Are you planning to purchase a brand new laptop but can’t be able to decide whether you need to get a gaming laptop or a normal laptop?
Well, then don’t worry about that because this is the reason why I have created this article which’ll help you out to decide which laptop is perfect for you as per your usage. But if you already have a normal laptop then it is good to know the difference between gaming and normal laptop.
Gaming Laptops vs Regular Laptops – Differences
Let’s check out the main difference between gaming laptops and normal laptops. So, gaming laptops are mainly built for handling intensive tasks like gaming, video editing, 3D modeling/Rendering, etc. While normal laptops are built for using day to days tasks like creating documents, web browsing, checking emails, video conferencing, etc.
Gaming laptops are primarily focused on providing great performance by providing powerful specs like high end CPU, a good amount of RAM, powerful dedicated graphics card, cooling system, etc. On the other side, normal laptops are built to provide average performance in mind, which can handle day-to-day tasks.
Powerful specs inside the gaming laptop allow you to use it for CPU and GPU-intensive tasks like gaming, 3D modeling, video editing, graphics designing, etc., without any lag issues for extended periods of time. Moreover, gaming laptops have a dedicated gaming look which is appealing and it attracts gamers.
When it comes to normal laptops then it comes with a power-restricted processor and it doesn’t have a dedicated graphics card which helps to improve its battery life. Normal laptops work perfectly well for basic everyday tasks like using MS Office, web browsing, watching videos on YouTube, etc.
As we all know normal laptop is used for everyday tasks and this is why the design of normal laptop is kept simple and clean so that it can fit for a professional environment.
Comparison Table Of Gaming Laptop Vs Normal Laptop
| Gaming Laptop | Normal Laptop | |
| Processor (CPU) | Comes with a powerful CPU with high clock speed which is built for gaming in keep in mind | Comes with an average CPU with decent clock speed for normal everyday tasks |
| Memory (RAM) | Commonly, have RAM between 8GB to 16GB | Commonly, have RAM between 4GB to 8GB |
| Graphics Card (GPU) | Comes with an Nvidia Geforce or AMD’s dedicated graphics card to handle high graphics games | Usually, it has an integrated graphics which is embedded in the CPU |
| Cooling System | Have a dedicated cooling system which helps to control the excessive heat inside the laptop which is generated by the dedicated graphics card | Usually normal laptops doesn’t have dedicated cooling system like gaming laptops have |
| Keyboard | Features a fully customizable RGB backlighting robust keyboard which can handle the stress of gaming | Features a normal delicate keyboard which is mainly built for typing |
| Number Of Ports | Generally, it has more ports options than normal laptops to connect numerous gaming peripherals | Generally, it has some basic port options which are required to connect regular external devices |
| Portability | Comparatively heavy than normal laptops because of extra internal components and bigger battery | Comparatively lightweight and easy to travel |
| Display | The display offers up to 300Hz of refresh rate | The display offers 60Hz to 120Hz of refresh rate |
| Speakers | Speakers quality is better and louder than the normal regular laptops | Comes with standard speakers |
| Battery Life | Have short battery life, around 4 hours on a normal usage | You can expect up to 10 hours of battery life on normal usage |
| Longevity | Due to the robust design gaming laptops durable than the normal laptops | It depends on your usage and how you are taking care |
| Price | Expensive than regular laptops, with starting price from around $700 | Cheaper than gaming laptops, with starting price point of around $300 |
Gaming Laptops vs Regular Laptops
1. Processor (CPU):
As we all know Processor or CPU (Central Processing Unit) is called the brain of the laptop/computer.
Because the CPU is the one who receives the input given by the user or programs running on the laptop/computer and gives instructions to all the other components on what to do.
Intel and AMD are the most popular companies who build the processor but in most of the laptops, you’ll find Intel’s CPU.
As we all know normal laptops are built for using less demanding tasks and that’s why it comes with a less powerful processor which doesn’t makes it expensive.
On the other side, gaming laptops are comes equipped with powerful processors which can be able to handle intensive tasks easily. So, this thing makes them perfect for high graphics games and also for other CPU-intensive tasks like video editing, 3D modeling, etc.
