The gaming laptops segment has seen unprecedented growth over the last year, spurred by technological innovation and a growing emphasis on mobility within the PC market in general.
In fact, this growth has not been solely specific to the gaming segment. Analysts around the world have recorded an unprecedented expansion in the laptop segment, at the expense of sales in the desktop sector.
One of the main reasons for this growth is price point. At this time, there is not a huge difference in price between a laptop and a desktop base unit of comparable power. However, the desktop requires a range of peripherals that can cost hundreds of pounds on top of the initial purchase.
Another reason for the growth of the gaming laptop has been the progression in technological development spurred by the popularity of netbooks – which in many ways are a product of the recession. These devices have reached a wide range of consumers, who usually require them to be low cost, but capable of handling modern media content.
This demand was well anticipated by the likes of Intel, which has seen massive demand for its Core i7 mobile processor, but has also been aided by the greater availability of small form lithium ion batteries, the lowering of manufacturing costs for solid state memory and the proliferation of LCD flat screen panels.
These innovations have significantly narrowed the performance gap between the laptop and desktop segments, making the gaming laptop a far more viable alternative than ever before.
“The performance difference is no longer a barrier,” confirms Asus’ marketing specialist Iain Bristow. “If you look at our W90 for example, it can compete with most of the high-end systems around at the moment. Whilst it’s not ultra portable, it’s still a lot more portable than most desktops, especially when you factor in the monitor and peripherals you’d need to take to a LAN party for example.”
The mobile segment is an area that is a focus for many of today’s key developments, which increasingly focus on small form, low power consumption and low temperature. As mentioned, sales of mobile PCs are quickly outgrowing sales in the desktop segment and consequently they are seeing a greater degree of research and development.
“It is true that in the old days a laptop was never in the same performance class as the traditional tower or desktop but over the last two years the gap has been closed down,” comments Novatech’s commercial director Kriss Pomroy.
“We see many performance breakthroughs appearing on our mobile gaming stations before it reaches the traditional desktop. If you look at HDMI, E-SATA and SSDs, they were all available on our laptops before they were available on our PCs.
“However, that is not to say that the PC is in any way flagging, as our data tells us that all our laptop customers also own equally kickarse PC rigs. What it tells us is that the laptop is no longer the PC’s poor cousin – more like an energetic younger brother snapping at its heels.”
There are, however, examples of the ‘energetic younger brother’ competing with – and beating – its kin in the desktop sector. A fully specced, high end gaming laptop can outshine all but the best among desktops, with the added bonus of portability.
“Gaming laptops today contain the latest in high-end components, providing extreme performance and graphics capability,” adds Dell Europe’s senior merchandising manager, Brian Joyce, who cites the Dell-owned Alienware M17x as an example.
“This can include components up to an Intel Quad-Core Extreme overclockable processor, and dual nVidia GeForce graphics cards. Consumers who want the power of a desktop, but the portability and convenience of a laptop, will find that a gaming laptop like the Alienware M17x will be sufficient for even the most demanding gamers.”
Although laptops in general are performing relatively well, much of this growth can be attributed to netbook devices, which exploded in to the consumer market supported by low costs and promotions by mobile network operators. For the PC gaming consumer, performance is essential and worth paying the extra price tag for.
“Our laptops have performed fantastically over the last year or so,” confirms Pomroy. “We have seen the volumes of our mid to high end laptops increase quarter on quarter.
“Whilst the entry level market has proved to be a blood bath for all involved and a very difficult market to compete in, we feel our brand is extremely hard to beat in the performance and enthusiast market place. Both industry and our own data clearly shows us shipping more highend laptops than any other UK industry player and we continue to go from strength to strength.”
It’s obvious that the mid to high-end gaming laptop space is potentially very lucrative for those who can operate in that sphere, not just because these machines can offer great gaming performance but because they
represent the cutting edge in PC technology and, as such, are attractive to gamers, media lovers and PC enthusiasts alike.
“Interest in gaming laptops is growing,” states Joyce. “Whether you’re a hardcore gamer, or a tech enthusiast who wants the latest and greatest, there are more choices than ever for performance laptops.”
“Gaming laptops have been a successful product for us over the last year,” concurs Bristow. “They’re not just being bought for gaming either, but by people who want a PC that they can use day to day but have the option to run the latest games when they want to.”
With continued investment from manufacturers ensuring faster machines and more innovative technology, it seems possible that gaming laptops could see the continued and growing popularity among consumers that has been seen over the course of the last year or so.
The segment will certainly receive sustained interest from those customers for whom space considerations and portability are important factors in purchasing a new machine.
“As gaming grows in popularity, more consumers will be interested in gaming systems that not just perform well, but also fit their home environment and usage needs,” asserts Joyce. “There will always be a place for gaming desktops, but for those who areconstrained for space, or require portability, a gaming laptop is a logical choice. Also, as the industry matures, and as technology also advances, you’ll find more power in smaller form factors, even better performance and graphics capability with more efficient cooling mechanisms.”
