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laptop 1k-2k
This will be my first gaming laptop, and I am unsure where to begin. Admittedly, I am a nub when it the technical differences between graphics cards and processors. I want to either build or buy a laptop within the $1,000-$2000 range that will last. There is a vast amount of options out there, and everyone has an opinion on where to start. So, I decided to turn to fellow gamers for help. Would it be cost effective to build my own? What would your configuration be on that budget? What about some buying suggestions?
I will be doing little less than school work and gaming on this thing. I appreciate the help.
Comments
Buying a gaming Laptop is very expensive. You can't really upgrade them so you have to make sure you get a good one when you do. Watch bestbuy, there crap is expensive - however, they do have good sales. I got my ASUS Laptop for $500 like 4 years ago and it can play SC2, on lowest graphics of course.
ASUS is a personal fav, they are known for getting the most out of a motherboard, which is important for laptops. It will probably be best to do your own research, Scower Best Buy, Newegg, Tigerdirect, weekly for a good sale. Compare them laptop to laptop, which is better, read reveiws. That's what I suggest.
Also, check out Maximum PC or Attack of the Show, for recently reviewd laptops
http://www.msimobile.com/level2_productlist.aspx?id=6
i would go with msi
also dont forgert that if you want update after 12 month
in any of the corp you chose you WILL need to buy their new software kit!
yes they could supply for free for life
but why would corp do that when they can sell you a new dvd or a bunch of cd if it is cd you need!
ask around for the best update after a year or 2 some are better then other no use buying a laptop if you try to update graphic card software and it isnt supported by nvidia or amd and that the laptop maker isnt supplying new software even tho you know it is avail at amd site for x.y.z brand
it could be nvidia ,it is just an exemple!
Best advice I can give (and most other people here will probably have similar advice)
Unless you absolutely need to game on the go, it's cheaper and you get better performance out of getting a netbook or small notebook for classes, and then building an inexpensive gaming desktop to just play games, than it is to try to get one laptop that can do both with any effectiveness.
A decent notebook for class will run $400-500, a decent desktop for gaming around $800 - add that up and you'll still be way cheaper than a laptop that still can't come close to the gaming performance of that desktop.
If you absolutely need a laptop, then you need a laptop, but really sit down and consider how and where you are going to be gaming. For most people who think they want a laptop, it turns out a desktop just for gaming really is a better fit, since you need to be plugged in and sitting down when you game on a laptop anyway (unless you just playing Peggle or Farmville).
I appreciate all of the help so far.
I have a decent desktop for gaming. However, I will be on the go a lot over the next year. My downtime will be substantial, yet I won't always have access to my desktop. That being said I am a technical nub when it comes to some of this stuff. I definately believe it will be worth the money for me... I am just unsure of how best to spend it.
bring your desktop?
I had a similar issue just over a year ago and after a bit of research I finally settled on an ASUS. Their G-series of laptops are quite impressive for the price they ask (feel free to compare them to other major laptop manufacturers and you'll see what I mean). This perticular laptop line also has a unique cooling system (in the world of laptops anyway) that pulls air in from above the keyboard and blows it out the rear instead of the bottom. I have found this system of cooling to be a HUGE improvement over conventional laptops. The one thing you will need to keep in mind however is a good "gaming" laptop is not something you can actually use "on the go" as battery life on these things is horrible. The only truly portable advantage over a smaller lan style desktop is the fact its an easier setup to move around frequently and quickly get your game on (as long as you an plug it in).
Yeah, I was looking at ASUS and they definately seem to pack the biggest bang for the buck. As for video card and processor configurations.... any suggestions on a build?
There are quite a few different ways that you can go, and what makes sense for you depends tremendously on how you'll use it.
If you're only going to play games in your dorm room or at your parents' house, then just use a desktop for gaming, and get a cheap laptop. If you're going to stay in 30 different hotel rooms in an average year and want to play games there, then a gaming laptop makes perfect sense for you. If you have ideas about playing games while between classes and away from your dorm room, then a gaming laptop may make sense.
One big consideration is whether you need much battery life. Higher end gaming laptops will drain the battery pretty quickly. Furthermore, they often won't be able to play games on the battery at all, but only when the laptop is plugged in. For the "playing games in hotel rooms" model, that's no big deal. If you want to play games on the battery between classes, then that's a problem.
If you want to play games on the battery, then an AMD Llano-based system is your only serious option, which may get you a couple of hours of gaming on the battery. You could actually go pretty cheap here and get something like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834101253
That will run nearly any game reasonably well at low to moderate graphical settings. It's cheap for a reason, though, and it's not a terribly fast computer.
