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Gaming laptop/desktop for person to get into gaming.

MrMonolitasMrMonolitas Member UncommonPosts: 263
edited May 2020 in Hardware
Hello, friends !
I am looking little bit help with the laptop for my friend. I am out of loop these days, since the day you helped me with my desktop, my knowledge started to fade about new tech.
My friend is trying to get into gaming, but im not sure she knows what she actually want to play or do. I was looking into some laptops like: https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/msi-gl63-15-6-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i7-gtx-1660-ti-512-gb-ssd-black-10193784-pdt.html
Also i checked https://www.cyberpowersystem.co.uk/ i bought laptop from them, and i was happy with it, still works. Just needed to grease some gears inside.

Budget: around 1000 pounds
Ryzen preferably but graphics card can be nvidia.

It is more about specs i guess.
I want her to be able to play something new on medium to high graphics without problem. So she can experience best of the gaming. I was suggesting her laptop first and if she like gaming, she can get desktop later, or even use laptop with a bigger monitor. If you think that you dont need 1000 pounds to experience it, or even desktop is better. Let me know!

Your insights are always appreciated! What ado you think ?



Post edited by MrMonolitas on
«1

Comments

  • AmatheAmathe Member LegendaryPosts: 7,630
    Folks will ask, are you building it or are you buying one that is built? 

    EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests

  • MrMonolitasMrMonolitas Member UncommonPosts: 263
    Buying that is built, because i have no capability to help her out. And she doesn't know how to do it.
  • VrikaVrika Member LegendaryPosts: 7,989
    I'm normally a PC gamer, but in this case I'd recommend getting her a console. It's so much cheaper.
     
  • GdemamiGdemami Member EpicPosts: 12,342
    Gaming laptops these days are called GeForceNow.

    Besides that:

    1) desktop provides better gaming experience - bigger screen, no lap burns, better performance/money

    2) if you don't whether she will like gaming at all, it's silly to spend a grand on a laptop to figure out
  • MrMonolitasMrMonolitas Member UncommonPosts: 263
    Vrika said:
    I'm normally a PC gamer, but in this case I'd recommend getting her a console. It's so much cheaper.

    We want to play together. There are very limited games with cross platform. And over all pc is just better thing to have. You can do more than just gaming isint it.
  • MrMonolitasMrMonolitas Member UncommonPosts: 263
    edited May 2020
    Gdemami said:
    Gaming laptops these days are called GeForceNow.

    Besides that:

    1) desktop provides better gaming experience - bigger screen, no lap burns, better performance/money

    2) if you don't whether she will like gaming at all, it's silly to spend a grand on a laptop to figure out

    if you dont spend a grand, you wont be able to experience gaming of new games at its best. Otherwise, i would suggest her to get nintendo 64.
    The budget was set by her, as i bought one laptop for same price and i was quiet happy with that, i was not against the budget.

    Edit: If you think its not worth spending 1k on laptop, let me know please.
    Post edited by MrMonolitas on
    Gdemami
  • VrikaVrika Member LegendaryPosts: 7,989
    Vrika said:
    I'm normally a PC gamer, but in this case I'd recommend getting her a console. It's so much cheaper.

    We want to play together. There are very limited games with cross platform. And over all pc is just better thing to have. You can do more than just gaming isint it.
    If you want to play together online then you need both have same type of machine.

    That Acer Nitro you've found looks like it's a good offer. It has only 256 GB of SSD space, but it looks like it allows you to install secondary hard drive if you want to do it later on. If you're ok with having to open the laptop's case and install another hard drive later on should she end up liking it, it's a good pick.


    Also, buy a mouse when you buy a laptop for gaming. The touchpad is passable for office work, but for gaming a mouse is better.

     
  • MrMonolitasMrMonolitas Member UncommonPosts: 263
    Vrika said:
    Vrika said:
    I'm normally a PC gamer, but in this case I'd recommend getting her a console. It's so much cheaper.

