Complete guide to setting up your gaming laptop for competitive gaming

Gaming laptops, because of their value proposition, ease of use, and portability, are more popular than ever. They have become a popular choice amongst gamers of all kinds. Whether you are an amateur exploring your first gaming titles or a seasoned pro travelling to tournaments across the globe, the chances are that you own a gaming laptop as your device of choice for practising and literally getting good at the game of your choice. However, owning the best hardware doesn’t translate to optimal in-game performance. It gets you close but you can get more. So, to help you make the most of your hardware and get those extra FPS in the competitive game that you are playing, I have compiled this guide on setting up a gaming laptop for competitive gaming.

There are hardware recommendations and software-level tweaks of all kinds that will help you get a competitive edge over your opponents in the pixel world of your choice.

Software changes to help you with competitive gaming on your  gaming laptop

Update the GPU drivers of your gaming laptop

When you get your hands on your new fancy gaming machine, one of the first things is to make sure that your hardware is running on its maximum potential inherently, without overclocking (we will get to this later). One of the first bits of hardware that you need to ensure is running optimally is your GPU.

For your GPU to function optimally, you need to ensure that your drivers are up to date. In the market today, two of the most popular GPU brands are NVIDIA and AMD, with Intel also making inroads into the gaming laptop market with their ARC line of GPUs. 

Each of these three brands comes with its own software which you can run and download the latest supported drivers for your GPU. Before getting started, it is always good to know what hardware you are running.

How to check your laptop’s GPU variant?

To check your laptop’s GPU variant, you can either open the Task Manager and check the variant from there. However, if you are a bit more nerdy, then you can download software like HWiNFO to know what GPU you are using.

To open the Task Manager, you can click CTRL+SHIFT+ESC or right-click on the Taskbar and open the Task Manager from the menu that appears.

When you are in Task Manager, go to the performance tab and navigate to the GPU tab. There, right next to the GPU label, you will see the name of your GPU.

To download HWiNFO, go to this link [CLICK HERE] and download your preferred variant of the app. Once you have downloaded the app, run it and check the rightmost panel to determine what GPU you are using.

Once you are sure about what GPU is there in your gaming laptop, it is time to update the drivers.

How to update NVIDIA GPU drivers?

If you have an NVIDIA GPU, you will need to download the latest NVIDIA app. Many of you might be familiar with NVIDIA GeForce Experience, which while still in service, would not be the recommended software for you to download, as it will eventually be replaced by the NVIDIA app. You can download the NVIDIA app from this link – [CLICK HERE]

Once you have downloaded the app, here’s how you can start downloading the latest drivers –

1. Navigate to the Drivers tab from the left-hand menu.
2. If you do not get a prompt to download a new driver automatically, click on the refresh button and check for the latest updates.
3. Make sure that the drivers that you are downloading are Game Ready drivers. You can do that by selecting the Game Ready option from the drop-down menu right next to the Check for Updates button.
4. If there are no updates available, voila! You are set on this side of things. If there are updates, click the download button.
5. After the download is complete, click on the Install button. You will be prompted to select one of the two installation options – Express Installation and Custom Installation.
   Express Installation upgrades your current drivers and retains their existing settings.
   Custom Installation will allow you to select or remove components of the installation. Here, you can also opt for a clean installation that sets all your driver settings and profiles to default.
   
   I would recommend you go for Express Installation just to be safe.
6. Once you have selected the installation mode, click on Continue, and you should be set.
   
   Here’s a look at how it will be for you —

If you do not fancy downloading the app, you can head over to NVIDIA’s official drivers page [CLICK HERE] and you can select your laptop’s GPU to download the latest available drivers. Once the driver has been downloaded, run the executable, follow the steps, and you will be set.

How to update AMD GPU drivers?

If you have an AMD GPU in your gaming laptop, then you will need to download the AMD Auto-detect and Install tool. It is available on this link – [CLICK HERE] Once you have downloaded the tool, run the executable to install it on your gaming laptop.

Once the AMD Auto-Detect and Install tool or the AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition is installed on your gaming laptop, run the software and it will ideally scan for the hardware on your gaming laptop and check for the latest driver versions from AMD. If there is a driver update available, you will be presented with options to keep the existing drivers or cancel the installation.

If you proceed with the driver installation, you will be presented with options to customise your installation. The options are –

1. Recommended – This will install the most stable and Microsoft-certified path for driver installation.
2. Optional – This will let you install the drivers with the latest updates, features, and bug fixes.

