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[MilkBeard]

Welp, pulled the trigger on the Lenovo Legion Y520. I am in Ukraine, so the options are somewhat limited and the prices a little bit higher, but Lenovo services Ukraine directly so I have a 24 month Warranty. Also, this computer seemed to be the overall best deal, since no retailer in the country (that I checked) seems to have the Dell with the IPS display (with the same specs).

I'm currently installing Windows 10 fresh, so I haven't really done anything with the computer yet, but I will say that I am impressed with the build quality. Feels much more sturdy than my old laptop. It also looks pretty nice in person.

 

[Dangerblade]

Is £800 a hard limit? The HP Omen has about everything you need, at £829 shipped.

It's not easy to get an IPS display, SSD, and GTX 1050 at that price.

Not an absolute limit, I just figured it was a low-ish price for what I'm looking for and I obviously want to get the best deal possible.

Thanks for the rec, I'll look into it over the weekend

 

[fr0st]

Welp, pulled the trigger on the Lenovo Legion Y520. I am in Ukraine, so the options are somewhat limited and the prices a little bit higher, but Lenovo services Ukraine directly so I have a 24 month Warranty. Also, this computer seemed to be the overall best deal, since no retailer in the country (that I checked) seems to have the Dell with the IPS display (with the same specs).

I'm currently installing Windows 10 fresh, so I haven't really done anything with the computer yet, but I will say that I am impressed with the build quality. Feels much more sturdy than my old laptop. It also looks pretty nice in person.

Nice.

What do you think about the numpad layout lol

Also did you get it with the HDD?

 

[MilkBeard]

Nice.

What do you think about the numpad layout lol

Also did you get it with the HDD?

Number pad layout is interesting. I only use it rarely so it doesn't affect me too much.

I did get it with the standard 1TB HDD. I'm not too worried about getting an SSD right now.

However, I would say my one complaint so far is that the screen isn't quite as good in terms of color as my previous laptop. It tends to look a little bit washed out compared to my old Vaio. I can't complain too much though.

I don't really have any demanding games right now, but I booted up my copy of FF XIII: Lightning Returns and I was running the game at 1800p with everything maxed and a smooth framerate. I know this game doesn't push systems that hard but it feels quite nice going from integrated graphics to this .

 

[K.Jack]

Nice.

What do you think about the numpad layout lol

Also did you get it with the HDD?

That shit would drive me insane on day one.

 

[Tripon]

I'm very much coming around that a numpad on a laptop is not needed. If you really miss a numpad, you should get a USB connector

 

[fr0st]

That shit would drive me insane on day one.

It's certainly annoying when you just want to press enter on the numpad side

 

[Izuna]

I have to say, this laptop is a nightmare if you use Oculus (HP Omen 17). The IO is garb, straight up garb

 

[shockdude]

Nice.

What do you think about the numpad layout lol

Also did you get it with the HDD?

oh wow I just noticed that. What on earth. Lenovo had a perfectly adequate numpad layout on their previous laptops, too.

 

[fr0st]

oh wow I just noticed that. What on earth. Lenovo had a perfectly adequate numpad layout on their previous laptops, too.

They wanted to make the arrow keys regular size for some reason

 

[Tripon]

They wanted to make the arrow keys regular size for some reason

All they have to do is move the numpad down. Regular size arrow keys should be standard on all keys.

 

[shockdude]

They wanted to make the arrow keys regular size for some reason

All they have to do is move the numpad down. Regular size arrow keys should be standard on all keys.

That's the thing; the arrow keys were already regular size!
This is the Y700's keyboard:

 

[Zerokku]

So looks like 1/4 of the keyboard for my old lenovo 510 just up and died on me. Tried everything and cant get it to work so looks like I'm in the market for a new laptop.

What would be the best I could get in a budget from $700-$1000? The lower the better. I'm not expecting to be playing the latest AAA stuff at high settings since Im mostly a console peasant anyways, but something that would hopefully be good enough for the likes of overwatch and other blizzard fare at better than minimum settings, maybe some dolphin emulation thrown in for good measure. But yeah. Don't even know where to start looking any more.

To follow the form in the OP:

Country where it will be purchased - US
Maximum budget - $1000
Max size (can be in screen inches, dimensions, weight) - Anything bigger than 14" is good.
Planned usage (what kind of games or specific games it must run, if heavily gaming at all). - Overwatch and blizzard games. Other games at not-max settings. Light emulation with Dolphin .
Whatever else you find relevant, misc. things such as desired battery life, screen resolution, fan noise, etc. - Prefer on the quieter side for fan, but can live with anything thats not a jet engine/dreamcast levels of noise. Resolution - 720p or 1080p, don't need higher.

