Laptops have become a common tool for many people, students and professionals because it is convenient to use even on the go. Most of the time, laptops are being used just as a tool to perform simple tasks such as word processing and surfing the net.
For gamers, they usually play games only at home using a desktop PC but there are some who do not want to buy expensive desktop PCs so they resort to buying laptops with specifications that can run their favourite games.
If you’re in the market for a new laptop, you need to know the difference between regular laptops and gaming laptops so that you will not waste your money on something that is not fit for your needs.
Types of Laptops
There’re a lot of laptop computers and manufacturers in the market. When buying a new one, you must know what you need it for so that you will not purchase the wrong laptop computer. Here are a few popular types to know the difference.
Regular Laptops (Non-Gaming Laptops)
Regular laptop or non gaming laptops are the usual type of laptops that you see around. They have basic specs good for simple computing tasks such as word processing, internet browsing and watching videos online. These types of laptops have a lot of variety because the components used vary from one laptop to another but they usually have Intel Core i3 or i5 processors with 4GB memory and 1TB hard drive.
Gaming Laptops
Gaming laptop computers are specially built for playing games. The hardware components’ specification of gaming laptops is much different from regular laptops because it has been designed especially to play computer games. Gaming laptops have a very powerful processor and a large memory size that can handle lots of tasks at once plus a dedicated graphics card called GPU (Graphic Processing Unit). With the latest graphics card, you can enjoy games at high resolution and play new games that regular laptops cannot handle.
Professional Laptops
Professionals can also use gaming laptops but it is mostly used by professionals in the field of video editing, photography and graphic design because these types of laptops have powerful specs to run special-purpose software. Professionals are not limited to using one type alone because they may choose regular laptop for work that does not require GPU or high specifications while for tasks that need more power like video rendering, graphics design and engineering simulation, they will use a gaming laptop because it has better components plus there’re models that specifically designed for professional use only.
Difference in Specs of These Laptops
The specs of these laptops vary greatly because regular laptops are only good for basic computing tasks, gaming laptops are designed to be used for playing games plus professional laptops are made to run special-purpose software like video editing and engineering simulation.
Here’s the comparison of specs between regular laptop, gaming laptop and professional laptops:
Battery Life
Laptops with regular specs have longer battery life compared to gaming laptops. Gaming laptops usually have shorter battery life because they have more powerful components and games use up a lot of power. Professional laptops usually have the same battery life as regular laptops because they do not rely much on hardware’s specs like GPU and CPU and software is designed to be power efficient (for longer video editing, rendering and simulations).
Display
The display of a regular laptop is usually small and has low resolution. It should have a large screen but due to limitations in the hardware, it cannot run games well so manufacturers downgraded its screen size for better performance. Gaming laptops can support high resolution because they have more powerful components that let them play new games at higher resolutions. Professional laptop usually has the same or similar specs as a regular laptop except it uses higher resolution because special-purpose software needs finer details to give you high quality output.
Price
Gaming laptops are expensive compared to regular laptops because they have very powerful components plus additional features such as customizable backlit keyboards and other gaming features not found on normal laptops. Professional laptops are also expensive but they do not have these features so you just need something that you can install software for your work.
Portability
Gaming laptops are not as portable as regular laptops because they are heavier and have powerful components so they generate lots of heat. Professional laptop usually has the same or similar specs as a regular laptop except it uses a higher resolution screen and has better cooling so you can use this for a long period of time and it will not feel hot on your lap when used for long hours.
Cooling System
Regular laptop uses a cooling system with one fan at the back and regular vents for air flow. Most gaming laptops have a better cooling system with more fans plus it has a thermal shield to protect from overheating that regular laptops do not have. Professional laptops usually have high powered fans to have a better cooling system plus it is designed to run software that is power hungry so it needs a better cooling system for longer use.
Conclusion
There are differences in these laptops that make them suitable for different types of tasks. If you only need a laptop for basic computing tasks like word processing, internet browsing and watching videos online, a regular laptop is perfect for you but if you need it to run special-purpose software or play games on high resolution with better graphics, gaming laptops are more suitable. Professionals also have their own set of requirements so they choose between regular laptop and professional laptop depending on the process they need to do.
So, a regular laptop is best suited for basic computing while gaming laptops are better if you use the laptop to play games plus professional laptops are designed for running special-purpose software.
