Gaming Laptop vs Normal Laptop – Which Should You Buy?

Are you confused about which laptop you should buy a Gaming laptop or a Normal laptop? If yes, then don’t need to worry because I have written this article to solve this confusion. Actually, there are many like you who really get confused while they are going to buy a laptop.

Well, first you need to make sure that what kind of work you are planning to do on your laptop. Ultimately, your use is the only factor which will help you to make a decision on what kind of laptop is suitable for you and should buy it.

Gaming laptops are high-configuration machines that can handle gaming, video editing, 3D modeling, and many other high demanding tasks like this. This kind of intensive task pushes the laptop’s internal components to their limits. While the gaming laptops are capable enough to handle this kind of stress on their internals.

If we talk about normal laptops they are usually used for school/college or office work. You can use this kind of laptop for using MS Office apps, browsing the internet, doing zoom video conferences, watching movies, etc. This kind of usage doesn’t need a high configuration laptop and for that normal laptops are the best option.

If you travel frequently along with your laptop then it is a good option as it is easy to carry around with you. If we see it from a price point of view, then a normal laptop is comparatively cheaper than a gaming laptop.

Still, there are number of more features available in both gaming laptops and normal laptops which I will cover in this article and it will help you to make a perfect buying decision.

	Gaming Laptop	Normal Laptop
Processor	Gaming laptops come with a powerful processor having multiple cores and high processing speed.	Normal laptops processor don’t have multiple cores like a gaming laptop. That’s why it is good for using some basic tasks like using MS Office, checking emails, browsing the internet, video calling, watching videos, etc.
RAM	Gaming laptops have at least 8GB or 16GB of RAM.	Normal laptops have at least 4GB or 8GB of RAM.
GPU	Usually, gaming laptops come with a dedicated graphics card such as Nvidia Geforce or AMD Radeon graphics to handle graphics-related tasks.	These laptops have integrated graphics which is embedded on the CPU and it can handle some light graphics-related tasks.
Cooling System	Gaming laptops feature an advanced cooling system with multiple exhaust fans which actually helps to control the heat generated by inside components.	The cooling technology of normal laptops is not advanced like gaming laptops and have single fan only.
Display	The display of gaming laptops features a high refresh rate of up to 300Hz.	While normal laptops feature 60Hz to 120Hz of high refresh rate display.
Keyboard	It comes with a sturdy backlit keyboard which can handle the stress of gaming.	The keyboard on a normal laptop is decent, which is specially meant for typing.
Sound Quality	Gaming laptop speakers are more qualitative and louder which gives a superior experience of gaming.	In normal traditional laptops, it comes with a standard speakers system which is decent for watching movies.
Battery Life	Come with powerful configurations which consume more power and that is why it doesn’t provide good battery life. Hence, you can expect from a gaming laptop around 2 to 3 hours of battery backup but it may vary upon your usage.	While normal laptops don’t have powerful configurations and this is why it gives you approx 5 to 7 hours of decent battery life. But still, there are some laptops which provide around 10+ hours of battery backup.
Number Of Ports	It has all the sorts of port options which are required to connect gaming peripherals.	It comes with all the basic ports of options to connect some peripherals which are required in regular use.
Portability	Usually, gaming laptops are not portable because of their high-end components which make it thick and bulky.	Basically, normal laptops don’t have many components like gaming laptops and this is why it gets lightweight and portable.
Longevity	Well, it depends upon your usage and how you have handled it. However, because of its high-performance components, it is last longer compared to normal laptops.	Firstly, it depends on how you have taken care of your laptop. But still, a normal laptop’s lifespan is shorter than a gaming laptop’s.
Pricing	You can find a decent gaming laptop for around $700 price range.	While you will get a decent normal laptop for approx $400 budget.

Let’s check the comparison of Gaming Laptop vs Normal Laptop in detail.

If we see then there is a lot of difference between Gaming laptops and Normal laptops in terms of their purpose and internal components. Here, in this article, we will see all the differences in detail so you will get a better idea of which one is suitable for you. So, let’s get started.

1. Design

Design wise, regular laptops come with small frames which makes them slim, lightweight, and portable that’s why it gets easier to carry along with you.  Also, these laptops are suitable for your business or school/college environments because of their elegant design.

