Why Upgrading Your Gaming Laptop Right Now Might Not Be Worth It
Key Takeaways
- Design and build quality rarely change significantly between laptop iterations
- Display upgrades focus mostly on refresh rates, while webcam quality remains poor
- GPU improvements are notable, but CPU performance gains are modest
- Thermal management and other features see only incremental changes
- Experts suggest waiting about three model iterations before upgrading
Why Upgrading Your Gaming Laptop Right Now Might Not Be Worth It
Every year, laptop makers release new models with promises of better performance, but do these changes truly enhance your gaming experience? For gaming laptop users especially, the question of whether to upgrade regularly—and how often—is important to consider.
Design and Build Quality
Take a look at popular gaming laptop lines, and you’ll notice that visual designs often stay the same for years. For example, the Razer Blade 15 has seen many internal updates but retains its previous design language. While internal hardware tweaks may cause slight dimensional shifts, the overall feel, materials, and build quality remain largely unchanged between generations.
Display Improvements
When it comes to screens, manufacturers tend to focus on boosting refresh rates—144Hz is now common, with some models reaching 240Hz or 300Hz. However, achieving frame rates that high in modern games is difficult, so these upgrades may not be as impactful as advertised. Meanwhile, webcam quality continues to lag, often requiring users to purchase external cameras for decent video calls, especially now that virtual meetings are more frequent.
Performance Gains
The most talked-about improvements are in graphics processing. The latest NVIDIA RTX 30 series GPUs deliver solid performance jumps over older models. However, this year NVIDIA shifted away from fixed power labels like Max Q and Max P, allowing manufacturers to adjust GPU wattage as they see fit. This means that two laptops with the same RTX 3070 label can perform differently—one may have a 115W GPU while another runs at just 80W. To combat misleading claims, NVIDIA now requires manufacturers to disclose clock speeds and total graphics power, making comparisons easier for buyers.
On the CPU side, gains are more modest. For example, moving from an Intel i7 8750H to an i7 10750H yields only around 9 to 15 percent better performance in most benchmarks. Switching to processors with more cores (such as moving from four to eight cores) can offer more noticeable improvements, but most current games are not fully optimized to take advantage of extra cores.
Thermal Management
Thermal design and cooling solutions have also seen limited evolution. Many newer laptops still struggle with heat buildup and thermal throttling under heavy gaming loads, much like their predecessors.
Other Features
Some welcome changes include larger batteries, faster chargers, and support for Wi-Fi 6 and 6E connectivity. However, many older laptops can be updated with newer Wi-Fi cards, and full compatibility still depends on having compatible access points, which can be difficult to find in regions with limited infrastructure.
Should You Upgrade?
Although manufacturers aim to push users toward the latest models, frequent upgrades can strain your budget without delivering transformative improvements. If your current laptop meets your needs, it’s generally advisable to wait about three model iterations before considering an upgrade. Only consider upgrading sooner if the new model offers at least a 50 percent improvement over your current device.
For a detailed look at one high-end option, see our review of the Alienware m15 R3.
