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Gaming Laptop

B

BobTheBuilderr0x

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jun 19, 2005
Messages
1,819
Anyone able to suggest a good gaming laptop that can run most games on high settings, looking to spend around 1300-1400$, thanks in advance!
 
MSI (the barebone series of them at least) and sager both do machines in that price range with GTX770M cards in them. That's the class of graphics card you should be looking for at least in a gaming machine.
 
Not a huge choice with the 770M, either the 15.6" or the 17.3" depending on what size screen you want (there are no other differences other than the 17.3" being heavier).
 
Actually, you can get a Sager NP8255 for around $1350 or an NP8275 for $1400 with an 8970m which will give you 20-25% faster performance than the 770m. This would be my strong recommendation, not just due to the better GPU, but also because of the better cooling and more subdued looks than the MSI models.
 
BobTheBuilderr0x said:
How are the sagers? Heard good and bad about them. Also do you got a link to that NP8275?
Click to expand...

In my rather long experience in owning Sagers, Asus', AWs, and MSI (and Dell and Gateway) gaming laptops, I'd say the following:

  • Build quality on the Sager/Clevos and MSI are about the same. Not as good as Asus or AW, but passable. Asus and AWs have better quality builds, but definitely not worth the premium (it's unfortunate Asus has decided to go with ultra high-end pricing because they used to offer the best quality for the money, IMO - w90vp, I'm looking at you)
  • Cooling is better hands-down on Sagers (at least when comparing NP82xx models vs GT60. I've owned both and cooling was a marked constraint on my GT60.
  • Design is more about preference, but I prefer by far Sager/Clevo's subdued looks compared to MSI's more bulbous dormroom toy design. IMO, steer clear of Sager's flashier designs e.g. 9280 (with the "winged" touchpad lighting) - they're basically the same chassis as the other models with annoying LEDs and "gaming" finishes. But similar to build quality, neither are as good as Asus or AW
  • Keyboards on MSIs are superior, Sager/Clevo keyboards are usable but have some flex and some downright bad key placement
Overall, I've had excellent experiences with both Sagers and MSI model. It's really more about the reseller than anything else if you have issues. Powernotebooks, XoticPC and Mythlogic are terrific dealers, in my experience. Just go to one of those sites and configure an NP82xx model with an 8970m (same chip as a desktop 7870/270x)
 
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harmattan said:
In my rather long experience in owning Sagers, Asus', AWs, and MSI (and Dell and Gateway) gaming laptops, I'd say the following:

  • Build quality on the Sager/Clevos and MSI are about the same. Not as good as Asus or AW, but passable. Asus and AWs have better quality builds, but definitely not worth the premium (it's unfortunate Asus has decided to go with ultra high-end pricing because they used to offer the best quality for the money, IMO - w90vp, I'm looking at you)
  • Cooling is better hands-down on Sagers (at least when comparing NP82xx models vs GT60. I've owned both and cooling was a marked constraint on my GT60.
  • Design is more about preference, but I prefer by far Sager/Clevo's subdued looks compared to MSI's more bulbous dormroom toy design. IMO, steer clear of Sager's flashier designs e.g. 9280 (with the "winged" touchpad lighting) - they're basically the same chassis as the other models with annoying LEDs and "gaming" finishes. But similar to build quality, neither are as good as Asus or AW
  • Keyboards on MSIs are superior, Sager/Clevo keyboards are usable but have some flex and some downright bad key placement
Overall, I've had excellent experiences with both Sagers and MSI model. It's really more about the reseller than anything else if you have issues. Powernotebooks, XoticPC and Mythlogic are terrific dealers, in my experience. Just go to one of those sites and configure an NP82xx model with an 8970m (same chip as a desktop 7870/270x)
Click to expand...

Alrighty. Thank you for the suggestions and the break down. I got an ASUS G75VW that I enjoy, but not really running as well as I hoped for BF4.
 
Both the cooling systems in the GT60 and sagers are designed for 100W cards so both will not struggle with the 75W 770M.

The only problem with the 8970M is the continuing driver issues with enduro which can inhibit performance by quite a bit depending on title. It also runs much hotter and would nullify any cooling advantage the sager has (at stock, with tweaking the MSI can be a little better).

MSI machines have the steelseries keyboard which is a notch above most other laptop keyboards, the inbuilt speakers are some of the best in the business while the sagers can sometimes struggle to be acceptable, this is also true to a lesser extent for the onboard DAC when outputting audio.
 
BobTheBuilderr0x said:
Alrighty. Thank you for the suggestions and the break down. I got an ASUS G75VW that I enjoy, but not really running as well as I hoped for BF4.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about all Sager laptops, but I do want to comment that the ASUS ROG design with two fans and individual heat sinks for the CPU/GPU is far superior to any laptop I've ever used that uses a more traditional cooling system. My G46 is very quiet and cool while my GF's Sager NP7330 is hot and loud. Of course, the NP7330 is rather small so I'm not sure if the larger Sagers employ more aggressive cooling or not.
 
