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Gamer-approved laptop recommendation thread

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I will be in London next month (probably the second half of August) and I will spend a year there for my Masters. I'm looking for a laptop that is decent enough to play BF3 (at least on medium settings) and at the same time I don't want it to exceed 15.6 inches. So are there any special places to look for laptops?

My budget is around 1600 $ ~ 1000 Pounds.
 
SolidPain said:
I will be in London next month (probably the second half of August) and I will spend a year there for my Masters. I'm looking for a laptop that is decent enough to play BF3 (at least on medium settings) and at the same time I don't want it to exceed 15.6 inches. So are there any special places to look for laptops?

My budget is around 1600 $ ~ 1000 Pounds.
Click to expand...
That's a nice budget, I'd go with a custom laptop from iBUYPOWER or Digital storm. This one is very well spec'd (the gtx 560m will handle BF3), just make sure to buy your laptop in America as it will be way cheaper than anything you'll find in Europe.
 
Gav47 said:
That's a nice budget, I'd go with a custom laptop from iBUYPOWER or Digital storm. This one is very well spec'd (the gtx 560m will handle BF3), just make sure to buy your laptop in America as it will be way cheaper than anything you'll find in Europe.
Click to expand...

But I don't live in the U.S. so is importing a laptop from there to the UK a good idea?
 
SolidPain said:
I will be in London next month (probably the second half of August) and I will spend a year there for my Masters. I'm looking for a laptop that is decent enough to play BF3 (at least on medium settings) and at the same time I don't want it to exceed 15.6 inches. So are there any special places to look for laptops?

My budget is around 1600 $ ~ 1000 Pounds.
Click to expand...
You'll want to look at this machine.
 
I am copy-pasting from my thread at Notebookreview.com. I am in Canada, btw. Any help from experts would be appreciated....I used to follow this stuff closely but lately I have fallen out of the trends.

.......

1) What is your budget?
1000 USD to 1500 USD

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
e. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.

CANADA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
NONE

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?
YES

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?

The most demanding is playing a few modern games, at mid settings. But the majority of time is browsing the net, doing my MS Office work, etc. Good screen quality is more important, which is harder to find out than Graphics card, IMO.


7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
DESKTOP REPLACEMENT, for the most part.

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?
SOME - a few modern games, at mid settings.

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?
2 hours....not important.

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
NO NEED TO SEE DIRECTLY

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or Windows 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
WINDOWS 7 64X

Screen Specifics

12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer?

1920x1080 OR 1680x1050 - SCREEN SHOULD HAVE GOOD IMAGE QUALITY, this quality is more important than graphics card.

Build Quality and Design


13) Do you want a Glossy/reflective screen or a Matte/non-glossy screen?
DONT CARE

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
NO

15) When are you buying this laptop?
BEFORE THE END OF SEPT 2011

16) How long do you want this laptop to last?
3 YRS

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 640GB? Do you want a SSD drive?

TWO DRIVES: SSD 60-80GB, HDD 300-500GB. This is actually important


18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
NO

Much appreciated.



To summarize: a good quality screen at the above resolutions, a mid-high range GPU, and a two-drive HDD + SDD option are the most important considerations, all as close to 1000 USD as possible.

Thanks.

.......

I would like to ask one more thing: the last time I bought a laptop, it was from Xotic Pc, and I loved the selection, but there was one thing I hated: it was located in the US. As a Canadian, I REALLY want to find Xotic PC-like shops in Canada, because I do not want to go to the experience of RMA-ing a unit with the kind of cross-border shipping charges i had to endure. (this is, of course, of no fault to Xotic)

So, are there such shops in Canada?
 
Laptop-GAF, I need help!
I want to buy a 15,6" gaming laptop for about ~900€ (or under 1000€, but I would prefer not to go beyond lower 900s).

I was thinking about this - HP dv6-6050ew.

And here's the site to check what price the said laptop is in Austria if you know that UK price would fit my requirements :)

Help!

Edit:
I've come across this baby - Dell XPS L502x (non Full-HD version) http://geizhals.at/eu/653172
What do you think?
 
laesperanzapaz said:
I would like to ask one more thing: the last time I bought a laptop, it was from Xotic Pc, and I loved the selection, but there was one thing I hated: it was located in the US. As a Canadian, I REALLY want to find Xotic PC-like shops in Canada, because I do not want to go to the experience of RMA-ing a unit with the kind of cross-border shipping charges i had to endure. (this is, of course, of no fault to Xotic)

So, are there such shops in Canada?
Click to expand...
1. Eurocom (second largest Clevo retailer/importer in North America) - Recommended!
2. Fortnax
3. Reflex Notebooks

mikespit1200 said:
What do you guys think of this laptop for general computing, and light gaming with 15" screen under $500? Resolution is a little low, but I'm not all that concerned. HD 3000 should be passable for stuff like Torchlight, Titan's Quest, Magicka and so forth, right?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834246129
Click to expand...

