4 Gaming Setups for your laptop: Find the Perfect One
When I bought my very first laptop, I was wondering while sitting hunched over my laptop giving players their well-deserved headshots, how can I make my gaming setup for my laptop even better?
So I did some research on various tech reviewers’ websites and read some fora to find out what kind of options there are available for laptop gaming setups to give the best experience possible. I found that most gaming laptop setups have at least an external display or monitor and a keyboard with a mouse. This makes your laptop gaming setup so much better. Of course, there are many options with these requirements. In this blog, I’ll break down 4 different gaming laptop setups for you to find the perfect one. These are the budget, living room, mainstream, and streamer gaming laptop setups.
Gaming setup #1
The budget gaming laptop setup
So when you’re just a beginner who just started creating your gaming laptop setup or when you’re on a budget and want a really affordable gaming laptop setup with a monitor, then you should definitely go for the ASUS VP228HE. This is a super budget-friendly gaming monitor ($125 at the time of writing). With a 21. 5″ Full HD screen, a 1 ms response time, and 60Hz refresh rate, this means you’ll get a sharp and smooth gaming experience. It has built-in speakers that sound pretty good, but don’t expect them to blow your mind. As a bonus, you’ll have access to in-game addons, this adds a visual aid like a crosshair, timer, FPS, counter, and display alignment that will give you the edge.
Adding a basic wired keyboard and mouse from the Logitech MK120 combo set and you’re good to go for your first or at least budget friendly-laptop setup.
This keyboard has a slim profile and a spill-proof design so you don’t have to worry about spilling your energy drink or any other drinks losing you the game. It also features a high-quality optical mouse that makes it easy to get those headshots.
Gaming setup #2
Living room gaming laptop setup
Living room laptop gaming setups are great because you can play games right from the couch. If you’ve your games on steam, just play it, do you have a game streaming service, no biggie. When your favorite game supports co-op you can even play with some friends while holding a cold one. My personal favorite game to play in the living room is jackbox games (did you know they already have an 8th box), they just have some insanely fun games. There are other options too of course.
An added benefit of creating your gaming laptop setup in the living room is that you can browse the web, use your laptop to test a TV prototype (yeah I’m partially a UX designer so I do this), or watch some Netflix or other streaming services all from the same device. If that isn’t enough, a laptop is portable so you can take your laptop gaming setup everywhere if you want to for example to your friend’s place or a hotel, hook your laptop up and you have your living room gaming laptop setup everywhere!
To start things for your living room laptop gaming setup, you should start with a TV (well duh..). Usually, I don’t mind spending around 500 on a great TV that will last me several years. I can suggest the Samsung TU8000 Series. This television is recommended by several tech reviewers because it has excellent viewing angles and clear picture quality at a very affordable price!
When sitting on your couch, you don’t want to get up using your laptop’s keyboard and trackpad I assume. So to fix this, a basic wireless keyboard and mouse combo will help you keep your butt nicely tucked in the couch. The best affordable option I could find for some basic wireless laptop gaming is the Logitech MK295. It won’t give you the best gaming experience ever, but it’s good enough for most couch gamers.
To improve your gaming experience you could connect your Xbox wireless controller (How do you connect the Xbox controller to a laptop?) or PS4 wireless controller (How do you connect the PS4 controller to a laptop?) to create an even more awesome living gaming laptop setup.
Ultimate laptop setup beginners guide
If you’re just starting out with building your laptop setup, it can be overwhelming to know what you need. Of course, I’ve written an article to help you with starting your laptop setup.
Gaming setup #3
Mainstream gaming laptop setup
Most laptop gamers want the same thing when they arrive home: a gaming setup that’s ready to go. The best way to fully enjoy your games is with this mainstream gaming setup. It is just everything a gamer needs for competitive online flaming gaming.
For this setup, you should go for 2 ASUS TUF VG27AQ. This display is one of the best-rated 1440p 144Hz monitors across all review websites. 1440p lets you see just the right details with a very speedy response rate what is crucial for gaming. I expect that most laptops can easily handle two 1440p screens. Besides the gaming aspect, the height-adjustable screens make sure you don’t stress your neck when looking at the display. See more tests on this monitor at Rtings.
As for your gaming peripherals, Corsair has one of the best keyboards. Check out their k70 mk.2 gaming keyboard and the Logitech G502 Hero. Both have very good reviews by most reviewers. To handle your mouse even better go with a mouse pad, this will significantly improve your mouse movement.
To finish up your gaming setup, you should have gaming headphones so you can communicate with your teammates while playing your favorite MOBA, FPS, MMO, or whatever. For this, the Razer BlackShark V2 is said to be a reliable gaming headphone set. Many reviewers like it because of its great audio and microphone quality and software features.
Gaming setup #4
Streamer/All out gaming laptop setup
When you have money enough to go all out or just upgrade your mainstream setup along the way, this is the ultimate setup. And yes, there are all sorts of RGB.