If you want a higher end Llano system, then try here:
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_can_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=notebooks&a1=Processor&v1=AMD&series_name=dv6zqe_series&jumpid=in_R329_prodexp/hhoslp/psg/notebooks/AMD/dv6zqe_series
Configure that with an A8-3510MX processor, a 7200 RPM hard drive, and either 4 GB or 8 GB of system memory. You can also get 8 GB for cheaper by buying 6 GB from HP, pulling out the 2 GB memory module, and replacing it by your own 4 GB module purchased elsewhere:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231266
But don't buy 6 GB and leave it at 6 GB, as mismatching the memory channels will cripple your performance.
That comes in way under your budget, so you could also have a look at other upgrades such as a larger battery, a higher monitor resolution, or replacing the hard drive with an SSD purchased elsewhere when the laptop arrives. Or you could just spend less than you intended.
If you're going to play games on the battery, you could also go with an A8-3500M processor instead of A8-3510MX, which will use less power in exchange for offering less performance. That will extend the battery life, though, and games will still run well at moderate settings. Games that are lighter on hardware requirements may run smoothly on high or even max settings.
If you're looking for higher end gaming performance, don't need that much battery life (so that a couple hours at idle would be good enough), and are never going to play games without having the laptop plugged in, but will plug the laptop in in a variety of places and not just at home so that a desktop won't work, then you might want to look at a higher end gaming laptop.
Here, you could try something like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230027
Not really the most sensible hardware configuration, but games will run well, with about triple the graphical performance of the HP Llano system that I linked above. Asus compensates by pricing it very aggressively.
Or you could use most of your budget and go with something high end, like this:
http://www.avadirect.com/gaming-laptop-configurator.asp?PRID=19611
Use a Core i7-2720QM processor, a Radeon HD 6990M video card, Mushkin 8 GB (2 x 4GB) 1333 MHz memory, and a Western Digital Scorpio Black hard drive of whatever capacity you need. That will get you about double the graphical performance of the Asus laptop linked above, as well as a faster processor, more memory capacity, more memory bandwidth, and a faster hard drive.
Or if you really want something nice, you could skip the hard drive entirely and go with an SSD. A Corsair Force 115 GB SSD would push the laptop a bit over your budget. However, it is also blazing fast and will give you 107 GB of usable capacity. I'd argue that if you think you need 500 GB of capacity for some purpose, then you probably shouldn't be using a laptop for that purpose.
You could also get both an SSD and a hard drive, with the SSD for your OS and main programs and the hard drive for random other junk. That goes further over your stated budget, however.
Do be warned that either the Asus or AVA Direct laptops that I linked won't give you much battery life, and will have issues with releasing so much heat in so little space. It is possible to keep them properly cooled, but you'll have to be careful to make sure you don't block vents and don't clog it with dust. You'll also need to accept that the laptop will get hot to the touch under gaming loads, and will likely also get noisy from the fans trying to cool it.
Just to put things in perspective, for the processor plus graphics, you're looking at either 35 W or 45 W for the Llano systems under artificially heavy loads. The Asus will be more like 120 W under such loads, and the AVA Direct probably closer to 160 W. For obvious reasons of physics, it's much easier to dissipate 45 W quietly and without overheating than 160 W. The higher end gaming laptops do have better cooling systems, but there's only so much that you can do with the form factor.
That was incredibly helpful. I appreciate the info.
Building a laptop is not an option, but check out this sale on Newegg:
$1120 ($1020 with MIR): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230027&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176333&SID=a8rtrqdhjl8i
I have the older model G53JW (Paid $1220 a few months ago) and it's the best bang for buck. Go for it!
Ok, so I have decided on Alienware. However, I am having trouble deciding between these two systems. Basically, does the increased screen size and graphics card justify the extra cost?
M17x
$1998.00
Processor
Intel® Core™ i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
Memory
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (4DIMMS)
A/C Adapter
Alienware M17x 240W A/C Adapter
Display Panel
17.3-inch WideHD+ 1600 x 900 60Hz WLED
Video Card
2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6970M
Hard Drive
500GB Hybrid Solid State Drive
Optical Drives
Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Sound
Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
Wireless
Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO for Gaming & Video
WirelessHD
Internal WirelessHD Technology - FullHD Video Transmitter
M14x
$1635
Processor
Intel® Core™ i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.9GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
Memory
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
A/C Adapter
Alienware M14X 150W A/C Adapter
Display Panel
14.0" High Def+ (900p/1600x900) with WLED backlight
Video Card
3.0GB DDR3 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M using NVIDIA Optimus™ technology
Hard Drive
500GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
Optical Drive
8x SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Slot Load Optical Drive
Audio
Soundblaster® X-Fi™ Hi Def Audio - Software Enabled
Wireless
Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO for Gaming & Video
WirelessHD & Mobile Broadband
Internal 60GHz WirelessHD Transmitter
A Radeon HD 6970M offers about three or four times the graphical performance of a GeForce GT 555M. Whether that's worth a few hundred dollars extra is a question of whether you want to run games at high graphical settings and make them look nice, or whether you don't mind having to run games at moderate graphical settings, and for future games, perhaps even low settings.
