[IGN] Gaming Laptops Are a Better Deal Than The Xbox Ally X

And laptops are a much more of an easy "dockable" experience compared to these PC handhelds. Just plug a hdmi cable into your tv and you're good to go.
That's exactly what I do with my Steam Deck…

This article is stupidly even by IGN standard. It's almost like they cannot comprehend people want portability?
 
This is so daft, even for IGN. Both are totally different devices suited for different purposes.

Value wise (for hardware) these high end handheld PC's suck though for what you're paying.
 
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wait till they find out about desktop PCs!
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You can also buy a small second hand car for less but neither is a suitable replacement if you want a handheld gaming machine.
As a gaming and productivity machine, a 1 TB ThinkPad has way more value.
A good car is way more expensive.
 
As a gaming and productivity machine, a 1 TB ThinkPad has way more value.
A good car is way more expensive.
My point was a Thinkpad is a completely different product to a handheld gaming machine, they are not even comparable.

If I wanted a gaming laptop a think pad would be my last choice, similarly if i wanted to game on the shitter I wouldn't choose a Thinkpad.

No one is walking into their local hardware retailer after an Ally and walking out with a Thinkpad.
 
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They serve different purposes.

I do agree that the PC handheld prices in general are getting out of line and you could be served with a laptop with better specs for similar.

Hell for the cost of some of these you could get a cheaper laptop and a steam deck.
 
Yes and no. I usually do portable gaming on the bed with a massive powerbank on the side. I cant really do that with a laptop with the underside needing airflow. Add to that you really need to be plugged in to get the most power out of it... yeah portable handhelds are the better of the two.
 
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Yes and no. I usually do portable gaming on the bed with a massive powerbank on the side. I cant really do that with a laptop with the underside needing airflow. Add to that you really need to be plugged in to get the most power out of it... yeah portable handhelds are the better of the two.

The cooling is one of the lings I like best about tablets over traditional laptops. With the keyboard attached, they actually sit fine on my lap and on a blanket but all the hardware and cooling happens up in the tablet where it has as much airflow as if it was on a table. I forget about that. I wouldnt want a regular laptop going full tilt plugged in sitting on a blanket.
 
A true gaming device must have a gaming OS, proper inputs and optimization - not just a powerful GPU added at the last moment.
That's a load of bollocks but another argument. You said neither handheld gaming PC nor gaming laptops are not made with gaming in mind when that's exactly what they are.

You think they stick a GPU in a gaming laptop "at the last moment"? lmfao.
 
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That's a load of bollocks but another argument. You said neither handheld gaming PC nor gaming laptops are not made with gaming in mind when that's exactly what they are.

You think they stick a GPU in a gaming laptop "at the last minute" lmfao.
I meant windows, to be precise.

I'm sorry if I accidentally ruined your illusory world of fake gaming devices!
 
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I meant windows devices, to be precise.
I have 2 gaming laptops all built exactly for the purpose of gaming. The chassis, the cooling system, CPU, & GPU are all selected or designed with gaming in mind. One boots into Steam big picture, a gaming interface. All have "proper inputs" and bar the odd outlier, run very well.

Steam OS, a gaming OS no less can be installed on a handheld.

So no, your wrong when you said they are not built with gaming in mind.
 
I have 2 gaming laptops all built exactly for the purpose of gaming. The chassis, the cooling system, CPU, & GPU are all selected or designed with gaming in mind. One boots into Steam big picture, a gaming interface. All have "proper inputs" and bar the odd outlier, run very well.

Steam OS, a gaming OS no less can be installed on a handheld.

So no, your wrong when you said they are not built with gaming in mind.
I'm not familiar with SteamOS, but seemingly yes - it's a gaming OS well-suited for portables.
 
And a desktop is a better deal than both 😂 where's the big revelation? Just a stupid comparison, not to say the ALLY X is great value mind you.
 
I remember getting a high end gaming laptop back in early 2008. It was thick as a brick, and as noisy as a OG PS4.
Kinda regretted that, but it did play Crysis very nice!

Only reason i'd ever get another gaming laptop would be if I relapse on my old Football Manager addiction and need to be able to play that wherever I go. I really hope I don't!
 
I remember getting a high end gaming laptop back in early 2008. It was thick as a brick, and as noisy as a OG PS4.
Kinda regretted that, but it did play Crysis very nice!

