Gaming laptops have been gaining popularity for over a decade because they offer everything you need for a smooth experience. However, you may need a laptop for other purposes outside of gaming; does this mean you should get a separate laptop for office work, or do gaming laptops include the necessary programs?

Most gaming laptops don’t have Microsoft Office pre-installed because they are not designed for office work. However, you can purchase the Office package or install any free program. Generally, this device is suitable for more complex work.

Is MS Office Included On All Gaming Laptops?

Gaming laptops are powerful and fast devices that can handle complex programs without freezing or slowing down. Gamers need such devices to play more advanced video games in high quality, but they might also need a laptop for work.

If you only have a gaming laptop, you may wonder if it’s possible to use it for an Office program for your work. Unfortunately, most gaming laptops don’t come with Office pre-installed.

Because the primary purpose of these devices is to offer fast and flawless gaming, it doesn’t make sense to include Office programs from a marketing point of view.

From a practical point of view, Office may take up too much space and run more slowly on a gaming laptop, which may slow the laptop down, affecting the main tasks of the device.

As a result, most gaming laptops don’t come with Office, but you can install it yourself if necessary. Office 365 is an annual subscription-based package that allows usage for up to 5 devices, a popular choice for many families. The software remains updated with this model, and you don’t have to upgrade versions like traditional, more expensive one-time Office licenses.

This perspective makes them want to purchase a gaming laptop with Office preinstalled, which is almost redundant.

What Makes Gaming Laptops Different From the Others

Gaming laptops differ from other laptops in several ways, besides the absence of Office programs.

These devices have different specs because they are made for a different purpose than regular laptops. Here are some differences between these two types of laptops:

They have very powerful CPUs, which gives them more processing power, allowing your programs to run fast.
They have a dedicated graphics card that enables the user to play incredibly detailed video games, which are impossible to play on a regular laptop.
They generally have more RAM, which allows them to run more programs smoothly.
They are heavier and thicker, making them less portable.
Appearance-wise, gaming laptops are bulky and with eye-catching logos or sometimes glowing stripes.
They are generally louder than regular laptops.
Gaming laptops are more expensive than regular ones.

These differences are significant in gaming because video games take up a lot of space and are incredibly complex, so the device must have enough processing power and RAM to handle them.

However, a standard laptop should do the job pretty well in terms of regular computer work, like writing or using spreadsheets. The gaming laptop can also handle this work pretty well, or even better than the alternative. Still, other aspects might make this device unsuitable for general work purposes, as shown below.

What Can I Use Instead of Office Programs?

Just because gaming laptops don’t have pre-installed Office programs doesn’t mean you can’t use them for any work. If you must use Office programs and nothing else, you may purchase and install the package on your laptop, but other cheaper and easier options are available.

For instance, you can use OpenOffice. This open-source software is license-free so that you can download it for free from the internet. You don’t need to pay for anything; you may copy and use it however you want.

OpenOffice includes a variety of processing programs that are pretty similar to Office and just as simple and useful. If you can work from a browser, you can work online using Google Docs or Sheets.

Google offers these services for free, as long as you have a Google account, which most people already do. The best thing about these online programs is that you can use them wherever you are; if you start to work on your work computer, you can finish it on your gaming laptop at home.

Can I Use a Gaming Laptop at Work or School?

Considering how much you spend on a gaming laptop, it makes sense for you to want to use it for more than just gaming. The fact that these devices are so fast and powerful can come in handy for purposes other than gaming, so you may want to use one at work or school.

Why They Might Not Be Ideal for Work or School

Theoretically, you can use your gaming laptop for work or school, but there are several reasons why a regular laptop would make more sense.

Gaming Laptops Don’t Have Some Essential Built-In Programs

The first reason is the absence of Office programs, usually necessary for work or school. Of course, you can purchase and install them separately, but that’s an extra expense on top of the costly laptop.

You can also use other similar programs, which I have mentioned above, but a regular laptop would not require this extra effort or the additional costs.

Gaming Laptops Are Big and Heavy

Additionally, the fact that your gaming laptop is heavy and larger than a regular laptop is a significant disadvantage in other activities. Carrying a gaming laptop around school could make you feel tired. If you need to bring your laptop, you need a portable one.

You Risk Damaging Your Laptop

Another problem you must worry about while carrying your gaming laptop is that it could easily be damaged. Gaming laptops are made primarily for stationary use, and constantly moving them could risk you accidentally dropping and damaging them.

