Best all-around gaming laptop for $2800+?

[Bolas]

Currently in the market for a new laptop to replace my aging refurbished HP dv9260nr. I currently have a $2800 budget and I can save up another $100-200 each month. I want to buy sometime in the next nine months, but I don't need one urgently because I can get by on my awesome desktop and sad laptop. I can sell my old laptop for $250 if I'm buying a new one soon, bumping up my budget a bit more.

I want a 1920 x 1080 resolution screen or larger. I will use it to play League of Legends, Starcraft II, Warcraft III, Civilization V, and perhaps Everquest or any of a couple hundred Steam games. I plan to watch Blu-Ray movies on it while I walk on the treadmill in the basement. I plan to use it in the back seat of a car while it's plugged in to the car's power on long car trips. I plan to use it to game, plugged in, while I game at friends houses. Heck, I might even write a novel on it while plugged in at a sandwich shop. I don't expect to need much battery life, in other words, and I will mostly move it somewhere, plug it in, and use it.

Here's what I'm currently considering.

1. Razer Blade

http://www.razerzone.com/blade

* 2.8GHz Intel® CoreTM i7 2640M Processor (Dual Core)
* 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 Memory
* 17.3" LED Backlit Display (1920x1080)
* NVIDIA GeForce® GT 555M with NVIDIA® OptimusTM Technology
* 2GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
* Built-in HD Webcam
* Integrated 60Wh Battery
* 320GB 7200rpm SATA HDD
* Wireless Network 802.11 b/g/n Compatible
* 16.81" (Width) x 10.9" (Depth) x 0.88" (Height); 6.97lbs (Weight)
* $2,799.99.

2. Asus G74SX-3DE

http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-g74sx3de-pre-order-p-3096.html

* Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM, 2.0-2.8GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache) (Quad Core)
* 16GB - DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (4GBx4)
* 17.3" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Screen (1920x1080) 120Hz 3D Ready w/ 3D Vision Glasses
* nVidia GeForce GTX 560M 3,072MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX1
* 3GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
* Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
* Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
* 250GB Intel 510 Series Solid State Drive (Up to Sequential Read 470MB/s - Write 315MB/s SSD2 Serial-ATA III)
* 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
* 6X Blu-Ray Writer/Reader + 8X DVDRW/CDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
* Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 (3x3) (Includes 3rd Antenna)
* Asus G Series Matching Backpack made by Targus
* Asus G Series Gaming Mouse
* 16.6"x12.8"x0.8-2.3" (W x D x H); 8.0lbs with 8-cell battery (Weight)
* $2,706.00 (before cash discount)

3. Sager 8170-S1

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8170s1-clevo-p170hm-p-2982.html

* Intel® Core™ i7-2720QM, 2.2-3.3GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache) (Quad Core)
* 16GB - DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (4 SODIMMS)
* 17.3" FHD 16:9 "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Glossy Screen (1920x1080)
* ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD6990 2048MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
* 2GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
* Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
* Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
* 250GB Intel 510 Series Solid State Drive (SSD2 Serial-ATA III)
* 750GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
* 6X Blu-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
* Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 (3x3)
* 16.22" (w) x 10.87" (d) x 1.65" ~ 1.79" (h); 8.60 LBs with Battery Pack (Weight)
* $2,739.00 (before cash discount)

4. Alienware m18x

http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-m18x/pd.aspx

* Intel® Core™ i7 2720QM 2.2GHz (3.3GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache) (Quad Core)
* 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)
* 18.4-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 WLED
* Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6990M AMD CrossFireX
* 4GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
* 3.0 Megapixel HD Video and Picture Camera with dual digital microphones
* High Capacity 12-cell Lithium Ion (97whr)
* 320GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
* Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
* Intel® Advanced-N 6200 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology and Bluetooth 3.0
* Height Front: 53.00mm (2.09 inches) Rear: 54.20mm (2.13 inches) Depth: 322.00 mm (12.68 inches) Width: 436.00 mm (17.17 inches)
Starting at weight: 5.41 kg (11.93 lbs)
* $2,799.00.

