Buying a new laptop (gaming) [HELP PLEASE!]

[iAGZzzz]

So I've realised how much time I actually spend PC gaming and I've decided I need to invest in a new laptop because I'm fed up playing games on medium/low on my current Sony Vaio.

My budget would be £1000 max, so $1,500 roughly. I'm looking for a laptop which can play most games on nearly the highest settings. I'll be buying Far Cry 4/Assassin's Creed Unity/The Divison in the coming year and I want to be able to run these games pretty much flawlessly for optimum enjoyment. 15" or 17", not too fussed either way, but preferably no smaller unless it's an insane machine.

I know very little about graphics, but from what I've read the dual GeForce GT775M [SLI] (via the Ultrabay) on this looks decent, but as I said I don't know that much about gaming laptops and graphics/performance in particular.
http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/lenovo/y-series/y510p/?sb=:000001C9:00011E0C:#techspecs


I'll be using the laptop at University for my work and also to play all my games on. I HATE laptops which actually look too gaming like, such as some of the MSI's and Alienware laptops. I find they look a bit tacky and considering I use it a lot round campus I prefer more 'normal/stylish' looking laptops, hence why the Lenovo I linked grabs my attention as I love the metalic finish on it. Some notebooks that MSI does however look really really nice, but I guess that although they look better they will perform worse?
http://www.msimobile.com/level3_productpage.aspx?id=406
Some other MSI notebooks which I find aesthetically pleasing such as the Apache Pro and the Stealth Pro.
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/173-...m_medium=cpc&gclid=COrf8vivq78CFagewwodDw0Aog

So if anyone has any idea or wants to give me some tips/advise it would be MUCH appreciated Please don't go on about desktops however, I am well aware they are superiour however I still have Uni work to be doing so I need it to be multifunctional and mobile

Many thanks,
- iAGZzzz

EDIT: Although not really grahpically demanding as such, I've just started playing RS again so I would want the machine to be capable of playing RS on any setting whilst still being able to do multiple other tasks such as watching videos/films/streaming and whatnot.

 

[iAGZzzz]

Bump! Still need help/advise

Considering this, any input? http://www.msi.com/product/nb/GS70_2PE_Stealth_Pro.html#hero-overview

 

[iAGZzzz]

Done a shit tonne of research and really leaning towards the MSI GS70 Stealth Pro 212. Slightly more than I'd budgeted for but it's sleek/thin, fairly normal looking/stylish, and looks pretty damn powerful for such a thin notebook. The more I look at it, the more I want it.

http://www.xoticpc.com/msi-gs70-stealthpro212-p-6934.html

Anyone got any feedback even if it's just on this one? Give me a reason to buy or not to buy it, tiny but of persuasion either way is needed before I definitely commit to it!

EDIT: Also would then need to find the best price (Once again any help would be much appreciated) and make sure I get what I'm paying for (e.g. make sure it's the one with the Super RAID 2, assuming that's what I decide to go for.) I'm UK based so you'd be aware with shipping costs.

 

[szskateman22]

Make sure you are aware of the heat signature from it. I would imagine if it's running a dedicated graphics card and high-powered CPU, the laptop is going to run extremely hot. This is really dangerous with all the different parts you have in there. I would consider looking at and/or getting an air-stand for it of some sort.

 

[iAGZzzz]

Make sure you are aware of the heat signature from it. I would imagine if it's running a dedicated graphics card and high-powered CPU, the laptop is going to run extremely hot. This is really dangerous with all the different parts you have in there. I would consider looking at and/or getting an air-stand for it of some sort.

Yeah my current laptop gets incredibly hot and the fan is also really noisy as it can't really deal with all the processes I'm doing, hence why I wanted a new machine. Will try to bear it in mind. Do some graphics cards deal with the heat issue better? Also possibly looking at the Ghost Pro 3K http://www.xoticpc.com/msi-gs60-ghostpro-3k097-p-7070.html for a smaller screen, but if it's got the same gpu then would it have the same issues?

Thanks for the advise though, much appreciated

 

[iAGZzzz]

Bump, still in need of some recommendations/input!

 

[szskateman22]

Yeah my current laptop gets incredibly hot and the fan is also really noisy as it can't really deal with all the processes I'm doing, hence why I wanted a new machine. Will try to bear it in mind. Do some graphics cards deal with the heat issue better? Also possibly looking at the Ghost Pro 3K http://www.xoticpc.com/msi-gs60-ghostpro-3k097-p-7070.html for a smaller screen, but if it's got the same gpu then would it have the same issues?

