This page showcases some of the best gaming laptops on the market at the moment (October 2003). The reason behind this article in the first place is that many visitors have been asking me what the best laptop computers for games were. And since, I have only played games with 4 models only, I decided to first compile a list of notebooks that are known to be the ultimate for gamers.
The second way I compiled the gaming laptops list was by going through each of the main laptop computers manufacturers products and selecting (according to the unit's specifications) a notebook that is suitable for laptop gaming. You will notice that the gaming notebooks featured here are displayed in alphabetical order. This is to keep things as unbiased as I possibly can although if you really read between the lines, you will be able to see which one are my favourites :o)
PS - Apologies for the lack of gaming laptops pictures, the article is long enough already so images will make it heavier.
So without any further ado, here are..The Top Ten Gaming Laptops
- Acer TravelMate 430
The Acer TravelMate 430 is ideal for laptop gaming because it is purposefully optimised for graphics-hungry game as well as video. It has a powerful and fast processor, Intel Pentium 4 Processor at 3.06 GHz. It features the amazing Ati Mobility Radeon 7500 card which will make displaying those graphics an amazing visual experience.
Sample essential features of the Acer TravelMate 430 gaming laptop PC are: a thermal design that allows more heat dissipation, Audio DJ buttons to help you control the notebook without turning it on, a 3-in-1 card reader that supports Secure Digital , MultiMediaCard and Memory Stick formats and a light and thin design which is really handy if you are a true mobile computer user.
- Alienware Area-51m
I will not even waste time here. Everybody is calling the Alienware Area-51m the best gaming laptop computer on the market in the Windows world. Reviewers chant its praises and above all gamers who have put the notebook to the test.
The Alienware Area-51m is custom made exclusively for laptop gaming so you can imagine that the people behind it have made sure that you get only the best features and components to maximize your gaming experience. Features such as: user-upgradeable video modules which is very self-explanatory, a fast Pentium 4 processor. a huge display area thanks to the 16.1" LCD screen, dual hard drive support to allow you to switch hard drives back and forth depending on your needs, a performance 19.05mm pitch 88-key keyboard that you will be thankful for if you know how annoying conventional laptop keyboards can be and the 3-in-1 memory card reader.
- Apple 17-inch PowerBook G4
What can I say about the Apple 17-inch PowerBook G4 without coming across as a fanatic? Well, this notebook is one that you should examine if you not only are a Mac user but also a true "computer gaming head". It was the first 17" laptop ever and was an instant hit among game fans.
The Apple 17-inch PowerBook G4 is very fast and powerful for a laptop. It features a 1.33GHz G4 processor, an ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 graphics processor with 64MB of DDR SDRAM to help you break the speed of visual experience. You can also burn DVDs with it and can be optimised to hold up to 2GB of RAM which in anyone books will be more than enough to handle. Another handy feature that will make you the envy of many is the cool backlit keyboard that will help you see those keys when there isn't enough light for you to see properly.
- Compaq Presario 3050us
The Compaq Presario 3050us is a true monster notebook. I don't know if HP (the new owners of Compaq) wanted to prove a point that are still strong in the mobile computer game by unleashing such powerful and fast laptop computer. Anyway, when I went over to their site looking for what they had to offer, I immediately added this to this list as the Compaq Presario 3050us truly deserves the attention of laptop gamers.
Here's an overview of this Compaq Presario 3050 notebook: a SiS 650 UMA Graphics 4X AGPand 64MB shared video memory, a rather large 16" SXGA display screen and the ultra powerful and fast 3.06GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor which is a big deal for a laptop at the time of writing. Sadly, it does not feature a DVD writer but you can now very cheap external ones from almost every computer accessories dealers.
- Dell Inspiron 8500 and 8600 models
I have a friend who owns a Dell Inspiron 8500 and I have seen first hand how perfect it is for laptop gaming purposes. Believe me, with the very nice price, this is one laptop that you should get right away. I don't really want to come across as pushy but this thing is the bomb!
Enough ranting, here's why I rate the Dell Inspiron 8500 as the best among gaming laptops. A mobile Intel Pentium 4-M processor that can be customized to a speed of up to 2.6GHz, 32MB Ati Mobility Radeon 9000, and NVIDIA GeForce4 4200 for video graphics, a hard drive as huge as 80GB and just like the featured Apple 17" (above), up to 2GB of RAM! The only caveat is the weight which at around 6.9 lbs can have an effect on your shoulders if you plan to be on the move a lot.
- Fujitsu Celsius Mobile H
I hope this does not go down as plagiarism but I feel that the Fujitsu people describe their potential gaming laptop better than I ever could. Here's the quote: "If you run power-hungry 3D business applications that require workstation graphics performance, you'll appreciate the CELSIUS Mobile H mobile workstation. Equipped with the power of NVIDIA's Quadro4 Go GL GPU for real-time rendering of 3D OpenGL graphics, complex simulations, and multimedia animations, the CELSIUS Mobile H mobile workstation offers powerful mobility encased in an elegant and functional design. The system delivers the workstation-level performance required by your most demanding applications with every powerful component - from the fast Intel® Pentium® 4 processor to the ultra-high resolution LCD display"
The other features that characterize gaming laptops that they have left out of the above well written paragraph, are: 15" UXGA display area, a 5400RPM 60Gb hard drive, and a three-year international limited warranty which is god sent for those who travel regularly overseas.
Gateway M350XL
What so unique about the Gateway® M350XL to make it part of this gaming laptops list? Well, for one I have to feature a Gateway laptop and secondly this laptop has all the specifications that the best gaming laptops should have: a large display screen, a huge hard drive, a quality video card and a powerful processor to work on those intense graphics as fast and furiously as possible.
- HP Pavilion ZD7001us
This HP Pavilion ZD7001us features a huge 17" WXGA+ TFT display screen so rest assured that you will have the best visual laptop gaming experience if you choose to take one home with you. The graphics will be more than crisp clear thanks to the NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5600. The HP Ppavilion ZD7001 comes full featured with a DVD writer which is a feature that gaming laptops should all have in my opinion. Oh... did I even mention how it will devour other gaming laptops with a Intel Pentium 4 processor 3.06GHz with Hyper-Threading?
- Sony VAIO GRT 250/270 Series
The Sony GRT series (especially the 250 and the 270) are ideal gaming laptops thanks to their powerful processors of course but also because generally Sony laptops seem to be optimised for multi-media application according to industry professionals. I don't know if it's really true of it is just a perception but I would not be surprised given that Sony's other electronic products do include video and music.
With the GRT series, you can get display screen of up to 16.1” UXGA and NVIDIA® GeForce4™ FX Go 5600 64 MB video DDR SGRAM for graphics perfection, a large hard drive... Basically, all the essential specs that are found on gaming laptops.
- Toshiba P25 Series
I don't know if I am right in saying this but I think (and I am not sure at all) that the Toshiba P25 series were the second laptops to feature 17.0" diagonal Wide-Screen XGA display after the 17" PowerBook from Apple.
The features that make them ideal gaming laptops are: Intel Pentium 4 Processor with Hyper-Threading technology, DVD multi drive , NVIDIA® GeForce™ FX Go5200 GPU w/64MB DDR SDRAM, and rather fast and huge 80GB 5,400rpm hard drives.
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