Gone are the days when you would have been laughed at if youwalked into an all-night LAN party carrying your trusty laptopand expecting to hang with the giant computer towers standing ateveryone's feet. The gaming computers of today sporthuge, crisp LCD screens, cutting-edge video cards and full-sizekeyboards. Not only can these gaming computers hang withthe standard clunky computer tower, but they can also be orderedfully custom to meet the exact specifications of any gamer.

Since there are so many customizable components in theselaptops, a standard practice has been to create what some call a"system builder." This is the page where you get to add andsubtract components through drop-down menus in order to createthe best gaming computer for your needs and your budget.This type of page can be overwhelming to someone just startingthe gaming shopping process, but it is very manageable ifyou take it just one component at a time.

The Gaming GPU

This is the heart of a gaming computer. The GPU (graphicsprocessing unit) is a component that will make or break yourgaming experience. If your GPU isn't up to snuff, your gameswon't play.

Without getting into specific models since they change all thetime, the key is that the graphics card not share resources withthe computer. A gaming video card must have its ownmemory on board. Generally speaking, standard off-the-shelflaptops will not have this feature. The two current makers oflaptop video cards are nVIDIA and ATI.

Without the Screen, You Don't Have Much

What good is a gaming without a screen that can actuallyrender your games? Now certainly, you can connect an externalmonitor, but if you can't actually play on your gaming laptopwithout that external monitor, then your isn't all thatmobile.

While the technology and terminology for LCDs (liquid crystaldisplays) could take up an entire article in itself, there are afew key points to keep in mind when choosing from available LCDoptions for your new gaming computer: native resolution,aspect ratio, rise and fall time, contrast, viewing angle, andsize.

Native Resolution. The native resolution is simply the settingat which your screen will render the clearest images. Sincegames are constantly in motion, slightly soft edges may notbother most gamers, but keep in mind that while this is yourgaming laptop, you will likely also use it for other things likesurfing the Internet. If the resolution isn't comfortable, youaren't going to enjoy using it.

Aspect Ratio. As you probably know, a movie theater screen and aTV screen have different proportions. Likewise, there arewidescreen format gaming laptops and there are laptops that havea standard aspect ratio -- like that of a TV. A widescreenformat gaming (a 16:10 ratio) has advantages anddisadvantages. Many games today do not have a widescreen mode.This means that the game may stretch across the screen andbecome distorted or you may run it with black bars that fill inthe sides. There are ways to get around this, but if you want anout of the box perfect experience, the widescreen format may notbe for you.

That said, a widescreen LCD does offer plenty of screen realestate for web surfing and other type of computer activities,and a game played in a wide format setting offers an expansivefield of view. For this reason, there are some very loyalwidescreen-loving gamers out there.

Do your best to find a balance between current and futuretechnology and what your computer habits are beyond gaming. Evenwith its limitations, the widescreen format is found on most ofthe best gaming computers.

Rise and Fall. The phrase 'rise and fall time' is used todescribe how fast the LCD can respond to changes. In the past,LCDs have been plagued with the inability to render images asfast as computer games can spit them out. This presents a majorproblem for gamers because if they can't see the imagesproperly, they can't play the game properly. This lag can meanthe difference between playing to win and barely playing.

Fortunately, gaming LCDs have come a long way and theyare only getting better. While once it was impossible to game ona screen, the gaming LCDs of today offer 25milliseconds or less rise and fall time while generallyoff-the-shelf laptops have 40 milliseconds or less rise and falltime.

Contrast. If a gaming LCD has poor contrast, that meansthat the black areas aren't quite as black as they should be andthe white areas aren't quite as white. This is important to alaptop gamer because you have to see the game properly -- as itwas intended to be seen -- in order



to compete effectively. Lookfor a contrast ratio of 400:1 or higher in a custom gaminglaptop computer.

Viewing Angle. This is an often-overlooked LCD feature, but itmust be considered if you are building a gaming computer.Many high quality LCDs on the market are difficult to seeclearly at any angle other than straight on and at the rightheight. This can be a big drawback to gaming on a LCD screenbecause a screen with poor viewing angles won't allow others towatch the screen as you play and also hurts your view when doingsomething as simple as adjusting your seating, which can requireyou to then adjust to position of your screen to see itproperly again.

But gaming on a does not mean that you are doomed to havepoor viewing angles. There are LCDs on the market that haveamazing viewing angles -- up to 120 degrees. These screens notonly allow gaming onlookers, but they also allow you to use thatgiant, crisp screen to do things like play movies and even makepresentations.

Size. In a gaming computer, size is everything. Mostgaming laptops are large, robust pieces of electronics. Having amachine of this stature means you also get to have a largescreen. The best gaming computer LCD screens out thereare at least 15 inches. A crowd favorite is a 17 inch widescreen(even with the challenges that widescreens present). Largr 19inch screens are just starting to be talked about withconsumers expecting to see 19 inch or even large models on themarket in the near future.

The best way to really get a feel for what LCDs are allabout is to take a trip to a local box store and play with theLCDs on the display laptops while keeping in mind what you haveread here. While these laptops are not custom gaming laptops,you can see what the sizes really look like, what differentresolutions look like, and what the viewing angles truly are soyou can start to develop your own preferences.

The RAM - What Type and How Much?

The RAM (random access memory) found in laptops is called SODIMM(small outline dual inline memory module). The RAM isresponsible for your processing power. If you are shopping for acustom gaming laptop, you will generally be offered DDR2 RAMwith the choice of how much you want in your computer. Mosthigh-end games being released today need 1GB of RAM for optimum,lag-free game play. Some people are going with 2GB to ensurethat they can run multiple applications along with the game andnot experience any slow down in response time. This is a largeinvestment and you want to be able to use this gaming forsome time in the future. Most custom laptops are userupgradeable, but this should be left up to professionals.

The CPU - Not Just Mobile Technology

The CPUs (central processing units) found in many custom gaminglaptops are identical to those found in desktops. These chipsrequire a great deal of cooling power, which in turn can makeyour louder than light weight, lower power ultraportables when the fans kick on and it can become somewhat warmto the touch. Don't be alarmed by this -- it is normal. And withthese desktop processors comes screaming power! Don't waste yourmoney on the latest CPU release that likely has an inflatedprice tag (and that price will likely come down before long).Stick with a current CPU speed that is offered by a reputablecustom gaming reseller, and you really can't go wrong.

The Gaming Hard Drive

This is the final component to consider when building a gaminglaptop. hard drives come in a variety of speeds andcapacities ranging from 4200 to 7200 RPMs and 40 to over 100GBs. For the most part, this is user preference. Wheneverpossible, go for a 7200 RPM hard drive, but if you need acapacity not offered in this speed, it's okay to go for the 5400RPM drive. Take a look at your current computer, and buy yourcapacity based on this. Also keep in mind that with many customgaming manufacturers, you have the ability to upgrade oradd another hard drive at a later date.

At the end of the day, gaming computers are all aboutpower. Don't expect a twelve-pound notebook with a desktopprocessor, numerous fans, a giant heatsink, and independentvideo card to last on battery power all that long. But do makesure to enjoy the jawdrops that you'll get as you walk into yourregular LAN party location with your new, screaming-fast gaminglaptop computer. Crack that puppy open, fire it up, and standclear of the drool as you take on your favorite game with fellowgamers gathered around to take in the action. Gaming is not justfor desktops anymore!

About the author:Visit www.PCTorque.com for the latest in custom news andtechnology. Make sure to stop by one of our system builders to'virtually' build a fully custom with real time pricingupdates.

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