Thanks for the advise though, much appreciated

This is a personal thought and opinion on graphics - but SLI tends to run hotter due to the part of having two, not one graphics cards. The main thing to also keep in mind is that it's TWO of them in an extremely confined space (as opposed to a desktop where you can provide some airflow). A less powerful graphics card will keep heat down, but most of the time the companies (especially when you're dropping so much money on a laptop) tend to keep the heat issue in mind as well. They make it the safest they possibly can while keeping performance at a premium. I would still recommend a cooler though, no matter what as they all still run extremely hot.

 

[iAGZzzz]

This is a personal thought and opinion on graphics - but SLI tends to run hotter due to the part of having two, not one graphics cards. The main thing to also keep in mind is that it's TWO of them in an extremely confined space (as opposed to a desktop where you can provide some airflow). A less powerful graphics card will keep heat down, but most of the time the companies (especially when you're dropping so much money on a laptop) tend to keep the heat issue in mind as well. They make it the safest they possibly can while keeping performance at a premium. I would still recommend a cooler though, no matter what as they all still run extremely hot.

Appreciate the input. The external Belkin coolers aren't too expensive and I would guess they'd do the job. Hopefully the heat won't be a huge issue as I very rarely use my laptop unplugged from the power source so at least it won't also be running on it's internal batteries.

Done loads of research, still leaning towards the MSI Stealth Pro 212 currently.

 

[ThatDefGirl]

Lenovo's are for business arent they? And they come with that mouse button on the keyboard which is weird.

 

http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade

 

[Xolr]

Gt70 dominator is you best bet.

 

[iAGZzzz]

http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade

Doing some research on it now. Still not sure if I'm paying too much for just the name here though? I get the resolution looks stunning, but it's a smaller screen and it's making my choice even harder now. argh!!!!

Gt70 dominator is you best bet.

I know the GT70 beats the GS70 and the GS60 because it's more powerful, has the 880M compared to the 870M and the cooling system will probably be much more efficient, but I hate the design of these bulkier laptops and I find them looking quite tacky. More of an issue however is that it's a 17" screen (Which I can deal with, hence why the GS70 still tempts me) but the weight will make it much less portable. I'm a Uni student and I still need to go the the library to work etc and I don't fancy carrying a brick with me :/

Plus, quite frankly I hate the look of them. Appreciate the input thought. Performance wise you're right hands down, however style plays a large factor in my decision if I'm honest, hence why I like the thin laptops/notebooks.

 

[SASRT8]

While gaming, my GS70 MUST be sitting on top of a laptop cooler. These things are amazing machines, and will play most any game at nearly max settings with their 870M, but they DO RUN HOT when you're gaming. Theyre built well, very solid, and will cool well enough on their own while gaming to protect the components. It's my personal preference to keep it on a cooler though when gaming, as the GS series runs about 5-10C hotter than most other laptops do when gaming, due to their thin size. Don't let this deter you though, the hardware in laptops is always designed with heat in mind, and can handle a lot of heat. All of my gaming laptops get used heavily and run hot most of their lives due to my usage. When I'm not gaming on it or sending emails & such, it is doing F@H which is known to utilize 100% of your hardware and makes it get HOT HOT. Laptops nowadays can handle the heat pretty well...believe it.

The Razer blades have the same issues with cooling, there's not much you can do about it. I personally would say stay away from the razers, their prices are just retarded anyways.
The ONLY thin gaming laptop that currently seems to handle temps pretty well are the Aorus laptops with their SLI. pretty astonishing that they manage temps so well considering the power they have in a thin frame.

Don't look into the GT70's, as the GT72 is just around the corner.

 

[iAGZzzz]

While gaming, my GS70 MUST be sitting on top of a laptop cooler. These things are amazing machines, and will play most any game at nearly max settings with their 870M, but they DO RUN HOT when you're gaming. Theyre built well, very solid, and will cool well enough on their own while gaming to protect the components. It's my personal preference to keep it on a cooler though when gaming, as the GS series runs about 5-10C hotter than most other laptops do when gaming, due to their thin size. Don't let this deter you though, the hardware in laptops is always designed with heat in mind, and can handle a lot of heat. All of my gaming laptops get used heavily and run hot most of their lives due to my usage. When I'm not gaming on it or sending emails & such, it is doing F@H which is known to utilize 100% of your hardware and makes it get HOT HOT. Laptops nowadays can handle the heat pretty well...believe it.

The Razer blades have the same issues with cooling, there's not much you can do about it. I personally would say stay away from the razers, their prices are just retarded anyways.
The ONLY thin gaming laptop that currently seems to handle temps pretty well are the Aorus laptops with their SLI. pretty astonishing that they manage temps so well considering the power they have in a thin frame.

Don't look into the GT70's, as the GT72 is just around the corner.

