Know little about PCs, want to get a gaming laptop, help!

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SonicNextGen2

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#1 SonicNextGen2
Member since 2010 • 3592 Posts

I'm finally going to get a gaming laptop but I don't know where to start. If I want to be caught up with modern specs, anyone know what I should buy? (That isn't a Lenovo).

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04dcarraher

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#2 04dcarraher
Member since 2004 • 23824 Posts

Lenovo make good priced gaming laptops but what is your budget?

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SonicNextGen2

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#3  Edited By SonicNextGen2
Member since 2010 • 3592 Posts

@04dcarraher $1,300

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04dcarraher

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#4  Edited By 04dcarraher
Member since 2004 • 23824 Posts

Here is an Acer for $1100 with i7 12gb 760m LINK

or ASUS with i7 12gb 860m LINK

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deactivated-6127ced9bcba0

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#5 deactivated-6127ced9bcba0
Member since 2006 • 31700 Posts

Well firstly, why do you want a laptop and not a desktop?

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CWEBB04z

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#6 CWEBB04z
Member since 2006 • 4879 Posts

If you want a gaming laptop I would go with the ASUS ROG laptops.. but im not sure how cheap they are.

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SonicNextGen2

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#7  Edited By SonicNextGen2
Member since 2010 • 3592 Posts

@airshocker: College.

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Code135

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#8  Edited By Code135
Member since 2005 • 892 Posts

The RoG laptops from Asus are the way to go if you want gaming laptops at a higher than average budgets..Acer bait you with good hardware but terrible overall design. Boasting thin laptops with awesome parts does not mean you have a good laptop when the keyboard layout is with uncomfortable temps ... that means you've failed as overall in the making of the product as a manufacturer.

EDIT: Since it's for college you may as well get a lower budget laptop and if you play on consoles get a PS4 with the leftover ? I myself bought a Lenovo y510p and I'm happy with it and the rest of the budget I just used for game sales etc.

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deactivated-6127ced9bcba0

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#9 deactivated-6127ced9bcba0
Member since 2006 • 31700 Posts

@SonicNextGen2 said:

@airshocker: College.

What about college? I know many people going through college that have desktops.

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EducatingU_PCMR

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#10  Edited By EducatingU_PCMR
Member since 2013 • 1581 Posts

The MSI gaming line is good as well. Though I've heard they are kind of noisy when gaming.

I wouldn't settle for anything lower than a 860m, and that's probably all you'll get with $1300.

Unless you get one of those Lenovo with double 765m, but you said you don't want that brand. And SLI doesn't always work as intended.

Core i7, 860m, 8GB RAM, HDD, 15" 1080p:

http://www.msimobile.com/level3_productpage.aspx?cid=6&id=461

If you can stretch your budget to $1400, an 870m is totally worth it:

MSI GT70

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GeryGo

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#11 GeryGo  Moderator
Member since 2006 • 12803 Posts

@SonicNextGen2 said:

@04dcarraher $1,300

MSI

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kraken2109

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#12 kraken2109
Member since 2009 • 13271 Posts

Gaming laptops don't work that well at university. A good desktop in your room and a light and portable laptop is the way to go. You don't want to be carrying a large/heavy laptop with bad battery life around all day. This way you get the best of both worlds - a better gaming experience and a more useful laptop for the same money.

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Gammit10

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#13 Gammit10
Member since 2004 • 2397 Posts

@kraken2109 said:

Gaming laptops don't work that well at university. A good desktop in your room and a light and portable laptop is the way to go. You don't want to be carrying a large/heavy laptop with bad battery life around all day. This way you get the best of both worlds - a better gaming experience and a more useful laptop for the same money.

Agreed. You can get a console-killing desktop for about $400-500, and then a lightweight laptop for anywhere between $400-1200.

Personally, I would buy the desktop for $400, get a decent 1080p monitor if you don't already have one or a TV, and then a light laptop for portability. All three should be within the budget you quoted.

