For example, the Vivobook in the attached picture has a GPU good enough for gaming—what makes it different from a Zephyrus or Lenovo Legion?
Gaming laptops usually have better cooling systems and a slight performance edge. Regular laptops, on the other hand, often excel in battery life, portability, and quieter fans.
Bennie said:
Gaming laptops usually have better cooling systems and a slight performance edge. Regular laptops, on the other hand, often excel in battery life, portability, and quieter fans.
My Legion is super quiet when the main GPU is disabled, and the battery lasts about 9 hours. Even when the GPU is on, it’s not that noisy.
@Wade
Mine sounds like it’s going to take off if I open Chrome.
Nico said:
@Wade
Mine sounds like it’s going to take off if I open Chrome.
Seriously? I’m considering getting a Legion 7i, but if it’s too loud, I might rethink it.
Nico said:
@Wade
Mine sounds like it’s going to take off if I open Chrome.
Seriously? I’m considering getting a Legion 7i, but if it’s too loud, I might rethink it.
He’s probably exaggerating. Mine is quiet unless I’m gaming, and even then, it’s quieter than most other laptops.
Nico said:
@Wade
Mine sounds like it’s going to take off if I open Chrome.
Seriously? I’m considering getting a Legion 7i, but if it’s too loud, I might rethink it.
Yeah, seems over the top. I’ve never had fan noise while browsing or streaming on mine.
Nico said:
@Wade
Mine sounds like it’s going to take off if I open Chrome.
Weird, because I have a weaker laptop with worse thermals, and my fans stay off even while browsing or watching videos.
@Oli
Undervolting can help reduce heat.
Nico said:
@Wade
Mine sounds like it’s going to take off if I open Chrome.
It depends on your settings. Mine does fine even on quiet mode while gaming. The default fan mode is annoying, though—it revs up the fans every time you move the cursor.
The main differences are thermals, power limits, screen quality, and ports.
Kiran said:
The main differences are thermals, power limits, screen quality, and ports.
Don’t forget the dedicated graphics card!
Kiran said:
The main differences are thermals, power limits, screen quality, and ports.
I agree, but even the Zephyrus lineup has issues with these things. At least some models offer decent RAM configurations.
It comes down to design choices. Gaming laptops prioritize better cooling, higher performance, and features like variable refresh rate screens. Regular laptops may prioritize portability or battery life.
I got a Zephyrus G16 for its OLED screen, speakers, and build quality. I don’t care much for AAA gaming anymore. Long live CRPGs!
@Jonah
Same here. I just want to play RDR2!
These laptops are more geared towards tasks like 3D rendering and CAD. They often have less emphasis on thermals and power compared to gaming laptops.
This isn’t a gaming laptop. It’s more of a powerful workstation.
Cooling systems, CPU/GPU wattage limits, fewer ports, and lack of high refresh rate screens are common differences.
Thanks for all the answers! 
Gaming laptops excel in thermals and performance but sacrifice battery life. Regular laptops are more reliable and quieter, but ones with GPUs can get very pricey.