Gaming Laptop @ 2k Budget?

[HardcoreRobot]

To begin, I'll just say I havent been keeping up with computer tech at all. Secondly, when I buy I am usually looking for value and budget builds, so 2k for a laptop is pretty beefy for me.

First question, can I get a laptop that will be as good or better than my current desktop for games at this bugdet? E8400, Nvidia 260GTX, 8GB RAM

If that isn't possible, I may have to rethink everything. My ultimate goal is to be able to hook up the laptop at either my desk or home theater to game.

I don't care too much about screen size, battery life, or portability. In either main usage scenario I'll be using other monitors and have it plugged in. I have a netbook and smartphone for traveling, so it doesn't need to be carry-on friendly or anything, I probably won't even be bringing it.

The 2k needs to be all inclusive. I'd like to get a set of wireless peripherals (headset,mic, keyboard), and maybe an extra brick and plug which needs to fit in the budget. I am not a super picky gamer either, if it can run things smoothly at 1080p, I'll probably be happy.

Anyone have any opinions or recommendations? Things for me to research? TIA!

 

[alent1234]

you can get a nice XPS or HP for $1500 plus shipping and tax or a MBP for $1999 with edu discount which is almost everyone. MBP will have better support, others faster hardware

 

[SniperWulf]

The Asus G73 line is what you are looking for.

G73Jh = 1st Gen i7 with Mobile 5870
G73Jw = 1st Gen i7 with 460M GTX
G73Sw = Sandy Bridge with 460M GTX

Prices range as low as $1200 or so for the Best Buy model and up if you go else where. Lots of retailers have em though. Newegg, TigerDirect and Microcenter come to mind. Be sure to read the specs though, the variations are usually screen resolution (1600x900 vs 1920x1080) and hard drive size.

 

[mnewsham]

While it is possible to get a gaming laptop, the highest end GPU in a laptop (the GTX 485m) is comparable to the desktop GTX 460. If you are willing to spend a LOT of money $3k+ you can get two in SLI making it basically 2 GTX 460's (very good gaming at 1920x1200/1080 but not for 2560x1600) Look at xoticPC and sagernotebooks to start.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

you can get a nice XPS or HP for $1500 plus shipping and tax or a MBP for $1999 with edu discount which is almost everyone. MBP will have better support, others faster hardware

Yeah I am trying to nail down the hardware I should be aiming for first, then probably will look for brands. Doubt I will venture in Mac land though

The Asus G73 line is what you are looking for.

G73Jh = 1st Gen i7 with Mobile 5870
G73Jw = 1st Gen i7 with 460M GTX
G73Sw = Sandy Bridge with 460M GTX

Prices range as low as $1200 or so for the Best Buy model and up if you go else where. Lots of retailers have em though. Newegg, TigerDirect and Microcenter come to mind. Be sure to read the specs though, the variations are usually screen resolution (1600x900 vs 1920x1080) and hard drive size.

Would be nice to get from Newegg since I am sitting on a GC there. Hard drive is something I can't figure out what I want. I don't need storage, have a NAS for that. BUT, is the SDD worth the price upgrade! I am thinking it might be, just for loading response times. Won't make the games look any better, but I bet it will make the system feel snappier (never used an SSD before). Probably going to try and stick to 1080p since thats the native res of my display devices.

While it is possible to get a gaming laptop, the highest end GPU in a laptop (the GTX 485m) is comparable to the desktop GTX 460. If you are willing to spend a LOT of money $3k+ you can get two in SLI making it basically 2 GTX 460's (very good gaming at 1920x1200/1080 but not for 2560x1600) Look at xoticPC and sagernotebooks to start.

Thanks for the comp btw desktop and mobile cards, that helps put in perspective. So, the mobile cards are pretty far behind the desktops (no surprise), BUT the best mobile card is still better than my 3 yo desktop one. So at the very least Im definitely not taking a step backwards from my current rig. I think SLI is definitely outside of my price range, the 2k is a work allowance and I really don't want to put much, if any, of my own money in. xoticPC , sager and clevo are all new names to me. How are the build quality/warranty's compared to the names I *am* familiar with (Dell, Toshiba, Asus, HP, etc.)?

