I need advice on purchasing a gaming laptop

[talwynn]

Here's the situation:

I've been a PC gamer basically my entire adult life. I'm pretty savvy when it comes to desktops, having researched, bought, and assembled my PC from parts ordered online. But I know basically nothing about laptops. I know that they're often closed systems that usually can't be upgraded piece by piece like a PC. They perform like PCs, but I have no frame of reference for cost or maintenance or peripherals.

And yet I have recently been given a $1000 amazon gift card balance as part of a repayment of a past debt. I was already thinking of spending between $1500-2000 anyway, since that's what I've been told is generally going to result in a fairly powerful gaming laptop. But again, I have no frame of reference.

So basically I'd like some general advice. Given that at least half the price is locked to going through Amazon, I don't know if this complicates things or not. And I have no idea, really, what I should be looking at for value except what I can infer through the lens of PC pricing.

So...help?

I just bought a laptop from Eluktronics. Smaller brand but they make a beautiful laptop. Going off of several youtube/internet reviews, they say its one of the best gaming laptops out there. On their main page, you can get one of their pre configured version, a 15 inch starts at $1499, the 17 inch is $1599. Both come with an i9-9750H, 16gb ram, 1 TB nvme drive, and 2060 max P GPU with a 144Hz 1080p screen. I went with the upgrade for $200 more on the 15 inch for a 2070 max p GPU. It also comes with a mouse, headset, mouse pad, and 10 ft HDMI cable. The chassis is magnesium, so the 15 inch weighs less than 4 pounds, the 17 is less than 5. Long battery life. ZERO bloatware on it besides their propriatary software to control turbo/gaming/office mode. With the upgrade and after shipping (which I got within like 3 days) is was just north of $1800 for the 15 inch with the 2070. The ram is also not soldered in, so you can upgrade it if you want. There is another area where you can choose different ram/storage capacities, but I wanted the mousepad ect, so I went with that. But like I said, a gorgeous laptop. I can get wow on setting 8 at like 170 FPS.

Mine also came with RDR2 free from intel.

Forgot a link to their site. https://www.eluktronics.com/

[SirCowdog]

I just bought a laptop from Eluktronics. Smaller brand but they make a beautiful laptop. Going off of several youtube/internet reviews, they say its one of the best gaming laptops out there. On their main page, you can get one of their pre configured version, a 15 inch starts at $1499, the 17 inch is $1599. Both come with an i9-9750H, 16gb ram, 1 TB nvme drive, and 2060 max P GPU with a 144Hz 1080p screen. I went with the upgrade for $200 more on the 15 inch for a 2070 max p GPU. It also comes with a mouse, headset, mouse pad, and 10 ft HDMI cable. The chassis is magnesium, so the 15 inch weighs less than 4 pounds, the 17 is less than 5. Long battery life. ZERO bloatware on it besides their propriatary software to control turbo/gaming/office mode. With the upgrade and after shipping (which I got within like 3 days) is was just north of $1800 for the 15 inch with the 2070. The ram is also not soldered in, so you can upgrade it if you want. There is another area where you can choose different ram/storage capacities, but I wanted the mousepad ect, so I went with that. But like I said, a gorgeous laptop. I can get wow on setting 8 at like 170 FPS.

Mine also came with RDR2 free from intel.

Forgot a link to their site. https://www.eluktronics.com/

$1000 of my price is tied up in amazon gift balance. So buying outside amazon isn't an option. :/

[Blackmist]

Look at post #3. It's for when OP's not at home with their regular desktop.

In that case I hereby change my advice to this:

Get a Switch.

[Ghitza]

You're probably right. I was just already going to spend between $1000-1500, then I got that unexpected payback. I think I'll stick to the original amount rather than tacking it on to the money I was already going to spend.

$1000-1500 is enough for what you need.

[SirCowdog]

In that case I hereby change my advice to this:

Get a Switch.

Already have one.

I know I know....spoiled. I worked my ass off many long hours to afford these things though.

[talwynn]

$1000 of my price is tied up in amazon gift balance. So buying outside amazon isn't an option. :/

They are available on amazon, slightly more expensive though. https://www.amazon.com/Eluktronics-M...TN275YHEE&th=1