I don't know what you mean by "investment". As veloper says, in terms of financial investment, no, absolutely not. Gadgets and electronics depreciate massively. The same gadget years later will be worth a fraction of its original sale price.
If you mean are they alright for playing on, particularly considering their costs, then the answer is yes, if you want to game on the go or at least have your PC be portable/usable away from the mains at times or in different locations.
A good machine, one designed well shouldn't suffer from overheating. They should be designed with efficient cooling in mind when drawing maximum power. Of course as with anything with vents and fans, a spritz from an air duster every couple of months will keep it unclogged by dust and keep it running better. It's not advisable to use these devices on soft surfaces like a duvet, lap, pillow or sofa, it should be on a hard, flat surface (a tray, a clipboard, a tabletop, a hardback book) to keep the vents clear and preserve airflow.
In terms of price/performance, there are two downsides to a laptop. The parts are usually lower power variants of desktop parts designed to use less battery so aren't *as* powerful as desktop equivalents. They cost slightly more and obviously, laptops aren't upgradeable. Once you buy a laptop, you can't change the gfx card, the CPU, get aftermarket cooling or the rest (though you can usually add/change RAM and hard drive(s) fairly easily.
I bought a "gaming" spec laptop about 2 years ago, one step below top end for about $1000. In my case, it's a very small, very powerful machine with Optimus GTX650 ish I believe. It played BioShock Infinite with most things maxed quite happily. I used the built in keyboard and screen but used a separate mouse and forgot I was playing on a small screen. They can be hooked up to external monitors, keyboards and other peripherals though. I also use it for a handful of hours on the plane when I've travelled abroad, it can game for a few hours on battery. Load up steam, switch to offline mode and ready to go
The main benefit is their portability and ability to run on battery for given periods. They cost more and cannot be upgraded so it's worth buying the best you possibly can from the outset. For gaming, look for the best processor and GPU you can afford (GTX760M is a very good bet), but know that the difference between an i5 and i7 for gaming is negligible (so compromise here if need be). Pick the size of the screen you're happy with as that will decide the size, weight and portability of it and make note of battery life. Get a good one and spritz the vents with canned air every couple of months and you'll game happily for years.
Last tip, in general I'd say stick to a reputable brand for laptops. Better to have a brand name from a good company but don't dismiss gaming laptops. I bought from Eurocom and am very happy with it. Their customer service and support is brilliant and I got a lot bang for buck with them.
If you mean are they alright for playing on, particularly considering their costs, then the answer is yes, if you want to game on the go or at least have your PC be portable/usable away from the mains at times or in different locations.
A good machine, one designed well shouldn't suffer from overheating. They should be designed with efficient cooling in mind when drawing maximum power. Of course as with anything with vents and fans, a spritz from an air duster every couple of months will keep it unclogged by dust and keep it running better. It's not advisable to use these devices on soft surfaces like a duvet, lap, pillow or sofa, it should be on a hard, flat surface (a tray, a clipboard, a tabletop, a hardback book) to keep the vents clear and preserve airflow.
In terms of price/performance, there are two downsides to a laptop. The parts are usually lower power variants of desktop parts designed to use less battery so aren't *as* powerful as desktop equivalents. They cost slightly more and obviously, laptops aren't upgradeable. Once you buy a laptop, you can't change the gfx card, the CPU, get aftermarket cooling or the rest (though you can usually add/change RAM and hard drive(s) fairly easily.
I bought a "gaming" spec laptop about 2 years ago, one step below top end for about $1000. In my case, it's a very small, very powerful machine with Optimus GTX650 ish I believe. It played BioShock Infinite with most things maxed quite happily. I used the built in keyboard and screen but used a separate mouse and forgot I was playing on a small screen. They can be hooked up to external monitors, keyboards and other peripherals though. I also use it for a handful of hours on the plane when I've travelled abroad, it can game for a few hours on battery. Load up steam, switch to offline mode and ready to go
The main benefit is their portability and ability to run on battery for given periods. They cost more and cannot be upgraded so it's worth buying the best you possibly can from the outset. For gaming, look for the best processor and GPU you can afford (GTX760M is a very good bet), but know that the difference between an i5 and i7 for gaming is negligible (so compromise here if need be). Pick the size of the screen you're happy with as that will decide the size, weight and portability of it and make note of battery life. Get a good one and spritz the vents with canned air every couple of months and you'll game happily for years.
Last tip, in general I'd say stick to a reputable brand for laptops. Better to have a brand name from a good company but don't dismiss gaming laptops. I bought from Eurocom and am very happy with it. Their customer service and support is brilliant and I got a lot bang for buck with them.