There’s an option to download and install PRO drivers as well. However, that is for enterprise applications and is not recommended for gaming. Once you are done selecting the driver variant, click on Next and the driver will be installed on your gaming laptop. With AMD GPUs, there is not legit way of downloading and installing GPU drivers directly, without either the AMD Auto-Detect and Install tool or the AMD Software: Adrenaline Edition.

Once your driver has been updated, the next step is to overclock your other hardware components and push them to their limit.

Overclock your gaming laptop with MSI AfterBurner

For the uninitiated, overclocking is a series of tweaks that you can make to your GPU, CPU, and other related components of your gaming laptop or PC to unlock the maximum potential of that piece of hardware. These include things like changing the voltage of the CPU and GPU, altering the speed of the RAM, so on and so forth.

One of the most popular and easy-to-use OC tools for gaming laptops is MSI AfterBurner. You can download the MSI AfterBurner through this link – [CLICK HERE]

Go to the MSI AfterBurner page and download and install the latest release of the software. I would recommend going for the final variant of the tool and not the Beta version for best results. Depending on the hardware that is packed in your gaming laptop, you can utilise the different tweaking options in the app to make changes to their functionality.

NOTE: We recommend reading up on MSI Afterburner or any overclocking software before proceeding. Overclocking and under-volting is ONLY for advanced users who know what they’re doing. Overclock your gaming laptop at your own risk. Improper overclocking may lead to hardware damage and may void your warranty. 

How do you optimise your game’s performance with software?

Now that your hardware is running at its max potential, it is time to tune your game’s performance and settings to ensure that it makes full use of the hardware and gets you the max FPS possible. There are two ways of approaching this – using custom settings in the game OR using software like Razer Cortex: Game Booster or NVIDIA GeForce Experience. Let’s first look at how you can use software to improve your gaming performance.

Improve your game’s performance with software tweaks on your gaming laptop

While this may seem like a lucrative option when setting up your laptop for competitive gaming, there are some things that you need to take into account, with the most important thing being the settings that these software changes. NVIDIA GeForce Experience will ensure that the settings of the game that you are optimising make it look great and extract the max FPS out of it. On the other hand, Razer Cortex: Game Booster does not mess with your in-game settings, but it optimises the processes running on your laptop to ensure that you get the max possible resources at the hardware level allocated for your game.

However, in games like Counter-Strike 2, and other competitive shooters, often, the players tend to compromise the visual appeal of the game in favour of FPS. So, if you are someone who is looking for the max possible FPS from your hardware while giving up some eye-candy elements of your game, then this is not the route for you. For everyone else, download and use these software without batting an eye to any other options. 

Razer Cortex: Game Booster

Razer Cortex: Game Booster is not any simple program that optimises your game settings while maintaining a balance between the visual appeal of the in-game elements and your FPS. It goes a step ahead and optimises the programs that are running on your laptop, to ensure that they are not hogging the resources which would have otherwise been allocated for your game. 

To download Razer Cortex: Game Booster, click on this link – [CLICK HERE]

Once you have installed the software, all you need to do is navigate to the All Games tab from the left-side menu and select the game of your choice. After that, Cortex will take over and reallocate hardware to route them towards running your game. After that, you are set.

NVIDIA: GeForce Experience

NVIDIA: GeForce Experience, as you may have guessed already, will work only on laptops that are running NVIDIA’s GPUs. If you have an NVIDIA GPU, then you are set. It will detect the games on your system, and you can optimise them. 

To get started, download the app from this link – [CLICK HERE] – and install it on your laptop.

Once the software is installed, launch it and navigate to the Graphics tab from the left side menu in the app. There you will find all the compatible games that it can optimise and that are installed on your PC. 

All you need to then do is, click on the game, and hit the optimise button. The software will apply the best settings, it deems fit for your laptop. After that, the next time you launch the game, it will launch with the new settings. If you want to change certain parameters to match your preferences of resolution and display mode, you can do that too.

To optimise your game according to your preferences in NVIDIA: GeForce Experience, navigate to the game of your choice in the Graphics menu and when prompted, choose the desired settings from the list of available ones. Click on optimise and your settings will be applied the next time you play the game.

In-game settings tweaking to boost your game’s performance

To boost your game’s performance to your liking, you can just head over to the game’s graphics settings menu and make the tweaks until you achieve the desired balance between the visual quality and FPS. 

