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[90TilInfinity]

I'm looking for a relatively portable-friendly laptop that has at least a decent power, enough to play something like Sim City (2013) on at least close to normal settings.

The one I have in mind right now is the HP Envy 6-1010sa. Here are the specs:

- Intel® Core™ i5-3317U (1.7 GHz, 2.4 GHz TurboBoost, 5 GT/s, 3 MB L3 cache memory)
- 4 GB RAM (1 x 4 GB) DDR3
Supports up to 8 GB DDR3
- Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit
- Intel HD Graphics 4000
- 1366 x 768
- 500 GB and 32 GB mSATA Solid State Drive
SATA + SSD
5400 rpm​

Would this do?

 

[K.Jack]

Haven't kept up with the laptop scene but I have a friend that is looking for a 13" laptop that can game at 720p fairly well (medium settings). He also says that if possible he would like the resolution to be 1920x1080. No budget. Any recommendations?

Edit: Saw the Asus Zenbook Prime with a 620M. It's got a 1080p screen and it looks gorgeous. I'm thinking about getting one myself now haha

Well the Zenbook UX32VD is the only 13" with both a 1080p screen and dedicated graphics, so that narrows the field.

My main concern with buying this machine as a gaming device, is that the GT 620M is a card with no longevity. The 620M (and 425M, 435M, 540M, and 630M; all the same core family) were good for Medium settings @ 720p/30fps a year ago. Today, you will be looking at ticking some settings to Low, and the prospects for next year's games are even worse. The ULV CPU doesn't help the matter, either.

I'd be looking at the Sonly VAIO S 13P. You'll have to compromise with the 1600x900 resolution, but the GT 640M LE is 3x faster than the GT 620M, and can last a couple years.

I need to get a nice gaming laptop.
Do you guys/gals recommend "Alienware M18x" ? Need a MinimuM screen of 17inch.
Price does not matter, but what I need is to play the latest games on it and keep it for couple of years. 2-4 years
Any of you had a good luck with those.
Never had a gaming laptop, what other brand do you recommend?

In 2-3 years, a single high-end mobile GPU will make the dual cards in a current M18x seem weak, and in a notebook which costs half as much. Plus it's huge so you hardly take it anywhere, and could have just gone with a desktop. That's why the $3k+ behemoths are almost always a losing proposition.

I think it would be better to take an M17x.

I'm looking for a relatively portable-friendly laptop that has at least a decent power, enough to play something like Sim City (2013) on at least close to normal settings.

The one I have in mind right now is the HP Envy 6-1010sa. Here are the specs:

- Intel® Core™ i5-3317U (1.7 GHz, 2.4 GHz TurboBoost, 5 GT/s, 3 MB L3 cache memory)
- 4 GB RAM (1 x 4 GB) DDR3
Supports up to 8 GB DDR3
- Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit
- Intel HD Graphics 4000
- 1366 x 768
- 500 GB and 32 GB mSATA Solid State Drive
SATA + SSD
5400 rpm​

Would this do?

Though it theoretically passes the generic specs posted in that link, it's my duty to say that the HD 4000 is trash, as far as gaming power goes. If you must have an Envy 6, consider the SKU which has an i5-2467M + AMD 7670M for the GPU.

 

[90TilInfinity]

Though it theoretically passes the generic specs posted in that link, it's my duty to say that the HD 4000 is trash, as far as gaming power goes. If you must have an Envy 6, consider the SKU which has an i5-2467M + AMD 7670M for the GPU.

Thanks for the response.

It doesn't need to be an Envy 6. Do you have any recommendations?

EDIT: The Gigabyte u2442n looks like it covers what I'm looking for:
(Intel Core I5-3210M 2.5/3.1GHz, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 750GB HDD, LAN, WLAN, BT, Webcam, 2GB nVidia GeForce GT640M, Windows 7, 14" screen, 1600x900, 1.66kg (3.66lbs)).

Little bit over budget but not too bad...

 

[stn]

I can't seem to find the general laptop thread, figured I'd post my questions here. Do you guys have any advice for cooling your laptop? I want to play some modern games but fear the heat output.

