Gaming Laptop

[JD50]

Asus G71x

I just bought this about a month ago and it is incredible. I did a good amount of research and it seems like its the best affordable option out there. Checkout these forums, they're great.

 

[TheVrolok]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: ZzZGuy
-Do you R.E.A.L.L.Y. need a gaming laptop? If you go high end enough you will cry thinking what desktop pc you could have built for that money.

This is the most important question. Every time I look at a gaming laptop, I stop short because of this. Also, keep in mind that there's no upgradeability. I built my current rig in January 2008 for about $800. Early next year I plan to buy a $~200 video card for it and 4GB more RAM. If I had spent $2k on a laptop in January 2008, I'd need to spend another $2k on a new laptop to get it up to snuff.

This is not factually accurate. If you do your research, you can find a laptop with an upgradeable CPU, RAM, and GPU.

Originally posted by: TheVrolok
As many people have already asked, "Why do you want a gaming laptop?" You're going to end up spending at least double on a laptop vs its desktop counterpart, and then it will be a fairly "bad" laptop.

No, you won't spend double unless you're doing it wrong (IE, buying an Alienware or the like).

Please show me any example of a laptop and a comparable desktop for an even closely comparable price.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: zasgard
I'm thinking of getting a GOOD gaming laptop. Ive been a desktop gamer all my life. Can anyone tell me what things I should look for when trying to purchase a good gaming laptop.

Thanks!

The question is WHY?


if you are just *thinking* of it, just forget it


Note book gaming is a ripoff in every possible way

 

[ZzZGuy]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: zasgard
I'm thinking of getting a GOOD gaming laptop. Ive been a desktop gamer all my life. Can anyone tell me what things I should look for when trying to purchase a good gaming laptop.

Thanks!

The question is WHY?


if you are just *thinking* of it, just forget it


Note book gaming is a ripoff in every possible way

Note quite.

You pay for the miniaturization of most all the parts. If you are moving around a lot and wish to still game then a gaming laptop is a good option. You can ship your desktop, but depending on the distance and time in X location it may not be worth it.

The gaming laptop will still work fine, you can play crysis on higher end ones. You just need to be willing to pay.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: ZzZGuy

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: zasgard
I'm thinking of getting a GOOD gaming laptop. Ive been a desktop gamer all my life. Can anyone tell me what things I should look for when trying to purchase a good gaming laptop.

Thanks!

The question is WHY?


if you are just *thinking* of it, just forget it


Note book gaming is a ripoff in every possible way

Note quite.

You pay for the miniaturization of most all the parts. If you are moving around a lot and wish to still game then a gaming laptop is a good option. You can ship your desktop, but depending on the distance and time in X location it may not be worth it.

The gaming laptop will still work fine, you can play crysis on higher end ones. You just need to be willing to pay.

You pay for labor and the "cool factor"

1. the "GOOD" gaming laptops cost twice what their desktop counterparts cost
2. Drivers are suck {compared to a desktop}
3. What good is a battery; it lasts 20 minutes for SLi's GTX 280 Ms
4. Planned obsolescence - 1 year is lucky to have a top notebook
5. Crap upgrade path
6. Expensive
7. Heavy for a 'notebook'
8. The LCD is small

just 1-3 is my definition of "ripoff"; this one meets all of them

MY definition

i am sure you have your own


i bought a gaming notebook when i moved back to Hawaii for a 3 month vacation a few years ago. i got lucky and sold it for a high price when i got back
-i would never recommend it to any of my friends - You can get a small form factor case and also especially when you can bring a 19" 14x9 LCD with you - or buy one at your destination and throw it in the recycle bin when you are done and still save money over an overpriced gaming notebook

 

[rpanic]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: venkman
Gateway FX series are very good and you can usually find a hot deal on them. I've got the original (P-6831FX) a year and a half ago and it still performs like a champ.

Got one here as well, didn't have any problems with Crysis (medium settings), Bioshock, Assassin's Creed, etc.

+1

Got a 7811fx refurbished for $560 a year ago its still going strong and running everything I throw at it.

 

[Vampirrella]

I also have the 7811 FX and its a darn good laptop for on the go gaming. Bought it new in aug 08 and it still plays most games on high settings.

 

[pcslookout]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: ZzZGuy

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: zasgard
I'm thinking of getting a GOOD gaming laptop. Ive been a desktop gamer all my life. Can anyone tell me what things I should look for when trying to purchase a good gaming laptop.

Thanks!

