The gaming industry calls for innovative and lucrative ideas. It is an ever-changing and constantly improving industry. Anyone working in this industry knows that performing well here requires both unique ideas and well-executed graphics.
If you are a game developer then you probably already know how important your laptop is in this line of work.
There are so many types of games. Like almost everything in this entire world, games come in a variety of styles. Whether it is less visual-focused games or cutting-edge graphics that can give a cinematic experience to the player, the importance of an advanced laptop in doing all this cannot be denied.
The best gaming laptop for game development is the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo. It is an ultimate gadget that offers both creativity and functionality. Thanks to its innovative dual-screen display, Intel Core i9 processor, 32GB RAM, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU, this laptop is one of the best game development laptops in the market right now.
A lot of people often say that you can focus on developing high-quality games with an average laptop. Sure, getting by with an average laptop is possible, but not in this case. Game development requires the best efforts from both the developer and the machine they are using.
Ask any professional game developer, they will tell you that starting or continuing your work with an advanced laptop built for game development is the best method.
If you are a beginner in this field and do not know where to start with your laptop hunting, then this is the perfect place for you. This write-up is also suitable for those who are looking to upgrade their laptop for game development. In this list we have put together, you will find the top 5 best gaming laptop for game development.
5 Best Gaming Laptop for Game Development
1. Dell XPS 15
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The Dell XPS 15 is going to offer you the best of both worlds in terms of both game development and style. It is a powerful, and dependable laptop that is also well-built, sturdy, chic, and sleek looking. This device offers a gorgeous display, and speedy performance and is perfect for both gaming and game development.
It comes with an 11th gen Core i9 Intel processor, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card to ensure your progress never stops or slows down at any cost. The best part is that you can configure it according to your preference.
Lots of people are not a fan of the NVIDIA GeForce, and we agree it is not the strongest GPU available in the market. But it does provide more strength and support than any other integrated graphics card. This GPU is also powerful enough to support most cutting-edge technology such as ray tracing.
There are different versions available of this device as well as a 2022 version. Both 2021 and 2022 versions live up to their full potential.
The Dell XPS 15 offers one of the best display screens on a gaming laptop available in the market right now allowing your code, and design to your full potential while making the whole process an exciting ride.
Although it packs a powerful punch in terms of CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage, it is not a full-fledged game development laptop. However, with the help of this portable, weightless and chic laptop, you can edit, render, design, and test 3D games without any hindrance in performance.
It provides a battery life of 7 hours although in a laptop like this you are correct to expect a little more. However, compared to the price and the performance, the battery life is hardly a downside.
2. ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo
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The ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo will exceed the expectations of any user in terms of design, performance, and innovation. Its powerful and innovative features make it one of the best gaming laptop for game development available in the market right now.
ASUS itself is a brand quite known for making some of the best game development laptops available. The ZenBook Pro Duo is one of the most sought game development laptops from ASUS right now.
First off, the dual-screen display adds the perfect touch of innovation and elegance to this laptop. If there is one brand in the market that is doing all things right in terms of dual screens, it is undeniably ASUS.
And this can be seen in the ZenBook Pro Duo. The second screen or the screen pad plus is a 4K UHD touch screen display that adds functionality and endless possibilities.
With the help of the second screen, you can draw, edit and work on two different screens at the same time. And the best part is, that the powerful CPU of the ZenBook Pro Duo will ensure your work does not face any interruption.
Its Intel Core i-9 processor makes it more capable of handling heavy programs without slowing the laptop down.
The 32GB RAM and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 make this laptop the ultimate productivity machine. It also offers a large SSD storage to ensure a lag-free user experience. However, this laptop falls behind in terms of portability due to its weight.
The average battery life of the ZenBook Pro Duo is 4 to 5 hours which makes it quite average in terms of battery health.
3. Alienware M15
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The Alienware M15 is called a “certified powerhouse” thanks to its great performance and even greater look. It is one of the most preferred laptops in the game development community. Alienware, a subsidiary of Dell is considered the most trusted brand in the gaming business. Their unique aesthetics and innovative engineering have served users for a long time.
If you are looking for a powerful game development laptop that is also portable and can help you create high-quality graphics no matter where you are, then this should be your pick.
While weighing less than 5 pounds, this powerful laptop offers a 15-inch display that provides accurate color, and sharpness and pays attention to detail. The 1080p looks absolutely gorgeous on this laptop’s display.
Create, render, draw, or test your high-definition 3D games on this laptop all day long, it will not lag for a single second. All of this can happen thanks to its 9th gen Intel core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, 16GB RAM, this laptop is truly a certified powerhouse.