Unlike a regular laptop, a gaming laptop could be costly to fix.

It May Not Look Very Professional

Finally, you may also want to consider the aesthetic aspect, especially if you’re considering taking your gaming laptop to your office. A bulky gaming laptop with glowing stripes may not look professional, especially in some more rigid work settings.

However, nowadays offices are becoming more and more casual, so this may not be a concern for most people.

Advantages That Gaming Laptops May Offer

Indeed, gaming laptops are not ideal for work or school, but in some instances, they may offer useful benefits, even browsing or writing. For instance, the high processing power and additional RAM can make your work smooth.

Regular laptops can handle certain amounts of office work, but they start to slow down if you run a few different tabs on your browser and use several programs simultaneously. Older laptops are even slower and glitchier.

Gaming laptops are helpful because they can run these simple tasks quickly and without sweat. Their processing power can allow you to work fast and smoothly for a long time.

Additionally, gaming computers are made of higher-quality parts (hence the price), so you can be sure they will last longer than your regular laptop. You can work on your gaming laptop smoothly and effectively for years with no problem. This device is more expensive, but it can cost you less in the long run.

You can make an informed decision by comparing the advantages and disadvantages of gaming laptops. Generally, a regular laptop will work if you need a portable device for writing or working on simple programs.

If you work from home and you work with more complicated programs, your gaming laptop is probably a wiser choice.

Other Uses of Gaming Laptops

A woman is using a gaming laptop in an office.

Just because they are not ideal for office work doesn’t mean they are only useful for gaming. Their processing power makes them suitable for several different purposes that have nothing to do with gaming.

Here are some alternative uses:

Streaming

If you like streaming your video games or anything you do on your computer, you may have noticed that it takes a lot of processing power. A regular computer or laptop can’t handle simultaneous tasks besides streaming, so it will slow down or even fail to do one of the tasks. On the other hand, a gaming laptop is ideal for streaming because its processor can handle it.

Graphic Design

Graphic design, especially 3D model rendering, requires specific programs to take any regular laptop down. These programs process and produce much information, so they need a powerful CPU that doesn’t crash the device. Consequently, a gaming laptop can run them much better than a regular one.

Making Animations

If you work in animation, you know you can’t use a typical laptop for your work because the detailed and intricate work you do on animating programs will quickly render your laptop useless.

You can use a gaming laptop since its processing power, and RAM are much more well-equipped to handle such programs.

Editing Videos

Everyone edits videos nowadays, thanks to social media. It’s possible to edit videos on your regular laptop or even your phone, but it slows down your device and drains the battery very fast. If you edit professionally, you can’t rely on these devices, especially when using more advanced programs.

As a result, you can turn to gaming laptops, which won’t cause any trouble, whatever program you’re working with.

Editing Images

Image editing programs are available everywhere, once again, thanks to social media. Some are simpler and can be used anywhere, but others are more complicated. Photoshop, for instance, can run on regular laptops. However, this program can slow down your computer and often freeze entirely, forcing you to shut down your device manually.

As you can imagine, you wouldn’t run into this problem if you had a gaming laptop.

Programming

Programming is possible on a typical laptop when you’re a beginner and just starting with the basics. However, as you start writing more complicated codes and getting into data analysis, your device may be unable to keep up with you. You can consider a gaming laptop that will allow you to work fast and smoothly.

Architectural Rendering Software

Architecture students need special software to render 3D models of their projects. Naturally, these programs require a certain level of processing power to run fast and smoothly. A regular laptop will take half a day at best to render a project, while a gaming laptop could do the job much faster.

Making Music

Nowadays, online sites and programs make music production easier by allowing anyone to try producing beats and catchy hooks. If you’re a musician or sound engineer, you may need a more powerful processor to use more advanced programs, which it can provide.

An additional advantage of gaming laptops is that they have a better sound system, so you’ll be able to listen to your creations in relatively high quality, even if you don’t have your headphones.

What Type of Gaming Laptop Do I Need?

If you have decided that you want a gaming laptop for one or several of the many purposes I have mentioned, you should determine what specific kind you want. Within this category, there are many different options. To understand what you need, you should understand what the basic components of a gaming laptop can do.

Consider the graphics, processing power, storage, RAM, and display, and then consider what you want to do with your laptop. Gaming laptops can cost between $800 and $5000, so you have plenty of choices ahead of you. If you’re a casual gamer and are not planning on using your laptop for very complex work, focus on the cheaper end.

Otherwise, consider the more expensive options for a smooth and fast performance.