reviews laptops and phones at a rapid pace and gives an honest opinion on the tech.  I like his stuff personally as he tends to value aesthetics and build quality as much as performance, so it isn't just a race for the best framerates, it is a picture of the whole package.  He has affiliate links as well, so definitely support his channel if you decide you want to buy any product he recommends.

At the end of the day, personal preference takes over when making a decision on a gaming laptop, especially when it will be your main driver for the forseeable future.  With modern processor and graphics technology, poor performance is a thing of the past.  It makes more sense than ever to get a laptop for gaming and GPU-heavy work like video editing when portability is a concern.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter, so please feel free to comment below.  Also if you enjoy the content from any of the YouTube creators I mentioned above, let me know.  I'm always impressed with the quality of the content coming out of the YouTube "tech-tuber" community and I can't wait to watch their reviews on all the latest technology as it comes out.