This doesnt mean youre bound to older games, though.

The genres you play can also make a huge difference.

For example, gamers who enjoy combat genres will have an easier time withturn-based gamesover real-time combat.

Inzoi character in front of an area where people are on a bench and people buying stuff.

Similarly, slower-paced strategy and city builders likeCities: Skylines IIcan easily turn into torture tests for your hardware.

But just because you donthaveto play older titlesdoesnt mean you shouldnt give them a try.

One obvious solution is to adjust your options accordingly.

SanDisk Micro SD Express on pencil near external drive and calculator-1

However, this can defeat the purpose of playing these titles to some degree.

A better solution may be to purchase anexternal GPU, commonly called an eGPU.

Getting the wrong eGPU can be a costly mistake because of how expensive this hardware is.

A leaked screenshot of the aleged Oblivion remaster.

Another area laptop gamers should turn their attention is RAM.

This acts as your PCs short-term memory, recalling information as soon as its needed.

If youre not already in this range,check whether your laptop supports RAM expansion or not.

8BitDo Ultimate Controller with 2.4GHz wireless.

8BitDo

RAM specs dont end at the available capacity, though.

Youll also want tocheck your RAMs speed and jot down.

With the GPU and RAM taken care of, the next thing to look at is storage.

EA SPORTS FC24 promotional picture.

EA

As with many factors,how much storage you should have is determined by your specific needs.

Most gaming laptops offer the recommended amount of storage and are almost as easily upgraded as a desktop PC.

As we saw with RAM, though, standard laptops are also offering more upgrade options.

A still from the Mario Vs. Donkey Kong game trailer.

It’s worth noting, though, that youll likely have a better experiencebuilding one yourself.

Some docks also allow for pass-through charging.

For the average gamer, the limited keyboard and simplistic trackpad simply wont meet your gaming needs.

A Razer eGPU enclosure on a desk.

Razer

Another great accessory for laptop gaming isa gaming headset.

As with many peripherals, gaming headsets come in both wired and wireless varieties.

Most gamers find wired headsets provide better sound quality, but manyprefer the convenience of wireless sets.

A laptop RAM stick sitting on a laptop keyboard.

Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

With all of these upgrades, your laptop will surely appreciatea good cooling pad.

For this reason, most manufacturers focus on overall design rather than cooling components.

You don’t need to buy every accessory or upgrade all of your hardware.

An external SSD connected to a laptop.

Jerome Thomas / How-To Geek

A desk set up with a laptop and monitor plugged into the Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multimedia Pro Dock.

Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

An RGB-lit keyboard, gaming headset, mouse, and controller on a desktop.

EKKAPHAN CHIMPALEE/Shutterstock.com