 

[fr0st]

So looks like 1/4 of the keyboard for my old lenovo 510 just up and died on me. Tried everything and cant get it to work so looks like I'm in the market for a new laptop.

What would be the best I could get in a budget from $700-$1000? The lower the better. I'm not expecting to be playing the latest AAA stuff at high settings since Im mostly a console peasant anyways, but something that would hopefully be good enough for the likes of overwatch and other blizzard fare at better than minimum settings, maybe some dolphin emulation thrown in for good measure. But yeah. Don't even know where to start looking any more.

To follow the form in the OP:

Country where it will be purchased - US
Maximum budget - $1000
Max size (can be in screen inches, dimensions, weight) - Anything bigger than 14" is good.
Planned usage (what kind of games or specific games it must run, if heavily gaming at all). - Overwatch and blizzard games. Other games at not-max settings. Light emulation with Dolphin .
Whatever else you find relevant, misc. things such as desired battery life, screen resolution, fan noise, etc. - Prefer on the quieter side for fan, but can live with anything thats not a jet engine/dreamcast levels of noise. Resolution - 720p or 1080p, don't need higher.

I suggest the Dell Inspiron 7567

Make sure to get it with the ips panel and 1050ti

 

[Izuna]

HP Omen 17 I/O woes

I am pretty sure that the 3 sub ports only allow 2 connections at full USB 3.0 bandwidth.

Which is fine, because the Rift headset is fine with USB 2.0... And that connects to my power USB 3.0 Hub.

Annoyingly, to ensure the sensors are 3.0, you have to shuffle the connections around to make sure that they get priority.

 

[Zerokku]

I suggest the Dell Inspiron 7567

Make sure to get it with the ips panel and 1050ti

Look like what I'm looking for. Just wish that the ips version had a full hard drive. 256gb is way too small for me.

 

[K.Jack]

Look like what I'm looking for. Just wish that the ips version had a full hard drive. 256gb is way too small for me.

It's an M.2 SSD, and there's an empty 2.5" HDD bay available, meaning you can easily add your own drive.

I think you only have to remove a single screw, to remove the laptop's bottom panel.

 

[csquared587]

Any opinions on the ROG GL502VM?

 

[K.Jack]

Any opinions on the ROG GL502VM?

Depends on the price.

 

[MilkBeard]

Definitely liking the Legion Y520, now that I've used it for a few days. The screen is a bit warm in color, but it's not bad, I would say. But the feel of the material and the weight of the keys feels really nice. I love the fan design, it works really well with an external laptop fan (the fans are visible through a grate on the bottom).

I decided to manually install some of the drivers that would have come preinstalled, like NerveSense (for the advanced cooling option) and Intel Rapid Storage (because the 1TB harddrive will need it, I think).

For anyone getting it in the future, I would recommend getting the SSD option if you can afford the small extra cost. I couldn't because the only options were above my price range (backwater country markup, lol).

 

[csquared587]

Depends on the price.

I see if for $1300 on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MS14CQH/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[fr0st]

Definitely liking the Legion Y520, now that I've used it for a few days. The screen is a bit warm in color, but it's not bad, I would say. But the feel of the material and the weight of the keys feels really nice. I love the fan design, it works really well with an external laptop fan (the fans are visible through a grate on the bottom).

I decided to manually install some of the drivers that would have come preinstalled, like NerveSense (for the advanced cooling option) and Intel Rapid Storage (because the 1TB harddrive will need it, I think).

For anyone getting it in the future, I would recommend getting the SSD option if you can afford the small extra cost. I couldn't because the only options were above my price range (backwater country markup, lol).

Yea I got the ssd only option and I didn't know that it didn't have the brackets needed to install an hdd by your own and you have to order from them (and pay as well)

 

[MilkBeard]

Yea I got the ssd only option and I didn't know that it didn't have the brackets needed to install an hdd by your own and you have to order from them (and pay as well)

Oh damn. So the ideal plan is to either get the HDD version and add your SSD, or get the version with the HDD +SSD.


EDIT: I also managed to find a good color setting using the Intel Graphics Settings tool. The color of the screen tends to have this reddish hue (it's a bit warm) and contrast is too high I think, so I lowered contrast a little bit, brought up the brightness, then went to colors individually and brought down the brightness of red, and increased blue. The difference is quite good and the colors look more natural now. I tweaked saturation up a few points as well, but it's only a small amount so as to not be noticeable.
I first got the idea by reading someone tweaking the color display for a different lenovo computer. I modified it for my own device and it seemed to work well. I also downloaded a color profile keeper program to lock it from being changed.

