Gaming laptop - cheap alternative to XPS 15?

[piokos]

Can you suggest a gaming laptop for personal/workstation use? One that's decently quiet and doesn't fall apart. And without RGB LEDs.

Story:

I'm hoping to get rid of the desktop later and use a notebook as a main PC.
Basically, I really wanted the XPS 15: good build quality and nice CPU+GPU duo. But it's just way out of budget.
A different approach would be to go with a typical business notebook (Vostro, Latitude, ThinkPad), but these come with an MX250 at best.

I'm mostly a dev / simulation guy, so this is mostly for learning and personal projects.
It doesn't necessarily have to be very mobile. I'll mostly use it at home.

So I'm thinking about getting a gaming laptop instead, but I'm slightly worried about build quality and noise. I played with some budget options in the past (e.g. MSI GF63) and they just weren't acceptable.

Hardware requirements:
CPU: Intel only - ideally some 6-core H, but I'll tolerate a i7 -U.
GPU: Nvidia only - 1050/1650 or 2060 (I could use tensor cores, but they aren't mandatory - I'm on budget)
RAM: 16GB
SSD: 512GB
Backlit keyboard (no RGB)

 

[blankslate]

intel mobile CPUs look like they will be handily beaten by newer AMD mobile CPUs in most multi-threaded applications for at least a year to come.

Unless you have program specific or workplace policy that only allows intel CPUs I'd suggest looking at the recent comparisons you can find between the high end i7s and the new high end 4000 series AMD cpus
the price performance for those new AMD cpus are quite nice.



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[piokos]

intel mobile CPUs look like they will be handily beaten by newer AMD mobile CPUs in most multi-threaded applications for at least a year to come.

That really depends on the segment - much like in the desktop and server space. If you're looking for a low-voltage 8-core, AMD announced it and Intel hasn't yet.
But if you're OK with 4-6 cores, they both offer them. Just like in consumer desktops, where AMD goes up to 16 and Intel stops at 8 (soon 10).
It wouldn't make much sense to buy an AMD 6-core over an Intel 6-core just because AMD has an 8-core on offer, right?

As for price and efficiency: both depend on the laptop more than a SoC. Dell won't sell an AMD laptop for less than an identical Intel just because the SoC is cheaper. It's an easy profit.
And if they decide to sell AMD variants cheaper, they'll have to make them somehow less attractive (because they want to sell both options) - in a way not visible in basic benchmarks: screen quality, extra features etc.

Anyway, my choice here is purely feature-related.
I use Hyper-V extensively and it's not fully supported on AMD at the moment (no nested virtualization and from my experience: generally less stable - at least on Zen+).
The extra performance or battery life just won't make up for this loss - not for me anyway.
Honestly, I'm also quite a fan of OneAPI idea. I'm looking forward to how it evolves.

 

[Rhyalus]

I have the Lenovo y540 with the RTX 2060... $1299....

Great machine!

R

 

[blankslate]

It wouldn't make much sense to buy an AMD 6-core over an Intel 6-core just because AMD has an 8-core on offer, right?

that's the thing the AMD 8 cores are 45 watt parts the same wattage as i7s while most i7s are at most 6 cores with the same wattage...
and let's not discount the price either.

It's not like you're spending a large premium for the extra two cores...
in fact the Asus Zephyrus G14 with a 4800H part and 2060 Nvidia GPU is not as expensive as some of the recent XPS prices I have seen.
for most people I think it would make sense unless they're often working with virtual machines



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[piokos]

that's the thing the AMD 8 cores are 45 watt parts the same wattage as i7s while most i7s are at most 6 cores with the same wattage...
and let's not discount the price either.

You're absolutely right. AMD is built on a more efficient node and offers more performance/W. I'm not neglecting that.
But I need the PC to do what I need it to do. And it's not for running benchmarks.
Basically, 6-core i7 is really enough for my needs. I'm still considering the a -U 15W path as well.

for most people I think it would make sense unless they're often working with virtual machines

Pretty much all the time. AMD is really not an option right now.

 

[Muadib]

Take a look at the Razer Blade 15. I love mine. and it ticks most of your boxes.

 

[Timmyotule]

If it has to be Intel I'd look for a laptop with the six core i7-10710U. It has nearly the performance of the H parts in a lower power package especially for short duration workloads. Maybe the MSI Modern 14 or 15 would work for you? They are light and portable and can come with the GTX 1650. You can get the Modern 14 with the specs you listed for $1400 off Amazon.