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Gamer-approved laptop recommendation thread
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InfiniteNine
Rolling Girl
Are there any laptops good for gaming that lack a camera? I can't buy one that includes a camrea and I'm having trouble locating a decent one that is like that. x:
InfiniteNine
Rolling Girl
They aren't allowed at the place I "work." Nothing with a camera is allowed in and I stay there for weeks at a time so having a nice gaming capable laptop would be great. All laptops seem to come with a camera now which makes it a problem.gdt5016 said:
InfiniteNine
Rolling Girl
Honestly they'll still take it away from me if the bezel has the hole for the camera. They seem more lenient with my phone since they let it through after I stabbed the camera on it with a screwdriver in front of them. I'd honestly do that with a laptop camera too but they still take it if it has a cavity for the camera. I'll see what I can do manufacturer-wise.K.Jack said:
Sounds like an... interesting workplace. If it's that paranoid there, you could rip the camera out, fill in the hole with some bondo / putty, sand it back then paint it. Sounds like a drastic thing to do to a laptop, but if you're willing to shove screwdrivers into lenses it's not that big a leap 
I'd happily do it to mine if I had to. Perhaps you can find someone with the time & skill to help you out?
Try your luck with the manufacturers first though. You never know.
I'd happily do it to mine if I had to. Perhaps you can find someone with the time & skill to help you out?
Try your luck with the manufacturers first though. You never know.
BoobPhysics101
Banned
Sew said:Sounds like an... interesting workplace. If it's that paranoid there, you could rip the camera out, fill in the hole with some bondo / putty, sand it back then paint it. Sounds like a drastic thing to do to a laptop, but if you're willing to shove screwdrivers into lenses it's not that big a leap
I'd happily do it to mine if I had to. Perhaps you can find someone with the time & skill to help you out?
Try your luck with the manufacturers first though. You never know.
It's probably government work or he works for a company that is afraid of corporate espionage.
damn. Should cancel my Dell order and go with the Acer?
Acer 5750G i5-2410M, 4GB, 1GB 540m £599
Dell XPS i5-480m, 4GB, 1GB 420m, £599 (including office 2010 student edition)
CPU is slightly better on the Acer, but the GPU looks like its about 20-30% faster which could be noticable.
Acer 5750G i5-2410M, 4GB, 1GB 540m £599
Dell XPS i5-480m, 4GB, 1GB 420m, £599 (including office 2010 student edition)
CPU is slightly better on the Acer, but the GPU looks like its about 20-30% faster which could be noticable.
MNC said:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html
This will tell you roughly where individual graphics cards fit in the spectrum.
A Human Becoming
More than a Member
Thanks for the assistance. Ordered it yesterday!K.Jack said:
Kenka said:
no, but I'd get it for my kids so the student/home version. effectively it makes the Acer a little more expensive, but that 540 looks a good amount more capable than the 420. its not *for* gaming, but it'll probably be donated to my son when he's a little older and he will game on it.
edit: cancelled the Dell and ordered the Acer
The 540M and 420M are essentially the same chip. The 540M is just a higher binned sample, which can handle significantly higher clocks.
You could probably OC the 420M to or near the 540M's stock frequencies, but then the 540M would be able to OC even higher.
You could probably OC the 420M to or near the 540M's stock frequencies, but then the 540M would be able to OC even higher.
Giolon
Member
The newly revved Dell XPS 15 has really caught my eye. Here's what I've been able to configure for approx $1560 (after discounts, tax, etc.):
Processor: Core i7-2720QM (2.20GHz, 3.30GHz Turbo)
OS: 64-Bit Win 7 Home Premium
RAM: 6GB
HDD: 750GB 7200RPM
Display: 1920x1080
Video: 2GB GeForce 540M
Optical: Blu-Ray/DVD-RW Combo
Battery: 6-cell
Warranty: 3 Year Full accident coverage
Weight: Approx 6lbs
What says GAF? What are the 3 year prospects for gaming on this configuration? My alternative that I was looking at is the Alienware m14x, but it's a few hundred dollars more expensive, weighs a half pound more, and cannot be configured with a Blu-Ray drive.
My current laptop (15" Inspiron 1520, 4GB RAM, Win 7 (upgraded from XP through Vista), 256MB GeForce 8600) did fairly well for me for the last 3.5 years, but it's 7.3 lb weight was always a bit too much.
Processor: Core i7-2720QM (2.20GHz, 3.30GHz Turbo)
OS: 64-Bit Win 7 Home Premium
RAM: 6GB
HDD: 750GB 7200RPM
Display: 1920x1080
Video: 2GB GeForce 540M
Optical: Blu-Ray/DVD-RW Combo
Battery: 6-cell
Warranty: 3 Year Full accident coverage
Weight: Approx 6lbs
What says GAF? What are the 3 year prospects for gaming on this configuration? My alternative that I was looking at is the Alienware m14x, but it's a few hundred dollars more expensive, weighs a half pound more, and cannot be configured with a Blu-Ray drive.