I was playing Saints Row 2 on very high, something that my machine is more than capable of doing. It heated up FAST. Anyway, any ideas? Do any of you game on your laptops for long periods without issue???

Thanks!

 

[K.Jack]

Thanks for the response.

It doesn't need to be an Envy 6. Do you have any recommendations?

EDIT: The Gigabyte u2442n looks like it covers what I'm looking for:
(Intel Core I5-3210M 2.5/3.1GHz, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 750GB HDD, LAN, WLAN, BT, Webcam, 2GB nVidia GeForce GT640M, Windows 7, 14" screen, 1600x900, 1.66kg (3.66lbs)).

Little bit over budget but not too bad...

Read this review. The screen seems to be its main weakness.

You should also consider the Sony VAIO S 13P, which I recommended a few posts up.

I can't seem to find the general laptop thread, figured I'd post my questions here. Do you guys have any advice for cooling your laptop? I want to play some modern games but fear the heat output.

I was playing Saints Row 2 on very high, something that my machine is more than capable of doing. It heated up FAST. Anyway, any ideas? Do any of you game on your laptops for long periods without issue???

Thanks!

So you're saying the chassis becomes hot to the touch?

- What laptop and specs do you have?
- What is it sitting on while you game?
- Have you monitored the CPU/GPU temps, with a program like HWMonitor?
- When was the last time you cleaned out the fans?

 

[terrisus]

Hi all. Sorry, I know I had posted in this thread a couple of months ago asking this question, but was moreso trying to get an idea at the time about what was realistic and to figure out what would be necessary, since, didn't actually have the money at the time, but was trying to figure out what I would need to be saving up toward. And, of course, now that the money is there, the laptop that I had been suggested before isn't available anymore. So, posting again hoping to get some suggestions.

Trying to figure out a laptop for a friend, who has been stuck on a 10" netbook for the past couple of years (so, needless to say, anything is a significant upgrade over that). Budget is around $500 (unless that's not realistic of course, but hoping to find something in that range). Trying to find a laptop that is at least capable of playing, for instance (not necessarily all a specific requirement, just in general), Left 4 Dead 2, The Walking Dead, Amnesia, Portal 2, Steam games, and stuff like that. Settings aren't important, it can be at lowest settings, and framerate isn't too critical either, as long as it's playable.

Sorry for having to ask this again (since I really did appreciate the help before), but this time it should actually be able to happen.

 

[K.Jack]

Hi all. Sorry, I know I had posted in this thread a couple of months ago asking this question, but was moreso trying to get an idea at the time about what was realistic and to figure out what would be necessary, since, didn't actually have the money at the time, but was trying to figure out what I would need to be saving up toward. And, of course, now that the money is there, the laptop that I had been suggested before isn't available anymore. So, posting again hoping to get some suggestions.

Trying to figure out a laptop for a friend, who has been stuck on a 10" netbook for the past couple of years (so, needless to say, anything is a significant upgrade over that). Budget is around $500 (unless that's not realistic of course, but hoping to find something in that range). Trying to find a laptop that is at least capable of playing, for instance (not necessarily all a specific requirement, just in general), Left 4 Dead 2, The Walking Dead, Amnesia, Portal 2, Steam games, and stuff like that. Settings aren't important, it can be at lowest settings, and framerate isn't too critical either, as long as it's playable.

Sorry for having to ask this again (since I really did appreciate the help before), but this time it should actually be able to happen.

Can we stretch that to 599.99, please? That's the best deal in the price range, by far.

EDIT: NVM, found a 15.6", Core i3 version on Amazon for $519.99. Probably won't be there for more than a few days, maybe a week. Buy asap if you want.

 

[stn]

So you're saying the chassis becomes hot to the touch?

- What laptop and specs do you have?
- What is it sitting on while you game?
- Have you monitored the CPU/GPU temps, with a program like HWMonitor?
- When was the last time you cleaned out the fans?

The laptop emits heat when I play games. Its not even THAT bad but I'm worried that it may eventually have some long-term consequences. I have an HP Pavilion dv7: 8GB RAM, Geforce 630M 1GB, core i7 processor. It can run many current-gen games on the higher/highest settings.

