Can you play Overwatch on a laptop? You bet! Overwatch, Blizzard’s fourth major successful franchise, is a fast-paced first-person shooter that divides players into teams before the game starts. The last thing you want to do in this game is to be the player that keeps his team down because he cannot keep up with everyone else. Fret not, as we here at Nerds and Scoundrels are presenting you with our official “Best Laptop for Overwatch” list.
We understand that laptop shopping can be overwhelming, as there are a lot of numbers and letters that cross your eyes at once. We will help you breakdown that information into something that is easier to digest. On top of that, every laptop on this list will not destroy your savings account; but if you want to keep up with the fast-paced play in Overwatch, you will need a modern laptop that can process at least forty frames-per-second. So let’s jump into our list.
Table of Contents
The Best Laptops for Overwatch
GIGABYTE Aero 15X
- Processor – i7-8750H
- Graphics – Nvidia GTX 1070 Max-Q Edition
- Memory – 16GB DDR4 & 512GB PCIE SSD
- Resolution – 1920 x 1080
Let’s get straight to the point: the GIGABYTE Aero 15X is an absolute beast. Far and away, this laptop exceeds the minimum specs for Overwatch. That’s kind of the point, though: we know Overwatch won’t be the only game you play. This laptop can meet your hardware needs for most games you can throw at it.
The combination of an Intel Corei7 and the Nvidia GTX 1070 Max-Q Edition graphic card can push you above 150 frames per second while playing Overwatch. Another thing that doesn’t look bad? The laptop itself. Forget the gaudy style many gaming laptops are saddled with. The GIGABYTE Aero 15X is sleek, and it weighs in at only 4.62 pounds.
The battery life is solid, offering 6-7 hours of gameplay. Fair warning, the power brick is large and adds to the weight you’ll have to carry. The laptop comes with Full HD, but you can upgrade to a 4K Display for a little more. If you want the best laptop option for Overwatch, this it.
ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop FZ504
- Processor – Intel Core i7-8750H
- Graphics – Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
- Memory – 16GB DDR4 SDRAM
- Resolution – 1920 x 1080
Another computer on our “Best Laptop for Overwatch” list is the ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop FX504. The keyboard on this laptop is back-lit and very comfortable; it is designed with pads on the top, which means it should last significantly longer than the rest of the options here. The display for both models have a 120ms response rate with full HD and IPS technology; the former will have an impact on your gameplay as it will be able to update game mechanics much faster than the average display.
The battery life on this laptop will last five hours, so make sure you are not too far from an outlet if you plan on playing Overwatch for a long period of time. This laptop will heat up quickly, so I recommend purchasing a heating pad to help offset the issue. Graphically, you want to set it up to medium. The screen sits at an awkward angle. Lastly, the hard drive is on the slower side, but you can easily upgrade that as well as the RAM.
Acer Aspire E5
- Processor – 1.6 GHz Intel Core i5
- Graphics – Nvidia GeForce MX 150
- Memory – 8GB DDR4 Memory & 256GB SSD
- Resolution – 1920 x 1080
Just like another Acer on our list, this Aspire E5 also has an extensive battery life – nine hours to be exact! The graphics card can handle a heavy workload without lagging, allowing this computer to exceed the basic requirements to play Overwatch. Unlike the other Acer, this computer does not split its memory duties between the graphic’s card and the main processor, so you can use it for multiple functions without it affecting your game.
Most of the cons with the Acer Aspire E5 are in regards to its design – the screen’s resting place is in an awkward position, so it will take some getting used to. The sound quality will be muffled as the speakers are tucked inside of the case. The keyboard was not designed with gaming in mind, which means that you will have to make an adjustment in order to efficiently compete. And finally, just the other Acer, this laptop is on the heavier side.
Dell G5587-7866BLK-PUS
- Processor – Intel Core i7-8750H
- Graphics – Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
- Memory – 16GB 2666MHz DDR4
- Resolution – 1920 x 1080
The battery life on this Dell is nothing to sneeze at – it can run for seven and a half hours. This computer comes with a 16GB memory card, which is the best you can find while on a budget. You can easily upgrade it to a 32 GB memory card. The keyboard is backlit, which can help with gaming in the dark. And the processor is an 8th generation core i7; which is the most recent release processor Intel has released.
On the negative side, the Dell G5587 only has 128GB of storage space in the whole unit; not giving you a lot to play with. The quality of the display is okay at best, and the angles of the screen can be awkward; which is something that you can get used to. To get the best out of this laptop for Overwatch, you will have to run it at medium capacity, so it can consistently stay at 80 fps.