Moreover, gaming laptops are like mobile workstations as it has a powerful CPU with more cores and threads compared to normal laptops which makes gaming laptops capable enough to run all the heavy programs.
Due to the gaming laptop’s CPU having more cores, it can easily run multiple applications at a time without any lagging issues. However, a gaming laptop’s CPU is less power-restricted, and this is the reason it generates more heat and also it drains the battery faster.
2. RAM (Random Access Memory):
RAM is called laptop/computer’s short term memory, it stores the data temporarily which is currently in use so that it can quickly collect the data by the CPU.
Having RAM is necessary because its read and write speed is much faster than the actual storage like a hard disk drive.
Let’s talk about how much RAM comes in normal laptops and gaming laptops. On normal laptops, usually you’ll get to see 4GB to 8GB of RAM while for gaming laptops 8GB to 16GB of RAM.
These days, some of the high end gaming machines come with 32GB of RAM, which is considered to be overkill because most of the people do not need that much amount of memory.
Also Read: How Much RAM Do I Need For Gaming Laptop?
Now, you can understand that normal laptops have less RAM compared to gaming laptops just because they are running less demanding tasks like web browsing, checking emails, etc., and it doesn’t require lots of space to be held that data in memory.
While on the other side, games, video editing, 3D software, graphics design software, and many other demanding software have lots of data that needs to store in memory so that it can run quickly and smoothly.
Let’s take an example, if we talk about the Fallout 4 AAA game then it required a minimum 8GB of RAM. It means if you want to play Fallout 4 smoothly without any lagging then you’ll need more than 8GB of RAM because the apps which are running in the background also need RAM to work.
Apart from this, on gaming laptops, the clock speed of RAM is higher than the normal laptops. And the clock speed of RAM is measured in MHz (Megahertz). Rather than RAM’s speed, its capacity makes more impact.
Moreover, the best part about the RAM is that it is easily upgradable in both gaming laptops and normal laptops.
3. Graphics Card:
The graphics card is one of the most important parts of gaming laptops. It is also known as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or video card, and it helps to render the visuals that you see on the laptop’s screen.
There is a huge difference in graphics card which is available in gaming laptops and normal laptops. Let’s talk about that, gaming laptops come with a dedicated graphics card while normal laptops are equipped with integrated graphics.
Speaking about the integrated graphics first, it is combined into the CPU’s chip, and it also use the same RAM like the CPU. Because both the hardware components are combined on the same chip, this is why they mainly focus on processing power than graphical power.
It causes an integrated graphics to be restricted for both the power and the memory amount give to it. The integrated graphics are works perfectly well for viewing videos/photos, using PowerPoint, or video conferencing, etc.
Coming to the dedicated graphics card, it is completely separate from the CPU and the main thing is that it has its own dedicated memory which is called VRAM (Video Random Access Memory). On top of that, it has its own CPU too which is called the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Actually, VRAM works much faster as compared to the main RAM and it is used by the GPU only.
So, this is the thing which makes dedicated GPU works much faster and better than the integrated graphics to handle intense graphics-related works such as high graphics games, 3D modeling/rendering, video editing, etc. There are two most popular manufacturers who build dedicated graphics card which is Nvidia and AMD.
4. Cooling System:
Generally, both the laptops such as gaming laptops and normal laptops come with their own cooling technology which helps to keep the laptop’s internals running at optimum temperature.
Actually, there are remarkable differences between the both such as gaming laptops and normal laptop’s cooling systems.
Firstly talking about the normal laptop cooling system, does not have an advanced cooling system like gaming laptops. The reason is that normal laptops don’t produce as much heat as gaming laptops do.
Actually, normal laptops have a single fan, small air vents, and light heat sink. There are few laptops in the market like MacBook Air M1, Huawei MateBook X, and Acer Spin 7 are fanless, which are fully depend fully on passive cooling. Because of these laptops are fanless, they are extra lightweight which is suitable if you frequently travel with your laptop.
On the other side, gaming laptops have powerful components like power-hungry CPU and GPU which is why it generates more heat compared to normal laptops. Cramming these power-hungry components in a small form factor limits the airflow and that’s why they need multiple fans, large air vents, and a large heat sink to dissipate the heat efficiently.