It sits on my wooden table. I have not monitored the temperatures, no. I never cleared out the fans, wouldn't even know how. I got the laptop around June.

Thanks for all your help! Would it at all help if I took the battery out and ran the machine on A/C???

 

[Woody Invincible]

Can we stretch that to 599.99, please? That's the best deal in the price range, by far.

EDIT: NVM, found a 15.6", Core i3 version on Amazon for $519.99. Probably won't be there for more than a few days, maybe a week. Buy asap if you want.

Regarding the Acer, I just spent $30 more for the Lenovo g780

 

[K.Jack]

The laptop emits heat when I play games. Its not even THAT bad but I'm worried that it may eventually have some long-term consequences. I have an HP Pavilion dv7: 8GB RAM, Geforce 630M 1GB, core i7 processor. It can run many current-gen games on the higher/highest settings.

It sits on my wooden table. I have not monitored the temperatures, no. I never cleared out the fans, wouldn't even know how. I got the laptop around June.

Thanks for all your help! Would it at all help if I took the battery out and ran the machine on A/C???

All laptops discharge heat while gaming; that's a normal occurrence, which will have no long term effects. It's better for the heat to be blasting out of the vent than sitting inside, cooking the internals, right?

What really matters is that the CPU and GPU stay below 90C, which is why I recommend that you run the monitor I suggested.

The battery being connected means nothing.

Regarding the Acer, I just spent $30 more for the Lenovo g780

Let us know how that one works out.

 

[stn]

Me again. I have a laptop I bought in North America. What are the odds that it can read PAL DVD's? I'm in PAL territory and would like to purchase a game or two. Thanks so much for all your help, friends!

If it helps, I have the BC-5550H Blu-Ray DVD player by Sony in my laptop.

 

[K.Jack]

Me again. I have a laptop I bought in North America. What are the odds that it can read PAL DVD's? I'm in PAL territory and would like to purchase a game or two. Thanks so much for all your help, friends!

If it helps, I have the BC-5550H Blu-Ray DVD player by Sony in my laptop.

Most laptop BRD drives will allow you to change the region a specific number of times, after which it will be stuck on the one you last chose.

There should be something like a Region Coding option, either in the drives properties, or in whatever BR software shipped with yours.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

You can change the region on a PC BD drive 5 times, including the initial selection of a region. This is hard coded into the drive BIOS and you shouldn't fuck around with it. If you are really in need of watching BD movies from all 3 regions, I suggest using Slysoft AnyDVD.

 

[stn]

What about running a game? I'm thinking I can just DL a game off STEAM and since its in digital format I'll bypass the PAL requirement, no? Thanks so much, guys! Great help here.

 

[mrklaw]

What about running a game? I'm thinking I can just DL a game off STEAM and since its in digital format I'll bypass the PAL requirement, no? Thanks so much, guys! Great help here.

Games dont have regions, you'll be fine. You can buy a steam game on DVD if you have download caps for instance

 

[OniShiro]

I've been offered an Asus G53SX with an core i7 2630QM processor, 8GB Ram, 750GB Hard drive, nvidia GTX560M with 2GB DDR5, and fullhd 15,6" screen for 800€. The laptop is new, not second hand.

I know it's an old model, so I don't know if it's worth it at this time, I'd like to use the laptop to do some 3D modeling with 3dsmax, programming with Visual Studio 2010, and of course gaming.

PD: I currently have an Asus G71V with a T9400 processor, 4GB Ram and an nvidia 9700M GT with 512Mb.

Any opinions?

Nevermind: It's out of stock already.

 

[mrklaw]

does anyone know if there is a way to disable the trackpad when you have a mouse connected? I'm getting the occasional phantom input when I have my left hand over WASD. Logitech mouse, synaptics touchpad.

 

[stn]

does anyone know if there is a way to disable the trackpad when you have a mouse connected? I'm getting the occasional phantom input when I have my left hand over WASD. Logitech mouse, synaptics touchpad.

Seconded!! Anyone, please??

 

[K.Jack]

My laptop has a Fn+ combo to completely disable the touchpad. Have you guys checked the Lenovo's manual?

