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[csquared587]

I am not a fan of laptops that don't have at least 1yr of warranty.


I've done a run through of several reviews, with both 1060 and 1070 SKUs, and 3 hours while web browsing seems to be the general consensus.

So something definitely seems wrong with yours. The CPU constantly running full speed isn't right either.

Few questions for you:

Do you get more by turning off the keyboard lighting?
Does the CPU downclock on Power Saver?
On the CPU, Is their any ASUS specific software that controls CPU/GPU clocks? I'm wondering if that may be set to a high performance mode which is keeping the clock at full. Oh and is your GPU downclocking?

Hey KJack, appreciate thr response. Im going to go through that checklist soon as I get off work. I did turn the keyboard lights off, and ASUS does have built in monitoring software. Ill see if they have another performance option in there.

 

[GitarooMan]

So this new MSI seems really good spec wise, has basically what I'm looking for, but is the price crazy? Are there other comparable systems that are significantly less or is this about the going rate for this kind of spec?

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GE73VR-Raider-003-i7-7700HQ-Aluminum/dp/B071KC9YQH

 

[Plum]

When it comes to gaming laptops, which hold GPUs that can't be upgraded, you don't buy what you need, you buy what you can afford.

You may only need a 1050 Ti today, but in 2-3 years the 1060 will still be giving you what the 10550 Ti is today. Always shoot for longevity.

Thanks, I didn't really think to look at it that way. When I do get the eGPU the internal one will rarely be used but for those times it is I'd much prefer having a more powerful GPU to work with. Looks like I'm going all out on a 1060+OLED option, need to start saving up.

Talking about saving; are M.2 SATA drives that much worse than M.2 NVME drives? A 1TB SATA is almost half the price of an NVME and, since the AW13 only supports those two formats for internal storage I'll have to be buying one or the other. I'd much rather pay the lower price if it still offered a noticeable upgrade from a HDD for games (boot will be on the included 256gb one).

 

[Nealand Liquor]

As long as they include a decent warranty I think it's safe to buy refurbished

I am not a fan of laptops that don't have at least 1yr of warranty.

Thanks for the input, this opens up way more for me.

Thank you for the response K.Jack. For the uninitiated, how do I go about evaluating the different integrated graphics options to know which is best??

From my understanding you want don't want to go below an i5/i7 gen 6 cpu.

So this new MSI seems really good spec wise, has basically what I'm looking for, but is the price crazy? Are there other comparable systems that are significantly less or is this about the going rate for this kind of spec?

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GE73VR-Raider-003-i7-7700HQ-Aluminum/dp/B071KC9YQH

Ya for usd that's pretty expensive. You should be able to find an i7 w/1070 for $1500 usd.

 

[Quixzlizx]

Ya for usd that's pretty expensive. You should be able to find an i7 w/1070 for $1500 usd.

Probably not with 32GB RAM + 512GB SSD + 120hz G-Sync screen, though. The first two you can upgrade yourself, although I'm guessing that would add at least another $300 to the price, right?

 

[K.Jack]

Thank you for the response K.Jack. For the uninitiated, how do I go about evaluating the different integrated graphics options to know which is best??

You really don't have any evaluating to do, as all of the modern Intel based laptops are pretty much going to have a CPU with either the HD Graphics 630 or 620, and as far as I can see there is only a slight difference of clock speeds between the two.

Only when you start talking something high-end with an Iris Plus 650 or 640, is there a difference (they have 64MB eDRAM and much higher TDP).

So this new MSI seems really good spec wise, has basically what I'm looking for, but is the price crazy? Are there other comparable systems that are significantly less or is this about the going rate for this kind of spec?

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GE73VR-Raider-003-i7-7700HQ-Aluminum/dp/B071KC9YQH

Crazy? No. But would I buy that SKU? Probably not.

Reason being, the base GE73VR SKU, (seen here on GentechPC) is $1,799. The only difference is it has 16GB RAM, and no SSD.

