What do I need to look for in the specs to know if the laptop will be able to display 1440p?

[dolokhov]

Looking to move up to a higher resolution and refresh rate, after living the 1080p/60hz life.

Besides making sure the monitor is capable of displaying at these standards, what kind of hardware should I be looking for in the laptop specs?

For example, if I'm looking at a Legion 5 configuration with a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GPU, is there a table somewhere where I can look up recommended resolution?

Note: I am looking for 1440p during day to day use. Not concerned if it needs to be 1080p during gaming as I don't game all that often. I just want more real estate while using Excel, etc.

Note 2: I am more concerned with resolution when docked, rather than the actual laptop panel's max resolution.

 

[Eximo]

If the laptop comes with a 1440p screen it can run the resolution, if it is a higher refresh rate, that would have been accounted for. Integrated or discrete GPUs have been capable of this resolution for a very long time now.

 

[Lutfij]

You should be looking at the external display output ports equipped on the laptop. On some models of laptop's that come with a Thunderbolt port, you should look into the accessories that the laptop supports to see if the external dock allows for 1440p monitors to connect to said dock/hub.

That being said, mind sharing the links to the laptops you've been looking at/interested in?

 

[boju]

Useful guide on port capabilities, cables and adapters.

Guide to Display Cables / Adapters (v2)

Glenwings Guide to Display Cables / Adapters This is a guide intended to assist with the selection of cables and adapters. It covers the different types of DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI, VGA, and USB-C cables, as well as every possible combination of adapters between these interfaces. This guide feature...

linustechtips.com

Thunderbolt/ Usbc with Displayport protocol can be used for external display to achieve refresh rate above 60Hz in both 1440p and 4k. Laptop sporting 3xxx Nvidia will most likely have Hdmi 2.1 capable of high refresh rates also.

 

[dolokhov]

You should be looking at the external display output ports equipped on the laptop. On some models of laptop's that come with a Thunderbolt port, you should look into the accessories that the laptop supports to see if the external dock allows for 1440p monitors to connect to said dock/hub.

That being said, mind sharing the links to the laptops you've been looking at/interested in?

Thanks for the info. I will need to do some digging.

Here are the laptops I've been considering:
HP Omen 16
Legion 5

I am hoping to hold out until I can find something in the $1,500 CAD range. I mostly just want to have a really nice clean visual, with the option to play games at a decent level. I spend a lot of time staring at spreadsheets or ERP screens, and I like the idea of sharper text and a bit more real estate.

Right now I am using a Zenbook with a weak dedicated GPU, I will be passing this on to my fiancee.

I've also been considering this tower (or building my own), just not sure if I need that level of performance. Need to think about how much I value portability...80% of current use is docked at my desk anyways.
Legion Tower

 

[dolokhov]

could my ASUS Zenbook with the MX350 run a 1440p monitor for non-gaming tasks? What about 120hz?