I've been offered an Asus G53SX with an core i7 2630QM processor, 8GB Ram, 750GB Hard drive, nvidia GTX560M with 2GB DDR5, and fullhd 15,6" screen for 800€. The laptop is new, not second hand.

I know it's an old model, so I don't know if it's worth it at this time, I'd like to use the laptop to do some 3D modeling with 3dsmax, programming with Visual Studio 2010, and of course gaming.

PD: I currently have an Asus G71V with a T9400 processor, 4GB Ram and an nvidia 9700M GT with 512Mb.

Any opinions?

Nevermind: It's out of stock already.

In what country are you?

 

[K.Jack]

UPDATE: Anandtech reviews AMD'S Enduro hotfix, via a head-to-head with the GTX 680M, both in the Alienware M17x R4 and the Clevo P170EM.

Looks like it's becoming safe to recommend the 7970M again.

 

[kakashi08]

I'm new to "laptop" gaming. Currently a desktop user.
And I asked before on this thread about the Alienware m18x.
I was told to get the m17x.
But is there any other/differ laptops other than "Alienware" u guys/gals could recommend?
Need good laptop to play current games on MAX EVERYTHING, n also in the next 1 or 2.
Price has to be under $3k
If not, then I'll just get the Alienware

 

[K.Jack]

I'm new to "laptop" gaming. Currently a desktop user.
And I asked before on this thread about the Alienware m18x.
I was told to get the m17x.
But is there any other/differ laptops other than "Alienware" u guys/gals could recommend?
Need good laptop to play current games on MAX EVERYTHING, n also in the next 1 or 2.
Price has to be under $3k
If not, then I'll just get the Alienware

Let's do it like this:

Tell me what GPU is in your desktop, and I'll tell you how much mobile GPU it takes to equal or exceed that. Only two will suit you: The 7970M, which is a downclocked desktop 7870, and the GTX 680M, a downclocked GTX 670.

Are you in the US? There's:
Alienware
ASUS
MSI
Sager

Your power reqs eliminate ASUS, though, as they only go up to the mid-range GTX 660M. Only Alien and Sager offer dual GPU machines. Check Sagernotebook.com to see their current-gen offerings. They do simple, business-class looking gaming laptops. The 9370 is the dual graphics monster.

 

[kakashi08]

My desktop build was in 08, it has a 4870 amd gpu.

and i looked into the sager 9710 and these are the specs I'm thinking about.
gpuual AMD Radeon HD 7970M GPU with 2GB GDDR5 Video Memory in CrossFireX mode
cpu:i7-3740QM Processor
memory: 16GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 2 X 8GB
hd: 240ssd or 1tb 7200rpm

Is the 7970m dual good enough. or is the "Dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 670M GPU" WAY BETTER?

 

[K.Jack]

My desktop build was in 08, it has a 4870 amd gpu.

and i looked into the sager 9710 and these are the specs I'm thinking about.
gpuual AMD Radeon HD 7970M GPU with 2GB GDDR5 Video Memory in CrossFireX mode
cpu:i7-3740QM Processor
memory: 16GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 2 X 8GB
hd: 240ssd or 1tb 7200rpm

Is the 7970m dual good enough. or is the "Dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 670M GPU" WAY BETTER?

A single 7970M is nearly the speed of dual 670Ms.

Good enough? Overclocked, you have dual 7870s. Look up Crossfire 7870 benchmarks to get a sense of the power.

EDIT: also, buying from a reseller like XoticPC will net you much higher discounts. That's 3% off, if you pay cash, on top of the other $100 off.

 

[OniShiro]

My laptop has a Fn+ combo to completely disable the touchpad. Have you guys checked the Lenovo's manual?



In what country are you?

Spain, why?

 

[K.Jack]

Spain, why?

Because I'll attempt to find something suitable for you. How does this look?

 

[OniShiro]

Because I'll attempt to find something suitable for you. How does this look?

Wow, that's really nice, thanks a lot.

That laptop looks great, hdd is a bit small but I see there's a slot for another internal hard drive, so I could reuse one of my current G71V hdd in there.