Also Check: How To Keep Gaming Laptop Cool While Gaming?
There are some high end gaming laptops which have vapor chamber cooling technology and it works better than the ordinary cooling system. You can’t find the Vapor Chamber cooling technology in regular laptops because it doesn’t need it.
5. Keyboard Design:
These days backlit keyboard is common in gaming laptops as well as regular laptops. But in gaming laptops, you’ll get fully customizable RGB backlit keyboard while in normal laptops it comes with only single zone backlit keyboard.
The backlit keyboard is helpful for gamers as they love to play games in any condition even in low light situations.
There are some RGB backlit keyboards are programmable and it allows gamers to assign custom colors to certain keys when using different apps.
Let’s take an example, W, A, S, D keys and arrow keys are sometimes assigned a different color from the other keys. The reason is that in almost all the games they are used for moving characters or objects.
Talking about the difference, normal laptops comes with standard Membrane Keyboard which is designed especially for regular use like for typing.
While on another side, most of gaming laptops come with a Mechanical Keyboard which has fast response rate which helps to avoid delays while playing fast-paced games on a laptop. But the main thing is that it is more durable keyboard than the normal laptop keyboard and it is able to handle the stress of pressing the keys repeatedly and sometimes aggressively.
There are some high-end gaming laptops come with mechanical keyboards with N-Key rollover support which you can’t get to see in normal laptops. As I have already said that mechanical keyboards are durable and last longer and each key is more solid as compared to the normal laptop’s membrane keyboard.
There are many of you who might be thinking about the N-key rollover, so it allows you to press as many keys as you want at a time, and it can register all of them without ghosting. There is a game called Tekken, when playing this game N-Key rollover helps you to perform combos and maneuvers without any kind of issues.
6. Battery Life:
As we all know that there is a hardware configuration difference between normal laptops and gaming laptops which affects the battery life significantly.
Normal laptops come with a power-restricted CPU and don’t have a dedicated graphics card, this is the main reason why it provides better battery backup than the gaming laptops. Normal regular laptops are depends more on passive cooling technology and not active cooling technology which requires lots of fans.
Must Check: 10 Tips To Improve Your Windows Laptop Battery Life
Because gaming laptops have high-performance hardware components like processors, RAM, and dedicated graphics cards, which makes it a perfect option for a desktop replacement. On top of that, it also tends to have extra features like a dedicated cooling system, RGB backlit keyboard, etc.
All these features of gaming laptops eat up lots of power and this is why gaming laptops provide less battery life than normal laptops.
On gaming laptops, there is very less chance that you will get more than 2 hours of battery life if you are doing heavy demanding tasks which use both CPU and GPU. Also, when doing such intensive tasks it is recommended to keep your gaming laptop continuously plugged in.
7. Aesthetics: Clean Vs Flashy:
The outer body design of normal laptops keeps simple and elegant, which is suitable for professional environments like school/college and office.
While gaming laptops have a dedicated gaming look that attracts the gamers. Sometimes, on gaming laptops you’ll get to see striking company logos and LED lights on the chassis.
The chassis of gaming laptops have a highlighted color which is matching to the brand like MSI uses a Red color highlight while Razer uses Green color highlight on the body.
8. Ports:
Generally, gaming laptops have more number of ports than the normal laptops to connect gaming peripherals like gaming mice, gaming keyboard, game controllers, etc.
Let’s take an example if we compare two laptops from the same company like HP Elite from the business category and HP Omen from the gaming category, still there is a difference in terms of the number of port options.
In business laptops, you’ll get to see 2 USB ports while in gaming laptops you will get to see at least 3 USB ports or more than that.
9. Portability:
Usually, normal laptops weight is comparatively less than the gaming laptops. The reason is that normal laptops have fewer components like dedicated graphics cards and fans for a cooling system. Also, it includes a lightweight battery as it is more power efficient.
10. Display Refresh Rate:
The technology of displays in normal laptops and gaming laptops are the same but the refresh rate is different.
If you are a gamer then you may definitely know about the refresh rate but if you don’t know about that then let’s talk about that first.