These normal laptops are having all the basic port options such as USB type A, USB type C, HDMI, headphone/microphone jack, etc.

In terms of design, gaming laptops come with robust frames and a dedicated gaming look which enhances their aesthetics. Furthermore, being a gaming laptop it packs high-end performance components and that is why it gets heavy in weight.

These days you will get to see many gaming laptops designed with RGB lights that enhance your gaming experience. Moreover, as compared to normal laptops it has more port options to connect all your gaming peripherals.

2. Processor (CPU)

Whether the laptop is built for some high-end tasks such as video editing, gaming, 3D rendering/modeling, or for some normal tasks like MS Office, web browsing, or watching movies which can be easily understood through the type of its processor.

At first sight, the processor for both looks the same but the internal build and function are different. If you want to know the differences of that then you can easily understand by looking at the suffix of the processor.

For instance, Intel uses the under-mentioned Suffixes for their normal laptop processors.

• G – Graphics
• Y – Extremely Low Power
• U – Ultra-Low Power
• T – Power Optimized Lifestyle

The suffixes of the processor give you a clear idea of which one is perfect for you. Like, the above-mentioned processor which is used in normal laptops can’t able to generate high clock speed because of its low power.

These processors are capable of handling all your day-to-day work. But if you are planning to use heavy software then these processors are not powerful enough to handle it.

Let’s check the suffixes of Intel processors for gaming laptops :

• K – Unlocked
• H – High Performance
• HQ – High-Performance Quad Core
• HK – High Performance and unlocked

Normally, gaming laptops processor have more cores that offer high performance and high clocking speed. While there are few gaming laptop processors which can be overclocked to run at their maximum speed. For their high-speed performance nature, these processors are expensive as compared to normal laptop processors.

3. RAM (Random Access Memory)

RAM (Random Access Memory) is a short-term memory of your laptop or computer where running program data is stored as the processor needs it.

Please, don’t be confused it with long-term memory, which is stored on a hard disk drive and it stays there even if your laptop is shut down.

Actually, the internal architecture of a Gaming laptop’s RAM and a Normal laptop’s RAM is different. The gaming laptop’s RAM has a higher clock speed as compared to the normal laptop’s RAM.

Basically, normal laptops start with 4GB of RAM because mainly it is used for some basic tasks such as using MS Office apps, browsing the web, watching movies, etc., and for this kind of work we don’t need more than 8GB RAM.

While the entry-level gaming laptop comes with at least 8GB of RAM because it requires enough power to handle games and other heavy apps. These days all the latest games like Call of Duty, Assassins Creed, Forza Horizon, etc., require at least 8GB of RAM. Most of gamers buy a gaming laptop with 16GB of RAM for amazing gaming experiences.

Actually, games are not the only thing but there are many other backgrounds running apps such as Operating systems, Antivirus, etc., that take up space in the RAM.

In simple terms, more the RAM you have the better gaming or working experience you will get. When you are going to buy a gaming laptop and if you increase the RAM amount then the price also will increase. But the best part is that it can be replaced in the future or if it has an empty slot then you can add RAM as per your requirement.

4. Graphics Card (GPU)

A graphics card is also called a video card or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), which collects the graphics-related data from the CPU and renders it into images and videos on your display.

If we compare then there is a difference between gaming laptops and normal laptop graphics cards. Like, gaming laptops come with a dedicated graphics card while normal laptops use integrated graphics.

Let’s talk about the integrated graphics first, it is fixed on the same processor chip, and also it uses the same RAM like a processor. As a result, it limits the power and efficiency of the integrated graphics and it can be used only for some normal tasks like watching videos, PowerPoint presentations, etc. You can’t use it for some heavy graphics-related work like 3D rendering, heavy graphics games, video editing, etc.

Moving on, the dedicated graphics card of gaming laptops is separate from the CPU and not fixed on the CPU. Also, it has a separate memory called “VRAM” and its processor called “GPU”. Because of its separate memory, it becomes more powerful than the integrated graphics, and also it works faster.

In gaming laptops, you will get to see dedicated graphics card from Nvidia or AMD. Having a dedicated graphics card allows you to run some heavy graphics-intensive tasks such as gaming, 3D modeling/rendering, video editing, VR simulation, heavy programming, etc.

