Recommend me a new gaming laptop

goman wrote:

It has this graphics card -- AMD Radeon HD 8770M
15.6 screen 1080p

Priced at $1200

Decent, but Intel's on-chip Iris is expected to hit that performance range when they do their next processor refresh.

Anyone have experience with this MSI, or another system with a GeForce 670MX/675MX in it? Those two really are supposed to be based on the desktop counterparts.

What about this one.. on sale until tomorrow..

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/c...

Not that model, but the high-end now the offers the GT750M in SLI. Very tempting.

Kurrelgyre wrote:

Not that model, but the high-end now the offers the GT750M in SLI. Very tempting.

Right... here are the different configurations.

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/c...

I just picked up a Lenovo Ideapad Y500 with the SLI graphic cards and 16GB of RAM. It's been running the games I've tried so far (Skyrim, ME3, and SWTOR) like a champ.

Gameguru, or anyone else - did you order the new Razer Blade Pro (17")? I am in the market for a new laptop sometime in the next few months and considering that one, but want to hear first hand reports first, especially about how hot it gets since I pretty much exclusively use it in my lap on a couch. I would prefer 15" but can make 17" work.

14" is a little too small and anything with decent power they have to cram in too closely and so gets much hotter or louder than the bigger versions.

EDIT: Also looking at the Alienware Haswell M17s, but I have never liked how they looked and they are much bigger/heavier than the Razer if I remember right. At least the recent redesign made them a little more understated.

I pre-ordered the new 14" Blade...I had the 17" 2.0 version and while it was a fabulous laptop I couldn't comfortably travel with it despite how thin it was and light for a 17". And at home it didn't matter so much as I would game either on my desktop or my SLI Alienware M18x r2.

I debated the new Alienware m14x since I think the new look improves on a already awesome laptop but in the end despite the more upgradable nature I went with the better form factor 14" Blade.. But yeah sucks having to over pay for a non upgradable laptop. The advantage of the Alienware is that you could order what you need and swap out your own memory and SSD(s).

HUGE APOLOGIES in advance. I was browsing the forums b/c I feel I'm in need of new gaming laptop and I found this thread. My apology is because 1) I'm late to the party on this thread and 2) I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT COMPUTERS. I don't know what a GPU or a CPU is. I presume a graphics card runs the graphics. What I DO know is that my 3 year old ASUS gaming laptop (bought off the shelf at Best Buy... Please don't judge.) is crashing with a weird blue screen every now and again and when I try to play games like XCOM or The Witcher 2, the screen freezes at times, and the audio and video stutter a lot.

I want to play games like The Witcher 2, Tomb Raider, XCOM, Walking Dead, Deus Ex, Dishonored, ect. and, due to my COMPLETE lack of computer knowledge, don't want to deal with "upgrading" and "optimizing" and "configuring". I also want a really solid (not necessarily ultimate) gaming experience. I don't need "everything turned up to max".

So. Now that you've calmed down What can the GWJ community offer as advice? Just assume that I already know I SHOULD learn about how computers work and make an informed decision on my own, and also assume I just don't have the patience or time to do that. I know my lack of knowledge will cost me more $$. Also, I need portability, hence a Desktop or Console are not viable options.

TheGr8Sleeper wrote:

So. Now that you've calmed down What can the GWJ community offer as advice? Just assume that I already know I SHOULD learn about how computers work and make an informed decision on my own, and also assume I just don't have the patience or time to do that. I know my lack of knowledge will cost me more $$. Also, I need portability, hence a Desktop or Console are not viable options.

Honestly... you're not giving us many options to go with here. The two things I'd suggest are either to get a can of pressurised air and blast every vent in your laptop because it might be clogged up and overheating, or you're looking for a "buy this" recommendation with no real tailoring it to your needs.