I see there's also a 17" version for 10€ more.

I'm looking at this one : http://www.pccomponentes.com/msi_ge60_259es_i5_3210_8gb_750gb_gtx660m_15_6_.html that costs around the same with taxes ( the Mountain price does not include taxes ) and comes with a better GPU but worse CPU and includes the operating system.

 

[michaelius]

I've been offered an Asus G53SX with an core i7 2630QM processor, 8GB Ram, 750GB Hard drive, nvidia GTX560M with 2GB DDR5, and fullhd 15,6" screen for 800€. The laptop is new, not second hand.

I know it's an old model, so I don't know if it's worth it at this time, I'd like to use the laptop to do some 3D modeling with 3dsmax, programming with Visual Studio 2010, and of course gaming.

PD: I currently have an Asus G71V with a T9400 processor, 4GB Ram and an nvidia 9700M GT with 512Mb.

Any opinions?

Nevermind: It's out of stock already.

You can get Lenovo Y580 with Ivy Bridge i7 and 660M for around 1k euro.

 

[OniShiro]

You can get Lenovo Y580 with Ivy Bridge i7 and 660M for around 1k euro.

Where? I haven't found that model here in Spain.

 

[mrklaw]

My laptop has a Fn+ combo to completely disable the touchpad. Have you guys checked the Lenovo's manual?



In what country are you?

Fn+F6 for the Y580, but it would be nice if you could just do that automatically.

 

[K.Jack]

Wow, that's really nice, thanks a lot.

That laptop looks great, hdd is a bit small but I see there's a slot for another internal hard drive, so I could reuse one of my current G71V hdd in there.

I see there's also a 17" version for 10€ more.

I'm looking at this one : http://www.pccomponentes.com/msi_ge60_259es_i5_3210_8gb_750gb_gtx660m_15_6_.html that costs around the same with taxes ( the Mountain price does not include taxes ) and comes with a better GPU but worse CPU and includes the operating system.

I really don't like dropping to a dual core. CPU horsepower will be important when the new consoles hit. The 660M is only an overclocked 650M anyway.

 

[sl4yor]

Hello guys, I'm currently living in France and I'm really missing my desktop so I've opted to buy a gaming laptop. Now when it comes to mobile gaming I'm a little lost but I've read some reviews and sager seems to be the direction I should go

One question though, I went with an american model because I'd like to use this laptop when I return to Canada. There should be no issues in regards to using this laptop in France if I plugged it into an adapter right? It's what I'm doing with my macbook air right now and I've had no issues. But I just want to be sure as this computer will have more components in it that might be affected by the additional voltage, who knows, like I said I'm not too tech savy so maybe you guys could shed some light on this.


Anyway here are the specs and the price.

Sager NP9150 / Clevo P150EM
- FREE!! Continental (U.S. Lower 48 - UPS Ground Only) Ground Shipping on ALL Sager Laptops (Enter Coupon Code: "SAGERFREESHIP" during order process)
- SAGER Autumn Sale!!! - $100 OFF When you spend $1350* or more! (*excludes non-sager parts, accessories, shipping, & taxes) - [NP9150, NP9170, & NP9370 Only]
- 15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Glare Type Screen (SKU - S1R319)
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- NO Professional Monitor Color Calibration
- Sager - 3rd Generation Intel® Ivy Bridge Core™ i7-3740QM (2.7GHz - 3.7GHz, 6MB Intel® Smart Cache, 45W Max TDP) (SKU - S2R202)
- - IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
- FREE - nVidia GeForce GTX 675M 2,048MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11 with Optimus™ Technology [User Upgradeable] - ($100 Value: FREE!) (SKU – S5R520)
- No Copper Cooling Upgrade
- No Video Adapter
- No External Mobile Display
- 12GB - DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (3 SODIMMS) (SKU - S4S434M)
- Sager Branding
- Standard Finish
- 128GB Crucial M4 mSATA SSD - Preconfigured as an OS Drive ( Operating System – Drive C: )
- 500gb 7200rpm (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache) - Default (SKU - S5R207)
- Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti DVDRW/CDRW Drive w/ Software (When selecting a Hard Drive in the Optical Bay, No Optical Drive is Included) (SKU - S7R455)
- Internal 9-in-1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD/Mini SD/SDHC/SDXC/MS/MS Pro/MS Duo)
- Bluetooth Included *With select wireless cards only* (See “Wireless Network” Section Below)
- Sager - Built-in 802.11 Wireless B/G/N - Stock Wireless Card + Bluetooth™ v3.0 (SKU - S8R110)
- No Network Accessory
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- No TV Tuner
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- No Carrying Case
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- Standard Sager/Clevo Non Chiclet Backlit Keyboard
- No Thanks, Please do not Overclock my system (Overclocking will add 3-6 business days to build time)
- No Operating System Redline Boost
- ~Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit (64&32-Bit CD Included (Supports up to 16GB of RAM)) + MS Office Starter 2010 -[ Upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99 (Directly through Microsoft) ]
- LIFETIME Ltd Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Telephone Support (Labor through XPC)
Includes FREE Shipping Both Ways for Parts Warranty Repairs (SKU - X9R009)
- Yes, I would like XOTIC PC’s White Glove Premium Packaging (XPC Service - requires shipment to XOTIC PC: will add to build time)