 

[geckoomlet]

So looks like 1/4 of the keyboard for my old lenovo 510 just up and died on me. Tried everything and cant get it to work so looks like I'm in the market for a new laptop.

What would be the best I could get in a budget from $700-$1000? The lower the better. I'm not expecting to be playing the latest AAA stuff at high settings since Im mostly a console peasant anyways, but something that would hopefully be good enough for the likes of overwatch and other blizzard fare at better than minimum settings, maybe some dolphin emulation thrown in for good measure. But yeah. Don't even know where to start looking any more.

To follow the form in the OP:

Country where it will be purchased - US
Maximum budget - $1000
Max size (can be in screen inches, dimensions, weight) - Anything bigger than 14" is good.
Planned usage (what kind of games or specific games it must run, if heavily gaming at all). - Overwatch and blizzard games. Other games at not-max settings. Light emulation with Dolphin .
Whatever else you find relevant, misc. things such as desired battery life, screen resolution, fan noise, etc. - Prefer on the quieter side for fan, but can live with anything thats not a jet engine/dreamcast levels of noise. Resolution - 720p or 1080p, don't need higher.

This is a quite comprehensive list of what is available under $1000. You can get a GTX 1060 for this budget, but the question is whether you really need it

But probably, you could do with a cheaper machine. Personally I'd try to pick a refurbished/discounted or even used laptop with a GTX 1050 / Ti. The 7567 was selling for $600 including tax not long ago, from Dell's own site (non-ti version). The screen is crap, but you can replace it

Another option is to get used previous generation laptops with a GTX 970M for $500-$600. This will get you a GTX 1050 Ti+ performance and maybe some other features.

 

[Izuna]

I have been getting restarts recently (Forza, VR stuff) so I did a bunch of stress tests...

CPU is fine (undervolting).

GPU stressed with FurMark is also fine. (70c max, no artefacts etc.)

I can't figure out what is causing the instability. I mean, the restarts are very rare so it could be anything but unstable hardware, but it sucks. Typical my happens when I "load" something like, go into a new area in a game or load up a new VR app.

What else could this be?
--

Also, don't use NCP for colour correction. It's super buggy when you connect different screens.

 

[geckoomlet]

I have been getting restarts recently (Forza, VR stuff) so I did a bunch of stress tests...

CPU is fine (undervolting).

GPU stressed with FurMark is also fine. (70c max, no artefacts etc.)

I can't figure out what is causing the instability. I mean, the restarts are very rare so it could be anything but unstable hardware, but it sucks. Typical my happens when I "load" something like, go into a new area in a game or load up a new VR app.

What else could this be?
--

Also, don't use NCP for colour correction. It's super buggy when you connect different screens.

RAM, faulty HDD, power adapter (you need to have some level of stability) and software

 

[K.Jack]

I see if for $1300 on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MS14CQH/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Looks like a good deal.

I have been getting restarts recently (Forza, VR stuff) so I did a bunch of stress tests...

CPU is fine (undervolting).

GPU stressed with FurMark is also fine. (70c max, no artefacts etc.)

I can't figure out what is causing the instability. I mean, the restarts are very rare so it could be anything but unstable hardware, but it sucks. Typical my happens when I "load" something like, go into a new area in a game or load up a new VR app.

What else could this be?
--

Also, don't use NCP for colour correction. It's super buggy when you connect different screens.

Does it happen with the undervolt disabled?

 

[Izuna]

RAM, faulty HDD, power adapter (you need to have some level of stability) and software

Hmm, perhaps I should test RAM.

I know both storage devices are okay at least.

Does it happen with the undervolt disabled?

It's so rare I can't directly test this. Regardless, I can put all the CPU stress tests in the world and it's fine.

I'll check the ram or GPU memory with that EVGA tool.

 

[fr0st]

Oh damn. So the ideal plan is to either get the HDD version and add your SSD, or get the version with the HDD +SSD.