My current laptop (15" Inspiron 1520, 4GB RAM, Win 7 (upgraded from XP through Vista), 256MB GeForce 8600) did fairly well for me for the last 3.5 years, but it's 7.3 lb weight was always a bit too much.
Giolon said:
The 3 year prospect is pretty terrible, to be honest. It's important to know that ahead of time. Receive it tomorrow, and the first thing you'll need to do is lower the gaming resolution to 1368x768 or 1280x720. It's significantly slower than an 8800/9800 GT, so that's a huge mark against it, going forward, as the 8800 GT will be the de facto minimum GPU recommendation very soon.
If you're willing to spend $1.5k to $1.6k, you need to be buying a Sager NP8150, w/ the 6970M. This GPU is literally almost 4 times the 540M's speed. Every upgrade you're buying on the Dell can be bought later on down the line, but the GPU is what matters, first and foremost.
If you want a GT 540M, you shouldn't be spending more than $800.
Giolon, take a gander at XoticPC's laptops, their machines are priced much more reasonably for the product you're getting. Their customer service is also infinitely better than Dell's (I have owned four Dell computers, and getting customer service to do anything, even under warranty, is a ROYAL pain in the ass - with Xotic, they won't ask questions, if something's wrong with the computer, you ship it to them - they pay for the shipping, and replace the parts for free). And yeah, as recommended above, get a Sager with a Core i5 or i7 (always recommend more power, buy something that will be a long-term investment if you aren't buying a PC).
Start here, based on the specs you seem to want, and get the 6970M
Start here, based on the specs you seem to want, and get the 6970M
Proposed Law
Member
Any thought on the ASUS G73SW-A1? Here is what it basically comes with.
Intel Core i7-2630QM (2.0 GHz Quad-Core with Turbo Boost up to 2.8GHz); 8GB DDR3 1333MHz (4 x 2GB SODIMM Sockets, up to 16GB)
Nvidia GTX 460M Graphics with 1.5GB GDDR5; 1TB Hybrid HDD/SSD (2x 500GB 7200RPM/4GB SSD)
Ready to jump back into Comp gaming but don't have room for a desktop. Looking for a good laptop that will last a few years. Has anyone picked this up?
Intel Core i7-2630QM (2.0 GHz Quad-Core with Turbo Boost up to 2.8GHz); 8GB DDR3 1333MHz (4 x 2GB SODIMM Sockets, up to 16GB)
Nvidia GTX 460M Graphics with 1.5GB GDDR5; 1TB Hybrid HDD/SSD (2x 500GB 7200RPM/4GB SSD)
Ready to jump back into Comp gaming but don't have room for a desktop. Looking for a good laptop that will last a few years. Has anyone picked this up?
I got one of these a few months back, its a great quality build and a solid laptop. In Crysis @ 1080p I get 60fps on medium settings (with Vsync off). It runs DA:O and The Witcher maxed at 60+fps. Handles Crysis 2 really well and pretty much everything I threw at it. 1 x USB3 port is a little bit of a downer but it has about 5 USB2 ports anyway. I cant fault it, its a solid build and a great machine. The only thing I wish it had was a better graphics card but the 460m does pretty well. The screen looks awesome and you get a good backpack and mouse with it (Razer).Proposed Law said:
It also runs extra quiet and the cooling in it is fantastic even when at max load.
Proposed Law
Member
ManeKast said:
Thanks ManeKast. Does this graphics card have the stability to run games on high the next couple of years?
MNC said:
For 30 euros more you can get one helluva better laptop
http://www.dell.com/nl/p/xps-l502x/fs
I's probably also the best one in that price range.
Yeah you're right, I hadn't done alot of research prior to that post.Griffin said:
Okay, so, my post.
Here are the benchmarks I used.
Processor Benchmarks
Graphics Card Benchmarks
Asus K53SV-SX146V @ 616
Sandy bridge i5 2410M @ 2,3Ghz
Nvidia GT540M
4GB Ram
500GB HDD
This looks to be one of the best I could find for a reasonably low price. Judging from the benchmarks that's a pretty great midranged laptop especially for that price. Fast for school work, decent gaming.
Another question: In terms of mobile graphics card, does Nvidia or ATI have a better lead?
Tricky I Shadow
Banned
Wait for this. 2x as fast, for the same price.Tricky I Shadow said:
The_Squirrel_Menace
Member
Any fresh news about the Asus G74 sporting a GTX 560M?