Yes, the HD 3k can run those games quite adequately. The future is not very bright for it though.

Keiician said:
Laptop-GAF, I need help!
I want to buy a 15,6" gaming laptop for about ~900€ (or under 1000€, but I would prefer not to go beyond lower 900s).

I was thinking about this - HP dv6-6050ew.

And here's the site to check what price the said laptop is in Austria if you know that UK price would fit my requirements :)

Help!

Edit:
I've come across this baby - Dell XPS L502x (non Full-HD version) http://geizhals.at/eu/653172
What do you think?
Click to expand...
The DV6's 6770M has much more graphics power. I'd take that one, unless you're in love with the looks of the XPS.

Kyon said:
there is a laptop for $349 are these good specs for PC gaming?


ASUS A53 Series A53E-XN1 Notebook Intel Pentium B940(2.00GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory DDR3 1333 320GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi Intel HD Graphics
Click to expand...
No, that is not going to run anything decent.

What's your max budget?
 
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pa...348120631&skuId=2738329&st=DV6-6135&cp=1&lp=1
I'm leaning towards getting this HP laptop. It seems HP doesn't have the best rep but the reviews I have read seem to be pretty positive on this particular one. I got to look at one in-store the other night for a minute. It had a pretty good Windows Performance Index. The low number was a 5.9 for the hard drive, which makes sense with it being a 5400 rpm. I should be able to improve that by upgrading to a 7200 or ssd, right? Overall, does that seem like a good deal for $700?
 
Kyon said:
well just got my first job a few days ago so ill say maximum would be $900

EDIT: but i can go up to $1000, is this a good one? SAMSUNG RF Series RF711-S02 Notebook Intel Core i7 2630QM(2.00GHz) 17.3" 4GB Memory 750GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M w/ NVIDIA Optimus
Click to expand...
With a $1k budget, you need to get something like the Asus G53. Less than a grand after MIR.

Decent?

Tonner Cyn said:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pa...348120631&skuId=2738329&st=DV6-6135&cp=1&lp=1
I'm leaning towards getting this HP laptop. It seems HP doesn't have the best rep but the reviews I have read seem to be pretty positive on this particular one. I got to look at one in-store the other night for a minute. It had a pretty good Windows Performance Index. The low number was a 5.9 for the hard drive, which makes sense with it being a 5400 rpm. I should be able to improve that by upgrading to a 7200 or ssd, right? Overall, does that seem like a good deal for $700?
Click to expand...
Getting the 6750M 1GB GDDR5 for $700 is great, though I'd love to know which A-series CPU that is shipping in it.

EvilNando said:
Hi guys Im about to pull the trigger on the AM11x

but browsing amazon I came up with this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004KNVK84/?tag=neogaf0e-20


which basically is a faster cpu with bigger display and a powerful gpu (GT 540M) for almost the same dollar


pls advice
Click to expand...
If you can spend $900, you need to consider the G53 I posted.
 
K Jack - thanks for the links of the shops, much appreciated.

Regarding that ASUS you posted - I remember lookin through the specs going "uh-huh, uh-huh good, good....wait ONE USB???" ;p
 
EvilNando said:
well okay I guess Ill buy this instead...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ZOD8LU/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Click to expand...
Why this one? The GPU is weaker than what you originally posted.

laesperanzapaz said:
K Jack - thanks for the links of the shops, much appreciated.

Regarding that ASUS you posted - I remember lookin through the specs going "uh-huh, uh-huh good, good....wait ONE USB???" ;p
Click to expand...
Yeah Newegg has it listed incorrectly. In the pictures, you can clearly see that it has at least 2 x USB2.0 slots as well.
 
Freedom = $1.05 said:
Alienware is a ripoff. I suggest you look for alternatives. Even Dell's own xps line is a better buy than alienware.
Click to expand...
What the heck? The Alienware m11x is an incredible deal, and not just that, it's almost entirely unique in its class. It's literally the only decent laptop out there that both plays all modern games almost perfectly, yet is less than 5lbs, completely portable, and lasts for 6+ hours for web browsing and other non-gaming tasks.

