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Gamer-approved laptop recommendation thread

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So I bought this for $1500 (I got a good deal on it, regular price is between $1700-1900).

http://www.pricecanada.com/p.php/SA...M-SYST173G-PSAW3C042017-679111/price-history/

Now I bought it before I found out it's a 1.73GHz processor, is this a big deal for games today and in the near future? It's an i7, will that compensate for the lower clock speed? The laptop I bought two years ago is a dual core 2GHz Intel, so I was a bit surprised when I saw the new one had a lower speed.

The card is a GTS 350M, which from what I read is fairly close to the Radeon 5850 for laptops. The laptop came with free 3D glasses too so I really couldn't pass up this deal.
 
rs7k said:
So I bought this for $1500 (I got a good deal on it, regular price is between $1700-1900).

http://www.pricecanada.com/p.php/SA...M-SYST173G-PSAW3C042017-679111/price-history/

Now I bought it before I found out it's a 1.73GHz processor, is this a big deal for games today and in the near future? It's an i7, will that compensate for the lower clock speed? The laptop I bought two years ago is a dual core 2GHz Intel, so I was a bit surprised when I saw the new one had a lower speed.

The card is a GTS 350M, which from what I read is fairly close to the Radeon 5850 for laptops. The laptop came with free 3D glasses too so I really couldn't pass up this deal.
Click to expand...

That i7 can be overclocked to 3 Ghz easily. Don't even worry about the clockspeed. The GTS 350m isn't even close to the 5850 if the benchmarks I've read about the 360m are accurate...
 
The GTS 350M is significantly slower than the 360M because it only uses DDR3 memory instead of GDDR5. It will be about as fast as the GT 540M.

It's close to the 5850 which is found in that one Acer, but only because GDDR3 is also used in that machine.
 
K.Jack said:
The GTS 350M is significantly slower than the 360M because it only uses DDR3 memory instead of GDDR5. It will be about as fast as the GT 540M.

It's close to the 5850 which is found in that one Acer, but only because GDDR3 is also used in that machine.
Click to expand...

It's because of the 128-bit memory bus, right? That's why the GDDR5 GPU's spank the GDDR3 as far as I can tell.

Also, I'm picking up my Asus G60JX today! Can't wait to get it home, reinstall Windows 7, overclock and start installing games. I know it's not as ballin' as some of the gaming laptops you guys are into, but it's a huge upgrade for me and the price is right. I spend too much money on expensive car performance stuff to really splurge on a laptop. :\

Just curious, has anyone here experimented with overvolting NVidia mobile GPU's? I did it in the past on my desktop cards, but I'm wondering how hard it is on a mobile GPU...
 
K.Jack said:
The GTS 350M is significantly slower than the 360M because it only uses DDR3 memory instead of GDDR5. It will be about as fast as the GT 540M.

It's close to the 5850 which is found in that one Acer, but only because GDDR3 is also used in that machine.
Click to expand...

So... still good for games in 720p?

How long do you figure this laptop will be good for at that resolution, no AA, and the same level of visual quality as the consoles?
 
Ordered http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220861 from newegg.com and it arrived yesterday. I tried to unbox it as neatly as possible in case it dies and I have to send it in. I'm super happy with game performance so far. I picked the ASUS because I like their repair service, I had an EEEPC die on me a couple years ago, sent it into them, and it still works perfectly today.

Some screens from the ME2 demo:
http://i.imgur.com/b3HFy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/dp6Ni.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CtATe.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rQlss.jpg

1080P, had everything set to max except anisotropic filtering and vsync and the framerate was really smooth.
 
yodathesoda said:
My laptop is toast and my budget is under $1,300
Should I pick up the MSI GX660 or the HP Pavilion? http://www.logicbuy.com/deals/coupon-hp-pavilion-dv6t-16-inch-quad-edition-laptop/15717.aspx

Edit: Or a Dell XPS with i5 Sandy Bridge?
Click to expand...
Why can I not find that version of the DV6 on the main site? It's awesome for $800.

Edit: nvm found it..
Sew said:
Heh, noted. For some reason I'm not surprised you're saying that, I had a gut feeling. The scary thing is I was put onto them by an Anandtech review, which I would generally trust.
Click to expand...
Let me rephrase that. Don't trust their pre-release pricing. Once it's out, check back to see whether it was correct. The P150HM will definitely be the 15" to buy, once the 6970M is available.

rs7k said:
So... still good for games in 720p?

