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I need a new laptop! Would appreciate tips from the brains trust.

Tschumi

Member
My old alienware 17r has given up the ghost. It was never the hottest possible shit,i bought it chea off ebay us and the seller replaced all the interchangeable parts with Chinese dross, but it's still performed well enough for my purposes all these years, until now. The hard drive has failed and I'm taking it as a sign.

Anyway, i know a few things:
- alienware isn't hot shit anymore my next rig maybe shouldn't be an alienware
- i like the idea of alienware area 51 with replaceable graphics cards but i have a feeling it wouldn't be very future proof and it gets bad reviews anyway.
- i use my laptop mostly for architectural cad these days, which needs a lot of the same hardware gaming needs, but not quite the same intensity.
- i have a console for 4k gaming etc, I'm tired of my colossal 17 inch so I'll be going to 15 inch, i don't really game on pc anymore besides rts and rtwp so yeah I'd like the best graphics card i can find but i don't need anything insane. I don't want the body of my laptop to be distorted to accommodate a jet engine of a graphics card. Wouldn't mind RT capabilities if that's been rendered mainstream yet.
- i don't really have a price point right now, but it's probably $2.5-3k aud/$1.7-2.1k usd. Apparently the Asus ROG Zephryus G15 is good value and depending on ssd size that's about what it costs.
- i like the suite of software that alienware includes, the support and stuff, I'd like the next one to have similar user benefits.

Anyway, I'd appreciate any suggestions.

I'd prefer to support a more indy brand if that's at all possible. ASUS ain't really that, I'm aware.

Thanks!
 
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Topher

Identifies as young
I've had luck with Asus gaming laptops in the past, but they are a bit pricey. I've also heard things about Razer and Lenovo gaming laptops, but no experience first hand.
 

STARSBarry

Gold Member
Ah the good old nightmare of the laptop market place. I am at work at the moment so don't have to time to look into how the landscape has moved over the last couple of months. So il keep it to things I imagine hasent changed.

A word of warning you can have the exact same graphics cards in multiple Laptops but due to how much power the GPU actually receives have wildly diffrent performance, I am talking a 3070 mobile can outperform a 3080 mobile depending on how much wattage is being supplied. You mentioned the Zephyrus, that is a perfect example of one of the low wattage GPU solutions, its the only way it can maintain its slim form factor, so yes it draws less power and produces less heat, but that comes at the cost of lower performance for the parts than you would expect. They also seem to include shitty batteries on the cheaper models, so if you buy the lower priced Zephyrus's they won't last anywhere near as long fully charged as some of the mid range spec ones, important if you consider mobility away from a socket a must.
 
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Xyphie

Member
Big fan of the Asus Zephyrus G14, good balance between portability and having a GPU. There should be a new model (2022) coming out soon with latest CPUs.
 

Tschumi

Member
Ah the good old nightmare of the laptop market place. I am at work at the moment so don't have to time to look into how the landscape has moved over the last couple of months. So il keep it to things I imagine hasent changed.

A word of warning you can have the exact same graphics cards in multiple Laptops but due to how much power the GPU actually receives have wildly diffrent performance, I am talking a 3070 mobile can outperform a 3080 mobile depending on how much wattage is being supplied. You mentioned the Zephyrus, that is a perfect example of one of the low wattage GPU solutions, its the only way it can maintain its slim form factor, so yes it draws less power and produces less heat, but that comes at the cost of lower performance for the parts than you would expect. They also seem to include shitty batteries on the cheaper models, so if you buy the lower priced Zephyrus's they won't last anywhere near as long fully charged as some of the mid range spec ones, important if you consider mobility away from a socket a must.
Mate, I'm so glad i found you haha, (someone willing to write at length, that's my style) actually a weak cpu limited my alienware 17 so i definitely want something with top of the line.. balance between gpu and cpu, etc, yeah
 
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I grabbed a HP Victus at like $750 a month back and it had been great for me. It’s got a 3050 in it with an 11th gen i5. The screen is only 60hz and 1080, but I don’t need 120 or 144 type fps for my eyes. The screen part feels a little flimsy, but it’s not really, it just feels like it, it’s hard to explain. I added 8 of ram to make it 16 and upgraded the ssd with the Samsung 980 pro. I think this thing replaced the Omen laptops this year. For what you are using it for, it seems like it would be fine, or something similar.
 

