Mobile processors based on the Intel Core i-series architecture (Core i3/i5/i7) are plenty fast for current games on a laptop screen (generally 768p – occasionally 900p or 1080p). If you’re concerned about gaming performance, grab any Core i-series processor (preferably with a four-digit number, as this differentiates current-generation Sandy Bridge chips from last-gen Nehalem chips) and be happy. It’s the graphics card you’ll need to pay close attention to.

Whatever the specifics, you will want to avoid IGPs (Integrated Graphics Processors). They’re not completely useless for tasks beyond word processing anymore, but none except high-end AMD A8 Llano-based IGPs are fit for anything more than very casual gaming.

Likewise, AMD processors such as the Athlon II, Turion II, and Phenom II will run acceptably, but are generally undesirable due to heat issues and inferior price/performance ratio. However, AMD does have a winner on its hands with its A6 and A8 processors. These integrate entry-level discrete-class GPUs onto the processor die, and can be a good buy for budget gamers interested in price and battery life as much as performance. Their GPUs will never be as fast as a good midrange Radeon or GeForce, and their CPUs are considerably slower than the Core i-series and even the Pentium G950/960, but both are good enough for some modest gaming on the go.

More information about notebook processors can be found in our comparison of processors and in our sortable benchmark list of mobile CPUs.

Notebooks used to be troubled by low maximum memory capacity because they have only two RAM slots rather than the four offered in most desktops, but thanks to plummeting RAM prices and wide availability of high density DIMMs, this is no longer an issue for any but the most demanding users. A pair of 4GB sticks currently runs about $40 and provides more than enough space for almost everyone. If that isn’t enough, 8GB modules are becoming increasingly common, and they can be bought in pairs for under $100.

Hard drives are another area where laptops are at a disadvantage, though it's less of an issue these days. Notebook drives cost more and provide smaller capacities than their desktop cousins. However, with even laptop drives offering up to a terabyte of space (320-500GB being mainstream), and massive external storage cheap and easy to find, there will be few users for whom the loss of capacity is a problem.

For those users requiring more speed than space, solid-state drives (SSDs) offer an order of magnitude faster performance than even the fastest mechanical hard drives. They don't come cheap, but prices are falling and they're no longer out of reach of the common buyer. Expect to spend $140-180 on a 128GB drive - less than performance hard drives like the Seagate Momentus XT, but at a cost to capacity.

Some laptops (particularly larger and higher-end models like the new Razer Blade) offer dual hard drive bays so you can install both an SSD and a hard drive (or two hard drives or SSDs, for that matter). Failing that, it's possible to remove your optical drive and replace it with a caddy in which you can mount a second hard drive or SSD. Given that optical drives are rapidly becoming the new floppy disks, this may be a great option depending on your workload.