5. Asus G53SX-A1

http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-g53sxa1-pre-order-p-3097.html

* Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM, 2.0-2.8GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache) (Quad Core)
* 16GB - DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (4GBx4)
* 15.6" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Anti-Glare Screen w/ 95% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080)
* nVidia GeForce GTX 560M 2,048MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
* 2GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
* Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
* Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
* 250GB Intel 510 Series Solid State Drive (Up to Sequential Read 470MB/s - Write 315MB/s SSD2 Serial-ATA III)
* 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
* 6X Blu-Ray Reader + 8X DVDRW/CDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
* Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 (3x3) (Includes 3rd Antenna)
* Asus G Series Matching Backpack made by Targus
* Asus G Series Gaming Mouse
* 15"x11.42"x2.36" (W x D x H); 7.5lbs with 8-cell battery (Weight)
* $2,529.00 (before cash discount)

6. Sager NP8150-S1

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8150s1-clevo-p150hm-p-2981.html

* Intel® Core™ i7-2720QM, 2.2-3.3GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache) (Quad Core)
* 16GB - DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (4 SODIMMS)
* 15.6" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Anti-Glare Screen w/ 95% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080)
* ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD6990 2048MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
* 2GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
* Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
* Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
* 250GB Intel 510 Series Solid State Drive (SSD2 Serial-ATA III)
* 6X Blu-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
* Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 (3x3)
* Integrated Fingerprint Reader
* 14.80" (w) x 10.08" (d) x 1.38" ~ 1.69" (h); 6.83 LBs with Battery Pack (Weight)
* $2,679.00 (before cash discount)

7. Alienware m17x

http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-M17x-r3/pd.aspx

* Intel® Core™ i7 2720QM 2.2GHz (3.3GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache) (Quad Core)
* 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)
* 17.3-inch WideFHD 1920x1080 120Hz WLED w/ NVIDIA 3D Vision Bundle
* 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 580M
* 2GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
* 320GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
* Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
* Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO for Gaming & Video
* Height (rear): 1.77" - (45mm) Height (front): 1.75" - (44.5mm) Depth: 11.96" - (304mm) Width: 16.14" - (410mm) Starting weight* - 9.39lbs (4.26kg); [9.67lbs (4.39kg) with 3D panel]
* $2,529.00.

 

[vbuggy]

I guess it depends on how much weight you feel comfortable with while moving as well. the Razer is likely to be the lightest of the lot. It also depends on how much power you actually want on the move, and whether that actually is practically moveable on an everyday basis (e.g. the M18x).

But the Blade won't be out for a while, will it? I like the look of it plus it doesn't actually seem like that bad a value in the overall scheme of things - the only problem I can see is that they appeared to be talking about offering it in the HDD trim only, which seems to me to be a foot-shooting exercise: If you can readily stump up $2800 for this, then slightly >$3K for an SSD-equipped machine probably won't cause you much pain either.

Personally, none of those interest me bar the Blade - because it appears to be actually portable to a degree and packs sufficient power as a gaming machine, while not IMO sacrificing too much in the way of being capable as a general-purpose machine, not just something that lurks on a desk in place of a desktop. I have the HP 8740w's right now in roughly this product category (although obviously the uses are different) but in addition to replacing some of my 40w's this year with 60w's, I am definitely interested in picking up at least one Blade to try out.

 

[Fox5]

There's an Alienware M18X that has dual grpahics cards as an option. Honestly, if this is a gaming laptop, I would prioritize the graphics over everything else. Then again, if you don't play games that need awesome graphics, size and weight might be more important...

Also, a power inverter in a car might not be able to power some of these laptops....


BTW, it's possible to find laptops with 1920x1200 resolution screens, if you care about screen res.

You may also want to look at the more hardcore gaming oriented laptop companies, like Sager, xoticpc, originpc, falcon-nw, and ibuypower.

 

[Bolas]

There's an Alienware M18X that has dual grpahics cards as an option. Honestly, if this is a gaming laptop, I would prioritize the graphics over everything else. Then again, if you don't play games that need awesome graphics, size and weight might be more important...

Also, a power inverter in a car might not be able to power some of these laptops....


BTW, it's possible to find laptops with 1920x1200 resolution screens, if you care about screen res.

You may also want to look at the more hardcore gaming oriented laptop companies, like Sager, xoticpc, originpc, falcon-nw, and ibuypower.

I have a 150W car inverter that I fear won't power most of the laptops. Can get a 300W one easy enough though, but the 330W for the Alienware m18x might be an issue. I suppose it can run off of battery and just drain the laptop battery more slowly when it's plugged in? Or does it not work like that?

I play mostly League of Legends and Starcraft II and some Civilization V. But I have a ton of games I could play, depending on mood.

http://steamcommunity.com/id/CrazyBolas/games/?tab=all

The 1900 x 1200 screens seem to have been discontinued a year or two ago. I don't really want a down-rev laptop, so I'll have to pass on that I think.

