Gaming Laptops

[Arnoxthe1]

Also, I'd stay away from alienware - usually Alot higher price for less/worse hardware.

Sources? I have not heard of any such defects in their hardware.

Not defects - the intent was 'less hardware per buck'.

Example: I took the components of my G73 and added them as closely as possible into alienwares custom-builder. The specs couldn't be mimicked 100%, so when necessary I took slightly lower specs on the alienware.

My G73 was 1503 us$, and the alienware was just above 2300 us$ with slightly less hardware. (6gb ddr3 instead of 8gb ddr3)

Hence, 'less/worse' hardware.

You're probably also paying for customer support as well, and the special case and the Windows OS all add up to a big chunk I'd imagine. I have heard that people say their computer cases are very very nice. One guys was still using it just fine after 5+ years I think.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

DON'T DO IT. DON'T!

Get a console for gaming and a laptop for everything else if necessary, but don't get a gaming laptop. I'm begging you. Not for my sake, but for yours.

My last computer was a gaming laptop, and despite NEVER taking it off a cooler pad, it died in roughly five years. Your motherboard or GPU craps out on you, and you're out $1000+. Same thing happens on a desktop computer, and you're out maybe $200 for a replacement part. Laptops just aren't designed for long-term survivability in their current form, and that goes double if you're adding strain on them by playing games.

Again, I'm not warning you because of some misguided fanboyism, but for the sake of your own wallet.

Actually, 5 years is not half-bad for a laptop to last IMO. With games, you also have the advantage of having the keyboard and mouse thus better control.

EDIT: Darn it!! Sorry again for the double post.

 

[Baneat]

You have a desktop sized budget in a laptop world, Unless you're going for a desktop or dramatically increase your budget you will be disappointed with laptops. I'm looking at the specs being thrown out.. 1.3GHz dual core? 8 series mobile GPU's from nvidia? my desktop's 2 years old and it cost me £400, 3GHz Quad Core AMD, 9 series card, 8GB RAM (though you don't need over 4)...

It's just not even in the same league or ballpark..

and did I mention my system has aged enough to warrant some significant upgrades?

 

[octafish]

Don't shoot me for this, but I found a custom Alienware M11x that's bang on my budget. What do you guys think?

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=19&kc=&oc=dkcwmn1

Hell the m11x is the only "gaming" laptop I'd even consider buying because it does two things well. It is remarkably powerful for its size and it is extremely portable. I know alienware come under fire for being overpriced but the m11x is unique. The only gaming netbook in the world. It can now be bought with a last gen i7 chip, but your budget probably doesn't stretch that far. I really don't like large laptops but that is just me.

 

[SturmDolch]

Anyone who says gaming laptops don't exist/aren't viable are morons that are still stuck in the '90s. I own an Asus N81vg. It cost me $1000 USD when I got it a year and a half ago. I can play every game I own on it, including Black Ops. There are no heat issues. I get 3.5 hours of battery life in class. I gamed on this thing for 1.5 years till I just recently bought a new desktop, and I'm glad I have a powerful laptop.

To the OP: Those laptops suck. They're not gaming laptops, just normal consumer laptops. You'll want a dedicated graphics card. That means it has "ATI" or "Nvidia" in the title. Also, try looking for a processor that is at least dual core and at least 2.4Ghz. I doubt you'll get a decent gaming laptop for under $800 USD, so be prepared to spend more than you have there.

 

[TheDarklite]

snip

I'll take this chance to give my Qosmio a bit of the limelight; I would say if you are willing to push your budget a bit higher then this Qosmio might work well for you:

http://us.toshiba.com/computers/laptops/qosmio/X500/X505-Q892

Really, any gaming laptops under about ?800 won't have the best longevity. I would go with something that will last you for a few years at least. The qosmio is a good candidate for that I think.

Now that's a sexy laptop if ever I have seen one

To the OP:
In a gaming laptop you essentially want the following:
1. A CPU with an absolute minimum of 2.0GHz (unless it has turbo-boost technology).
2. Ideally 4GB of RAM or higher.
3. A dedicated video card with 1GB dedicated memory (you can survive with 512MB but it isn't future-proofed).
4. This is a personal preference only, but a 15.6" screen to me is the right sort of size. 11" is tiny and if you get a 17" or higher it may be a tad bulky.
5. Lastly, READ reviews. You at least want to see what the battery life will be like.

That advice is for if you most certainly NEED a gaming laptop. Although I really would suggest (like a few others) getting a small netbook for college (they are very cheap) and then building a mid-range gaming PC with the remaining funds.

It does seem pretty clear that you are adamant about getting a gaming laptop however, so I wish you luck

 

[godofallu]

You're going to hate me for defying your wishes, but please understand my intent is to help not harm.

If you buy a gaming laptop for college you will regret it immensely. People don't bring laptops into classrooms, and laptops overheat and cost more.

 

[Hader]

Now that's a sexy laptop if ever I have seen one

It's orgasmic, trust me.

If you buy a gaming laptop for college you will regret it immensely. People don't bring laptops into classrooms, and laptops overheat and cost more.

In all of my classes, at least half the people there have laptops. Usually I do too. However, I have a smaller, older laptop I use for class, one just there for internet and taking notes (since I can type much faster than writing on paper). I have this Qosmio yes but I never bring it to class. not only is it bulky, but definitely too sexy to allow in public. Seriously, I wouldn't want to bring it in public, I wouldn't be surprised if it got stolen.

