How to turn a Regular Laptop into a Gaming Laptop
Building a gaming laptop can be challenging for a newbie or nontechnical person. But if you have good knowledge about the technical things of a gaming laptop, then you can build your gaming laptop.
Now you might be wondering how that is possible because many people have this information, but still, due to some budget Issue, they cannot buy a gaming laptop. Here, I want to tell you that you can quickly transform your old laptop into a gaming laptop.
Before we start, let me clarify that you need a good laptop, not a very old one. Additionally, expect to get something other than an advanced gaming laptop. Moreover, it also depends on the features of the old laptop to make this thing possible.
To turn a Regular Laptop into a Gaming Laptop, follow these steps:
Inspect Laptop Model
So You cannot upgrade any laptop. It would be best if you inspected the current model of your device. First, you must read every detail and spec about the primary device.
For example, if the primary device does not allow a RAM upgrade, then there is no point in doing all this. But fortunately, many laptops come with a Ram slot, meaning you can upgrade it whenever you want. Thus, in that case, one can easily upgrade the laptop.
As an additional detail, you must also include the processor’s serial and model numbers.
Now start upgrading
Once you have done a situational analysis, it is high time to start the upgradation process.
Upgrade the RAM
The first thing, which is easier to upgrade and crucial in making any laptop into a gaming laptop, is the RAM. You need to get the RAM size of your choice. It can be two RAMs of the same size.
If your laptop has 8GB RAM, and you need 16GB RAM, get two RAM hardware. Then take out the two 4GB RAM disks, and place the 8GB RAM in each slot.
One more thing, you should know the type of RAM slot, most RAMs are DDR4, and it is the standard type. However, if the motherboard is designed differently and asks for a different RAM type, then you are bound. Therefore, you should get a compatible RAM type.
Currently, three to five types of RAM are available in the market.
Then the third thing to look for is the speed clock. Some RAM types cannot move at a higher speed. But you should try your best to get RAM with a higher speed clock; otherwise, it will be useless for gamers.
Upgrade storage
The older laptops have come with Hard disk drives. It is excellent but obsolete. Today gaming laptops are designed with a solid-state drive, as it can keep more data. So if you also want to change your old laptop into a gaming laptop, it is essential to change the storage device.
In this case, you need the SSD, and you should not expect that the frame rate will increase through the SSD. However, it will only decrease the booting time for the games, which is very important when playing online games.
There can be an exception. Fortunately, many older laptops come with two storage bays. If you are that lucky, it would be great to add both types of drives to support the laptop better. No, don’t think that they will overlap. In Fact, it will be the best combination.
The GPU
It is nearly impossible to get a gaming laptop without a powerful GPU. You can’t change your laptop GPU, You need to buy an external GPU, but for this, your laptop must have a thunderbolt 3 port.
However, A GPU with less than 4GB of memory will be useless for any gaming laptop. Therefore, you should choose the right size.
The OS
The ideal OS for any gaming laptop is either Windows 10 or 11. You cannot help it. So to get the better OS, always try to go for the best one. You might need to pay an amount for the windows operating system. It would not be as much as a gaming laptop, though.
If you do not have the money for windows, then you can choose windows 8 as it is also very common in old laptops.
Don’t forget the cleaning.
Sometimes, the dusty motherboard can cause a lot of trouble while upgrading the laptop. Thus, it is really important to clean the laptop.
You will need some special equipment to do so. The most important part of cleaning the laptop that is to be upgraded as the gaming laptop is the cooling system. You should clean the vents very neatly and carefully, and do not damage the fans. A gaming laptop requires a great cooling system to work properly.
Get the DirectX
If you have never used a gaming laptop, then you might not know that windows laptops come with an additional feature called direct X. It is very crucial in making any laptop a gaming laptop.
It is software with various interfaces that will support gaming laptops. All you need to do is download it.
What are the restrictions?
Mind you, even though you can change the hardware, there is no chance of changing the CPU. Thus, if you are using a very old laptop with an obsolete processor, then chances are that you will be unable to change the CPU.
Then another restriction would be the keyboard, which will not support the gaming experience. You can buy an external keyboard but cannot alter the available keyboard at all.
Thirdly, you cannot change the default display; it will stay the same. The only option again to upgrade the display will be through the external monitor. There is no way you can update the screen.
Should you upgrade a laptop to a gaming laptop? Is it worth it?
Well, the answer to this question is “No” we don’t recommend you upgrade the old laptop to a gaming laptop first because you cannot change the CPU, which is the main core reason for the gaming laptop to work the way they do.
Secondly, the keypad and keyboard will also not work. Then it will not have a good display that will support online gaming.
So the best way to enjoy online games is through the gaming laptop, not an upgraded and refurbished laptop. It will still have so many limitations.
Frequently asked questions:
No, you cannot use a gaming laptop as a gaming PC because the Gaming laptop’s cooling system, power supply, and hardware are much better than any gaming laptop available in the market.
Final words
It is hard to upgrade your laptop. However, it is possible if the old laptop has the capacity for the change. You will need to buy some hardware, which will cost nearly equal to a new laptop.
Then you are unaware of the results. Therefore, buying a new gaming laptop is the safest way.
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