4. Acer Predator Helios 300
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Anyone who says you cannot find a good game development laptop within budget has never heard of the Acer Predator Helios 300. It is an exceptionally strong device built to create high-definition video games and work on them as well.
In terms of design, the Acer Predator Helios 300 is a very handsome device thanks to its backlit RGB keyboard, aluminum lid, and a blue backlit logo on the lid. The chassis is not entirely made of plastic so it is a quite sturdy device.
This device offers a 15-inch full HD display that is vivid and engages at 300 nits. The best part of this display is that it is anti-glare making it perfect for working with it for a very long time.
It also offers a 144Hz refresh rate and 3ms response rate making it the perfect gadget for designing and testing high-definition 3D games.
The 10th gen Intel core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU ensure that even running heavy programs such as 3D modeling software like AUTOCAD, Revit, etc. does not slow down the laptop for a single moment.
In addition, the Acer Predator Helios 300 offers 16GB DDR4 2933MHz dual channel memory, and 512GB NVMe SSD storage. You will also get a lot of different options to amplify integrated storage space.
Although the specs and performance of this laptop are unparalleled, it has a battery life of only 6 hours. But compared to everything else offered, this is not bad either.
5. MSI GS75 Stealth
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The MSI GS75 Stealth is a futuristic, reliable, and innovative game development laptop that lives up to its name. It can support cutting-edge technology like ultra-fast ray tracing, and provide superior performance compared to other gaming laptops in the market.
With a CPU of 10th Gen Intel Core i9 processor, the GS75 provides an unmatched experience for the user in terms of game development. Its 8-core CPU offers a 50% performance boost compared to other gaming laptops in the market right now.
In addition, it also offers the NVIDIA GeForce RTX SUPER series to make sure you can use all sorts of cutting-edge technology, accurate color, lighting, etc.
This device offers a large screen so if you are looking for a bigger game development laptop then this one is perfect for you. Thanks to its 17-inch full HD display and an 85% screen to body ratio, you will never have to struggle with the size of your laptop again.
It also offers a 3ms response rate and a refresh rate of 300Hz for FHD or fine high definition. This means that with the help of this powerful device, you can design, render and test any 3D games faster and smoother than ever.
Although it has a bigger display than most gaming laptops on the market right now, its monitor is only 0.19 inches wide making it an ultra-thin display.
The battery output is quite nice as well as it lasts around 7 hours unplugged.
Things To Consider While Buying Laptop for Game Development
As mentioned previously, there are many different types of games. So that automatically means, you need to choose a laptop that is suitable for the type of game you want to develop.
For less visually demanding games, you might not need a powerful laptop. Any dependable and decent laptop with a great battery life will work for you. But for 3D or visual-focused games, you will need a laptop with a strong and powerful processor.
In our provided list, you will be able to find some of the best gaming laptop for game development available in the market right now. If these don’t pique your interest, then don’t worry. Because in this segment, we will be talking about some of the most important factors you need to consider to find the best gaming laptop for game development.
GPU
GPU or the graphics processing unit is one of the most important factors to consider in this case. Your preference for the type of graphics card will vastly depend on the type of game you want to create. If the visuals are 2D then any basic or the primary graphics card built into the laptop will work.
But for 3D games, you cannot work with a basic graphics card. There is a saying in the game development industry that, “you can never get too much GPU power for 3D models.” And this saying is completely true.
To make a visually demanding, high-definition or 3D game, you will need something very powerful, for example; NVIDIA GeForce GTX, etc.
CPU
The central processing unit is not as crucial as the GPU in terms of game development. However, it is essential to choose a laptop with a great processor to ensure the best performance.
A laptop with a powerful processor such as an i-series processor ensures that tough tasks such as rendering or designing do not slow down your laptop while you are working. Along with Intel Core processors, the AMD processors are another great option for game development.
Although the ideal strength of the CPU depends on the type of game you will be developing, you should still look for a good processor. This way even when working on 2D games, you will get the best performance from your laptop.
Storage
The type of storage integrated into your laptop will determine how fast it will run. Faster storage equals faster loading. If your storage is able to boot up rapidly then your laptop will run and load faster. So, HDD or hard disk drives are pretty much useless in terms of game development.
It is ideal that you pick a laptop with SSD that offers high reading and writing rates. Only this way, you will be able to get the best out of your laptop while rendering or compiling. The ideal storage size for your laptop will depend on your preference.