STARSBarry

Gold Member
Mate, I'm so glad i found you haha, (someone willing to write at length, that's my style) actually a weak cpu limited my alienware 17 so i definitely want something with top of the line.. balance between gpu and cpu, etc, yeah

Thats not to say the Zephyrus is a bad laptop, I would argue its a very good one for the role which is was designed for. Which is a relatively slim and portable balanced with having enough kick to game on the go and to a relatively good degree when compared to its direct competitors.

I actually bought one of the more basic models for my Mum as a gift which she used in the classroom. Its mix of a solid AMD 4800U and 1660 TI means that she would never feel slowdown on anything she did + it was slim and portable for an older women... I will admit the sight of what is a little old lady whipping out an RGB gamer laptop still makes me chuckle.




But a video to give an example of the diffrence on preformance bases on wattage, same GPU diffrent processors admittedly but the 80 watt is a Zephyrus.
 
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Tschumi

Member
Thats not to say the Zephyrus is a bad laptop, I would argue its a very good one for the role which is was designed for. Which is a relatively slim and portable balanced with having enough kick to game on the go and to a relatively good degree when compared to its direct competitors.

I actually bought one of the more basic models for my Mum as a gift which she used in the classroom. Its mix of a solid AMD 4800U and 1660 TI means that she would never feel slowdown on anything she did + it was slim and portable for an older women... I will admit the sight of what is a little old lady whipping out an RGB gamer laptop still makes me chuckle.




But a video to give an example of the diffrence on preformance bases on wattage, same GPU diffrent processors admittedly but the 80 watt is a Zephyrus.

Could i take parts from my old laptop to the new one? I've got a evo pro 970 ssd, and 32gb of ram (yes, it was kind of wasted in this old laptop), and if i could use them in the new laptop i could get one with less ram/ssd size and just transplant some chips?
 
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RJMacready73

Simps for Amouranth
I'm rocking the new Alienware Ryzen 7 RTX3700 edition with a 15" 1440p screen and i fucking love it if im being honest, its compact, well built, feels solid and looks cool.. no complaints
 

STARSBarry

Gold Member
Could i take parts from my old laptop to the new one? I've got a evo pro 920 ssd, and 32gb of ram (yes, it was kind of wasted in this old laptop), and if i could use them in the new laptop i could get one with less ram/ssd size and just transplant some chips?

It depends on the system, RAM is normally the easy one to upgrade, however it has to be both the same DDR format (DDR3, DDR4 etc) to work. There is also the frequency issue, for example AMD CPU's do alot better with higher RAM frequencies, so if you stuck a lower frequency stick into the laptop you would effectively force the system to use the lower of the two, which I suspect will be the older model by a large margin, not a great idea depending on how old the system the parts are coming from, but that's only if DDR are the same rates. Since RAM is one of the cheapest components to upgrade I would normally just suggest matching whatever is in the system already. I don't think I have seen a laptop in the last two decades without the ability to easily upgrade RAM, oh unless you include garbage like Mac and Surface Pro's (technically a tablet)

Storage, now that's an intresting one, most laptops these days will allow for you to upgrade the storage, however they are mainly m.2 format if the 920 evo is in that format (I am finding it hard to get any info on a 920) then it should just be a case of removing the specifically allocated bottom cover and slotting the drive in.
 
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GHG

Gold Member
Got a HP Omen 15 recently and it's been brilliant for both work and play. I got the 5800h + RTX 3070 model and it's performed very similarly to my 2070 super desktop at 1440p and 4k (when connected to my TV). Also love that it doesn't look like a gaming laptop so no issues taking it out and about on business.

This is the exact model:


If you want me to run any specific game benchmarks let me know.
 