To the original guy asking - it depends on what you care about. You're basically comparing a portable 11.6 inch gaming laptop to a 15+ inch behemoth that will weigh considerably more and have far worse battery life.




[edit] I see where the confusion comes in. Don't order an M11x from Amazon. Get it from Dell's own site. The latest revision (R3) has a 540m, a Sandy Bridge GPU, etc. That model starts at $999 and doesn't really benefit from any of the upgrades that would cost more (outside of an SSD)
 
Consider the Acer 3820TG for 570€ (I got it for that price new on eBay):
:: Processor
Intel Core i5 460M 2.53 GHz
:: Mainboard
Intel HM55
:: Memory
4096 MB, PC3-10600
:: Graphics adapter
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 - 1024 MB dedicated
:: Display
13.3 inch 16:9, 1366x768 pixel
:: Harddisk
WDC WD7500BPVT-22HXZT1, 750GB 5400rpm 2.5-inch, 5400rpm
:: Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 28.9 x 324 x 235 (about the size of an m11x)
:: Weight
1.815 kg (around 4lbs)

Check the Review here:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Acer-Aspire-3820TG-Subnotebook-i5-HD5650.38666.0.html

Also there are a few dedicated threads like this one with loads of info (including mods like a backlit keyboard):
http://forum.notebookreview.com/acer/561840-3820tg-owners-lounge-part-two.html

You might want to know that it plays Kirby's Epic Yarn on Dolphin beautifully.

And if you're interested in installing OSX:
http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=253559

I still can't believe what I got for the price... I was looking at used Macbooks above this price and then I looked over and saw this gem.

It doesn't have a dvd drive, it has 2 fans and is very slim, also it lasts over 6 hours. hdmi-port and everything...
3820TG.jpg


I think this should be in the OP.
 
to match my new Alienware Aurora Gaming PC, ordered a m11x laptop this morning.

Basic stats:
Intel Core i7-2617M 1.5GHz (2.6GHz Turbo Mode, 4MB Cache)
NVIDIA GeForce GT540 graphics with 2.0GB Video Memory and Optimus
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
750GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
11.6in High Def (720p/1366x768) with WLED backlight


Say it will be here on the 18th, gonna be a long wait :D
 
Yoschi said:
Consider the Acer 3820TG for 570€ (I got it for that price new on eBay):
:: Processor
Intel Core i5 460M 2.53 GHz
:: Mainboard
Intel HM55
:: Memory
4096 MB, PC3-10600
:: Graphics adapter
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 - 1024 MB dedicated
:: Display
13.3 inch 16:9, 1366x768 pixel
:: Harddisk
WDC WD7500BPVT-22HXZT1, 750GB 5400rpm 2.5-inch, 5400rpm
:: Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 28.9 x 324 x 235 (about the size of an m11x)
:: Weight
1.815 kg (around 4lbs)

Check the Review here:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Acer-Aspire-3820TG-Subnotebook-i5-HD5650.38666.0.html

Also there are a few dedicated threads like this one with loads of info (including mods like a backlit keyboard):
http://forum.notebookreview.com/acer/561840-3820tg-owners-lounge-part-two.html

You might want to know that it plays Kirby's Epic Yarn on Dolphin beautifully.

And if you're interested in installing OSX:
http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=253559

I still can't believe what I got for the price... I was looking at used Macbooks above this price and then I looked over and saw this gem.

It doesn't have a dvd drive, it has 2 fans and is very slim, also it lasts over 6 hours. hdmi-port and everything...
3820TG.jpg


I think this should be in the OP.
Click to expand...
I'd happily update the OP with this laptop, but unfortunately:

-It's more than a year old, and some of the parts are really aging now
-It's still next to impossible to find in the US.

I would have happily bought that machine instead of my m11x if only Acer decided to actually give me a place to buy it.
 
K.Jack said:
Getting the 6750M 1GB GDDR5 for $700 is great, though I'd love to know which A-series CPU that is shipping in it.
Click to expand...
According to best buy's website, it is an A8-3500M. This will run civ v nicely right? I am so tempted...
 
laesperanzapaz said:
To summarize: a good quality screen at the above resolutions, a mid-high range GPU, and a two-drive HDD + SDD option are the most important considerations, all as close to 1000 USD as possible.

Thanks.

.......

