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Gamer-approved laptop recommendation thread

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That's one expensive battery.....

The 6630M can actually game though. It isn't too much slower than the GT 540M.
 
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product...spx?path=8d341dd6fd1bcc851a525628a54adc8fen02

This seems like a good price, yeah? (I can't believe I still haven't picked one to buy yet... sigh)

Now I'm starting to worry about things like screen resolution and hard drive speed.

Some friend of mine was telling me that 1366 x 768 resolution would be terrible for making music on for some reason..

Also, this laptop has a 5400 rpm hard drive... does that matter that much? Should I hold out for a laptop that has a 7200 one?
 
added_time said:
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product...spx?path=8d341dd6fd1bcc851a525628a54adc8fen02

This seems like a good price, yeah? (I can't believe I still haven't picked one to buy yet... sigh)

Now I'm starting to worry about things like screen resolution and hard drive speed.

Some friend of mine was telling me that 1366 x 768 resolution would be terrible for making music on for some reason..

Also, this laptop has a 5400 rpm hard drive... does that matter that much? Should I hold out for a laptop that has a 7200 one?
Click to expand...
Problem is, you have to spend ~$1k to get away from 1366 res screens, otherwise you're stuck with that.

HDD speed mattering depends on what you do, and how much you care. That's the one component in a notebook which can be upgraded later on for pretty cheaply.

Johnlenham said:
Looks like what im after to the letter, shame I cant find it in the UK :(
Click to expand...

How much are you looking to spend, in Euros?
 
K.Jack said:
How much are you looking to spend, in Euros?
Click to expand...

Well £500-600 I guess which is around 600 to 700 Euro.

Ideally 14-15" and not ugly as sin (which seems to be pretty hard!)
Mostly for replacing my old as hell desktop, creating music mixes (5.1 out would be nice) and being able to play games like Witcher 2 would be a big bonus!
 
I'm planning on getting a sager laptop when they update to have optimus with the top cards sometime in April, but are there any other alternatives I should consider (eg, switchable graphics with a strong graphics card - not interested in Alienware)?
 
I'm pretty sure the answer to this is no, but I wanted to ask anyway. Is it possible to upgrade the graphics card in my Toshiba Qosmio Satellite with something newer?
 
Hello everyone. Quite new to PC gaming, I was wondering if the following laptop is sufficient to play modern games like Skyrim on pretty settings with good performance.

HP Pavilion dv6-6b12ej
Intel Core i7-2670QM
8GB DDR3
1000GB
Full High-Definition 15.6"
AMD Radeon HD 6770M 2GB DDR5
 
Any gaming laptops with performance similar to the G53SW but without the size and weight? I really liked the G53 but the size and weight is too much for me since I travel a lot. A 15 inch+ screen and the 1900x1080 resolution are preferred. I'll probably play Old Republic and Diablo 3 on it.
 
K.Jack said:
Problem is, you have to spend ~$1k to get away from 1366 res screens, otherwise you're stuck with that.

HDD speed mattering depends on what you do, and how much you care. That's the one component in a notebook which can be upgraded later on for pretty cheaply.
Click to expand...

Alright... what if I bump up my spending limit to like $1400. Would that make a difference? I love the specs of the first laptop you showed me. That is still the best one I've seen. If I could get something like that or better with a higher resolution then I think I will jump on it.

Also that is really good to know about the HDD. I didn't realize it was so easy and cheap to upgrade it later in a laptop.


edit: actually this kinda looks like similar specs to the other computer but has a much better resolution and doesn't even really cost that much more.. what do you think?
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=710_577_369&item_id=042682
 
I just saw an ad of 17,3" HP dv7-6b40eo for 799€ with the following parts:
  • AMD A6-3410MX APU (quad core)
  • Radeon HD 6755G2 Dual (1GB DDR5 memory)
  • 6GB system memory

How does the CPU compare to Intel i7 2670QM 2.2GHz, and the GPU to Nvidia GT 540M (1GB)?

I guess there's no big difference between systems with 6GB and 8GB of memory, when it comes to gaming and regular use?
 
Johnlenham said:
Well £500-600 I guess which is around 600 to 700 Euro.

Ideally 14-15" and not ugly as sin (which seems to be pretty hard!)
Mostly for replacing my old as hell desktop, creating music mixes (5.1 out would be nice) and being able to play games like Witcher 2 would be a big bonus!
Click to expand...