So, the refresh rate means the number of times per second the image refreshes on the display. For example, if your laptop has a 60Hz of refresh rate, it means the image will refresh on the screen 60 times per second.
Usually, all laptops come with at least a 60Hz of refresh rate. However, if your laptop has more than 60Hz of refresh rate then it will deliver smoother visuals on the screen.
Generally, in normal laptops, you will get to see a refresh rate between 60Hz to 120Hz. While in gaming laptops, more than that like 144Hz, 240Hz, and some high-end gaming laptops have 300Hz refresh rate display.
11. Speakers:
Normally, regular laptops have normal speakers which are not that much loud but it is good for day to day use like listening to music, watching movies, making video calls, etc.
In gaming laptops, sound quality also matters and without that, it can’t immerse you in the gaming if sound quality is mediocre.
When it comes to gaming laptops then it comes with big and louder speakers which deliver the proper sound of sound effects and gaming character conversations. As result, you get a more engaging and enjoyable gaming experience.
As the gaming laptop’s speakers are loud it also covers the fan noise if the fan gets loud. Moreover, even some gaming laptops have an in-built woofer which brings an amazing bass effect.
12. Longevity:
Well, the longevity of a gaming laptop or normal laptop eventually depends on how you use it and take care of it. If you are using a normal laptop for heavy intense tasks then you are decreasing its lifespan significantly.
It normally happens when users are trying to play CPU and GPU-intensive games on normal laptops. And they don’t stop playing games till they face any kind of issues like lagging or some hardware failure.
But on another side, a gaming laptop can use for any purpose like gaming or any day-to-day tasks without affecting its lifespan. If we used both the laptops for same tasks then the gaming laptop outlasts the normal laptop.
The reason behind this is that the powerful hardware components of a gaming laptop and also it includes an advanced cooling system which can handle light and heavy both tasks.
13. Price:
Coming to one of the most important factors which is pricing. Well, normal laptops are comparatively less expensive than gaming laptops. If you are looking for a good performing normal laptop then it cost you under $1000 but this is not the case with gaming laptops.
Related: How To Buy The Right Gaming Laptop In 2023?
On the other side, you can’t get good-performing gaming laptops for under $1000. Because of its high performance hardware components, extra features like a cooling system, RGB backlit keyboard, and aesthetic design, it costs is more than that.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Yes, you can use gaming laptop for normal tasks as it comes with some additional features than the normal laptops have and it can handle normal tasks with just ease.
Well, it is not possible in most of cases. The reason is that a dedicated graphics card is generally combined soldered onto the motherboard.
Moreover, the cooling system of normal laptops is not that much powerful to keep the internals cool even if it is possible to upgrade in to a gaming laptop. In most cases, only RAM and storage part is upgradeable.
If your normal laptop meets the game’s minimum system requirement then you can be able to play that game. There are some games like Into the Breach, Thimbleweed Park, and Cuphead are doesn’t need high-performing processors and graphics cards so it can be played on normal laptops.
Yes, you can do if you have heavy usage like video editing, 3D modeling/Animation, software compiling, or many other intensive tasks then it makes sense.
But if you are buying a gaming laptop just for using normal day to day tasks like checking emails, browsing the web, using MS Office, video conferencing, etc., then it is good to go for a normal laptop because it can also fulfill your this basic requirement and the main thing it saves your lots of money.
Final Verdict
I hope that after going through this whole article now may your all doubts are cleared. Here in this article, we have seen that the main difference between both laptops is their hardware components.
Like, normal laptops are built to keep in mind power efficiency and not performance. Also, they are less expensive, portable, and have long battery backups as compared to gaming laptops.
But for performance wise nothing better option than gaming laptops. Actually, gaming laptops are perfectly portable desktop replacement options. As gaming laptops come with a high-performing CPU and GPU which can easily run demanding apps.
If performance is your main concern then without any doubt go with a gaming laptop. But in terms of portability and battery life, good to go for a normal regular laptop.
Hello! I am Robbin Simmond a senior editor & writer of this blog. By profession, I am a computer hardware engineer with a passion for gaming and technology. With a deep understanding of the intricate workings of computers, I have spent years researching and testing the latest advancements in gaming laptops.