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Should I get a gaming laptop or build a pc? Going to college and not sure which to choose?

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  • Gaming
  • Laptops
  • College
  • Build
  • Asus
  • Systems
Last response: in Systems
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August 4, 2014 2:58:21 PM

Alright so the laptop I've looked into is an ASUS 550LN-DB71 ( if you have a better laptop for the same price $800 then I would be glad to hear it) I like the ASUS brand though not sure about others. I was thinking this would be a good laptop to have to game and have for college. I will be using my laptop in my engineering degree but not sure if maybe I should go for a cheaper laptop around the $550 price range and use it for everyday use and school (Models and multimedia) and save up the extra 300 and build a 500-600 dollar pc. I've been living off a chromebook right now as my laptop died and haven't been able to play anything. Do you have a better laptop recommendation or maybe I should go with a cheaper laptop and save up for a pc? If that is the case which laptop do you think I should get for school? I'm not tech or computer savy I'm just a lot into math and science and looking for some help. I will only play MMO's like maybe TERA, planetside2, dragon slayer, archage and whatever else that has many players.

More about : gaming laptop build college choose

a b 4 Gaming
August 4, 2014 3:12:55 PM

What I would do is keep the chromebook you have, and build a gaming PC with the 800 dollars. But that's just my opinion, as you might have a need for more power while on the go.
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August 4, 2014 3:20:30 PM

Ytyoussef said:
What I would do is keep the chromebook you have, and build a gaming PC with the 800 dollars. But that's just my opinion, as you might have a need for more power while on the go.


Yea I'm going to need more power, I need a laptop that will be able to download programs as well and run whatever I have to download.
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a b 4 Gaming
August 4, 2014 3:28:20 PM

Then just get a good laptop, or at least that's what I'd do. As I'd prefer having a smooth experience with one device, rather than having two computers that don't perform as good as I'd want them too.
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August 5, 2014 3:04:21 AM

I've had this same conundrum recently, and have actually been getting by with a cheap laptop + gaming desktop. I made the mistake of purchasing a Dell desktop and upgrading it (which overall has cost me $1000+) instead of building my own, but I'm not tech savvy enough to build my own, and it's all worked out in the end.

It all really comes down to mobility and budget. If you can live with having a powerhouse back in your dorm or home and a dinky laptop away, then go with my situation. If you hate being leashed to your desk, then invest in a good laptop. My opinion? Wait until you're at school. I got by with a simple laptop my first year of college, and saved money to invest in better tech later. If you really need to use special software/hardware, your school might have that supplied. Check its website to see if they have computer labs, their hardware specs and installed software, and their locations and hours.

I will tell you right now, as a college student it sucks sometimes having a desktop. I prefer to work at home, but being tethered to my desk for most of my computer-required tasks is annoying. However, I plan on playing the latest and greatest games, and I don't have the money to buy a shiny new laptop to run them.

For MMO's and other basic computing, you could definitely do well with an $800 budget for a new laptop.
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August 5, 2014 7:41:36 PM

mackneasy said:
I've had this same conundrum recently, and have actually been getting by with a cheap laptop + gaming desktop. I made the mistake of purchasing a Dell desktop and upgrading it (which overall has cost me $1000+) instead of building my own, but I'm not tech savvy enough to build my own, and it's all worked out in the end.

It all really comes down to mobility and budget. If you can live with having a powerhouse back in your dorm or home and a dinky laptop away, then go with my situation. If you hate being leashed to your desk, then invest in a good laptop. My opinion? Wait until you're at school. I got by with a simple laptop my first year of college, and saved money to invest in better tech later. If you really need to use special software/hardware, your school might have that supplied. Check its website to see if they have computer labs, their hardware specs and installed software, and their locations and hours.

I will tell you right now, as a college student it sucks sometimes having a desktop. I prefer to work at home, but being tethered to my desk for most of my computer-required tasks is annoying. However, I plan on playing the latest and greatest games, and I don't have the money to buy a shiny new laptop to run them.

