Need more options on a gaming laptop under $1000.

[Tarvaln]

I'm trying to get my GF a laptop for her birthday. I'm also trying to convince her father to pitch in on it. So, I need to present him with some options.

Her father is one of those guys that if it's for him sky is the limit. If it's for anyone else it better be a damn good bargain. So I have to show him the value of these options.

Her demands are: Backlit keyboard, full keyboard, microsd reader (I assume a multicard reader can do that.) It has to play Skyrim and Borderlands 2 at a good frame rate.

MSI GX Series GX60 1AC-021US Notebook (Best option for the price imo. It will be near impossible to convince him to do this I think.)
$1,200
AMD A-Series A10-4600M(2.30GHz) 15.6" 8GB Memory DDR3 1600 750GB HDD 7200rpm BD-ROM AMD Radeon HD 7970M Comes with Crysis 3.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834152372

Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition
$950
Why get this and why you need it?
This Inspiron 17R Special Edition model has 3rd Gen Ivy bridge Core i7 Quad-core CPU + chipset, 2GB GeForce GT 650M graphics, 1TB Hard Drive, 8GB RAM, backlit keyboard, 1080p display, Waves MaxxAudio 4 + Skullcandy speakers, 90-day Premium Phone Support. Also get anodized Aluminum body in Stealth Black with precision-etched honeycomb design. Includes four USB 3.0 ports, HDMI v1.4a, 8-in-1 card reader, HD webcam, and more.
http://www.logicbuy.com/deals/dell-i...x?config=41790

lenovo IdeaPad Y500 (59359560) Notebook
$900
Intel Core i5 3230M(2.60GHz) 15.6" 6GB Memory DDR3 1600 1TB HDD 5400rpm Dual NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&SID=u00000687

I'm looking for more options and advice on if these option here are good or bad.
Also, it seems to be very hard to find AMD options above 77xxm from most laptop manufactures. Are there any that let you choose a 78xxm or a 7950m?

Thanks in advance.

[KevinH]

At that price, I don't see anything beating the Y500 with the 650M SLI. That's a helluva combo and if I were in the market I'd absolutely grab that one.

[kbp]

^ and maybe a SSD to go with it, but you should do that youself.

[marcplante]

keep your eyes on the Lenovo student site. They can cough up deals on the 580s, which are also nice units.

[marcplante]

oh, I didn't see DUAL 650M ...NVM. Hopefully some of that can turn off for battery life when not gaming.

[max347]

Get the Y500.

[Pneumothorax]

Why not the $1250 asus g75vx? Bb has it for sale

It has the newly released gtx 670mx which is fast in all games not just SLI-friendly ones. Plus it has a quad core i7 which will stay fresher longer than the Lenovo and will outrun the A10 easily in most CPU bound apps/games.

[Skott]

That Y500 3230 cpu is a dual core proc. Make sure its powerful enough to play games at frame rates you want and not bottleneck the GPU/s.

[stateofmind]

you can get the MSI GX60 for 1120$ and the Y500 with I7 and GT 650M SLI for 1025$ (and the 170W PSU I think)

I think the Y500 is a better choice because of the uncertainty of the GX60 gaming performance (although I still haven't seen thorough benchmarks with the latest drivers).

[Pneumothorax]

Originally Posted by stateofmind

you can get the MSI GX60 for 1120$ and the Y500 with I7 and GT 650M SLI for 1025$ (and the 170W PSU I think)

I think the Y500 is a better choice because of the uncertainty of the GX60 gaming performance (although I still haven't seen thorough benchmarks with the latest drivers).

The MSI would be such a killer machine if it came with a core i7 quad. That 7970M is just begging for a faster CPU.

[Tarvaln]

Spoke to her dad and $900 isn't going to work. He won't do a dime beyond $700.

I really need some recommendations. Her demands are still the same.

Thanks in advance

[stateofmind]

700$ - it really depends if she prefers an 1080p screen and mediocre gaming performance or high gaming performance.

700$ including the shipping and tax?

[Tarvaln]

Originally Posted by stateofmind

700$ - it really depends if she prefers an 1080p screen and mediocre gaming performance or high gaming performance.

700$ including the shipping and tax?

He said "Not a dime over $700."
I don't think it needs a 1080 screen. Also she would prefer high gaming or mediocre.

[SithSolo1]

I know you say $700 is a hard cap but the Y400 at $749 right now is your best, though flawed, option:
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/c...48B6298FE58D3B

PROS: Quad-i7, GT 650M, Ultra-bay that allows you to remove the optical drive and add in a 2nd GT 650M for SLI later, card reader.

CONS: Overbudget, slow HDD, the Y400 supports backlit-KB but I don't know if this model has it and I can't find an option to add it, KB has arrow keys but I don't think its full size, short battery life

[stateofmind]

Originally Posted by Tarvaln

He said "Not a dime over $700."
I don't think it needs a 1080 screen. Also she would prefer high gaming or mediocre.

You can get the Acer V3 with GT 730M for 630$ (20$ less than before). Add some 4GB of DDR3 if you want and you get a very good gaming laptop without spending a dime above 700$

[Tarvaln]

Thanks for the advice guys. I really appreciate it. Unfortunately, today while she was driving home, the truck infront of her spilled a bag of nails and got 3 or her tires. It also got a couple of other vehicles as well but she got the worse of it.
I've never seen a tire so bedazzled as her driver front one. The tech told me he counted 24 nails in it. Her car was put on a flatbed and towed to a shop. Her dad got 4 new tires put on and that was her b-day gift.

[colidy]

Get a Y580

[xian37]

i think Acer brand is more advice able gaming laptop