So the SKU you listed is $500 more for basically the 512GB SSD. And here is the kicker, the SSD it comes with is a plain SATA III M.2 drive, while the slots in the GE73VR are NVMe capable. So $500 for a SATA III drive is a gross overpay.

I'd rather buy the base SKU, then add an NVMe drive myself. That's what I did with my GT73VR. If you look through Gentech's configurator, you can have them add a 1TB 960 EVO for $445 more. That's $1799 + $445 = $2,244, making it cheaper than the $2,299 SKU you were contemplating.

See what I mean? It's a great laptop, but I wouldn't buy the SKU you linked, I'd buy through Gentech, with the 960 EVO. Or, you can buy the base laptop, buy your own NVMe SSD of choice, and install it yourself. Either scenario gives you a better value than buying the 512GB option MSI is selling.

Thanks, I didn't really think to look at it that way. When I do get the eGPU the internal one will rarely be used but for those times it is I'd much prefer having a more powerful GPU to work with. Looks like I'm going all out on a 1060+OLED option, need to start saving up.

Talking about saving; are M.2 SATA drives that much worse than M.2 NVME drives? A 1TB SATA is almost half the price of an NVME and, since the AW13 only supports those two formats for internal storage I'll have to be buying one or the other. I'd much rather pay the lower price if it still offered a noticeable upgrade from a HDD for games (boot will be on the included 256gb one).

How do I put this....

A SATA III SSD shits on an HDD way harder, than an NVMe SSD shits on a SATA III SSD.

SSD over HDD is a revolution, NVMe over SATA III is a luxury.

 

[Plum]

How do I put this....

A SATA III SSD shits on an HDD way harder, than an NVMe SSD shits on a SATA III SSD

Thanks, you've just saved me a good bit of money there. On a side note I'll be getting the 1080p IPS as that'll still be a massive upgrade from my 768p TN laptop right now and it'll give me more battery life.

Now to play the waiting and saving money game...

 

[K.Jack]

Thanks, you've just saved me a good bit of money there. On a side note I'll be getting the 1080p IPS as that'll still be a massive upgrade from my 768p TN laptop right now and it'll give me more battery life.

Now to play the waiting and saving money game...

1TB Crucial MX300 wouldn't be a bad choice for a storage drive.

 

[Plum]

1TB Crucial MX300 wouldn't be a bad choice for a storage drive.

That's what I used in my recent ill-fated PC build (albeit 2.5" instead of M.2) and it worked really well. £260 is expensive but not too bad considering that I'll have to get one anyway.

 

[csquared587]

I am not a fan of laptops that don't have at least 1yr of warranty.


I've done a run through of several reviews, with both 1060 and 1070 SKUs, and 3 hours while web browsing seems to be the general consensus.

So something definitely seems wrong with yours. The CPU constantly running full speed isn't right either.

Few questions for you:

Do you get more by turning off the keyboard lighting?
Does the CPU downclock on Power Saver?
On the CPU, Is their any ASUS specific software that controls CPU/GPU clocks? I'm wondering if that may be set to a high performance mode which is keeping the clock at full. Oh and is your GPU downclocking?

So I turned on batter saving mode, balanced power, my screen and keyboard lights all as low as possible, and my CPU clock was under 2GHZ. I kind of left neogaf up while gaming on my ps4, and the battery lasted from 1:20 to around 3:10. and thats with me forgetting to wake up the screen a few times. Seems like a terrible battery?

 

[GitarooMan]

Crazy? No. But would I buy that SKU? Probably not.

Reason being, the base GE73VR SKU, (seen here on GentechPC) is $1,799. The only difference is it has 16GB RAM, and no SSD.

So the SKU you listed is $500 more for basically the 512GB SSD. And here is the kicker, the SSD it comes with is a plain SATA III M.2 drive, while the slots in the GE73VR are NVMe capable. So $500 for a SATA III drive is a gross overpay.

I'd rather buy the base SKU, then add an NVMe drive myself. That's what I did with my GT73VR. If you look through Gentech's configurator, you can have them add a 1TB 960 EVO for $445 more. That's $1799 + $445 = $2,244, making it cheaper than the $2,299 SKU you were contemplating.

