Can any laptop be used for gaming

There's never been a better time to be a PC gamer. Tons of great games. Amazing graphics hardware. Virtual reality. Thinner and fancier gaming laptop designs. But if you're stuck using a standard laptop (or desktop) with only Intel's built-in integrated graphics instead of a dedicated GPU from Nvidia or AMD, finding games that will work well is a little tougher. 

We tested a wide range of PC games for this updated list, using a few different laptops with seventh- and eighth-gen Intel Core i5 CPUs and Intel HD 620 graphics. These weren't especially high-end configurations, but they weren't bottom-of-the-barrel either. Your mileage will vary depending on your PC setup, so use this list as a general guide. 

The standard here is that the game installs without errors, and runs smoothly enough for a satisfactory casual gaming experience. My strong preference is for that to happen at full 1080p resolution, but in a couple of cases, I dropped the resolution for better performance. Either low, medium or high in-game graphics settings are acceptable. 

For our latest suggestions, see our new top five game picks for for nongaming laptops list.

Disclaimer: CNET may get a share of revenue from the games featured in this guide. 

I am not a gamer but, I always wondered can gaming laptops be used for other things? As for schools, offices, personal use like PC, even for research and other related tasks. After some online research and visits to laptop dealers and the users of gaming laptops, I have come to some valuable knowledge.

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1
Can any laptop be used for gaming
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-54-760S Gaming Laptop | Intel i7-11800H | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060... No ratings yet $1,222.00
2
Can any laptop be used for gaming
ASUS TUF Gaming F17 Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz Full HD IPS-Type, Intel Core i7-11800H Processor,... No ratings yet $1,412.50
3
Can any laptop be used for gaming
2021 Lenovo Legion 5 17.3" FHD Gaming Laptop Computer, AMD Ryzen 5-5600H(Beats Intel i7-9750H), 32GB... No ratings yet $1,169.00
4
Can any laptop be used for gaming
Razer Blade 14 Gaming Laptop: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX 8 Core, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, 14" QHD 165Hz,... No ratings yet $2,575.98
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Can any laptop be used for gaming
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-45-R92M Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7 5800H (8-Core) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060... No ratings yet $1,060.00

Can gaming laptops be used for other things?

In short, yes gaming laptops can be used for other things like official tasks, school/college work or your own personal use. But, there are some important things which I observed after research which are necessary to know.

I am a user of a normal laptop and I love using it for my different tasks. While researching different peripherals like mouse, keyboards, headphones, etc., I also noticed that there are different mice for gaming and different keyboards for gaming and the same as gaming mouse pads, headphones. Which increased my curiosity to know about these gaming products. 

While detailed research, the gaming laptops vs normal laptops were totally different in their specs and functionality of the hardware. You may use the gaming laptop for your normal task and other things but, is it possible to use your normal laptop as a gaming laptop? Well, you can use it which totally depends on the brand and specs of your laptop. You can check out the latest researched based article on “How to upgrade laptop for gaming“. 

Before we know those details, let’s begin with the following questions regarding gaming laptops.

What is a gaming laptop?

How to use a gaming laptop?

Why buy a gaming laptop?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of gaming laptops?

Can you use a gaming laptop as a regular laptop?

And some more FAQs that are related to gaming laptops…

What is a gaming laptop?

Gaming laptops are the same as other laptops but with some upgraded features. These laptops are designed and manufactured due to advanced gaming needs. They have high-speed CPU, upgraded RAMs, High-quality sound system and other upgradable parts. It isn’t as if these laptops have different applications or operating system which need some special coding etc.

Nowadays gaming laptops have some unique designs which differ from normal laptops. However, they all can be used for other tasks like drafting letters, internet surfing including gaming.

How to Use a gaming laptop?

Now you know that what is gaming laptop so it is already clear that what the use of this is. But, in-depth, the gaming laptop can be used like other laptops which we use normally. These laptops have the same operating systems which we usually use on our normal laptops or PCs. The usage of Office is the same as in normal Laptops / PCs.

