The universal computer in 2022 is a gaming laptop. Performance machine for buzz and for work, which you can still buy on the background of the cosmic skyrocket in computer hardware prices. How to choose a gaming laptop? We figure out the basic stuff and give a rating of the most bought models.
Video card
The starting point in choosing a gaming laptop. There are two ways - NVIDIA or AMD graphics cards. Experience, tests, range, price and functionality lead in the direction of NVIDIA. So far it is the most popular and most widely represented graphics chips in laptops. Now you can choose between the following models of notebook graphics cards:
NVIDIA GTX 1650
NVIDIA RTX 3050
NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti
NVIDIA RTX 3060
NVIDIA RTX 3070
NVIDIA RTX 3080
AMD Radeon RX 6600M
AMD Radeon RX 6800M
There are still laptops on sale with GTX 1660 Ti and RTX 2060. And the novelties RTX 3070 Ti and 3080 Ti have not reached the shelves yet. Below are the specifications of the current NVIDIA graphics cards.
Which one to choose?
If you look at the list above, the higher the model number, the better the graphics will be: higher frequencies, more processing cores, bigger and faster video memory. But that's how it would work in an ideal world. In reality, we have laptops with the same video card name, such as RTX 3050, which differ in performance due to the set limit of video card power and correspondingly limited frequencies. For her range of TGP (Total Graphics Power) can be in the range of 35-95W. Accordingly, more powerful chips with high frequencies are put in laptops with good cooling, able to cope with a heavy load.
Usually this difference will be reflected in the price tag. So everyone can pick up a laptop for their tasks and budget. After all, someone and a 35-watt RTX 3050 for work is enough by the eye. The main thing is not to be mistaken about the exorbitant power of graphics, looking at an inexpensive laptop with a seemingly cool graphics card. So always pay attention to TGP.
Very often there are situations when a junior graphics card with a high power limit wins over an older one with a low limit. So, 130-watt RTX 3060 catches up, and in some places overtakes 85-watt RTX 3070. In that case, it makes no sense to pay extra for a more advanced version. It's the same story with the fresh RTX 3070 Ti with TGP 105W, which lost to the younger RTX 3070 graphics card with TGP 150W. At the same time, the "Ti" on paper has better performance than the base version.
Do the manufacturers report this? If the information is on the official website, we broadcast it in the Catalog as well. From my experience it is always ASUS, Lenovo, Acer, MSI that write about TGP. There is almost no information from HP and Dell.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
It is an entry level and last generation graphics card. Laptops with it nowadays are less and less. With it you can squeeze 60 or more frames per second in popular network games often with low, less often with medium graphics settings at Full-HD resolution. Suitable, perhaps, and for some old single-player projects AAA-class with the same presets.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 and 3050 Ti
Optimal gaming notebooks start with the RTX 3050. It is 30-35% faster than GTX 1650 and also has one magical feature - DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling). By enabling it in the game, you significantly increase the frame rate without burdening the hardware, because it renders frames in low resolution, and the clever NVIDIA algorithm scales them to high resolution. In terms of DLSS support, laptops with RTX 3050 graphics cards, albeit with only 4 GB of video memory, seem like a good solution.
As of February 2022, DLSS is available in more than 150 games.
For medium and high (not maximal) quality settings RTX 3050 is good for many AAA-projects - both old and modern. The same "The Witcher 3" even on max settings will go without problems. However, because of 4 GB of video memory you will inevitably have to twist sliders in demanding games to get a comfortable framerate.
RTX 3050 or RTX 3050 Ti? The only choice between them is in terms of price and other laptop perks. Their performance at the same TGP differs by 9-15% in favor of the 3050 Ti depending on the game.
NVIDIA GeFroce RTX 3060
Comfortable minimum with a reserve for the future for most games with high and ultra settings. For your money, though not insignificant, this laptop will provide the best gaming and working performance.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 and 3080
Maximum performance in a small device. No compromises and only the best graphics quality in Full HD and QHD at maximum settings.
RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 3080 Ti graphics cards are new for 2022 and haven't made it to the counters yet. AMD videocards are very poorly represented in the catalog, including the flagship RX 6800M with 12 GB of memory.
Rating of notebook graphics cards
What do other people choose? Right now, the most purchased gaming laptops in the Catalog have the following graphics cards:
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8 GB
AMD Radeon RX 6800M 12 GB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 16 GB
Processor
Intel and AMD produce notebook processors by target group, marking models with the Latin letters U for processors under 28W, and H for those over 45W.
Most modern gaming laptops already have powerful processors labeled H with 6 or 8 cores and multithreading support. Now this is a comfortable minimum, and it is with them you should start the choice. These processors provide good performance for both games and work tasks.
You can't say "take AMD, don't take Intel" because it is advisable to compare specific configurations. If you choose between Ryzen 7 5800H and Intel Core i7 11800H for similar price, the latter is slightly better in games with the same hardware. On top of that with Intel's new processors you can also get super-fast PCIe 4.0 and Thunderbolt 4 interfaces. Similar story with the six-core AMD Ryzen 5 5600H and Intel Core i5 11400H. So in reality it is only a question of price.
Here are the top processors in gaming laptops that are ordering the most in the Catalog right now:
AMD Ryzen 5 5600H
AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
Intel Core i5 11300H
Intel Core i7 11370H
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
Intel Core i5 11400H
Screen
The matrix is IPS only. However, the quality between them may differ depending on the specific panel installed. Unfortunately, manufacturers do not disclose the panel number or its manufacturer. So it remains to look at the other characteristics of the screens.
Among the solutions for graphics and video are laptops on OLED: infinite contrast, high brightness and wide color gamut. But gaming models in the Catalogue do not have such screens, unfortunately.
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