Why are gaming laptops so expensive? This question has come across the mind of every gamer.
Ask this question on a forum or which gaming laptop to buy and most of the answers are why don’t just build a gaming desktop.
Take a gaming desktop and a gaming laptop with the same specs. And you will find that the gaming laptop costs more than the desktop.
Even though the gaming laptop is somewhat less powerful.
Gaming laptops are portable and make it easy to game on the go. But, does that justify the price? Why are gaming laptops so expensive? Here are 4 reasons for that.
The 4 Reasons Why Gaming Laptops Are Expensive
No Standardized Laptop Parts
This is one of the reasons why gaming desktops are cheaper than gaming laptops with the same specifications.
Desktops parts are almost the same and compatible and there is a market for it to be possible. You can take a desktop graphics card and plug it into another desktop. This doesn’t work for laptops.
People don’t build gaming laptops as often as desktops. So manufacturers don’t have any reason to make standardized laptop parts.
In addition to that, every laptop has a different chassis. This makes brands like Dell, ASUS, Acer, etc. make custom parts for their laptops.
A motherboard from a Dell laptop will never work in an Acer laptop chassis. This makes the laptop unique in its own way.
The freedom to customize also allow brands to charge more. Because customization is going to cost more than just making the parts and fitting them into every laptop.
Moreover, a customized product is always going to cost a bit more than a standard product.
Branding
This brings us to the next reason – branding. The majority of the laptop companies are well-built brands.
They have proved to a lot of customers that they are able to provide the best customer service, customer support, quality products, quality control etc.
So they are able to charge a bit more than usual. For example, take Razer, they are a reputable laptop brand and their laptop cost more than other laptops with the same specs.
It is because they are known to be able to make good quality laptops and so they are able to charge more.
Another example is SAGER, they are not that well-known and are slowly building their brand. For that reason, a SAGER laptop is going to cost less than a Dell or MSI laptop that has the same specs.
Thermal Design
Because every laptop part has custom made parts, chassis and motherboards. The thermal solution is going to be different amongst them.
The laptop’s chassis greatly influences the size, shape, number of heats and position of the cooling system.
Unlike in a desktop, an empty space is not a big deal. In a laptop, empty spaces are wasted spaces.
So manufacturers have to make use of every possible space. And gaming laptops are getting thinner and thinner with each passing year.
Which means laptops have less space. And less space increases the chances of the laptop overheating, thermal throttling and setting on fire (Yes, literally).
And because of the risk of overheating a laptop’s hardware is less powerful than a desktop.
This makes manufacturers come up with innovative ways to make the cooling system whilst being able to fit in a thin chassis.
This innovation will definitely come at an extra cost to manufacturers. And this extra cost will drive up the price of the laptop.
- Are Gaming Laptops Worth It In?
An example of a great cooling solution is the new Acer Predator Helios 500. It is relatively thin and has numerous vents for the heat to escape.
You can also move the keyboard down exposing fans. This greatly improves airflow and prevents overheating.
Manufacturing Process
Because every laptop is unique in its own way. The manufacturing process is going to be different. From making the parts to assembling the parts.
Assembling is done by both machines and people. This is definitely going to bump up the prices of the laptops.
After assembling the parts, the laptops undergo quality control. This is where the checks for defects are made. Once they pass quality control they are released into the wild or market.
The ASUS ROG Mothership is a perfect example of engineering and how manufacturing can be expensive.
Because it has powerful hardware, ASUS took an entirely different approach in making this desktop replacement laptop.
Just watch this video and you will understand why the ASUS ROG Mothership is expensive.
Why Are Gaming Laptops More Expensive Than Gaming PC?
The reasons highlighted above explain why gaming laptops are more expensive than desktops. The lack of standardized parts is a major reason.
It’s very easy to find and get parts for your desktop. However, when it comes to laptops, because of the different shapes, sizes, etc. parts are not similar.
Final Thoughts
Lack of standardized parts, branding, thermal solutions and manufacturing processes greatly affect the prices of gaming laptops.
But the upside is that gaming laptops allow you to carry the near-power of a gaming desktop with you. This means you can game on the go. Anywhere, anytime or anyplace.
Desktops aren’t portable.
This benefit kinds of justified the prices of gaming laptops. Moreover, gaming laptops are getting thinner and lighter with better cooling systems. So it will just get more popular.
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