Unlock gaming on the go with a high-performance gaming laptop from CCL.
Thanks to mobile processors and graphics cards becoming more and more powerful, and battery life increasing, today’s best gaming laptops can perform alongside desktops, delivering top AAA gaming at high frame rates and resolutions.
Explore our range of gaming laptops and you’ll find everything from cheap gaming laptops for budget gaming through to the very best high-performance gaming laptops featuring top NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics cards, rapid Intel or AMD processors and tons of SSD or HDD storage.
Our range of gaming laptops includes laptops from the best gaming brands like ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, Razer and more.
We work hard to offer some of the best gaming laptop deals in the UK, with regular discounts available. You’ll also often find gaming laptops with free gaming mice and other peripherals and accessories included too.
So, if you want to pick up the very best gaming laptop, shop now at CCL!
Gaming Laptop Buying Guide
We know that when it comes to buying a gaming laptop, the amount of choice can be overwhelming.
There are a vast number of different configurations and options to choose from.
To help you select the perfect gaming laptop for your needs, the CCL team has answered our most commonly received questions about gaming laptops below.
What is a gaming laptop?
A gaming laptop is a laptop which has been specifically designed for gaming.
Unlike the more generic laptops you may find on the highstreet, a gaming laptop features gaming-oriented components like a high-performance graphics card, a powerful multi-core processor, a long-life battery, a high-resolution screen and high-capacity SSD and HDD drives.
Everything about a gaming laptop is tailored towards making your gaming experience as enjoyable as possible.
Gaming laptops also tend to have a ‘gamer aesthetic’ and include things like RGB backlighting to make them really stand out from your average run of the mill laptop.
What brands of gaming laptop are there?
Most of the bigger gaming brands make dedicated gaming laptops. Many of them share common components such as NVIDIA or AMD graphics cards and Intel or AMD CPUs, so often making your choice is down to which brand you prefer.
Here at CCL we stock gaming laptops from all the leading brands including:
As one of the UK’s biggest online retailers of gaming laptops, our selection is always changing too. So, if you don’t find what you’re looking for on this occasion, be sure to check back regularly!
Gaming laptops - how much are they?
There’s a misconception that gaming laptops are really expensive, but that isn’t the case.
Sure, gaming laptops tend to be more expensive than regular laptops, but that’s because they include high-end components such as NVIDIA graphics cards and multi-core AMD or Intel CPUs.
It’s possible to buy gaming laptops across multiple price points.
For example, here at CCL we sell cheap gaming laptops that feature slightly older or more basic components from just under £700.
But, you’ll also find absolute top of the range gaming laptops with the very best and latest components available from £1,500 all the way up to £3,500.
Do you offer discounts and deals on gaming laptops?
Yes! As we are one the largest online retailers of gaming laptops in the UK we are always changing the laptops that we stock.
That means we often offer great prices, deals and discounts on gaming laptops.
Check out our cheap gaming laptop deals here.
What components should a gaming laptop have?
Whilst every component plays an important role in ensuring that your laptop functions properly, there are a number of components that you should pay special attention to in order to get the best gaming laptop.
Graphics card (GPU)
This is arguably the most important component in a gaming laptop. That’s because the graphics card is what provides the performance that allows you to play graphically intense games.
If you want to be able to play the latest AAA titles at decent frame rates and resolutions then you’ll want a gaming laptop that has one of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 30 series cards. These range from the RTX 3050 all the way up to the top of the line RTX 3090.
Should you be on a limited budget, then it’s still possible to buy cheaper gaming laptops that feature older, yet still capable, graphics cards like the GeForce GTX 16 series and RTX 20 series cards.
Processor (CPU)
The processor is also a really important part of a gaming laptop. It acts as the laptop’s ‘brain’ and helps coordinate the various processes that are required for you to game, run programs and multitask.
In order to get the very best gaming laptop, we’d recommend buying one that features a powerful multi-core CPU.
Your choice will be between either an AMD or Intel CPU. In recent years, both of these brands have attained similar levels of performance with Intel’s newest Alder Lake generation Core processors and AMD’s Ryzen processors offering excellent gaming performance.
If you really want the ultimate in performance, then it’s recommended that you buy a gaming laptop which features a CPU which can be overclocked.
This means you can unleash further performance gains at a later date if necessary.
Memory (RAM)
Gaming can be fairly punishing on your laptop’s memory, so it’s important that you buy a gaming laptop that has enough of the right type of RAM.
As an absolute basic, you should be looking for 8GB of DDR4 RAM, but if you want to play higher-end AAA titles, then we’d strongly recommend that you get a laptop with at least 16GB of DDR4 RAM. If you can afford it, buy a laptop with even more RAM.
It’s worth noting that many gaming laptops allow you to upgrade the RAM. So, if you need to upgrade at a later date, that may be possible depending on the model you choose.
Storage (SSD/HDD)
The final component you’ll want to pay particular attention to is the gaming laptop’s storage.
If you’re going to be saving games directly on your laptop, then you’ll want to make sure you have enough storage.
The ideal storage setup for many gaming laptops is the dual use of a solid state drive (SSD), which is used as a boot drive, and a hard disk drive (HDD), which is used to store large programs and files (like your games).
The amount of storage capacity you’ll require will depend on what you’ll be storing on your gaming laptop. Here at CCL many of our gaming laptops start with 512GB of storage, with higher-end models offering up to 2TB of storage.
What should you look for in a gaming laptop display?
Getting a gaming laptop with the right type of display is really important. It’s how you’ll be interacting with your games after all.
