Are Gaming Laptops Good For Everyday Use (School & Work)

Are Gaming Laptops Good For Everyday Use?

Using Gaming Laptops For Graphic Designers & Artists

Gaming laptops are great for designers, content creators, and artists. Photo editing will appear brighter and more vibrant on gaming laptops with improved IPS panels, which outline the color accuracy in your work.  

Content creators and videographers can expect to see decreased render times as their RAM, CPU, and GPU create videos within minutes compared to regular laptops.

Additionally, musicians, sound engineers, and DJs also have a lot to look forward to, as high-demanding software such as FL Studio will cease to freeze under heavy workloads, and improved speaker clarity will provide better playback sessions. 

Using Gaming Laptops For School 

Gaming laptops are a tricky subject for school. Depending on the user's age, they can be extremely distracting during the day.

If your child is relatively young, they will have easy access to all their games during class and will be able to hide them with a click of a button. Gaming laptops for school are, therefore, at parental discretion. 

In terms of college, however, if you plan on taking video editing, game design, or a class relating to computers, you can expect all the benefits listed above.

Consequently, it is also an excellent way to save money, so you don't have to buy a gaming console or dedicated gaming desktop if you want to play video games at night.

Related: Gaming Laptop Vs Console

Using Gaming Laptops For Home 

Having a gaming laptop at home has the advantage of portability. You can move it around the house and share it between multiple members of your family/friends' group. The question you should ask yourself, though, is it better than a gaming desktop?  

In terms of value and longevity, no, a gaming desktop can work out cheaper and be upgraded in the future. Gaming laptops should, therefore, only take preference if they're intended to be portable inside and outside your home/office.

You should never keep it stationary as an alternative to a full gaming desktop.

Using Gaming Laptops For Work 

Depending on the type of work you do, gaming laptops can increase productivity with rapid performance. If you're a programmer, software such as IDE will operate smoother and quicker due to the powerful CPU inside a gaming laptop.

Browsing between tasks, opening multiple windows in your web browser, or copying/pasting files will all see an increase in speed. 

With that being said, you also have to consider how much power you really need. For example, if you spend a lot of time on spreadsheets and minor tasks, a gaming laptop may not be suitable.

However, if your work demands multiple resources from your PC, perhaps you will do well with an upgrade. 

One thing to also consider is the appearance of your gaming laptop. Many brands tend to make the outside of their laptops very futuristic-looking or colorful.

You don’t want your boss to get the wrong idea that you’re playing around instead of working. Furthermore, if you like to blend in at work/coffee shops, gaming laptops are sure to turn a few heads. 

Using Gaming Laptops For Entry-Level PC Gamers

Something overlooked when venturing into PC gaming is how hard it can be to choose the correct parts and assemble your computer. Matching the right motherboard to the correct CPU and RAM can be overwhelming for newcomers.

Gaming laptops, therefore, take care of all your worries; they're pre-built, so you don't have to worry about incompatibility.

As a result, if you want good performance right out of the box, then a gaming laptop is ready to use without additional configurations or optimizations.   

What Is A Good Laptop For Gaming, School & Work?

Gaming – Alienware M15 R4 

If you’re looking for the best gaming performance, then look no further than the Alienware M15 R4. It comes bundled with the best RTX 3080 GPU and a 300Hz display to keep up with everything you can throw at it. Made by Alienware, you can expect a unique 'gamer RGB aesthetic' complemented by premium build quality. 

School – Acer Nitro 5 

The Acer Nitro 5 is an excellent option for school. It's budget-friendly and can run any program while maintaining snappy response times. The laptop also has enough juice to play the latest games, so be sure your kid has finished their homework before hopping online to play with their friends.  

Work – Razer Blade 14 

The Razer Blade 14 has impressive components while maintaining a minimalistic, sleek design for any business environment. It also has a 1440p QHD display so that you can expect crisp visuals and amazing color accuracy. The laptop is also ultra-thin at just 0.66 inches, so you can easily fit it into your briefcase in-between clients or on your way home. 

Benefits Of A Gaming Laptop 

Dedicated Graphics Card 

A gaming laptop would not be complete without a dedicated graphics card. Considered one the most important components of a gaming setup, an NVIDIA or AMD GPU will allow you to play your favorite games and increase in-game FPS (frames per second) for a smooth experience.

Additionally, software used to create/render animations, images, and videos will also see productivity and efficiency increase. With the GPU handling graphically intensive tasks, your CPU will take on less stress, resulting in better overall system performance. 

Related: CPU Vs GPU Rendering

High Refresh Rate Display 

Games reaching 100+ FPS in addition to a 120Hz refresh rate will appear buttery smooth. Moreover, changing between tasks and programs will also feel more responsive and fluid. 