Tschumi

Member
It depends on the system, RAM is normally the easy one to upgrade, however it has to be both the same DDR format (DDR3, DDR4 etc) to work. There is also the frequency issue, for example AMD CPU's do alot better with higher RAM frequencies, so if you stuck a lower frequency stick into the laptop you would effectively force the system to use the lower of the two, which I suspect will be the older model by a large margin, not a great idea depending on how old the system the parts are coming from, but that's only if DDR are the same rates. Since RAM is one of the cheapest components to upgrade I would normally just suggest matching whatever is in the system already. I don't think I have seen a laptop in the last two decades without the ability to easily upgrade RAM, oh unless you include garbage like Mac and Surface Pro's (technically a tablet)

Storage, now that's an intresting one, most laptops these days will allow for you to upgrade the storage, however they are mainly m.2 format if the 920 evo is in that format (I am finding it hard to get any info on a 920) then it should just be a case of removing the specifically allocated bottom cover and slotting the drive in.
I was wrong it's an evo 970 ssd :) m.2

Crucial 32GB Kit (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2666

^^^ that's the ram i put in
 
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Tschumi

Member
I'm rocking the new Alienware Ryzen 7 RTX3700 edition with a 15" 1440p screen and i fucking love it if im being honest, its compact, well built, feels solid and looks cool.. no complaints
Ain't gonna lie razer feels slightly more indy,i like that, could be old fashioned though..

Got a HP Omen 15 recently and it's been brilliant for both work and play. I got the 5800h + RTX 3070 model and it's performed very similarly to my 2070 super desktop at 1440p and 4k (when connected to my TV). Also love that it doesn't look like a gaming laptop so no issues taking it out and about on business.

This is the exact model:


If you want me to run any specific game benchmarks let me know.
Solid lead! I'll digest the deets
 
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STARSBarry

Gold Member
I was wrong it's an evo 970 ssd :) m.2

Crucial 32GB Kit (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2666

^^^ that's the ram i put in

Then the storage will be no issue long as you keep an eye on any model to make sure it has a slot, a majority of them do.

The ram frequency is a bit on the low side, most laptops these days tend to come with a stick soldered to the board these days and then a slot for a second stick left open to allow for upgrade. However if you get a model with two slots, I would avoid getting an AMD processor those are a little on the low side for frequencies, the low end Zephyrus's use 3200 for example.
 
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TrueLegend

Member
Lenovo Legion 5 with 1440p screen and with 3070. Get it. Save whatever you can.
One with 3060 is in stock. It uses 300W adapter so its one of the best. At ¥153,371 tax included.
Lenovo Legion 560 - Phantom Blue
PART NUMBER: 82JU00S6JP

Check his channel for his best laptop list. This is one of the top. This will give you soild 1440p60 at normal-high aka optimized setting and 4K in many games with DLSS. I recommend getting a 1440pHDR monitor on the side and call it a day.

Or If you are from australia

$2,099.00
82JU00R4AU
In Australia you get 1440p screen
 
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Tschumi

Member
Lenovo Legion 5 with 1440p screen and with 3070. Get it. Save whatever you can.
One with 3060 is in stock. It uses 300W adapter so its one of the best. At ¥153,371 tax included.
Lenovo Legion 560 - Phantom Blue
PART NUMBER: 82JU00S6JP

Check his channel for his best laptop list. This is one of the top. This will give you soild 1440p60 at normal-high aka optimized setting and 4K in many games with DLSS. I recommend getting a 1440pHDR monitor on the side and call it a day.

Or If you are from australia

$2,099.00
82JU00R4AU
In Australia you get 1440p screen

His accent makes me convulse when he says certain words but his content is great. Sub'd... Couldn't find the 3070 Legion you mentioned but I'm doing all this on my phone for obvious reasons
 

Tschumi

Member
How much is your budget?
I think the most likely laptop at the moment would be an rog zephyrus m16 with a 3060 and 512 ssd.. that's ¥249,000 in the shop i looked at today, $3,017.13 AUD, $2175.40 USD, €1918.05, £1594.67

That said, i don't want to get just get something off the shelf, i want to get something from a brand i respect etc... I've had an eye on a razer blade 15 from 2019 that costs about the same.. i prefer it..
 
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MikeM

Member
Msi GP66 has high TDP 3070 and 3080 options with a mux switch. Very highly rated for gaming laptops.
 
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MikeM

Member
Could you tell me what a mux switch is? Heard it mentioned
 
Just buy Legion 7i with 3080 (16gb) and 32 or 64 gig ram (buy the 16gb build then swap out ram for some after market ram). I researched a lot and found it to be the best gaming laptop (all things considered like build quality, cooling, noise, etc.) in the market right now. Close second is Ge76 (better GPU cooling).
 