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Followup question, I can buy immediately, but is there anything 'on the horizon' thah might make it worth waiting a few weeks (dont want to hold out much longer than that).

 

[mnewsham]

XoticPC, sager, clevo are all decent brands. They are solidly built (XoticPC is a reseller) If buying sager i would recommend configuring through XoticPC because Sager support is sub-par, if you buy through XoticPC you get their support (which is better).

 

[alent1234]

years ago i bought a nice dell inspiron 6000 for like $1300 or so. it was really almost $2000 but i was watching for the $750 off coupons and got one. bought a 3 year warranty for it too.

a few months before the warranty ended i called about a dying battery and was told the extra warranty does not cover it. same with my old work HP laptop. they charged my employer for a new LCD because they said that i put pressure on it and it broke. no physical damage on the laptop itself.

after this i'll buy cheapo dell/hp computers but if i was spending $2000 i'd buy a Mac simply because i trust the apple support a lot more. i've had ipods and iphones replaced on the spot with no calling and waiting in the IVR for hours. just go to the apple store

 

[Tom]

C'mon dog ! You can't expect a 3 year warranty on a laptop battery !!

From Apple's laptop warranty..

"However, the AppleCare Protection Plan for notebook computers does not cover batteries that have failed or are exhibiting diminished capacity except when the failure or diminished capacity is the result of a manufacturing defect."

 

[alent1234]

even so if the prices are close to each other for the same spec i'll buy the Apple product just because the support is better. the people you talk to speak english, real clear american english. and you can talk to people face to face and they don't stick to a script.

and people on apple sites are full of stories of how they exchange a Mac a few times because the screen is not perfect or some minor cosmetic issues. just try doing that at best buy. and after dealing with HP laptop support and reading stories of best buy and whatever if i was going to spend $2000 on a computer i'd buy a Mac without thinking twice. Just because the support is better than everyone else. there is a reason why almost everyone buying a computer for more than $1000 is buying Mac's.

 

[jihe]

To begin, I'll just say I havent been keeping up with computer tech at all. Secondly, when I buy I am usually looking for value and budget builds, so 2k for a laptop is pretty beefy for me.

First question, can I get a laptop that will be as good or better than my current desktop for games at this bugdet? E8400, Nvidia 260GTX, 8GB RAM

If that isn't possible, I may have to rethink everything. My ultimate goal is to be able to hook up the laptop at either my desk or home theater to game.

I don't care too much about screen size, battery life, or portability. In either main usage scenario I'll be using other monitors and have it plugged in. I have a netbook and smartphone for traveling, so it doesn't need to be carry-on friendly or anything, I probably won't even be bringing it.

The 2k needs to be all inclusive. I'd like to get a set of wireless peripherals (headset,mic, keyboard), and maybe an extra brick and plug which needs to fit in the budget. I am not a super picky gamer either, if it can run things smoothly at 1080p, I'll probably be happy.

Anyone have any opinions or recommendations? Things for me to research? TIA!

By the sound of it you don't need a laptop, you just need a light matx case

 

[ultimatebob]

I have the new Dell XPS 15 with the Sandy Bridge processor and GeForce 540M, and I found that it can run Crysis at 1080p with High details. Not WELL, mind you, but it runs.

Civ V runs like butter at that resolution, however.

 

[Garou24]

The Asus G73 line is what you are looking for.

G73Jh = 1st Gen i7 with Mobile 5870
G73Jw = 1st Gen i7 with 460M GTX
G73Sw = Sandy Bridge with 460M GTX

Prices range as low as $1200 or so for the Best Buy model and up if you go else where. Lots of retailers have em though. Newegg, TigerDirect and Microcenter come to mind. Be sure to read the specs though, the variations are usually screen resolution (1600x900 vs 1920x1080) and hard drive size.

I have a G73 from ASUS and I really enjoy it. I would look into this line. You can get quite a few different options between the different versions. The G73 and a few assesories should bring you in under your 2k budget.

 

[Phobic9]

What about the Alienware M17X (R3)? Nearly the same size as most 15" laptops and gets pretty good battery life.

There's also the Alienware M11X (R3), M14X (14" with GT555), and the one I'm probably going to get, the M18X which are said to launch very soon.