Is this ugly?
Plumbob said:
I'm planning on getting a sager laptop when they update to have optimus with the top cards sometime in April, but are there any other alternatives I should consider (eg, switchable graphics with a strong graphics card - not interested in Alienware)?
Click to expand...

No.
Zeal said:
I'm pretty sure the answer to this is no, but I wanted to ask anyway. Is it possible to upgrade the graphics card in my Toshiba Qosmio Satellite with something newer?
Click to expand...

No
Cromat said:
Hello everyone. Quite new to PC gaming, I was wondering if the following laptop is sufficient to play modern games like Skyrim on pretty settings with good performance.

HP Pavilion dv6-6b12ej
Intel Core i7-2670QM
8GB DDR3
1000GB
Full High-Definition 15.6"
AMD Radeon HD 6770M 2GB DDR5
Click to expand...
6770M = 9800 GT so I guess it would be pretty well at 720p
Ken said:
Any gaming laptops with performance similar to the G53SW but without the size and weight?
Click to expand...
Nope. Maybe when the next-gen of mobile graphics comes out.
added_time said:
edit: actually this kinda looks like similar specs to the other computer but has a much better resolution and doesn't even really cost that much more.. what do you think?
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=710_577_369&item_id=042682
Click to expand...

1080p? I'd buy that instead.

Melchiah said:
I just saw an ad of 17,3" HP dv7-6b40eo for 799€ with the following parts:
  • AMD A6-3410MX APU (quad core)
  • Radeon HD 6755G2 Dual (1GB DDR5 memory)
  • 6GB system memory

How does the CPU compare to Intel i7 2670QM 2.2GHz, and the GPU to Nvidia GT 540M (1GB)?

I guess there's no big difference between systems with 6GB and 8GB of memory, when it comes to gaming and regular use?
Click to expand...

The CPU will equal an entry level Core i5, at best.

The 6750M is 30% faster than the 540M though, so I'd still consider it.

Chinner said:
this isn't so much about a gamer-laptop as just as much a laptop.

my friends laptop is fucked and he needs one. whats the best you can get for 500 quid?

http://www.novatech.co.uk/laptop/ra...ium=affiliate&utm_campaign=1503186_Skimbit+UK
http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_5742G_1070068.html
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005U9Y9YY/
which of these are good?

any other better suggestions?
Click to expand...

If battery life matters, I'd take option #2.

LeleSocho said:
How much time should I wait to see ivy bridge laptops?
Click to expand...

April/May at the earliest, is what Intel says.
 
K.Jack said:
Nope. Maybe when the next-gen of mobile graphics comes out.
Click to expand...

Aw, thanks though. Would you have any laptop suggestions with a 15 inch screen with 1920x1080 resolution that can play games like Old Republic at medium settings then? I guess I don't really need the gaming performance of the G53 since I do more console gaming, but I'd still like something that can play a few PC games decently but doesn't weigh a ton.
 
Ken said:
Aw, thanks though. Would you have any laptop suggestions with a 15 inch screen with 1920x1080 resolution that can play games like Old Republic at medium settings then? I guess I don't really need the gaming performance of the G53 since I do more console gaming, but I'd still like something that can play a few PC games decently but doesn't weigh a ton.
Click to expand...

What's your max weight?
 
K.Jack said:
What's your max weight?
Click to expand...

Something around or under 8~10 lbs (I guess the Asus is about 8?), but I guess I'm more concerned with the dimensions of the laptop. The G53 just took up a lot of space in my bag with how it's shaped (like the extra inches on the back for the vents).
 
My ASUS G74 came in yesterday. I really like it and can't wait to play other stuff other than wow on it. Thanks K. Jack
 
Loto said:
My ASUS G74 came in yesterday. I really like it and can't wait to play other stuff other than wow on it. Thanks K. Jack
Click to expand...

Had my G74 for a week now. Loving it so far. Glad to finally get out of 2005. It's a beast of a machine though, it's not ever moving from my desk.
 
This is the Asus G74 you guys got, correct? I'm not incredibly familiar with laptops, but from what I've gathered reading this thread, if I want a very capable (not necessarily top-of-the-line) laptop I want a i7 processor and 540m or up graphics card? I was checking that laptop out at Best Buy today and it seemed great but wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something before making the plunge. It's not the most eye-catching laptop I've seen but size isn't really an issue.
 
cr_blah_blah said:
This is the Asus G74 you guys got, correct? I'm not incredibly familiar with laptops, but from what I've gathered reading this thread, if I want a very capable (not necessarily top-of-the-line) laptop I want a i7 processor and 540m or up graphics card? I was checking that laptop out at Best Buy today and it seemed great but wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something before making the plunge. It's not the most eye-catching laptop I've seen but size isn't really an issue.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much the one I have, except mine came with the 2630. And I really like the understated look. Much rather have that then glossy plastic and LED's all over the place.
 