EDIT: I wanted to spend only 1400, but ended up spending around 1600 for this system. If you guys see anything I should change to save a couple bucks let me know. Keep in mind this computer is being shipped to france once it arrives at my home in Canada, so the white glove shipping option is staying. I'm also partial to having an SSD, perhaps its best to ditch the windows 7 and find it by some other means.

 

[Hieberrr]

Hey guys, I am looking for the best gaming laptop available for $800 max. Do you have any suggestions?

As of right now, I just want to be able to run Steam games without any hiccups, and ideally on high settings.

Thank you!

EDIT: I'm in Canada, so Canadian sites are a huge plus.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

I really don't like dropping to a dual core. CPU horsepower will be important when the new consoles hit. The 660M is only an overclocked 650M anyway.

The GTX 660M only ships with GDDR5. Most GT 650M have DDR3.

 

[BigJonsson]

Hey guys, I am looking for the best gaming laptop available for $800 max. Do you have any suggestions?

As of right now, I just want to be able to run Steam games without any hiccups, and ideally on high settings.

Thank you!

EDIT: I'm in Canada, so Canadian sites are a huge plus.

Check futureshop, Canadacomputers, NCIX, Memory Express, Best Buy, Tiger Direct etc... and see what they have for 800 dollars and see which offers the best GPU, CPU, Hard Drive and looks solidly built?

Or go to redflagdeals.com and see what their computers hot deals forum says

 

[mrklaw]

Hello guys, I'm currently living in France and I'm really missing my desktop so I've opted to buy a gaming laptop. Now when it comes to mobile gaming I'm a little lost but I've read some reviews and sager seems to be the direction I should go

One question though, I went with an american model because I'd like to use this laptop when I return to Canada. There should be no issues in regards to using this laptop in France if I plugged it into an adapter right? It's what I'm doing with my macbook air right now and I've had no issues. But I just want to be sure as this computer will have more components in it that might be affected by the additional voltage, who knows, like I said I'm not too tech savy so maybe you guys could shed some light on this.

EDIT: I wanted to spend only 1400, but ended up spending around 1600 for this system. If you guys see anything I should change to save a couple bucks let me know. Keep in mind this computer is being shipped to france once it arrives at my home in Canada, so the white glove shipping option is staying. I'm also partial to having an SSD, perhaps its best to ditch the windows 7 and find it by some other means.

If you can buy cheaper and/or more conveniently for you in Europe, buy there. No difference other than the plug that goes into your charger, which you can swap out for a local one when you get back to Canada. It'll be universal 110-240v 50/60 anyway.

Just check what keyboard you get - eg do you want English or French layout, but I guess that's the same if you buy in Canada too.

 

[sl4yor]

Nothing is cheaper in Europe, even with shipping costs, it makes sense to buy in NA.

 

[Blablurn]

daaaaamn, the PS2 emulator is running great on the ASUS N76VZ

 

[OniShiro]

I really don't like dropping to a dual core. CPU horsepower will be important when the new consoles hit. The 660M is only an overclocked 650M anyway.