Scratched wrote:
TheGr8Sleeper wrote:

So. Now that you've calmed down What can the GWJ community offer as advice? Just assume that I already know I SHOULD learn about how computers work and make an informed decision on my own, and also assume I just don't have the patience or time to do that. I know my lack of knowledge will cost me more $$. Also, I need portability, hence a Desktop or Console are not viable options.

Honestly... you're not giving us many options to go with here. The two things I'd suggest are either to get a can of pressurised air and blast every vent in your laptop because it might be clogged up and overheating, or you're looking for a "buy this" recommendation with no real tailoring it to your needs.

Yes. Hoping for a "buy this" recommendation. My only needs are, 1) can play most games out there on "recommended" settings, 2) simple to use 3) as future proof as possible within reason. Budget is $1500 to $2000. I know.... I am sad. Just a guy who really likes games, but doesn't understand computers. Thanks!

TheGr8Sleeper wrote:
Scratched wrote:
TheGr8Sleeper wrote:

So. Now that you've calmed down What can the GWJ community offer as advice? Just assume that I already know I SHOULD learn about how computers work and make an informed decision on my own, and also assume I just don't have the patience or time to do that. I know my lack of knowledge will cost me more $$. Also, I need portability, hence a Desktop or Console are not viable options.

Honestly... you're not giving us many options to go with here. The two things I'd suggest are either to get a can of pressurised air and blast every vent in your laptop because it might be clogged up and overheating, or you're looking for a "buy this" recommendation with no real tailoring it to your needs.

Yes. Hoping for a "buy this" recommendation. My only needs are, 1) can play most games out there on "recommended" settings, 2) simple to use 3) as future proof as possible within reason. Budget is $1500 to $2000. I know.... I am sad. Just a guy who really likes games, but doesn't understand computers. Thanks!

You can do quite well on that budget. What screen size do you want?

Chairman_Mao wrote:
TheGr8Sleeper wrote:
Scratched wrote:
TheGr8Sleeper wrote:

So. Now that you've calmed down What can the GWJ community offer as advice? Just assume that I already know I SHOULD learn about how computers work and make an informed decision on my own, and also assume I just don't have the patience or time to do that. I know my lack of knowledge will cost me more $$. Also, I need portability, hence a Desktop or Console are not viable options.

Honestly... you're not giving us many options to go with here. The two things I'd suggest are either to get a can of pressurised air and blast every vent in your laptop because it might be clogged up and overheating, or you're looking for a "buy this" recommendation with no real tailoring it to your needs.

Yes. Hoping for a "buy this" recommendation. My only needs are, 1) can play most games out there on "recommended" settings, 2) simple to use 3) as future proof as possible within reason. Budget is $1500 to $2000. I know.... I am sad. Just a guy who really likes games, but doesn't understand computers. Thanks!

You can do quite well on that budget. What screen size do you want?

Not sure. 15? 17? Is there a "recommended" size? I THINK my current screen is 15 inches and I have no complaints.

The recommended size depends on screen size + screen resolution. 15" might be fine at 1366x768, but text might start getting too small at 1080p. On the other hand, for gaming 1080p is pretty much the standard for any current gen hardware. So, if your current laptop's screen is less than 1080p (1920x1080), expect your icons and text to shrink by about 50% (1080p is almost 2x more pixels than 1366x768) in screen area. Does that sound ok for your eyes? If not, you'll probably want a 17".

I am sort of biased toward Alienware since it's the only laptop brand I've experience with for gaming, and while they tend to be thought of as overpriced for the performance, the build quality (magnesium alloy frame) is exceptional. You can get the mid-tier M17x for $2k, which has the nvidia 770m gpu. This would be a fine system for playing just about any game at medium to high detail settings (Witcher 2, a notorious GPU killer, might be an exception). The 780m is available for $200 more, but it adds a pretty significant boost to performance.
http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-1...

