For the true gamer, a console alone is no longer enough. A true gamer needs a dedicated and flexible rig that can handle the increased power and beauty of modern games. They need something that loads faster. Lag time and loading can no longer be tolerated. A longer load time means a faster death in the online gaming world. If you want to compete online, you need a serious piece of hardware.
The risk of losing data has also become too much of a worry. Saving to a hard-drive that shares your homework is no longer a risk worth taking! Gamers need a more secure system that can guarantee uninterrupted play and the lowest possible risk of losing data.
Not only that, but a higher level of beauty is expected. You want to see every gorgeous pixel in high definition. You want to gaze at the glorious landscapes around you. And that requires a higher processing power than your average console rig.
Dedicated gaming PCs are relatively commonplace in the gaming world. They have long had serious processing power and higher GPU (graphics processing unit) than your average computer. These gaming machines come complete with water cooling systems or advanced air cooling to stop them from overheating (that’s how powerful they are!)
A gaming laptop was once laughed at. How could it possibly handle the kind of GPU required for a hardcore gamer? A PC was surely the only answer. The laptops were known for becoming hot and loud as it took so much cooling power to keep them from overheating. But the trend is changing. Reports show that the sale of gaming laptops has increased 50% since 2011 and this looks set to grow further as they become more and more powerful.
The desktop PCs still lead the way in terms of sheer processing. A laptop cannot quite compete. But technology is catching up. The latest laptop GPUs are the fastest yet. And they’re slowly dropping in price as they become more commonplace. Although a laptop can’t yet compete with their monster desktop brothers, they do have the advantage of portability.
Portability is becoming more and more important. With wifi readily available in city centers and 4G becoming more common, the modern gamer needs to be able to quickly pack up their rig, stash it in their rucksack and take it somewhere else. A dedicated gaming laptop can now easily be transported to a friend’s house for a serious gaming session.
The choice is opening up as well. Although the Alienware and Razerblade are currently leading the pack, there are some strong new candidates rising up. As the technology develops and the demand grows, better models will keep popping up. This increased market means the prices will come down too. You’ll still splash out up to £2000 for the highest spec models, but a mid-range level (more than adequate for most gamers) won’t cost you much more than £1000.
The complete laptop takeover isn’t quite there yet. But it’s coming. As these little machine get more and more powerful we’ll see them slowly replace their huge PC predecessors and soon they’ll dominate the market completely.