For MMO's and other basic computing, you could definitely do well with an $800 budget for a new laptop.


Thanks my debate right now is really to go with the ASUS X550LN-DB71 or the Lenovo Y40. Both seem to be almost around the same level and both are priced the same right now.
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August 5, 2014 8:58:19 PM

fezz4734 said:


Thanks my debate right now is really to go with the ASUS X550LN-DB71 or the Lenovo Y40. Both seem to be almost around the same level and both are priced the same right now.


Well it looks like the X550LN has a 720p screen, while the Y40 has a 1080p screen. Asus is an inch bigger and weighs a third of a pound more. In that aspect, Lenovo seems to have the upper hand. Both have the same Intel i7 processor. For graphics, I couldn't say which is better since I'm not experienced in mobile GPU's, much less AMD GPU's. I looked up benchmarks for both cards, but I can't find any for the AMD card, neither for m275 (which I'm assuming is an OEM part) nor the m270. Someone compared the AMD card to a lesser NVIDIA card, so perhaps the Asus has the advantage in that department.
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August 5, 2014 11:22:41 PM

mackneasy said:
fezz4734 said:


Thanks my debate right now is really to go with the ASUS X550LN-DB71 or the Lenovo Y40. Both seem to be almost around the same level and both are priced the same right now.


Well it looks like the X550LN has a 720p screen, while the Y40 has a 1080p screen. Asus is an inch bigger and weighs a third of a pound more. In that aspect, Lenovo seems to have the upper hand. Both have the same Intel i7 processor. For graphics, I couldn't say which is better since I'm not experienced in mobile GPU's, much less AMD GPU's. I looked up benchmarks for both cards, but I can't find any for the AMD card, neither for m275 (which I'm assuming is an OEM part) nor the m270. Someone compared the AMD card to a lesser NVIDIA card, so perhaps the Asus has the advantage in that department.


The graphics seem to be similar after trying to find other cards like it. Not sure which to go for. Both are at a decent price and y40 will be that price for only 1 more day. Can't really find reviews on the Asus, if only the y50 goes down in price then I would probably get that one for sure. They just seem really close in comparison except for the screen which almost doesn't really matter to me personally.

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a b 4 Gaming
August 6, 2014 3:13:50 AM

The r9 275m should perform about the same as a gtx 760m or slightly faster. I would really go for the y40, even though I can't find any reviews for the laptop. (Well one, but it's not very professional. (http://laptopbuyingguide.org/lenovo-y40-review))
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August 6, 2014 2:26:58 PM

Ytyoussef said:
The r9 275m should perform about the same as a gtx 760m or slightly faster. I would really go for the y40, even though I can't find any reviews for the laptop. (Well one, but it's not very professional. (http://laptopbuyingguide.org/lenovo-y40-review))



Yea I can't really find any reviews on these kinds of laptops except a few here and there. Some people say the Y40 is good and some just didn't like its performance. Both Asus and Y40 seem almost the same. Not sure which to really go for
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a b 4 Gaming
August 6, 2014 2:33:02 PM

I wouldn't go for a laptop with anything less than 1600x900, and the y40 has a more powerful graphics card even though you won't see much difference as the lenovo uses a 1080p screen. It's really up to you anyway.
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August 6, 2014 4:12:42 PM

Ytyoussef said:
I wouldn't go for a laptop with anything less than 1600x900, and the y40 has a more powerful graphics card even though you won't see much difference as the lenovo uses a 1080p screen. It's really up to you anyway.


Yea I know, my gut tells me don't settle for the Y40 though, so I would go for the Asus but if the Y50 goes for 900 like it did one time I would probably get that one for sure. Other than that I don't know too much about the Y40 :/ 
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a b 4 Gaming
August 7, 2014 12:43:53 AM

Its the y50's little brother it's probably not bad and it is definitely better than the Asus spec-wise
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