See what I mean? It's a great laptop, but I wouldn't buy the SKU you linked, I'd buy through Gentech, with the 960 EVO. Or, you can buy the base laptop, buy your own NVMe SSD of choice, and install it yourself. Either scenario gives you a better value than buying the 512GB option MSI is selling.

This is great info I appreciate it. I think it make a lot more sense with a 16gb ram and a custom ssd in that price range. Cool

 

[PhillipCostigan]

Heya folks. Looking into gaming laptops to fill a specific need.

Everything I look at seems to have one major downside or two that has me feeling pretty undecided on what's the best option.

If anyone has one of these, let me know what you think please!


Razer Blade:

Pros: excellent form factor, portability, build quality, amazing keyboard

Cons: only a 1060, 1080p60 panels only, pretty expensive for the power it gives, limited storage options and slow storage


Alienware 13

Pros: amazing screen, build quality, speakers, cooling, supposedly good keyboard

Cons: big for a 13 inch, only 13 inches, 1060 and 7700HQ like the blade, a little ugly in places


Alienware 15 R3

Pros: pretty much the power I want (7820k with 1070), 120 Hz panel, build quality, speakers, cooling supposedly, good keyboard

Cons: big as hell, apparently poor contrast on the screen, lots of wasted space, a little ugly in places


Are there other major options I should be considering? Right now it's between the Blade and the Alienware 15 and it's basically a choice between portability + form factor or raw power.

I was also looking at the Asus ROG Zephyrus but its availability in EU is basically non-existent.

 

[Oscar]

So I pulled the trigger on the Acer Predator 15 with the 1060 6gb that was on sale today.

In the process of installing stuff, I noticed that certain programs look "blurry". Granted, everything is still installing right now so I haven't actually ran any games yet.

Am I taking crazy pills or does this Blizzard installer window look blurry as hell?

it's limited to that, the Steam installer looked blurry as shit too but I didn't SS it. Web browsing looks fine, it's (so far) been limited to that.

Edit: For example, where it says "Select Language". Looks blurry as hell to me, to the point where it's bothersome af lol.

 

[K.Jack]

So I turned on batter saving mode, balanced power, my screen and keyboard lights all as low as possible, and my CPU clock was under 2GHZ. I kind of left neogaf up while gaming on my ps4, and the battery lasted from 1:20 to around 3:10. and thats with me forgetting to wake up the screen a few times. Seems like a terrible battery?

You have a 1070 or 1060?

Heya folks. Looking into gaming laptops to fill a specific need.

Everything I look at seems to have one major downside or two that has me feeling pretty undecided on what's the best option.

If anyone has one of these, let me know what you think please!


Razer Blade:

Pros: excellent form factor, portability, build quality, amazing keyboard

Cons: only a 1060, 1080p60 panels only, pretty expensive for the power it gives, limited storage options and slow storage


Alienware 13

Pros: amazing screen, build quality, speakers, cooling, supposedly good keyboard

Cons: big for a 13 inch, only 13 inches, 1060 and 7700HQ like the blade, a little ugly in places


Alienware 15 R3

Pros: pretty much the power I want (7820k with 1070), 120 Hz panel, build quality, speakers, cooling supposedly, good keyboard

Cons: big as hell, apparently poor contrast on the screen, lots of wasted space, a little ugly in places


Are there other major options I should be considering? Right now it's between the Blade and the Alienware 15 and it's basically a choice between portability + form factor or raw power.

I was also looking at the Asus ROG Zephyrus but its availability in EU is basically non-existent.

Other option is Clevo. Depending on your country they may be sold under the Schenker or XMG branding.

Not sure where you heard the AW15's 120Hz screen has poor contrast, as its 990:1 is the most you'll get on a 15" laptop these days.

I'm hugely not a fan of the Zephyrus, just because you pay full GTX 1080 pricing, while it performs just better than a GTX 1070.

So I pulled the trigger on the Acer Predator 15 with the 1060 6gb that was on sale today.

