Best place to buy Gaming Laptop (Oct 2022)
If you are in the market for a gaming laptop, you can often find some good deals while shopping online. And so to answer the question of where the best place to buy gaming laptop, we need to look no further than Amazon.
Gaming laptops have one big thing going for them over the traditional desktop computer: Portability. In my opinion, comparing laptops and desktops is a lot like comparing an Xbox to a Nintendo Switch. They both do the job well, but they also have a different way of going about it.
These days, the ideal gaming laptop boasts a light weight, large screen, and top-notch performance. Maybe at one time in the past, laptops couldn’t quite stack up to the massive computing power of a high end PC, but these days, you can now find laptops with CPUs that have many cores, Graphics cards good enough to play games at max settings, and SSD storage that is many times faster at loading games than the older hard disk drive format.
Long story short, laptops are almost up there with PCs in terms of gaming prowess. The biggest advantage a laptop has over a desktop is the simple fact that you can take it anywhere. However, the biggest drawback a laptop has, is its overall lack of future proofing. You can’t just take apart a laptop and expect to install more memory or a better graphics card the same way you can with a desktop.
When looking at gaming laptops, it is important to consider the games you typically play, and the games you plan on playing further down the road. A while back, I wrote up a buying guide for gaming computers, and so, to ensure that interested gamers have what they need to buy a new laptop, I’ve made a new guide to help you out.
As with any buying guides I write, if I mention the price tag, remember that the prices were accurate as of writing and may differ by country, so feel free to check out Amazon directly for more details. I will try to keep this list updated with anything new that comes up, so feel free to check back often.
Disclaimer Note: Any links found below are affiliate links, which means if you click one that takes you to Amazon, and you make a purchase, we may receive a small commission for the sale.
Best place to buy Gaming Laptop? Online via Amazon!
As I mentioned earlier, Amazon is my recommended place to buy pretty much anything, be it electronics or general consumer stuff. Especially books. One time when inside my local Chapters, I found a cookbook on the shelf, searched it up on Amazon and found it to be about $10 cheaper. Sure, you could argue that the lower price wouldn’t be so high once I factor in shipping costs, but since I have Prime, my shipping is pretty much free all the time. I’m also a very patient person, perfectly capable of delaying my own gratification for a few days until the book was shipped.
I know this story may not seem relevent when discussing laptops, but the principle is still there: online shopping is oftentimes a lot cheaper that flat out buying something in a retail store. It saves you the time and fuel spent driving out to your local mall.
Things to Consider when getting a Gaming Laptop
Before doing any buying, its a good idea to take a step back and think about what you are looking for. While I admire Amazon’s return policy, the last thing you want to do is to order a laptop and find out that it doesn’t quite meet your needs. Below, I will be discussing a few things to consider before making the purchase
Gaming Laptops are Costly!
Let’s get this one out of the way; when compared to a desktop with similar specs, the laptop’s price tag will be enormous in relation. As mentioned earlier, portability is a major selling point for laptops, gaming or otherwise. If you plan on playing AAA video games at max settings, be prepared to pay through the nose. If you have the space in your home, it might be more beneficial to consider a desktop.
Know the Jargon for Specs
Another thing, be mindful of the laptop’s specifications, or specs, if you will. Any time you shop online for laptops, there are primarily 5 things that may factor into the cost of the laptop:
- CPU, aka the Central Processing Unit. Any computer class will often refer to it as the “brains” of the computer. The CPU is used to calculate data and run apps and programs. CPU Performance is based on the speed of the CPU and the number of cores it has. A faster CPU means the computer boots up faster, opens programs faster, and overall computer work can be done without too much waiting around.
- GPU, also known as the graphics card, it is probably the most important thing to note in a gaming laptop. Much like the CPU, performance is based on the speed, but a GPU also has its own memory storage dedicated to processing computer graphics and visuals.
- RAM (Random Access Memory) determines how well your computer can store data for later use. Lots of RAM ensures that the laptop can run multiple apps at once without any slowdown.
- Screen Size. Another important thing to consider, especially if you plan on playing high resolution games. A larger screen will look much better, but by association, make the laptop cost (and weigh) more.