EDIT: I also managed to find a good color setting using the Intel Graphics Settings tool. The color of the screen tends to have this reddish hue (it's a bit warm) and contrast is too high I think, so I lowered contrast a little bit, brought up the brightness, then went to colors individually and brought down the brightness of red, and increased blue. The difference is quite good and the colors look more natural now. I tweaked saturation up a few points as well, but it's only a small amount so as to not be noticeable.
I first got the idea by reading someone tweaking the color display for a different lenovo computer. I modified it for my own device and it seemed to work well. I also downloaded a color profile keeper program to lock it from being changed.

can you tell me exactly what you did?
i kinda noticed the screen being warm when playing games

 

[Izuna]

GPU Memory Burner (EVGA OC) -- Nothing
GPU Stress (Various) -- No Artefacts, Nothing (impossible to get over 70c which I guess is cool, power limited tho)
Prime95 -- Nothing
Aida64 CPU, FPU etc. -- Nothing
HDDScan/chkdsk -- Nothing
memory test -- Nothing

I guess it's purely software then. ;/

 

[geckoomlet]

GPU Memory Burner (EVGA OC) -- Nothing
GPU Stress (Various) -- No Artefacts, Nothing (impossible to get over 70c which I guess is cool, power limited tho)
Prime95 -- Nothing
Aida64 CPU, FPU etc. -- Nothing
HDDScan/chkdsk -- Nothing
memory test -- Nothing

I guess it's purely software then. ;/

What memory test did you do? memtest?

 

[geckoomlet]

I see if for $1300 on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MS14CQH/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Not really. That's a very basic model, for $1300. You can get more than that, or, alternatively, lower price for a laptop with a GTX 1060 - like one of these

 

[MilkBeard]

can you tell me exactly what you did?
i kinda noticed the screen being warm when playing games

Go into your Intel Graphics Settings control paenl. It should be running and in your tray. There, you can click Display, and then Color Settings.

It might take a second to get comfortable with how it adjusts colors, but I will give you my exact specifications, and then you can tweak the colors to your liking from there.

Setting #1: All Colors:

Brightness 37
Contrast 44
Hue 0
Saturation 3

Hit apply first to see how it changes this. You can modify these three based on your preferences, but I felt that contrast was too high. The difference is quite noticeable when there are a variety of white colors. Before, they all blended together. Now, I can see them individually. I also wanted the screen to be a little bit brighter so I increased it a few points.

Setting #2: Select Blue in the Color selector.

Brightness 44
Contrast 45
Hue 0
Saturation 3

You will notice how blue looks more vibrant than before. Hit apply, and then save this setting as a new color profile. However, I would say, before you save profile, get the color settings to your liking, because I don't see anywhere an option to delete a profile.

Also, apparently when you play a game, this color profile will be ignored and it will go back to default. To lock this color profile during gaming apps, download CPKeeper and follow the instructions to save the color profile with the program and lock it.

From here it depends if you want to have this program running to keep the color profile. I suppose you could just load up the program if you find the change worthwhile. I have just been keeping it running.

 

[Izuna]

What memory test did you do? memtest?

Yeah. Did the Windows one first.

It's probably just that Oculus apps are unstable af

 

[geckoomlet]

Yeah. Did the Windows one first.

It's probably just that Oculus apps are unstable af

Did you try using DDU freeware to remove the NV/AMD drivers completely and reinstall the latest drivers?

 

[MilkBeard]

Just picked up the Metro Redux bundle on Steam for $7.49. Can't beat that price for two games, lol.

Running Metro 2033 Redux, it seems to run pretty well at mid-high settings on this laptop (i5, GTX 1050).

This seems like it will be a fun game. I'm digging the atmosphere.

 

[Ghost_Messiah]

So I was hoping some of you more versed than I in decent gaming laptop specs could help me out.

I have a budget of about £500, £600 max and I'm looking for the best laptop I can buy primarily for Spotify and screenwriting but also for games.

These are the two I'm looking at for the moment:

Lenovo Ideapad 310
Quad-Core AMD A12-9700P
2.5GHz to 3.4GHz with Turbo Boost
8GB RAM
1TB Hard Drive
AMD Radeon R7
£480

Versus:

Lenovo Ideapad 510
Intel® Core™ i5-6200U Processor
2.3 GHz / 2.8 GHz with TurboBoost
8GB RAM
1TB Hard Drive
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
£550

So it's pretty much the age old Intel/Nvidia versus AMD/Radeon fight, given that that's the primary difference between them. I take it the GeForce 940MX destroys the Radeon R7? Or are they comparable? Which laptop do you think is better?

Also are either of them good choices, or should I pay more for something higher spec? Like an extra hundred or something for an Intel i7?

Any insight would be appreciated!

 

[Izuna]

USD?

Is that your currency?

Edit: Nvm I see the sterling in the quotes. I'll take a look.