FastOrc

Member
I got a Lenovo legion 5 pro just before black friday.
32 gig ram, 2 1 TB NVMe, RTX 3070.
Screen is great, could not of asked for a better laptop..
I paid £1500 for it.
 

Tschumi

Member
Just buy Legion 7i with 3080 (16gb) and 32 or 64 gig ram (buy the 16gb build then swap out ram for some after market ram). I researched a lot and found it to be the best gaming laptop (all things considered like build quality, cooling, noise, etc.) in the market right now. Close second is Ge76 (better GPU cooling).
What's the difference across 3060, 3070, 3080?
 

MikeM

Member
That's cool!

I'll look at these you've suggested
I have been looking at laptops myself and the MSI gp66 is the best bang for buck.
Check out Jarrod’s tech on YouTube. He does a lot of in depth laptop reviews which you will find valuable.
 

RJMacready73

Simps for Amouranth
Ain't gonna lie razer feels slightly more indy,i like that, could be old fashioned though..

i hear ya but ive been rocking Alienwares for the last 6yrs and ive had not one issue with them, infact my previous 2 are still in use within the company.. i dont know anything about the desktops but their laptops are exceedingly well made and this latest one is just brilliant, even under heavy load the fans barely make a noise and how could you not like the cool RGB Alien head power button or light ring around the back..

fp_aw_laptops_hero_1920x1440.png
 

Windle Poons

Made a crappy phPBB forum once ... once.
Got a HP Omen 15 recently and it's been brilliant for both work and play. I got the 5800h + RTX 3070 model and it's performed very similarly to my 2070 super desktop at 1440p and 4k (when connected to my TV). Also love that it doesn't look like a gaming laptop so no issues taking it out and about on business.

This is the exact model:


If you want me to run any specific game benchmarks let me know.
I too have this model with 5800 / 3070 / 16 gig RAM. Only in the last couple of months.

I haven’t installed any games yet, can you let me know what games you’ve tried so far and how you reckon they stack up with this laptop?
 

Tschumi

Member
i hear ya but ive been rocking Alienwares for the last 6yrs and ive had not one issue with them, infact my previous 2 are still in use within the company.. i dont know anything about the desktops but their laptops are exceedingly well made and this latest one is just brilliant, even under heavy load the fans barely make a noise and how could you not like the cool RGB Alien head power button or light ring around the back..

fp_aw_laptops_hero_1920x1440.png
My dearly departed laptop that warranted this thread was an alienware 17r... Loved it with a passion.. but it was too fucking big loll
 

RJMacready73

Simps for Amouranth
My dearly departed laptop that warranted this thread was an alienware 17r... Loved it with a passion.. but it was too fucking big loll
Yeah i had that one, fucking giant thing that's why i've went with the 15" this time, its light and the edge to edge screen makes it feel bigger if you know what i mean, prob more bang for your buck with another brand tbf but would they be as well made and last as long?
 

Tschumi

Member
Yeah i had that one, fucking giant thing that's why i've went with the 15" this time, its light and the edge to edge screen makes it feel bigger if you know what i mean, prob more bang for your buck with another brand tbf but would they be as well made and last as long?
A good 4 or 5 years from my 17r, hell yes... Yeah i am looking around but there's a huge chance i go m15 r5 too... I like the look of the rog g16, 16 inch screen and thin bezels, really good reviews, seems like a good middle ground.. asus feels kind of industry default though, somehow... the new alienware 17 is apparently the most powerful this year, and it's smaller than the old one, but it's wayyy too expensive

I'd love a razer 14, but they're a scoche too expensive
 
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GHG

Gold Member
I too have this model with 5800 / 3070 / 16 gig RAM. Only in the last couple of months.

I haven’t installed any games yet, can you let me know what games you’ve tried so far and how you reckon they stack up with this laptop?

Here's a couple of FH5 benchmarks:

r9oKZv.png


r9opsC.png


This is what I have installed on the system right now (along with a few games on the EGS) if you have any immediate requests:

nU02eUh.png
vrF1pgF.png


I also have pretty much every major release from the last couple of decades in my library so just say if there's something specific you're looking for.
 

