Gamers love laptops for the portability and convenience they offer. But are gaming laptops good for school? Gamers take their notebooks on the road or to a friend’s house so they can play from anywhere.
With school back in session, you may be wondering if a gaming laptop is going to be useful when it comes to getting your work done. Gaming notebooks have a reputation for being flashy with cutting-edge technology and premium performance, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t useful for more traditional academic tasks like taking notes and researching assignments.
Whether you’re attending college or high school, it almost goes without saying that having access to the internet is beneficial in almost any class.
Many gamers also prefer using cloud storage solutions like Dropbox instead of keeping large files on their hard drive, so even if your computer is locked at home you can access your homework and documents from another computer if need be.
What’s the Difference Between a Gaming Laptop and a Standard Laptop?
Gaming laptops were originally modified laptops that were specially designed to play games. However, these days most gaming laptops are built from scratch with gaming in mind. Some of the key differences between gaming laptops and standard laptops are:
- Processor: Standard laptops typically use a single core processor, which means that it has just one processing unit. Gaming laptops, on the other hand, use dual core processors, which means that they have two processing units. This allows the gaming laptop to run multiple programs at once without slowing down.
- Graphics card: Standard laptops typically use integrated graphics cards, which means that they are built into the motherboard. Gaming laptops, on the other hand, usually have separate graphics cards, which means that they are an external device. This allows the gaming laptop to use more processing power for graphics, making it ideal for visually-demanding tasks such as gaming.
- Memory: Standard laptops typically have between 4 and 16 gigabytes of memory. Gaming laptops, on the other hand, usually have 32 gigabytes or more of memory. This is helpful for heavy multitaskers as it allows them to open multiple programs at once without slowing down any of them.
- Storage: Standard laptops typically have between 256 and 1 terabyte of storage. Gaming laptops, on the other hand, usually have between 1 terabyte and 16 terabytes of storage. This is helpful for heavy media users who often store movies and music on their device.
Related: What To Look For In A Gaming Laptop: 10 Specifications for Gaming Laptops
Why Are Gaming Laptops Good for School?
Gaming laptops are good for school since they can do both demanding and not so demanding tasks. With excellent RAM, CPU, GPU, storage, and portability- they can run multiple programs hence are good for school.
If you are a student, then you may understand that you need to work on your laptop as well as do your assignments. And with gaming laptops, you can do both demanding and not so demanding tasks such as watching videos, listening to music, making presentations and of course, working on your assignments.
You can use them to watch videos, listen to music, check your social media accounts or do your assignments.
Specifications
Gaming laptops can run multiple programs and hence are good for school. This is because they come with the latest software and hardware for the smooth running of heavy programs. Moreover, you can have multiple open tabs together with the educational programs/ software running concurrently.
Some of the specifications of gaming laptops that make them excellent for school include:
RAM
For heavy multitaskers, the amount of RAM in your laptop is crucial, as it determines how many programs can be run at once. Gaming laptops with low RAM can not multitask or support heavy programs smoothly.
Gaming laptops usually have at least 8GB of RAM but modern ones have 16 gigabytes of RAM, which is enough for heavy multitaskers.
Because of this RAM size, a gaming laptop can easily conduct school work even with other programs or tabs running in the background. The laptop can enable you to enjoy music in the background as you do other chores while also running other heavy hitter programs.
You should note that if you only require a laptop to write essays and research on the internet for educational purposes, this amount of RAM is overkill. However, if you want to enjoy gaming in your free time, then a gaming laptop is very ideal.
CPU
The speed at which your laptop runs is largely determined by its processor (central processing unit). However, also the CPU affects the ability of your laptop to run programs and software just like the RAM.
Gaming laptops usually have dual-core processors, which means you can run multiple programs at once without slowing down. Intel is the most commonly used CPU. However, Intel also has different models with iCore 5, iCore 7, and iCore 9 being the ones in most gaming laptops.
If you have a laptop with i7 and i9, you can run any game without needing to wait around for too long. Newer Intel CPUs are more powerful and give you excellent gaming speed.