Only reason i'd ever get another gaming laptop would be if I relapse on my old Football Manager addiction and need to be able to play that wherever I go. I really hope I don't!
Think I had an Alienware around that time, thing was a monster. Not my best purchase ever I'll admit but certainly played Crysis well lol.
 
Think I had an Alienware around that time, thing was a monster. Not my best purchase ever I'll admit but certainly played Crysis well lol.
Hehe, yeah "playing Crysis well" was important back then. When I finally sat with it, and it played well on my thick jetplane-sounding laptop, I realised how silly and inconvenient that purchase was.
 
Hehe, yeah "playing Crysis well" was important back then. When I finally sat with it, and it played well on my thick jetplane-sounding laptop, I realised how silly and inconvenient that purchase was.
I fly and travel a lot for work, I swear lugging that fucker around has made me lobsided later in life.

These days I can balance my 14" gaming laptop on one finger, progress eh?
 
My point was a Thinkpad is a completely different product to a handheld gaming machine, they are not even comparable.

If I wanted a gaming laptop a think pad would be my last choice, similarly if i wanted to game on the shitter I wouldn't choose a Thinkpad.

No one is walking into their local hardware retailer after an Ally and walking out with a Thinkpad.
The build quality in a ThinkPad is way better than any gaming laptop. People buy ThinkPad due to its reliability.
 
The kind of games suited for a handheld like Steam Deck can be played on a ThinkPad.
Yeah your right, cant wait to bust out my thinkpad on the bus or while having a crap. Good call.

Like I said earlier, completely different products with completely different functionality. Again im really not sure what the argument is here.
 
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Right now, I'd get one of those new Strix Halo handelds with 64GB RAM & 4TB of storage and use it in docked desktop mode and still have the option of handheld play, rather than a low end laptop with a weak GPU.

...the iGPU in the SH is about as fast as a laptop 4060, 5050, 5060 in docked mode when upping the TDP to 80w or more.
 
Yeah your right, cant wait to bust out my thinkpad on the bus or while having a crap. Good call.

Like I said earlier, completely different products with completely different functionality. Again im really not sure what the argument is here.
But if you get the one with 1 TB SSD, you have enough space to dual boot Linux. Way more value for money.
 
But if you get the one with 1 TB SSD, you have enough space to dual boot Linux. Way more value for money.
Fuck me you are just not getting it are you. Ive got better things to do and one of them isn't gaming on the move with a laptop.
 
Fuck me you are just not getting it are you. Ive got better things to do and one of them isn't gaming on the move with a laptop.
Steam Deck, Switch 2 and upcoming Playstation handheld are more than enough for that.
 
absolutely not. a laptop doesn't have the same functionality as a handheld. the power consumption alone makes them unfit for mobile play, and they are insanely bulky.
the PS Portal is 100% identical in use and function as a phone + clip + controller. with the only difference being that it can do more than just PS remote play... which in and of itself is also just not good 🤣
Yeah it does it's just a little less portable but still portable and the laptop does more too.
 
And desktop PCs are a better deal than laptops. What an stupid take. Portability always comes at the expense of everything else.
 
I have no idea what your point is here. You seem to suggest earlier a Thinkpad is a better, cheaper option than an Ally.

Maybe i have the wrong end of the stick because your dont seem to have a point to argue.
 
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The value of $1000 PC handheld is crazy poor given how fast these SOCs become obsolete

Of course a gaming laptop has better value

Even an iPad offers better value
 
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I get that the beauty of these is that you get a whole ass PC in your hands, which I think is pretty awesome. I still kind of want one.

The thing about these handhelds is that they're still so big you'll need to carry them in a bag, so I just as soon put a thin gaming laptop and Nintendo handheld in the bag instead.

The laptop isn't dependent on anything you can't carry to un-nerf itself, you can drop it on a coffee table and have a big display and full physical keyboard, along with a "normal" PC experience for non-gaming. Of course if it weren't for Switch the handhelds would be more tantalizing, but the two items are so complementary I can't justify a handheld that just plays Steam games worse than my laptop.
 
I have no idea what your point is here. You seem to suggest earlier a Thinkpad is a better, cheaper option than an Ally.

Maybe i have the wrong end of the stick because your dont seem to have a point to argue.
It is more value for money.
 
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