Does a laptop need a GPU?

Finding a new laptop can be difficult and it can be difficult to figure out what GPU your device actually needs.

As we all know, buying a new laptop is a huge experience and it is difficult to understand what internal elements you should look for. Not only will you need to make sure you have the right amount of RAM and the right amount of power, but you will also need to make sure you are looking at the right CPU and GPU types.

With that in mind, does your laptop even need a GPU? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about laptop GPUs and how to use them.

Does a laptop need a GPU?

The short answer here is a resounding yes. No matter what you do on your laptop, you will need a graphics processor, as it is solely responsible for creating all the images you see on the screen. From the home screen onwards, the GPU displays these images on your display, which is a very important part of the experience.

If you want a more in-depth look at GPUs in general, click on the link before, as we break down what a GPU is and what it’s used for, as well as the different types of GPUs out there. In short, every device you own that creates images – including your mobile phone, game consoles and tablets – needs a graphics processor to generate images on the screen. This is important regardless of the resolution or intensity of the graphics.

The variable is how powerful your GPU should be, depending on what you intend to do on your laptop, you will need to make sure you have the right internal elements.

What GPU do I need?

Since you can’t actually remove and upgrade your laptop’s GPU, it’s not too difficult to figure out what kind of GPU you’ll need.

If you are looking for a work or educational laptop, you will find that most models pack the right interior elements without overdoing it. For example, in our best list of laptops, the Dell XPS 13 OLED includes Intel Iris Xe Graphics, which is ideal for productive work.

In our review, we noted that it can handle entry-level games, although you’ll want to upgrade to a laptop with a dedicated GPU (dGPU) if you want to play AAA games like Cyperpunk 2077 or Call of Duty: Vanguard.

In addition, the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 uses Qualcomm Adreno 618, which is a graphics processor used mainly for mid-range devices. This means that it will not be able to perform graphically intensive tasks, but will be perfectly serviced for surfing the web and watching shows on Netflix.

Meanwhile, laptops like the Razer Blade 14 (2021) feature the Nvidia RTX 3070. This GPU received a 5-star rating in our review, as it can run at 1440p resolutions and can be used to play titles with a triple A, which makes it makes a better choice for gamers as it is more powerful.

And if you’re looking for a creative device for tasks like 4K editing or 3D rendering, you’ll need to find a powerful graphics processor. The 16-inch MacBook Pro 2021 comes with the M1 Pro or M1 Max chipset, which are part of the M1 series in the Apple Silicon range.

The M1 Pro can be customized up to a 14-core GPU, and the M1 Max can be up to a 32-core GPU. These cores allow more power and thus better performance, making them a better option for anyone who wants to engage in intensive graphics work.

In general, you’ll need to keep track of what graphics processor your laptop has, but if you’re looking for a laptop that has a specific use case – such as education, games, or graphic design – it will usually come with a suitable graphics processor.

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