I would like to ask one more thing: the last time I bought a laptop, it was from Xotic Pc, and I loved the selection, but there was one thing I hated: it was located in the US. As a Canadian, I REALLY want to find Xotic PC-like shops in Canada, because I do not want to go to the experience of RMA-ing a unit with the kind of cross-border shipping charges i had to endure. (this is, of course, of no fault to Xotic)

So, are there such shops in Canada?
Click to expand...

If you're willing to go to the higher end of your $1000-$1500, Eurocom is based in Ottawa and sells rebranded Sager 8150s (called Eurocom Racer). You can add a Radeon HD 6970 for $70 more and it is an amazing mobile card for its price range. The GPU is also upgradable, which is a very nice touch. The screen is 1080p and I hear good things about the IQ, the only complaints tend to be that the glossy stock screen (EDIT: apparently they offer a matte screen for the same price). You can upgrade the ODD with a second drive but their prices are pretty steep, if you don't mind doing it yourself you'll probably save quite a bit.

The prices on their site are ridiculous, but if you call them they will typically price match or come close to it. XoticPC has pretty good prices for the 8150.
 
Does anyone have an opinion on a 3d xps 17? I know a couple of people have one and I'm thinking of picking one once my next student loan kicks in. How's the 3d and is it a decent gaming rig?
 
Freedom = $1.05 said:
Does anyone have an opinion on a 3d xps 17? I know a couple of people have one and I'm thinking of picking one once my next student loan kicks in. How's the 3d and is it a decent gaming rig?
Click to expand...

In regards to the 3D, I hear that 3D laptops at this point are still too expensive to be worthwhile, and expect a big performance hit during 3D gaming.

I heard it's a solid gaming rig otherwise, though tbh I don't know enough about it to give much detail, but most people recommended against getting 3D.
 
dLMN8R said:
I'd happily update the OP with this laptop, but unfortunately:

-It's more than a year old, and some of the parts are really aging now
-It's still next to impossible to find in the US.

I would have happily bought that machine instead of my m11x if only Acer decided to actually give me a place to buy it.
Click to expand...
I agree, it can be hard to find. I suppose I got lucky with mine. I was thinking the same thing about the aging parts but looking at the benchmarks and having had it for a few weeks now I don't think it's an issue because it performs really well. Of course there's higher performing laptops but looking at the price I can't find any better. The only thing I feel I might be missing is USB3.0 even though I know I won't be using it in the near future anyway.

A bummer it's so tough to get, it's a great lappy, especially compared to it's competition.
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051OL8R4/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I posted this in the PC thread but was redirected here.

I purchased this for 599.99 dollars using a 20% off code and I believe I get an Xbox as well.

From what I can tell its pretty compact and has a decent video card if I want to play some newer PC games.

Did I do well?

Edit: I didnt see the post above me lol!

I hear there is a fix for the throttle problem. In any case I feel like it was a good buy.
 
BannedEpisode said:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051OL8R4/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I posted this in the PC thread but was redirected here.

I purchased this for 599.99 dollars using a 20% off code and I believe I get an Xbox as well.

From what I can tell its pretty compact and has a decent video card if I want to play some newer PC games.

Did I do well?

Edit: I didnt see the post above me lol!

I hear there is a fix for the throttle problem. In any case I feel like it was a good buy.
Click to expand...
Where did you hear about the fix for the throttling problem?

The problem isn't so much the throttling, from what I read, but rather the massive heat output that forces the hardware to throttle just so the thing does freaking melt!
 
Freedom = $1.05 said:
Does anyone have an opinion on a 3d xps 17? I know a couple of people have one and I'm thinking of picking one once my next student loan kicks in. How's the 3d and is it a decent gaming rig?
Click to expand...

I've had the 3D XPS 17 for a couple of months now. So if you have any additional questions feel free to PM me if you would like.

But basically I like it fine, but there is one major downside. If you are looking for a laptop with Optimus, this one does not have it. It has to do with how Dell designed the laptop according to various internet sources. The 120hz screen it uses for 3D apparently needs more power to run and the way Dell built the laptop, switching to the i7 processor couldn't keep the screen running. While I would have liked having Optimus for the longer battery life, this laptop is essentially a desktop replacement for me, so I was ok with it. The 120hz 1080p screen was just too good to pass up.

As for 3D, it's pretty awesome. I've run Witcher 2 with 3D with no problems. Although you do have to run it at low-med settings because the GT 555M is just not powerful enough.

A major upside of this laptop is that the sound is INCREDIBLE. Out of all the laptops I've owned I have to say, I have never heard speakers on a laptop that sound this good. The laptop even has a subwoofer built into the bottom of it.