- Storage Space. Sometimes called memory in some retail stores for some reason, this determines how many games, apps, programs, and files you can store before you run out of space. If you plan on keeping a laptop for many years, you may want to look at ones with more than 500 GB.
There may be other things to look for as well, such as battery life, bluetooth connectivity, and the weight of the laptop. Some are standard features, but for the most part, you’ll want to keep these 5 factors in mind.
Get a Laptop with Future-Proofing in Mind
Always remember that technology is constantly improving. Tech companies are always working hard to innovate and push the boundaries of what can be done on a computer. As a result, some computers will become obsolete after a few months on the market.
Future-proofing means getting something that you won’t have to replace for many years. A lot of times, the average consumer buys something, and after a few years they go out and replace their old or broken-down device with a newer one. In other cases, one can buy a slightly better quality product now, and years later, are still able to enjoy using it without having to replace it right away.
Future-proofing a gaming laptop means getting one with the newest CPU and GPU models. Also make sure you get one with as much RAM as you can possibly afford; each year, games need more and more memory to run properly, so skimping out on RAM may involve not being able to play modern games.
Check if a Seller offers Warranty
Some brand names may have manufacturer’s warranty that comes with a laptop when sold. In other cases, Amazon may sell a protection plan in case of any future issues with your laptop. While these may be optional, I find it to be a good idea to get it if you want the peace of mind. Since laptops are often used on the go or away from the safety of your office desk, there is always the risk of damage.
The Best Gaming Laptops at a Glance
Below, you will find a list of our top recommended laptops in 2022. Feel free to keep on reading below for further details.
- Acer Nitro 5 – Our Top Pick for Entry-Level Gaming
- Acer Predator Triton 500 SE – The Premium Pick for Professional Gamers
- MSI GV15 Gaming Laptop – The Budget Pick
Acer Nitro 5 – Our Top Pick
Why we recommend this one: The Acer Nitro 5 is a great entry level option for those interested in a laptop. At 8 gigs of RAM, it already has double the memory of what desktop computers had a decade ago, and the graphics card has 4GB of decicated RAM for gaming. My only complaint is that the storage space is a little on the lower side of things, so you may have to be careful for what you install and download.
The Specs:
- CPU – Core i7
- GPU – GeForce RTX 3050
- RAM – 8 GB
- Screen Size – 15.6 Inches
- Storage Space – 512 GB
Acer Predator Triton 500 SE – The Premium Pick
Why we recommend this one: Advertized as a “Creator Laptop”, the Acer Predator has a lot of hardware that justifies the hefty price tag. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this for just gaming, as the high memory seems to indicate that it may be more useful as a media computer for streaming or rendering footage.
The Specs:
- CPU – Core i9
- GPU – GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
- RAM – 32 GB
- Screen Size – 16 Inches
- Storage Space – 1 TB
MSI GV15 Gaming Laptop – The Budget Pick
Why we recommend this one: This laptop by MSI won’t break the bank, yet will still provide a solid gaming experience. The storage space is a little on the lower side, so you may want to reconsider downloading the entire Steam library. It has a battery life of about 7 hours or so, depending on how often you use it.
The Specs:
- CPU – Core i5
- GPU – GeForce GTX 1650
- RAM – 8 GB
- Screen Size – 15.6 Inches
- Storage Space – 256 GB
The Last Word on Gaming Laptops
Overall, when it comes down to gaming on a laptop, it is important to choose one that meets your needs as a gamer. If you have no interest in playing big budget AAA games, you could probably go for a cheaper gaming laptop. On the other side of the coin, if you want the best in gaming visuals, you will have to pony up more money on a high-end laptop with the beefiest GPU on the market.
Much like choosing a gaming pc, price and performance are your important factors to consider when looking at a laptop’s specs. Laptops will cost more when compared to an identical desktop, due to the portability. To ensure that you have a future proof laptop, make sure you get one with lots of memory and a more recent graphics card.
Anyways, that is just about all I have for today, and I hope this little bit of information helps you out.
Thanks for reading, and until next time, happy gaming!