Back to school deals are here, but don’t be fooled

August 22, 2023 – As schools and universities prepare to reopen for the new year, many students are on the hunt for the ideal computer to aid them in their homework and assignments. Sellers are well aware of this, and PCs are on sale everywhere you turn. However, not everything that glitters is gold, and there are crucial factors to consider when shopping for a new computer.

Before you dive into the market, define your expectations. If your computer needs are limited to browsing the internet, checking emails, and writing essays, almost any machine will suffice. But if you intend to use your new PC for both work and leisure, such as playing video games, it’s essential to do your research before making a purchase.

We’ve crafted a straightforward guide to help you understand what makes a PC suitable for gaming. In this guide we explain all the fundamental concepts in simple, non-technical language. However, if you’re short on time, here’s a crucial warning: pay close attention to storage space.

Many sellers are currently looking to clear their old stock by offering PCs at enticingly low prices. However, sometimes there’s a catch. You might come across a gaming laptop that boasts one of the latest graphics cards or processors, and it might seem like a fantastic deal. But a closer look at its specs often reveals a suboptimal storage drive, typically with only 512 GB of space.

Numerous gaming laptops available for sale right now come with a mere 512 GB of storage. This becomes especially problematic for laptops because upgrading their storage drives isn’t always an option. Consequently, you end up with a machine that will quickly run out of storage space.

The issue intensifies when you consider the increasing storage requirements of modern games, particularly those with high-end graphics. A quick survey of games that have been released recently, or that are soon to be released, shows that many of them demand between 100 GB and 155 GB of space to install.

Here are some examples:

Game Title	Storage Requirement
Baldur’s Gate 3	150 GB
Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II	125 GB
DCS World Steam Edition	140 GB
Destiny 2	105 GB
EA SPORTS™ FIFA 23	100 GB
FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION	100 GB
Forza Horizon 5	110 GB
Helldivers 2	100 GB
Red Dead Redemption 2	150 GB
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl	150 GB
STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor™	155 GB
Starfield	125 GB
Total War: Warhammer III	120 GB

If you opt for a gaming laptop with a meager 512 GB storage drive, you’ll soon regret it. Installing just two or three of these games will consume most of your storage, leaving little room for anything else.

Besides capacity, if you plan on gaming also ensure that the storage drive is a modern solid-state drive (SSD) rather than an older and slower hard disk drive (HDD). Over the past few years, SSDs have gradually replaced HDDs due to their efficiency and as prices have become more affordable.

HDDs are still present on the market and while still good for mundane tasks and bulk storage (e.g. pictures, videos, documents, system backups), these drives are not as good as SSDs for gaming.

SSDs are significantly faster than HDDs, which translates into faster game loading times, lower latency in online gaming, faster loading of textures, and an overall smoother gaming experience. SSDs are also more durable than HDDs because they lack moving parts. This durability is particularly valuable for laptops that might experience some physical shocks as you carry them from place to place.

In summary, keep in mind that sellers are capitalizing on this time of year to refresh their stocks and clear out outdated inventory. Be vigilant when considering offers that may appear enticing at first glance but upon closer inspection turn out to be poor long-term investments.