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Gamer-approved laptop recommendation thread

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I have the new thread open in a Firefox tab, trying to not make it so wordy. Should be done tonight, optimistically.

Also FUCK DELL. The bastards bought around a month's or so worth of 6990M exclusivity.

Clevo/Sager/Others won't be allowed to have orders up until around mid-August.
 
i just bought an alienware m17x with a 6990M

every time i look at the invoice i start crying

seriously.

$3000 laptop :'(

but it's my first laptop... or true laptop.

i'm kind of excited because now my laptop will be more powerful than my desktop... also kind of terrifying too lol
 
ZoddGutts said:
Would this laptop be worth getting for $550?:

Gateway NV75S02u AMD A8-3500M Fusion APU Quad-Core 17.3in 1600x900 LED

http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/262616

Only interested for a cheap $500~$550 laptop that can play TF2.
Click to expand...

Are you ready to play other games without AA and at 720p ? If the answer is yes, then the specs in the laptop is great value. Oh, and a 1600 x 900 screen res is really nothing to spit on. The size is a bit too much for my taste, maybe you can have a laptop with the same specs at 14''.
 
Acoording to these tests, running TF2 will be effortless.

DopeyFish said:
i just bought an alienware m17x with a 6990M

every time i look at the invoice i start crying

seriously.

$3000 laptop :'(

but it's my first laptop... or true laptop.

i'm kind of excited because now my laptop will be more powerful than my desktop... also kind of terrifying too lol
Click to expand...
Sheesh what specs brought it to $3k? That's literally close to 2x the price a 17" Sager w/ 6990M is going to cost.
 
My Dell XPS 17 is due for delivery on Tuesday. That's just under a week from ordering to building to delivery. Impessive, the last time I ordered a laptop from them it took almost a month.
 
By the way, is there any 11'' laptop with a mate screen which sports a A8-3500 + 6630M ? Depending on the price, I'd flat out pull the trigger without any single remorse.
 
K.Jack said:
Acoording to these tests, running TF2 will be effortless.


Sheesh what specs brought it to $3k? That's literally close to 2x the price a 17" Sager w/ 6990M is going to cost.
Click to expand...

Taxes are about $330 :P

changed the wireless to killer (apparently it is the most stable of the ones they have)
got a blu-ray drive
changed to a 6990M gpu
and upgraded the screen to 1920x1080

and also had a $100 instant savings for something :P
 
Woorloog said:
Gonna ask for recommendations here. My current laptop is awful. It overheats, S/PDIF doesn't work due driver issues (driver/windows conflict possibly, very weird) and doesn't meet SWTOR system requirements. Oh and this has 32-bit Vista, 64-bit Win7 would be nice.

So, i need cheap (preferrably under 600€, under 500€ would be even better...) laptop with 64-bitWin7, and it should be able to run EVE online, SWTOR and maybe Tribes Ascend (not required) for a few years just fine. I think i'll be skipping most other games or leaving them for 360.
EDIT Overclocking the GPU will be considered
EDIT2 Battery longevity, laptop size are pretty much non-issues.
ASUS X52DR-EX059V caught my eye. Would that fulfill me requirements satisfactorily?
EDIT3, let's add Starcraft 2 to the list. Say, medium settings at 30fps consistently. I can drop a detail or two though, such as turning of shadows.
Click to expand...
You can do much better for that price. I got something with an i5 and a gt 540m (good for medium graphics on 15.6") for 577€

http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/280112/asus-k53sv-sx146v.html#tab:info

and am still happy with the purchase!
 
DopeyFish said:
Taxes are about $330 :P

changed the wireless to killer (apparently it is the most stable of the ones they have)
got a blu-ray drive
changed to a 6990M gpu
and upgraded the screen to 1920x1080

and also had a $100 instant savings for something :P
Click to expand...
Oh wait, $3k CAD? I see.

In USD, I was only looking at $2179 for that setup, before taxes.

ZoddGutts said:
Is there any decent gaming laptop at 600 dollars or below? Only seen laptop with intel graphics cards.

^ Or is that the best I could do at that price?
Click to expand...
There's a gap. You have the Llano machine at $550 (which is only a short-term sale price), then the first machine that clearly beats it in both processing and graphics power is at $680.

As I said previously, look at these tests, and decide is that's good enough for you.
 
K.Jack said:
Oh wait, $3k CAD? I see.

