Whether you want a portable battle station or need to livestream on the go, choosing the right model is essential to get the performance you need. Ensuring you have the power and speed you need to show up and game hard is top of mind, but there’s more to a pro-level laptop that needs consideration. SPECs: Obviously, you want the best processor and graphics card you can slide into your budget, remember high-performance laptops aren’t just a substitute for a desktop anymore. Real pro-level gaming laptops are designed for peak performance and that means they are engineered to maximize performance. From the keyboards to the cooling system, display and chassis, genuine high performance laptops ensure reliability and stability. To ensure you choose the right model for your gaming and streaming needs we put together a guide to walk you through understanding the key components and features you need to consider to get the most out of your investment. Your gaming and streaming laptop should be equipped with the following:

A powerful GPU is the key to faster gameplay. Today’s discrete GPU’s accelerate graphics and take the load off the CPU. This allows you to livestream and play even AAA titles lag and stutter free. (Learn more about GPU and CPU here.)

The better the display, the smoother the play. FHDs offer super smooth full immersion game play. The new standard high-performance display is 144Hz with a wide NTSC 72% color gamut, this means you have an easy on the eyes gaming experience. For an even richer and smoother experience the 240Hz panels offer you crystal clear details that give you the edge on the battlefield. The most important factor is ensuring you get better than 45% NTSC to avoid unnecessary eye strain.

What’s the point of having the best CPU and GPU if your laptop overheats? Beyond the lag and dropped clocks, overheating damages the internal components of your gaming laptop. You want to ensure you have a minimum of 5 heat sinks, and high powered fans to keep your pro-level gaming laptop cool, especially in the heat of battle.

Portability requires a durable chassis. Durability shouldn’t come at the price of mobility. Ensuring that the chassis is solid, aids with cooling, and has a sturdy hinge design is one of the factors to consider. It’s worth stretching your budget to get a metallic chassis, if those models are out of reach be sure to get a model with a sturdy hinge design.

Heavy games need extra oomph and power, while the GPU accelerates graphics, there’s more to the game. Having a CPU with a minimum of 6 cores is essential to staying competitive. If you want to future proof as far forward as possible, 8 cores is the way to go giving you more options to play. Look for the Intel Core i7 to ensure the fastest, most powerful and reliable gaming play.

Not all RGB keyboards are created equal. From cheap light up keys to membrane keyboards with smooth responses and individual macro settings to mechanical key switches, keyboards are part of getting the edge over your opponent. Everyone has their personal preference on keyboards and today’s gaming laptops offer a range of options. Be sure to check out the quality of the keyboard, layout per preference and what kind of responsiveness the keys provide. Don’t let keys get in the way of your victory, make sure it’s the perfect fit for you!