Years ago when gaming laptops first hit the market many serious gamers laughed at the whole notion of using a laptop for gaming. These first gaming laptops simply were not up to the power and performance of a gaming PC. No contest. A desktop computer simply gave you higher performance than a gaming laptop.

While that last statement is still probably true, the gap in performance has narrowed significantly in recent years. Laptops have increased in performance with the introduction of more powerful mobile dual processors or even quad processors enhanced with dual graphics cards via SLI technology.

As we go into fifth and sixth generation laptop technologies and platforms... the performance gap will soon be wiped out. Especially when you consider some gaming laptop specialists are actually giving you desktop components in a laptop. Same performance as a desktop only packaged in a laptop. However, calling these laptops is a bit of a stretch because you won't be sitting with these heavy mutant creatures on your lap for any long periods of time.
Regardless, laptop specialists like Alienware, Sager and Rock in the UK, are turning out these computing monsters that can easily rival the gaming desktop PC. The only thing more shocking than all that raw power and performance is the price tag. You do have to pay a hefty price for all that style and performance.

The major drawback or disadvantage of going with a gaming laptop -- there's little room for upgrading. With a gaming PC, you can always upgrade to the latest technologies because there are usually slots open and space to expand... you can even upgrade to a larger monitor if you like.

However, with the gaming laptop the only things you can realistically upgrade are the RAM (memory) and the hard drive. In a gaming laptop everything is so compact and reduced in size to fit into such a small package, there's little space for upgrading. Many serious gamers dismiss owning a gaming laptop for this very reason.
The other major reason is price since you can get more power and performance in a gaming desktop PC for a cheaper price than going with a laptop. Again, the gap is closing but it's still no contest. While laptop prices are steadily falling, you can still get a better gaming rig at a lower price if you go the PC route. In addition, larger monitors are now at 24 or 25 inches on some desktop systems so laptops can't compete with the display visuals if bigger is your thing.

Then the only other question that has to be asked:
Why are gaming laptops so bloody popular?
Mainly because of the "Cool" factor. Don't laugh, these gaming rigs, especially those high priced monsters, are the essence of cool. They look spectacular and in our very shallow world looks do count. Just like many people who buy high performance sports cars more for the looks rather than for the performance; it is a matter of style over performance for them.

Then there is still the portability factor since laptops, even those 10 or 12 pound monsters, are still more mobile than a bulky PC Tower and Monitor. You can take all that "cool" style and design along with you, no matter where you go. Simply put, even though batter life is next to nil, a gaming laptop is mobile. You can take it with you and show it off.

So is it a matter of style over performance?
Not really, looks may be one factor why gaming laptops are so popular but without the high performance and extreme computing power, these systems would be dead in the water. For in the end, where gaming is concerned, performance is still king. Gaming laptops get the job done, perhaps not as cheaply as their desktop rivals, but you can usually play the latest games on these pimped-out monsters.

In the end, gamers want the performance first and the looks are secondary. But they will probably still 'show-off' all that style nonetheless, to friends and to other gamers. Even so, with gaming laptops, it is more a matter of performance over style.

The great thing about today's gaming laptops, you don't have to sacrifice one for the other. If you can afford the hefty price tag, you can have all that style plus all the performance you need, neatly packaged in your own gaming laptop.

The author runs a handy online Laptop Guide featuring the latest top gaming notebooks: Gaming Laptops
To learn how more about finding the right laptop for you, try our handy: Laptop Buyer's Guide
Copyright © 2008 Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

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Gaming laptops differ from normal laptops in both hardware and software and are tailored to power hungry gaming requirements.

Laptops have entered the arena of computing in the twenty-first century and brought about a mammoth change in the outlook of all sectors that made use of computers for their working. For example, corporate organizations which used personal computers earlier now use laptops for mobile transactions and easier functioning.

A business delegate no longer needs to sit in front of his personal computer and waste his time. He can carry his laptop around with him and work as he travels. This way, laptops have brought about a new dimension to the outlook of Industrial Technology. Recently, laptops have also been introduced into more complicated setups like computer networks. This involves connecting a laptop to a home or office network for easier data transfer and synchronization. Most organizations operate using a network where many computers are connected together to co-ordinate and modularize work. In such a scenario it would be really helpful for a laptop to be connected to the network so that in an emergency, the laptop can just be taken around without any loss of data. More specifically, the possibility of making the connection a wireless one brings about a significant improvement in the advantages of using a laptop in a network.

