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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Ellen Manning

How to choose a gaming laptop: five things you need to know

Over shoulder shot of person using Samsung Galaxy Book4
A gaming laptop needs powerful graphics – and a high quality screen Photograph: PR

Gaming is all about experience. Whether you’re playing Fortnite or Baldur’s Gate 3, being fully immersed is key, and that means you need a laptop that delivers. Exactly which one depends largely on the demands of the games you like to play, says expert Elenore Li, events coordinator at the University of Warwick esports centre, where gamers gather to compete and play. But whether you’re at the top of your game or just starting out, there are certain tech requirements that everyone needs to know about …

What am I looking for in a laptop for gaming?
If one thing elevates your gaming experience from good to great, it’s the speed of your computer, as this influences how seamlessly you can play and how realistic the graphics look. Performance comes down to three key elements: the CPU (central processing unit), which is basically the “brain” of the computer; RAM (random access memory), which stores data that needs to be quickly accessed by the computer to run operations, almost like our short-term memory; and the computer’s GPU (graphics processing unit), which produces the images you see on the screen.

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