    We want to play together. There are very limited games with cross platform. And over all pc is just better thing to have. You can do more than just gaming isint it.
    If you want to play together online then you need both have same type of machine.

    That Acer Nitro you've found looks like it's a good offer. It has only 256 GB of SSD space, but it looks like it allows you to install secondary hard drive if you want to do it later on. If you're ok with having to open the laptop's case and install another hard drive later on should she end up liking it, it's a good pick.


    Also, buy a mouse when you buy a laptop for gaming. The touchpad is passable for office work, but for gaming a mouse is better.


    Yeah, i did let her know about the mouse already. Also, depends on the laptop, the heat can be unbearable after a while while gaming. So keyboard might be good idea too.

    Also, new Ryzen 9 4800 4900 processors looks really good, but probably the prices are too high at the moment. People say it has low power consumption and is as fast or faster than intel equivalent
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,499
    Even someone who would like gaming on a desktop might not like it on a laptop.  A laptop provides a far inferior experience.

    Why are you looking at a laptop, anyway?  Does she need to buy a laptop for other reasons and is just hoping that she can add some solid gaming ability to the purchase?
  • MrMonolitasMrMonolitas Member UncommonPosts: 263
    edited May 2020
    She wanted to try gaming for first time then in future she would probably build some top end desktop. It’s easy practical and portable..Then laptop would be left as back up. But no, its for gaming mostly. I am not sure what to suggest myself honestly. I know that desktop is better, but she cant build it herself. She maybe could, but she needs it now, and i guess it would take time to familiarize with things. Then picking parts is also another research.

    Pre build systems is not that great isint it? She was looking into bundles with everything, monitor, keyboard jara jara. But components are just weird.

  • ChildoftheShadowsChildoftheShadows Member EpicPosts: 2,193
    I hate it when people chime in with "Why not a desktop?". If they wanted a desktop they would ASK for a desktop.

    Look at:
    Asus G14 Ryzen 9
    G15 Ryzen 7
    Tuff Gaming A15 Ryzen 5, 7

    These devices are the best bang for your buck in the given price ranges and come highly recommended. But don't take our word for it. Go on youtube and watch reviews, more than one. Check prices and compare to reviews of other products in those price ranges.

    Gdemami
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,499
    If you're going to get a computer to just leave in one spot and don't need portability, then it's usually dumb to get a laptop.  I'd recommend a desktop for that purpose instead.  You don't need top end hardware unless you really want to insist on max graphical settings.

    If you can't or won't build your own, then the next best thing is to get one built to order from a site that lets you pick the exact parts.  Some sites have a configurator that lets you pick a few things, but not very much.  That's not what you want.  A site that lets you pick the power supply (exact brand name and model, not just wattage) probably lets you pick everything that matters.

    From your links, it looks like you're in the UK.  If you'd like, I could configure a desktop from the Cyber Power PC link.  Does she need everything, including peripherals (keyboard, mouse, monitor, surge protector, speakers)?  Having to fit a monitor into a budget means less space for other things.  Also, I assume that that 1000 pound budget means including VAT and shipping.
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,499
    I hate it when people chime in with "Why not a desktop?". If they wanted a desktop they would ASK for a desktop.

    Look at:
    Asus G14 Ryzen 9
    G15 Ryzen 7
    Tuff Gaming A15 Ryzen 5, 7

    These devices are the best bang for your buck in the given price ranges and come highly recommended. But don't take our word for it. Go on youtube and watch reviews, more than one. Check prices and compare to reviews of other products in those price ranges.

    And I hate it when people come in and ignore the budget.

    Even for someone who should get a laptop, you have to ask about the use case to know what sort of laptop is sensible.  A business traveler who will leave a gaming laptop in his hotel room but wants to play games when he gets there after work needs a very different laptop from someone who needs to carry a laptop around all day but isn't going to use it for anything more demanding than basic web browsing.
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,499
    Let's back up a bit.  What computer(s) does she already have?  Is she young enough that this will be her first computer upon moving out from her parents' house?  Or does she already have a desktop and/or laptop?
  • ChildoftheShadowsChildoftheShadows Member EpicPosts: 2,193
    edited May 2020
    Quizzical said:
    I hate it when people chime in with "Why not a desktop?". If they wanted a desktop they would ASK for a desktop.