Most laptops come with the provision of supporting a wireless network. The support needed for a wireless network is called a PCMCIA card or an access point that serves as a bridge between the laptop and the existing network. These components are simple to understand and can be easily installed by the user himself. Once the PCMCIA card or the access point has been installed, the laptop can be taken anywhere within the range of the access point and still remain connected to the wired local network. If the local network is connected to a WAN like the Internet, then the laptop too, can enjoy all the features of the Internet and behave as though it were connected to the WAN itself.

The advantage of having such a wireless connection can be realized only by experiencing the comforts it offers. For example, a wireless laptop connected at home allows the user to roam all around the house carrying the laptop in his hand, without breaking connection with the network. In the office, one can work at his desk, then carry the laptop to the dining area and work over lunch without forsaking the network connection. These connections are achieved by low power radio signals which are the basis for the wireless network connections. You can find out more about gaming and wireless networking at http://www.topgaminglaptop.com

The wireless setup is achieved by installing a Proxim Skyline 802.11b network card to the laptop. A Proxim Skyline 802.11b Wireless Broadband Gateway is also connected to the existing wired Ethernet LAN as a bridge. Using this setup, the notebook i.e. laptop can be moved anywhere within range of the network card while maintaining connection with the local area network. Another component here is the access point. An access point is basically a radio receiver and transmitter that is connected to a wired network. They are independent of the operating systems and work perfectly with all versions be it Windows or Linux or MacOS

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Article by Dean Forster of http://www.topgaminglaptop.com . Find out more about wireless networking and performance gaming hardware at Gaming Laptop

Gaming laptops are power houses capable of dealing with the massive performance requirements modern 3D games have. A regular store-bought laptop might have a few perks, but with the standard 1GB RAM configuration, a lousy 1.6GHz CPU and a built in graphic card, you are sure to get some pretty low FPS in almost any modern games that hits the market... that's if they will run on such a low spec laptop.

Some things to look for in a gaming laptop:
The first and most important thing is the graphics card. Almost all standard models carry a built-in graphics card which sucks away available RAM to run properly and display the actual image. The first thing to look for in a gaming laptop is, of course, a dedicated graphics card, preferably, one made by ATI or nVidia. These are the two leading giants in all that is graphics card, be they desktop graphics cards or mobile laptop graphics cards. Even if you want to game perfectly on your laptop, you have to make sure that it carries a high end graphics card from these two manufacturers. There are plenty of low-end graphics cards designed for something else (movie watching, good image display in graphics editing programs, and whatnot).

Some of the newer models of laptops have incorporated the SLI interface and can carry up to two cards which run together to display the perfect image in all it's glory.

Also, a few newer models even offer the possibility of true 3D gaming, with 3D glasses and all that. These don't come cheap just yet, but if gaming is your dogma, then you simply must have one of these babies!
Newer Graphics Cards from nVidia, for example, have the dual-GPU technology built into them, so it would be like having an SLI configuration with just one graphics card. These beauties also pack quite a punch since they carry about 1 GB of dedicated memory, so you know you've got it right when you get one of these.

System memory - RAM
On a gaming laptop, the largest amount of system RAM you can get, the better.

A large amount of RAM installed on a gaming laptop will allow you to run the newest games, and, if your laptop has a built-in video card, then some of that RAM will be shared with the video card, so a large amount is needed for both graphic processing and software running.

Although it's not recommended that a gaming laptop have a built-in video card, you could probably get away if the RAM installed is in the 2-4 GB range. That way, you are sure to be able to play the latest games, but not with all specs maxed out. Let's face it; a built-in graphics card just cannot handle such requirements the newer games have.

