Gaming Laptops - Are They Really Suitable For Gaming?

Copyright (c) 2009 Titus Hoskins

Despite the ever increasing demand and popularity of gaming laptops; there still remains one persistent issue that just won't go away. Are gaming laptops really suitable for video gaming in the first place?

Many die-hard gamers still mock the whole notion of video gaming on a laptop computer. The two simply are not compatible, they do not compute. They argue a laptop is simply too small and too compact to handle all that heat - literally, figuratively and physically.

Achieving high performance usually means any computer, whether desktop or laptop, will give off a lot of heat. And cramming all those high-end components into such a small confined space only adds to this problem. Many gamers complain that gaming notebooks simply produce too much heat and there is the ever persistent problem of frying your rig. Given the fact that many gamers also have a long-term obsession to overclocking gives this concern even more weight.

If you monitor the different gaming forums, you will hear constant anecdotal stories of gaming laptops simply unable to handle all that heat. And then there is the issue of fan noise as your gaming rig tries to keep everything on the cool side. Many find gaming laptops just too noisy and would rather try their luck with a gaming PC instead.

Besides why waste all that money on a gaming notebook when you can get a much better gaming system at a far cheaper price by going with a desktop PC. This issue of price advantage is one of the most compelling arguments for NOT buying a gaming laptop.

However, there are also several more very legitimate arguments that those die-hard and battle-wary gamers also know and make. One has to do with the whole idea of upgrading since gaming laptops can't be upgraded as easily as a desktop PC. Actually, with most laptops you can upgrade the RAM with ease if you have the free slots available. You can also upgrade the Hard Drive but depending on your laptop model, other components such as Graphics Cards and processors may be hard (if not impossible or worthwhile) to upgrade in a laptop compared with upgrading a desktop PC.

On the other hand, with a desktop PC, there is amble room for upgrading which makes it a much more suitable candidate since gaming systems need to be constantly upgraded if you want the best gaming performance possible; which after all is the unwritten creed of most true gamers. They want the best and they want it now.

However, major laptop makers know a good thing (profit) when they see it and are jumping all over the gaming laptop market. We are constantly seeing more and more powerful gaming systems hitting the marketplace. Recently, we saw Dell muscling in on Alienware (which Dell owns) by launching the new all-powerful Alienware m17x through its marketing outlets as well as through Alienware.

It's powerful mobile gaming systems like M17x which will gradually defeat this argument that laptops are no good for gaming. The M17x offers extreme high performance with an Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad overclockable processor and Dual 1 gigabyte Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M graphics card (SLI Enabled 1,024MB) and with up to 8GB shared dual DDR3 at 1,333MHz. Impressive specs which would make many a desktop PC blush with envy.

Then again, there is the whole issue of style over performance. Many gamers just want and desire all that flash and cool style of high-end gaming laptops. They just might be the coolest looking devices on the planet. Plus, they are easier to lug around than a desktop PC, no matter which way you swing it.

Gaming laptops, despite the obvious objections from die-hard gamers with upgrading, overheating, fan noise and those hefty price tags, are probably here to stay and will gradually eat into the gaming desktop market. Whether they can also fully capture the hearts of true gamers is an entirely different question, one that won't be answered any time soon.