How long do you figure this laptop will be good for at that resolution, no AA, and the same level of visual quality as the consoles?
Click to expand...
It's long in the tooth, today. Mostly Medium settings, no AA.
 
K.Jack said:
Why can I not find that version of the DV6 on the main site? It's awesome for $800.

Edit: nvm found it..
.
Click to expand...

I settled on this and ordered this morning:
Sager NP8130
Processor - 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM, 2.0-2.8GHz
Display 15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Matte Type Screen
Graphics Video Card nVidia GeForce GTX 460M 1,536MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
Ram ~ 8,192MB DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory
Primary Hard Drive ~ 500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)

From Xoticpc.com For $1300 with Windows 7 OS
 
yodathesoda said:
I settled on this and ordered this morning:
Sager NP8130
Processor - 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM, 2.0-2.8GHz
Display 15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Matte Type Screen
Graphics Video Card nVidia GeForce GTX 460M 1,536MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
Ram ~ 8,192MB DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory
Primary Hard Drive ~ 500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)

From Xoticpc.com For $1300 with Windows 7 OS
Click to expand...
What kind of ETD did they give? I'm hoping to order the 17" next month, but I'm holding off until the turnaround is ten business days or less.

I might go nuts with the GTX485M.
 
K.Jack said:
Let me rephrase that. Don't trust their pre-release pricing. Once it's out, check back to see whether it was correct. The P150HM will definitely be the 15" to buy, once the 6970M is available.
Click to expand...
And I am currently obsessed with it. Trying to compare the different retail versions is a bit cumbersome, so naturally I threw a spreadsheet together.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?hl=en&hl=en&key=t8BNXtqqy4_DYy4R_U5zX_A&authkey=COWL9PYM#gid=0

(Since I'm posting this in public I should add disclaimers. It's for my reference only. It's not a definitive guide. Formulas and exchange rates not used. Some figures are guesses. And most importantly, does not show 6970M pricing.)

Also, sucks to be Australian. P4laptops is looking good, but I've got a hunch they'll be adding GST at the checkout.

[edit] Just heard from p4laptops, GST is included in the web prices and the matte option is only $88. They're in front.
 
I can give you the approximate 6970M pricing. In the Clevo machines, it will be a +$245 USD premium to upgrade from the GTX 460M. So -$250 when choosing it in place of the GTX 485M.

EDIT: Well that's the pricing for the X7200

I don't see why it wouldn't carry over.
 
Interesting. The one Aus retailer who has given me any information (logicalblueone) tells me that the 6970M will take just $100 off the current (485M) price. Add a matte LCD and the price doesn't change. Which is what I expected would happen; big savings rarely make it to our shores.

Saving my judgement until it comes to market though, you never know what will happen.
 
K.Jack said:
Why can I not find that version of the DV6 on the main site? It's awesome for $800.

Edit: nvm found it..

Let me rephrase that. Don't trust their pre-release pricing. Once it's out, check back to see whether it was correct. The P150HM will definitely be the 15" to buy, once the 6970M is available.


It's long in the tooth, today. Mostly Medium settings, no AA.
Click to expand...

Oh well, as long as it works with ported 360 titles, I'm okay with it since I bought it because my older laptop is fried, and I'm gonna be away 6-8 months out of the year in the future, so I was just thinking it would be a good console replacement.

For $1500 CDN, I got a 3D screen with 3D glasses, a Blu-Ray player and burner (at least I think it is, haven't tried it out yet), and a somewhat decent graphics chip.

When I was looking at my laptop, my target GPU was the 5650 from ATI, and I think the 350M is somewhat similar. Apparently it can run Metro 2033 pretty well in low settings, and from the Youtube video I've seen, Metro 2033 still looks phenomenal on low settings.

I learned a lot from the thread, thanks guys!
 
I'm looking for a laptop that has decent battery life (when not gaming of course) and is able to play most popular games on medium (black ops, bioware/bethesda games etc.)

Ideally I'd want it to be under 15" (13-14" would be perfect), not too heavy, and around $800 or less.

I found these on Newegg but there aren't many reviews and I'm not up to date on mobile GPUs:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215001

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115888

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152256

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220951
 
Calibrated Chaos said:
I'm looking for a laptop that has decent battery life (when not gaming of course) and is able to play most popular games on medium (black ops, bioware/bethesda games etc.)