Desibabu said:
Had my G74 for a week now. Loving it so far. Glad to finally get out of 2005. It's a beast of a machine though, it's not ever moving from my desk.
Click to expand...

From my experience I always found that Asus notebooks do a much, much better job with heat than other brands.

Is this the case with the G74 as well? Need a new lappy and I've been thinking about this one.
 
sn1pes said:
Ordered one of these today and will be here tomorrow. Was looking for something sleek, powerful, good battery life but could play a game when travelling or in a pinch.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005J2JE4C/?tag=neogaf0e-20

There were only a few left when I ordered and looks like they are out temporarily. Very excited to get mine tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Nice. I just picked up a similar model today - the 3830TG-6412, which is a 13.3" version and an i3 instead of an i5. Oddly enough, it has a slightly larger hard drive than the i5 models sold in other countries (750GB). I've only mucked around with a few games but I've been quite surprised with how well it performs, especially at its current price.

Can't link now as Staples' site is down, but any Canadians interested in it can pick it up for $480 at the moment.

2.2Ghz i3, 4GB memory, 750GB drive, GeForce 540M, etc. It's rated at 8 hours for battery life but I have my doubts there.

It's got a really solid feel to it, the build quality is fantastic for a sub-$500 laptop even if the only metal on it is on the lid itself. My only gripe is the silly international/french keyboard, as I use the left shift key almost exclusively and having it chopped in half is a pain.

E9J0b.jpg


edit for link at Staples
 
i've had the G74 for a little over a month now and i've gotta say this thing is a BEAST! i run Skyrim at near max settings with the shadows and reflections low and it's running at 60FPS pretty consistently. i love how low the temperature is on the CPU and GPU and the matte finish is really nice! also helps that i got it for 860 bucks (G74-BBK7 model)
 
Just a quick follow-up question:
Buying the Asus from Amazon for $100 more than the Best Buy one would be worth it considering the amount of ram (16 to 8) and VRAM (3 to 2), correct? According to a reviewer the 560m from BB is the 128 bits one, is that a big issue and, if so, is there anyway to know if the Amazon is too (on a BB review someone mentions it but no word from Amazon reviewers). I really appreciate the help.
 
GAF :

My little brother got my Vaio with a 5650 mobility in it, from what I remember I'm not able to update my gpu/ catalyst drivers and have to resort to ( old >:( ) vaio-specific drivers.

What can I do? I want the latest and "best" drivers.
 
Ken said:
Something around or under 8~10 lbs (I guess the Asus is about 8?), but I guess I'm more concerned with the dimensions of the laptop. The G53 just took up a lot of space in my bag with how it's shaped (like the extra inches on the back for the vents).
Click to expand...

Yeah the G53 is 8 pounds. You may want to look at the Sager NP8130. It's 6.8lbs and has a much smaller footprint at its rear end.
cr_blah_blah said:
Just a quick follow-up question:
Buying the Asus from Amazon for $100 more than the Best Buy one would be worth it considering the amount of ram (16 to 8) and VRAM (3 to 2), correct? According to a reviewer the 560m from BB is the 128 bits one, is that a big issue and, if so, is there anyway to know if the Amazon is too (on a BB review someone mentions it but no word from Amazon reviewers). I really appreciate the help.
Click to expand...

Best Buy is the only place selling a G74 which comes with the 128-bit GTX 560M, and yes, that is a big deal.

Technically speaking 192-bit = VRAM in 1.5GB increments, which is why every other version has 3GB.

Corky said:
GAF :

My little brother got my Vaio with a 5650 mobility in it, from what I remember I'm not able to update my gpu/ catalyst drivers and have to resort to ( old >:( ) vaio-specific drivers.

What can I do? I want the latest and "best" drivers.
Click to expand...
I don't think there's a workaround. Sony opts out of AMDs driver program, so only their OEM drivers are compatible.
 
Guys, i need help.

My brother needs a hdd for his hp laptop.

Prices are insane for 2.5" hdds, but for some reason externals aren't as expensive.

I know that WD recently started using non-standard 2.5" hdds in their external lineup, but what about toshiba?
I'd like to just buy an external and take it apart if its cheaper..