In USD, I was only looking at $2179 for that setup, before taxes.
Click to expand...

yeah in CAD

but you can't exactly replicate the setup on the american site for whatever reason

i didn't realize the setup i had was upgraded to 8 GB of ram (i assume that's partly where i got my discount from)

still though... i am sad knowing the huge disparity in the price now :(
 
My girlfriend gave me money to buy her a laptop since I have my edu email and she doesn't yet and she wants the free 360. Her only preference for the laptop was to adequate enough to run Sims 3 and be around $800 with tax.

I did a lot of research and despite some other nice options they either were too expensive or were on a site that didn't offer the 360 so I kept coming back to this.

It is cheap enough and has some nice extras like a blu-ray drive.
The only problem is that I just don't know enough about the processor and video card to know if it is a good deal. Can someone offer some guidance?

I also saw this looking through the thread and see that this has similar specs for much less money. Only things different is that the screen is bigger and has no blu-ray drive or xbox. Does anyone know if a laptop bought from Newegg is eligible for the 360?
 
anyone ever used the GeForce 410Ms?

i know they are entry level, just thinking of throwing that into this notebook i gotta get for school for light gaming
 
MNC said:
You can do much better for that price. I got something with an i5 and a gt 540m (good for medium graphics on 15.6") for 577€

http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/280112/asus-k53sv-sx146v.html#tab:info

and am still happy with the purchase!
Click to expand...
Thank you, will check if i can find that from Finland on sale or something.
EDIT well well. I can't find that from Finnish websites, and a laptops using the same graphics card cost a couple of hundred euros more here. I guess i'll be, assuming i buy that one, ordering it from.. uhh where? Netherlands?
EDIT 2, can't find the laptop from Asus' site??? EDIT3 never mind, found it
EDIT4, well, duh, now i need to find a vendor that does sell stuff to abroads.
Or a comparable machine with similar price, available in Finland or easily ordered from somewhere else.
 
Lunchbox said:
anyone ever used the GeForce 410Ms?

i know they are entry level, just thinking of throwing that into this notebook i gotta get for school for light gaming
Click to expand...
Switching GPUs is probably not an option for whatever machine you have.
 
Any Taiwanese manufactured laptops that are mid-low range, but still pretty handy/sturdy and will last a student that occasionally wants to play games 2-3 years?

I say Taiwanese because I'm here at the moment and the laptops are pretty cheap compared to the UK. I've heard differing things about Asus and don't really know what to think about them.
 
lenovo w520 is going for pretty cheap in us i heard. 1.5k for a high quality workstation class laptop with somewhat good graphics nvidia q2000m. similar class to that is dell m4600 and hp 8560w with amd 6770m graphics which should edge q2000m in bandwidth. these mobile gpu should perform around 8800gt levels which at 720p will beat the consoles.

business class laptop has better support and built way better than the rest so worth looking into.
 
Is Optimus really as bad as folk make out? Apparently it doesn't work very well with Source games and it causes Football Manager to crash almost every match unless you use the IGP... I'm getting a bit worried here!
 
Ok, so I was ready to get a MacBook air, but 64GB HDD? No thank you.

Guy at Best Buy recommended the Toshiba Portege. It's not as sexy as the Air, but only 3 pounds and it would be eligible for the free xbox promo (anything over 700, right?).

Anything else comparable? I know of the Samsung Series 9, but that's too expensive. The upcoming Asus looks cool, but the HDD is also small.
 
I have a $1000 to spend on a laptop for school. I'd like to do some gaming on it, but it doesn't need to be a complete beast when it comes to gaming. I really love music and was thinking about the HP Envy:


Is the i5 processor good enough or should I spend the extra $150 and get the i7? Is 6GB of ram good?

Sorry if these questions are dumb but I have never bought a computer for more than $350 and this is all really new to me. :)

Would this machine be able to run the Fallout games? How about Civ V?

I also am in need of a new 360 so that certain helps give this more value..... :)

edit: are all i7 chips quad core?
 
outunderthestars said:
Is the i5 processor good enough or should I spend the extra $150 and get the i7? Is 6GB of ram good?
Click to expand...
Yup i5 should be good enough. i7s will obviously be more powerful but keep in mind they use significantly more wattage which means quite a hotter machine. I was originally considering an i7-2630 but the temps scared me away. Seems like it would be uncomfortable after an hour, and I do intend to use this laptop for a full day of class so battery life is a big thing for me.

And yes 6GB is more than good for the usual word processing, browsing and gaming. Above 6GB (even above 4GB) is only necessary for video/photo editing for the most part.
 
ChefRamsay said:
Yup i5 should be good enough. i7s will obviously be more powerful but keep in mind they use significantly more wattage which means quite a hotter machine. I was originally considering an i7-2630 but the temps scared me away. Seems like it would be uncomfortable after an hour, and I do intend to use this laptop for a full day of class so battery life is a big thing for me.