Ideally I'd want it to be under 15" (13-14" would be perfect), not too heavy, and around $800 or less.

I found these on Newegg but there aren't many reviews and I'm not up to date on mobile GPUs:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215001

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115888

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152256

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220951
Click to expand...
Choose #1. It's an easy decision, when comparing the GPUs.

Scum said:
I don't really need a laptop, but would absolutely love to have this one - http://web.medion.com/sainsburys/md97786/uk/?refPage=landing - for £899 from Sainsbury's (until the 19th of April).
Click to expand...
Buy.
 
Between them, I'd choose the one you posted.

The 6550M is a renamed 5650M, so the GT 540M will be the superior chip.

But, the $800 DV6 deal (post #1352) is the one I'd choose, over anything else in this price range.

That 6770M is at least 40% faster than the GT 540M.
 
K.Jack said:
Buy.
Click to expand...
I have a nasty habit of dilly-dallying on my purchases. I've already missed out on a laptop with similar specs before from Sainsbury's and for a good price too...

...Fuck it! I'm off to Sainsbury's.
 
K.Jack said:
Between them, I'd choose the one you posted.

The 6550M is a renamed 5650M, so the GT 540M will be the superior chip.

But, the $800 DV6 deal (post #1352) is the one I'd choose, over anything else in this price range.

That 6770M is at least 40% faster than the GT 540M.
Click to expand...

Holy bejeesus. Might have to get that one.
 
Yeah, I think I've going with that $800 DV6. I'll probably have to wait another week to order it though. Is that sale going away soon?
 
Just a little update: I picked up my Asus G60JX last night. It's awesome! Came with the 2 year warranty, and the total price was $520.

I also bought a 90GB OCZ Vertex 2 SSD for $140 last night from someone on Craigslist that was selling the new-in-box one that he got as an RMA from OCZ. Two words: god damn. SSD is soooo much faster than an HDD, and combined with the way faster CPU/RAM/GPU, this laptop slaughters my old gaming desktop/multimedia laptop.

Finally, I'll be picking up a Logitech Z305 sound bar. I heard one in person yesterday and it sounds amazing, especially for $35.

Thanks again to K. Jack for his advice in this thread!
 
K.Jack said:
Problem. The bottom of the page says the coupon may end on March 27th.
Click to expand...

Fuck me.

Edit: After midnight here, coupon still works. Hopefully it still works a week from Tuesday...
 
K.Jack said:
What kind of ETD did they give? I'm hoping to order the 17" next month, but I'm holding off until the turnaround is ten business days or less.

I might go nuts with the GTX485M.
Click to expand...

It's still over 10 days and close to 14 days from order date.
Can't wait though and go nuts with the 485, wish I had the extra coin.
 
SSDs are awesome. What's the downside?

yodathesoda said:
It's still over 10 days and close to 14 days from order date.
Can't wait though and go nuts with the 485, wish I had the extra coin.
Click to expand...
I kind of don't have it. But if I take the 485M, I'll be able to sell it later and can then replace it with an even faster GPU, like the 6990M or GTX 580M.
 
BigBadShamoo said:
Is it a bad idea to go with a solid state drive in a Laptop now?
Click to expand...

No way. From the time I hit the power button to when Windows 7 is fully loaded is 11 seconds with my OCZ Vertex 2. Sound like a bad idea to you?
 
BoobPhysics101 said:
No way. From the time I hit the power button to when Windows 7 is fully loaded is 11 seconds with my OCZ Vertex 2. Sound like a bad idea to you?
Click to expand...

Do people turn off their computers often?

I think I turned off my old Macbook less than ten times over the course of four years.
 
How is the gaming performance for integrated cards, in regards to XBL style games (super meat boy, braid, etc), emulators, and older PC games (say 5 years ago, half life 2, old source engine games)?
 
alr1ghtstart said:
How is the gaming performance for integrated cards, in regards to XBL style games (super meat boy, braid, etc), emulators, and older PC games (say 5 years ago, half life 2, old source engine games)?
Click to expand...
The Sandy Bridge IGP will run that stuff. Maybe the 6250 will, but let me check.
 
