Should You Buy a Gaming Laptop Now or Wait for 2025?

Summary

With Black Friday sales approaching, should you buy a gaming laptop now or wait for the next-gen models? The upcoming 2025 gaming laptops will feature Nvidia’s RTX 50 series GPUs and Intel’s Arrow Lake CPUs, offering improvements like faster GDDR7 memory and possibly better performance. However, stock availability might be delayed, with top-end models arriving first in February. If you’re not in a rush, waiting for the new hardware could be worthwhile, though you might have to wait for good sales. If you need a laptop now, Black Friday deals might offer great savings, but be cautious with older models, especially those with less VRAM.

Takeaways

• 😀 Black Friday sales are approaching, but next-gen gaming laptops with Nvidia's RTX 50 series GPUs will be released in early 2025, making it a tough decision whether to buy now or wait.
• 🖥️ At CES 2025 (January 7-10), new laptop CPU and GPU announcements will be made, revealing the latest in gaming laptop technology, including new RTX 50 series GPUs.
• 💻 Leaks indicate that the RTX 5050, 5060, 5070, and 5080 GPUs will be part of the RTX 50 series, offering improvements like faster GDDR7 memory and higher VRAM capacities, with the 5080 featuring 16GB of VRAM.
• ⚡ The new 50 series GPUs may have lower power limits than the 40 series counterparts, but performance could still be comparable or better, especially at mid-to-high-end models.
• 📅 RTX 50 series laptop GPUs may have delayed availability, with top-end models expected in February 2025, mid-range models in March, and lower-end models possibly not arriving until May or June.
• 💲 If you're planning to buy a 50 series laptop, you could be paying full price for up to six months before discounts begin to appear, similar to the experience with RTX 40 series laptops in 2023.
• 🖥️ Intel’s next-gen Arrow Lake mobile processors will launch in Q1 2025, offering efficiency improvements and possibly better battery life, but gaming performance may not significantly improve over previous generations.
• 🔧 There is a possibility that new gaming laptops will feature RTX 50 series GPUs with older CPUs (like Intel's Raptor Lake), similar to what we saw in 2024 models.
• 🖥️ AMD’s new Zen 5 Strix Point processors for laptops, released in 2023, will continue to offer significant improvements in multi-core performance, but gaming improvements are expected to be minimal compared to Intel's GPUs.
• 💡 If you don't urgently need a new laptop, waiting for the 2025 RTX 50 series may be the better option for future-proofing your system, but be prepared to wait until mid-2025 for discounts.

Q & A

What are the key differences between the RTX 40 series and the upcoming RTX 50 series gaming laptops?

The RTX 50 series will bring faster GDDR7 memory across all GPUs, with the RTX 5050 bumping up to 8GB of VRAM compared to the 6GB in the RTX 4050. The higher-end models, like the RTX 5080, will feature up to 16GB of VRAM. Power limits will also be adjusted, with the RTX 5050, 5060, and 5070 receiving a 25W lower maximum power limit compared to their 40 series counterparts.

When are the new RTX 50 series gaming laptops expected to be available?

The new RTX 50 series gaming laptops will likely have a staggered release. The top-end models are expected to be available in February 2025, with middle to high-end options arriving around March, and lower to mid-range models potentially being available by May or June.

Why might someone consider waiting for the RTX 50 series instead of buying an RTX 40 series laptop now?

The RTX 50 series will feature upgraded GPUs with more VRAM and faster memory, which will offer better performance and future-proofing. Additionally, you may find better sales and discounts later in 2025 when RTX 40 series laptops are cleared out, possibly leading to good savings.

What is the potential drawback of buying an RTX 40 series laptop now?

The main drawback is that the RTX 40 series laptops are likely to be considered older models once the RTX 50 series is released, and their prices may remain high initially, with discounts taking a few months to arrive.

How does the new Arrow Lake CPU compare to Intel's previous generations in terms of gaming performance?

The Arrow Lake CPUs focus more on power efficiency and are not expected to offer significant raw gaming performance improvements over previous Intel chips like the Raptor Lake series. However, they may offer better battery life in laptops, but gamers shouldn't expect a huge leap in gaming performance.

What role does Thunderbolt play in the upcoming Intel Arrow Lake processors?

The Intel Arrow Lake processors are expected to support Thunderbolt 4, not Thunderbolt 5. This may be disappointing for those hoping for the latest high-speed connectivity, especially for eGPU setups, as Thunderbolt 5 is still awaited.

How will the new AMD Strix Point and Fire Range processors impact gaming laptops in 2025?

AMD's new Zen 5 Strix Point processors are expected to offer a significant boost in multi-core performance, particularly in the 45W and 80W configurations. However, like Intel's Arrow Lake, gaming performance may not see huge gains. The new Fire Range processors will replace Dragon Range chips and could be aimed at higher-end gaming laptops, but details are still scarce.

How do Intel and AMD's laptop CPUs compare for gaming in 2025?

Both Intel's Arrow Lake and AMD's Zen 5 processors are not expected to dramatically improve gaming performance, as GPUs like the upcoming RTX 50 series will be the primary driver for gaming upgrades. However, Intel may have an edge in single-core and multi-core performance, while AMD is offering stronger multi-core gains in laptop CPUs.

Should you buy a gaming laptop during Black Friday sales or wait for next-gen models?

If you need a gaming laptop immediately and can’t wait, Black Friday sales may offer solid discounts on RTX 40 series laptops. However, if you can wait, holding off for next-gen RTX 50 series models, especially considering improved GPU performance and potential future sales, might be worth it.

What should gamers look out for when buying a laptop with an RTX 4050 GPU?

Gamers should be cautious when buying a laptop with an RTX 4050, especially if it has only 6GB of VRAM, as the 8GB minimum VRAM of the upcoming RTX 50 series models may offer better performance for future games.