The Emergence of Affordable Gaming Laptops

It would be safe to assume that 5000-dollar gaming laptop computers have become a thing of the past. Unlike before, laptops continue to become more affordable and have definitely entered the mainstream market. The demand for extremely graphic-intensive laptops has dwindled especially because of the fact that one could actually play most of today’s 3D games on a mainstream 1,500-dollar laptop. However, there is still a sizable population of hardcore gamers who refuse to settle for the mediocre-performing laptops and still insist in having the best gaming machines available. These are usually the professional gamers and unfortunately, this profession only earns so much. There’s no need to fret as reasonably-priced, high-end gaming laptops are becoming more and more abundant.

The Usual Suspects

When it comes to bringing up the total cost of gaming laptops, two usual suspects are typically to blame – the graphics card and the processor. In order to meet the high performance requirements of most 3D games in the market today, particularly powerful processors and graphics cards are definitely prerequisites. Sure, one will be able to play these games with normal processors or graphics cards, but to truly enjoy the full range of colors, to see every little detail, and to be able to play at breakneck speeds without any technical hanging, some minimum criteria have to be met.

The good news here is that processors have recently been able to meet the high standards set by graphics cards which means that quad core or Intel Extreme processors are not exactly the minimum requirements. Similar to how it has always been, the secret still lies on the graphics card.

Graphics Cards Mania

Let’s use the Radeon HD 3879 video card from ATI as an example. This particular graphics card is capable of five-digit scoring in the 3DMark 06 tests. ATI, the developers of the Radeon HD 3879, have come up with what they call the CrossFire configuration which teams up this super powerful graphics card with energy-efficient processors. The result is an excellent combination of extreme functioning and power-saving performance. Present in computer systems such as the Alienware M17 or the Xtreme Gamer M1 from Cyberware, this cutting edge graphics card is not as expensive as one would expect; both personal computers mentioned fall a little over $2,000.

Contrary to popular belief, the inclusion of such a powerful graphics card does not affect other gaming attributes of these high-end machines. Both systems mentioned above possess high-resolution screens (1920 x 1200 pixels), backlit keyboards, as well as a myriad of connectivity ports. In fact, the M1 also comes with a built-in Blu-ray player for top of the line HD entertainment.

Mid-Range Models

Mostly because of their decision to do without the 17-inch widescreens, mid-range computer systems such as the ASUS N50Vn-B1B or the MSI GT627-218US are even cheaper alternatives for those craving for mind-blowing frame rates at affordable prices. Although both use super powerful graphics card, they are also reasonably priced, neither going over the 1,300-dollar mark.

About the Author:
ITC Sales are a leading supplier of Dell and HP Laptops and Desktops such as the Dell Precision and the Dell Optiplex.