Stuck between 2 laptops *updated*

[R0x0r]

I am looking at buying a decent gaming laptop for $1,200 or less.
I found these two
MSI GX640
http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=53812&vpn=GX640%2D260US&manufacture=MSI%2FMicroStar
Acer Aspire AS7745G-6384
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...16834115894CVF

The acer is on sale and seems to have much better specs and a bigger screen, but it seems too good to be true. Could someone please tell me which one is better? Or if you know an even better laptop for under $1200, I intend to use it for gaming.



Moved from PC Gaming

Anandtech PC Gaming Moderator
KeithTalent

 

[mundane]

..

 

[R0x0r]

Fixed the urls

 

[Corporate Thug]

I think 1680 x 1050 res on a 15.4 on the MSI will look much better than the 1600 x 900 res on the 17 Acer

 

[R0x0r]

I think 1680 x 1050 res on a 15.4 on the MSI will look much better than the 1600 x 900 res on the 17 Acer

Yes, but which laptop will perform better? And is there any other good laptops in the 1,200 $ range?

 

[Fenixgoon]

Yes, but which laptop will perform better? And is there any other good laptops in the 1,200 $ range?

the acer is stock-clocked @ 1.6ghz, which is 2/3 of the MSI (i know, i7 vs i5). unless it's seriously underclocked for idle purposes, i'd go with the MSI. if you can find out what the actual CPU speed is under high load, that would help a lot.

 

[I4AT]

Seems like a mixed bag if you ask me, it'll mainly come down to how the i7 720QM in the Acer handles scaling, a question I don't have an answer for.

The Acer has the advantage of twice the RAM, kind of a moot point since there aren't a lot of usage scenarios that can max out 4GB of ram anyways, but also double the storage. It's also got the bigger screen, I'd give up 80x150 pixels for an extra 1.9" every time. Plus 1600x900 is a true 16:9 ratio, the standard for widescreen, and it does make a difference in games such as Starcraft 2.

Naturally the larger screen means the Acer is going to be a bit bulkier and about one pound heavier, something to consider if portability is an issue. I'd also expect the battery life on the Acer to be worse, unless it's a 12-cell, but the specs don't specify. Battery life on both of these laptops is gonna be pretty bad, though, considering the hardware they're running.

The biggest and most important difference is the CPU. The Acer is running a 1.6ghz quad core, while the MSI has a 2.4ghz dual core processor. I don't think there are any games that are so well optimized for four cores that they can make up an 800mhz deficit in clockspeed. Unless the i7 is able to ramp up its clockspeed to match the i5 in dual threaded applications the i5 is probably going to offer better performance. The i7 is turbo capable up to 2.8ghz, but I'm pretty sure turbo only applies to single threaded apps.

 

[CurseTheSky]

The ASUS G-series is generally well regarded. http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16834220700

The biggest selling point, IMO, is the 15.6" 1920x1080 resolution screen. The GTS 360M performs similarly to the HD 5850. Of course, with the higher resolution you'll actually get worse FPS than the 1680x1050 screen on the MSI, but it's still a matter of personal preference.

Of the two you listed, though, I would go with the MSI.

 

[The Green Bean]

I'd take the MSI. 1600x900 on that screen will look ugly and not much real estate. I have that much on my 13.3"

 

[R0x0r]

I found another laptop to compare!
so now its the msi vs http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220700
The main difference is the graphics card ati 5850 or nvidia gts 360m.

 

[corkyg]

I found another laptop to compare!
so now its the msi vs http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16834220700
The main difference is the graphics card ati 5850 or nvidia gts 360m.

I don't think so. The NCIX ad does not say - but other vendors of the same model with 4GB of RAM say Home Preium 64bit.

Why not call and ask?

 

[CurseTheSky]

I found another laptop to compare!
so now its the msi vs http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16834220700
The main difference is the graphics card ati 5850 or nvidia gts 360m.

The one that I linked in post #8? :sneaky:

 

[ther00kie16]

Meh, 360m doesn't have DirectX11 so I'd vote for the 1st Acer with 5850 and 8gb of ram

Since you don't mind 17", how about a 5870?
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=53...=MSI/MicroStar

 

[atran5e]

How about the M11X by Alienware? 11.6" GT 335M, core i5.

 

[R0x0r]

I think I have settled on one..... http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=56160

Its a bit more money but I think its worth it
And about the m11x, alienwares are overpriced and 11 inches is to small

 

[ther00kie16]

5870 is slightly faster but the i7 is nice and 3D can be useful in the future.
Better brand than MSI too so good choice.