The general recommendation for FPS count is to have double the FPS compared to that of your monitor’s refresh rate. For example, for a 60 Hz monitor, having your game running at 120 FPS is the ideal scenario. However, if your laptop is not able to pump out the recommended amount of frames, then you should try to match the FPS with your monitor’s refresh rate. That should get the job done for you.

If you are playing competitive titles like DOTA 2 or CS2, then there are forums and websites which you can explore for the ideal settings that are recommended for different hardware. These websites also have a collection of settings used by professional gamers, which, if you want, can be replicated on your laptop as well.

Windows tweaks to optimise the performance of your games

Within Windows, there are several different settings which you can change to ensure that your gaming laptop is giving you the best performance. Niche communities across the internet have figured out a multitude of ways to make changes to Windows settings; however, for your convenience, I have collated a few that will reflect the biggest change in your FPS count in-game. They are –

• Turn off Animations
• Limit background apps and services
• Turn off mouse acceleration
• Remove any sketchy apps and services
• Set your network preferences

Turning off Animations in Windows

The logic behind turning off animations in Windows to optimise the performance of your games is simple – They take up resources to make your experience more enjoyable, but you don’t need them if you are a hardcore gamer. To turn off animations in Windows, follow these steps –

1. Right-click on the Start menu and go to the System option
2. Click on Advanced System Settings from the left side menu of the window that opens
3. Look for the dialog box labelled “System Properties” and open the “Advanced” Tab
4. After that, clock on Settings, listed under the Performance section
5. Click on the Custom radio button, and uncheck “Animate windows when minimising and maximising.”
6. Apply and click OK.

Your window maximisation and minimisation animations should be disabled. If you want, you can also disable other animations to further boost your system’s performance. Do note that disabling animations will make your overall experience a bit jarring. But hey, anything for more FPS. Right?

Limit background apps and services of your gaming laptop

If you have software like Razer Cortex: Game Booster already installed, then you don’t need to worry about this. However, if you want to run a check manually before starting a game, you can do that via the Task Manager. 

To limit the background processes and services, follow these steps –

1. Press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC to open the Task Manager
2. Analyse what software and services are hogging your resources
3. Click on the task which you want to end, and hit the End Task button

Once you have eliminated all the unnecessary background apps, then you should notice a difference in your gaming experience.

Turn off mouse acceleration

Mouse acceleration in Windows is a feature that is often frowned upon by gamers at every level, as they believe that it hampers their accuracy. So, it is, more often than not, recommended that you turn it off.

To turn off mouse acceleration in Windows, all you need to do is navigate to Start, click on Settings, and go to Devices > Mouse. From there, choose Additional mouse options > Pointer Options > and uncheck Enhance pointer precision.

Remove sketchy apps and services

Having apps on your gaming laptop, that you do not recognise is never a good practice. However, it becomes even more critical that you keep them at bay when you are using your gaming laptop for competitive gaming. These apps will not only hamper the performance of your laptop but might trigger anti-cheats as well. 

In games like CS2, having untrusted software running while you are playing on anti-cheat secured servers will put you in a low-trust matchmaking mode, which means that the chances of you running into cheaters are exponentially higher than regular matchmaking on secured servers. In some cases, players have been banned from servers for having sketchy apps that do not assist in-game running the background while the player is in a game of competitive Counter-Strike. You would never want a false ban on your ID, which taints your image, right?

Additionally, game admins have been extra vigilant about apps that are there on gaming laptops, when you are taking part in league matches that are not at the highest level. This is due to the rampant cheating problem plaguing the competitive gaming scene at the lower levels. So, showing up to an event with a boatload of sketchy applications installed on your gaming laptop is never a good idea.

To ensure that your gaming laptop is free from all sketchy software and services, you can follow these steps –

1. Regularly run checks using reliable anti-virus software. Some of the recommended software for this are MalwareBytes and BitDefender. 
2. Before starting a game, have a look at the Task Manager. Close all the apps that may conflict with the anti-cheat of the game that you are playing. If you are running a custom service or an app off GitHub, close that, as it may trigger anti-cheats.
3. Do not install apps from untrusted sources. This will not only ensure the overall safety of your gaming laptop but also protect against any malware that might interfere with your game, either by triggering the anti-cheat or using hardware resources that would have otherwise been allocated to run your game. 

Ensure that you are running the maximum refresh rate

One of the most commonly overlooked things by owners of new gaming laptops is the refresh rate setting of their laptops. Often, this comes preset out of the box to the max possible refresh rate supported by the laptop’s display. However, there can be instances where your laptop’s display, while having a higher native refresh rate, might be running at a lower refresh rate. So, before starting your gaming sessions on your laptop, ensure that the display’s refresh rate settings are maxed out.