And yes 6GB is more than good for the usual word processing, browsing and gaming. Above 6GB (even above 4GB) is only necessary for video/photo editing for the most part.
Click to expand...


Is ti possible to upgrade the CPU myself down the road if I so desired?
 
Would a i7-2620M 6770m HP Pavilion dv7t be worth getting at $888 total with taxes? Would love to get the quad core version but it's out of my budget. This is the 30% off going on.
 
My XPS 17 arrived today and it's a pretty awesome machine, but... Optimus seems to be everything I hoped it wouldn't be, crashes entering matches in Football Manager and Halo 2 flat out refuses to load. The Nvidia forums show these are common issues with no fix :*(

Given these are the games I plan on playing the most I've asked Dell if I can swap it for a similar, non Optimus machine, if not I'll ask for a refund I think. Really can't be bothered arsing around with this rubbish :/
 
Did you whitelist those games?

Wessiej said:
So I'm searching for a laptop for school and some gaming. Thought of this one, is it a good choice?
http://www.alternate.nl/html/produc...566320/?tn=BUILDERS&l1=Notebooks&l2=Alternate
Click to expand...
Looks good.

ZoddGutts said:
Would a i7-2620M 6770m HP Pavilion dv7t be worth getting at $888 total with taxes? Would love to get the quad core version but it's out of my budget. This is the 30% off going on.
Click to expand...
Have you tried this coupon?
 
K.Jack said:
Did you whitelist those games?
Click to expand...

Yep, no dice. Updated to the newest Dell and Nvidia drivers and neither helped. Running on Integrated fixes Football Manager but kind of defeats the point and nothing seems to work for Halo 2. Optimus just seems like a pain, I didn't realise my laptop even had it 'till I checked reviews afterwards.

I much prefer the way my Acer does things, it has a button that switches to power saving mode when needed otherwise it's off.
 
K.Jack said:
Honestly, I was working on a new thread, then became extremely ill, and I kinda lost sight on what was going on with it.

Let's do this. Tell me what you think would be necessary for a decent OP. Just organize laptops by price? Does it need a section dedicated to mobile GPU specs/benchmarks?
Click to expand...

- Links to the best places to buy laptops, also non-US ones if you have those links (for example the cheapest EU sources that ship all across EU for us Euros)

- List of laptops divided into, for example, low- mid- and high-tier

- Short summary of some common graphics cards in each tier

- Personal recommendations from you

- Short general summary of what's going to happen in the nearest future

- Common pitfalls to look out for when looking at specs
 
I do have it divided into three power levels: Entry, Performance, and Enthusiast. Each section is then organized by screen size.

Entry is done, though I'm debating whether the cheap AMD Fusion laptops should be included.

Performance is WIP.

Enthusiast is on hold, until the 6990M has spread into Clevo/Sager.
 
SeanR1221 said:
Ok, so I was ready to get a MacBook air, but 64GB HDD? No thank you.

Guy at Best Buy recommended the Toshiba Portege. It's not as sexy as the Air, but only 3 pounds and it would be eligible for the free xbox promo (anything over 700, right?).

Anything else comparable? I know of the Samsung Series 9, but that's too expensive. The upcoming Asus looks cool, but the HDD is also small.
Click to expand...

Anyone?
 
Ok PC gaf i need help, it's showing that Intel Rapid Storage Technology is trying to connect to the service. What does this mean?
 
Xamdou said:
Ok PC gaf i need help, it's showing that Intel Rapid Storage Technology is trying to connect to the service. What does this mean?
Click to expand...

Wrong thread? But IRST is a tech that allows you to use an SSD as a cache for your HDs.
 
So I've had my Dell XPS 17 for a few days now, really pleased with it. Feels great being able to play games like Civ V with most settings at max, and TF2 maxxed at around 60+fps at 1080p. Installed the Complete mod for Stalker: Call of Pripyat and that runs great so far too. I also downloaded the Metro 2033 demo which was really smooth at 1600x900.

I got into the Battlefield 3 alpha and been playing that at 720p with medium details.
 
Mafro said:
So I've had my Dell XPS 17 for a few days now, really pleased with it. Feels great being able to play games like Civ V with most settings at max, and TF2 maxxed at around 60+fps at 1080p. Installed the Complete mod for Stalker: Call of Pripyat and that runs great so far too. I also downloaded the Metro 2033 demo which was really smooth at 1600x900.