Chairman_Mao wrote:

The recommended size depends on screen size + screen resolution. 15" might be fine at 1366x768, but text might start getting too small at 1080p. On the other hand, for gaming 1080p is pretty much the standard for any current gen hardware. So, if your current laptop's screen is less than 1080p (1920x1080), expect your icons and text to shrink by about 50% (1080p is almost 2x more pixels than 1366x768) in screen area. Does that sound ok for your eyes? If not, you'll probably want a 17".

Although if you're worried about the physical size things are displayed at, you can turn on dpi scaling in windows, which while it's not perfect especially with older apps works pretty well.

Chairman_Mao wrote:

The recommended size depends on screen size + screen resolution. 15" might be fine at 1366x768, but text might start getting too small at 1080p. On the other hand, for gaming 1080p is pretty much the standard for any current gen hardware. So, if your current laptop's screen is less than 1080p (1920x1080), expect your icons and text to shrink by about 50% (1080p is almost 2x more pixels than 1366x768) in screen area. Does that sound ok for your eyes? If not, you'll probably want a 17".

I am sort of biased toward Alienware since it's the only laptop brand I've experience with for gaming, and while they tend to be thought of as overpriced for the performance, the build quality (magnesium alloy frame) is exceptional. You can get the mid-tier M17x for $2k, which has the nvidia 770m gpu. This would be a fine system for playing just about any game at medium to high detail settings (Witcher 2, a notorious GPU killer, might be an exception). The 780m is available for $200 more, but it adds a pretty significant boost to performance.
http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-1...

THANKS!

Scratched wrote:
Chairman_Mao wrote:

The recommended size depends on screen size + screen resolution. 15" might be fine at 1366x768, but text might start getting too small at 1080p. On the other hand, for gaming 1080p is pretty much the standard for any current gen hardware. So, if your current laptop's screen is less than 1080p (1920x1080), expect your icons and text to shrink by about 50% (1080p is almost 2x more pixels than 1366x768) in screen area. Does that sound ok for your eyes? If not, you'll probably want a 17".

Although if you're worried about the physical size things are displayed at, you can turn on dpi scaling in windows, which while it's not perfect especially with older apps works pretty well.

True, forgot about that. I wonder if Windows 8 has a better implementation of it...

One other thing to note TheGr8Sleeper is that you'll probably want to stick with Windows 7 on Alienware. It uses Nvidia Optimus, which is a technology to switch between integrated and discrete graphics to save power when not in gaming. However one review I read of the 14" model said it doesn't switch properly in Windows 8 for several games.

My turn to ask for advice/enabling.
It's about time for me to retire my Asus G50 and i'm looking at either a Lenovo Y510p (one of the base models, not the dual GPU units), or saving up for a bit more and going with an M14x Alienware (similarly one of the base models). My number one concern is heat ventilation, as my Asus is retiring because the GPU fan has now died for the second time. All i really want is a laptop that will play modern games on medium graphics without generating enough heat to damage itself in the long term.
Help? Opinions?
Thanks

Dryden wrote:

My turn to ask for advice/enabling.
It's about time for me to retire my Asus G50 and i'm looking at either a Lenovo Y510p (one of the base models, not the dual GPU units), or saving up for a bit more and going with an M14x Alienware (similarly one of the base models). My number one concern is heat ventilation, as my Asus is retiring because the GPU fan has now died for the second time. All i really want is a laptop that will play modern games on medium graphics without generating enough heat to damage itself in the long term.
Help? Opinions?
Thanks

I like the Alienware for the build quality, but it is a tank to carry around. If you're not getting the 1080p screen you'll probably be ok with the base GPU too for medium graphics, but we'd need to know what games you play to be sure. I believe it comes with a matte screen too, which is a great change from the previous glossy crap they used.

I've had the M17x for a long time - got it in 2009 - and I've only now replaced it. With a M18x (natch), which should be arriving this week (woot!). Meanwhile my wife is happily using it to run all her software, including lightroom and a heavy hitting quilting program called "EQ6". So count me in as another advocate for Alienware. Solid machines. The 18 only comes with Windows 8, but I think you can still configure the 17 with Windows 7.