 

[Ghost_Messiah]

USD?

Is that your currency?

Edit: Nvm I see the sterling in the quotes. I'll take a look.

Thanks man! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with. And yeah sterling - I'm based in the UK.

 

[Izuna]

Thanks man! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with. And yeah sterling - I'm based in the UK.

I'll keep looking, but it seems like you're £100 away from a pretty decent gaming laptop (refurb) http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-Omen-15-...%3Aa186b85115c0ab4d29a28f8bfffcb308%7Ciid%3A3

What I am trying to find is something with a 950 or 960m. I gamed a bunch on the Surface Book dGPU (which was like a 945m) and it was just unable to play many titles.

Edit: Here we go http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/MSI-GL62-Ga...%3Aa18a6e2b15c0aa19f24a2651fff5bae8%7Ciid%3A7

It's £30 above your budget tho. You can find cheaper 960m laptops (just search on eBay) if you want pre-owned, but this one comes with warranty etc. The downside to this is the lack of a HDD.

Something about this region would be wonders above an integrated AMD or 940MX

 

[Izuna]

If you think the 950m is good enough (check benches), http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-OMEN-15-...%3Aa18e87f315c0a8672e79ef09fffe1056%7Ciid%3A1 gets you a new one with good storage options and a decent screen (IPS 1080p).

I have no idea why these OEM deals are exclusive to eBay, actually...

 

[dawgparty]

Somewhat off-topic but what temps should I be worried about with my laptop? I just purchased the Acer Aspire VX 15 and love it. Any recommendations for good cooling pads for it as well? It's a 15.6.

 

[Izuna]

Somewhat off-topic but what temps should I be worried about with my laptop? I just purchased the Acer Aspire VX 15 and love it. Any recommendations for good cooling pads for it as well? It's a 15.6.

CPU and GPUs will turn off the laptop and protect themselves if you go close to dangerous temps, but for the CPU you can extend the life by keeping it under 85c etc.

Imo, cooling pads are useless as extra cooling, and are very effective as stands. I got the Amazon Basic stand and it's the best accessory I have.

The reason why you shouldn't worry about additional cooling is because that extra fan probably disagrees with the laptop's intended air flow. Even then, its effects would be minimal at best.

For CPU temps, the thing to look out for is thermal throttling. Even though these things can run at very high temperatures, they will throttle to avoid going into the 90s. You will get loud fans or whatever else and worse performance.

Replacing the thermal paste or doing a safe undervolt helps.

 

[jimbosimbo43]

Picked up an Alienware 15 (1070, i7 7820HK, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD/1TB HDD) today, 10% off on the Dell UK website, and an extra £60 off after speaking to their sales support.

So all in all got a £2100 Laptop for just over £1800 Can't wait until it arrives.

I appreciate i could have got a cheaper model with similar specs, but i can't resist the Alienware build quality!

 

[Ghost_Messiah]

I'll keep looking, but it seems like you're £100 away from a pretty decent gaming laptop (refurb) http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-Omen-15-...%3Aa186b85115c0ab4d29a28f8bfffcb308%7Ciid%3A3

What I am trying to find is something with a 950 or 960m. I gamed a bunch on the Surface Book dGPU (which was like a 945m) and it was just unable to play many titles.

Edit: Here we go http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/MSI-GL62-Ga...%3Aa18a6e2b15c0aa19f24a2651fff5bae8%7Ciid%3A7

It's £30 above your budget tho. You can find cheaper 960m laptops (just search on eBay) if you want pre-owned, but this one comes with warranty etc. The downside to this is the lack of a HDD.

Something about this region would be wonders above an integrated AMD or 940MX

If you think the 950m is good enough (check benches), http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-OMEN-15-...%3Aa18e87f315c0a8672e79ef09fffe1056%7Ciid%3A1 gets you a new one with good storage options and a decent screen (IPS 1080p).

I have no idea why these OEM deals are exclusive to eBay, actually...

Woah thanks man for all the insight and energy and effort here. Didn't expect you to look so much in to this for me! Your feedback on GPUs is priceless, since I was thinking the 940MX was decent enough to run games like Doom when it looks like I'll need to go higher to run the latest games, so your feedback is actually super valuable to me.

And yeah looking on Amazon I agree with you. I need to pay slightly more, like in the £650 range in order to get something decent and somewhat future proof. Any less than that and I'll have a laptop that'll struggle with most games. Anyway you've helped me like, far more than I anticipated so I truly appreciate all your effort.

