Recommendations for "reasonable" Gaming Laptop

[thespyder]

So, I am in the market to get a laptop. My desktop rig is 4 years old and beginning to show issues playing games, but I also want portability.

So, questions are:

a) Where is the best place to look for a reasonably priced gaming laptop. By reasonable I mean less than 2K (ideally less than 1.5K) but that will still keep me gaming for the next two years minimum. So, Alienware? Newegg? Elsewhere?

b) Will an i5 cover it? or do I need to go i7?

c) Any suggestions on GPU? My preference would be to go Nvidia, but??? And what generation?

d) Is 6gb RAM enough these days for a laptop? Or do I need to go 8gb. I know this is partially dependant on the GPU, so maybe these last two are tied together?

Games I plan on buying this year include Amalur, Diablo 3, Heart of the swarm, Xcom-Enemy Unknown. And would like it to be able to run Skyrim and Fallout NV reasonably well.

 

[mnewsham]

Check out XoticPC.com I would recommend this as a baseline.
That has a GTX570m which is a very powerful card at the moment, enough for most games at high or medium. It also has a 1920x1080 screen, and can be upgraded with 2 hard drives, and I recommend going with 8Gb of RAM (standard) and a low end i7 CPU (mainly for the extra cache and cores, so don't spend TOO much on a CPU upgrade).

With all of this you are looking at 1300-1500

 

[Skott]

Look into ASUS and Sager units. Even MSI has some decent quality units now. Go to XoticPC.com and look at what they offer. Read their forums. Do the research. If I was buying a gaming laptop I'd get a Sager. If not a Sager then ASUS. Boutique stores like XoticPC will give you better customer service and help more than anyone else. I'd buy through them.

As far as system requirements go I'd get a i7 obviously. I'd probably get a nVidia 560m as minimal but I wouldn't necessarily turn my nose up at a ATI equivalent. AMD is making some great GPUs these days. Also depends on what the vendor offers with each model. Some only offer one brand and some models you can choose between the two GPU brands. If you are unsure and want to play it safe then choose nVidia.

4Gb ram is plenty as far as gaming goes so anything over that is just gravy. If they offer 6Gb or 8Gb then take it. I wouldn't go over 8Gb unless they are offering it as part of the package or a free automatic upgrade to it. Another words, don't pay for it.

Remember this. The manufacturers. They all make some good models and they all make some bad models. So shop by model. Do your research. Read what people are saying about each model. Ask questions in their forums if they have them. I find XoticPC, PCTorque forum folks very helpful. GenTech is another good third party to buy through. XoticPC offers the widest choice probably between the three. I'd go there first and look around.

I haven't mentioned Alienware. That's because I have a bias against them. Why? I just never liked them from the start. Always been over priced and over hyped IMO. That doesn't make them bad though. That's just me so I never recommend them. Treat them like the others. Look at each model. Ask questions in their forums. Do the research.

Good luck.


Edit: Also if you are looking for reviews don't forget Youtube. Many people like to show off their buy and give a video review of it. Youtube has a lot of these so check them out too. It allows you to get a good visual look at the features and any problems that the unit may have.

 

[quest55720]

What is your time line? If you are spending that much money it might be worth waiting for the 28nm mobile parts. It be a bit of a wait ATI supposed to ship them 2nd quarter. I figure you get really nice performance gains and more importantly a lot less heat.

 

[thespyder]

Timeline is more or less immediately. I am going back to school for my Masters and need something portable for class. I could get an el-cheapo just for class, but figure since my desktop is having issues/aging, why not try to do both. And if I did each individually I would end up spending more than just getting one (or so I imagine).

 

[mnewsham]

Timeline is more or less immediately. I am going back to school for my Masters and need something portable for class. I could get an el-cheapo just for class, but figure since my desktop is having issues/aging, why not try to do both. And if I did each individually I would end up spending more than just getting one (or so I imagine).

you can go 500 dollar laptop and 1000 dollar desktop. (which would kill a $1,500 laptop.)

 

[thespyder]

you can go 500 dollar laptop and 1000 dollar desktop. (which would kill a $1,500 laptop.)

Not quite sure that is the case. I was looking at Xoticpc link you listed above. And for around 1.1k I can get a pretty decent laptop. Putting together a reasonable high end desktop will easily run that much.