In the process of installing stuff, I noticed that certain programs look "blurry". Granted, everything is still installing right now so I haven't actually ran any games yet.

Am I taking crazy pills or does this Blizzard installer window look blurry as hell?



it's limited to that, the Steam installer looked blurry as shit too but I didn't SS it. Web browsing looks fine, it's (so far) been limited to that.

Edit: For example, where it says "Select Language". Looks blurry as hell to me, to the point where it's bothersome af lol.

Looks blurry to me, as does the picture o n that Windows 10 desktop icon.

I have no idea why that's happening though.

p.s. - What Predator 15 sale? Link?

 

[csquared587]

You have a 1070 or 1060

1060. I think I fixed it. I think the GPU was staying fully clocked at all times because I turned on optimal performance in the nvidia control panel when I was testing gaming on battery. Battery life seems to be about 3 hours doing normal things now. Fine enough for me.

 

[K.Jack]

1060. I think I fixed it. I think the GPU was staying fully clocked at all times because I turned on optimal performance in the nvidia control panel when I was testing gaming on battery. Battery life seems to be about 3 hours doing normal things now. Fine enough for me.

Yeah that's why I asked about the downclocking, as something had to be killing the battery.

Glad you figured it out, as my next recourse was to tell you the battery was FUBAR.

 

[csquared587]

Yeah that's why I asked about the downclocking, as something had to be killing the battery.

Glad you figured it out, as my next recourse was to tell you the battery was FUBAR.

Yea, I was getting nervouse, especially since I already spent so much tim installing all of my games and music production software lol. Didnt want that again. Appreciate the help big time.

 

[Oscar]

I have no idea why that's happening though.

p.s. - What Predator 15 sale? Link?

Google says it might be some DPI settings, I'll mess with that when I'm done with school stuff.

I posted the link a page or two back, it's $500.00 off at Micro Center (originally $1,699)

 

[shockdude]

Google says it might be some DPI settings, I'll mess with that when I'm done with school stuff.

I posted the link a page or two back, it's $500.00 off at Micro Center (originally $1,699)

It's DPI scaling. 15" 1080p screens tend to have 125%/150% DPI scaling out of the box, when 100% is (more) usable and not blurry.
Right click the desktop --> Display settings --> Scale and layout, Change size of text, apps, and other items to 100%. Blurry be gone, and once you get used to it you won't go back.

 

[Oscar]

It's DPI scaling. 15" 1080p screens tend to have 125%/150% DPI scaling out of the box, when 100% is (more) usable and not blurry.
Right click the desktop --> Display settings --> Scale and layout, Change size of text, apps, and other items to 100%. Blurry be gone, and once you get used to it you won't go back.

You're a life saver my man, much appreciated. 👍🏽

 

[PhillipCostigan]

Other option is Clevo. Depending on your country they may be sold under the Schenker or XMG branding.

Not sure where you heard the AW15's 120Hz screen has poor contrast, as its 990:1 is the most you'll get on a 15" laptop these days.

I'm hugely not a fan of the Zephyrus, just because you pay full GTX 1080 pricing, while it performs just better than a GTX 1070.

yeah they're XMG over here. Definitely cheaper than the Alienware and slightly smaller, not sure on overall build quality and screen quality in comparison.

 

[Blablurn]

are u guys using geforce experience?

 

[K.Jack]

yeah they're XMG over here. Definitely cheaper than the Alienware and slightly smaller, not sure on overall build quality and screen quality in comparison.

Build quality is very high, and they're using the same IPS displays as everyone else.

are u guys using geforce experience?

I don't have it installed.

 

[PhillipCostigan]

Build quality is very high, and they're using the same IPS displays as everyone else

So would you recommend and XMG over the Alienware?

 

[Izuna]

I use GeForce Experience only for the drivers.

 

[GameAddict411]

Heya folks. Looking into gaming laptops to fill a specific need.

Everything I look at seems to have one major downside or two that has me feeling pretty undecided on what's the best option.

If anyone has one of these, let me know what you think please!