Intel_Hydralisk said:
I'm not sure about all Sager laptops, but I do want to comment that the ASUS ROG design with two fans and individual heat sinks for the CPU/GPU is far superior to any laptop I've ever used that uses a more traditional cooling system. My G46 is very quiet and cool while my GF's Sager NP7330 is hot and loud. Of course, the NP7330 is rather small so I'm not sure if the larger Sagers employ more aggressive cooling or not.
Click to expand...

I enjoy my asus but the video card is only a 660M 2gb version, so BF4 does not run as well as I would have liked. Reasoning behind upgrading to a better laptop, and just hand this one down to my wife since she games a little bit.
 
Clevo's do have models with dual heatsinks/fans as well. One thing with Clevo's though is they are generally considered to be tuned rather loud and aggressive in terms of the fan noise comparatively, not sure if this matters to you.
 
Used alienware is your best bet. There are always some available, i just picked up a barely used (2 mo old) AW18 4700,16GB,SLI 765's 400 nit screen, 10 mos waranty for $1400. Ive been buying AW since the 900D, and while they can get pricey nothing is better. the Clevo based laptops that are sold by 100 re sellers are decent but build quailty isnt what it used to be and there plain ass ugly. Msi are good but ugly as hell too. Asus used to be the best bang for your buck but they started to not hate money anymore.
But personally ill always Side with AW, the deals are out there that make them affordable you just have to look, or haggle with Dell, you can always get them to take a few hundred off if you actually call in.
 
Ins0mnyteq said:
Used alienware is your best bet. There are always some available, i just picked up a barely used (2 mo old) AW18 4700,16GB,SLI 765's 400 nit screen, 10 mos waranty for $1400. Ive been buying AW since the 900D, and while they can get pricey nothing is better. the Clevo based laptops that are sold by 100 re sellers are decent but build quailty isnt what it used to be and there plain ass ugly. Msi are good but ugly as hell too. Asus used to be the best bang for your buck but they started to not hate money anymore.
But personally ill always Side with AW, the deals are out there that make them affordable you just have to look, or haggle with Dell, you can always get them to take a few hundred off if you actually call in.
Click to expand...

Agreed that AWs are the best-built, best-designed gaming laptop. However, even with haggling and buying used, you're still not going to get as low a price than an equally-performing Sager/Clevo or MSI. Additionally, it's no where as easy changing out parts on AWs. Moreover, Dell has started doing some iffy stuff with limiting power throughput on their new models e.g., AW 18 which limits your ability to OC.
 
harmattan said:
In my rather long experience in owning Sagers, Asus', AWs, and MSI (and Dell and Gateway) gaming laptops, I'd say the following:

  • Build quality on the Sager/Clevos and MSI are about the same. Not as good as Asus or AW, but passable. Asus and AWs have better quality builds, but definitely not worth the premium (it's unfortunate Asus has decided to go with ultra high-end pricing because they used to offer the best quality for the money, IMO - w90vp, I'm looking at you)
  • Cooling is better hands-down on Sagers (at least when comparing NP82xx models vs GT60. I've owned both and cooling was a marked constraint on my GT60.
  • Design is more about preference, but I prefer by far Sager/Clevo's subdued looks compared to MSI's more bulbous dormroom toy design. IMO, steer clear of Sager's flashier designs e.g. 9280 (with the "winged" touchpad lighting) - they're basically the same chassis as the other models with annoying LEDs and "gaming" finishes. But similar to build quality, neither are as good as Asus or AW
  • Keyboards on MSIs are superior, Sager/Clevo keyboards are usable but have some flex and some downright bad key placement
Overall, I've had excellent experiences with both Sagers and MSI model. It's really more about the reseller than anything else if you have issues. Powernotebooks, XoticPC and Mythlogic are terrific dealers, in my experience. Just go to one of those sites and configure an NP82xx model with an 8970m (same chip as a desktop 7870/270x)
Click to expand...

On build quality-

This is entirely model dependent. Not all ASUS models are built well and not all MSI look like a hot mess. I went with the GS70 and it's a classy frame, works fine in the board room.
 
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BobTheBuilderr0x said:
http://www.amazon.com/MSI-GT70-2OC-...76689&sr=1-1&keywords=msi+gt70#productDetails

http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Series-GE...B00CU9GKU8/ref=psdc1_t1_B00CU9GLUM_B00CU9GKU8 - This has more ram then the above, but a 765 and not a 770M.

