Marc Saltzman

When it comes to buying a laptop designed to handle today’s demanding computer games, there’s good news and bad news.
Let’s start with the unfortunate reality – the latest PC games require a fast processor, ample RAM and a high-end video card.
But despite popular belief, you don’t need to take a second mortgage out on your home in order to afford one.

So consider this article a starting point on what to look for in an affordable mobile gaming PC, component by component, whether you’re looking to frag friends in online deathmatch tournaments while at your local café or simply a way to stay entertained while flying the friendly skies.

The following is a look at the various components to shoot for when shopping for a reasonably-priced gaming PC. Keep in mind components improve all the time, but here are some recommended specs at the time of writing this.

The CPU

A PC’s CPU – or Central Processing Unit -- is the brains of the machine. While we’re starting to see quad-core processors in desktop PCs, you’ll be just fine with a laptop powered by a dual-core CPU, such as an Intel Core 2 Duo or Intel Core 2 Extreme processor, with 6MB Cache and 800MHz front side bus. The PC version of Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed,” for example, recommends an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ or better.

System memory

As with the CPU, system memory (a.k.a. RAM) is related to the speed and performance of your computer, plus it helps users run more than one program at once. Because games require a lot of memory to run smoothly, make sure you more than meet the minimum requirement for your favourite titles (good news: prices have dropped considerably over the past couple of years). While you can get up to 4GB of RAM with some of today’s gaming laptops, 2GB of DDR2 RAM is fine to start. Stardock’s “Sins of a Solar Empire,” for instance, requires 512MB RAM (or 1GB for Windows Vista), while 2K Games says 2GB of RAM is ideal to run “BioShock.”

Video card

One of the most important considerations when buying a laptop for 3D gaming is its video card and amount of video RAM (VRAM) on the card. Never opt for an on-board (“integrated”) video card – a gamer needs a dedicated stand-alone one for optimum performance. This is where things can get a tad pricey, so if you can’t afford an NVIDIA SLI Dual GeForce 8800M GTX with 1GB GDDR3 Memory (gulp!), then a 256MB or 512MB graphics card will be fine for most games. Ubisoft’s “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2,” for instance, calls for a minimum of 128MB DirectX-compliant video card but recommends at least a 256MB DirectX-compliant video card.

Hard Drive

As with RAM, hard drive space has also come down in price over the past few years. The more you have, the more games, programs and files you can store on your computer. A laptop typically ships with at least an 80GB or 120GB hard drive, but you can spend a little more for a 200GB, 320GB, 500GB or 640GB hard drive. Also remember hard drive have speeds, too, so the higher the number the better (7200 RPM, or rotations per minute, 5400 RPM at the least). Some newer laptops have Flash-based SSD – Solid State Drives – but while you might gain a speed boost they don’t store a lot of data yet (usually 64GB). EA’s “Hellgate: London” takes up 6GB of hard drive space, while Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed” for the PC takes up 8GB.

Other considerations

• When it comes to audio, today’s games may feature a number of bells and whistles -- such as 7.1 surround sound that splits audio into seven different tracks, plus the bass via the subwoofer – but don’t bother investing in one of these fancy mobile audio cards (from, say, Creative) if you’re counting your coins. A decent 2.0 system with headphone jack should be fine for most.
• No PC games ship on Blu-ray Disc just yet so be sure to get a fast DVD drive (with recording function), such as a 8x dual-layer CD-RW/DVD±RW.
• Screen size boils down to personal preference but let’s face it: the bigger the better. A 17-inch or 20-inch laptop screen trumps a 13- or 15-inch monitor, but the downsides to a bigger screen are twofold: it’ll add extra size and weight to the PC and generally speaking will eat away at the battery faster (though you shouldn’t expect great battery life anyway, since running games is taxing on the laptop’s resources!). You can always output to a stand-alone PC monitor or supported HDTV, too, if you like.
• Be sure to buy a PC with Windows Vista as it’s been optimized for gamers with the latest DirectX and other bells and whistles.
• Any laptop you buy today should have a decent network adaptor installed so you can connect to the Internet wirelessly while in a hotspot, but be sure to look for built-in 802.11n for fast speeds and greater range, when paired with a compatible wireless router.
• Game pads, flight sticks and steering wheels can be added any time you like so don’t include it in your budget. Just invest in a decent wired gaming mouse, preferably with programmable buttons. On that note, be sure to buy a laptop with many USB 2.0 ports so you can add many peripherals, if need be.
• Consider aesthetic options such as funky colours and tattoo designs as it’ll add some personality and pizzazz to your gaming laptop.