Does anyone know if this hdd is a standard 2.5"?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005J7YA64/?tag=neogaf0e-20
 
IMACOMPUTA said:
Guys, i need help.

My brother needs a hdd for his hp laptop.

Prices are insane for 2.5" hdds, but for some reason externals aren't as expensive.

I know that WD recently started using non-standard 2.5" hdds in their external lineup, but what about toshiba?
I'd like to just buy an external and take it apart if its cheaper..

Does anyone know if this hdd is a standard 2.5"?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005J7YA64/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Click to expand...

You could always contact their support via email and ask them.
 
I'm trying to decide whether to get a laptop as my next rig. My PC, while fairly newly upgraded, is unstable is fuck and I'm sick off all the problems that seem to come from the behemoth.

I've never owned a laptop before and wonder how they function as a primary gaming rig. Something I can hook up to my TV and even, perhaps, my sound system? Or just get a big monitor?

What system gives the best value for high end gaming (future proofing)?

thanks!
 
These are my current picks for a cheap WoW/SWTOR laptop:

Toshiba AMD Quad Core 3400M / Radeon 6520 / 4GB RAM - $508

Acer Aspire Intel Core i3 2.4 Ghz / Geforce 520M / 4GB RAM - $479.99

HP AMD A-Series Processor (can't find clock speed) / Radeon 6520G with 2GB / 4GB RAM - $379 at Best Buy midnight sale (starts tonight)

The Toshiba appeals to me because I could pick it up locally from Wal-Mart, though after sales taxes I guess that'd push the price up to around $550.

The Acer looks cool for $479, since there's no sales tax on NewEgg stuff and I could buy a 1 year extended warranty for less than the price of the Toshiba.

The HP model appeals to me mostly because it's cheap and has pretty much the same graphics setup as more expensive models. However I'm not sure what's up with the processor. And after taxes it would be closer to $407....which is only 80 bucks less than the Acer. Is the Acer really $80 better, though?

Is there anywhere else I should try looking? eBay? Best Buy Private Auctions? Craigslist?
 
border said:
These are my current picks for a cheap WoW/SWTOR laptop:

Toshiba AMD Quad Core 3400M / Radeon 6520 / 4GB RAM - $508

Acer Aspire Intel Core i3 2.4 Ghz / Geforce 520M / 4GB RAM - $479.99

HP AMD A-Series Processor (can't find clock speed) / Radeon 6520G with 2GB / 4GB RAM - $379 at Best Buy midnight sale (starts tonight)

The Toshiba appeals to me because I could pick it up locally from Wal-Mart, though after sales taxes I guess that'd push the price up to around $550.

The Acer looks cool for $479, since there's no sales tax on NewEgg stuff and I could buy a 1 year extended warranty for less than the price of the Toshiba.

The HP model appeals to me mostly because it's cheap and has pretty much the same graphics setup as more expensive models. However I'm not sure what's up with the processor. And after taxes it would be closer to $407....which is only 80 bucks less than the Acer. Is the Acer really $80 better, though?

Is there anywhere else I should try looking? eBay? Best Buy Private Auctions? Craigslist?
Click to expand...

Googling the model number of the HP shows that the Processor is the A6-3400m just like the Toshiba.

The i3 370 and 520 score a little higher on average in benchmarks (2750 cpu and 5000gpu in 3dmark 06) compared to the AMD (2135 cpu and 4000gpu)
 
Hey GAF, what's the desktop equivalent of a GT520M?

It makes sense that I'm only getting 20FPS on BF3 low settings, right? Just want to make sure nothing's wrong with it. Didn't buy the laptop for gaming in the first place - just curious.
 
ChefRamsay said:
Hey GAF, what's the desktop equivalent of a GT520M?

It makes sense that I'm only getting 20FPS on BF3 low settings, right? Just want to make sure nothing's wrong with it. Didn't buy the laptop for gaming in the first place - just curious.
Click to expand...

Yes that would make sense if what I've read is correct.
 
border said:
It looks like this Acer Aspire isn't coming back in stock anytime soon.

Any other recommendations for a WoW/SWTOR-capable laptop around the $500 level?
Click to expand...

It's still around on Amazon, but it's going for $650. Is that way too much?

ChefRamsay said:
Hey GAF, what's the desktop equivalent of a GT520M?

It makes sense that I'm only getting 20FPS on BF3 low settings, right? Just want to make sure nothing's wrong with it. Didn't buy the laptop for gaming in the first place - just curious.
Click to expand...

It's actually pretty much a GT 520 with lower clocks.
 
