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2016+ Gaming Laptop Thread: Embracing Pascal's Wafer (Please Read OP)
- Thread starter K.Jack
- Start date
I spilled a cup of coffee on an old laptop not once, but twice. I feel your pain.Sorry if this isn't really relevant to the topic at hand, but I needed to get this off my chest and didn't feel comfortable creating a new thread (also, it does concern my laptop, too).
Earlier this month, a terrible tragedy struck when, depressingly enough through my own mistake, my laptop met with an untimely end. I have since taken steps to have it repaired, and purchased a cheap system so I can at least do my work / browse / play media. However, for someone who's used to playing all their multiplatform releases on PC, a temporary downgrade like this can be somewhat devastating.
For the past few days, I've spent the majority of my free time gazing at my empty display, in utter disbelief at my own stupidity and how it put me in this situation. I constantly find myself wanting to play games I can't run, fully knowing that I probably wouldn't be that interested in them if I could. But still, between knowing that my options are limited and having to wait for the manufacturer to get back to me to organise the logistics of picking up my damaged unit, I've been feeling rather helpless.
Today, for some reason, it finally dawned on me that I might be able to just stream from the cloud, so I decided to create an onlive account and play The Witcher 2 (getting ready for February). I should say that I last finished this when the patch that later became the Enhanced Edition was released, so about 3 years ago on a rig that could barely sustain medium settings. Compared to that, my experience playing through the prologue at no visible expense to a system that could barely handle the first game on minimum settings was pleasantly surprising to say the least.
I'm currently on my free trial, which should hopefully cover the extent of my playthrough for now, but I can definitely see myself keeping the sub going for a month until I can resume local play. So, to conclude, even though I never intended to use onlive or any similar service (despite thinking that the technology was rather impressive when it was unveiled), I now find myself more than glad they exist. Still, I'm not trying to publically advertise anything, I'm just happy things are somewhat working out for me gaming-wise now, so in that sense:
TLR I'm an idiot, but streaming my games from the cloud should hold me over until the consequences of my foolishness have been corrected for.
It survived both incidents, though, shockingly.
Well WD runs okay these days. You'll max it out easily.
Looks like this is the one.
Hi NeoGAF (and hi K.Jack - your posts are super helpful!)
I'm looking for a new gaming laptop.
Country where it will be purchased: Belgium or France.
Maximum budget: ~2500-3000€.
Max size: I want it to be a 17" laptop.
Planned usage: Gaming (I want the possibility to play new games on high/ultra settings) and working (multiple .pdf and .doc files open and the like).
Whatever else you find relevant: I would like to have 16Gb of RAM, a 980M with 8Gb DDR5, at least 128Gb SSD included in the original build, and a 120 Hz screen (important). Also a 4710HQ/MQ or above for the CPU.
I was waiting for Alienware to announce the arrival of the 970M/980M on its AW 17, but nothing was announced yesterday at their event... What are my options to have a 120 Hz screen AND a 980M?
Thanks in advance!
How's this look? Or you can wait for Clevo, Alienware, and MSI w/ 900M took reach your region.
That I can't promise. Might as well try it.
Minsc
Gold Member
According to these benchmarks of a 980m, it gets 45fps on Ultra, so a 780m SLI should be a little faster (at least it seems so on average comparing results between the two pages)... probably get close to 60fps, but maybe not quite there.
Many thanks!
I see that you are a busy man, but any particular reason for this one over the others?
It has a full voltage i5, instead of a ULV (Ultra-Low Voltage) like the others.
NorrinRadd
Neo Member
Thanks a lot for your reply, K.Jack, but as I mentioned in my post I would very much like to have a 120 Hz screen (even if 3D doesn't work since it doesn't matter to me), instead of a 60 Hz screen, with my 980M. Asus, Clevo and MSI don't seem to offer that atm, and Alienware hasn't made any announcements with regards to the 980M in its AW 17 yet, and I heard the 120 Hz screens might not be available when their refresh is done... What are my options to have a 120 Hz screen AND a 980M?