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#14 kraken2109
Member since 2009 • 13271 Posts

@Gammit10 said:

@kraken2109 said:

Gaming laptops don't work that well at university. A good desktop in your room and a light and portable laptop is the way to go. You don't want to be carrying a large/heavy laptop with bad battery life around all day. This way you get the best of both worlds - a better gaming experience and a more useful laptop for the same money.

Agreed. You can get a console-killing desktop for about $400-500, and then a lightweight laptop for anywhere between $400-1200.

Personally, I would buy the desktop for $400, get a decent 1080p monitor if you don't already have one or a TV, and then a light laptop for portability. All three should be within the budget you quoted.

I bought a lightly used (perfect condition with one small scratch on the lid) 2011 HP probook a few months ago on ebay and I'm very happy. Since it was top end at release and designed for business it is very sturdy and well built. 13" is also the perfect size IMO for portability. It cost me £220, so chromebook money for what is still equivalent to a mid range laptop (sandy bridge i5, 4GB ram etc). Obviously it sucks for games but that's why I have my desktop.

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Byshop

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#15 Byshop  Moderator
Member since 2002 • 20504 Posts

What size laptop are you looking for and how heavy? The suggested GE70 is great but it's a 17" laptop so it's a bit of a beast.

-Byshop

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delete-SimplyFatal

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#16 delete-SimplyFatal
Member since 2008 • 1122 Posts

sagernotebooks.com these guys rock and when u have a problem with a part or want to upgrade, they will be willing

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Evan21

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#17  Edited By Evan21
Member since 2006 • 86 Posts

@SimplyFatal said:

sagernotebooks.com these guys rock and when u have a problem with a part or want to upgrade, they will be willing

I can second this. Sager is going to get you the most bang for your buck, and GREAT customer service. I have owned two.

Secondly, If I were you I would get a desktop for gaming, then a shitty notebook for your other stuff unless you have some great need for a laptop. Like I said, I spent A LOT of money on two really great gaming laptops, they got old, I had a brick. You can build a MUCH better desktop for cheaper than a laptop, also with a desktop you can replace the MOBO GPU and CPU and you're good to go for another couple of years. This is from experience, just don't think it's worth it.

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pelvist

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#18  Edited By pelvist
Member since 2010 • 9001 Posts

Unless you absolutely need to have a more mobile device then get a desktop. You get so much more for your money and they tend to last longer than a few year. If I was restricted to gaming on a laptop I probably wouldnt game at all.

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PapaTrop

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#19 PapaTrop
Member since 2014 • 1792 Posts

To anyone who wants a "gaming laptop" I always recommend the option of building a gaming desktop for gaming, and buying a cheaper laptop for work purposes.

Is that an option? You can spend $700-$900 on a desktop that beats a $1300 laptop, and get a $200-$400 laptop that does everything you need as far as school is concerned, and will do it as well as a gaming laptop since most programs required for school aren't demanding.

And there will come a time to upgrade in a few years, and that's where the desktop shines. You will most likely be able to just put in a new video card 3-4 years from now, and get a huge boost, as opposed to the laptop which you'll just have to scrap for modern gaming whenever it gets outdated.

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#20  Edited By pcty
Member since 2008 • 367 Posts

I'm in the same situation here. I need a more powerful laptop with a maximum price of C$1200,00. I was considering a Lenovo Y50 or a Y510p but I'm not sure if it's a good option or not. I know a desktop would cost a lot less but it is definetely not a option for me.

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jacquelineferre

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#21 jacquelineferre
Member since 2013 • 116 Posts

@pcty: the y50 has a better single GPU that consumes less energy than the two cards in SLI from the Y510p.

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#22  Edited By aceatch
Member since 2009 • 29 Posts

I would get a cheap laptop for uni work. That way it will be slim, light and portable to be carried around.

Then buy an affordable gaming desktop like this:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/DQXYmG

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#23 Uchiha_Sasuke1
Member since 2002 • 1636 Posts

Alienware?