Your choice of esports PC can have a significant bearing on both enjoyment and success, so it is important to make the right decision. In particular, you will need to decide between a laptop or a desktop gaming computer, but you will also need to factor in a number of other considerations too, such as ensuring you have sufficient RAM and making sure you select the right operating system for your needs.
Read on for a breakdown of the various things to look for when buying a gaming PC and don’t forget to check out ViewSonic Elite to learn about some of the best gaming monitors on the market.
Esports can serve not only as a form of entertainment, but also as a valuable educational tool and even, potentially, a viable career, but you will need the right esports PC to get the most out of gaming. This will, of course, require you to carry out some research, while also factoring in your requirements, personal preferences, and budget.
In this article, we explore the different things you will need to look out for when selecting your gaming computer.
Desktop vs. Laptop Esports PC
The first decision to make in regards to finding an esports PC is the choice between a desktop or laptop computer. Since both have benefits and drawbacks, your choice of gaming computer will largely depend on personal preference.
Desktop
Desktop computers provide a number of key benefits, which often make them the default choice for serious gamers. For example, they tend to be easier to upgrade over time than a laptop, and they are also easier to keep cool, which is a major advantage when it comes to performance, especially when playing more demanding games with high system requirements.
With a desktop, you have the option to add a gaming monitor and a keyboard, both of which can aid your esports objectives. However, the main downsides are that a desktop needs to be plugged in at all times and will usually need to stay in one location, which prevents you from bringing your computer to esports events.
Laptop
On the other hand, some gamers do prefer to buy a high-end gaming laptop and this also has significant advantages. The biggest benefit here is its portability, which means you will not be stuck playing in one place. Instead, you will have the freedom to move around your home or school, and you can take your computer to esports events or team meet-ups.
With that being said, if you compare a high-end laptop with a high-end desktop, the laptop option may end up being more expensive. It can also be harder to sufficiently cool a laptop, due to the limited space available, which means that, in terms of pure performance, a laptop may actually suffer in comparison to a desktop with the same specs.
Other Important Considerations
Aside from the question of whether to opt for a desktop or laptop computer, there are a number of other things to take into account when trying to find your ideal esports PC.
RAM
One of the other considerations with a gaming PC is how much RAM to have. As an article for GamingScan points out, modern PCs will usually offer 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB of RAM, but higher-end models might offer 64GB or even 128GB.
By the standards of a modern esports PC, 4GB is usually seen as too little, unless you are intending to play older games only. The 8GB option is typically viewed as the minimum for gaming purposes, but many popular games will now recommend 16GB, which means it may be the ideal option when balancing performance with budget. If you want to buy a PC with one eye on the future, a computer with 32 GB of RAM may be the best choice.
It is worth noting that RAM is relatively simple to upgrade later on. For this reason, unless you are determined to buy the most future-proof PC possible, the higher-end options with 64GB or 128GB are likely to be overkill.
Operating System
For the vast majority of esports players, the best operating system for a gaming computer is going to be the latest version of Microsoft Windows. Not only is it by far the most widely utilized operating system, but it is also the option that will provide the fewest issues in terms of compatibility, which means a wider range of games to play.
The selection of games available on other operating systems, such as macOS or Chrome OS, is comparatively small, and although Linux does have a growing community of gamers, thanks to the various titles available on the operating system via Steam, it is still a very long way behind Microsoft’s offering in terms of options. With that being said, the one major advantage of Linux is that it is a free and open-source operating system, whereas Windows is commercial.
Final Thoughts
When looking for an esports PC, you will need to decide whether you want the portability on offer from a laptop or the reliability and performance associated with a desktop. On top of that, you will also need to ensure you have sufficient RAM to cope with the games you want to play and you will most likely want to opt for a PC that runs Microsoft Windows.
Also, don’t forget to check out The Best Esports Setup: A Complete Guide and ViewSonic Elite to double-check that you’ve got everything you need for the perfect esports setup.