Thanks L.O.R.D., but I heard some mixed reviews on Eurocom (I think I saw K.Jack also write he did not hear great things about them). Since I'm going to spend 2500€-3000€ on this new laptop hoping to keep it around five years, I would like to avoid everything that is not a solid and reliable build/company...
NorrinRadd
Neo Member
Yes, that's what I'm hearing as well :-( But technically since I'm not interested in the 3D Vision, only the 120Hz screen, I'm still hoping either some brands will offer the 120 Hz option or some resellers will allow for customization with a 120 Hz display... Do you think this might be possible? And can you confirm that you don't think Eurocom is very reliable?
Gotcha. I will keep this in mind and post back with results/impressions.
Thank you again!
paolo11
Member
paolo11
Member
Ah nice. I didn't know 780m SLI is much powerful than one 980m. I kinda thought they are on par.
Side note. Been perusing at laptop notebook forums.com and sad news for now for us Alienware owners. 980m is not compatible to AW17 or AW18(unless someone mods the bios).
So my gaming laptop of 2 yrs (Asus G55VW) seems to have died out on me this morning. I'm looking for a new laptop immediately in the 800-1000 price range. Also, what are some of the best options to recover data on my old laptop's SATA drive? I also suspect it was hdd failure so I may not even be able to recover the files.
MSI is making a new laptop , with Mechanical Keyboard
its called GT80 Titan
http://kotaku.com/someones-finally-making-a-gaming-laptop-with-a-mechanic-1652804488
its called GT80 Titan
http://kotaku.com/someones-finally-making-a-gaming-laptop-with-a-mechanic-1652804488
Vigilant Walrus
Member
I think the Alienware 13 + Graphics Amplifier is a great idea, but the Amplifier being 300 USD without GPU inside of it, suggests that like a lot of Thunderbolt accessories on Mac, it's not really worth it yet. For most people.
Being able to carry around your Steam Library, your Itunes Library and all your other digital content is not new. Many Ultrabooks skimped on power to give you the battery life. Then you got the Razer Blade 14 and the Retina Macbook Pro high end, which packs powerful Quad-Core CPUs with good mobile graphics (midrange by desktop standards) which costs 2500-3000 dollars and run toasty up towards the 90 degrees celcius when gaming for a long time.
It's like as soon as manufacturers finally decided to get rid of the optical drive, all that extra room for more hardware was neglected by a need to make them as thin as possible.
Here comes Alienware 13, a ULV CPU, mixed with a 860m with 2GDDR5. It's not even close to the Razer Blade 14 and it's not as thin, but on the other hand the Alienware gets much much lower temperatures, better battery life and increased lifespan by having reduced thermals. Their more conservative standards and prioritization on having two fans to cool the CPU and GPU independantly, gives leeway to be able to stress the machine a lot more.
The failure rate on laptops are on 15-20% (depending on Manufac') within 2 years. It is without a doubt one of the categories of electronics that has the highest failure rate, and nothing taxes it more than gaming. For the silicone not to give out a few years prematurely, you need to have good cooling and build quality. Unfortunately this lesson often goes unlearned until you have a Gaming Laptop die on you prematurely.
That is why I applaud the Alienware team for making this product. They could easily have crammed so much more hardware in here, but didn't do it, due to to thermals, reduced performance over time. The conservative head-room is great for keeping the laptop on for longer without having to stress about wearing it down.
But this lower performance output also really shows that the AW13 does not seem to be your desktop replacement. It sure can be. The keyboard is universally praised, the QHD touch display is supposed to be really good, and the performance is really solid, but even from m11x, the ergonomics of this still suggests that this machine really is your portable companion. It's a luxury item and not your required gaming technology. You would want to have a good gaming rig at home before you venture into this, gaming on the go machine.
And this is where the amplifier shows its promise. I don't think the amplifier makes sense to make the AW13 more of a desktop replacement, or sell it as a Laptop hub, but I see it more as a desktop away from home. If your parents are divorced and you only have desktop with one parent, having an amplifier with your other parent and this machine could be a really good idea.
It can also make sense to have the amplifier in your work place, or take it with you on the road if your editing for long periods of time. Rendering goes immensely faster and checking dailies suddenly is not such a chore.