Internet surfing, web browsing, emails, chatting, and other activities are similar to a normal laptop. In addition, some gaming laptops have hard keyboards like PC keyboards due to the demands of gamers which may not be liked by a normal laptop user.

In sum, there is no difference or any special usage of a gaming laptop you can use it as normal as your old laptop or like your Personal Computer. 

Why buy a gaming laptop?

It is understood that gaming laptops are mostly bought by game lovers. The ones who love gaming and have a high inclination towards gaming, they need best performance laptops with high-quality graphics and sound and speed.

Advanced features, system specification, and durability make gaming laptops stand unique from others. If you are a gamer, you can’t enjoy or run your games on normal laptops so you need to buy a gaming laptop. If you are not a gamer but like to have the best features like speed and graphics, then you need to consider these gaming laptops.

In addition, if you are a graphic designer and need some good quality graphics then you can compromise on gaming laptops. Because, gaming laptops with high graphics/video cards, provide you the best results which are not obtained by a normal laptop.

If you need to buy a gaming laptop just for normal use like internet surfing, emails, chatting, official tasks, composing letters and some other small tasks, then I don’t think gaming laptop is the best choice to have it.

Related: Check out best gaming laptops here

What are the advantages and disadvantages of gaming laptops?

I think now you know something about gaming laptops. So, let me explain to you the advantages and disadvantages of gaming laptops.

Pros

  • High Speed: Gaming laptops are designed and manufactured for high-speed processing. As in games, there are multifunctional tasks being processed which need High CPU to function smoothly.
  • RAMs: Apart from CPU, gaming laptops have maximum numbers of new technology RAMs which provide an extra push to speed and high accuracy functionalities.
  • Maximum Graphics: Another feature is a graphics card, gaming laptops have high graphics built-in cards that provide high-resolution quality images and game experience. The graphics cards provide support to games and graphics related software so that without any interruption or hang, tasks may run smoothly.
  • High-Quality Sound: In gaming laptops, sounds qualities are very good than a normal laptop. Their built-in speakers and Sound Jacks provide the DTS sound system. You can enjoy a better quality of sounds in these laptops.
  • Upgradable Parts: Most of the gaming laptops are now available with upgradable parts. You can easily change their processors, memory, mouse touchpads and other peripherals. You need not to worry about replacing the laptop for the upgrade.
  • Durable: Laptops for gaming are more durable than normal laptops.

Cons

  • Battery: Most of the gaming laptops have less battery backup than normal laptops.

  • Weight: Gaming laptops weight more than normal laptops.

  • Keyboards: Some of the gaming laptops have hard keyboards like old fashioned for durability.

  • These were the main pros and cons of gaming laptops.

  • Can you use a gaming laptop as a regular laptop?

    Gaming laptops can be used as a regular normal laptop and there is no issue to use gaming laptops as a normal regular laptop. We have suggestions for you that;

    • If you have a gaming laptop that is light in weight and has a good battery backup, you can use it as a regular laptop.
    • The second option is that if you are going to buy a gaming laptop to perform normal tasks on it, then we suggest you buy a normal laptop as a gaming laptop would cost you more.
    • Overall, if you just want to experience games and also perform other tasks like noting, drafting, surfing the internet and your assignments with the same laptop, then off-course you can use the gaming laptop as a regular laptop if you don’t mind to lift the weight, price, and designs.

    Are gaming laptops good for everyday use?

    Can I use a gaming laptop for work?

    Can a gaming laptop be used for college or school?

    What laptops that are good for gaming?

    What’s the difference between a gaming laptop and a regular laptop?

    Can Gaming Laptops be used for video editing?

    Are gaming laptops good for everyday use?

    If you read above the article, you can better decide if they are good or not as per your own type of work. As for my opinion is concerned, that depends on your daily use. If you have a gaming laptop that doesn’t have long battery backup which your normal laptop had, it may hurt your expectations.

    In addition, if you have been using a lightweight easily portable laptop to your office or around your university, college or even in your own home for doing your daily tasks, a gaming laptop may have a bit more weight than your normal laptop so again you may get disappointed.

