Gaming Laptop suggestions

[Drewbacca]

My wife and I are expecting a new baby soon, and we're finding that we're going to be having a little less space in our house. I have a custom built desktop that's about 4 years old that I love, but I think it would be best for me to downsize to a laptop. I pretty much use the computer for general use, except for WoW. I'll also be using it for my work as a pediatrician. My computer runs the game almost flawlessly on ultra settings, and I'm not a raider, especially with a baby coming. While I'd love to drop some serious cash and get the Alienware 14, I'm thinking that's a bit overkill for WoW. I have no plans on buying any other, more graphic-intensive games.

So, I turn to you. I need a 14-16 inch, easily portable laptop, that can run WoW on ultra settings, but isn't so cutting edge that I'm wasting extra money on a machine that's most taxing work is to run a 10 year old game (with some slight graphical improvements over time). I'd like to keep my budge under $1500.

[Radux]

Moved to the Computer Sub-forum.

[BicycleMafioso]

Moved to the Build Help sub-forum of Computer Sub-forum
>.>

[jmmathe1988]

My wife and I are expecting a new baby soon, and we're finding that we're going to be having a little less space in our house. I have a custom built desktop that's about 4 years old that I love, but I think it would be best for me to downsize to a laptop. I pretty much use the computer for general use, except for WoW. I'll also be using it for my work as a pediatrician. My computer runs the game almost flawlessly on ultra settings, and I'm not a raider, especially with a baby coming. While I'd love to drop some serious cash and get the Alienware 14, I'm thinking that's a bit overkill for WoW. I have no plans on buying any other, more graphic-intensive games.

So, I turn to you. I need a 14-16 inch, easily portable laptop, that can run WoW on ultra settings, but isn't so cutting edge that I'm wasting extra money on a machine that's most taxing work is to run a 10 year old game (with some slight graphical improvements over time). I'd like to keep my budge under $1500.

See the funny thing about laptops is people don't realize the how great of a performance drop it really is from a desktop...laptop GPU's are not even close to their their desktop counter parts.

But something like this is what I suggest, and you can tweek it a bit to get a better CPU if you like, you don't have to go with this builder per say there are several out there but stay away from alienware!

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/saved/1F8XT7

[Ripox]

The basic entry level Alienware 14 (not the m14x) should be adequate for your needs and well under the budget if you like the looks and form factor.

[jmmathe1988]

The basic entry level Alienware 14 (not the m14x) should be adequate for your needs and well under the budget if you like the looks and form factor.

Thats just plain silly when my build gets him a 770m, something they dont offer...he could even get a 3800 processor for under his budget and still have USA support and quality components! Alienware over prices everything and offers nothing but foreign support, fuck that everyone in america wants to talk to an america not some foreigner!

[Zogarth]

See the funny thing about laptops is people don't realize the how great of a performance drop it really is from a desktop...laptop GPU's are not even close to their their desktop counter parts.

But something like this is what I suggest, and you can tweek it a bit to get a better CPU if you like, you don't have to go with this builder per say there are several out there but stay away from alienware!

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/saved/1F8XT7

I second this. This is not neccesarily the best laptop you can get for your money, but you get way more performance for your cash than if you buy an alienware.

[Deleted]

for gaming laptops the MSI series is very interesting :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834152404
for a 1500 budget having a custom one isn't worthwhile enough imo.

[Ripox]

You guys only look at CPU+GPU+Resolution+price and think its the end of it
You are forgetting cooling, build quality, materials used, design, battery, weight, wifi/ethernet card quality, replacement policies, coupon codes readily available, vouchers bundled for things like bags, resale value, screen quality (e.g IPS), etc. All areas where I believe Alienware outshines midranged sites notorious for good expensive internals but crap externals like ibuypower/cyberpower

this isnt a desktop. there is more to it than Frames Per Second-related parts

- - - Updated - - -

Brain-dead comparison:

Alienware 14:
-GTX 765M
-I7-4700MQ
-14-inch 1366x768 monitor
-$1,349

Linked cyberpower notebook:
-GTX 770M
-i7-4700MQ
-15.6" 1920x1080 monitor
-$1274

Something to point out: GTX 765M @ 1366x768 performs quite a bit better then GTX770M @ 1920x1080. And at 14", 1366x768 looks great imo

More detailed comparison:

Display panel: IPS for Alienware, unspecified for the xplorer x6-9550 (I don't think its IPS)

Wireless solution: Killer NIC 1202 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 for Alienware, generic 802.11 b/g/n card for the xplorer. Alienware wins here.

Optical drives are the same (almost)

RAM: 2x4GB @ 1600mhz for the Alienware, 1x8GB @ 1600mhz for the xplorer

Same motherboard chipset

Sound: Internal High-Definition 5.1 Performance Audio with Dolby Home Theater v4 Software (Standard) + 2.1 Speaker configuration with Subwoofer Audio Powered by Klipsch® 7.1+ Digtial Audio out using HDMI out connection or S/PDIF Optical port for the Alienware, Supreme HD Audio w/ Sound Blaster X-FI MB3 Technology for the xplorer

HDD: 750GB 3gb/s SATA for the Alienware, the same for the xplorer

Promotions: $200 promo for the Alienware Gearshop for the Alienware

Aesthetics: IMO the Alienware looks MUCH MUCH MUCH better

Weight:6.1lb for the Alienware, couldn't quickly find it for the xplorer

[MasterNewbie]

I am partial to Asus's RoG laptop series. Would recommend them but they haven't released a 15-inch laptop with new hardware yet.

[The One Percent]

Moved to the Build Help sub-forum of Computer Sub-forum
>.>

We need to go deeper.