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8275-clevo-p170sm-p-5913.html?wconfigure=yes

Upgrade the ram from 8gb to 12gb, upgrade the hard drive to the 1tb, and get a 120gb ssd came out to about 1419?
Click to expand...

Don't get the MSI GE70, IMHO. For a few hundred bucks more you can get the GS70 which ships with an SSD in it, killer rather than realtek networking, much thinner and all aluminum case, and a better battery which gives you decent life out of it. There are a few other things as well it does better.

The downside is that the GS70 lacks an optical drive and VGA out... though with dual mini display port and HDMI out should have you covered.

Also the GS70 comes in OEM/barebones, so many retailers will sell you a vastly cheaper version that ships with just 8gb memory and a single 2.5inch drive, just keep in mind the chasis is stuck at 2ram slots, 1 2.5 inch drive, and 2x msata ports.
 
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harmattan said:
Additionally, it's no where as easy changing out parts on AWs. Moreover, Dell has started doing some iffy stuff with limiting power throughput on their new models e.g., AW 18 which limits your ability to OC.
Click to expand...

Source? I've owned an M17x R3, and two M18x R1's. I disagree that it's difficult to swap parts out in one. In fact I'd venture to say it's the easiest of any brand just looking at Youtube tutorials of other brands.

Lastly, Dell isn't "limiting" any power throughput. There simply isn't enough juice out of a single 330w brick for two 780m's and an XM chip to see extreme overclocks. That goes for any brand.
 
I offered my MSI GT60 0NE-249US/403US ( w/ unlocked 680m firmware with a voltage bump) as I would be happy to see someone game with it and not my sister's websurfing lol. I am testing and stepping up to the GT60 2OD 3K model in a small amount of time. I recommend that one so much that I am throwing my own into the ring lol
 
V10Ace said:
Source? I've owned an M17x R3, and two M18x R1's. I disagree that it's difficult to swap parts out in one. In fact I'd venture to say it's the easiest of any brand just looking at Youtube tutorials of other brands.

Lastly, Dell isn't "limiting" any power throughput. There simply isn't enough juice out of a single 330w brick for two 780m's and an XM chip to see extreme overclocks. That goes for any brand.
Click to expand...

Actually a special dual brick system was developed by the community for use on the m18x r2 which works great. However the motherboard on the new 18 is clamped to 330w meaning while the dual brick system works the motherboard refuses to draw over 330w.

Also certain cpu settings are not controlled properly meaning it's very hard to get the 4930mx not to throttle.
 
V10Ace said:
Source? I've owned an M17x R3, and two M18x R1's. I disagree that it's difficult to swap parts out in one. In fact I'd venture to say it's the easiest of any brand just looking at Youtube tutorials of other brands.

Lastly, Dell isn't "limiting" any power throughput. There simply isn't enough juice out of a single 330w brick for two 780m's and an XM chip to see extreme overclocks. That goes for any brand.
Click to expand...

I've owned three m17x R1/R2s, and an m17x R3; two m18xs and a host of other AW models e.g. m14x, m11, m15x going back to non-Dell days. On each model, you invariably need to remove multiple parts of the chassis to replace parts. Some of the fittings are tight and require following multiple unique steps to remove the pieces without damaging them. It's not "difficult" per se, but definitely takes more time and effort than in most Sager or MSIs where it's pop off the back cover and go.

You're right on the power restriction: Dell's not limiting the amount of juice going to the laptop. What they have done, however, on the 17 and 18 is locked the bios so it's virtually impossible to do any modding for higher OCs.
 
acerbic said:
Don't get the MSI GE70, IMHO. For a few hundred bucks more you can get the GS70 which ships with an SSD in it, killer rather than realtek networking, much thinner and all aluminum case, and a better battery which gives you decent life out of it. There are a few other things as well it does better.

The downside is that the GS70 lacks an optical drive and VGA out... though with dual mini display port and HDMI out should have you covered.

Also the GS70 comes in OEM/barebones, so many retailers will sell you a vastly cheaper version that ships with just 8gb memory and a single 2.5inch drive, just keep in mind the chasis is stuck at 2ram slots, 1 2.5 inch drive, and 2x msata ports.
Click to expand...

How much more? And a lack of vga out is fine. Really trying to stay within a 1300 - 1400$ budget
 
BobTheBuilderr0x said:
How much more? And a lack of vga out is fine. Really trying to stay within a 1300 - 1400$ budget
Click to expand...

It varies. The GE70 is 1399 MSRP for 12gb 750. The GS70 is 1599 MSRP for the same thing. The GE has a BD reader though, while the GS70 comes with a 128gb SSD. Both the GE and the GS have SKUs that ship with dual SSDs, 16gb, and a 1tb HDD, price goes up accordingly.