The question is WHY?


if you are just *thinking* of it, just forget it


Note book gaming is a ripoff in every possible way

Note quite.

You pay for the miniaturization of most all the parts. If you are moving around a lot and wish to still game then a gaming laptop is a good option. You can ship your desktop, but depending on the distance and time in X location it may not be worth it.

The gaming laptop will still work fine, you can play crysis on higher end ones. You just need to be willing to pay.

You pay for labor and the "cool factor"

1. the "GOOD" gaming laptops cost twice what their desktop counterparts cost
2. Drivers are suck {compared to a desktop}
3. What good is a battery; it lasts 20 minutes for SLi's GTX 280 Ms
4. Planned obsolescence - 1 year is lucky to have a top notebook
5. Crap upgrade path
6. Expensive
7. Heavy for a 'notebook'
8. The LCD is small

just 1-3 is my definition of "ripoff"; this one meets all of them

MY definition

i am sure you have your own


i bought a gaming notebook when i moved back to Hawaii for a 3 month vacation a few years ago. i got lucky and sold it for a high price when i got back
-i would never recommend it to any of my friends - You can get a small form factor case and also especially when you can bring a 19" 14x9 LCD with you - or buy one at your destination and throw it in the recycle bin when you are done and still save money over an overpriced gaming notebook

:thumbsup:

 

[Maximilian]

Originally posted by: JD50
Asus G71x

I just bought this about a month ago and it is incredible. I did a good amount of research and it seems like its the best affordable option out there. Checkout these forums, they're great.

The specs on that laptop are solid :thumbsup: Thats a capable gaming laptop without being a total rip off like most of the crazy SLI setups. Ive been gaming on an 8600mGT for a year and a half now on my lappy and its been great, so that GTX 260M will be awesome to game on, plus it probably wont get too hot so you can sit it at the end of your bed without it catching fire or whatever you can watch more than 15 mins of a movie whilest travelling without the battery conking out etc.

A single capable card > SLI high end cards, for an overall better laptop experience. Of course if gaming is the onlything that matters then it might be worth getting a hardcore gaming laptop.

 

[ZzZGuy]

Well apoppin, I still have to disagree with you. Put it however you want, what you pay for is a full size desktop in small lightweight form that you can put in a back pack. And no, a mATX case + monitor + keyboard (wither I buy it or take it with me) is a hell of a lot more hassle then everything in one back pack you can take on a plane. I have tried mailing a entire desktop setup and I will never do it again, and there is no way in hell I'd take a mATX setup on my person or luggage after buying a gaming laptop. It's not worth it.

But as you pointed out there are many downsides, all of which can be out weighted by other needs (and cash). Note "Do you R.E.A.L.L.Y. need a gaming laptop?"

If you don't need it, which obviously you don't, then it's a huge waste of money. But for people like me, it meets my needs where I travel with work.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: ZzZGuy
Well apoppin, I still have to disagree with you. Put it however you want, what you pay for is a full size desktop in small lightweight form that you can put in a back pack. And no, a mATX case + monitor + keyboard (wither I buy it or take it with me) is a hell of a lot more hassle then everything in one back pack you can take on a plane. I have tried mailing a entire desktop setup and I will never do it again, and there is no way in hell I'd take a mATX setup on my person or luggage after buying a gaming laptop. It's not worth it.

But as you pointed out there are many downsides, all of which can be out weighted by other needs (and cash). Note "Do you R.E.A.L.L.Y. need a gaming laptop?"

If you don't need it, which obviously you don't, then it's a huge waste of money. But for people like me, it meets my needs where I travel with work.

that is not a problem for me; i made it clear that what i gave was my experience and my opinion
.. now i have a lightweight gaming notebook - a 2 GHz Athlon X2 and a GeForce 8200 M; so i can still play old games if i am on the road

mostly my Quad and TriCore desktop PCs sit and wait for me to play games as 99% of my work gets done on my notebook

but i get your argument

1. you need one
. . . no more reasons are required for me to understand

most people don't and i would say a lot of them buy it for the cool factor; *those* are the ones i am attempting to discourage .. or at least think about gaming on a notebook (14x9) vs on a desktop (19x12+)

 

[Craywulf]

I'm in the hunt for a gaming laptop. I've owned a gaming desktop but I need something a lot more portable for LAN parties. Plus I don't own a car anymore, so there's no way in hell I'm going to be able to transport a desktop via public transportation. Other thing is my new home office is in the basement. I want to be able to game in the kitchen or the family room. I'm well aware of the need for power outlet for gaming laptops.