K.Jack said:
Is this ugly?
Click to expand...

A little.. I kind of want something like an XPS14z or Mac (pro?) but there are so few options for 13" it sucks not to mention they are expensive.
I want to be able to take it around, get some good gaming use out of it but its mostly for replacing my desktop (used for music/internet/films and mixmeister) but with the apperance of HDMI out I dont see the point in huge screens!

Maybe im just impossible to please!
 
K.Jack said:
It's still around on Amazon, but it's going for $650. Is that way too much?
Click to expand...


Is it really worth the extra money, as compared to the other Acer I posted, or the HP machine? As far as I can tell, the only thing better about the $650 Acer is the processor. Though I'm not sure how much difference an i5 versus an i3 will make.

It's looking increasingly like this may strictly be a WoW machine, since my girlfriend seems to have little interest in SWTOR :)
 
border said:
Is it really worth the extra money, as compared to the other Acer I posted, or the HP machine? As far as I can tell, the only thing better about the $650 Acer is the processor. Though I'm not sure how much difference an i5 versus an i3 will make.

It's looking increasingly like this may strictly be a WoW machine, since my girlfriend seems to have little interest in SWTOR :)
Click to expand...

Its most definitely worth the extra money imo. I understand that you don't wanna spend too much, but you also dont want to buy the cheapest machine and then have a hard time playing most games.

The 540m compared to the 520m is almost twice as fast (8150 gpu score compared to 5000gpu score on 3dmark06) and the processor is a little better (3200 cpu compared to 2500)

In terms of average FPS in games for the cards.

Game - 520m - 540m
Skyrim (Low) - 28fps - 41fps
Battlefield 3 (Low) - 21 fps - 36fps
Crysis 2 (low) - 32 fps - 56 fps

To be honest, If i was looking to any type of gaming, even light gaming, I wouldn't go with anything lower than a 540m.
 
Boxing week sales are coming up, and I believe tomorrow, this Samsung will be on sale for $599. I'm not looking for anything major when it comes to gaming, just something to play my Steam collection which consists mostly of indie games, and a few somewhat recent releases, so nothing very taxing.

Anyway, is that a good deal, are Samsung laptops high quality? If not, is there any comparable laptops for around the same price or cheaper that anyone knows of?

Edit: How is this ASUS by comparison?

Edit2: Best Buy site is down to get ready for Boxing Day. The Samsung is a Q460 with an i5-2430M, NVIDIA GeForce GT540M with 1GB of Discrete Video Memory, 640GB HDD @ 5400 and 6GB of RAM.
 
This Steam sale has gotten me somewhat hooked on PC gaming... so I'm a complete virgin looking for some advice.

When we're talking laptops like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215191

Which have non-integrated graphics, am I going to be able to upgrade the graphics card down the line? I know with my shitty Intel HD that isn't possible.

Can I get a nice gaming laptop for under 600? Preferably closer to 500 but whatever. Understand that I don't expect a hardcore rig, but something that can run modern games. The stipulation is that it has to be on Amazon because I've got tons of Amazon credit and couldn't afford to buy it elsewhere. Any recommendations will be appreciated.
 
Okay guys, a friend who's waiting for approval asked me for help picking up a gaming laptop I thought I'd post this here and ask the pros for advice:

http://ncix.ca/products/?minorcatid=1323&po=0&ps=2

1199$ tops and he's already contemplating these

HP Pavilion DV6-6180US I7-2670QM 2.2G 6GB 750GB Radeon HD 6770M 15.6IN BT Lw W7HP 64BIT

Acer Aspire AS5951G-6879 I5-2410M 2.3GHZ 4GB 500GB 15.6IN GT555M 2GB DVDRW BT HDMI W7HP 64 Notebook

Acer Aspire AS7750G-9898 Intel Core I7-2670QM 6GB 750GB 17.3IN HD6850M 1GB BT DVDRW W7HP64 Notebook

Acer Aspire AS5951G-9816 Intel Core i7 2630 6GB 750GB 15.6IN GeForce GT555 DVDRW BT WIN7 HP Notebook

Acer Aspire AS7750G-9656 Intel Core i7 2630 8GB 2X500GB 17.3IN Radeon 6850 DVDRW WIN7 HP Notebook

ASUS N73SV-DH72 17.3IN FHD i7 2670QM 6GB 750GB GeForce 540 Blu Ray HDMI BT USB3.0 WIN7 Notebook

From personal experience I'd avoid any Acer but I don't know if they've gotten better so...

Any help is appreciated!
 
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