The popularity of PC gaming is growing exponentially in India. This can be attributed, in parts, to advancements in tech. To that end, powerful gaming laptops are no longer out of reach for the majority of folks, and gamers can now enjoy AAA games on affordable laptops, too. Upscaling technologies like DLSS and FSR also deserve a pat on the back, as they allow machines to exceed their performance limits.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of buyers are queuing up to get their first gaming machine, only to be stumped by the vast array of options. Well, fret not. This article will help you finalise a gaming laptop under Rs 1,00,000. So, let’s get straight to it.
Table of Contents
GPU
There is no dearth of gaming laptops under Rs 1 lakh in India. Thankfully, the choice of GPU is fairly limited, and buyers eyeing a machine will have up to four different options. To that end, you can comfortably get laptops powered by Nvidia’s RTX 3050 and 3060 Mobile GPUs under Rs 1 lakh. These GPUs can run most AAA games at modest settings. Casual and eSports games like Valorant and Counter-Strike fare even better on these machines.
Some laptops also feature the company’s newer RTX 4050 and RTX 4060 GPUs, which promise an even better gaming experience. For those unaware, the RTX 40 series brings improved ray-tracing abilities and a new frame generation feature that can increase the frame rate in some games by a huge margin. That said, not all mobile GPUs are made the same, and you shouldn’t just buy a GPU because it is part of the newer lineup.
Instead, you should dig up the laptop listing on the manufacturer’s website and inquire about the GPU’s TGP or Total Graphics Power. Total Graphics Power, which is measured in Watts, is the maximum power allocated to the GPU. Since laptops come in different sizes, manufacturers need to define a GPU’s power limits to ensure it doesn’t compromise the system’s stability by overheating.
The higher the TGP, the more power your laptop’s GPU will be able to draw. Conversely, a laptop with a higher TGP will also generate more heat, especially under strenuous load. Needless to say, the laptop will throttle if the heat generated by the GPU exceeds a laptop’s cooling chops. This is something to keep in mind when buying even more powerful machines. Gaming laptops priced under a lakh have, for the most part, an optimal cooling solution in place.
GIGABYTE G6X 9MG with RTX 4050 running Hogwarts Legacy at 1080P resolution and High Settings
All said and done, GPUs with a higher TGP will let you play games at higher resolution and with greater fidelity. They will also perform better for taxing rendering techniques like Ray Tracing. The Gigabyte G6X 9MG, for instance, is a terrific device that checks the right boxes in the GPU department. It’s powered by an RTX 4050 GPU with a 105W TGP, and it performs superbly in a variety of games at 1080p resolution. I was even to leverage DLSS tech to run games like Forza Horizon at 2K resolution.
You should also watch for RTX 4060-powered laptops with adequate TGP. While they usually cost over a lakh, they are often listed at a discount. To help you better understand the performance gains, take a look at the chart attached above, which compares the performance of the AORUS 15 9KF with a 140W TGP RTX 4060 to the G6X 9MG in various GPU-centric benchmarks.
CPU
CPU is a crucial component of your gaming laptop, and it is imperative you get a machine with a capable processor to game and work without any hassles. Unfortunately, CPU nomenclature is even more convoluted, so here are some helpful pointers to steer you in the correct direction. If you opt for a laptop with an Intel CPU, ensure it has an H or HX suffix. This guarantees you’re not sifting through listings with less powerful U or P-series processors geared toward thin-and-light notebooks.
On Intel’s end, you’ll mostly find gaming laptops powered by Intel’s Core i5-12450H, Core i5-12500H, Core i7-12700H, Core i5-13500H, and Core i7-13650HX processors. You’ll usually get more performance cores with Intel’s Core i7 CPUs, which will come in clutch for CPU-bound games like Civ 6 and more.
There are quite a few AMD-powered gaming laptops on the market, too. The premium entrants utilise the company’s Ryzen 9 7845HX or Ryzen 7 7745HX CPUs. That said, under Rs 1,00,000, you’ll have to contend with AMD processors with an ‘H’ or ‘HS’ suffix. In particular, I saw several listings for laptops with a Ryzen 7 7735HS and 7840HS processors. Some laptops ship with older Ryzen 7 5800H and 6800H processors, too. However, you should disregard those in lieu of newer laptops.
