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In a nutshell – yes. Their powerful hardware will allow you to run demanding work tasks without a hitch.
Yet, freezes and slowdowns are not the only issues to look out for when shopping for a new work laptop.
For example, if you need a compact device with a long battery life, you might want to consider some alternatives.
Keep reading to find out more about the differences between gaming laptops and regular ones.
Table of Contents
Can You Use a Gaming Laptop for All Kinds of Work?
In terms of performance, yes. However, there are plenty of other boxes to check, such as portability, battery life, or design. So, depending on your line of work, and preferences you will find a gaming laptop more or less suitable.
For instance, if you’re a stay-at-home content creator, programmer, or editor, you will love the smooth performance of a gaming laptop.
On the other hand, if you commute to the office every day, a bulky and heavy laptop might not be the best fit.
What is the Difference Betweena Gaming Laptop and a Regular Laptop?
Gaming laptops are designed to handle demanding games. They have more powerful CPUs and graphics which provide higher frame rates and better gaming experience.
But, this comes at the cost of a shorter battery life and bulky design.
Acer Predator Helios 300 Laptop – Photographed by Bence Fagyal | NotJustLaptops
Let’s dive right into all the pros and cons…
Benefits of a Gaming Laptop for Work
- To state the obvious — you can enjoy your favorite games on it
- It can handle all kinds of work tasks, even the heavy ones such as 3D modeling, machine learning, programming, or video editing
- It is easier to work on them thanks to their large screens
Drawbacks of a Gaming Laptop for Work
- Subpar battery life: with an average of only 2-5 hours, you will have to keep most gaming laptops plugged in most of the time, or carry around a USB-C power bank
- Gaming laptops are usually heavier, even without the power brick
- Gaming look may not be what you want for the office environment
- They get very hot and noisy
- They are usually more expensive than regular laptops
What Makes a Good Laptop for Work?
If you consider using a gaming laptop for work, the good news is — most requirements overlap. We’ll go over the main ones below.
Light Weight
A business laptop needs to be compact and portable. Gaming laptops are heavier than regular ones, but they are portable enough to carry to work. Most of them weigh from 4 to 6 pounds, so if that sounds like a heavy burden, an ultrabook might be a better solution.
Durability
Durable construction is a priority if you are looking for a laptop to use in harsh environments, like a construction site or outdoors. Gaming laptops will often deliver high performance as well as durability.
Battery Life
Ideally, in a laptop for work, you should be able to count on 10–12 hours of battery life. This is one area where regular laptops easily trump gaming devices.
Gaming laptops usually last 2–5 hours on a single charge, which is way below the expected, though there are some, like the Lenovo Legion 5, which get up to 7 hours of use.
Keyboard
A comfortable keyboard is an important factor for most business users. Gaming laptops have better quality keyboards with higher registering speeds than most standard laptop keyboards.
ASUS TUF Gaming Keyboard
Screen
You should go with a display of at least 1920 x 1080 on screens that are 15 inches or larger. Gaming laptops won’t disappoint in this department. They typically have bigger screens with a higher refresh rate to provide a top-notch gaming experience.
Still, if your work revolves around editing, and you need high color accuracy, you might want to check twice.
While gaming laptops have high refresh rates and vivid colors, this usually comes at a cost, so the color accuracy is off in most cases.
Conclusion
A gaming laptop ticks most of the work-related boxes, with just a few caveats such as battery life and weight. You will sail through any daily tasks you may have at work and even manage to squeeze in a gaming session during the lunch break.
Looking for the Top Laptops for Gaming & Work?
If you want to treat yourself to a new gaming laptop with about $1500 to spare, check out our list of top gaming laptops under $1500.
However, if you are not really the gaming type and need a device solely for remote work, our list of best laptops for working from home might be helpful.