More expensive laptops built for game development come with SSD that can help your laptop to run faster than ever. However, there are a lot of in budget options that will do the same for you.
RAM
For the best gaming laptop for game development, it is ideal that you pick a laptop that will run faster. This can only be done when the laptop itself is a powerful device. And for a powerful and fast device, you will need a laptop that offers more RAM.
For game development devices, 16 GB RAM is an ideal amount. If you have a budget, then look for the most RAM offered by any laptop within that price limit.
As mentioned previously, storage plays a big role in the performance of the device. So the more memory or RAM you have, the better your laptop will work.
Display
When it comes to your laptop’s display, there are a few factors to consider. Without considering all of these factors, you will most likely fail to pick the right display. And this will eventually leave a bad impact on the outcome of your game:
a. Size of the display
b. Resolution of the screen
c. Refresh rate
d. Color accuracy
Picking a screen size can be one of the most confusing decisions to make while looking for game development laptops. Bigger displays are ideal for viewing huge designs without straining or zooming in. However, a larger screen will be heavier and more expensive.
Your laptop’s display should be high-resolution as well. It will allow you to see all of the tiny details in games and other apps. The ideal resolution is 1920x1080p.
Battery
The battery is always one of the most important factors when choosing a laptop. This goes for both regular or average laptops and gaming laptops too.
You should always check the battery life of the laptops you are considering buying, along with the recharge speed of the battery. It is important that you are aware of how quickly the laptop can be recharged after running out of power.
You should also check if the laptop comes with replaceable batteries or not, so your progress is not stopped suddenly if the battery dies.
If the provided time by your battery is important for you, then you should obviously choose a long-lasting one. It will definitely cost you extra money. However, if it is not a prime concern of yours, then there is no need to spend extra on one.
Connectivity
A laptop with several connectivity options is always welcomed. Ports such as USB-C, thunderbolt, ethernet, etc. can be quite useful as these will make the file transferring process from laptop to PC or any other device very easy.
FAQ
1. What are some good gaming laptops?
Ans: Some good gaming laptops are;
- Dell XPS 15
- ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo
- ASUS ZenBook 14 Ultra-Slim Laptop
- Acer Predator Helios 300
- MSI GS75 Stealth
2. What does a gaming laptop need?
Ans: There are a lot of gaming laptops that are also good for game development. The most common features you should look for in a laptop for gaming are FHD, UHD, or high definition or 4K gaming laptop display. Another feature that impacts the caliber of your graphics is the contrast ratio.
Contrast ratio refers to the calculation of the difference in brightness between the brightest and darkest pixels displayed on the monitor at the same time.
3. What gaming laptop should I buy?
Ans: There is no specific answer to this question. You should always buy a device that meets all of your criteria as well as offers good service, and best performance within a good pricing tag. If you know your options, then you can buy the ultimate gaming laptop to play games at 4k. Any good gaming laptop should have a strong CPU, powerful GPU, more RAM, and strong battery. These features will help you to play without any hindrance.
4. What graphics card is best for laptop gaming?
Ans: Graphics card is the most crucial factor when you are choosing a laptop for gaming. Gaming laptops are different from average laptops in terms of GPU strength. Some of the best graphics cards for gaming are NVIDIA GeForce GTX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX, AMD Radeon, etc.
5. What is the best gaming laptop brand?
Ans: There are no specific brands that can be called the best gaming laptop brands. There are so many laptop brands out there and each produce some top-notch and powerful laptops.
The answer regarding this topic varies from one user to another. However, some of the best brands for gaming laptops in the market right now are MSI, ASUS, Acer, etc.
6. Is game development hard?
Ans: While a lot of people say game development is comparatively easy, in our unbiased opinion, it is quite hard. The gaming industry is constantly evolving and success in this field now calls for both unique ideas and intense graphics. Not everybody has a billion-dollar idea.
And even with a unique idea, not every developer can finish a project. However, if you work hard enough and use the right devices to execute your ideas, you will surely succeed.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, these are the top 5 best gaming laptop for game development available in the market right now. Each of these laptops has a strong CPU, powerful GPU, huge RAM, bigger storage, and quite long battery life. The displays of all of these laptops are very vibrant, pay attention to detail, and are perfect for game development.
Among these five, our top pick is the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo. It has one of the strongest CPU and GPU you can find in any laptop right now. In addition, it has a perfect dual display screen.
If our top pick does not match all of your criteria, then rest assured. We have more options available as well. Along with that, the buyer’s guide provided here will also help you to find your perfect pick in this wide market of laptops and devices.