Razer Blade:

Pros: excellent form factor, portability, build quality, amazing keyboard

Cons: only a 1060, 1080p60 panels only, pretty expensive for the power it gives, limited storage options and slow storage


Alienware 13

Pros: amazing screen, build quality, speakers, cooling, supposedly good keyboard

Cons: big for a 13 inch, only 13 inches, 1060 and 7700HQ like the blade, a little ugly in places


Alienware 15 R3

Pros: pretty much the power I want (7820k with 1070), 120 Hz panel, build quality, speakers, cooling supposedly, good keyboard

Cons: big as hell, apparently poor contrast on the screen, lots of wasted space, a little ugly in places


Are there other major options I should be considering? Right now it's between the Blade and the Alienware 15 and it's basically a choice between portability + form factor or raw power.

I was also looking at the Asus ROG Zephyrus but its availability in EU is basically non-existent.

I have played with the Razer Blade and the Alienware 13 R3. I can definitely say that you should not buy the Razer Blade. I had to return 4 of them for different issues, and when I ran games on it the fans were extremely loud. Over 60 db in a quiet room. In fact, my roommates thought I forgot the hairdryer running or something while I was testing games. They are also way overpriced. The base mode is only a couple hundred dollars less expensive than a speced up Alienware 13 and 15. So I returned it and got the Alienware 13 and I have been really happy with it. While it's noticeably heaver than the Razer Blade it's still very portable. It runs games better than the Razer Blade and the fans are much quieter. The OLED screen is mindblowing if you option for it. The Alienware 15 is not portable at all from how I tested it in the store. It much heaver and not really portable enough for daily moving. Though it's much better at gaming if you option for the faster GPU. It comes down to portability vs performance. If you think you are mostly going to game on the laptops, I would highly suggest the Alienware 15. If you want to do other things and move your laptop a lot, get the Alienware 13.

 

[K.Jack]

So would you recommend and XMG over the Alienware?

I recommend picking the one you like the most.

 

[Quixzlizx]

That's the business version of the MSI GS63VR. Same internals but a business class shell, obviously way more inconspicuous.

Looks like you'd just need to slide in an M.2 SSD and it'd be good to go.

That's $100 off retail, not bad.

I have my finger hovering over the button on this one. Just to confirm, if there's a combo M.2 SATA/NVMe slot, I won't need any extra cables either way? Are there any decent M.2 or NVMe 256GB drives for around $100? I haven't bought an SSD in years, so I'm clueless about these techs except that NVMe is better.

And I guess I would have to grab my laptop key from the laptop's HDD, then install a clean version of w10 on the SSD, then register with that key and download the laptop-specific firmware and drivers?

 

[Dispatch]

Amazon has a gaming laptop Deal of the Day. I have very little knowledge and wondered what your opinions are in terms of bang for the buck.

My gaming laptop is five years old, and I'd like a replacement since I have so many games I've purchased on Steam already.

Thanks in advance.

Laptop 1:
HP 4771251 Omen 17-W151NR Gaming Laptop,
INTEL:I7-6700HQ/CI7, 2.6 GHz, 512 GB, NVIDIA-GEFORCEGTX1070/8GB, Windows 10 Home 64 Bit, Black, 17" (Certified Refurbished)
Price- $1349.99

HP 4759037 Omen 17-W053DX Gaming Laptop, INTEL:I7-6700HQ/CI7, 2.6 GHz, 1 TB, NVIDIA-GEFORCEGTX965M/4GB , Windows 10 Home 64 Bit, Black, 17" (Certified Refurbished)
Price- $899.99

HP 4674671 Omen 17-W033DX Gaming Laptop, INTEL:I7-6700HQ/CI7, 2.6 GHz, 1 TB, NVIDIA-GEFORCEGTX965M/4GB, Windows 10 Home 64 Bit, Black, 17" (Certified Refurbished)
Price- $799.99

HP 4686458 Omen 15-AX033DX Gaming Laptop, INTEL:I7-6700HQ/CI7, 2.6 GHz, 1 TB, NVIDIA-GEFORCEGTX960M/4GB , Windows 10 Home 64 Bit, Black, 15" (Certified Refurbished)
Price $699.99

 

[Tripon]

Amazon has a gaming laptop Deal of the Day. I have very little knowledge and wondered what your opinions are in terms of bang for the buck.