MSI GV62 8RD-200
- Processor – Intel Core i5-8300H 2.3-4.0GHz
- Graphics – Nvidia GeForce GTX1050Ti 4G GDDR5
- Memory – 8GB DDR4 2400MHz
- Resolution – 1920 x 1080
The MSI comes with a 16GB Intel Optane Memory card, which can be upgraded to the 32GB version further down the road. The back of the keyboard lights up, which will make it easier to game in the dark. There are multiple storage options, which means there is a lot of room to load other games or to work with.
Unlike the other laptops, the MSI GV62 only has four core. Luckily, Overwatch is not multithreaded, and that negative should not impact your gameplay. It is something to keep in mind for future games. This computer will also heat up quickly, which means you will have to turn on the extra fans designed into the shell. And lastly, the battery life is only designed to last four hours. So you cannot travel too far from an outlet if you plan on gaming for a long period of time.
Check Availability on Amazon!Acer Aspire E15 E5-575
- Processor – 7th Generation Intel Core i3 8130U
- Graphics – Intel HD Graphics 620
- Memory – 6GB Dual Channel Memory, 1TB HDD
- Resolution – 1920 x 1080
One of our “Best Laptop for Overwatch” top five list is also one of the most inexpensive laptops that will run the game. While most people are concerned with the size of their laptop, we can certainly deal with a little extra plastic in order to enjoy the benefits of playing Overwatch for eight uninterrupted hours, because that is how long this computer’s battery will last. The Acer Color Blast Technology helps enhances the brightness that is prevalent in the Overwatch world along with the best pixel density you can acquire in this price range.
Unfortunately, the Acer Aspire E15 does have a few negatives. For one, the keyboard is about as basic as it can get. This computer cannot handle intense graphics as well because the graphics card shares the memory with the main processor. The speakers are tucked inside of the computer, so any loud sounds will be muffled. Luckily, all of these issues are resolved by upgrading the components or plugging a new piece into a USB; your user manual will show you how you can upgrade your laptop.
Laptop for Overwatch Buyers Guide
Not sure how to choose the right laptop? Our buyers’ guide is here to help.
Overwatch Laptop Requirements
- Processor – Intel Core i3 or AMD Phenom X3 8650
- Graphics – Nvidia GeForce GTX 460, ATI Radeon HD 4850, or Intel Graphics 4400
- Memory – 4GB
- Resolution – 1024 x 768
While these are the minimum requirements, we suggest upgrading to an Intel HD 520 Graphics Card.
- Processor – Intel Core i5 or AMD Phenom II x3 or better
- Graphics – Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon HD 7950 or better
- Memory – 6GB
- Resolution – 1024 x 768
Buying Tips
Here are some notes to keep in mind while shopping around for a Laptop to play Overwatch on.
- Series numbers can be misleading. For example, the 970M/980GTX actually performs better than the 1050GTX despite the latter being a newer series. I would recommend doing a deep Google research to make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck.
- Overwatch works your graphics card pretty hard, as there is a lot of explosions and colors. I would not skimp out on the graphics card if you want to experience everything that this game has to offer.
- Despite Blizzard saying that the minimum required resolution is a 1024 x 768, I highly recommend finding a 1920 x 1080. You will increase your FPS, which will help your graphics card in the long run.
- While I have mentioned battery life multiple times in the article, it is important to remember that an average laptop will last at about five hours on one charge. It will always be a good idea to game as close to an outlet as possible.
- The better quality laptop you purchase, the more likely the laptop is able to handle heat. The safest option is to invest in a heating pad, no matter which option you go with.
- Avoid Celeron, Pentium, and other low-end chips that sit in the $200-$300 price range. You can only start playing Overwatch on an Intel Core i3. Some examples of good, older generation cores you can play on: i3-5010U, i3-5020U, i3-7100U. If you don’t know what exactly to look for, make sure the first number after the core is a 5.
- If you have the budget, the best core to use is a processor that has an H in its label. These have six cores and will give you the GHz for your buck.
- The best graphics card you can find on the market are the following: HD 520, HD 530, HD 620, Iris 550, HD 550, and Iris Pro 520. These cards are included in the fifth, sixth, and seventh-generation core i3 or core i5 processors that are the equivalent to Blizzard’s recommendation.
- To get the best measure of FPS, you can always look up the laptop on YouTube and watch a few videos of the game in action. This will give you the best idea as to what you will see when you purchase the computer.
- RAM: the safest bet is to stick with 8GB plus.
- Storage: you only need 6GB to load the game.
- SSD: This will only matter when it comes to loading, so you can easily cut a corner here.
Verdict
And that concludes the buying guide section of our “Best Laptop for Overwatch” article. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. Thank you for reading, and I hope you find what you are looking for. Looking for more laptop guides? See our buyers guide for the Best Laptop for Game Developers.
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