Alienware international sites already have them online and ready to order.

 

[LiuKangBakinPie]

Msi gx680

 

[HardcoreRobot]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. I TRIED to get one with the 485M, but just couldnt make it work with the budget. After looking through ATs mobile benchmarks, I actually ended up going with an ATI card. It lagged behind the 485M and some SLI options, but was pretty impressive overall and fit right into the budget.

I did look into XPS, AlienWare and the ASUS that were recommended (thanks), but none of them seemed to offer the newest GPUs (at least at the vendors I looked). I ended up placing an order through XoticPC. Came out to 2014, which busts my budget a little since I didnt get the peripherals I wanted, but I can make do:

1x Sager NP8150 / Clevo P150HM
- Display: 15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Glare Type Screen
- Dead Pixel Warranty: Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- Processor: - 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM, 2.0-2.8GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache)
- Thermal Compound: -Stock OEM Thermal Compound
- Graphics Video Card: ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD6970 2048MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
- External Display Video Adapters: No Video Adapter
- Ram: ~ 8,192MB DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS)-
- Exterior Finish: Standard Finish
- Optical Drive: ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Software
- Primary Hard Drive: ~ 120GB Intel 510 Series Solid State Drive (SSD2 Serial-ATA III)
- Additional Hard Drive in Optical Drive Bay: ~ 500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache) in Optical Bay
- External Hard Drive (Back Up): No Back Up Hard Drive
- External USB Optical Drive: NO External USB Optical Drive
- Back Up Software: No Back Up Software
- Floppy Drive: No Floppy Drive
- Memory Card Reader: Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Bluetooth: None Standard--
- Wireless Network: Built-in 802.11 Wireless B/G/N - Stock Wireless Card + Bluetooth
- Wireless Network Accessories: No Network Accessory
- Camera: Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- TV Tuner: No TV Tuner
- Sound Card: Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Case: No Carrying Case
- Battery: Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- Car Adapter: No Car Adapter
- Spare AC Adapter: None Standard*
- Port Replicator / Dock / Adapters: No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- Fingerprint Reader: Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- Mouse / Keyboard Accessories: No External Keyboard or Mouse
- Notebook Cooler: No Notebook Cooler
- XOTIC PC Redline Boost™ Extreme Performance: No Thanks, Please do not Overclock my system (Overclocking will add 3-6 business days to build time)
- Operating System: No Operating System Standard - Drivers & Utility Software Only
- Microsoft Office Software: No Office Software
- Software Bundle (Not Installed): No Software Bundle
- Warranty: 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime -24/7 DOMESTIC Based- Toll Free Telephone Tech Support (Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)
Includes FREE Shipping Both Ways for Warranty Repairs
- Xotic Gear: No Xotic PC Gear

 

[mnewsham]

Very good laptop OP, should boast some good FPS in most games. I run 1600x900 and with my HD 5870m i can get 45FPS in most games maxed out (but with only 2x AA)

 

[HardcoreRobot]

Very good laptop OP, should boast some good FPS in most games. I run 1600x900 and with my HD 5870m i can get 45FPS in most games maxed out (but with only 2x AA)

Thanks! The clincher for the ATI card was that based on the AT benchmarks, it actually outdid the GTX485M (83 vs 80.1) at L4D2 which is probably what I will be playing most, at least near term (and aside from Portal 2). Im not going to read TOO much into the benchmarking, but it definitely made the $250 upcharge for the Nvidia card less palatable.

Best part is, only need to last me 2 years, then I will get another 2k

 

[mnewsham]

Thanks! The clincher for the ATI card was that based on the AT benchmarks, it actually outdid the GTX485M (83 vs 80.1) at L4D2 which is probably what I will be playing most, at least near term (and aside from Portal 2). Im not going to read TOO much into the benchmarking, but it definitely made the $250 upcharge for the Nvidia card less palatable.

Best part is, only need to last me 2 years, then I will get another 2k

Lol well congrats, enjoy the new laptop (when it arrives if it hasn't already) and kick some ass

 

[RaistlinZ]

Sweet system dude. That should plow through almost everything at 19x10 resolution.