Low-Profile Mechanical Keyboards 

Recently, gaming laptop manufacturers have started to include 'low-profile' mechanical switches in their keyboard designs.

There are many variations available, but most commonly, you should find: linear/quiet (red switches), tactile/clicky (blue switches), and tactile/quiet (brown switches). 

These switch types / mechanical keyboards can give users a custom typing experience to suit their environment or preference.

Whether you like a 'bump' in feedback while typing or no resistance at all, mechanical keyboards are great at reducing noise, improving speeds, and maintaining accuracy throughout extended sessions. 

Customization 

Gaming laptops provide a customized experience inside and out. NVIDIA and AMD GPU software can tailor your laptop to suit your needs.

Within their control panels, you will be able to change settings such as digital vibrance, resolution, and scaling modes. Furthermore, you’ll be able to record your desktop, apply filters, and monitor performance stats live. 

Of course, there are various programs that can perform these functions, but gaming laptops usually come bundled with easy all-in-one applications.

Moving on to the outside, you’ll also be able to control the RBG so you can select your favorite color and brightness for your keyboard and additional LEDs.

Speed and Efficiency 

As previously stated, gaming laptops usually come with better components when compared to standard laptops. Working together with a high-end GPU and CPU, a gaming laptop also includes plenty of RAM and high-speed storage.

As a result, tasks such as creating videos, waiting for loading times, gaming, transferring data, and using apps are much quicker.

Gaming laptops usually boot within seconds and remove the sluggish, stuttering feeling that often occurs when your laptop begins to age. 

Longevity 

Overall, gaming laptops can last a long time. Sticking to the subject of better components, gaming laptops will keep up with the latest and higher demanding programs you may want to use in the future. 

In other words, you won't have to fork out extra cash upgrading your regular laptop every 2-3 years because it has become outdated. Furthermore, they are often made with a premium build-quality design, making them ideal for traveling.  

Downsides Of A Gaming Laptop 

Battery life 

The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long. The powerful components contained inside a gaming laptop can drain the battery sooner than expected. 

If you're using the GPU and CPU intensively, the laptop may demand more power when compared to smaller, low-end alternatives. 

Gaming laptops may have advertised battery life spans of 8-12 hours, but these numbers plummet when you switch from simple tasks to actual gaming. You could see these values change to 3-5 hours when playing games for extended periods. 

Thermals and Fans 

Once again, the components inside a gaming laptop can have some drawbacks. When your laptop is under stress, there's a good chance that the GPU and CPU will begin to heat up as they are utilized more.

To help keep the laptop cool, manufacturers install cooling systems, and in most cases, these are fans. 

Depending on how hot temperatures get based on your environment, the fans will ramp up speed and produce lots of noise. This can be quite distracting to others in a quiet area or disruptive if you're trying to focus on your work. 

Limited upgrades 

The price of a gaming laptop can be on par with or sometimes exceed that of a gaming desktop. One of the biggest advantages of a gaming desktop is that you can upgrade the components over time and save on costs without replacing the entire system.

Gaming laptops, in contrast, will often offer a little-to-no upgrade path. There are circumstances where the RAM and storage can be upgraded, but this is not guaranteed.

To see the most improvement in a computer, you will need to upgrade the graphics card or processor, and unfortunately, upgrading a processor is almost impossible. 

Gaming Laptops For Everyday Use FAQs

Is a gaming laptop good for long-term use? 

Yes, gaming laptops tend to outlast regular laptops due to their superior build quality and high-end components.

Since their parts are of higher quality, there is less chance of mechanical failure, and consequently offering more performance, they can last for a few years before becoming outdated and slow.

Do gaming laptops overheat? 

Gaming laptops may offer better cooling systems through fans and unique venting, but they do get hotter than your average laptop. As the GPU and CPU are utilized more, the temperatures will rise. 

Laptops shouldn't overheat and break under normal circumstances, but caution should be taken in a warm working environment.

Why are gaming laptops more expensive than regular laptops? 

Three specific components usually increase the price of a gaming laptop: the GPU, CPU, and Display. If you were to buy all these parts separately for a desktop PC, you'd still have to pay a reasonable sum.

Therefore, even though it's still a 'laptop,' it rivals the performance of a custom computer. For more info, check out our guide on why gaming laptops are so expensive.

Conclusion

Gaming laptops provide excellent performance and have a wide variety of uses, whether at school, work, or inside your home.

As technology progresses and higher demand is placed on system specifications, gaming laptops may yet be rebranded under 'performance laptops.' 

In the near future, let us hope that the belief that they're only meant for 'gaming' is removed, and more people take advantage of all the performance enhancements they have to offer. 

If you're ready for a new high-end and versatile gaming laptop, jump over to our review of the best gaming laptops under $1,000.