$100 Mobo
$100 Case
$30 misc cables/fans/etc...
$60 Power Supply
$100 HD
$40 Sound card
$30 optical drive

Call that $500ish. Decent CPU is going to run $200-300 and then memory and GPUs can run in the 3-500 range. but then I am not a pro at building my own system.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

i would get a 500 dollar laptop for schoolwork, no gaming

then a 1k desktop

will be the best idea

 

[fffblackmage]

I'm with the gaming desktop + laptop for schoolwork crowd.

If you really want a laptop for gaming, you'll be paying a high premium to get a nice GPU in a mobile platform. A desktop at the same price would much more powerful and would actually be upgradeable.

 

[Skott]

Here is one more point for a desktop. Upgrading. No way can you keep upgrading a laptop like you can a desktop. The desktop will pretty much always beat out a laptop in except one category. Ease of portability. Laptops are an all-in-one type unit whereas the desktop you will have the box plus a monitor and that is not counting kb & mouse. Laptops are just plain easier to carry around. You can build some nice mATX and itx desktops that are easier to transport than a full size ATX rig for a grand. I'd go with mATX set up though if you go this route simply because of more choices and better robust mobos compared to current iTX mobos. Especially if you want to overclock.


Also be aware when it comes to desktop and gaming. You do not need a seperate sound card as far as gaming is concerned. The onboard sound is plenty good. So you can save some money there. If you are a music aficiendo then get a seperate sound card.

Anyway, back to the original thread discussion... what unit/s did you see from XoticPC that interested you? Perhaps we can help you with some decisions as far as laptop features/components go.

 

[thespyder]

Thanks for the feedback and info everyone. Much appreciated.

And yes, I am fully aware of the benefits of going desktop rather than laptop. Been building my own systems for years with a little help from experts like yourselves. Each time it is time to upgrade, I get opinions and spec out what I want that will keep me in gaming 3-5 years down the road. I research and figure out what fits/works best and build.

This year, i am just not feeling it. And more than anything just want to be able to pick up the machine and go (my current rig is like 40lbs plus monitor/keyboard and mouse and is not in any way portable) literally. that plus a fair amount of travel in my job, and school on top of everything else, is more or less pushing me towards laptop.

 

[mnewsham]

If you have a microcenter near you then you can get a decent cpu and motherboard for under $250. A decent desktop is 1000-1250 no problem. Hell for single monitor gaming I wouldn't spend over 1,500 total on a machine.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Thanks for the feedback and info everyone. Much appreciated.

And yes, I am fully aware of the benefits of going desktop rather than laptop. Been building my own systems for years with a little help from experts like yourselves. Each time it is time to upgrade, I get opinions and spec out what I want that will keep me in gaming 3-5 years down the road. I research and figure out what fits/works best and build.

This year, i am just not feeling it. And more than anything just want to be able to pick up the machine and go (my current rig is like 40lbs plus monitor/keyboard and mouse and is not in any way portable) literally. that plus a fair amount of travel in my job, and school on top of everything else, is more or less pushing me towards laptop.

40 pounds? If it weighs that much, it better be water cooled

 

[thespyder]

40 pounds? If it weighs that much, it better be water cooled

Um, might have over-stated the weight but only by a tad. But regardless of if it is 40 lbs or 25, I can't take it to class or on an airplane.

Anyway, I have decided on a laptop. So any other suggestions or ideas on the original questions? Locations to find good reasonably priced gaming laptop?

Specific GPU to go with (that will keep me in gaming for 2-3 years)?

Anything to watch out for?

 

[EliteRetard]

I realize you want a laptop, but your reasoning that PCs are to big is a bit wrong.
Avadirect sells a nano gaming PC thats 8.74x6.93x10.87 inches, literally small enough to fit in a lunchbox (which they do allow on flights and it doesnt even count as a carry on). Weighs no more than 10lbs.

I took a look and you can get a system with an ITX case, 450watt PSU, i5 3-3.3GHz quad core (with Scythe Shuriken cooler), Asus 1155 H61 ITX MOBO, 8GB Kingston HyperX 1.5v DDR3, XFX Radeon 6950 1GB, Seagate 1TB 7200RPM, Samsung slim DVD R/RW, Win7 Prem 64bit, and a 3year warranty for 960$.

