How To Spec Your Next Gaming Laptop (Or Desktop) For Perfection

So you’ve made the decision to jump into the world of PC gaming… You’ve made the right call, but it’s dangerous to go alone – take this guide to spec your monster for play through perfection!

Before I start, a couple of ground rules. This is a how-to guide for the cost-conscious gamer who just wants to get the most bang for their buck, without going overboard.

I am a regular bloke, with a regular full-time wage and a normal adult life full of financial expenditures (mentally, I’m still 18, but I’m sure many of you will agree that part of you never grows up).

If you have, somehow, managed to trip over a gargantuan sum of money, then I applaud you while feeling slightly jealous, as you shell out all the cash on the top-of-the-range without financial worry.

Got that? Good. Now, when it comes to finding the right gaming rig for you, there are four key elements to look out for that I will dive into.

1. Design (internal and external)

Look, I get it. Many gaming laptops and desktops are designed to be the computer-equivalent of a Lamborghini Countach – a teenage boy’s dream that is fit for a bedroom poster. However, I’d feel more than a little embarrassed to whip it out in public (easy, tiger), or for someone to look awkwardly at my LED glowing PC tower.

But when it comes to design, this is only one part of the equation. More and more, lack of internal customisability in gaming laptops is becoming a growing concern. I get that companies seal up the insides to maintain a single design language externally, but this is a direct obstacle to any serious gamer.

There are few laptops that get both of these elements just right. But one of your most ideal options is HP Omen range, a set of cracking laptops that both look great and are easy to customise.

2. Future-proofed internals

The more time (and money) you can save yourself with a beasty computer packed with the right internal components, the better. More often than not, you will see standard gaming PC configurations with a lack of RAM and a CPU that is set to lack the peak performance for all-high settings within six months.

It’s key to look closely at what specs the games you love run, and ensure your hardware picks are comfortably over those performance thresholds. If not, choose your additional internal components wisely.

3. Stream-ability

If you are serious about gaming, then chances are you’ve at least heard of Twitch – the world’s biggest game streaming platform. Turn those hours of gaming investment into a livestream and you could make a tidy amount of money from subscribers and advertisers.

In order to maintain the highest quality stream, you need the best internal components, a bucket of RAM and an Ethernet port.

4. Price

And finally, nobody wants to spend too much money on something, and it’s very easy to with gaming laptops/PCs. The gaming market can be a minefield of needlessly pricey computers, which do nothing to offer a legitimately great playing experience.

Do your research and see how to get the most bang for your buck before buying. Look for three important components:

• Fast storage - Solid-state drive is your best pick
• CPU & GPU - A dedicated GPU is your ideal choice to support a high performance CPU
• RAM - Over 16GB is what you will need to fuel all of the above tasks.