I'll look for something in the range of what you posted and will keep everyone updated. Thanks again!

 

[Izuna]

Picked up an Alienware 15 (1070, i7 7820HK, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD/1TB HDD) today, 10% off on the Dell UK website, and an extra £60 off after speaking to their sales support.

So all in all got a £2100 Laptop for just over £1800 Can't wait until it arrives.

I appreciate i could have got a cheaper model with similar specs, but i can't resist the Alienware build quality!

£600 more than I spent, but 2 inches smaller with a beast af CPU XD I'm jelly

Have fun!

 

[MilkBeard]

CPU and GPUs will turn off the laptop and protect themselves if you go close to dangerous temps, but for the CPU you can extend the life by keeping it under 85c etc.

Imo, cooling pads are useless as extra cooling, and are very effective as stands. I got the Amazon Basic stand and it's the best accessory I have.

The reason why you shouldn't worry about additional cooling is because that extra fan probably disagrees with the laptop's intended air flow. Even then, its effects would be minimal at best.

For CPU temps, the thing to look out for is thermal throttling. Even though these things can run at very high temperatures, they will throttle to avoid going into the 90s. You will get loud fans or whatever else and worse performance.

Replacing the thermal paste or doing a safe undervolt helps.

Wouldn't say they are completely useless for cooling. I was checking myself with a previous laptop and monitoring the temps with and without a laptop cooler, and noticed somewhere between 5-10 C difference. I was also running speedfan and increasing the output of my fans earlier, but generally, I think having one can be a benefit. It really depends on if people want the hassle of plugging in an extra device, and if the 5 or so degree difference is worth it to them. I think with a laptop it's better safe than sorry, and if someone is gaming a lot, then having an unobtrusive cooler to drop a few degrees might be worth it.

Here's a general benchmark from Quora .

But if the laptop is overheating and having issues, a cooling pad won't do shit, lol.

 

[dawgparty]

Wouldn't say they are completely useless for cooling. I was checking myself with a previous laptop and monitoring the temps with and without a laptop cooler, and noticed somewhere between 5-10 C difference. I was also running speedfan and increasing the output of my fans earlier, but generally, I think having one can be a benefit. It really depends on if people want the hassle of plugging in an extra device, and if the 5 or so degree difference is worth it to them. I think with a laptop it's better safe than sorry, and if someone is gaming a lot, then having an unobtrusive cooler to drop a few degrees might be worth it.

Here's a general benchmark from Quora .

But if the laptop is overheating and having issues, a cooling pad won't do shit, lol.

Yeah, I'd like to try one just to see. Do you have any recommendations for solid ones?

 

[MilkBeard]

Yeah, I'd like to try one just to see. Do you have any recommendations for solid ones?

I'm not really sure which ones are good, to be honest. But that Quora link I posted has a link with some that they rated. You can check that out.

I would say preferably one that fits your computer well, and has a decent output of air. I don't think they actually vary all that much, and I probably wouldn't spend big money on a fancy one either, as the benefit seems to cap around 5-10 C difference.

EDIT: Some people say that just elevating it will bring the same drop as if you were actually using the cooling fans, but I haven't tried myself to verify. You would just need a temp monitor program to check. I used speedfan on my old laptop to monitor temps of each core, and it seemed to be a difference when I had it on than not.

 

[Izuna]

Wouldn't say they are completely useless for cooling. I was checking myself with a previous laptop and monitoring the temps with and without a laptop cooler, and noticed somewhere between 5-10 C difference. I was also running speedfan and increasing the output of my fans earlier, but generally, I think having one can be a benefit. It really depends on if people want the hassle of plugging in an extra device, and if the 5 or so degree difference is worth it to them. I think with a laptop it's better safe than sorry, and if someone is gaming a lot, then having an unobtrusive cooler to drop a few degrees might be worth it.

Here's a general benchmark from Quora .

But if the laptop is overheating and having issues, a cooling pad won't do shit, lol.

Which laptop is it? I know that mine as well as the R3 Alienware don't get many gains from it. But pretty much, unless you're hitting the 90s (by which point, you have throttling) then the temperature is fine.

I also can't imagine a laptop's GPU ever overheating before the CPU does.

EDIT: Some people say that just elevating it will bring the same drop as if you were actually using the cooling fans, but I haven't tried myself to verify. You would just need a temp monitor program to check. I used speedfan on my old laptop to monitor temps of each core, and it seemed to be a difference when I had it on than not.

This is most likely it.

A cooling fan is really just there for the stand.