Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in
Your question
Solved

Buying a gaming laptop.

Tags:
  • Laptops
  • Gaming
  • Team
Last response: in Opinions and Experiences
Share
April 30, 2014 3:34:49 PM

Hi Team,

I would really like to hear your advice on a new laptop. I am not very fluent in brands or models unfortunately. My budget is 1400$ maximum.

I usually don't mind playing on low, but recently I got kind of bored of that, so if you can give me an advice on a laptop which can run Crysis 3 and EVE-online on decent settings, it would be much appreciated.

Found the list of basic questions btw:

1. What is your budget?
1400$ is a maximum. Not an absolute, but I can provide for only a small deviation unfortunately.

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
Does't really matter. As long as I can put it in a backpack and it does not weight 10kg.

3. What screen resolution do you want?
Again does not matter. Smaller is better of course, but performance is needed a lot more.

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
This will be used primarily for games and schoolwork. So I suppose more of a desktop replacement.

5. How much battery life do you need?
Doesn't really matter. Most of the time it will be plugged in.

6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low,Medium or High)?
Yes. Crysis 3, EVE-Online. The higher the better of course.

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, Etc.)
I sometimes do small tasks on Photoshop and 3dsmax, but again gaming performance is much more prioritized than other things.

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
Doesn't really matter. I know how to use a screwdriver and how to replace a hard drive. I already have a few 120 ssd anyway. Other stuff I keep on external 2tb hdd.

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
No specifics I am afraid.

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
My last one was with me for 4 years... so yeah, around there somewhere...

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
I Don't really need one really. I'd rather stick another ssd in it's place.

12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons.
I do not have a brand preferance. I heard that asus and msi are pretty decent, that sony vaio is ok, but replacements and fixing is a pain. But whether thats true or not I don't know.

13. What country do you live in?
UK\Russia

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed.
-

Cheers.

More about : buying gaming laptop

a b 4 Gaming
April 30, 2014 3:38:07 PM

Does it have to be a laptop, just wondering as you will get MUCH more performance from your money if it was a desktop.
m
0
l
April 30, 2014 3:40:49 PM

IRyannHD said:
Does it have to be a laptop, just wondering as you will get MUCH more performance from your money if it was a desktop.


Unfortunately it has to be a laptop. I do not have enough space for a desktop, not to mention that I cannot put it in a bag and go to uni with it.
m
0
l
Related resources
April 30, 2014 3:47:07 PM

i would suggest the asus g55.
m
0
l
a b 4 Gaming
April 30, 2014 3:53:37 PM

Korder said:
IRyannHD said:
Does it have to be a laptop, just wondering as you will get MUCH more performance from your money if it was a desktop.


Unfortunately it has to be a laptop. I do not have enough space for a desktop, not to mention that I cannot put it in a bag and go to uni with it.


ok, that would look pretty weird i suppose lol, then something like the Asus g55 like oatis said is ideal.
m
0
l
a b D Laptop
a b 4 Gaming
April 30, 2014 3:56:40 PM

agreed. a desktop will give you quite a significant boost in performance for the same cash as any laptop. if space is a concern you could go with a mini tower sized build.

if it must be a laptop... i would suggest looking at the asus rog gaming laptops. you can get them with a 780m gpu. they are pretty solid and normally run about $1000.

you could get an origin notebook or some other brand but for more cash you will have a laptop with a smaller screen size, more ram than you actually need, and other things which take up cash which could be used for components.

if you get the asus... throw your own ssd into it and reinstall and you're good to go. they come with two hdd bays. or you could buy one with them installed already (but it costs more to do that)
m
0
l
April 30, 2014 3:57:39 PM

Lenovo has a pretty good laptop for around 1200. The Y510p, has dual graphics, core I7.....
m
0
l
a b D Laptop
a b 4 Gaming
April 30, 2014 3:58:27 PM

on another note:

if you have space for a laptop, you have space for a mini desktop. you could build a mini-itx system and leave it at your dorm and just take a small netbook to college and back.

i doubt you will need "gaming" performance for college unless of course you are in a gaming field. that would give you the best of both worlds. something small to travel with and something powerful to game with. should be doable for $1400
m
0
l
April 30, 2014 4:04:12 PM

So If you have to carry it asus is probably out. Couldn't find the most up to date g55 and the g75 is way do big to carry around. so here is another option.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Any laptop with a quadcore i7 and nividia graphics should run any modern games.
m
0
l
a b D Laptop
a b 4 Gaming
April 30, 2014 4:07:37 PM

@oatis13
my brother hikes the g75 to and from work every single day. its not bad at all.
m
0
l
April 30, 2014 4:09:26 PM

I agree with oatis, Asus makes great gaming laptops...and so does Alienware. Both of these manufacturers feature AMD and Intel processors

Here is a link to a recent article by PC Mag about "Best Gaming Laptop 2014": http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2020688,00.asp (perhaps this will give a good idea for where to start).