You can refer to the comparison chart above, which details each processor’s Cinebench single-core and multi-core test runs. This chart can serve as a helpful indicator of where each processor slots against one another. Unless shopping on a tight budget, you should pick up a laptop with a Ryzen 7 or a 13th Gen Core i7 processor in 2024, as they will give you the best value for your money under Rs 1 Lacs.
RAM and Storage
You can never go wrong with lots of RAM and storage. I recommend you get a laptop with at least 16GB of RAM. If you opt for a device with just 8GB of RAM, ensure it has user-upgradeable memory. Most gaming laptop listings will preface the same. Take this listing of an Acer Nitro V Gaming Laptop, for instance, which states that the laptop comes with 16GB of DDR5 memory, which is further upgradeable to 32GB.
Additionally, while most gaming laptops use DDR5 memory, some still come with DDR4 RAM. In such cases, check if the RAM configuration is dual-channel and not single-channel. To cut a long story short, dual-channel configurations offer improved bandwidth as they increase the communication channels between the memory and the memory controller. This, in turn, improves system responsiveness. Do note that all DDR5 RAM modules operate in dual-channel.
As for storage, ensure that the laptop doesn’t come with an HDD and instead uses an SSD. Not only are SSDs much faster, but they are also more robust as they don’t have any moving parts. As such, they should last much longer. Most gaming laptops come equipped with a 512GB SSD. If you’re only going to install a handful of games at a time (say, three to four), you should find the capacity adequate. That said, those looking to download a bunch of games should look for laptops with a 1TB SSD.
Display and Ports
A good gaming laptop should prioritise performance and include essential ports, connectors, and a high-quality display for an immersive gaming experience. The choice of display depends on a couple of factors. Those looking for a portable gaming setup may want to limit their searches to laptops with a 15.6-inch display. That said, gamers looking for a desktop replacement can opt for machines with a 17.3-inch screen, too.
The display resolution and aspect ratio also play a crucial role when finalizing your purchase. A laptop with a 2K display, while good, can be somewhat frivolous if you will be playing most games at 1080p resolution. As such, you can look at competing products that offer more RAM or storage. Similarly, if you’re looking to code or write articles on the laptop, you may want to side with a screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio as opposed to the conventional 16:9 aspect ratio.
The former offers more vertical screen space and can include more lines of code, an Excel sheet, or an article. Most notably, you should pick up a laptop with a high refresh rate display. While most gaming laptops have a 144Hz screen, some even offer a 165Hz panel, allowing you to make the most out of games like Valorant, Rocket League, or Apex Legends.
Similarly, you should keep an eye out for the ports and connectors. While your mileage may vary, I interface my gaming laptop with an external keyboard, mouse, and monitor. Consequently, I need a laptop with at least two Type-A ports and an HDMI connector. You can also check the ports’ position if you have a gaming setup in mind.
For instance, ports positioned toward the back of the laptop facilitate better cable management. Since we’re on the subject, double-check the HDMI port’s output. Some laptop manufacturers limit the output resolution to 1080p.
Keyboard and Battery Life
For the most part, you will probably use a mouse with your gaming laptop. However, you can still use the built-in keyboard. Most gaming laptops priced below Rs 1,00,000 come with a chiclet-style keyboard. That being said, you should look into things like the key travel and actuation force required to press the keys. Keyboards with good key travel (around 2mm) and adequate actuation translate to a better gaming experience. You should also ensure that the keyboard supports n-key rollover. This will allow the laptop to register all your inputs, even if you press several keys simultaneously, like when you’re playing a fighting game.
I, for one, wouldn’t pay too much heed to the laptop’s battery backup. Most gaming laptops will last you around three-four hours off a single charge. Additionally, these machines work best when plugged into a wall outlet.
Conclusion
There are a lot of amazing gaming laptops that cost under Rs 1,00,000 in India. With this guide, you will be able to sift through the online clutter and shortlist a powerful device for gaming.
