Gaming laptops are known for being able to handle a lot more than your average laptop. They are designed with performance in mind equipped with powerful GPUs & CPUs as well as a massive amount of RAM which is needed to handle hardware intensive tasks.
So this brings us to the question are gaming laptops good for programming?
Gaming laptops are good for programming since there able to handle hardware-intensive tasks at a much faster pace, gaming laptops typically have a larger ram capacity which allows you to have multiple software & browsers open without slowing down your laptop. They also have greater GPU and CPU power which can be beneficial for resource-demanding tasks such as training deep learning models.
Although a gaming laptop offers more features and specs it might not be the perfect option for you depending on what type of coding you will be doing.
Lets take a look at a few things you should consider when deciding on purchasing a gaming laptop for programming.
Should You Get A Gaming Laptop For Programming?
As we mentioned above gaming laptops can be very effective for programmers. They are able to handle much more than your average laptop, they come with much greater specs such as powerful CPUs, high RAM capacities, SSD storage, and much more.
But what it comes down to is the type of programming you do. If youre an IOS programmer you will need a mac in order to run apple development tools such as Xcode which is only available on a mac.
Also, not all programmers require high spec laptops, although it can be beneficial the downside is gaming laptops are quite expensive and if you dont require the additional RAM, CPU, GPU power then it may be preferable to opt for a cheaper laptop.
But before you do its important to have a general idea of the typical specs required for the average programmer.
Specs typically required for the average programmer:
- A minimum of 8GB of RAM: Most programming software requires a high RAM in order to operate efficiently. 8GB should be the minimum you aim for, although 16GB would be preferable. A lower RAM capacity will cause your laptop to load applications at a much slower rate.
- Latest Intel i5 processor or higher: A laptops CPU has a massive impact on performance. The CPU handles every aspect of functioning that your computer engages in, so its crucial that you get a laptop with a decent CPU.
- 14+ inch display: Having a larger screen is ideal for programming since you will usually have your laptop on split-screen, especially when first starting to learn to code.
- At least 256GB SSD: Getting an SSD [Solid State Drive] will provide you with significant performance improvements over a standard hard drive.
- A Decent Keyboard: A feel of a keyboard is quite important when it comes to programming since you will be typing a lot you want a laptop that has a decent keyboard.
As you can see the most important feature for a programmer is the RAM & CPU but you dont require insane specs
Now that you have an idea of the typical specs an average programmer will require lets now take a look at the specs of an average gaming laptop.
Typical Specs of an average gaming laptop:
- A High-performance processor, such as an i78750H
- A dedicated graphics card such asNVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti4GB Memory [mid-range level] toNVIDIAGTX1070 8GB VRAM[top range level].
- A combination ofSSDandHDDmemory for optimal performance which is not so common in normal laptops.
- Multiple large fans in order to cool laptop from heat generated from CPU & GPU
- 16 GB RAM
As you can see gaming laptops have much greater specs than what the average programmer actually needs but it can still be worth it to have more optimized specs if your willing to spend more.
Related Questions:
1. What is the difference between a gaming laptop and a normal laptop?
A gaming laptop is an enhanced version of a normal laptop, coming with much greater specs such as a dedicated graphicscard, powerful processors, a combination ofSSDandHDDmemory, Multiple fans,1080p resolution, as well as coming with wider screens.
2. Are gaming laptops good for daily use?
Yes, gaming laptops are good for daily use although the only issue with gaming laptops is that they are slightly heavier than your average laptop, & the battery doesnt last as long as well since they require more power to run the CPU & GPU. Although, they function similarly to normal laptops the difference being they are optimized with performance in mind.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it, gaming laptops offer much greater specs than your average laptop. Although it can be quite good for programming it does cost a lot more than your average laptop and might have more specs than you actually need or might even use. Whats important is the type of programming you will be doing. For example, if youre into AI and will be training deep learning models then a gaming laptop will help tremendously unless you prefer to train models on the cloud. Although if you wont be using much computing power than it might be best to opt for a cheaper laptop with the necessary specs that you actually require.
The type of programming you do will depend on the type of laptop you require if your an IOS programmer than owning a mac is necessary in order to access apple development tools such as Xcode, so the type of laptop you need is truly dependant on the type of programming you do.