Now, AMD is known for its APUs (Accelerated Processing Unit), which is a processor that has both the graphics processor (GPU) and the central processing unit (CPU) on one chip. The APUs have had a great track record since they enable both: everyday computing (streaming videos, music, web browsing as well as your day to day computing needs) and gaming. In short, I suggest you look into laptops that feature an A-Series APU, I think you'll like what you'll find. And most importantly, you'll find that they are less expensive than most, as AMD is known to offer a better price-per-perfomance value.

Here is a link to the official AMD Laptops: http://shop.amd.com/us/All/Search?SearchFacets=category...
m
0
l
April 30, 2014 4:12:09 PM

ssddx said:
on another note:

if you have space for a laptop, you have space for a mini desktop. you could build a mini-itx system and leave it at your dorm and just take a small netbook to college and back.

i doubt you will need "gaming" performance for college unless of course you are in a gaming field. that would give you the best of both worlds. something small to travel with and something powerful to game with. should be doable for $1400


Basically I need a laptop, so no desktop alternatives unfortunately.
m
0
l
a b D Laptop
a b 4 Gaming
April 30, 2014 4:12:14 PM

you dont want an a-series cpu for gaming. i do agree that they do have impressive gpu performance for being on-chip... they are still a far cry from being what is needed for gaming.

also... alienware is dell. not so sure how you feel about that. dell is known to cheap out here or there in their systems. the ops call on that.
m
0
l
April 30, 2014 4:12:22 PM

do you know what bag he uses i have had mine for 3 years now and still haven't found a bag big enough
m
0
l
a b D Laptop
a b 4 Gaming
April 30, 2014 4:15:49 PM

@korder

your choice of course, no pressure here. while true that you cant pack a desktop in a bag... you can still have one the size of a lunchbox. just trying to give you the best performance possible for the money spent. a desktop will be at least 30-40% more powerful for the cash.
m
0
l

Best solution

a b D Laptop
a b 4 Gaming
April 30, 2014 4:17:17 PM

@oatis13
this bag fits the asus g75 perfectly. its the one my brother has owned for about a year and the one he goes to work back and forth with.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZWN8YA/ref=oh_deta...
Share
April 30, 2014 4:22:18 PM

Warsam71 said:
I agree with oatis, Asus makes great gaming laptops...and so does Alienware. Both of these manufacturers feature AMD and Intel processors

Here is a link to a recent article by PC Mag about "Best Gaming Laptop 2014": http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2020688,00.asp (perhaps this will give a good idea for where to start).

Now, AMD is known for its APUs (Accelerated Processing Unit), which is a processor that has both the graphics processor (GPU) and the central processing unit (CPU) on one chip. The APUs have had a great track record since they enable both: everyday computing (streaming videos, music, web browsing as well as your day to day computing needs) and gaming. In short, I suggest you look into laptops that feature an A-Series APU, I think you'll like what you'll find. And most importantly, you'll find that they are less expensive than most, as AMD is known to offer a better price-per-perfomance value.

Here is a link to the official AMD Laptops: http://shop.amd.com/us/All/Search?SearchFacets=category...


Thank you for the links, I am yet to go through all of the content, but can any of you give opinion on this razer blade laptop (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2421240,00.asp)? Seems quite good (from my inexperienced point of view tho)

m
0
l
a b D Laptop
a b 4 Gaming
April 30, 2014 4:27:54 PM

@korder

for $2000 msrp....

-you arent getting a 1080p screen
-you arent getting an optical drive
-you arent getting the highest end gpu (other cheaper laptops have a 780m this has a 765m)
-its only a 14 inch size (you can get bigger for the price)

its also made by razer which is only a so-so quality company at best. your choice of course... but i would personally avoid it.
m
0
l
April 30, 2014 4:31:24 PM

it's a good laptop but you said that your budget was $1400. The blade would be a good buy if you could spare the extra change
m
0
l
a b D Laptop
a b 4 Gaming
April 30, 2014 4:34:08 PM

@oatis
curious... how so? you can get better specs for cheaper elsewhere. its $6-700 overpriced. for the hardware it has.
m
0
l
April 30, 2014 4:44:34 PM

It's an ultrabook with gaming potential. the only other laptop that small that can run games is a macbook pro running windows
m
0
l
April 30, 2014 4:46:44 PM

Hi Korder,
I stand firm on my recommendation and you'll be the ultimate decision maker ;-)

That being said, here is what I normally do when thinking about buying a new PC or Laptop:

1. Ask forum members. As you can see TH has lots of members that have a lot of experience and great suggestion, it's a great place to start! :-) (By the way, I agree with oatis13 again about the Blade, specifically about the 14" display, it's just too small for gaming in my opinion, I'd look into a 17")
2. Look up the information you find from the forum(s)
3. Look up user/buyer reviews - to me, this is crucial
4. Select a etailer/retailer
5. Purchase
m
0
l
!