The CPU is the most important feature of a gaming laptop for school. This is because it enables you to open multiple tabs for researching your school work very fast. Otherwise, it would be futile to have a computer that can not open programs fast.
GPU
The graphics card of your laptop determines how visually demanding programs run on your laptop. Gaming laptops usually have separate GPUs, which allows you to use more processing power for graphics and makes them ideal for visually demanding tasks such as gaming.
The GPU enhances the quality and ability to watch videos, record videos, and run other visual programs online and offline.
However, for a gaming laptop for school, the GPU may be the least of your concern. However, it may be important if you want to record videos for learning later.
Storage
Most gaming laptops are endowed with lots of storage in both HDD and SSD. The SSD is way more reliable and faster than the HDD and thus is more of it is better for your gaming laptop. The amount of storage on your laptop helps determine how much media you can store on it.
For heavy media users, it is good to look for a gaming laptop with at least 1 TB of storage. This amount of storage will enable you to store all the school work and entertainment materials without filling the storage in your laptop.
However, if the laptop is only for school work, then this specification may not be very important. It is rare for schoolwork to fill even the cheapest laptop storage.
Battery Life
This is one of the most important features when it comes to selecting a laptop. It determines how long your laptop will last without being plugged in.
For heavy users, we recommend looking for a gaming laptop with a battery life of at least 6 hours. This feature enables you to have a full day of classes without the need to always plug in your gaming laptop.
You should note that since a gaming laptop has heavy hardware in it, it will most definitely drain the battery faster compared to a regular laptop. The good thing is that school work is conducted in places with power sources.
Weigh and size
Gaming laptops tend to be bigger and heavier than standard laptops. This is because they carry heavy-lifting hardware discussed above.
Due to the increased size and weight, a gaming laptop may be impractical to carry the whole day as you move from one class to the next.
However, if you want to enjoy gaming in your free time and also store lots of content, then you can opt to ignore the weight and size and go for a gaming laptop.
Are gaming laptops better for everyday use?
The best gaming laptops for school are actually better for everyday use as well. They have enough storage to store your movies and music and have enough memory to run multiple programs at once.
Most gaming laptops have the latest and fastest processors available. This means that you can easily run the latest programs and software on them without any issues.
The best gaming laptops have enough storage to store all your files, and enough RAM to run multiple programs at once.
The latest gaming laptops support the newest version of Bluetooth. You can use them to wirelessly connect to all your devices, including your phone.
Which Brands Are Best for Gaming Laptops?
If you’re looking for a gaming laptop, there are plenty of brands to choose from. You can find gaming laptops from all sorts of brands, including Asus, Lazer blade, Lenovo, MSI, HP, Alienware, Dell, and Acer.
The best gaming laptops will usually come from one of those brands. Generally, the best gaming laptops are often very pricey and are more suitable for serious gamers.
The important thing is to find a gaming laptop that has the right hardware for you. When shopping for a gaming laptop, you should consider the following factors:
- RAM: The amount of RAM in your laptop determines how many programs can be run at once. Gaming laptops usually have at least 8 GB of RAM.
- CPU: The speed at which your laptop runs is largely determined by its processor. Gaming laptops usually have dual-core processors.
- GPU: The graphics card of your laptop determines how visually demanding programs run on your laptop. Gaming laptops usually have separate GPUs.
- Storage: The amount of storage on your laptop helps determine how much media you can store on it. For heavy media users, it is good to look for a gaming laptop with at least 1 TB of storage.
- Battery Life: This is the most important feature when it comes to selecting a laptop. It determines how long your laptop will last without being plugged in. For heavy users, we recommend looking for a gaming laptop with a battery life of at least 6 hours.
Wrapping up
The gaming laptop is one of the most versatile modes of modern computer usage. It can be used for gaming, schoolwork, or any other task that requires a computer.
With the right gaming laptop, you can do almost anything. Gaming laptops are designed to be powerful and portable at the same time.
They are great for students who need a laptop to do homework while on the go. With great specs and fast processing speeds, gaming laptops are excellent choices for any student.
Citations:
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/think-twice-about-gaming-laptop-for-school/
https://www.engadget.com/best-gaming-laptops-for-students-170026726.html