I have a weird relationship with laptops. Up until a couple of years ago, I would never have thought about actively using one in my day-to-day life. Then I suddenly discovered how amazing OLED laptops can be, and my entire attitude towards PC gaming and workflows changed.
Ever since, I’ve truly embraced using a laptop as a direct replacement for my custom-built desktop. That’s partially down to forking out around $30 on an accessory that might not be particularly glamorous, but, as the above headline alludes, has genuinely made me fall in love with my portable Windows 11 device.
I’m now obsessed with my laptop, for both productivity tasks and gaming. Let me explain.
Laptop work/life problems
The challenges of working from home on a laptop
For the last two years, I’ve been lucky enough to own two of the best gaming laptops on the market. 18 months ago, that was the ROG Zephyrus G14 RTX 4070 model. Now, it’s the Zephyrus G14 RTX 5080 config — one of the most powerful gaming laptops ever manufactured.
Yet until I picked up a cheap laptop tray on Amazon, I really wasn’t getting enough out of my high-end Windows 11 system.
I’ve been working from home since the beginning of the pandemic, and one of the biggest challenges has been maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Before I bought my laptop desk/tray, I’d exclusively used my 5080 beast in my home office. Whether it was for work or play, my laptop would never leave my desk.
While such a scenario is fine for maintaining a productivity-based daily routine, after hours spent associating my laptop with my rigid workspace, I knew it was high time for a change if I was actually going to use my gaming laptop for … well, gaming.
Appreciating laptops as a lifelong desktop fan
Making the jump to a portable device
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus RTX 5080 is an incredible laptop, make no question of that. Just over a year ago, I “bought” this $3,200 monster on a finance plan (hence the quotation marks). With a pin-sharp 2800 x 1800/120Hz OLED display, performing even the most mundane of everyday PC tasks on this Zephyrus model is a joy.
Yet when your megaton laptop is constantly chained to a place in your home you always associate with work, it can be hard to unwind when it’s time to clock off.
That’s where my laptop tray comes into play. Though the notion of pairing one of the world’s best gaming laptops with an accessory that costs less than your average takeout is probably the new dictionary definition of “unalluring,” such a purchase really has made me enjoy my G14 a lot more.
Separating work from play
Don’t game where you work
At some point last year, after buying an awesome accessory that made my OLED TV better, I decided to transport my RTX 5090 PC from my home office into my living room. With my main workstation now primed as a pure gaming device, my Zephyrus G14 had to pick up some slack.
Initially, I paired my laptop with a super ultrawide that has made working from home so much better (that’s the display my laptop is currently hooked up to during work hours). But when it’s time to unwind, that laptop tray really comes into its own.
I Switched to a Desktop After Years of Using Laptops—Here’s What Changed
If it’s been years since you owned a desktop PC, it could be time to make the switch back.
For context, the only room in my apartment that gets a decent amount of sunshine (a relative concept in perpetually gloomy Scotland) is my lounge. The laptop tray I’ve now paired with my Zephyrus lets me game and work on this machine in the only space I truly appreciate during the UK’s short summer months.
Gaming on the go
Learning to love a video game-focused laptop
I may hate its excessively loud fan noise, but I can’t deny that the Zephyrus G14 RTX 5080 is an incredible gaming laptop. Yet when it used to serve solely as my workstation, meaning it rarely left my office, learning to use this machine as a gaming device was tough.
That’s no longer the case.
My laptop tray now allows me to enjoy the work and gaming benefits of my Zephyrus G14 from the comfort of my reclining chair. This tray not only accommodates my 14-inch laptop but also provides ample mouse pad space and a dedicated slot for your smartphone. As much as I appreciate the snappy responsiveness of the G14’s trackpad, nothing compares to a dedicated mouse when it comes to accuracy.
As an obsessive PC gamer who regularly switches between playing games through a Steam feature that has left my PS5 Pro gathering dust and writing articles from my apartment, I know working and gaming in the same room can be damaging to my mental health.
Working out … work issues
I needed to separate my work and downtime spaces, and my laptop tray has provided me with that. Before, balancing my laptop on my lap was a hassle on my slovenly living room chair, making working in my lounge a no-go. Now, thanks to the tray, I can finally play games and (occasionally) work in a room that makes me much happier than my home office.