    Look at:
    Asus G14 Ryzen 9
    G15 Ryzen 7
    Tuff Gaming A15 Ryzen 5, 7

    These devices are the best bang for your buck in the given price ranges and come highly recommended. But don't take our word for it. Go on youtube and watch reviews, more than one. Check prices and compare to reviews of other products in those price ranges.

    And I hate it when people come in and ignore the budget.

    Even for someone who should get a laptop, you have to ask about the use case to know what sort of laptop is sensible.  A business traveler who will leave a gaming laptop in his hotel room but wants to play games when he gets there after work needs a very different laptop from someone who needs to carry a laptop around all day but isn't going to use it for anything more demanding than basic web browsing.
    I didn't ignore the budget if you paid attention. And sometimes people just want a "good portable computer" which all of these are in various price ranges.
  • lahnmirlahnmir Member LegendaryPosts: 5,052
    After doing desktop for 15+ years I went laptop 7 years back and I will never switch back. Big, ugly, I love my spaces empty and clean in the house. Do realize that when you go that route you will easily have to spend triple the budget to get the same as a desktop. My latest laptop was 3400 bucks for instance.

    /Cheers,
    Lahnmir
    ChildoftheShadowsRidelynn
    'the only way he could nail it any better is if he used a cross.'

    Kyleran on yours sincerely 


    'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'

    Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...



    'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless. 

    It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.

    It is just huge resource waste....'

    Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer

  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332
    I have tried to go the laptop route twice now and it really is not a good idea unless for some reason you MUST have one,like going to UNI or college or something like that and not staying in a dorm.IDK maybe your work/business takes you on plane trips or you work right outside in the field like some architects and need it to be with you,so yeah i get it ,some people NEED one.

    If you are just gaming i would say no way,don't even think twice,get a desktop.So on that front i would wait for the new motherboards,the B5500 is it and get the best chip your budget can afford.You also need to look at a SSD and the fastest ram you can afford and how much,hmm 64 perhaps.

    Peripherals,there are some really good air coolers and have proven to be BETTER than water cooling so don't get ripped off on that.Power supply,don't gimp too hard there get a decent one.

    There are some decently powerful  "mini pc" but in those cases you might find it cumbersome to put it together yourself because space is very limited.So seek out one you can buy online or from a retailer.Problem with retailers is they have to pay a lot of bills,guess who pays for that...YOU,so your going to get ripped off,including the typical warranty scare tactic which is where they make a lot of added money.

    FYI...there are online videos to step you through your own build,don't be afraid,worst case scenario you have to ask someone.There is of course a manual as well.Obviously if your only saving 100-150 bucks,just buy it from the retailer and get the typical free 1 year warranty.

    Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.

  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332
    Retract ...lol...footnote time.

    I should make a note that anything brand new will likely go through several phases of Bios updates,so if you are not comfortable with that idea,you might want to make sure the Bios is at least in it's second phase.

    Another thing is that although there are some really good "expensive"Air coolers,water cooling is typically a better cooling system.Water cooling is also a higher RISK and more work to install.

    Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.

  • jitter77jitter77 Member UncommonPosts: 518
    For Christmas we got our daughter an HP Omen for like $700.  It is definitely entry level gaming, but she is only 8 and wanted one for school work and what not as well.   They do make a few versions i don't know the model off the top of my head.   The screen is kinda crappy, but it does well for what it is.   
  • MrMonolitasMrMonolitas Member UncommonPosts: 263
    edited May 2020
    I am for laptop ! I loved playing in my bed which you cant do with desktop and i was a student.  But you guys have compelling arguments, to go with desktop and i can agree.  