We've talked and pondered on this for many years. Ever since Apple first pushed Thunderbolt, we have waited for hot-plug Graphics cards, and the idea that AW made it so you can put any graphic cards in there that meets the PSU 350 Watt minimum is fantastic. I have several older GPUs I could put in one of those and give them a new life.
It's a great idea, but the proprietary connector is not very fun, but expected given the R&D AW must have put into this.
With the Steam Climate and cloud services continuing to take hold, a small portable gaming notebook like AW13 makes more and more sense, and I want one.
I liked the sound of what was said in this review;
Link; http://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/alienware-13
It's pretty clear. Razer Blade 14 decimates with a full non-ULV Quad CPU and paired with a 870m, but for half the price (starting) I like the AW13 anymore. 6 hours is regular use on wi-fi browsing is also the minimum of what I consider portable, considering the MBA13 now can hit 13-14 hours on a single charge.
I think AW13 will make even more sense when they get i7 ULV Broadwell CPUs in there, and that should be soon. A year from now, the idea of a ULV quad-core is a dream long sought for a lot of people. We might not be there for a while, but its promising.
Assuming it's a solid product (my prior experience with an M14x makes me believe it is), I'd be much more inclined to go for a 13+SSD+1080p screen with an amplifier/970/peripherals at ~2k rather than a behemoth desktop replacement or something like the Blade/MSI Ghost, for many of the reasons you said. I get better gaming performance at home, and on the go I get performance I'm okay with trading off for better battery life, portability, and durability. On the surface it seems like a win/win, especially if you don't need anything particularly CPU intensive.
I said something bad about Eurocom?
What's wrong with it? What makes you think it's the HDD?
Good replacement.
MSI is making a new laptop , with Mechanical Keyboard
its called GT80 Titan
http://kotaku.com/someones-finally-making-a-gaming-laptop-with-a-mechanic-1652804488
That gap between the keyboard and screen is ridiculous. Lol that's ugly.
paolo11
Member
Better than Alienware has to offer atm.
If they offer soldered GPU, CPU, then forget about it. No upgradeability.
But...aren't videogames CPU intensive? I like the Alienware 13 but....dual core cpu...ehhh
Plus unless there's an expandable pad under that keyboard I don't feel that using it will be comfortable.
Yeah, won't be good at all for the coming years.
I'm about to get the 17" Medion Erazer X7613 for 1350.
It's the only reasonably priced 17" laptop, that doesn't look like a pimped spaceship and is sleek and flat, but with good specs, i think.
17", Full HD, 16GB RAM, 1TB HDD, 128GB SSD, GTX860M (Maxwell, 2GB), i7 4710HQ.
Primarily for some 3D work in Blender (also GPU rendering), and as my new general use laptop (my old one is nearing 5 years now).
It's the only reasonably priced 17" laptop, that doesn't look like a pimped spaceship and is sleek and flat, but with good specs, i think.
17", Full HD, 16GB RAM, 1TB HDD, 128GB SSD, GTX860M (Maxwell, 2GB), i7 4710HQ.
Primarily for some 3D work in Blender (also GPU rendering), and as my new general use laptop (my old one is nearing 5 years now).
My desktop Nvidia GPU (770) just got access to DSR.(http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/dsr/technology). I'm rolling with a 780m on my notebook, has there been any news on when Nvidia plans on including this into their control panel for mobile chips?
Playing Dota 2 at 2400p, downsampled to 1200p on my desktop last night. I'd love to be able to do something simlar on my notebook. I know I can mess around in other ways, but this makes downsampling so much easier.
Playing Dota 2 at 2400p, downsampled to 1200p on my desktop last night. I'd love to be able to do something simlar on my notebook. I know I can mess around in other ways, but this makes downsampling so much easier.
Melchiah
Member
I've got a question, hopefully it's ok to post it here. I just recently bought a new laptop to replace my old one from 2008, and I'd like to know how good it'll run games like both Amnesias, Dear Esther, the new Unreal Tournament and whatever PC exclusives there are? Is 1080p with high settings a possibility? I didn't really have time to properly compare what's available for the same price (899 / Finland), as I needed a new one ASAP to get some work done.