I ended up disabling the integrated graphics. I never used it unplugged and ended up trying to run games with the integrated graphics by accident too many times.

Yeah, the Alienware is heavy. Learn from me and get a backpack rather than a messenger bag to carry it around. Your shoulder will thank me later.

Thanks Mao and Moggy. I appreciate the input.
I'm not concerned about weight or fidelity. It won't really travel beyond moving from the top of the coffee table to underneath the coffee table periodically, and the bulk of the games i play are pretty stylized to begin with (Borderlands, Torchlight, Saints Row, WoW, Guild Wars for some of my higher time-played examples). I figure that i just need something with longevity that can be tucked away when not in use.

And i know, if i'm that concerned about heat i really shouldn't be considering a gaming laptop, but for the way my household works i really want to still be 'present' in the living room while still gaming. Setting up a full bore gaming rig with a twenty-some odd monitor really tends to draw one off into a quiet corner somewhere.

My turn? Hopefully someone is still looking at this thread. I'm considering a gaming laptop. Looking at this MSI currently.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152400

Any reason I should go with a Lenovo instead? My biggest draw to this is the GT770M graphics card.

I might dislike the keyboard, but I'm not addicted to the fit and finish of Apple laptops. Just kind of decided to opt out of dealing with PCs for a while there. I will probably spend 20% of my time tinkering with new programming languages and tech (graph databases, etc.). Either in a VM or dual booted into Linux. The rest of the time will be split between being hooked up to my keyboard, monitor, mouse or gaming on the couch. I don't foresee having much trouble with the build.

I'd stick with MSI over Lenovo if you're getting something for gaming, but I haven't checked any specific reviews. If you're going to try and save anywhere with a gaming laptop, skimp on the memory and CPU and throw the savings into the GPU. Anything with 8 GB of memory or greater will be plenty, and a core i5 might not be a bad option versus an i7 because it will use less power, stay cooler, and keep your fans from going crazy. Most games really don't require a lot of CPU juice these days. That said, if you can get an i7 in there like the one you listed, go for it.

I think that the extra $200 or so you'll spend on an equivalentl Alienware laptop is completely worth it for the build quality, no bloatware except for Steam coming preinstalled, and the design. You can just turn all the lights off or to white to keep the design from looking too crazy.

Since you're coming from the macbook side of things, I think you may end up disappointed with anything less than an Alienware or the Razer laptops in terms of build quality. Anyways, that's my gut reaction.

Edit: Another reason to go with Alienware is the lack of stickers on the palmrest. I hate those! You might be able to get some of them off, but it's going to be tough.

DSGamer wrote:

I might dislike the keyboard, but I'm not addicted to the fit and finish of Apple laptops. Just kind of decided to opt out of dealing with PCs for a while there. I will probably spend 20% of my time tinkering with new programming languages and tech (graph databases, etc.). Either in a VM or dual booted into Linux. The rest of the time will be split between being hooked up to my keyboard, monitor, mouse or gaming on the couch. I don't foresee having much trouble with the build.

Ah cool. Seems like it should be a good fit for what you need. I think an equivalent Alienware is going to be about $1950 which is quite a bit more. Can't say I warned you about the build quality, bloatware, and sticker thing, though!

Yeah. I'm a little concerned about bloatware, but I'm sure I'll figure out how to get the system into a clean enough state to be performant. And I'll do the software development stuff on Linux, avoiding that completely.

So I found myself at a Fry's last night because I wanted to get hands on with a computer to see what they were like. I haven't looked at a Windows laptop in literally half a decade. I've used Macs at work and home for the better part of the last 4 years. The MSI definitely felt chintzy and it was really pricey. They had an open box Lenovo, which meant I could try it out and return it without the restocking fee. So I bought it with hope in my heart, but so far I'm seeing what everyone is saying. Even with the 750M SLI setup it's hard to get a steady framerate without going to low settings. At that point it's practically as performant as my MacBook Pro and its onboard graphics card. So I'm seeing now that I either need to invest a lot of money in this or I just need to wait until I can afford to piece together a desktop.