I got mine for just under $900 out the door (that's including taxes and everything). I've since upgraded it with another 8GB of ram for 12GB total for another $30 bucks. I'm now waiting on a really good deal on an Intel SSD.
 
dLMN8R said:
Where did you hear about the fix for the throttling problem?

The problem isn't so much the throttling, from what I read, but rather the massive heat output that forces the hardware to throttle just so the thing does freaking melt!
Click to expand...

Not so much an actual fix, but a couple people I know have the laptop and use different programs that increase the throttle threshold to a tolerable level. Hopefully the thing doesnt run that hot. From what I've read it runs warm but not nuclear reactorish.

Guess I'll find out. I'm not a huge PC gamer so even if its a hindrance it shouldnt bother me much.
 
help laptop-gaf

so what is the best 11-14 inch laptop on the market for 1100$. i want to do light gaming mostly for college i saw the mx11 and mx14 but i wasnt sure if it the best bang for the buck.
 
The M11x and M14x are untouchable, as far as the performance in those size brackets.

I'd personally find an 11.6" gaming notebook too small.

.
Tonner Cyn said:
According to best buy's website, it is an A8-3500M. This will run civ v nicely right? I am so tempted...
Click to expand...
Well, 4 of AMD's mobile cores running at 1.5Ghz isn't exactly going to light RTS gaming on fire.

At best, expect it to equal Core i3 processors.
 
K.Jack said:
Well, 4 of AMD's mobile cores running at 1.5Ghz isn't exactly going to light RTS gaming on fire.

At best, expect it to equal Core i3 processors.
Click to expand...

Thanks again for the input. I'm currently using a desktop with an Athlon 64 X2 3800+ with 2 gigs of RAM. This has to be an upgrade from that, doesn't it?
 
With Deus Ex and a few other games coming out, I'm looking for a new laptop. I want something that has decent power but will also last me two years. Few questions for Laptop GAF -

-Recertified laptops, yay or nay? Was looking at this one, which seems like a great value for the money: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230111

-How's Asus, are they reliable? Like I said, I need something reliable as I do work on my laptop - I know a two-year warranty helps, but I really can't afford the downtime.
 
K.Jack said:
The M11x and M14x are untouchable, as far as the performance in those size brackets.

I'd personally find an 11.6" gaming notebook too small.
Click to expand...
One interesting note IMO is that at 720p, the m11x (especially the R3) is significantly more powerful than an Xbox 360. While this doesn't say much on its own, it means that you could always hook it up to an HDTV with a single HDMI cable, and then hook up a 360 controller, run games at 720, and voila you have a very portable Xbox 360!

Gets around the pesky screen size problem :-P
 
I'm looking at getting a laptop that's pretty small and been thinking the m11x. I'm in Canada and am mostly concerned about battery life above all. m11x my best option or should I be looking at something else?
 
Hey gaf,I needed to get a new laptop for school and i'm going to be a chemical engineering major. My dad's paying for it, and this was his budget. Is this good for gaming? Or is it not a good computer at all? I don't know much about computer parts.

dv6t.jpg
 
ShaneDude said:
Hey gaf,I needed to get a new laptop for school and i'm going to be a chemical engineering major. My dad's paying for it, and this was his budget. Is this good for gaming? Or is it not a good computer at all? I don't know much about computer parts.
Click to expand...
Those integrated Intel graphics cards are terrible for gaming.
K.Jack said:
The DV6's 6770M has much more graphics power. I'd take that one, unless you're in love with the looks of the XPS.
Click to expand...
Now I'm thinking about going with this laptop (1366 resolution, 4GB RAM and i5-2410M instead of that i7). Heard some pretty bad stuff about that HP.
 
ShaneDude said:
Hey gaf,I needed to get a new laptop for school and i'm going to be a chemical engineering major. My dad's paying for it, and this was his budget. Is this good for gaming? Or is it not a good computer at all? I don't know much about computer parts.
Click to expand...

In this price range, you can go AMD Fusion and enjoy very playable games at mid-settings. Perfect for WoW, and pre-2009 games. More recent games are also playable if your sacrifice on IQ.
 
K.Jack said:
With a $1k budget, you need to get something like the Asus G53. Less than a grand after MIR.

Decent?
Click to expand...

YES! thank you so much! is there a model like this with a blu ray optical drive? not that big of a deal if there isnt, just wondering :D
 
You could always add the Blu-ray yourself, at a later date.

number47 said:
Just bought this.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230089

Seems like a good deal. Any one objects?
Click to expand...