CPU - The gaming laptops overall speed will be determined by the processor it carries
A laptop with a decent dual core CPU will probably do just fine if the other specs are maxed. Take notice that if you choose to go with high-end CPUs for your gaming laptop, the heat build up could be pretty big, and this can impact the overall system performance. To counter this, a metal case would be recommended for your gaming laptop, since plastic cases are heat insulators, but metal is a heat conductor thus helping the heat dissipate a lot faster. Look for cooling options that go with your new gaming laptop, since a small fan might not be enough when the beast runs the newest game...

Another thing to look for in your gaming laptop is it's hard drive. I'm not referring strictly to the storage size, but that's important also if you want to install a lot of games and spend eternity in gaming heaven! A good starting hard drive would be in the 100-250GB range as storage goes. The thing you should be looking for in a gaming laptops hard drive is its speed. Look for the ones which carry the 7200 rpm hard drives. Those are a lot faster than the traditional 5400 rpm HDDs. But since technology evolves at a faster pace nowadays, you should keep an eye out for the prices of SSD (Solid State Disks) which don't require spinning disks to run, thus conferring a lot of durability to the hard drive and a longer life. It is the fastest hard drive on the market today, but it does have a big price tag attached to it. The storage isn't great on these things, but that's why you should be looking for more developments being made and maybe get one when the price range is convenient for you. You won't regret doing this.

As a conclusion, when choosing the best gaming laptop out there, try to figure out your budget first, and set the following specs in accordance:

RAM- this is one of the two most important features your gaming laptop has to have! Aim at 4GB specs configuration and never settle for anything less.

Dedicated video card- look for the ones that carry an nVidia dedicated card or an ATI model, or, even cooler, a dual card configuration with two cards hooked up in SLI mode.

Processor- this one is could get pretty hard to choose, but aim higher than 2 cores. Don't go with the single core CPU, since you'll be cursing the day you did so. Systems tend to freeze up when they can't handle the amount of data being processed. Make sure you are ready and get yourself a Quad Core CPU if possible.
Hard Drive- I would say go with the SSD all the way, but, if it's too expensive, then choose a 7200 rpm hard drive for your gaming laptop.

Screen Size- if it's a gaming laptop, you want to make sure you can see what you're aiming at in your game. So anything that goes 15.4 inch diagonal and above should do just fine.

If you are looking for the best laptops for gaming, you have to check out the best gaming laptops. You will find all the information you need to make an informed decision when buying a laptop for gaming purposes.

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If you're doing a little digging to find a decent gaming laptop under $1000, you might run across several options out there. Your best bet would be to create a list of features you want from the laptop and search according to that list.

A good gaming laptop must first be configured to carry a powerful processor. Now for this limited budget, some good suggestions would be dual-core processors, since these are both powerful and affordable at the same time. Single core processors are great for simple tasks, but since games demand more from the gaming system, it's a lot better if you start with a dual-core processor just to make sure everything runs fine.

In terms of system memory a good target to start at would be 3GB. Extreme gaming laptops might carry up to 16GB, but for a modest gaming laptop, 3 or 4GB of RAM is a good start, since most modern games don't even go beyond 3GB in their system requirements list. This amount will allow you to also do some editing work, graphic design and even a bit of multitasking.
The video card that comes with a gaming laptop has to be dedicated. What this means is that it has to have its own dedicated memory, so it doesn't take from your available RAM in order to run. For this budget you'll probably get away with a decent model from either nVidia or ATI with about 512MB to 1GB of dedicated memory. This is fine if you don't mind running games in medium to high quality settings, but for extreme graphics you'll definitely need to do better than this.

Games are better played when they're viewed properly and you don't have to strain your eyes to keep the crosshair on your target. This means that the screen size on your gaming laptop should not go under 15 inches, since then all the targets you're hunting will be mere pixels. Average laptop screen sizes are in the 15.4 inch range, but you might also find 16 inch screen laptops in this budget range and they're quite capable of displaying decent resolutions too.

The hard drive is often an overlooked feature in gaming laptops, since all it does is store information. You should not overlook one aspect of HDD though, and that is their rpm. More is better in this case, so don't settle for an average laptop hard drive with 5400rpm, but try to go for a 7200 rpm model, or, if you're willing to spend a bit, go for an SSD drive.

Go ahead and check out the Best Gaming Laptop Under $1000 for more information and actual examples.

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