I got into the Battlefield 3 alpha and been playing that at 720p with medium details.
Click to expand...
Just the sort of person I wish to ask a question of - how do those matte and/or glossy 1080p screens handle games in their non-native resolution? Do you get much stretching or over scan?

And if you do, do you care when you're playing Metro (or BC2 or whatever) at 60fps+ at 720p in your lap, lol?

Thanks.
 
elfinke said:
Just the sort of person I wish to ask a question of - how do those matte and/or glossy 1080p screens handle games in their non-native resolution? Do you get much stretching or over scan?

And if you do, do you care when you're playing Metro (or BC2 or whatever) at 60fps+ at 720p in your lap, lol?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
I haven't really tried that yet, but I assume they'd be stretched, squashed whatever.
 
Mafro said:
So I've had my Dell XPS 17 for a few days now, really pleased with it. Feels great being able to play games like Civ V with most settings at max, and TF2 maxxed at around 60+fps at 1080p. Installed the Complete mod for Stalker: Call of Pripyat and that runs great so far too. I also downloaded the Metro 2033 demo which was really smooth at 1600x900.

I got into the Battlefield 3 alpha and been playing that at 720p with medium details.
Click to expand...
Did you get the 3d version? If so, how's the experience?
 
Freedom = $1.05 said:
Did you get the 3d version? If so, how's the experience?
Click to expand...
Yeah I had to get the 3D screen since that was the only 1080p option available in the UK. I don't have the glasses yet, but I'll probably get them in a month or so.
 
Hey Gaf, my girlfriend is looking to get a new laptop soon, she's not a huge gamer but she wants to be able to play stuff with me on it. She says she'd consider anything less than $1000. What are some good gameable laptops in that range? The one in the OP any good still? Or is there newer stuff in that price range?
 
Not sure if I should ask this here or make a new thread but I'll try asking anyways.

I was trying to install FF XIV off the disc but when I click the DVD Drive in My Computer it gives me the "Insert Disc" pop-up and ejects the disc tray. I tried uninstalling the drive in Device Manager and restarting my laptop, but it still gives me the same error.

Any advice?
 
Yo, my laptop sustained physical damage and I need to replace it today, or tomorrow at the latest. It was a year old ASUS UL30V: http://www.amazon.com/UL30Vt-X1-Light-13-3-Inch-Laptop-Battery/dp/B002XZLURC

That was a great laptop, good size and weight, good battery life, and a decent enough video card. No optical drive. I'd like to get something similar - if there's an equivalent Asus that's newer I may just get that. Any recommendations?

Second, since I need a working laptop right away I'll have to go brick and mortar. I'm in LA so I've got Frys, Best Buy, etc. around here. Are there any decent B&M deals right now? I paid $750 for this Asus last year, but I could spend up to $1000 on a new one.
 
Sordid 1 - Optimus 0 \o/

I managed to get Halo 2 working on my new XPS 17 :*) I tried setting the game to run with my integrated graphics card but it refused to load. I also tried using the Nvidia Control Panel thing to force AA and some other stuff off but still no dice. In the end I had to disable my GeForce 555m completely via Device Manager, boot the game then set my resolution and disable AA. After that the game runs on the 555m like a dream, I switched AA back on which caused the game to crash but it saved the settings and now it works fine (although changing the AA settings causes the game to crash every time now, weird :/ )

It was a lot of hassle but I'm glad I got there in the end. Football Manager started working by itself which was handy, after all the Halo shenanigans I'd had enough tinkering!

Edit: After reading how flexible this card is I also OC'd it a little from 590 mhz core/900mhz memory to 700 mhz core/1065 mhz memory. The highest temp it's hit so far while gaming is 63°C, is that too hot for a laptop? My CPU gets hotter (70°C+ under load) so I've got Turbo Boost disabled most of the time to keep the fans from ramping up as often.
 
Parallax Scroll said:
Yo, my laptop sustained physical damage and I need to replace it today, or tomorrow at the latest. It was a year old ASUS UL30V: http://www.amazon.com/UL30Vt-X1-Light-13-3-Inch-Laptop-Battery/dp/B002XZLURC

That was a great laptop, good size and weight, good battery life, and a decent enough video card. No optical drive. I'd like to get something similar - if there's an equivalent Asus that's newer I may just get that. Any recommendations?

Second, since I need a working laptop right away I'll have to go brick and mortar. I'm in LA so I've got Frys, Best Buy, etc. around here. Are there any decent B&M deals right now? I paid $750 for this Asus last year, but I could spend up to $1000 on a new one.
Click to expand...
You could try the Envy 14 @ Fry's.
 
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