5. Cooling System

To maintain the temperature of the laptop’s inside components, a Cooling system is very important. Gaming laptops and Normal laptops both have a cooling system but there are differences which we will explore here.

Gaming laptops have a more robust cooling system than normal laptops because they have more powerful components which produce more heat as compared to normal laptops. Most probably heat generates by the CPU and GPU of gaming laptops.

All the latest gaming laptops have large air vents, multiple fans, and heat sinks which keep the internals at their normal temperature. Also, some high-end gaming laptops come with the latest vapor chamber cooling system by replacing the old heat pipes, and these days it becoming more popular in gaming laptops.

Now, coming to normal laptops then it doesn’t need vapor chamber cooling technology because it doesn’t produce as much heat as gaming laptops do. In normal laptops, the CPU is the only main source that generates heat, and to keep it cool single fan, a small heat sink, and air vents are just enough.

6. Display & Screen Size

Normally, gaming laptops come with a big screen of at least 15.6 inches of screen for provide a top-notch gaming experience.

On top of that, the screen also has a high refresh rate which offers an edge to the gamers while playing or streaming games online.

If we see then normal laptops are available with a small screen and with a low refresh rate as compared to gaming laptops. However, regular laptops have a 60Hz to 120Hz refresh rate while in gaming laptops you will get up to 300Hz refresh rate screens.

7. Keyboard Differences

Normal laptops come with a membrane keyboard which is decent for typing. But the registering speed is not much fast and also it has a major drawback that the keys are not durable and long-lasting.

Also, this membrane keyboard can bear around 5 million presses per key and over a period of time, it becomes unpleasant because the rubber under the keys wears out. On top of that, a normal laptop keyboard or membrane keyboard can’t register multiple keypresses at a time.

When it comes to a gaming laptop’s keyboards then you will get to see a mechanical keyboard which can endure the stress of gaming. Along with that, it can beat the membrane keyboards by its longevity. What is the best part about this keyboard is it has a faster-registering speed compared to the membrane keyboards which helps you in gaming for faster response.

A worth mentioning thing about gaming laptops is that you will find some gaming laptops with an RGB backlit which ensures to offers a better gaming experience in low light conditions. Also, it gives it to a fully gaming aesthetic.

8. Sound Quality

Talking about speakers, there is a huge difference between speakers powered by gaming laptops and normal laptops. Actually, sound quality is also an integral part of gaming and good sound quality is only got if it has good quality speakers.

So, this is the main reason gaming laptops come with high-quality speakers which are louder as compared to regular laptop speakers. The reason to provide quality speakers in gaming laptops is to ensure that gamers can hear all the dialogues and sound effects very clearly which can intensify their gaming.

Moving on to normal laptops, then there is no need for high-quality speakers. Also, there is no scope for high-quality speakers in normal laptops due to their compact chassis. But the speakers which are installed on regular laptops are perfectly suitable for watching videos, movies, listening to music and podcasts, etc.

9. Battery Life

Battery life is also one of the most important factors which you need to consider, it doesn’t matter whether you are buying a normal laptop or a gaming laptop. These days normal laptops and gaming laptops both have lithium-ion or lithium-polymer batteries inside. The best part about these batteries is that it has internal circuits which save from overcharging of batteries.

Actually, gaming, video editing, 3D modeling, or any other high graphics-related tasks which consume lots of power. Gaming laptops are power-hungry machine and that is why it comes with larger battery packs than regular laptops.

However, you can expect from gaming laptop for around 4-5 hours of usage if it has large battery packs. But it may vary on your usage and battery packs. As per expert advice, to get the optimum performance keep the gaming laptop plugged into a power source.

When it comes to regular laptops it packs a small battery compared to gaming laptops. However, normal laptops consume less power as compared to gaming laptops. But the best part is that despite having a small battery in normal laptops it provides around 10+ hours of backup on a full battery charge.

10. Number Of Ports

Regarding the connectivity options, there is very less difference between gaming laptops and normal laptops.

Both have Wifi connectivity options which are important these days because there are many popular games available online these days.

Also, there is for doing your work like sending emails, browsing the internet, watching videos on Youtube, etc., can’t do without internet and that why normal laptops also have Wifi connectivity.

Like Wifi, the Bluetooth connectivity option is available in gaming laptops and regular laptops both. By using Bluetooth you can easily transfer files on any device.

