Why gaming laptops?

[Nibblitman]

A gaming laptop is the only way I can be able to play games for weeks at a time. My work has me in hotels for 6-8 days at a time and I have no space to haul a desktop with me. I use the gaming laptop so that I have something to do in the tiny little NV towns (Austin, Eureka) that I end up working in.

I have both a laptop and desktop but the desktop is around 4 years old. I got this laptop when I got my job so that I could still play games and use the internet while out of town. If I didn't all I could do would be sit in a hotel room and watch tv or go drink at the bar with the miners, and I can only do those for so long.

tl:dr I still want to play when my work takes me to the middle of nowhere

 

[DracoSuave]

I can't see it either, so I read through the responses here. Still not convinced. Playing games on a laptop is a second-rate gaming experience. There's less processing power, less customizability, heat is an issue, and the screen won't be as good. I say go for the full monty with a desk top. If you need portability, playing a JRPG or two on a PSP or Nintendo DS isn't going to kill you.

You are wrong.

Gaming while wearing bunny slippers being served mocha lattes by an attractive barrista while basking in the sunshine taking in the fresh air of a warm summer day is absolutely not a second-rate gaming experience.

There's big screen sizes... and there's living. Portable gaming rigs allow gaming in ways that transcend your 'Made for Crysis 2' needs, and go into a realm of enjoying gaming in ways that range from decadent to 'Seriously, how did we game before this?'

Also, if screen size is an issue, l2dockingstation.

you are really saying you dont have a 1 ft by 2ft space by your feet under your desk? (thats dimensions, height can vary depending on mobo). Is your name by any chance mother hubbard?

Yes, let's pretend that he wouldn't need monitor space either, eh?

And yeah, some dorm rooms really don't give you a lot of space to work with, and so less is, in fact, more.

 

[Doom-Slayer]

I have a fairly nice gaming laptop. I basically bought it through a auction site like ebay for about 1/2 of retail, factory sealed and everything and its done wonders for me. Reasons I like it more than a desktop

-Take it to friends houses, LAN wars etc, stick it in my backpack and bike there, dont need to drive.

-Take it to uni and into lectures to write notes down/play games when bored.

-Webcam+Skype and the maneuverability is just great, like talking to my gf through skype while Im in the kitchen making breakfast.

It has its disadvantages but I love my laptop right now and it works great.

 

[The_Evermind]

snip

"Ninety percent of the time you need to be within a power cord's length to a wall anyway at which point you have a mobile desktop"

I can game for 4 hours without having to plug in and go far longer if I am just typing or something to that effect

"not a lightweight one either"
This I will agree with, my laptop is heavy

"the costs of a laptop can be up to twice as much for a desktop with same/similar specs"
I needed a laptop for school and was able to get my laptop for about as much as your ultraportable + desktop plan

"and heat is a big issue"
Never had a problem with heat"

"I have heard people say mobility can be a factor to which I reply "buy an ultraportable or a regular laptop for the mobility, spend the difference on a desktop with better specs"."
How does this give you mobility in gaming? And mobility is huge factor, getting magicka with a few friends and sitting around a table blowing stuff (each other) up, no better times to be had.

 

[infohippie]

Or alternatively, you've never heard of LAN Parties, or coffee shop gaming. It's like you're stuck in the mindset that people want a gaming laptop so they can have portable work. This is absolutely bullshit.

They want it so they can have portable gaming. Get that? Gaming that is portable. Is that so difficult a concept?

Really?

REALLY!?!

And then we get people complaining that "PC gaming is too expensive!" when they're looking at the massive prices of gaming laptops and not even considering that a desktop is way cheaper and also more powerful, not to mention upgrades.
All the LAN parties I've been to, everyone just lugs in their desktop machines, it's not hard. Box under one arm, monitor under the other, cables/mouse/keyboard/games/etc in a shoulder bag. And I can't see gaming at a cafe being a whole lot of fun. Obviously it is for you, and that's fine. Personally, I'd hate gaming at a cafe - lights too bright, too much noise, too many Macbook-wielding hipsters.

I still say gaming laptops are a very niche product. If you really have the desire for one and money isn't an issue, then sure, fill your boots. For most gamers, it's a much better choice to go with with the desktop and get a cheap little laptop for net access on the go.

 

[Vault101]

my laptop can runs games....even though it isnt a "gamign laptop" per se

I like the portability and to be able to play in different places depending on my mood

 

[Kanlic]

Like I stated in the OP, just get an ultraportable or a regular laptop. It will be half of the weight at least(a tenth if you get the ultraportable).