Tschumi

Member
I've found a rog strix scar 15 on sale , 15.5in screen, with rtx 3080 with 300hz , 16gb ram... For the same cost as 3060 zephyrus (actually about $100 less)

Seems like a good deal to me, can anyone confirm?
 
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Edgelord79

Gold Member
I have an Asus Zephyrus G14 and its very good. Can play everything at 60 fps although I rarely do, its more for work (i.e. geospatial work, CAD). Battery life is superb after some tweaking. AMD Ryzen 7 variant is great. I realistically get about 8 - 10 hours (non GPU time).

Caveat, Asus solders half their RAM onto the board of thee G14 so you are unable to remove it, especially variants from box stores such as Best Buy. Comes with 16 GB RAM which is more than enough, however, if you are a min-maxer, you'll need to look closely at this.
 

TrueLegend

Member
I've found a rog strix scar 15 on sale , 15.5in screen, with rtx 3080 with 300hz , 16gb ram... For the same cost as 3060 zephyrus (actually about $100 less)

Seems like a good deal to me, can anyone confirm?
Yep great but beyond 3060 you would not get a good scaling with 115+15 watt power template on mobile RTX cards. Still I will say go for 3070 or 380. Get it.
 
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STARSBarry

Gold Member
Okay, noted.

Can i just get one more opinion

This one almost 50,000 less...


The Scar has 115 watt 3080 which is the second highest standard wattage amount, but we'll above the 80 watt you see In the likes of the Zephurus.

Vs a 95 watt razor blade 3060, your looking at a huge diffrence in frames there.

+ the 5800H is the superior processor (just) on the scar and since its AMD it will stick closer to the 45 watt base compared to the intel boost.

Honestly your comparing a full size laptop vs a thin and light here so it's to be expected but I would go for the scar if you want to maximise preformance and don't care about the laptop being slimmer, the gap will be huge.
 
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Tschumi

Member
TrueLegend TrueLegend STARSBarry STARSBarry GHG GHG

Okay guys I'll sleep on it and see if the extra 40,000 yen is earned by the massive buff across the board

I am still interested in the razer because i am a architect more than a gamer, and I'm not sure i really need more than a 3060.. but yeah the intel cpu is a bit of a put-off

I freaking love chewing over this stuff, thanks for being there for my geekdom
 
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Windle Poons

Made a crappy phPBB forum once ... once.
Here's a couple of FH5 benchmarks:

r9oKZv.png


r9opsC.png


This is what I have installed on the system right now (along with a few games on the EGS) if you have any immediate requests:

nU02eUh.png
vrF1pgF.png


I also have pretty much every major release from the last couple of decades in my library so just say if there's something specific you're looking for.
Thank you much appreciated.

Do you use the Omen gaming app thing to go to performance mode or do you use the settings in Windows I think it’s in settings > graphics > apps?

Or Nvidia Control Panel even?
 
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STARSBarry

Gold Member
If you settle on the scar my last bit of advise if your planning to game on it at a set location most the time like a set work desk etc.


Get a cooling stand if you haven't already, they not only give you a little ergonomic tilt on the keyboard and help raise the laptop screen to eye level but they also make the laptop have increased airflow and not being suffocated on the table. Really helps with noise and while it might not increase preformance it can reduce noise as the laptop dousent have to go into blower mode all the time.
 
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Tschumi

Member
If you settle on the scar my last but of advise if your planning to game on it at a set location most the time like a set work desk etc.


Get a cooling stand if you haven't already, they not only give you a little ergonomic tilt on the keyboard and help raise the laptop screen to eye level but they also make the laptop have increased airflow and not being suffocated on the table.
I'd say it spends 90% of its time at home, but since it's smaller I'll probably take it out more, i focus better out of the house

In summer here shit gets hot and humid so I'll defo look into that. Full disclosure though i play my most bling games on ps5, i mostly to rts and similar on pc
 
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TrueLegend

Member
Just to end my contribution on this thread.
I am posting this because finding gaming benchmark on optimized settings is hard. You don't have to play on ultra. Just one or two ultra settings in PC can be crazy taxing. They are there for preservation. You may have had pc before but the difference between high and ultra is getting more negligible now a days than ever. It's always small things like RT shadows, soft shadow that just tank the framerate. You can do 4K60 on 98 percent of title out there.

 
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