This has been a big year for laptops. Here’s what to ask before you upgrade.

Decent gaming laptops generally start at around $1,000, though prices can shoot through the roof if you want the best possible performance. Once you tiptoe north of $1,000, niceties like premium designs and crisper screens become more common, as do higher-end processors and more RAM. And if you’re okay with spending $1,500 or more on a laptop, you’re starting to look at the most powerful, feature-packed machines out there.