You can change the refresh rate of your gaming laptop’s display by following these steps –

1. Navigate to the settings menu and go to System.
2. In the display settings window, click on the Advanced display settings option.
3. There, click on the drop down under Refresh Rate and select the highest available value.

Change the network settings to use ethernet on your gaming laptop

When you are in a competitive online game, then you need your ping to be as low as possible and as few network hitches as possible. For that, you will need to ensure that your gaming laptop is using the wired ethernet conneciton as the priority all the time.

To change the network priority on your gaming laptop, follow these steps –

1. Press the Windows Key + X and select Network Connections from the menu.
2. Press the ALT key, click Advanced and then Advanced Settings.
3. Select the network connection and click the arrows to give priority to the network connection.
4. Click Ok when you are done organizing the priority of the network connection. The computer will now follow an order when connections are available.

While you are at it, ensure that the cable that you are using is of good quality and meets the requirements of the conenction bandwidth that is being provided by your ISP. Using an old cable can be a serious bottleneck here. 

Hardware changes and suggestions to help you with competitive gaming on your gaming laptop

Having spoken about the software level tweaks that you can do to ensure that your gaming laptop is given the max performance whenever you are gaming, giving you one less thing to worry about apart from your skill, let’s look at what you can do at the hardware level. Let’s start things off by looking at the I/O options.

Get a good mouse for your gaming laptop

I cannot think of any competitive title that can be played without a mouse. So, having a good mouse is always something that you should take into consideration when setting up your laptop for competitive gaming. So, let’s look at some things that you should consider when looking to buy a gaming mouse that works with your gaming laptop –

Build Quality: 

One of the first things that you should look for. The better the materials, the longer the mouse will last. Ensure that the grip levels of the mouse are something that suits you, and the glide pads on the bottom of the mouse also complement the mousepad that you are using. Over all of this, ensure that the mouse’s shape, design, and weight suit you. As I say with audio, everything is subjective, so ensure that you try the mouse out before ordering it. RGB is something that is hyped but not a necessity.

Performance: 

When you are looking at a gaming mouse’s performance, you need to ensure that the following aspects are at a decent level –

Sensor Accuracy: 

One of the key aspects of the mouse is the accuracy of the sensor. If that is off, so will be your aim. So, ensure that the sensor that your mouse is packing has been received well by the public. And, when in doubt, ping us at editor@skoar.in and we will help you out.

Polling rate: 

The frequency at which the mouse sends data to your PC. Higher the better. Make sure that the mouse has a minimum 1,000 Hz polling rate.

DPI: 

DPI stands for Dots Per Inch, which means the number of points that are being tracked by your mouse at any given time. For higher-resolution monitors and displays, ensure that you have a high DPI, but for the most part, you should be comfortable with a DPI range of 600-1,500. One key thing to look out for is the number of steps that you can change your mouse’s DPI in. The higher, the better. It will ensure that you are able to dial it in to the t depending on your preferences.

On-board memory: 

A lot of modern mice allow you to store settings profiles on the mouse itself, so you do not need to go to the software to select a profile manually. While this is not a necessity, it is a nice to have.

Features:

Gaming mice these days come loaded with features. Everything from a DPI clutch that allows you to momentarily increase the DPI of your mouse, to extra buttons and macro support are things that depend on the nature of the game that you play. On high-performance mice like the Logitech GPro X Superlight 2, you will not get a lot of extra buttons or features because it is primarily meant for FPS titles like Valorant and CS2, but on mice like the Logitech G502 and 502 X, you will get everything that you need. It is always good to lean towards your requirements for your primary game, but maintain a balance to ensure that you are able to manage other titles easily as well.

Wired or Wireless: 

The whole wired vs wireless mouse debate is a thing of the past for the most part. Wireless mice have become better and match the latency levels of their wired counterparts, given that the connection is over 2.4 GHz dongle and the mouse is capable of handling low latency. Otherwise, if the mouse that you are looking at is notorious for having high latency over a wireless connection, then you are better off getting a wired mouse. 

With mouse pads, there is a lot of subjectivity that comes into play. Some people prefer the glide of a glass mouse pad, while others lean towards having the more traditional and grippier finish of fabric-top mouse pads. So, choose that according to your liking.