You are right, I didn't realize that the i5 is dual core.

I think the best option would be too import an y580 from amazon.de.

Now I just have to figure out how to order in german, lol.

Anyone knows of a current good tutorial on how to order from amazon.de?

 

[mrklaw]

You are right, I didn't realize that the i5 is dual core.

I think the best option would be too import an y580 from amazon.de.

Now I just have to figure out how to order in german, lol.

Anyone knows of a current good tutorial on how to order from amazon.de?

why not order from lenovo uk, or an online reseller here? GBP-euro rate might make it cheaper too?

I bought my y580 from saveonlaptops.co.uk but I think ebuyer might have them too, or lenovo.co.uk direct

 

[Risk Breaker]

I was in the same position as OniShiro last week, and yeah, the best option I found for a Y580 was german websites. GBP-EUR rate wasn't that good, 967 GBP (amazon.co.uk price, haven't checked other sites) are almost 1200 EUR and for that price you can almost get a similar spec-wise MSI in Spain.

To avoid the hassle of importing a machine with a german keyboard and/or possible warranty problems I ended up going for Dell.es which doesn't have bad prices.

Take a look at this OniShiro, it may or may not appeal to you Inspiron 17R Special Edition (the 650M has GDDR5 memory). I was looking for a big 1080p screen with an i7 and a capable GPU so it fit me perfectly. I can't give you any personal review though as mine is still in production.

 

[OniShiro]

why not order from lenovo uk, or an online reseller here? GBP-euro rate might make it cheaper too?

I bought my y580 from saveonlaptops.co.uk but I think ebuyer might have them too, or lenovo.co.uk direct

It's much more expensive, with currency conversion from the UK is 1200€ and 1000€ in germany.

 

[OniShiro]

I was in the same position as OniShiro last week, and yeah, the best option I found for a Y580 was german websites. GBP-EUR rate wasn't that good, 967 GBP (amazon.co.uk price, haven't checked other sites) are almost 1200 EUR and for that price you can almost get a similar spec-wise MSI in Spain.

To avoid the hassle of importing a machine with a german keyboard and/or possible warranty problems I ended up going for Dell.es which doesn't have bad prices.

Take a look at this OniShiro, it may or may not appeal to you Inspiron 17R Special Edition (the 650M has GDDR5 memory). I was looking for a big 1080p screen with an i7 and a capable GPU so it fit me perfectly. I can't give you any personal review though as mine is still in production.

The inspiron looks good, I'd appreciate it if you can post or PM me some impressions once you get it.

 

[Munin]

I was in the same position as OniShiro last week, and yeah, the best option I found for a Y580 was german websites. GBP-EUR rate wasn't that good, 967 GBP (amazon.co.uk price, haven't checked other sites) are almost 1200 EUR and for that price you can almost get a similar spec-wise MSI in Spain.

To avoid the hassle of importing a machine with a german keyboard and/or possible warranty problems I ended up going for Dell.es which doesn't have bad prices.

Take a look at this OniShiro, it may or may not appeal to you Inspiron 17R Special Edition (the 650M has GDDR5 memory). I was looking for a big 1080p screen with an i7 and a capable GPU so it fit me perfectly. I can't give you any personal review though as mine is still in production.

That chassis is sexy. Why can't Alienware laptops look like that instead of looking like total shit? I mean I know they have to deal with a lot more heat and everything under the hood, but a lot of it comes down to the design. I'm longing for a high performance gaming laptop that doesn't look like plasticy shit. Razer keeps trying but apparently they still can't get the performance right.

 

[twinturbo2]

Any good suggestions for a push to TV adapter? I want to use my lappy's Intel WiDi feature.

 

[K.Jack]

I don't know much about WiDi.

Hey guys, I am looking for the best gaming laptop available for $800 max. Do you have any suggestions?

As of right now, I just want to be able to run Steam games without any hiccups, and ideally on high settings.

Thank you!

EDIT: I'm in Canada, so Canadian sites are a huge plus.

This is the one.