I think many who question the logic behind a gaming laptop when it is so expensive, don't realize how valuable portability and convenience of a laptop is. Other thing many seem to ignore is that some people own more than one desktop, the same could be said about having multiple types of laptops, or even a mix of both types of PCs. So the focus isn't always about monetary value.

Along with my gaming laptop I intend to buy a netbook to take with me for non-gaming trips. So it's not like I'll be lugging around a 17in laptop everywhere I go.

 

[kalrith]

Going to a LAN party via public transportation would lean more towards a laptop than a desktop. I'm lucky enough that my LAN party host has 3 computers plus 2 spare monitors, keyboards, and mouses, so I usually just have to bring my computer and nothing else.

I own two desktops (one gaming PC and one HTPC) and a laptop. All three cost about what one good gaming laptop would cost ($1400-1500 for all three). I guess it depends on one's definition of a gaming laptop. If an $1100 ASUS with a GTX 260M would suffice, then those could be had for $1100. If you want something like a Sabrent with a GTX 280M or even SLI, then the price jumps considerably.

My main issue with laptops is lack of upgradeability. I'm still using a 2900Pro video card. However, when I drop about $200 on a new video card early next year, my 2-year-old system will be able to play current games quite well. I was able to build my Core 2 Quad system for about $700 BTW two years ago, and even if I had dropped $2k on a gaming laptop, there's no way I could just spend $200 on a new video card to breathe new life into the system.

 

[xCxStylex]

Most important is warranty and support, if you're buying an expensive one. My gf's Alienware laptop from 2006 had terrible, terrible support.

I'm very happy with my refurbished Gateway 7805u FX. bought for $750 from TD back when they had it. I also bought this exact same laptop new from BB for my gf in March for $1150 :[


HOWEVER... Even though I have a gaming laptop, I suggest you ***determine what is most important to you*** before buying one.

Price to performance ratio, a gaming laptop is never going to be anywhere near as good as a PC. If cost is no issue, then sure, get a gaming laptop. If you go to a lot of LAN parties, travel a lot, or maybe have a lot of downtime at school/university and want to be able to play, then sure, get one.

Consider this... For $1000 USD, you can buy an ASUS gaming laptop from BB or you could buy a $650 decent gaming desktop AND a $350 no frills laptop.

For $2000 USD, you can buy a slightly better gaming laptop or a near top of the line gaming desktop for like $1500 + a $500 no frills laptop.

 

[Craywulf]

I been wondering about heat from laptops. Are there any laptops that have liquid cooling?

 

[swinger222]

Originally posted by: Craywulf
I been wondering about heat from laptops. Are there any laptops that have liquid cooling?

Yes, but it's a ridiculously expensive and a niche market.

In my experience, Best Buy always has a couple of decently-priced gaming laptops in stock. It's always best to see what you're buying in store IMO. Remember that gaming laptops are HUGE. Links:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...oduct&id=1218092150636
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...oduct&id=1218092150740
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...oduct&id=1218043606827

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: swinger222

Originally posted by: Craywulf
I been wondering about heat from laptops. Are there any laptops that have liquid cooling?

Yes, but it's a ridiculously expensive and a niche market.

In my experience, Best Buy always has a couple of decently-priced gaming laptops in stock. It's always best to see what you're buying in store IMO. Remember that gaming laptops are HUGE. Links:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...oduct&id=1218092150636
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...oduct&id=1218092150740
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...oduct&id=1218043606827

2 things to keep in mind:

Machine 1 has a 25WTDP 2.0Ghz Dual Core processor, almost entirely too slow to run more modern games.

Machine 3 has a 9800M GTS. That is a 64 unified shader card (as opposed to the 112 of the GTX 260M). Don't let the name fool you, the GTX260M are based on G80/92 technology not GT200 tech, so they're not the fastest things in the world compared to desktop graphics cards in the first place. 64 pipelines will cripple performance.

Machine 2 has a 2.53ghz Core 2 Duo and 112 pipeline GTX260M(which is a overclocked 9800MGTX) and for modern games I would think would probably work fairly well.

 

[JoshGuru7]

Some people have/get to travel and a gaming laptop makes much more sense than checking a tower, regardless of form factor.

I usually just play older games on a company VAIO when travelling, but I've been seriously looking at getting the ASUS G51VX. It has good reviews, the benchmarks are solid enough for all of the games I play and the quad core is a benefit for excel work. FWIW.