    Quizical i would like to see the build you make from cyberpower uk and maybe. https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/custom-pc/ or https://www.chillblast.com/build-a-custom-pc/configure-custom-amd-pc if you have some spare time. Not sure about delivery times, it doesnt make sense to wait 10+ days for custom builds does it?

    She needs mouse, keyboard, monitor, headphones. If im not forgetting anything, no need for speakers now. 
    P.S. ALOT OF RGB she said not to forget to mention. No need to go out of the way to get that id say :dizzy:


    Asus G14 Ryzen 9
    G15 Ryzen 7
    These are amazing laptops really, but g15 goes around 1.6k pounds thats way over the budget. Or im thinking about zephyr. But its so exciting to see that amd is winning processor race, makes portable laptops so much more attractive.


    Also, ryzen processors come with wraith cooler isint it? which is completely fine ! its actually great, i still rocking it in my desktop.
    I would never put water cooling in a pc, it just not what i want inside. no liquid!





    Post edited by MrMonolitas on
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,499
    I am for laptop ! I loved playing in my bed which you cant do with desktop and i was a student.  But you guys have compelling arguments, to go with desktop and i can agree.  

    Quizical i would like to see the build you make from cyberpower uk and maybe. https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/custom-pc/ or https://www.chillblast.com/build-a-custom-pc/configure-custom-amd-pc if you have some spare time. Not sure about delivery times, it doesnt make sense to wait 10+ days for custom builds does it?

    She needs mouse, keyboard, monitor, headphones. If im not forgetting anything, no need for speakers now. 
    P.S. ALOT OF RGB she said not to forget to mention. No need to go out of the way to get that id say :dizzy:


    Asus G14 Ryzen 9
    G15 Ryzen 7
    These are amazing laptops really, but g15 goes around 1.6k pounds thats way over the budget. Or im thinking about zephyr. But its so exciting to see that amd is winning processor race, makes portable laptops so much more attractive.


    Also, ryzen processors come with wraith cooler isint it? which is completely fine ! its actually great, i still rocking it in my desktop.
    I would never put water cooling in a pc, it just not what i want inside. no liquid!
    What I came up with is this:

    Case
    PCS SPECTRUM RGB MID TOWER CASE
    Processor (CPU)
    AMD Ryzen 3 3300X Quad Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.3GHz/18MB CACHE/AM4)
    Motherboard
    ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
    Memory (RAM)
    16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2666MHz (2 x 8GB)
    Graphics Card
    6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
    1st Storage Drive
    1TB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 470MB/W)
    DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
    NOT REQUIRED
    Power Supply
    CORSAIR 550W CV SERIES™ CV-550 POWER SUPPLY
    Power Cable
    1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
    Processor Cooling
    STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
    Thermal Paste
    STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
    Sound Card
    ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
    Wireless/Wired Networking
    10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
    USB/Thunderbolt Options
    MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
    Operating System
    Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
    Operating System Language
    United Kingdom - English Language
    Windows Recovery Media
    Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
    Office Software
    FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
    Anti-Virus
    BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
    Browser
    Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
    Keyboard & Mouse
    PCS S300 USB MEDIA KEYBOARD
    Mouse
    PCS M400 USB OPTICAL MOUSE
    Surge Protection
    6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
    Warranty
    3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
    Delivery
    STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
    Build Time
    Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 14 working days
    £876.00
    inc VAT and Delivery

    There are some things that you might want to change there.  For starters, if you think the case is hideous, then pick a different one.  I picked the cheapest case to have more than one fan.

    For networking, I assume that you're going to use ethernet.  That's what you should use if you can.  It's trivial if the computer is going to be placed next to the router, but may be impractical if it is placed at the other end of the house.  They do offer some WiFi options, so you'll have to add that if you're going to place the computer far away from the router.  If you're going to use ethernet, then you'll need an ethernet cable, but those are very cheap.

    You could change the default browser if you want to.  Or you could just add more browsers when you get the computer.

    I included a cheap keyboard, mouse, and surge protector.  If you want a more expensive one, you can take out what I chose and get something elsewhere.  But the shipping alone to get a keyboard or mouse elsewhere can easily be more expensive than what they charge to include a cheap one when they ship the computer to you.

