How To Choose The Right Gaming Laptop For You In 2024
It’s not all about raw power when shopping for a gaming laptop. It’s also about how the laptop fits into your setup. In a world where typical laptops have nearly eradicated ports in favor of a few USB-C connectors and a tangle of dongles, gaming laptops remain the last bastion of advanced port selection. That’s why it’s important to make sure the laptop you buy has enough I/O. You don’t want to take home your dream laptop, only to realize that it doesn’t support your DisplayPort monitor, or that it’s incompatible with your Thunderbolt USB hub.
When shopping for a gaming laptop, consider each of the devices you’re likely to plug into it. Will you be using an external mouse or keyboard? What about a controller? And, of course, think about the stuff that isn’t always connected, such as USB flash storage devices, smartphones, or headphones/headsets. Additionally, it’s not uncommon for high-end gaming laptops to come without a built-in webcam, which you’ll also need to connect as a peripheral.
As with other aspects of choosing a gaming laptop, you’ll want to shop according to your needs. Are your USB devices mostly type-C, or do you have some old fashioned USB-A cords in the mix? Do you plan on connecting directly to LAN for improved network performance while playing online games? In that case, look for a LAN port. And will you be using a secondary monitor? If so, make sure you purchase a laptop with an HDMI output.