The importance of technological development cannot be understated when talking about PC gaming. The sector has advanced at such a rapid pace since its inception that each passing year brings a new level of interactivity and graphical quality.
“The future is full of excitement for the gaming laptop, with technology enabling better performance and a more immersive customer experience on every level,” concludes Pomroy.
“We are now moving into a world of new possibilities with the inclusion of
LED screens and lithium polymer batteries extending the charge life. SSD technology is further improving battery life whilst massively boosting the boot times of the PC and its applications. The i7 mobile processor has surpassed expectations and we eagerly await the next evolution of the mobile chipset code named Capella – the future is closer than you think.”
HP HDX X18-1300
SRP: £1,499
This premium notebook offers a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and can support up to eight gigabytes of RAM. The machine comes with 500GB of storage and an Nvidia GeForce GT130M graphics card. It also includes a Blu-ray disc player and Altec Lansing speakers with an integrated sub-woofer.
Distributor: Micro Anvika
ALIENWARE M17X
SRP: £1,699
Dell recently won the legal right to call this laptop ‘the most powerful 17- inch laptop in the universe.’ Obviously it carries a 17-inch screen, but also comes with an Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core overclockable processor and can be pre-configured with dual 1GB Nvidia GeForce 280M graphics card.
Distributor: Dell.com
ASUS G60
SRP: £1,449
This device features an Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 processor with and Nvidia
GeForce GTX 260M, which includes a gigabyte of dedicated DDR3 RAM. The RAID configured dual hard drives give a total of 640GB of storage, and the machine includes four gigabytes of DDR2 800 RAM.
Distributor: Ingram Micro
ASUS-LAMBORGHINI VX5
SRP: £1,999
This design collaboration between Asus and car manufacturer Lamborghini includes an Intel Core 2 Quad-Core Q9000 with four gigabytes of DDR3 RAM, up to a terabyte of hard disk storage and an Nvidia GeForce GT 130M with a gigabyte of dedicated GDDR3 VRAM.
Distributor: Ingram Micro
ACER ASPIRE 5935
SRP: £699
Combining high-end multimedia performance with portability, the Aspire 5935 includes an Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 processor, four gigabytes of RAM and 320 gigabytes of storage memory. It has a 15.6-inch screen and carries and Nvidia GeForce GT 130M with 3G Dolby Home Theatre surround sound.
Distributor: Ingram Micro, Micro P
ACER ASPIRE 8935
SRP: £1,399
With an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a dedicated ATI Radeon 4670XT graphics card, the Aspire 8935 has been created to build on the success of the 18.4-inch Gemstone Blue series. It features a 1080p edge-to-edge 18.4-inch screen, an integrated Blu-ray drive and 500GB of storage memory.
Distributor: Ingram Micro, Micro P
X70 GTX
SRP: £1,399
This machine can come equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 mobile processor – or the P8800 with the Pro model. It features parallel dual 2GB DDR3 RAM, up to 500GB of hard drive storage and comes with a integrated DVD and Blu-ray reader.
Distributor: Novatech
X16 XT
SRP: £499
This device is powered by an Intel T3400 Dual Core mobile processor with two gigabytes of RAM and 320 gigabytes of storage memory. It features a 15.6-inch LED screen, supported by an Nvidia GeForce G105M graphics card, and includes options for HDMI, E-Sata and Bluetooth networking.
Distributor: Novatech
PACKARD BELL IPOWER GX
SRP: £1,499
Weighing 4.2kg, this machine is powered by a 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 processor, with 320GB of hard drive storage and four gigabytes of DDR3 RAM. Its 17-inch display with diamond view is supported by an Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTS graphics card.
Distributor: Micro P
ASUS G71
SRP: £1,849
This device features a 17-inch backlit LED display, supported by an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9000 processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 260M graphics card. Dual RAID configured hard drives offer a terabyte of storage memory and the device carries four gigabytes of DDR3 RAM.
Distributor: Ingram Micro, VIP, C2000
X90 GTX
SRP: £2,499
Representing the peak of Novatech’s gaming line, the X90 can carry three 500GB 7200rpm drives or three 64GB SSD hard drives in RAID 5 configuration, four gigabytes of DDR3 RAM, a DVD and Blu-ray multi burner, and an Nvidia GTX 280 graphics. It also includes a variety of connectivity options including 802.11n
Distributor: Novatech
CONTACTS
Micro Anvika: 020 7467 6050
Dell.com: 0844 444 4699
Ingram Micro: 0871 973 3000
Micro P: 01282 776 776
Novatech: 0871 222 2812
VIP: 0871 622 7500
C2000: 0870 060 33 44
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