In order to get a gaming laptop with the right type of display for your needs, think about the following things:
Display size
The majority of gaming laptops have screens between 15 and 17-inches in size. You will also find variations on these sizes such as 15.6-inches and 17.3-inches etc.
The size display you choose is largely down to personal preference, but bear in mind that the larger the display you choose, the bigger and heavier your gaming laptop will be. That’s worth bearing in mind if you’re going to be travelling around with your gaming laptop regularly.
Resolution
If you want to really enjoy your games in the best possible resolution, then this is a really important point to think about.
Ideally you should get a gaming laptop with at least 1920 x 1080 resolution. In fact, you’ll find that the majority of gaming laptops have screens at this resolution, but certainly avoid any that have resolutions less than that.
We are starting to see gaming laptops with even higher resolutions, such as 2560 x 1600 and 3840 x 2160 resolutions, so you can enjoy 4K gaming. Note, however, that the higher the resolution, the more you’ll pay for your laptop in most cases.
NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync
Should you be in the market for a particularly high-end, performance gaming laptop, then look for ones that include display technologies such as NVIDIA’s G-Sync or AMD’s FreeSync.
These technologies synchronise the laptop’s display with its graphics card. This eliminates annoying things like screen tearing and ghosting which can occur when you’re playing some of the top AAA games.
Gaming laptop battery life
Another thing you should always check when buying a new gaming laptop is battery life.
If you’re intending to travel around with your laptop and do things on it other than gaming, then you’re going to want to select a laptop with decent battery life.
Here at CCL, you’ll find gaming laptops that have battery durations that stretch from 4-5 hours, all the way up to 10+ hours.
It’s worth noting that if you’re only going to be using your laptop for gaming, then you’re going to want to keep your laptop plugged into a mains power outlet. This is so you can get the full performance out of your graphics card.
What to look for in a gaming laptop keyboard
As anyone who is a regular gamer will tell you, it’s important that you buy a gaming laptop that has a keyboard which is not only comfortable, but includes useful features too.
Below are some of the things you should look for in a gaming laptop keyboard:
Key travel
When you’re hammering away at a game, you want to know when you’ve pressed a key. It can make the difference between winning and losing!
Ideally, you’ll want to look for gaming laptops that have keyboards with at least 1.5mm of travel. This will help prevent you from ‘bottoming out’ when you hit a key, and hitting the keyboard’s frame under the keyboard.
If you can find a gaming laptop keyboard with more key travel (e.g. 2mm), then that’s even better!
Actuation
Actuation refers to the amount of force that you need to apply to a key in order to press it down.
This can be an important thing in gaming, especially if you’re playing games where you need to be able to rapidly press keys etc.
For the majority of gaming purposes it is recommended that you buy a gaming laptop that has a keyboard with around 65 to 70 grams of actuation. This provides enough resistance, without being too soft.
Macro keys
This isn’t really an essential feature (and it can be a difficult feature to find on gaming laptops anyway), but programmable macro keys can allow you to create keyboard shortcuts for the most common actions you may need to carry out in a game.
Whilst this is a useful feature, we would class it as more of a ‘nice to have’ rather than an essential.
Backlighting
Who doesn’t love a bit of keyboard backlighting?! Whilst most gaming laptops will feature backlighting, the higher-end models will often feature more comprehensive backlighting such as RGB.
Some of the top gaming laptops will even let you customise your RGB lighting so that it changes based on keys pressed or actions taken etc…
Again, this isn’t really an ‘essential’ feature, but many gamers do swear by backlighting as a means of helping them game in dimly lit environments.
What accessories do you need with a gaming laptop?
If you’re investing in a new portable gaming setup, you may want to buy more than just the laptop.
In fact, if you want a truly immersive and enjoyable laptop gaming experience, there are a few accessories and peripherals you’re going to want to invest in.
Gaming mouse
For many laptop gamers, a gaming mouse is an absolute essential that they can’t do without.
In fact, many games are nearly impossible to play without a mouse!
So, it’s highly recommended that you buy a gaming mouse. And, we really do mean a gaming mouse. Not a generic one.
Gaming mice are designed with gaming at the forefront of mind, and as such come with features such as laser sensors, high DPI performance, high roll rates, fast tracking speeds, programmable buttons, RGB lighting and more.
In fact, at CCL we think gaming mice are so important for a great gaming laptop experience that we include free gaming mice with many of our gaming laptop deals!
Buy a gaming mouse at CCL today.
Gaming headset
A headset can really help you become immersed in a game. Not only will you have audio pumped directly into your ears, but if you buy a microphone-equipped headset you’ll be able to instantly communicate with your teammates.
A good-quality gaming headset can help you really enjoy the audio and soundtrack of a game, rather than relying on your laptop’s speakers.
Shop gaming headsets at CCL now.
Gaming laptop backpack
If you’re going to be moving around alot with your new gaming laptop, you’re going to want to keep it safe and protected.
The best way of doing this is to invest in a dedicated laptop bag. A properly designed laptop bag will include proper straps to keep your laptop safely stowed away, and will usually have pockets for peripherals such as a gaming mouse and headset.
Shop gaming laptop bags at CCL now.
Best gaming laptops UK at CCL
We hope you’ve found our guide to gaming laptops helpful!
If you’re looking to pick up the best deal on a gaming laptop, then explore our range here at CCL today.
Should you not find what you’re looking for, then be sure to sign up to our newsletter so you’ll be the first to find out about our amazing gaming laptop deals.
Plus, if you have any questions about a particular gaming laptop prior to purchase, then our friendly, expert team will be happy to help.
You can contact them on 01274 471200 or at: sales@cclonline.com
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