I would appreciate any help here, i'm looking for a laptop than can adequately run most big pc games. Stuff like Witcher 2 and battlefield, i don't care about maxing detail i just want smooth performance. What do you guys think of these specs:

Intel Core i5-480m 2.66GHz CPU
4 GB RAM
ATI Radeon 5650 with 1GB Dedicated Graphics
15 Inch Screen
 
Fix The Scientist said:
I would appreciate any help here, i'm looking for a laptop than can adequately run most big pc games. Stuff like Witcher 2 and battlefield, i don't care about maxing detail i just want smooth performance. What do you guys think of these specs:

Intel Core i5-480m 2.66GHz CPU
4 GB RAM
ATI Radeon 5650 with 1GB Dedicated Graphics
15 Inch Screen
Click to expand...
Model and Price?
 
K.Jack said:
Model and Price?
Click to expand...
Toshiba Satellite L650/0K4 15"
price is $880 AUS

EDIT: i'm also considering this one for $1200 AUS

Samsung RF511-S03AU 15" Notebook
Intel Core i7-2630QM QC 2.0GHz CPU, 6GB RAM, 750GB HDD,
nVidia GeForce GT540M with 1GB graphics,
 
Fix The Scientist said:
Toshiba Satellite L650/0K4 15"
price is $880 AUS

EDIT: i'm also considering this one for $1200 AUS

Samsung RF511-S03AU 15" Notebook
Intel Core i7-2630QM QC 2.0GHz CPU, 6GB RAM, 750GB HDD,
nVidia GeForce GT540M with 1GB graphics,
Click to expand...

Where'd you find the L650 for that price, if you don't my asking? That's a killer price if it's the model I'm thinking of (~$200-300 below what I've seen it advertised for).

I'm going through the process of umming and ahhing over a laptop purchase too, and have been following this thread closely (many thanks for your wonderful input K.Jack!).
 
K.Jack said:
With those GPUs, I'm not so sure that the i7-2630QM is worth the extra $320.
Click to expand...
The res is only 1,366x768 though, and it can probably upscale from 720p. It doesn't have to push that many pixels.
 
Looking to buy a new laptop in the next 5 weeks. I eventually want to be able to hook it up to a tv and play in 720p. My current one only has intergrated graphics on a t5500 so anything will be an upgrade. I want to be able to play games that look better than their xbox 360 counterparts like CoD MW2. I have no set budget but only want to spend £650 max and if I can get cheaper than that and performance doesn't take too much of a hit I will do.

Any suggestions? I am pretty clueless on this.
 
milanbaros said:
I have no set budget but only want to spend £650 max and if I can get cheaper than that
Click to expand...
That is a budget.

Anyway, check out the Dell XPS 15.

And if you find anything with a Mobility 5650 or GT 540M, buy it.
 
Meatpuppet said:
Anyone with a recent laptop tried running Crysis 2 on it and if so what sort of results have you had?
Click to expand...
I've read that the Alienware m11x will run the game very nicely on the High detail setting (the lowest detail setting), around 20-30fps which should be playable.
 
Meatpuppet said:
Anyone with a recent laptop tried running Crysis 2 on it and if so what sort of results have you had?
Click to expand...

I'm running Crysis 2 on my Asus G60jx @ 1366x768 @ high settings (some extreme settings) @ 40-60 FPS. Super smooth. I have the CPU overclocked to 3 Ghz from 2.2 Ghz and the GPU overclocked a good amount as well. It actually runs Crysis 2 better than Crysis/Warhead.
 
yencid said:
Whats a good laptop for 600-700 price range? I just saw the alienware m11x and it looks entising
Click to expand...

Pick up an Asus G51VX (Core 2, GeForce 260M GTX, 4GB) for $630.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5250511&CatId=4948

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6500360&CatId=4948

Or an Asus G72GX with 17" screen and similar specs.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6272341&CatId=4965

$750

I'd go for the G51VX if I were you. Those laptops spank on the m11x
 
Meatpuppet said:
Anyone with a recent laptop tried running Crysis 2 on it and if so what sort of results have you had?
Click to expand...


I have a Dell XPS 15

I7 q740 @ 1.8-2.8 ghz
6 gigs ram
Nvidia 435m
1366x768

Advance settings: 20-30 FPS
Gamer: 30-40

GPU is holding me back, but its definitely very playable. I get FPS boost of about 5 FPS when i drop to 1280X720, but its not as crisp. Indoors I go up to 40-60 FPS.
 
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