Get yourself a cheap laptop and your set to go. I recently saw a 6lb 15.6" Lenovo at Buy.com with an i3, 4GB, 750GB, .11n+bluetooth, Win7 Prem 64bit, HDMI and 6 cell for 400$ shipped.

You can get a NEW 5lb 14" laptop from the dell outlet for ~400$ with an i3, 3-4GB 320-640GB, .11n, Win7 Prem 64bit, and a 6 cell. Theyve got a 20% off code: BFPTLWWLT57FMT

And if you want a bit more power and style you could spend ~600$ on a compact/slim laptop with an i5. Theres another great deal in the outlet if you don't mind USED. They've got a 4lb 14z with an i5 2.4-3GHz, 8GB, 750GB 7200RPM, .11n, Win7 Prem 64bit, and 6 cell for 475$ after code: 90F0$DGHL$3T0T

Lots of options, and you can actually get a very powerfull small light gaming PC for not to expensive that will slaughter any laptop. Something to think about...

 

[mnewsham]

I realize you want a laptop, but your reasoning that PCs are to big is a bit wrong.
Avadirect sells a nano gaming PC thats 8.74x6.93x10.87 inches, literally small enough to fit in a lunchbox (which they do allow on flights and it doesnt even count as a carry on). Weighs no more than 10lbs.

I took a look and you can get a system with an ITX case, 450watt PSU, i5 3-3.3GHz quad core (with Scythe Shuriken cooler), Asus 1155 H61 ITX MOBO, 8GB Kingston HyperX 1.5v DDR3, XFX Radeon 6950 1GB, Seagate 1TB 7200RPM, Samsung slim DVD R/RW, Win7 Prem 64bit, and a 3year warranty for 960$.

Get yourself a cheap laptop and your set to go. I recently saw a 6lb 15.6" Lenovo at Buy.com with an i3, 4GB, 750GB, .11n+bluetooth, Win7 Prem 64bit, HDMI and 6 cell for 400$ shipped.

You can get a NEW 5lb 14" laptop from the dell outlet for ~400$ with an i3, 3-4GB 320-640GB, .11n, Win7 Prem 64bit, and a 6 cell. Theyve got a 20% off code: BFPTLWWLT57FMT

And if you want a bit more power and style you could spend ~600$ on a compact/slim laptop with an i5. Theres another great deal in the outlet if you don't mind USED. They've got a 4lb 14z with an i5 2.4-3GHz, 8GB, 750GB 7200RPM, .11n, Win7 Prem 64bit, and 6 cell for 475$ after code: 90F0$DGHL$3T0T

Lots of options, and you can actually get a very powerfull small light gaming PC for not to expensive that will slaughter any laptop. Something to think about...

:thumbsup:
QFT


I agree, there is no need for a gaming laptop unless you really are dead set on gaming on the go. If you can do a desktop and laptop combo DO IT. This is coming from someone who uses a gaming laptop DAILY. If I could have a desktop I would, but right now I really do need the mobile power and so I have a $1400 laptop that would be crushed by an $800 desktop.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

There is no such thing as a good gaming laptop. Believe me, I had an ASUS G60VX. Colossal waste of money. Weighted too much, battery life was horrible and I always had to carry the power brick, and performance was still a big step down compared to a gaming desktop. Also, many of them tend to get rather hot.

Make an ITX or Micro-ATX form factor computer and buy an 11.6-14" laptop. A laptop will NEVER come close to matching a desktop for the price (even if it's a small form factor one) when it comes to gaming performance.

If you want gaming and have a limited budget, make a small form-factor computer with a Core i3-2120 or an i5-2400 and make sure to get an externally exhausting GPU that doesn't consume too much power. Something like an HD 6870 or GTX 560 Ti with an external exhaust, like this and this. This way, you don't compromise on performance in any way yet still get good portability.

 

[God Mode]

I recently bought a i7 laptop with an ati 6770m to replace my cluttered desktop hardware. No regrets. The space savings, portability and power in such a small machine is great. Unless I buy my own home or have a large place, I don't think I'll ever buy a desktop again.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

It's probably a great machine, but it's not a gaming laptop. For a 'gaming' laptop you'd be looking at an HD 6870M or higher.

At this stage the only thing we're seeing advance a lot in laptops is CPU power, and that processing gap has been largely minimized. For GPUs, though, manufacturers expect you to pay a lot to get little in return.

