Buying a gaming laptop :o

    Only 700£? I take you're not using it for mapping?

    On the train I was browsing and what I'm liking is that they have newer CPU+GPU than Alienware and Asus ROG that cost the same.

    Alienware tend to have silly base prices/models that imo don't make sense ie: laptop starting at £1100 with an i3...


    ASUS RoG laptops are huge slabs of technology. They have a nice slim one out, but it seems to be everywhere but UK.


    17" laptops are also heavy. They may list a weight which sounds perfectly reasonable, but when you throw that in a bag and drag it around, it feels 3x as heavy. I know from experience taking mine to college and back every day for a year...


    I also don't think that the hardware is usually that much better, most of the price increase is the additional screen real estate.


    I would say that 17" is a desktop replacement through and through. If you need to be mobile, go for 15" and 14"/13" if real estate isnt massively important but I'm guessing from the nature of this forum the 14/13 are probably less useful.

    Quote from blackdog

    Only 700£? I take you're not using it for mapping?

    On the train I was browsing and what I'm liking is that they have newer CPU+GPU than Alienware and Asus ROG that cost the same.


    No using a laptop for serious work is a bad idea. It's for recreation and backup.

    I know, but sometimes you can't do otherwise :/ although I'm still questioning myself if I should just get a desktop and give up working/playing when at the gf.

    Hey guys. I bought the Gigabyte laptop in the end, and can confirm that build quality seems excellent overall, although the DVD drive is a bit awkwardly placed in the front so I occasionally open it by accident, and the wireless adapter is potentially faulty as internet access seems to cut out after 4-5 minutes use -- I'm taking it round a friend's house tonight to try it on his wifi and hopefully confirm whether it's the laptop or my router.


    /endupdate

    Quote from jackophant

    Alienware tend to have silly base prices/models that imo don't make sense ie: laptop starting at £1100 with an i3...

    ASUS RoG laptops are huge slabs of technology. They have a nice slim one out, but it seems to be everywhere but UK.

    17" laptops are also heavy. They may list a weight which sounds perfectly reasonable, but when you throw that in a bag and drag it around, it feels 3x as heavy. I know from experience taking mine to college and back every day for a year...

    I also don't think that the hardware is usually that much better, most of the price increase is the additional screen real estate.

    I would say that 17" is a desktop replacement through and through. If you need to be mobile, go for 15" and 14"/13" if real estate isnt massively important but I'm guessing from the nature of this forum the 14/13 are probably less useful.

    Ye as I was saying in my last post, I noticed they don't seem to be updated to the latest hw! Looking at what Dux linked, I can't really think of going with those big brands atm. Although, supposedly they should have better build quality(?) I quite like the ROGs designs, they are supposed to dissipate better heat, haven't had time to find reviews -- I've been already quite put off by the fact that they don't have an official online store to buy directly, and configs don't seem to be up to date :/Concerning the size, just check any shop and on the 17" they start with higher specs or you can configure with the higher.

    I don't have a desktop so yes, the idea is to have a workstation, only alternative would go mobile (14"), buy a large display to hook it up when home, and do as best as I can for those couple of days I'm at the gf. It's tempting, but since we also watch stuff on my computer and she has a small TV, kinda makes sense to just buy one thing and lug it around.

    If you plan on lugging it around a lot, but working on the move isn't necessary maybe get a mini pc?


    Things like the Intel NUC or a little bigger (358mm x 104mm x 61mm = 12.5l case), but seriously fully powered this: ASUS ROG G20AJ (it makes me think of something from the brotherhood of nod!)


    I believe faceit were using these for a sponsored stream recently... Also with ASUS in general (RoG included), they never sell directly. That's just how they work for whatever reason.

    Because as I said previously it's my only gaming machine Dux.

    I would have been much happier getting a small form PC with 900£+24/27" display, but I would waste entire days when I'm off and visit my gf (we have mismatching days off most of the time, so she'd be at work).

    I would have ended up spending about the same.

    It wasn't a lighthearted decision at all, I still wonder if I should have just gotten the desktop… but my 2008 MacBook it's clearly showing the signs of time and I can't afford a desktop now + eventually a new MacBook…

    Quote from Zezeri

    Nice!

    Be sure to share your experience with it (especially in regards to gamedev related stuff), I'm looking to buy a similar one in 1-2 months.

    Thanks!Well I'm a noob, and I have only some Hammer literacy, so the idea is to finally publish something for Source and start learning the latest tools I will try reporting the performances on there.

    Quote from SotaPoika

    Because otherwise you'll be just getting a paperweight which can barely play CS1.6 with high-fps config.


    Uh... not quite. But okay.

    I don't blame you man. If you're a little more mobile then using a gaming laptop is perfectly legit. If need be, you can always plug in a mouse and keyboard anyway

    Quote from dux

    I honestly doubt that.From the quoting I did back a few months ago I would have spent around 900£ for a good PC… then I wouldn't spend less then 250£ on a display, cos I would want something good and lasting so…

    For someone who truly needs that level of portability the price is worth it, and with those specs, you'll be set for a good few years.


    I hope you are happy with your purchase but be sure to strap it down, it looks like it might take off!

    the problem with my gaming la[top isn't performance or price, its the god damned noise the fans and dv drive make in gaming or movie operation. It's like a hair drier. I hope the newer laptops have found a way to be MUCH quieter. Noise is the one thing that is hard if not impossible to judge on a spec sheet.

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