[Ripox]

So you pay $75 more by getting the Alienware. The xplorer has a higher resolution but at 14 inches, the 1366x768 resolution is good for many people (myself included) and thus you will get much higher framerates on the Alienware @ native resolution than the xplorer @ native resolution.

$75 difference and you get quite a bit of a nicer package with better RMA/support, easy replacements, better quality wireless solutions, potentially better display panel, higher framerates at native resolution, and $200 to spend at the gearshop.

Why is this even a discussion?

[Deleted]

So you pay $75 more by getting the Alienware. The xplorer has a higher resolution but at 14 inches, the 1366x768 resolution is good for many people (myself included) and thus you will get much higher framerates on the Alienware @ native resolution than the xplorer @ native resolution.

$75 difference and you get quite a bit of a nicer package with better RMA/support, easy replacements, better quality wireless solutions, potentially better display panel, higher framerates at native resolution, and $200 to spend at the gearshop.

Why is this even a discussion?

well a gaming laptop without a full hd screen for starters?
i'd say neither of the alienware or the cyberpower pc is a good one.
1366x768 resolution what year is this for a gaming laptop......
also comparing the wireless solutions ehm yes they can make ping a tiny bit lower assuming a good connection however if both reach a ping <30ms what's the point anyway.

[Deleted]

I second this. This is not neccesarily the best laptop you can get for your money, but you get way more performance for your cash than if you buy an alienware.

more the otherway around you get less performance for your cash with an alienware.

[potis]

Every major company has some sort of Gaming series.

Do not buy a laptop from Alienware, Alienware is the same as Apple, and forgive me forum and Americans, but its aimed for the clueless masses that buy things without knowing, hence their market target is USA, overpriced when you can get the same and better if you just look around for 5mins, any Hardware aware person will tell you the same thing.

Look into the gaming laptops from MSI/ASUS/Toshiba/Lenovo, they usually cost 10-20% less than the exactly same Alienware and usually have something better.

[DeltrusDisc]

*bunch of Alienware lovey dovey*

I'm sorry to inform you, Ripox, but the year is no longer 2006, Alienware is not who they once were. The premium you pay for an Alienware is no longer for an actually better computer, it is for a glorified Dell, with maybe 10% more power but for a 50% higher price. No, the chassis is not good, you'd think they could at least make it water-proof.

Want a good laptop? Get a Sager. Get an ASUS. Maybe even an MSI.

Alienware? No. Dell owns Alienware and does not treat it the way it should be.

[Damire]

i have a asus g74sx its pretty awesome it has a very ventilation sistem
i can play on high almost every game like skyrim with no problems world of warcraft
for some reason starcraft2 has low fps but at medium its very good
battlefield 3 high no problem
it has gforce gtx 560m 2gb

i would like to recommend you this kind of asus laptops just because the air sistem the ventilation...
just check it on the web

sry for my bad english

[Cyanotical]

Wireless solution: Killer NIC 1202 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 for Alienware, generic 802.11 b/g/n card for the xplorer. Alienware wins here.

what the difference here? what makes the Killer better? you can't claim one thing is better if you don't know the difference

Want a good laptop? Get a Sager. Get an ASUS. Maybe even an MSI.

Alienware? No. Dell owns Alienware and does not treat it the way it should be.

i would get an alienware before i get an Asus, Asus has such crap support on their G series that i will never ever order another laptop from Asus
as well the G series is always loaded down with problems and poor design

Sagers are great for hardware enthusiasts, but the keyboard and touchpad are bad

no clue about MSI, but they seem pretty popular, but then again, so is Asus' G series and it is junk

personally if i was to order a laptop just for gaming (not generic use or hacking) i would get Razer's Blade Pro

[Ripox]

I would get the Razer Blade (pro or non pro) but I don't game on the go. I find that it removes the whole experience for the games I play. Need to be alone in a dark man cave

[tielknight]

snip

Of course the 765m @ 1366x768 is going to run better than the 770m @ 1920x1080. Now if you run a game on the 770m @ 1366x768, the 765 will get outright destroyed, but you forgot to mention that part for a reason besides bias right?

1366x768 is extremely tiny for a screen resolution and even webpages will look aweful on it. Heck, most tablets are at or past that resolution already, a laptop has no reason to be still using that. It has bluetooth and a biometric reader and you can add a Killer NIC card for $20 more and a blue-ray reader/burner for $80 more and it will still be cheaper than the Alienware.

The Cyberpower notebook is a flatout better deal. SUre the case isn't all flashy, but what is more important, the parts inside or how sparkly it look outside?

edit : The Razer Blade isn't much better in terms of performance and is alot more in terms of price, but your mostly paying for the absurdly small size of the blade(and the brand of course). I also do not like that the prices jumps $200 to go from a 128gb SSD ($1799) to a 256gb SSD ($1999) and jumps $300 to go to a 512gb SSD ($2299) with no other hardware changes to justify the price difference.

$1799 for :

Intel® Core™ i7-4702HQ Quad Core
Processor with Hyper Threading
2.2GHz / 3.2GHz (Base/Turbo)
Mobile Intel® PCHM 8 series chipset, HM87
8GB onboard memory (DDR3L-1600MHz)
Intel® HD4600
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 765M (2GB GDDR5 VRAM, Optimus™ Technology)
14.0" HD+ 16:9 Ratio, 1600x900, with LED backlight
128GB SSD
Built-in HD webcam (1.3MP)
Razer™ Synapse 2.0 Enabled
Built-in stereo speakers
Backlit anti-ghosting keyboard
3.5mm microphone/headphone
combo port
Array microphone
USB 3.0 port x3 (SuperSpeed)
HDMI 1.4a audio and video output
Dolby® Home Theater® v4
7.1 Codec support (via HDMI)