The only thing which makes difference in both gaming laptops and regular laptops is the number of ports. Normally, in regular laptops you will get to see, two or three USB ports, One LAN, One HDMI, and some other ports for connecting external devices.

11. Portability

Normal laptops are thin and light as compared to gaming laptops because they have fewer hardware components inside. Due to this, it is very easy to carry.

On the other side, gaming laptops are big and heavy, also it is known as a high-performance laptops. To provide high-performing power, it has high-end extra components such as a dedicated graphics card, cooling system, heavy battery, and CPU with multiple cores.

All these components make gaming laptops heavy than regular laptops. Therefore, it is not easy to carry a gaming laptop along with you while you are traveling.

12. Longevity 

Well, the longevity of any laptop mainly depends on how much you are taking care of. If anyone properly takes care of gaming laptops and normal laptops then it can easily last for a long.

As we all know regular laptops are built for doing some basic tasks like using MS Office, emailing, browsing the internet, etc. So, if it is used for the same purpose only then it will last for very long. But if normal laptops are being used for some high graphics games or other graphics-intensive tasks then soon you will see a performance drop.

Also, how long your laptop will last depends on how regularly you are cleaning your laptop. Because over a period of time, dust starts to accumulate around the laptop’s air vents and internal components which generate the heat inside. In that case, it can cause damage to plenty of internal components and that’s why we need to clean the laptop regularly, doesn’t matter if it is a gaming laptop or a normal laptop.

If we compare the components of both laptops then a gaming laptop is last for very long because of its high-end powerful components. However, if a gaming laptop’s performance drops then still it can be used for some normal work. But when it comes to normal laptops then if its drops the performance then you can’t even use it for basic regular work.

13. Customer Base

Usually, gaming laptops are not affordable for everyone but those who are passionate about gaming or who have a good budget they can buy it. The gaming laptops come with some exclusive features and powerful specs which makes it expensive as compared to normal laptops.

This is the main reason why gaming laptops do not come at an affordable price range and their customer base is also limited. These days the popularity of streaming online video games is increasing day by day that’s why gaming laptops and gaming PC demand is also increasing. Apart from gamers, video editors, game developers, and graphics designers are also users of gaming laptops.

When it comes to normal business laptops, it has a huge customer base as compared to gaming laptops because it is available at different affordable price ranges so anyone can easily buy them. The best part is that you can find normal laptops on any budget.

However, these laptops are popular among college students and business people because they use the laptop for checking or writing emails, using MS Word for creating documents, making presentations in MS Powerpoint, etc.

14. Pricing

Pricing is one of the important factors when purchasing a laptop or any other product. However, there is a huge difference between gaming laptops and normal laptop’s price ranges.

The gaming laptops are specially built for using heavy tasks like gaming, 3D modeling/rendering, video editing, graphics designing, etc. To handle these kinds of heavy tasks gaming laptops has got more powerful components than normal laptops that’s why they are expensive.

If you want to buy an entry-level gaming laptop then also you have to spend around $700-$800. But for buying a decent gaming laptop you will have to pay more than $1000.

Moving on, you will get a decent normal laptop for around $300. But if you want good specifications and features then you need to have a good budget. For a normal laptop users have a wide range of laptop options so that anyone can buy a laptop which is suitable as per their budget and requirement.

Gaming laptops and normal laptops are built for two different purposes. The main difference between these two types of laptops is their hardware.

Gaming laptops are packed with a dedicated GPU and many other features which you can’t get in any normal business laptops. The dedicated graphics card in gaming laptops allows you to use it for gaming, video editing, 3D modeling, graphics designing, and many other high graphics-related work. This kind of heavy work, a normal laptop can’t handle.

On another side, normal laptops don’t have a powerful configuration like gaming laptops but it works well for day-to-day use. Usually, normal regular laptops are used by college students and business people for checking and sending emails, creating documents and presentations, online zoom conferences, etc.

Also, regular laptops have good battery life and portability as compared to gaming laptops. Wait, one of the most important things is that normal laptops are budget friendly and affordable for all.

There are many laptop brands who build both gaming laptops and regular laptops. To find which laptop is best for you, first you need to know your purpose for using a laptop. If you need a laptop for college or office work then regular laptops are best. But if you want to do heavy graphics-intensive work and gaming then going for a good gaming laptop is the best decision.