You're forgetting how small college dorms are. There is barely enough space for essential things like storage for clothing and stuff, but there is NO room for a rig.

 

[viranimus]

Well personally I find gaming laptops to be a waste of money. Mobility is a nice factor without question, but the price of mobility is risk. Easier to be stolen, Easier to be damaged and seemingly more prone to obsolescence. Also, tech wise they are always behind the curve. Price wise you pay a premium price for having a more fragile but more mobile device.

I personally favor the layout of a modest laptop and juggernaut desktop. I find it gives the advantages of a laptop (in the mobility), as well as the advantages of the desktop (power vs price vs superior architecture) I get the issue of file redundancy but honestly I have found more advantages to having backups of files than having less of them. Plus if you have a file server file redundancy isnt that big of a deal because most of your files will be networked anyway and accessible from ANY computer. Plus, they also make KVM switches, and most modern laptops are equipped with HDMI port outs and most monitors are also equipped with HDMI ports in, So having multiple points of access seems like a major advantage to me.

Now as for why people would just want the one? I would have to assume its an issue that boils down to having more money than either sense, time or patience. If you have the money for a real gaming laptop (lets say one selling for 1000$ or better) and you do not have the time or patience to deal with the complexity of using two computers, then it does make a degree of sense to use one device instead of two. Average computer users tend to be less apt at dealing with complexity. Most people do not want to deal with KVM switches, File servers, Component ports, etc so having one box invariably is going to be the easier solution. Granted it is easier in the sense of putting a round peg into a square hole is easy as long as you have a heavy enough sledgehammer, but it is still less complex and thus easier.

 

[Fasckira]

I have a gaming laptop so I can attend lan events without having to cart my entire PC rig around. Instead of having to put the seats down in the back of the car to fit everything in, spend 40 mins at home and then at the lan event to reconnect everything again (while of course hoping that the journey didn't damage anything in the process) - instead of all, that I just pick up my laptop bag and go.

Whenever Ive had to go away for work or on holiday, its been with me. I get about 3 hours gaming time comfortably on a full charge so Im happy but the laptop still doubles up for normal needs (emails, internet browsing, film watching etc).

Ultimately I paid the extra for the convience, simple as that.

No one is arguing that you can get an awesome PC for the price of an average gaming laptop, you can get a lot of things for that price.

 

[Saulkar]

where this desire for owning a gaming laptop stems.

Because it can allow me to perform 3D modeling and Animation while blazing through ZBrush, Painter, and Photoshop without forcing me to lug an eighteen kilogram tower around with me to school, my grandparents, the library, and the coffee shop. At the same time I can max out a heavily modded Just Cause 2 if I am feeling gamee while waiting for those damn magical things called fish my grandfather promises me will bite the bait.

 

[mikespoff]

I agree entirely.

For the price of a gaming laptop, you can get both an ultraportable and a decent gaming desktop with a full-size keyboard and a big monitor.

As soon as you get to gaming-capable laptops, you've actually lost a lot of the portability advantage anyway, so the combination of ultraportable + desktop is the best IMO.

Well for one, it would be very annoying to bring a gaming desktop to your friend house if you want to play a game but not talk over the internet (such as what my friend and me do with Vindictus) and so a gaming laptop is perfect.

Actually, I used to take my gaming desktop around to a friend's house pretty regularly - case in one hand, LCD monitor under the other arm, cords and keyboards and mouse in a bag... it's only one trip from the car and it takes about 2 mins to set up.

 

[Exocet]

I get "gaming laptops" because they are powerful enough to play AAA games for 3 years, then I can gift them to my family, who only uses PCs to go on the internet and print stuff.

Also,since I tend to move around a lot,say,to a friend's place,a desktop that comes in 2 different,and rather large boxes is out of the question.

 

[DracoSuave]

And then we get people complaining that "PC gaming is too expensive!" when they're looking at the massive prices of gaming laptops and not even considering that a desktop is way cheaper and also more powerful, not to mention upgrades.

Either you're taking the piss out of all of us with some post-modernist humor which is absolutely dry and halarious, or you just hit the irony button by introducing an irrelevant strawman into this discussion by mentioning an irrelevant strawman from a different argument.

What does the 'PC gaming is expensive' argument have to do with the discussion at hand? Nothing. What do luxury devices such as the laptops' being more expensive have to do with the discussion at hand? Nothing.

All the LAN parties I've been to, everyone just lugs in their desktop machines, it's not hard. Box under one arm, monitor under the other, cables/mouse/keyboard/games/etc in a shoulder bag.

That sounds so much more convenient than 'Entire thing on one shoulder, booze on over the other.'