• FPS
  Best – Logitech GPro X Superlight 2 [Buy Here]
  Budget – Razer Viper 8 KHz [Buy Here]
• MOBA
  Best – Logitech G604 Lightspeed [Buy Here]
  Budget – Razer DeathAdder V2 [Buy Here]
• MMORPG (anything that needs lots of extra buttons)
  Best – Razer Naga Trinity Modular [Buy Here]
  Budget – Auhla H510 [Buy Here]

Get a good keyboard for your gaming laptop if needed

If you are someone who has grown up using a full-size keyboard, then the keyboard on your gaming laptop might irk you. Also, the chances are as a competitive gamer you will need to change setups and would want consistency in your gear.

Additionally, the fact that the keyboard on your gaming laptop will be fixed, you cannot change its position to suit your ergonomics. So, getting an external keyboard is always a plus. Again, depending on your preferences and budget, the recommendations here would change, but, I have compiled a list of keyboards that you can get to game better on your gaming laptop –

• ASUS ROG Azoth [Buy Here]
• Razer BlackWidow V3 [Buy Here]
• Corsair K100 RGB Optical-Mechanical USB Gaming Keyboard [Buy Here]
• Logitech G213 Prodigy [Buy Here]

Keep the temps low with a cooling pad

First off, if the temperature of your gaming laptop is abnormally high during your gaming sessions, then it’s very likely that it’s time for you to clean your laptop or you are keeping your laptop on a surface that is blocking the vents. Change that. 

If that is not the case, check the vents for signs of debris buildup. If you notice debris, then you need to clean your laptop. You can look up guides online and do it yourself, but if you are not confident, I would suggest go to a professional. If you are doing it yourself then look for debris buildup around the vents and fans, and if that does not help, consider replacing the thermal paste on your CPU and GPU.

If that does not help at all, then the chances are that your laptop has sub-optimal thermals and you will need a cooling pad to maintain optimal temperatures. While your buying decision, depends on the size of your laptop, here’s a cooling pad that you can check out – Portronics My Buddy Air Cooling Pad.

Get a stand for your gaming laptop

If you are someone who likes to keep your monitor at eye level, then a stand would do wonders for you. And, getting a stand will help you hit two birds with one stone. It will open up space behind the vents, and will also help you prop up the display of your laptop to your eye level. There are some affordable laptop stands that you can get online. Here’s one that I would recommend — PLIXIO Adjustable Laptop Stand.

Use AC power for max performance

In most gaming laptop, the hardware that is packed is quite power-hungry. So, when the laptop is not plugged into the wall, then your hardware performance is generally throttled in exchange of extended battery life. To ensure that the components of your laptop are getting enough power to perform optimally, you should plug the laptop to its AC adapter whenever you are gaming.

Get a pair of headphones

Audio cues are a key to getting good in competitive games. So, having a pair of headphones instead of relying on your laptop’s speakers is always good and will get you a performance edge. For the most part, a pair of IEMs should get the work done, but if you have the budget, then having a gaming headset will get you quality-of-life features that will elevate your gaming experience for sure. 

Here’s a short list of the best and budget gaming headphones that you can get for your gaming laptop –

• Sony INZONE H9 [Buy Here]
• ASUS ROG Fusion II 500 [Buy Here]
• Corsair HS65 SURROUND [Buy Here]
• Razer Barracuda X [Buy Here]
• Logitech G435 Lightspeed [Buy Here]
• HYPERX Cloud Stinger 2 Core [Buy Here]

External dock for added ports

One of the biggest complaints of laptop users across the board is the lack of ports. You can easily overcome this by using a dock that can multiply the number of ports on your gaming laptop. Check if you have a Thunderbolt port on your laptop and plug the dock there. 

When buying the dock, ensure that it is from a reputed brand and has enough reviews backing, because there are chances that routing your peripherals via a bad-quality dock might add latency, and if the dock is bad enough, then it can even fry the internals of your laptop because of an overload.

While your decision will be based on your requirements, here’s a dock that I personally use with my laptop for adding ports – Anker USB C Hub, PowerExpand+.

External GPU for added performance

If you feel that the GPU of your laptop is not powerful enough, and you have a Thunderbolt port on your laptop, and the budget to buy an external GPU and a dock, which can get quite expensive, so weigh your options before taking the plunge. And, as always, check the compatibility of your GPU and dock combo before buying. When in doubt, as mentioned earlier, drop in an email at editor@skoar.in, and we will be happy to help!

And that brings us to the end of this expansive guide. I hope that you found all the answers to the questions you were looking for, and if there’s anything else you would want to cover in the form of such guides, write to us and let us know! Happy gaming!