    However, if you have no problem with battery backup and weight to carry, it can also provide you with the functionality to do your everyday tasks without any interruptions.

    Can I use a gaming laptop for work?

    Can you use a gaming laptop for work? Definitely you can use it for your work. But, you have to check out some basics about gaming laptops. 

    We think this question may not be so clear if it is the same as your daily work then that is answered above. And if you want to use a gaming laptop for your official or job work so that has also two answers. 1. Yes and 2nd No.

    Yes in case if you have a gaming laptop that is lighter with good backup even if it is not the case, but you use it at home in a single place or near your power cord without lifting it up too much, then it can be used.

    No is in the case like explained earlier, due to weight and fewer backups it is not afforded to be taken for work at offices and carried around.

    Can a gaming laptop be used for college or school?

    Yes, it can be. Gaming laptops are not something weird or strange, these do perform the tasks that normal computers or laptops do. So, any college student or school students can use these gaming laptops for their studies, research, projects, and other tasks without any doubts.

    #PreviewProductRatingPrice
    1
    Can any laptop be used for gaming
    Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, 15.6 inches Full HD IPS Display, AMD Ryzen 3 3200U, Vega 3 Graphics, 4GB... No ratings yet $339.14
    2
    Can any laptop be used for gaming
    HP 15 Laptop, 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 Processor, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD Storage, 15.6” Full HD... No ratings yet $518.00
    3
    Can any laptop be used for gaming
    2022 HP 14" HD Laptop for Business and Student, AMD Ryzen3 3250U (up to 3.5 GHz), 16GB RAM, 1TB... No ratings yet $499.99

    Read our detailed Post on Gaming Laptops for School 

    What laptops that are good for gaming?

    This is the most commonly asked question that needs a detail article and explanation. However, if you are looking for laptops that are good for gaming, then it depends upon your game’s requirements and use.

    #PreviewProductRatingPrice
    1
    Can any laptop be used for gaming
    Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-54-760S Gaming Laptop | Intel i7-11800H | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060... No ratings yet $1,222.00
    2
    Can any laptop be used for gaming
    ASUS TUF Gaming F17 Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz Full HD IPS-Type, Intel Core i7-11800H Processor,... No ratings yet $1,412.50
    3
    Can any laptop be used for gaming
    2021 Lenovo Legion 5 17.3" FHD Gaming Laptop Computer, AMD Ryzen 5-5600H(Beats Intel i7-9750H), 32GB... No ratings yet $1,169.00
    4
    Can any laptop be used for gaming
    Razer Blade 14 Gaming Laptop: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX 8 Core, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, 14" QHD 165Hz,... No ratings yet $2,575.98
    5
    Can any laptop be used for gaming
    Acer Nitro 5 AN515-45-R92M Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7 5800H (8-Core) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060... No ratings yet $1,060.00

    There are several gaming laptops that provide much better results to gamers. Unless you haven’t specified your requirements for selecting a laptop that is good for gaming, it is not defined well.

    What’s the difference between a gaming laptop and a regular laptop?

    The main difference is that a gaming laptop comes with higher configuration and heavy graphics cards specially designed for gaming and graphics, where a regular or normal laptop comes with a normal configuration like simple graphics card, memory RAM.

    Though, you can check out here what laptops are good for gaming.

    Can Gaming Laptops be used for video editing?

    Definitely gaming laptops can be used for video editing. In fact, gaming laptops would be the best laptop to be used for video editing. Because gaming laptop is fully equipped with graphics and fast memory hardware which can render and edit videos very efficiently. 

    So, if you have a gaming laptop or want to do some video editing, it is advised to go for gaming laptop. Gaming laptop will enhance your experience of video editing. You will love to work on your Youtube channel and other platforms.

    Ending Words:

    I hope that you have a clear point of view regarding gaming laptops now and you can decide as per your own requirements that either a gaming laptop can be used for your type of work or not. Please let me know if you have any other questions in this regard, I will try my best to answer it in detail.