This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.
PC gaming is said by many to be the best way to play video games. In some ways, that’s true. Top gaming computers pack more graphical and processing power than home consoles, and offer customisation and game choice that you won't find anywhere else.
There is a downside, however, and it’s one that can be endlessly frustrating for those who aren’t used to the PC gaming lifestyle. Unlike consoles, gaming computers require an intense amount of research into each and every part — GPUs, CPUs, monitors, keyboards. It’s a lot to take in, and it all comes in at a steep price of admission.
If that sounds intimidating, you still have another way to get into PC gaming without stressing about building a tower from scratch: a gaming laptop. They are way simpler than their desktop counterparts, seeing as it’s all contained in one single package. Plus, they take up less space, they're portable, and they won’t cost thousands to build and maintain. (That’s not to say that they’re cheap, though.) But it can still be a nerve-wracking choice to pull the trigger on one if you don’t know what to look for in the first place. As you probably already guessed, we’re here to help.
What do you need to know about gaming laptops?
As with any computer — gaming or otherwise — there are a lot of components that go into making a great laptop great. We'll break it down for you so you don’t get bogged down in trying to figure it all out for yourself when shopping for a gaming laptop:
CPU — Also called a processor, your CPU is basically your computer’s brain, and will dictate how speedy your laptop can process inputs, store data, and execute on outputs correctly. Your processor is in constant communication with the other parts of your computer, so it’s important that the device’s central nervous system is a good one.
GPU — The GPU (or graphics card) ensures your games can run at their intended graphical quality. The better the GPU, the better your laptop can render details like textures, anti-aliasing, ray tracing, and more. You can always change these settings within your games to better suit your graphics card, but the better the GPU, the closer you can get to those higher-end settings.
System Memory (or RAM) — Your RAM, like your CPU, is also extremely important in determining overall performance. RAM provides short-term memory storage for applications so that they can access data quickly, storing information that your computer is actively using. Don’t settle for anything less than 8GB.
Storage — When it comes to storage, you’ll normally find yourself deciding between a hard drive (HDD) and a solid-state drive (SSD). HDDs can have a higher storage capacity than SSDs, but at the cost of lower performance. The good news is that some gaming laptops come with a dual-storage approach, opting for an HDD as the main storage method, with a smaller SSD built in for more demanding games.
Display — That nice GPU you bought will be wasted if you don’t have a nice display to marvel at its brilliance on. You’ll mainly want to look for three things here: Resolution, refresh rate, and size. For our money, we say go for a 1080p resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate (which means you can run up to 60 frames per second on your screen). Gaming laptops usually come in at 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch displays.
Keyboard — The keyboard is another vital part of your overall experience with a gaming laptop. Comfort is definitely a factor, but you’ll also want to decide whether you want full-range RGB backlight settings (totally fine to skip out on the fancy stuff here), and if you like the layout of the keys themselves. For example, if you find that you desperately need a number pad on your keyboard, you’ll want to double-check to make sure that it’s there — not all gaming laptops have one.
Keep these features in mind when shopping for a gaming laptop.
What parts should you focus on the most?
If you’re going to boil it down to just two things, you’ll want to put most of your focus on the computer’s GPU and CPU, or the processor and graphics card, respectively. These will be the two things that make or break your experience with your gaming laptop, as they work in tandem with each other — having a good GPU and CPU will ensure that your games run as they should, and look great while doing it.
If you skimp on them, get ready for choppy gameplay and a hefty helping of frustration when you realise that your options are super limited when it comes to what you can play. Don’t make that mistake, and you’ll be saving yourself from a bad time.
What is the best gaming laptop for under £1,000?
Luckily, you can get a pretty nice gaming laptop for under £1,000. Keep in mind that you may not be able to run graphically demanding games on one, but you’ll be able to play whichever games you want for the most part. To make the selection process a little it easier, we 've highlighted a bunch of particularly impressive gaming laptops that should appeal to just about everyone.
These are the best gaming laptops for under £1,000 in 2024.