The Alienware M14x is badly configured to begin with, but you've done quite a bit to compound the problem. First, save $80 by getting 1333 MHz memory rather than 1600 MHz. The processor is not fast enough for the difference in memory clock speed to matter. There are few real programs where 1600 MHz memory will offer even a 1% improvement in performance. Second, get the 1.5 GB version of the video card, not the 3 GB version. The right amount of video memory to offer for that card is probably 768 MB, not 1.5 GB. There may or may not be any real games at all where the card will benefit from having more than 768 MB of video memory at settings that the GPU would be able to handle at 1.5 GB. 3 GB is just ridiculous, and it basically consists of Dell offering suckers a way to give them $100 for nothing.
If you think that dropping those upgrades opens up quite a larger gap in price between the M14x and the M17x, then you can get a cheaper M17x. Just get the base model with no upgrades for $1500. The Radeon HD 6870M still gets you double the graphical performance of the GeForce GT 555M. The proper question if you're going with Alienware is whether to get a cheaper M17x or tack on some upgrades for a more expensive M17x.
As for your M17x, a "hybrid solid state drive" is not actually a solid state drive. That's almost certainly the Seagate Momentus XT, which has 4 GB of SLC NAND flash that it uses as a read cache. When it can grab things from the cache, it is markedly faster than any hard drive. But when it can't, it's actually pretty slow for a 7200 RPM laptop hard drive. 4 GB isn't very much, so whatever you need usually won't be in the cache. I'd rather have a much cheaper Western Digital Scorpio Black of the same capacity, with performance that is consistently pretty good for a 7200 RPM laptop hard drive.
Also note that, if you're adventurous enough to modify a laptop yourself, then rather than paying Dell's ridiculous prices for memory upgrades, you could replace the memory yourself. Dell charges $120 to get 8 GB of memory rather than 4 GB. You can buy your own 8 GB for under $50:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231295
Or 8 GB of 1600 MHz memory for under $60:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211566
That would leave you the option to save some money by buying only 4 GB from Dell, then replacing the memory yourself when the laptop arrives. Keep the old memory (e.g., in a box somewhere) so that you can restore it to original condition in case you have to send the laptop back for warranty service.
I would definetly go with an Acer, ASUS, or Sager if you can. Acer does some magical stuff with its recent laptops. Although the parts are a bit cheap they can get alot out of the hardware. ASUS is the same way as Acer, but they have more robust hardware. Sager is higher build quality in materials. Also you know they took the time to spec their laptops properly for balance unlike other makers.
Usually I would recommend MSI, but their cases are a bit too cheap for laptops. I have had Toshiba cases melt on me and I feel the same can happen with MSI laptops. Also the designs are a bit gaudy for some peoples tastes.
http://www.asus.com/Notebooks/Gaming_Powerhouse/G74SX/
I didn't know Acer did gaming laptops at all, as I thought they wanted to focus on the low end. The only one that New Egg turned up that could reasonably be called a gaming laptop is an old Clarksfield system.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115819
That's a pretty good deal for only $1000, though.
If you go with Asus, then you ought to be looking at something much closer to 1k than 2k in price, as Asus doesn't offer anything really high end. There's a decent argument for saying that GF114 and Barts are too much heat for a laptop, and avoiding them on that basis. But if you're looking for something high end, Asus simply doesn't offer it.
As for Sager, they offer rebranded Clevo units as their high end. If that's what you want, then AVA Direct offers the same rebranded Clevo systems with better hardware configurations. I linked one above.
my advice is dont listen to this person when it comes to buying laptops. Sorry quiz, i love you but I dont love your laptop attitude.
Only buy Asus... ignore all others. I've had 3... all amazing, friends bought them... all worked amazing... guild mates bought them all amazing, no complaints outside of tracking drivers down... not a problem now that unlocked drivers are available from nvidia's site. once upon a time you had to use laptopvideo2go.com
"Sometimes people say stuff they don''t mean, but more often then that they don''t say things they do mean"
And do you have any non-ad hominem reason for that?