 

[DaveSimmons]

That "6770" mobile GPU is really only a desktop 6670.

You could build a nice i5-2500 quad-core / H61 or H67 / ATI 6850 or better mini-ITX desktop that would demolish a $2,000 laptop for well under $1,000.

Silverstone - SG-05 / SG-07
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163169

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163171

Lian-Li Q08
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112266

 

[Phynaz]

It's probably a great machine, but it's not a gaming laptop. For a 'gaming' laptop you'd be looking at an HD 6870M or higher.

For a 14" - 17" display?

Not a chance.

 

[Tom]

I totally disagree that you need a desktop for gaming.

Premise 1. older i5 and even i3 are fast enough cpus for almost any current game. So anything faster, like newer i5 or i7 are plenty fast.

Premise 2. 15 inch and smaller laptops don't need to run games at 1920x1200 so any dedicated gpu that's as close to as fast as a 9800 GTS is fast enough for almost all games.

Premise 3. I used to play the computer gaming upgrade game, it's a fun hobby I enjoyed for 20 years. But hardware outpaced game development to the point that hardware from a couple of years ago is all that's needed even for a desktop gaming system. And gaming development is run more by corporations than designers so I expect less innovation and cutting edge stuff whch means less need for cutting edge hardware.

Conclusion-
Having a good gaming laptop, I have several, changes the habits of gaming to the extent that I don't even use my gaming desktop anymore.

I would consider the Alienware m14x given you want gaming, portability, and battery life. I love my m11x but it might be too small to be one's only laptop.

 

[mnewsham]

I totally disagree that you need a desktop for gaming.

Premise 1. older i5 and even i3 are fast enough cpus for almost any current game. So anything faster, like newer i5 or i7 are plenty fast.

Premise 2. 15 inch and smaller laptops don't need to run games at 1920x1200 so any dedicated gpu that's as close to as fast as a 9800 GTS is fast enough for almost all games.

Premise 3. I used to play the computer gaming upgrade game, it's a fun hobby I enjoyed for 20 years. But hardware outpaced game development to the point that hardware from a couple of years ago is all that's needed even for a desktop gaming system. And gaming development is run more by corporations than designers so I expect less innovation and cutting edge stuff whch means less need for cutting edge hardware.

Conclusion-
Having a good gaming laptop, I have several, changes the habits of gaming to the extent that I don't even use my gaming desktop anymore.

I would consider the Alienware m14x given you want gaming, portability, and battery life.

I cant stand anything BUT 1920x1080 on a laptop, my current gaming laptop is 1600x900 and I hate it. The lowest level GPU I would recommend really is the GTX560(Or 460m)/6870m(or 5870m)

Too compare the mobile GPU's easily here is a good link
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Comparison-of-Laptop-Graphics-Cards.130.0.html

 

[Tom]

I cant stand anything BUT 1920x1080 on a laptop, my current gaming laptop is 1600x900 and I hate it. The lowest level GPU I would recommend really is the GTX560(Or 460m)/6870m(or 5870m)

Too compare the mobile GPU's easily here is a good link
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Comparison-of-Laptop-Graphics-Cards.130.0.html

I agree that's a great site for comparing the vast array of mobile gpus and getting a good idea of their ability to play games.

1920x1080 is ridiculous on an 11 inch screen. And it's certainly not necessary on a 14 inch or 15 inch screen.

In fact, it's not at all the common screen resolution for those screen sizes.

Anyway, I have a 17 inch gaming laptop with a 1920x1200 screen. Yea it's very nice. It isn't enough better for me to bother getting it out instead of using my 15 inch Dell with a 1366x768 screen.

 

[mnewsham]

I agree that's a great site for comparing the vast array of mobile gpus and getting a good idea of their ability to play games.

1920x1080 is ridiculous on an 11 inch screen. And it's certainly not necessary on a 14 inch or 15 inch screen.

In fact, it's not at all the common screen resolution for those screen sizes.

Anyway, I have a 17 inch gaming laptop with a 1920x1200 screen. Yea it's very nice. It isn't enough better for me to bother getting it out instead of using my 15 inch Dell with a 1366x768 screen.

at 15" 1920x1080 is not uncommon at all for gaming, and it looks really good.

if you want a gaming laptop you shouldn't really be looking at anything below 15" anyway.