I would buy from xoticpc here in town. The Sagers and Asus's are all configured from there, follow the links. They have better options and cheaper prices than origin, falcon, ibuypower, which all also use Clevo chassis and motherboards.

 

[mnewsham]

I have a 150W car inverter that I fear won't power most of the laptops. Can get a 300W one easy enough though, but the 330W for the Alienware m18x might be an issue. I suppose it can run off of battery and just drain the laptop battery more slowly when it's plugged in? Or does it not work like that?

You probably wouldnt be pulling FULL load while gaming closer to 250-280w I would think. If it was a problem I would assume it would stay at a constant battery level or discharge very slowly. Worst case scenario you play a game on it for an hour or so until the battery dies and then recharge while watching a movie or reading and play again once it's charged.

 

[johnxfire]

I don't know how you configured the Sager NP8150 to cost 2,679USD.

Currently, a setup with an i7-2760M, 95% Gamut Matte Screen, 8GB DDR3, HD 6990M and a 750GB HDD would run you about 1,800USD.

I ordered an NP8150 myself. Sager is one of the best for bang-for-buck in mobile gaming.

 

[Bolas]

So here's what I actually did with my $2800-$3100 laptop budget.

I found a refurbished Alienware m17x r3 to buy.

http://www.dell.com/us/dfh/p/alienw...cs=22&dgc=BA&cid=57893&lid=1525474&redirect=1

And got to use the current coupon code for 25% off of any Alienware at the outlet center.

http://content.dell.com/us/en/dfh/d/campaigns/dfh_pc_landing_page.aspx?dgc=EM&cid=74243&lid=1937257

So the outlet stuff is 2/3 of normal price, and then 1/4 off of that = get a high end laptop for half price. With the money I saved, I bought a second, ultra-portable gaming laptop, an Alienware m11x.

With my budget of $2800, I bought:

Alienware m17x r3
Core i7 2820QM cpu
Nvidia GTX 580m gpu
16 GHz DDR3 1333 Mhz
Blu-Ray Player
Killer 1103 Wireless "N"
320 GB HDD x 2 (I'll replace these with an SSD boot drive and a 750GB data drive that I've already got)
1920 x 1080 full HD LCD 120Hz 3D (not sure if it comes with the glasses or not)
Windows 7 Home Premium
$1661.75 before tax

Alienware m11x r3
Core i7 2617m cpu
Nvidia GT540m gpu
8GB DDR3 1333 MHz
750GB HDD
Windows 7 Home Premium
$734.25 before tax

and from Newegg:
Corsair Force GT 240GB SSD
$424.99

Total of $2820. So for the same base price as one Razer Blade, I get two laptops -- one of which is more powerful, the other of which is smaller and presumably more portable.

For full disclosure, I also got:

1-year accidental damage protection for the m17x r3 for $49
Neoprene sleeve for the m11x for $23

And of course, I had to pay taxes. Free shipping though. Total of $3065.69 including taxes. And I think I'll be happier with the 3D of the m17x and the portability of the m11x than I would with just a single m18x with dual gpu's. Or with one under-powered Razer Blade. But we'll see. If not, I'll resell these two and buy an m18x next summer, once Ivy Bridge is out.

I plan to put the Corsair Force GT into my desktop computer, because it supports SATA III, and then move my old Intel x25-m G2 160GB SSD to the Alienware m17x R3.

Not sure where I'm going to get an SSD for the m11x, but sooner or later I'll upgrade that too... just out of funds at the moment LOL.

-Bolas

 

[Wardawg1001]

How about this:

Display: 17.3" 1920 x 1080 FHD LED Backlit Glossy Display
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-960, 8MB L3 Cache, 3.2GHz (Desktop CPU)
Memory: (12GB) 12288MB, PC3-10660/1333MHz DDR3 - 3 SO-DIMM
Graphics Card: 2 X AMD® Radeon HD 6990M 2GB GDDR5 (CrossFireX)
Hard Drive: 750GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA 300
Optical Drive Bay: 6X Blu-ray Reader 8X DVD+/-R DL Super-Multi Drive
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® 7 Home Premium; 64-bit
Wireless: Intel® 6300 Ultimate-N 802.11A/B/G/N LAN and Bluetooth Card

Price: $2984

You can downgrade the two 6990's to save a bit of money, or to add in a SSD or upgrade the screen, whatever you want to do.

Its the Nine X7200 build at malibal.com