 

[sl4yor]

Ended up spending an extra 300 for a better graphics card in the laptop, figured if I'm spending 1600 on a gaming laptop may as well put a decent card in there. Ordered it today, $1938 final price

Final specs:
- Display: 15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Glare Type Screen (SKU - S1R319)
- Exterior Finish: Standard Finish
- Graphics Video Card: AMD Radeon HD 7970M (2048MB) GDDR5 DX11 [User Upgradeable] - (ETA: End of October) (SKU - S3R155)
- Keyboard (Internal - Laptop): Standard Sager/Clevo Non Chiclet Backlit Keyboard
- Memory Card Reader: Internal 9-in-1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD/Mini SD/SDHC/SDXC/MS/MS Pro/MS Duo)
- mSATA SSD Drive ( Slot 1 ): 128GB Crucial M4 mSATA SSD - Preconfigured as an OS Drive ( Operating System – Drive C: )
- Operating System: ~Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit (64&32-Bit CD Included (Supports up to 16GB of RAM)) + MS Office Starter 2010 -[ Upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99 (Directly through Microsoft) ]
- Optical Drive Bay: Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti DVDRW/CDRW Drive w/ Software (When selecting a Hard Drive in the Optical Bay, No Optical Drive is Included) (SKU - S7R455)
- Primary Hard Drive: 500gb 7200rpm (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache) - Default (SKU - S5R207)
- Processor: Sager - 3rd Generation Intel® Ivy Bridge Core™ i7-3740QM (2.7GHz - 3.7GHz, 6MB Intel® Smart Cache, 45W Max TDP) (SKU - S2R202)
- Ram: 12GB - DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (3 SODIMMS) (SKU - S4S433P)
- Sound Card: Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Thermal Compound: - IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
- Warranty: LIFETIME Ltd Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Telephone Support (Labor through XPC)
Includes FREE Shipping Both Ways for Parts Warranty Repairs (SKU - X9R009)
- White Glove Premium Packaging: Yes, I would like XOTIC PC’s White Glove Premium Packaging (XPC Service - requires shipment to XOTIC PC: will add to build time)
- Wireless Network: Sager - Built-in 802.11 Wireless B/G/N - Stock Wireless Card + Bluetooth™ v3.0 (SKU - S8R110)

 

[K.Jack]

Ended up spending an extra 300 for a better graphics card in the laptop, figured if I'm spending 1600 on a gaming laptop may as well put a decent card in there. Ordered it today, $1938 final price

I have a few questions/comments, mostly warranty related.

Warranty:

1. If you're spending nearly $2k, it makes little sense to not get the 2 year warranty. So many of my notebooks have sprung problems right at the one year mark, and I've been caught without that second year of coverage too many times, so I consider buying year 2 mandatory with these high performance machines. My NP8150 (early 2011's predecessor to yours) has a motherboard issue, and the out of pocket repair would be $495, if it wasn't covered.

2. Shouldn't you at least warranty the Canadian shipping coverage? Otherwise, you'll have to pay out of pocket for shipping, both ways, if you have any issues. I mean, it's only $30 to cover 2-way shipping for an entire year of the warranty.

Build:

Do note, that AMD has had driver issues with the 7970M, which they are now seeking to remedy via hotfix updates. Anandtech has been working with them, and has gone into great detail in testing the first upcoming hotfix, here. So I feel it's safe to go with the 7970M at this point, with this particular hotfix set to be released shortly and with other to come.

 

[sl4yor]

In regards to the warranty, I'm willing to risk it at this point, not to mention getting it fixed while I'm here in europe would be expensive anyway in regards to shipping. I'm just going to hope everything works out, plus I would of thought if theres any problems with the hardware they'd crop up within the first year no? Living in Europe is the same reason I opted not to go with the Canadian shipping
(that and if for some reason I need to ship it back to NA within the one year, I have family that live in USA, so I wouldn't be going through Canada anyway). Basically I'm just hoping the computer arrives and stays in good condition as shipping it back to NA will be quite the hassle if something doesnt work. It's a risk, but its my best course of action right now.

 

[Blablurn]

soooo, is there a way to overclock the 650m?