However this doesn't tell the entire story. MSI sells barebones versions of the laptops to companies like maingear, cyberpower, and ibuypower. Some of these (cough maingear) only sell the high end SKUs, slap paint on it, and then charge extra to tune the system for you. Others will sell you the laptop with only 8gb RAM in it and a single mechanical drive. There are a ton of sales going around now because of Christmas, so you can get into the lower SKU's pretty cheap.

For what it's worth, Newegg has the 12gb, 128gb, 750gb SKU for 1549 now and they throw in a 50inch LED TV.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152477
 
Meaker said:
Actually a special dual brick system was developed by the community for use on the m18x r2 which works great. However the motherboard on the new 18 is clamped to 330w meaning while the dual brick system works the motherboard refuses to draw over 330w.

Also certain cpu settings are not controlled properly meaning it's very hard to get the 4930mx not to throttle.
Click to expand...

I've read up on the dual brick trick, I was simply stating out of the box with a single brick. I was not aware that on the R2 the motherboard was unable to draw more than 330 watts. It makes sense if you look at it from Dell's point of view, but unfortunate for enthusiasts. Thanks for the clarification!

harmattan said:
I've owned three m17x R1/R2s, and an m17x R3; two m18xs and a host of other AW models e.g. m14x, m11, m15x going back to non-Dell days. On each model, you invariably need to remove multiple parts of the chassis to replace parts. Some of the fittings are tight and require following multiple unique steps to remove the pieces without damaging them. It's not "difficult" per se, but definitely takes more time and effort than in most Sager or MSIs where it's pop off the back cover and go.

You're right on the power restriction: Dell's not limiting the amount of juice going to the laptop. What they have done, however, on the 17 and 18 is locked the bios so it's virtually impossible to do any modding for higher OCs.
Click to expand...

I take back saying that the AW is the easiest. Considering the MSI chassis has several different variations and barebones it only makes sense that it would be easier. I guess I didn't agree with it sounding like the AW was difficult in the first place. My M18x's were the first laptops I had ever taken apart and upgraded and I found it fairly simple and straight forward.
 
I agree with AW's they are for the most party easy to upgrade and use.
 
V10Ace said:
I've read up on the dual brick trick, I was simply stating out of the box with a single brick. I was not aware that on the R2 the motherboard was unable to draw more than 330 watts. It makes sense if you look at it from Dell's point of view, but unfortunate for enthusiasts. Thanks for the clarification!



I take back saying that the AW is the easiest. Considering the MSI chassis has several different variations and barebones it only makes sense that it would be easier. I guess I didn't agree with it sounding like the AW was difficult in the first place. My M18x's were the first laptops I had ever taken apart and upgraded and I found it fairly simple and straight forward.
Click to expand...

I'd say AW is pretty easy.

AW isn't hard to upgrade and is pretty damn consistent across their entire range. MSI is schizophrenic. Some of their stuff (specifically the stuff they sell to e-tailers in barebones form) is insanely easy to upgrade. Other stuff feels like it was designed by a leprechaun hopped up on LSD and is a nightmare. Some other stuff just isn't upgradeable at all really (similar to the smaller Razer blade or retina macbook pro).
 
Right, but we're essentially considering a couple models for gaming: the MSI GE70, GE60, GT60, GT70, the Sager 82xx series, or the AW 17 and 18. Of those, the AW models are definitely not as straightforward to get to the juicy bits :)

Asus is whole other ballpark where they tend to solder on the chips in the gaming laptops which makes upgrades virtually impossible.
 
harmattan said:
Right, but we're essentially considering a couple models for gaming: the MSI GE70, GE60, GT60, GT70, the Sager 82xx series, or the AW 17 and 18. Of those, the AW models are definitely not as straightforward to get to the juicy bits :)

Asus is whole other ballpark where they tend to solder on the chips in the gaming laptops which makes upgrades virtually impossible.
Click to expand...

I think I'd recommend a GT60 or GT70 on upgrade ability alone since we're discussing disassembling laptops. Would I recommend an AW17 over a GT70 or GT60? No. The M18x is a different discussion.
 
The alienware will be more accepting of future cards though.
 
acerbic said:
This is hit or fucking miss. You shouldn't buy a laptop in the hopes of upgrading the GPU later, you're rolling the dice.
Click to expand...

Very true. Of the 20-odd "gaming" laptops I've owned, I've opted to upgrade my GPU only twice and both times were bad value versus just buying a whole new platform. The problem with laptop GPU is they almost never go down in price with time like desktop GPUs, and in some cases they actually increase in value. A 680m still sells for around $550 even though it's predecessor, the 780m, has been on the scene for 6 months+ now. It's a matter of supply economics combined with many gaming laptops being restricted only to the GPU(s) that was available during their market time.
 
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