Why aren’t gaming laptops 4K?
Why aren't gaming laptops 4K? If 4K gaming laptops do exist, how long for and why are there so few of them? Read on for all the info!
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Why aren’t gaming laptops 4K? Well actually, some of them are, in fact we’ve got our very own Best 4K gaming laptop page for you to check out if you’re interested.
How long have 4K gaming laptops existed?
A few years ago, the 4K gaming laptops were unheard of. But today, things have changed a lot. Top laptop manufacturers like ASUS, Razer, MSI, and more offer 4K display options on all their flagship devices. But this upgrade comes with a premium cost, which is too much for most gamers, additionally it comes with performance constraints.
So, in 2024, it would be wrong to say gaming laptops aren’t 4K. In recent years, reputed gaming manufacturers have launched multiple 4K gaming laptops. However, their number is relatively small.
A 4K (3840 x 2160) display provides sharper images compared to a standard Full HD (1920 x 1080) display. The image quality is four times sharper. Compared to 4K resolution, Full HD looks grainy or larger displays; the text quality is pretty bad. However, A 4K resolution ensures everything looks good and sharp. So, 4K displays are considered with high regard – at least for visual creatives and others for whom visual precision is important.
Although 4K gaming laptops sound really excellent, playing a game at respectable FPS at this resolution requires a lot of power, in particular, a high VRAM graphics card. It’s only recently that the latest laptop graphics cards have been up to the task: the latest RTX 4080 laptop and RTX 4090 laptop GPUs in particular.
Also, in most cases, 4K laptops are only limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, which is low for most gamers, especially if they are playing fast-pacing shooters. The game will definitely look good at 4K resolution, but a low refresh rate would impact the player’s performance. We tend to only class something as a ‘gaming’ laptop if it has a 90-100Hz FPS or above, and it’s only been recently that true 120Hz and 144Hz 4K gaming laptops have started to appear.
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Why aren’t gaming laptops 4K? Final Word
We hope this brief article has satisfactorily answered the question for you: Why aren’t gaming laptops 4K? Do be sure to take a look at our various other laptop and gaming laptop guides in the dropdown menu at the top of this page.