 

[searron]

I have a Lenovo y560, and I can run anything modern on med-high at 1366x768 resolution and anything a year or two old at ultra high at the same resolution. It's not a powerhouse by any stretch, but it's damned affordable at around 1400 usd. If you want I'll post the specs

 

[Aphex Demon]

Heh, why not try the ASUS Republic of Gamers G73 [http://teamsao.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=96:asus-rog-g73-review&catid=14:hardware--tech-news&Itemid=39].

Providing you have that much money to burn through.

Its a bit nice that.

 

[RetroViruses]

Wow, next time I'll read the entirety of the first post :/
Apologies, all.

 

[Kabutos]

Anyone who says gaming laptops don't exist/aren't viable are morons that are still stuck in the '90s. I own an Asus N81vg. It cost me $1000 USD when I got it a year and a half ago. I can play every game I own on it, including Black Ops. There are no heat issues. I get 3.5 hours of battery life in class. I gamed on this thing for 1.5 years till I just recently bought a new desktop, and I'm glad I have a powerful laptop.

You paid $ 1,000 for a GT 9600 and P8600, which would have been around half that on a desktop. Congrats.

I have a Lenovo y560, and I can run anything modern on med-high at 1366x768 resolution and anything a year or two old at ultra high at the same resolution. It's not a powerhouse by any stretch, but it's damned affordable at around 1400 usd. If you want I'll post the specs

$1,400. For an i7 720QM and HD 5570. Wonderful.

I have this Qosmio yes but I never bring it to class. not only is it bulky, but definitely too sexy to allow in public. Seriously, I wouldn't want to bring it in public, I wouldn't be surprised if it got stolen.

Oh. So it's too bulky to carry to class. So it's left back in your dorm, presumably on a desk. I see.

Oh, and it's $1,200 as well. Lovely.





Gaming laptops are not viable.

 

[SturmDolch]

Anyone who says gaming laptops don't exist/aren't viable are morons that are still stuck in the '90s. I own an Asus N81vg. It cost me $1000 USD when I got it a year and a half ago. I can play every game I own on it, including Black Ops. There are no heat issues. I get 3.5 hours of battery life in class. I gamed on this thing for 1.5 years till I just recently bought a new desktop, and I'm glad I have a powerful laptop.

You paid $ 1,000 for a GT 9600 and P8600, which would have been around half that on a desktop. Congrats.

Except it's, you know, portable. So I can play games in my spare time at school. You're paying for an all-in-one package. I'm not going to drag a desktop, monitor, and keyboard to school to play a quick round of SC2 or Black Ops.

Plus, the laptop can actually run Photoshop well, or Gimp, or whatever other program needs taking care of.

I don't see why you're raging so hard over this topic. Either you're extremely antisocial or you're taking this way too seriously. Really, what do you want from us?

 

[Sleekgiant]

He's getting a laptop for gaming​

Get a desktop, you'll appreciate it better than a laptop that weighs a metric ton.

 

[AnAngryMoose]

He's getting a laptop for gaming​

Get a desktop, you'll appreciate it better than a laptop that weighs a metric ton.

Read the OP.

 

[AnAngryMoose]

Right, after a bit more research I've found two that look good and in my budget:

http://www.harveynorman.ie/catalog/product_compare/index/

Most of the (important) specs are similar such as Disk Space and Processor Speed, however to Toshiba has a Radeon HD 5145 with 512mb of graphics card memory and 1600x900 resolution while the Dell has a Radeon HD 550v with 1024mb of graphics card memory and 1365x768 resolution. I'm not too sure if either of those graphics cards are up to scratch, though.. Main downside is the battery life of 2.5 hours.

 

[LogicNProportion]

A customized AlienWare M15x (like what I have) basically eats everything for breakfast. I have never loved a computer so much. I've run Crysis, Black Ops, Dawn of War 2, and WAR all on full settings at the same time, and the thing didn't even heat up.

It is the GOD EMPRAH!

I highly recommend it...

 

[SkoopMaster]

I am currently using my ASUS G60J and I love it but the only thing that disappoints me about it is the 1 hour of life I get if I'm doing some hardcore gaming and the gpu is a bit lacking considering it has the Gforce GTX name and the screen is 1920x1080 but the viewing angles aren't that great but its not that big of a problem considering that I'm always looking at it from the sweet spot.

Plus I can just use msi afterbunner and over clock my gpu.

It's a very good laptop for the price and its even faster than my desktop and I like to plug it into my TV and enjoy some PC gaming on the couch.

 

[Sleekgiant]

Read the OP.

I did, enjoy not having the processing power of a desktop and not be able to upgrade easily.

Honestly get spend about $900 on a desktop then buy a $200 netbook so you have something portable. You will be much happier and spend less money than if you bought one gaming laptop.

Do what you want OP, hell go get a Mac if it floats your boat but you want all the power you can get so a desktop is the best choice.

 

[searron]

I have a Lenovo y560, and I can run anything modern on med-high at 1366x768 resolution and anything a year or two old at ultra high at the same resolution. It's not a powerhouse by any stretch, but it's damned affordable at around 1400 usd. If you want I'll post the specs

$1,400. For an i7 720QM and HD 5570. Wonderful.

Gaming laptops are not viable.

Dude, you need to chill. I live in Japan, frequently move and have to make trips to the united states. Therefore portability is a must. I don't know about you but trying to take a custom built gaming rig is on an airplane is a pain in the ass. The extra benefit of portability is worth the offset of cost and slightly degraded performance.