It's not that I didn't believe people. I just wasn't sure how pronounced the difference would be.

Just to give you an idea, a $200 270X, which we consider a little weak for 1920x1080, is going to be very smooth at that resolution if you turn some stuff down. A $250 760 will let you run most settings, in most games, near max. Pair that with a solid i5, and stuff just runs incredibly well.

There are a few titles that can still give a machine like that issues (Stalker, Metro 2033), but those games give even ridiculously overpowered beasts a hard time.

To those who are still interested (looking at you, Tuffalo), let me throw this one out. The thing I'm having the biggest problem squaring is that I don't want to add another device to my house. My wife and I could be on overseas assignments in a few years, given where her career is headed. I don't want to put together a gaming tower, only to be putting that in storage in a few years. I currently have a 13" MacBook Pro Retina that I got on sale. I can sell it and recoup most of what I paid.

Would it be insane to consider the very top of the line MacBook Pro Retina? The 15" with the 750M? I know I got a lot more gaming out of my MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Retina than I thought possible because of the SSD. Is the 750M competent enough to play stuff like ACIV? I'm not so much looking to future-proof myself in a gaming sense as I'm looking to make sure I still have a high quality development machine around without adding another device.

DSGamer wrote:

To those who are still interested (looking at you, Tuffalo), let me throw this one out. The thing I'm having the biggest problem squaring is that I don't want to add another device to my house. My wife and I could be on overseas assignments in a few years, given where her career is headed. I don't want to put together a gaming tower, only to be putting that in storage in a few years. I currently have a 13" MacBook Pro Retina that I got on sale. I can sell it and recoup most of what I paid.

Would it be insane to consider the very top of the line MacBook Pro Retina? The 15" with the 750M? I know I got a lot more gaming out of my MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Retina than I thought possible because of the SSD. Is the 750M competent enough to play stuff like ACIV? I'm not so much looking to future-proof myself in a gaming sense as I'm looking to make sure I still have a high quality development machine around without adding another device.

I definitely understand the too many devices thing. I'm in the middle of working out how to use my Alienware M11x R2 with my electronic piano to run a VST plugin. rather than buying a new computer. I don't use it for gaming anymore because I'm hardly on the go and it's getting a little long in the tooth at this point for games. It should work just fine for my new purpose.

Anyways, the 750M is just not going to be that great. for AC4. You can throw quite a bit of horsepower at those games. I skimmed the build a PC thread and saw this being brought up. It's just not very powerful. If you google a mobile GPU, notebook check will generally be the first hit. They usually post a lot of information about the GPU, but if you scroll down the page to the bottom, there are some actual game benchmarks. Obviously, they'll vary depending on what CPU you're running, but they generally give you a really good idea about how the laptop will perform with that GPU. So, they're showing that AC4 will run at 51.9 fps on low settings, 38.1 fps on medium settings (still fairly playable), and 23.4 fps on high, and 10.8 fps on ultra. I think those are probably at 1920x1080.

So, really, I wouldn't get a laptop if you want to game on it unless it has a 770M. If you scroll down those pages, you can get idea of what type of real world fps you'll be seeing in games. Looks like you can play most current games on high settings and a few on ultra and get 60 fps with the 770M. You're gonna have to get a gaming laptop for something like that which is the problem.

So, I wouldn't recommend it. If you want to play PC games without any serious compromises, you're gonna just have to at least get a small form factor PC. You can always get a prebuilt one, you're just generally going to get lower quality components inside and it might cost a couple hundred extra bucks.

Edit: Fixed a couple of the spelling/grammar issues.