The Line Between Creative and Gaming Laptops

For ages, designers of all specialties drafted their designs on desktop systems. As those careers became more mobile, designers needed something powerful and agile, so they drifted toward gaming laptops due to their technical prowess. Now, workstation laptops have taken the market by storm. But how are they different than the gaming laptops people have been buying this entire time? Let's delve into it!

Gaming computers are known for housing powerful components that go beyond what traditional business and everyday laptops use. Aside from powerful processors, memory configurations, and storage components, these laptops employ dedicated graphics cards designed to manage visually demanding elements. This is the core reason designers had their eye on gaming laptops, because they were a solid alternative to larger desktops. It was a balance of function and mobility. Additionally, gaming laptops had ample ports, transforming these powerful machines into hybrid workstations that could be used in an office or out and about.

Designers would often look at devices like the ASUS 18" Republic of Gamers Strix notebook, which features an Intel Core i9 processor, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Driving graphical performance is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 which leverages 8GB of GDDR6X memory. Power wise, this can run a variety of programs and operations smoothly compared to anything lesser.

The Strix even includes a suite of inputs with a single Thunderbolt 4 port, USB-C and USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, HDMI, audio jacks, and even a GbE LAN port, making the Strix a very versatile machine. That's on top of the device's 2560 x 1600 resolution display with 240 Hz refresh rate, which is useful for gaming enthusiasts who want ample power, but not so much for designers who need crisp images over speed.

Aside from the display, the only drawback comes in the form of aesthetics. A glowing Republic of Gamers logo on the lid is accompanied by a light bar, glowing keys, and a style that is more for the gaming enthusiast who wants everyone to know exactly what they are doing here- playing games. It doesn't necessarily fit the professional motif. Luckily, the marriage of power and professional design evolved with devices like the Dell 16" Precision 5680 Workstation Notebook.

Similar to the ASUS laptop, Dell equipped the Precision with a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, 32GB of LPDDR5x memory, and a 1TB SSD. Things do change when we look at the graphics card. The Precision uses an NVIDIA RTX 3500 Ada GPU which differs from the GeForce RTX 4070. On top of the RTX 3500 Ada's 12GB of VRAM, the GPU offers support for large models like 3D animations and motion graphics. It can also produce higher resolution images on an external display up to 8k, offers professional-grade broadcasting support, and is suitable for both students and seasoned users.

So, while gaming laptops have always had the eye of creative and gaming enthusiasts, NVIDIA is opening the path for users to dive specifically into the world of graphically demanding visuals. To go even further into the architecture, the GeForce RTX 4070 operates on a single 8th Gen video encoder while the RTX 3500 Ada uses two, which makes it great for rendering video and broadcasting.

Aside from the power profile, the Dell Precision embraces a sleek motif that drapes the device in a professional aesthetic with a silvery grey exterior finish and a sleek black interior. This is definitely a far cry from the ASUS Strix model, separating itself completely from that device's message; the Precision is all professionalism inside and out.

There are a few considerations with the Precision though, mostly with connectivity. Instead of the swath of ports featured on gaming laptops, the Precision goes for minimalism without compromising performance. It features two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, and even an SD card slot which isn't typically found on gaming laptops these days. Another drawback might be seen with the display as it sports a 1920 x 1200 resolution at 60 Hz, but for designing it is perfect. Some extra headroom offers greater space for your virtual canvas and when it comes to video playback, you don't need anything above 60 Hz.

As technology grows, so does the demand for powerful devices. Companies have started to refine their devices for the designer, broadcaster, and engineer; giving these users the perfect balance of power and performance with aesthetics. By drawing this line between workstation and gaming laptops, users can better prepare themselves for whatever their workload entails. It also ensures that developers have the proper tools for their work.

Are you a designer or gaming enthusiast looking for a new laptop? Maybe take a look here to see exactly how the Dell 14" Precision 5490 could help with your workloads, or check out a few of our favorite gaming laptops. If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comment section and we'll do our best to answer you as soon as we can!