My gaming laptop is five years old, and I'd like a replacement since I have so many games I've purchased on Steam already.

Thanks in advance.

Laptop 1:
HP 4771251 Omen 17-W151NR Gaming Laptop,
INTEL:I7-6700HQ/CI7, 2.6 GHz, 512 GB, NVIDIA-GEFORCEGTX1070/8GB, Windows 10 Home 64 Bit, Black, 17" (Certified Refurbished)
Price- $1349.99

HP 4759037 Omen 17-W053DX Gaming Laptop, INTEL:I7-6700HQ/CI7, 2.6 GHz, 1 TB, NVIDIA-GEFORCEGTX965M/4GB , Windows 10 Home 64 Bit, Black, 17" (Certified Refurbished)
Price- $899.99

HP 4674671 Omen 17-W033DX Gaming Laptop, INTEL:I7-6700HQ/CI7, 2.6 GHz, 1 TB, NVIDIA-GEFORCEGTX965M/4GB, Windows 10 Home 64 Bit, Black, 17" (Certified Refurbished)
Price- $799.99

HP 4686458 Omen 15-AX033DX Gaming Laptop, INTEL:I7-6700HQ/CI7, 2.6 GHz, 1 TB, NVIDIA-GEFORCEGTX960M/4GB , Windows 10 Home 64 Bit, Black, 15" (Certified Refurbished)
Price $699.99

They're all refurbs so take that for what it's worth. I wouldn't consider any of those outside of the laptop with the GTX 1070 and that's also a refurb. The others have last gen mobile GPU chips, and unless you're going to get a laptop that is heavily discounted, I wouldn't consider it. (These aren't discounted enough to consider).

Even then, a place like microcenter or Newegg might still be price competitive with the Amazon deal for the Omen with the 1070 for similar laptops.

 

[Dispatch]

They're all refurbs so take that for what it's worth. I wouldn't consider any of those outside of the laptop with the GTX 1070 and that's also a refurb. The others have last gen mobile GPU chips, and unless you're going to get a laptop that is heavily discounted, I wouldn't consider it. (These aren't discounted enough to consider).

Even then, a place like microcenter or Newegg might still be price competitive with the Amazon deal for the Omen with the 1070 for similar laptops.

Thank you.

 

[Yoss]

Anyone know of good Canadian sites to purchase a laptop from?
I've looked at newegg.ca, bestbuy.ca, amazon but wondering if I am missing any good resources (preferably with a good search/filter function)?

You can try Memory Express, Canada Computers, and Tiger Direct. Memory express is great although they're local for me. I've had friends use Canada Computers and Tiger Direct but I haven't tried them myself.

 

[peterclark1985]

My Alienware 13 R3 OLED has arrived.

The screen is as amazing as people described, watched a few 1440P videos on YouTube and was blown away with picture quality...if I could afford an OLED TV I would get one in an instant.

Build quality great, keyboard nice to type and can hardly hear fans although haven't tried anything to taxing on it just yet.

Only early impressions definitely impressed, will be putting new M.2 SSD and reinstalling Windows tomorrow then will give it a proper go.

 

[K.Jack]

I have my finger hovering over the button on this one. Just to confirm, if there's a combo M.2 SATA/NVMe slot, I won't need any extra cables either way? Are there any decent M.2 or NVMe 256GB drives for around $100? I haven't bought an SSD in years, so I'm clueless about these techs except that NVMe is better.

And I guess I would have to grab my laptop key from the laptop's HDD, then install a clean version of w10 on the SSD, then register with that key and download the laptop-specific firmware and drivers?

No, they are just slots. You snap it in then put in the screw.

You might as well go NVMe, because all 250-256GB M.2 SSDs are around $100, even the.

This 256GB WD Black is very solid for $109.99. For maximum speed, there's the 250GB 960 EVO for $127.99.