Giolon
Member
esserius said:
Building a comparable spec'd & warrantied laptop from xotic cost almost $700 more than the Dell one, with the only difference being the video card. That can't be a $700+ part.
Thanks everyone for the advice. I'll keep looking around. Though when I say I want to game on it, I'm not talking Crysis 2 here. I'm talking Magicka, Civ 5, World of Warcraft, maybe Deus Ex Human Revolution when it releases.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
Not only that, but they keep sending me ominous emails about canceling my order if I don't respond. I think they got rid of all the defective parts and now they want to renege on their offer.Coverly said:
There seem to be a few of us waiting for DV6/7s, I've found this thread/forum to be a pretty good resource.
This thread is specifically about the order status of all these laptops.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-pavilion-notebooks/570602-hp-dv6t-dv7t-select-edition-quad-edition-6xxx-series-order-status-discussion-76.html
This thread is specifically about the order status of all these laptops.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-pavilion-notebooks/570602-hp-dv6t-dv7t-select-edition-quad-edition-6xxx-series-order-status-discussion-76.html
Anonymous Tipster
Member
Are there any thoughts on the Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 vs Bigfoot Networks Killer Wireless-N 1102?
With a price difference of roughly five dollars, I'm not finding any decisive winner. The features seem practically the same. The main difference is that I am familiar with Intel Wireless cards, but not Bigfoot.
Does anyone have any experience between these two cards?
With a price difference of roughly five dollars, I'm not finding any decisive winner. The features seem practically the same. The main difference is that I am familiar with Intel Wireless cards, but not Bigfoot.
Does anyone have any experience between these two cards?
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
So this was a totally random thought that I would have googled but since this thread was on the front page I thought this would be more fun.
I just ordered a new netbook and made sure it had HDMI so I could hook it up to my 32 inch TV/monitor. My PS3 is also hooked up to that TV. But then I wondered..can I hook the PS3 up to the netbook and use that as a monitor?! Any thoughts? Is this super common and I just never heard about it or is it completely impossible and I'm dumb?
I just ordered a new netbook and made sure it had HDMI so I could hook it up to my 32 inch TV/monitor. My PS3 is also hooked up to that TV. But then I wondered..can I hook the PS3 up to the netbook and use that as a monitor?! Any thoughts? Is this super common and I just never heard about it or is it completely impossible and I'm dumb?
The Bigfoot's super duper performance claims are as myth, just like its namesake. Stick with the company whose name you recognize. Plus the 6300 has 3 antennas, to the Bigfoot's 2.Anonymous Tipster said:
Save the $5. Which Clevo are you looking at, and from where are you buying?
You'd need an HDMI IN, which very few notebooks possess. So no, it won't work.worldrevolution said:
There are capture card like products, which would enable you to do it, but the lag would drive you nuts.
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
Ah boo, didn't realize the HDMI port was only out. Well, I'm assuming it is. Thanks for dashing my dreams.
Anonymous Tipster
Member
Thanks for the super quick response!
I've been eyeing: http://www.sagernotebook.com/index.php?page=product_customed&model_name=NP7280 for a few weeks now, trying to convince myself to buy that model. Specifically, I've been looking to get it with: Dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 470M GPU with 1.5GB GDDR5 Video Memory in SLI Mode, Intel® Core i7-960 Processor ( 8MB L3 Cache, 3.20GHz, 4.8GT/sec QPI ), and 12GB Triple Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz.
Admittedly, I haven't shopped around much, so if you have any suggestions I'd be totally open to hearing them.
I've been eyeing: http://www.sagernotebook.com/index.php?page=product_customed&model_name=NP7280 for a few weeks now, trying to convince myself to buy that model. Specifically, I've been looking to get it with: Dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 470M GPU with 1.5GB GDDR5 Video Memory in SLI Mode, Intel® Core i7-960 Processor ( 8MB L3 Cache, 3.20GHz, 4.8GT/sec QPI ), and 12GB Triple Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz.
Admittedly, I haven't shopped around much, so if you have any suggestions I'd be totally open to hearing them.
Tricky I Shadow
Banned
K.Jack said:
So youd recommend that one? Because the other one I wanted is completely sold out.
Is the HP 6023TX at that price a really good deal? Like I said...Im really clueless here.
Tricky I Shadow
Banned
Tricky I Shadow
Banned
MNC said:tricky: For the same price, same hardware, better graphics card, I don't know how much thought you should put into buying the sold out one to be honest
I don't really know LOL. I do trust him though, he builds computers, and I asked him to rate his knowledge out of 10 about how much he knows about laptops and he told me a solid 8/10. So.....yeah..... : /
Surely something has to be better? And keep in mind that I don't want a laptop simply for games, that's a bonus for me. So maybe he thinks it's worth it for some of the other non-gaming related features?
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