And I can't see gaming at a cafe being a whole lot of fun. Obviously it is for you, and that's fine. Personally, I'd hate gaming at a cafe - lights too bright, too much noise, too many Macbook-wielding hipsters.

Stop going to Starbucks. This isn't really advice directed at gaming, but it's just good advice in general. You see a Starbucks. Avoid it.

I still say gaming laptops are a very niche product.

And this is a thread discussing said niche. The OP asked 'What niche is this for?' And people are responding.

If you really have the desire for one and money isn't an issue, then sure, fill your boots. For most gamers, it's a much better choice to go with with the desktop and get a cheap little laptop for net access on the go.

File this under 'NO SHIT, REALLY?'

The discussion is not about what has better technology because that's not a discussion but simply an affirmation of fact. It's a discussion on why people would persue the laptop gaming route, with people in the thread divided into two camps... people who give reasons as to why which a desktop system simply cannot fulfill... and people who aren't paying attention that the discussion is not 'DEFEND DESKTOP GAMING AT ALL COSTS'.

 

[brother librarian]

reading this i was astounded at how little people game socially.

for me gaming is all about the LAN with friends. and none of us have the money for a car.

im sure half my friends could afford to buy one - but not to insure or run one.

no car means no LAN gaming without a laptop. because taking a desktop everywhere with you on public transport, is going to get it broken and stolen.

Internet gaming is not the same. many games use too much bandwidth for skype etc to be working at the same time on my internet without screwing up. Also is just not as sociable and you are not hanging out.

It probably helps that none of us want to LAN modern fps's but rather hardcore strategy titles, so we just need good raw processing power, and the graphics card can be slightly suboptimal without it being an issue.

 

[Hafnium]

Where I live it more expensive to buy a decent desktop and a laptop than to just buy a gaming laptop. The biggest issue for me though, is how much space it takes up. My space is very limited and I'm trying to sell of my desktop (not easy), since I bought a laptop for school but made sure it had some gaming capabilities. It's actually surprisingly powerful for a non-gaming laptop, which is why I don't need my desktop. It can play Shogun 2, Mass Effect 2 & Bad Company 2 very well, and should be able to handle Crysis at medium settings. I just hook it up to my 20" monitor and keyboard/mouse when I'm home, and I don't have to have a 25-35 lbs monster taking up space.

 

[Farotsu]

I can't stand laptops, even the work-ones. I built my PC around the facts that I want it to be easy to move around and it'd be easy to update/upgrade when need be and that way it has worked for almost a decade (though most if it has changed.) Then I got myself a phone that can act as a portable work-station if need be. I'm not really a fan of that either but I got it for a damn good prize and it's perfect whenever I need to make notes or voice-notes in a rush and it can even do most of the programming and even some small rendering so...

 

[Korten12]

I agree entirely.

For the price of a gaming laptop, you can get both an ultraportable and a decent gaming desktop with a full-size keyboard and a big monitor.

As soon as you get to gaming-capable laptops, you've actually lost a lot of the portability advantage anyway, so the combination of ultraportable + desktop is the best IMO.

Well for one, it would be very annoying to bring a gaming desktop to your friend house if you want to play a game but not talk over the internet (such as what my friend and me do with Vindictus) and so a gaming laptop is perfect.

Actually, I used to take my gaming desktop around to a friend's house pretty regularly - case in one hand, LCD monitor under the other arm, cords and keyboards and mouse in a bag... it's only one trip from the car and it takes about 2 mins to set up.

but it's still easier to bring a laptop, easier to carry, less to pick up and once you get there, you just flip up the screen.

 

[Hagi]

I have a gaming laptop. It's great

I have all my stuff in one place and as a student I move around quite a bit. All my work stuff in one place, all my save files in one place, all my programs in one place etc.

Even though it's fairly heavy it's a carry-able shape. Desktops don't have crappy portability because of their weight, the weight's fine. Desktops have crappy portability because of their shape. Have you ever tried carrying your case, keyboard and screen in one hand? I can do that with my gaming laptop.

It was cheap. I got it at a serious discount and it was about the same price, even a bit cheaper, then a desktop with the same hardware. Not going to pass on that.

On top of that I honestly don't care if I'm playing at high, which my laptop can handle, or ultra high. Both are fine.

So why would I possibly want to deal with the extra effort of keeping track of 2 PCs when I can do it all on one for a cheaper price?

 

[devotedsniper]

I've never really seen the point in them because of all the drawbacks, what i did when i started uni was have my desktop for gaming then i just brought a netbook for lectures, it even had enough power to compile my code in visual studio for assignments when i was working in the library (granted a single core with hyperthreading is going to be slower than my quad but still).