Windows 10 keys are in the BIOS, so all you need to do is make a bootable flash drive


For a non-NVMe comparison, you can get a 500GB WD Black for $149.99, with another $10 off if you use that promo code.

Amazon has a gaming laptop Deal of the Day. I have very little knowledge and wondered what your opinions are in terms of bang for the buck.

My gaming laptop is five years old, and I'd like a replacement since I have so many games I've purchased on Steam already.

Thanks in advance.

Laptop 1:
HP 4771251 Omen 17-W151NR Gaming Laptop,
INTEL:I7-6700HQ/CI7, 2.6 GHz, 512 GB, NVIDIA-GEFORCEGTX1070/8GB, Windows 10 Home 64 Bit, Black, 17" (Certified Refurbished)
Price- $1349.99

HP 4759037 Omen 17-W053DX Gaming Laptop, INTEL:I7-6700HQ/CI7, 2.6 GHz, 1 TB, NVIDIA-GEFORCEGTX965M/4GB , Windows 10 Home 64 Bit, Black, 17" (Certified Refurbished)
Price- $899.99

HP 4674671 Omen 17-W033DX Gaming Laptop, INTEL:I7-6700HQ/CI7, 2.6 GHz, 1 TB, NVIDIA-GEFORCEGTX965M/4GB, Windows 10 Home 64 Bit, Black, 17" (Certified Refurbished)
Price- $799.99

HP 4686458 Omen 15-AX033DX Gaming Laptop, INTEL:I7-6700HQ/CI7, 2.6 GHz, 1 TB, NVIDIA-GEFORCEGTX960M/4GB , Windows 10 Home 64 Bit, Black, 15" (Certified Refurbished)
Price $699.99

You'd be better off buying a brand new Dell Inspiron, over the latter three.

The Omen is priced well, but that comes down to how you feel about refurbs.

My Alienware 13 R3 OLED has arrived.

The screen is as amazing as people described, which a few 1440P videos on YouTube and was blown away with picture quality...if I could afford an OLED TV I would get one in an instant.

Build quality great, keyboard nice to type and can hardly hear fans although haven't tried anything to taxing on it just yet.

Only early impressions definitely impressed, will be putting new M.2 SSD and reinstalling Windows tomorrow then will give it a proper go.

Let us know how you feel, once you play with it for a while.

 

[BibiMaghoo]

My Alienware 15R3 landed today, finally.

I just wanted to pop in and confirm it is a thing of beauty. I currently cannot type for shit on it due to being used to different keyboard layouts, but the build quality is easily the best I have ever seen. It can get slightly loud when the fans kick in full, but barely enough of a problem that it is even worth mentioning. The black rubberised surround of the keyboard is really nice, and the silver is more tarnished than it appears in promo shots, making it more muted and a better fit with the black case. I have found the larger than normal screen bezel to actually be beneficial in enlarging the feel of the screen. I came from a 17" and only notice if I think about it, if you get me.

Anyone that has this machine in the running, it gets a +1 from me for sure.

 

[Vibed]

Last week I got My Acer Helios 300, and for the uninitiated like me, this thing is so impressive. The screen, as reviews said, isn't some amazing thing, but it's actually really good. It's definitely bright enough, and I have noticed nearly zero screen bleeding, even on black screens. I suppose I must've gotten lucky with my panel. Games run as smooth as I could've hoped! Currently enjoying Snake Pass. For the $850 I paid, no part of this feels cheaped out on.

 

[BlueSteel]

Hi yall, not necessarily a gaming laptop question per-se, but I would like to do some light gaming on it so hopefully it's valid:

Coworker is looking to offload his dell XPS 9350, i7-6560u (the one with the iris 540 iGPU), 16 gb, 512 gb ssd. He said he'd listen to offers and would cut me a deal.

eBay has refurbished going for as low as $920 bucks, do you think 800 would be a fair offer? My thinking is if he's gonna sell on ebay anyhow, they'd take 10% off as commission anywho.

