There are two kinds of computers in the market – one is for doing daily tasks and second type is for professional users and hardcore gamers. So, if you are looking for best computer for casual gaming and web browsing, the first type will give you an underpowered computer. The second type will be expensive and you will never be able to fully utilize the power. So what should you look for when choosing the best computer for casual gaming and browsing?
Graphics card – The top end computers come with Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080Ti/1070/1060 or AMD RX580/570 graphics cards which are overkill if you are a casual gamer. Those GPUs are ideal for 4k 60FPS gaming. As expected, they are expensive. Get a computer with Nvidia GeForce GTX 1030 or 1050 GPU. AMD RX560 is excellent budget buy as well and works like a charm for casual gamer. These GPUs support hardware acceleration which makes web browsing experience better.
Processor – The top end machines feature lots of cores and threads. They run at incredibly high clock speeds and thus cost a lot of money. If you are a casual gamer, something like Intel Core i3-7100U should suffice. It is a 7th generation processor and extremely efficient. Even AMD A10/A12 APUs will work just fine. Web browsers are getting more and more CPU intensive and multi threaded, modern processor like the one mentioned above will help deliver smoother experience.
Screen resolution – Many people skip this part. Screen resolution plays a crucial role in gaming, even for a casual gamer. Full HD resolution is a must have in ultrabooks, laptops and desktop computers. A full HD screen ensures you are able to see more at a time which is helpful while doing web browsing. Also, since so many pixels are tightly packed, everything looks crisp. While it is totally possible to find 4K monitor in more expensive laptops and computers, they are not cheap and again, overkill for casual gaming. They also make the text look way too small, which puts strain on the eyes.
Storage and memory –For most computer games, 1TB hard disk is more than enough. You will find hybrid storage in high end laptops but they are easily drive the price up. Now, let us talk about memory. Most modern games eat around 8GB RAM while running. More is better so make sure you are able to upgrade it to 16GB RAM in future. If you have tight budget, just make sure it has 8GB RAM minimum otherwise you will have several hiccups while playing modern games.