Laptop thread XVII!

[Twin Axes]

Yes, it's that time again. Like a zombie with a damaged leg who keeps walking in circles, the "cheap gaming laptop" topic returns. I just got a warning that my hard drive failed a critical self test, and it's making funny noises too. I don't want to spend more than around $500ish, give or take (though I could go a little higher if I pay it off in instalments). I want to play NWN, Dragon Age, Total War stuff etc on good settings. I look at laptop graphic card comparison sites and my head just spins. Any input is appreciated.

[orangetree]

Yeah they make my head spin too.

I would look at the dell 'alienware' range for what the 'top spec' is, and note the price.

Then find something with a similar spec, at a cheaper price. That's how I work it out.

[Lucifer]

Origin PC's are the guys that started Alienware before selling out to Dell..they waited the required two years before restarting their own business. but have you thought of replacing your current Hardrive with an SSD it will up your load speeds and decrease both heat and power usage. I don't know what your current laptop can run game wise..but that is my two cents.

[CloudDancing]

I bought this about two years ago for 340.00:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6834215371

It runs all those games and looks quite nice. You could probably find a newer version of this for about the same price on Newegg.com.

[Heero]

I bought this one a couple months back when my 5 year old Gateway bit it:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-15-6-3 ... Id=8937158

Best Buy was running an 18mo, no interest deal-y so itd be something like $60/month over the 18mos to pay off without ever paying interest. They may be running something similar right now, they seem to be anytime I need a laptop so they probably do it all the time. It works well for me as dropping a grand over 3 or 4 months and paying no interest is more gooder than dropping the cash monies on the spot.

Laptop seems good. Only thing is the touchscreen can jump the cursor around unexpectedly from time-to-time even if using a mouse and keyboard. Touchscreen can be turned off, though. It runs the newest Total War game on slightly better than medium and it runs Skyrim on pretty high settings. I havent played NWN2, but Id bet itd easily be max for that.

[Twin Axes]

Thanks for your input guys. On Cloud's recommendation I checked out Newegg and found this. Any red warning lights going off?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6834314178

[HEEGZ]

Well it is windows 8, meh. Other than that it looks okay.

I would be more likely to get a win 7 machine, like these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 24G1741434

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 24G15X0126

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 24G1724956

There are a lot of other options out there as well. Windows 8 sucks, and I would only get a win 8 machine with a touch screen.

[Heero]

Im fine on Windows 8, Twin Axes, for whatever thats worth.

Those 17" ones you linked, Heegz, dont have dedicated graphics and thus wont run anything good. The others have a good bit lower specs than the one TA linked.

[HEEGZ]

Removed the links. You can do fine with Win 8, it is just really hard to use compared to Win 7 IMO. Maybe you would like it.

I would also suggest getting a stick of RAM to boost your memory to 8GB. Sorry, was a bit rushed in my first reply.

[edit]
Looked at the three I linked a bit closer. The Lenovo doesn't have a mic jack, which is a deal breaker if you want to use a gaming headset. Both it and the HP have a slightly better video card. If I were going to spend $500 on a laptop right this minute, without shopping around more, I would get the Acer. It has a better graphics card than the one I'm using now, has 750GB hard drive, and I would buy a 4GB stick of RAM to double that.

For $100 more the one you linked is fine. It is a better game machine I think, but you would have to have the stomach for windows 8. You could always shop around a bit more but Newegg has great prices on their laptops (it's where I got the one I'm typing this on).

[CloudDancing]

The best choice I made is to go with a bigger screen and a thinner width. It really makes playing on a laptop enjoyable and watching movies excellent.

[Twin Axes]

17" screen adds $150 to the price. That's a lot to motivate for something that's just a hobby. But it looks nice...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6834313581

[Heero]

My new laptop is a 15.6", a downsize from the string of 17" laptops Ive owned over the past 10 years. I wont buy another 17" laptop going forward. Ive found I like the smaller size and lighter weight much better and that I dont miss the larger screen in the slightest.

Just my own opinions here. I realize $150 aint all that much, but in my estimation it aint worth it.

[Galadorn]

17" screen adds $150 to the price. That's a lot to motivate for something that's just a hobby. But it looks nice...

But but but what if it's not a hobby but a lifestyle?!

I say go 19"!

[HEEGZ]

I game on a 15 inch laptop. It's fine but I will probably replace it with a 17 inch when it dies. I'll use a tablet for convenience of a small screen, and the 17 as a desktop replacement.

[Rumple C]

Pft. 13 incher here