That's a good buy, in fact...
ShaneDude said:
Hey gaf,I needed to get a new laptop for school and i'm going to be a chemical engineering major. My dad's paying for it, and this was his budget. Is this good for gaming? Or is it not a good computer at all? I don't know much about computer parts.
Click to expand...
Is this in your budget?

Keiician said:
Now I'm thinking about going with this laptop (1366 resolution, 4GB RAM and i5-2410M instead of that i7). Heard some pretty bad stuff about that HP.
Click to expand...
Depends on the price.
 
ShaneDude said:
Absolutely. Can you shed a few more details? The thing is though, the laptop i was looking at included a blu ray drive and Microsoft Office.
Click to expand...
Well, the faster GPU is 4x faster, and is actually a good GPU for gaming and work. The CPU in the HP is only an i3, and lacks Turbo Boost, so the i5 will blow it away in every instance.

Most schools give out cheap or free Microsoft Office suites. The Blu-ray is the only genuine loss, but you could add an aftermarket drive later.
 
K.Jack said:
Well, the faster GPU is 4x faster, and is actually a good GPU for gaming and work. The CPU in the HP is only an i3, and lacks Turbo Boost, so the i5 will blow it away in every instance.

Most schools give out cheap or free Microsoft Office suites. The Blu-ray is the only genuine loss, but you could add an aftermarket drive later.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much. I normally game on my ps3, but will medium settings on current games still look better than ps3 graphics?
 
What's the word on MSI laptops? Decent quality? I'm (like the guy above me) interested in the GE620DX. It comes in a few different configurations, but the particular one I'm interested in has these specs:

MSI GE620DX
15.6" screen, 1920x1080, FULL HD Glare
Intel Core i7, 2630QM (4 cores @ 2 GHz)
Nvidia GeForce GT 555M (2 GB)
8 GB DDR3 RAM
750 GB HDD (7200 rpm)
Etc...

For its price it seems like a very capable machine. The one weakness I'm seeing is probably the GPU, which isn't exactly the hottest on the market.

Or would the Asus G53SW be a better choice? It's the same price here, but with these specs:

Asus G53SW
15.6" screen, 1920x1080, LED
Intel Core i5, 2410M (2 cores @ 2.3 GHz)
Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M (1.5 GB)
4 GB DDR3 RAM
500 GB HDD (7200 rpm)
Etc...

The remaining specs are mostly the same. So, the Asus has a slightly faster CPU (but with half the cores) and a stronger GPU (albeit with less video memory), but less RAM and a smaller HDD.

At the same price, which should I go for?

(What's missing from both of them is a FireWire port. If either of them had it that would be a major plus for me, since FW is the only way to connect my external sound card (for music recording), but it seems damn near impossible to find a new laptop with it nowadays. Guess I'll have to try to sell my sound card and get one with a USB interface instead.)
 
I would take the G53.

At 1080p, the GTX 460M leads that version of the 555M by around 50%. Even paired with a dual core, it's the more potent combo.

A year from now, I'd rather have the stronger GPU.
 
K.Jack said:
I would take the G53.

At 1080p, the GTX 460M leads that version of the 555M by around 50%. Even paired with a dual core, it's the more potent combo.

A year from now, I'd rather have the stronger GPU.
Click to expand...

Ok, for gaming I can see why that would be true. But what about for other purposes? I do of course want to do some gaming on the laptop, but I'll also be running Photoshop, recording music, etc. It seems to me like when doing pretty much anything other than gaming (i.e. running multiple other applications at once), the GE620DX would come out on top?

I realize this is a thread for gaming laptops, and I do want the laptop to be usable for that, but it being a good all-rounder for a couple of years to come is slightly more important to me.

The size and weight difference might also be an issue, since I will be taking it to school and home again on public transit, etc. Here's a comparison:

Code: 
          G53SW | GE620DX
Width:   391 mm | 383 mm
Depth:   297 mm | 250 mm
Height:   50 mm |  37 mm
Weight: 3.92 kg | 2.4 kg

The G53 clearly would be more work to haul around.

And I honestly think the G53 looks like sh*t. It's so chunky and massive, and has that large "ass" protuding out from the back of it.

We're talking this:

H0OP9.png


...VS this:

eIzgV.png


OK, so the MSI isn't the best looking laptop ever made either, but it looks a lot sleeker and nicer to me.

So... with this extra info, do you still think I should go for the G53? The point about aesthetics is of course completely subjective, but still.
 
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