How to Build a Laptop Gaming Setup

Whether you’re looking to play on the go or in the comfort of your own home, a laptop gaming setup can offer the best of both worlds. Thanks to advancements in technology, many of the same components found in desktop PCs are now available in slim, mobile systems that can run top-tier games without requiring a huge space and bulky tower. The right accessories can turn a portable laptop into a full-fledged gaming station that’s ready to take on the latest titles at your convenience. We’ll help you build a laptop gaming setup that can function as a commuting powerhouse or a desktop-like gaming station at home, complete with an external monitor, a full-size keyboard, and useful peripherals.

Before you start building your laptop gaming setup, make sure your operating system and graphic drivers are up to date to get the most out of your machine’s performance. Check your laptop’s cooling settings as well, to ensure it isn’t running too hot and suffering from thermal throttling. If your laptop gets too warm, a cooling pad is an inexpensive investment that will keep it from overheating and losing performance.

An external monitor can enhance your gaming experience by offering a wider field of view and more precise control with your mouse and keyboard. A high-resolution monitor with a fast refresh rate is ideal for smoother images and higher color accuracy. Those with ultrawide screens can even let you watch movies and TV shows in a widescreen aspect ratio without letterboxing or cropping.

A specialized mouse and keyboard can add comfort to your gaming experience by offering features like programmable lighting, customizable key mapping, and ergonomic design. The same goes for a specialized headset that offers immersive audio and noise cancelling.

Finally, a portable storage device will give you the freedom to save highlights and gameplay videos on an external hard drive that doesn’t consume onboard memory. Adding one to your gaming laptop can also help you keep more data on hand in case of an emergency.

Once you’ve gathered all the necessary equipment, it’s time to train your cables with a batch of cable clips, which can be purchased for under $10 at most retailers, or even more durable options such as TidyHelper’s cable management kit. It’s important to have a good plan for how you will tuck your power cords and wires away, so you don’t trip over them in a hectic game session. You might even consider investing in a surge-proof power strip to manage your laptop and monitor’s energy needs.