Here are the specs.
The GPU is based on Maxwell architecture, and has 2GB GDDR5.
3DMark Vantage results, but I don't have any reference point for how good or bad the score is.
And a bit dark image of the laptop itself.
Here are the specs.
The GPU is based on Maxwell architecture, and has 2GB GDDR5.
3DMark Vantage results, but I don't have any reference point for how good or bad the score is.
And a bit dark image of the laptop itself.
neogaffer1
Banned
I've got a question, hopefully it's ok to post it here. I just recently bought a new laptop to replace my old one from 2008, and I'd like to know how good it'll run games like both Amnesias, Dear Esther, the new Unreal Tournament and whatever PC exclusives there are? Is 1080p with high settings a possibility? I didn't really have time to properly compare what's available for the same price (899€ / Finland), as I needed a new one ASAP to get some work done.
Here are the specs.
The GPU is based on Maxwell architecture, and has 2GB GDDR5.
3DMark Vantage results, but I don't have any reference point for how good or bad the score is.
And a bit dark image of the laptop itself.
850m is a midrange card, 1080p high (but not maxed out) is a likelihood for most games, at least for a year or two.
Edit: Didn't notice the i5...that might be a bottleneck for some games.
Melchiah
Member
Good to know. I guess it's enough for those indies I mentioned, possibly similar newer ones as well?
EDIT: Hopefully the upcoming UT is at least playable on med/high settings.
neogaffer1
Banned
Indies should be fine.
NorrinRadd
Neo Member
The 850M is barely midrange, if at all. An i5 will not bottleneck it. Gaming at 1080p won't last long, as the 850M is simply fall below the min reqs for some of the most anticipated games. But here I'm talking about the big AAA affairs, such as Witcher 3, not the lower and mid-level or indie level games.
It'll likely max a game like the new Dragon Age. Certainly not a bad card.
Ehhh that's about something completely unrelated to buying notebooks, from 5+ years ago. I should let it go, and I don't even remember what it was about. I have no issue with telling you to go with Eurocom. They are a huge company, and reliable.
Just spec a machine on Xotic, then get them to price match.
It'll likely max a game like the new Dragon Age. Certainly not a bad card.
Ehhh that's about something completely unrelated to buying notebooks, from 5+ years ago. I should let it go, and I don't even remember what it was about. I have no issue with telling you to go with Eurocom. They are a huge company, and reliable.
Just spec a machine on Xotic, then get them to price match.
about the new alieanware amp
msi did the same thing
http://dragonarmy.msi.com/home/info/news/detail/297
msi did the same thing
http://dragonarmy.msi.com/home/info/news/detail/297
ipitydatfu
Member
the SAGER NP8651 (P650SE) is so sexy. but i dont want those temps ;;
Where have you seen temps? Hook us up with links!
ipitydatfu
Member
review is actually for the 651 model
http://www.notebookcheck.com/Test-Schenker-XMG-P505-Clevo-P651SE-Notebook.127303.0.html ( its in german)
english link http://www.notebookcheck.net/Clevo-P651SE-Schenker-XMG-P505-Barebones-Notebook-Review.127978.0.html
Dual Blade
Member
I need a laptop:
- Canada
- Budget: $900 (lower the better)
- 15.6 max, 14 inch preferably
- I am looking for a new PC, preferably a laptop due to mobility. In terms of games I would like to play The Witcher 2 and the Fallout series at 1080p near max settings. My current gen needs will be solved by the PS4.
- I would like a 1080p good screen, >4 hour battery life (light usage), and a back lit keyboard.
I would be in the market for an ultrabook with a decent CPU, but I would love to play those games with mods. I have been looking at the Lenovo Y40 quite a bit lately but I am unsure if its capable of running Witcher 2 at high settings and of the screen quality after viewing the Y50 in person (a letdown).
Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
- Canada
- Budget: $900 (lower the better)
- 15.6 max, 14 inch preferably
- I am looking for a new PC, preferably a laptop due to mobility. In terms of games I would like to play The Witcher 2 and the Fallout series at 1080p near max settings. My current gen needs will be solved by the PS4.
- I would like a 1080p good screen, >4 hour battery life (light usage), and a back lit keyboard.
I would be in the market for an ultrabook with a decent CPU, but I would love to play those games with mods. I have been looking at the Lenovo Y40 quite a bit lately but I am unsure if its capable of running Witcher 2 at high settings and of the screen quality after viewing the Y50 in person (a letdown).
Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
dampflokfreund
Banned
I've got a question, hopefully it's ok to post it here. I just recently bought a new laptop to replace my old one from 2008, and I'd like to know how good it'll run games like both Amnesias, Dear Esther, the new Unreal Tournament and whatever PC exclusives there are? Is 1080p with high settings a possibility? I didn't really have time to properly compare what's available for the same price (899€ / Finland), as I needed a new one ASAP to get some work done.
Here are the specs.
The GPU is based on Maxwell architecture, and has 2GB GDDR5.
3DMark Vantage results, but I don't have any reference point for how good or bad the score is.
And a bit dark image of the laptop itself.
Yes, high at 1080p shouldn't be a problem. I play most recent games in these settings too and get always over 30 FPS. I have a similar hardware, but your's is a bit faster (DDR3 and I5 4210U). You can check out how BF4 runs on it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wobw52LRSxM
Similar FPS and graphics like PS4.
If games will be more demanding in the future or you want 60 fps now, 900p is the magic resolution.
uncleniccius
Member
Budget: As much as necessary (Preferably £2000 or less)
Needs: A good laptop for uni, I want a Macbook Pro though - my current Samsung Series 7 Chronos I7 is on Windows 8.1 is horribly slow... so yeah, I think I want to make the move.
Country: UK
Max size: 15.3 (?) I think that's the bigger size
Extra info: I'm buying an Iphone and maybe an Ipad, and the fact that Windows 8 seems super slow makes this seem the right option. Gaming is a non issue (I'm not starting Uni until next year) as I'll have all three consoles.
I'm thinking the MBP 15' with retina and the I7 2.5 and the 750M, will that meet my needs? Or is the 2.8 a big upgrade? 500GB SSD in the one I'm looking at.
Needs: A good laptop for uni, I want a Macbook Pro though - my current Samsung Series 7 Chronos I7 is on Windows 8.1 is horribly slow... so yeah, I think I want to make the move.
Country: UK
Max size: 15.3 (?) I think that's the bigger size
Extra info: I'm buying an Iphone and maybe an Ipad, and the fact that Windows 8 seems super slow makes this seem the right option. Gaming is a non issue (I'm not starting Uni until next year) as I'll have all three consoles.
I'm thinking the MBP 15' with retina and the I7 2.5 and the 750M, will that meet my needs? Or is the 2.8 a big upgrade? 500GB SSD in the one I'm looking at.
Melchiah
Member
Thanks for the info. BF4 seems to run pretty well on it. I won't probably play any FPS, other than UT, on the system though. I mostly want to be able to play the more demanding indie (horror) games, that aren't coming to consoles, without making too much sacrifices on the visual quality.
To do what you want, you need a GTX 860M.
If you aren't gaming, there's no need to spend tthe extra money for the 750M model.
Nope.
Dual Blade
Member
Thank you. I figure now for the price of a laptop with the 860m I can build a more powerful desktop AND possibly get a cheap portable laptop.
uncleniccius
Member
Interesting, would it not be future proofing to get the 750M version? Would it really make no difference?
Thanks for the reply
edit: Also how are the speakers compared with other laptops?
Yep, that is always the case, which is why I outlined it in the OP the way I did. If you don't need the mobility, desktop gaming is the way to go.
Interesting, would it not be future proofing to get the 750M version? Would it really make no difference?
Thanks for the reply
edit: Also how are the speakers compared with other laptops?
Future proofing for what, though? If you aren't gaming now, by the time you decide to, the 750M will be too weak to allow you to do so.
Speakers? I have no first hand experience.