Quality reply, really appreciate all the information. Looking into the Aorus X7, the v2 is waiting to be released in the US so it looks just around the corner. Seeing as it's dual 860M SLI I imagine it will be an absolute beast of a machine and the power efficiency will be better with the Maxwell 860M's instead of the Keplar 870M. However with the current x7 at $2000 the V2 might be out of my ideal budget. I could push to £1500 for a laptop, but DEFINITELY no further.



Currently between:

-MSI GS70 Stealth Pro 212
-MSI GS60 Pro 4K (Yet to be released)
-Aorus x7 v2 (£1750 [only UK retailer price] is a major hindrance for me) - Might decrease in price on US release as Taiwan price currency conversion come out at £1420 where it is being sold.

 

[iAGZzzz]

​

Stuck between the GS70 Stealth Pro 212 and the Aorus X7 V2. Both are 17" HD 1920/1080p.

The GS70 apparently has more heating issues as the 870M GPU is very demanding. The Aorus X7 V2 has dual 860M SLI, but not sure how bad heating may be as it's not been fully released and the dual cards may take a lot out of it. The 860M SLI would probably outperform the 870M on games with are SLI optimised, but it makes me worry that new games such at GTA V, Assassin's Creed Unity, Far Cry 4 or the Division may not be SLI optimised on release meaning I'd get worse FPS and may need to play on a lower setting. I guess as well it depends if the 860M SLI GPUs are Maxwell or Kepler. If it's Kepler then it's not that much to scream and shout about :L

Anyone got an SLI setup and can advise whether it's worth getting and if many of the releases today are optimised for SLI? I know for a fact that Watch Dogs isn't, but mind you it's not really optimised for anything and is stupidly demanding.

Many thanks in advance.

EDIT: Reading another review and apparently the heat issues with the GS70 are pretty severe, and it limits the effectiveness of the 870M GPU. The GS60 is apparently much better at handling the heat at the cost of the 16.5" screen, which is what I have currently so wouldn't be a major issue. Currently they have the 3k res version of the GS60 Ghost Pro and the 4k is just round the corner, so maybe I'll just wait for the 4K GS60 Ghost Pro and the Aorus X7 V2 to both be released and then compare them and their reviews.

 

[CoinKing]

The best choice is AlienWare 18
http://www.alienware.com/Landings/laptops.aspx

 

[iAGZzzz]

The best choice is AlienWare 18
http://www.alienware.com/Landings/laptops.aspx

Can deal with 17" but don't think I want bigger. The Aorus X7 V2 has the 860 SLI GPU as well but is a 17" and significantly lighter (5.5kg compared to 3.5kg). The models with the R9 GPU are out of my budget anyways. I'm looking for a powerful machine but portability is also a factor for me, and the Alienware 18 feels more like a desktop than a laptop/notebook. If Alienware had better options for a lighter thinner notebook then I'd be interested in them, but as it stands their market doesn't match my interests.

Thanks anyways.

 

[SASRT8]

An Alienware 17 is the LAST thing you want to buy(even though it doesn't fit your budget). if you're looking for all-out power, Clevo takes the cake. Alienware is just not what it used to be pre-dell buyout.

I can personally tell you that you'll love the GS-series notebooks, and the 870m is not a slouch, believe it.
The Aorus is a bit pricier, sure, but with the power it has...I feel that it could balance itself out in value. A little extra coin could leave you with a machine that you might enjoy a bit longer. Especially if the next version includes Maxwell GPU's...temps will be MUCH cooler which should allow some serious overclocks. I kicked myself when the first Aorus came out as I had just bought my GS70. Even though the first aorus was using last-gen cards in SLI when it was released.... it was a beast of a machine.

 

[The_Crack]

^ alienware laptop is no bueno

 

[iAGZzzz]

An Alienware 17 is the LAST thing you want to buy(even though it doesn't fit your budget). if you're looking for all-out power, Clevo takes the cake. Alienware is just not what it used to be pre-dell buyout.

I can personally tell you that you'll love the GS-series notebooks, and the 870m is not a slouch, believe it.
The Aorus is a bit pricier, sure, but with the power it has...I feel that it could balance itself out in value. A little extra coin could leave you with a machine that you might enjoy a bit longer. Especially if the next version includes Maxwell GPU's...temps will be MUCH cooler which should allow some serious overclocks. I kicked myself when the first Aorus came out as I had just bought my GS70. Even though the first aorus was using last-gen cards in SLI when it was released.... it was a beast of a machine.

I got in touch with Aorus and the 860M GPUs are still Kepler Really tempting to wait till about September time when the Maxwell varients are released and buy a high quality laptop/notebook that I won't want to replace in 6 months