First, of the main attraction (besides your laptop of course) go for an ultra-wide display like the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. This is just a ridiculous monitor with a 49″ and a 1000R curve, which means it fills up your field of vision nicely, add up the 240Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and support for G-sync and FreeSync, this screen is really insane (one of my favorites, if I just had the money)!
Next up, your RGB keyboard and mouse. Just go with some of the best-reviewed keyboards and mouse out there, the Corsair K70 mk.2 gaming keyboard and the Logitech G502 Hero gaming mouse with a Logitech G640 gaming mouse pad.
A killer gaming headset can’t be missed of course. For this, you should get the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro. It gives you a great mic and accurate sound which can be useful to hear players behind you in an FPS.
Of course, you need a great Mic. You really can’t go wrong with a Blue Yeti USB microphone. This mic is the one many streamers use because of its affordable price and great sound.
Speaking of sound, what about speakers? Want awesome sound when playing casually? Go with the RGB-filled Logitech LightSync G560.
A streaming setup isn’t complete without a high-quality and crisp webcam. For this PC Gamer recommends going with the Logitech StreamCam.
When we are on the subject of streaming, a Stream deck doesn’t hurt.
To finish up you definitely need some Nanoleaf Shapes for an awesome streaming image.
Optionally you could go with an eGPU to maximize performance. if your laptop supports it.
Gaming Setup FAQs
Here are some common questions about gaming setups:
Do I need a gaming mouse?
A gaming mouse will give you an advantage in-game over using a standard mouse. A gaming mouse typically has more buttons that can be assigned to specific actions in-game, giving you faster access to those actions.
They also have features such as adjustable DPI (dots per inch) that will allow you to move the cursor faster and more accurately in-game. Gaming mice can also have programmable buttons, allowing you to assign macros to them for quick access during gameplay.
How do I choose a gaming mouse?
A great way of choosing a gaming mouse is by thinking about what games you play most often. If you mainly play RTS (real-time strategy) and MMO (massively multiplayer online) games, then you may want to consider a mouse with multiple buttons that can be assigned to different in-game actions.
If you play a lot of first-person shooters, then you may want to consider a mouse with an adjustable DPI (dots per inch) setting so that you can move the cursor faster and more accurately. If you play any MOBA or RTS games, then programmable buttons can be really useful for in-game macros.
What should I look for in a gaming keyboard?
When looking for a gaming keyboard, you should consider the features that are important to you. Do you need macro keys? Are backlit keys important to you? What about anti-ghosting?
Macro keys can be really useful if you play MMO or RTS games as they can allow you to bind multiple actions to a single key. Backlit keys can be really handy if you play in low-light conditions or want to game in the dark as they will allow you to see the keycaps more easily.
Anti-ghosting is a feature that is important for FPS (first-person shooter) gamers as it ensures that every key you press is registered, even if you are holding down multiple keys at the same time.
How do I choose a gaming keyboard?
When choosing a gaming keyboard, consider what games you play most often and think about which features would be most useful to you while playing those games. If you play an MMO or RTS, then macro keys might be a good option for you.
If you play FPS games, then anti-ghosting might be more important to you. Alternatively, if you just want a keyboard that will work well with any type of game, then consider getting a gaming keyboard with backlit keys and/or macro keys.
Do I need a gaming headset?
A gaming headset can be a great addition to your gaming setup, especially if you play online games. A gaming headset will allow you to hear in-game audio more clearly and also allow you to communicate with other players more easily.
A gaming headset is also useful if you stream, as it will allow your viewers to hear what’s happening in-game. Gaming headsets are typically more comfortable to wear than standard headphones as they have large ear cups that fit over the entire ear rather than just resting on top of it.
How do I choose a gaming headset?
When choosing a gaming headset, you should consider the features that are important to you. Do you want surround sound? Are detachable microphones useful for you? What about in-line controls?
Surround sound is great for FPS (first-person shooter) games as it allows you to hear directional audio more clearly, making it easier to pinpoint where enemies are located.
Detachable microphones can be useful if you want to use the headset for other activities such as listening to music or making calls. In-line controls allow you to adjust the volume and microphone settings without having to access your computer’s settings.
What should I look for in a gaming monitor?
When looking for a gaming monitor, you should consider the resolution, refresh rate, and size. The higher the resolution of a gaming monitor, the more detailed the image will be.
A refresh rate of 120Hz or higher is ideal for gamers as it means that the image on the screen will be updated 120 times per second, making motion smoother and eliminating any potential blurring.
A larger monitor is better for gaming as it will allow you to see more of the game’s environment at any given time, making it easier to react to enemy movements and other in-game events.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a first-time casual gamer or an experienced pro, we hope this guide has helped you in some way. We’ve covered all the basics of what to look for when purchasing a gaming laptop and have included some of the top mainstream laptop gaming setup picks.
Remember to consider your specific needs and budget when making your purchase. With the right research and planning, you can find the perfect setup for your unique gaming style.
How to choose a gaming laptop?