For current gen only games, it's already dead, meaning below the minimum requirements to even run the title screen.
Why am I not surprised D: thanks anyway.
The thing is that I'm buying way more games in GoG than in Steam, and the Steam games are from 5 years ago, but good to know I should begin searching. I might jump out laptop gaming now that I have settled and don't travel as often as I used to though.
uncleniccius
Member
Yeah, that's true - plus Mac's are awful for gaming anyway.
Could the graphics card make any difference with watching videos/anything else? Or would a bigger HDD be a better investment?
Thanks
Edit: I've just seen bigger SSD prices.. nope. For reference the difference is £80 if I were to get the same build without it.. is it still not worth it?
Hi.
I currently have a fairly decent gaming desktop but I don't use it as much as I'd like because portability is rather important for me. So I'm looking to get a competent gaming laptop.
I'd primarily be using this to play much older games up through some last gen stuff (BioWare games, The Witcher 2, the Valkyria Chronicles port). But I'd also like to do some emulation on it -- PCSX2 emulation particularly (stuff like Dragon Quest 8, Final Fantasy 12, Suikoden 3), but also Dolphin (ie Xenoblade) if possible. I'll probably want to play some current gen games on it, but I have a PS4, and I'm fine playing games on that if I can't play them on the laptop. As far as PC exclusives go, it'll probably be mostly Kickstarter stuff (like Pillars of Eternity, Wasteland 2) that I'd rather play on the laptop than on my desktop.
For budget, I wanted to stick to ~1,000$, but I'm willing to go up to ~1,500$ if necessary to meet my game objectives.
After doing some looking around, these were the laptops that seemed most promising as far as my needs go:
I'd appreciate some input on which of these would be the best option for the best price. Thanks!
I currently have a fairly decent gaming desktop but I don't use it as much as I'd like because portability is rather important for me. So I'm looking to get a competent gaming laptop.
I'd primarily be using this to play much older games up through some last gen stuff (BioWare games, The Witcher 2, the Valkyria Chronicles port). But I'd also like to do some emulation on it -- PCSX2 emulation particularly (stuff like Dragon Quest 8, Final Fantasy 12, Suikoden 3), but also Dolphin (ie Xenoblade) if possible. I'll probably want to play some current gen games on it, but I have a PS4, and I'm fine playing games on that if I can't play them on the laptop. As far as PC exclusives go, it'll probably be mostly Kickstarter stuff (like Pillars of Eternity, Wasteland 2) that I'd rather play on the laptop than on my desktop.
For budget, I wanted to stick to ~1,000$, but I'm willing to go up to ~1,500$ if necessary to meet my game objectives.
After doing some looking around, these were the laptops that seemed most promising as far as my needs go:
- this: Acer Aspire V3-772G-7616 Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7 4712MQ (2.30GHz) 8GB Memory 256GB SSD NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M 2GB GDDR5 17.3" Windows 8.1 64-Bit
- this: Acer Aspire V15 Nitro Black Edition VN7-591G-74LK Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7 4710HQ (2.50GHz) 8GB Memory 1TB HDD NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M 2 GB GDDR5 15.6" Windows 8.1
- this: ASUS ROG G751 Series G751JT-CH71 Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7 4710HQ (2.50GHz) 16GB Memory 1TB HDD NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M 3GB 17.3" Windows 8.1 64-Bit (currently out of stock, but I'm willing to wait a bit)
- this: Lenovo Y50 Touch (59426255) Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7 4700HQ (2.40GHz) 8GB Memory 1TB HDD 8GB SSD NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M 2GB 15.6" Touchscreen Windows 8.1 64-Bit
- and this: Intel HM87 Chipset, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M GPU, Vibrant 15.6" Full HD LED-Backlit Display
I'd appreciate some input on which of these would be the best option for the best price. Thanks!
Parallax Scroll
Banned
Got my Sager NP8268-S yesterday. The look and feel of the keyboard screams "cheap chinese crap." The touchpad is easily the worst I've ever used; you have to position your fingers really far apart for the two-finger scroll to work. I will most likely be returning it.