Tech_Advisor_-_November_2019

NOVEMBER 2019 • TECH ADVISOR 49

GAMING SPECIAL

to hold games and other files, a sizeable and decent-

resolution screen to view the action on, and a good

chassis to bear all these components.

Processor

From Intel, the seventh-generation Core series

processors (codename: Kaby Lake) are well-suited

to the CPU task, but the latest eighth-generation

chips (codename: Coffee Lake) are even more power

efficient while also providing a boost in performance.

Many of the laptops here have 8th-generation

chips, but going for an older model from 2018 could

prove a bargain. You don’t need a Coffee Lake

processor, but you will be future-proofing yourself.

You may have heard about Intel’s i9 processors and

these are starting to appear in laptops such as the

MacBook Pro. Watch out for this option in a gaming

laptop but read the review first in case there are issues.

As ever, our benchmarks provided within our reviews

will tell you how fast a laptop is at various tasks.

Graphics card

The graphics card is arguably the most important

component of a gaming laptop, as it does most of

the work when you’re playing a game. Unlike with a

desktop PC you can’t usually upgrade this in a laptop,

so it pays to get the best you can afford to begin with.

Systems with Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti, 1080, 1070, 1060

and 1050 graphics chips are currently the ones to look

for. You’ll see the ‘Max Q design’ versions of these

cards largely as they are created to fit inside the chassis

of a laptop. We also have some with newer RTX cards

NOVEMBER 2019 • TECH ADVISOR 49

GAMING SPECIAL

to hold games and other files, a sizeable and decent-
resolution screen to view the action on, and a good
chassis to bear all these components.

Processor
From Intel, the seventh-generation Core series
processors (codename: Kaby Lake) are well-suited
to the CPU task, but the latest eighth-generation
chips(codename:CoffeeLake)areevenmorepower
efficientwhile also providing a boost in performance.
Manyofthelaptopsherehave8th-generation
chips,but going for an older model from 2018 could
prove a bargain. You don’t need a Coffee Lake
processor, but you will be future-proofing yourself.
You may have heard about Intel’s i9 processors and
these are starting to appear in laptops such as the
MacBook Pro. Watch out for this option in a gaming
laptop but read the review first in case there are issues.
As ever, our benchmarks provided within our reviews
will tell you how fast a laptop is at various tasks.

Graphics card
The graphics card is arguably the most important
component of a gaming laptop, as it does most of
the work when you’re playing a game. Unlike with a
desktop PC you can’t usually upgrade this in a laptop,
so it pays to get the best you can afford to begin with.
Systems with Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti, 1080, 1070, 1060
and 1050 graphics chips are currently the ones to look
for. You’ll see the ‘Max Q design’ versions of these
cards largely as they are created to fit inside the chassis
of a laptop. We also have some with newer RTX cards