    I did not include a monitor or an audio device.  You'll need either speakers or headphones.  And you'll really need a monitor.  But I wasn't happy with their monitor options, so I'd just get one elsewhere.  I made sure to leave space in the budget for a monitor, which will probably run about £100 for a relatively cheap IPS monitor.

    If you put in those exact settings, the site will warn you that they don't think you actually need a 550 W power supply, and you could get away with a 350 W one.  That would seriously limit your potential for future upgrades.

    If you need to save space in the budget, the easiest place to cut is to drop the power supply down to a Radeon RX 590, which is a slower card, but also cheaper.
  • MrMonolitasMrMonolitas Member UncommonPosts: 263
    edited May 2020
    Sorry guys, i have changed a build into this from cyberpower.
    Downgraded:
    Downgraded card to rx 580, keyboard and mouse too.
    SSD NVME drive was switched to standard SSD 250gb + HDD. Downgraded processor to 3300x as Quiz initially suggested.
    PSU: InWin A55 550W 80+
    Opt-out of the windows, can be done manually and cheaper with OEM license.
    Downgrades were done because of the monitor. She wants as big as possible. 32` inches. And its pricey, do you think its a good idea to get bigger  monitor with such specs?

    ```ini
    Case = Cyberpower ONYXIA Mid-Tower White Gaming Case w/ USB 3.0, Front & Side Tempered Glass
    Extra_Fans = Maximum Airflow with 3 x 120mm LED Coloured Cooling Fans for your selected case (Blue Colour) Fans Only (no upgrade)
    CPU = AMD Ryzen 3 3300X - 4-Core 3.8GHz, 4.3GHz Turbo - 16MB L3 Cache (No On-board Graphics)
    Overclocking = No Overclocking
    Cooler = AMD Ryzen Wraith CPU Cooler
    Motherboard = ASUS PRIME B450-PLUS: ATX w/ RGB, USB 3.1, SATA3, 1x M.2
    M2 = None Selected
    M2nd = None Selected
    SSD = 240GB WD Green 2.5" SSD - 545MB/s Read / 465MB/s Write 1 Drive
    HDD = 1TB Seagate BarraCuda SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 7200RPM Hard Drive 1 Drive
    RAID = None Selected
    RAM = 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4/3000mhz Dual Channel Memory Corsair Vengeance LPX w/Heat Spreader
    GPU = AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB - DX12® - VR Ready, HDMI, DVI, DP, 5 Monitor Support Single Card
    PSU = InWin A55 550W 80+ Certified Gaming Power Supply
    PSU_Braided_Cables = None Selected
    Wifi = N300 Wireless PCI Express Adapter

    [Total Price]
    PRICE = £630
    ```756 with VAT



    Post edited by MrMonolitas on
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,499
    I'll have a look at the Cyber Power build in a bit.  Don't rush to place an order.  I hate it when people come here to ask for help, then come back and say, I just bought something random that wasn't even on the radar.  Is it any good?

    The price tag is a substantial part of the reason to pick one part rather than another, and I do look at prices when picking parts.  What one site charges for something can easily be very different from what another site charges for something equivalent.

    It's unlikely that a 240 GB SSD plus a 1 TB hard drive makes much sense.  You could probably get a 1 TB SSD for nearly the same price.  Don't worry too much about the difference between SATA and NVMe.  The big difference is between an SSD and a hard drive.
  • MrMonolitasMrMonolitas Member UncommonPosts: 263
    edited May 2020
    Is it worth getting 5500 xt or 1660 super instead of 580?

    Edit:
    It was not ordered yet. Just thinking about alternative, taking in consideration the feedback
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,499
    Is it worth getting 5500 xt or 1660 super instead of 580?

    Edit:
    It was not ordered yet. Just thinking about alternative, taking in consideration the feedback
    That depends on what they cost and how much space there is in your budget.
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