Though, my secondary question is: at this price range, is it worth it? I'm thinking at around the $800 range I'm never gonna even sniff 16gb ram or that ssd space. Gaming is a milder priority compared to portability, since I have a gaming desktop (but I will be looking to play overwatch with this, which I know it's capable of).

 

[K.Jack]

Hi yall, not necessarily a gaming laptop question per-se, but I would like to do some light gaming on it so hopefully it's valid:

Coworker is looking to offload his dell XPS 9350, i7-6560u (the one with the iris 540 iGPU), 16 gb, 512 gb ssd. He said he'd listen to offers and would cut me a deal.

eBay has refurbished going for as low as $920 bucks, do you think 800 would be a fair offer? My thinking is if he's gonna sell on ebay anyhow, they'd take 10% off as commission anywho.

Though, my secondary question is: at this price range, is it worth it? I'm thinking at around the $800 range I'm never gonna even sniff 16gb ram or that ssd space. Gaming is a milder priority compared to portability, since I have a gaming desktop (but I will be looking to play overwatch with this, which I know it's capable of).

What do you think of this?

 

[momshotdad]

Heya folks. Looking into gaming laptops to fill a specific need.

Everything I look at seems to have one major downside or two that has me feeling pretty undecided on what's the best option.

If anyone has one of these, let me know what you think please!


Razer Blade:

Pros: excellent form factor, portability, build quality, amazing keyboard

Cons: only a 1060, 1080p60 panels only, pretty expensive for the power it gives, limited storage options and slow storage


Alienware 13

Pros: amazing screen, build quality, speakers, cooling, supposedly good keyboard

Cons: big for a 13 inch, only 13 inches, 1060 and 7700HQ like the blade, a little ugly in places


Alienware 15 R3

Pros: pretty much the power I want (7820k with 1070), 120 Hz panel, build quality, speakers, cooling supposedly, good keyboard

Cons: big as hell, apparently poor contrast on the screen, lots of wasted space, a little ugly in places


Are there other major options I should be considering? Right now it's between the Blade and the Alienware 15 and it's basically a choice between portability + form factor or raw power.

I was also looking at the Asus ROG Zephyrus but its availability in EU is basically non-existent.

I have the Alienware 15 R2 (i5, GTX 965m) and I like it. It can't handle this generation's games, but it smokes last gens 1080/60fps no problem. It's built like a tank and weighs as much as one. I mostly play Overwatch and Rocket League with no issues whatsoever. Battery life is surprisingly good. I still wish I would have built a desktop instead, but I'm happy with what I got.

 

[theifofdreams]

Hi, with the help of this thread, I recently bought an MSI Titan pro with a 1080 in it https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16834154325

I'm looking for a good 27"-ish monitor to use with it to occasionally play games on when I can actually post up for a few hours in one spot.

I would love some recommendations because I am woefully ignorant when it comes to variances in monitors.

Thanks!

 

[K.Jack]

Hi, with the help of this thread, I recently bought an MSI Titan pro with a 1080 in it https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16834154325

I'm looking for a good 27"-ish monitor to use with it to occasionally play games on when I can actually post up for a few hours in one spot.

I would love some recommendations because I am woefully ignorant when it comes to variances in monitors.

Thanks!

Monitors come down to budget and technology, especially if you want G-Sync.

 

[theifofdreams]

I'm looking to spend around 300. I don't care too much about gsync because this is going to be a mostly situational monitor.

 

[peterclark1985]

Let us know how you feel, once you play with it for a while.

After minor trouble with the GPU fan constantly being on (totally of my own doing BTW) I have finally installed my new M.2 SSD's and reinstalled windows. I got to play some games this evening and its exactly what I was after when I decided to buy a gaming laptop.

Its quiet when not under heavy load, plays most current generation console games 60/1080 without to much of an issue.

The screen is amazing, playing a bit of Ori and the Blind Forest on this screen 1440P at 60fps is a great experience.

I have been away from PC gaming a long time but it has come on a long way in the last 10 years, mostly great game performance on cross platform games, support of gaming controllers and laptops that can run most that can be thrown at them without them being super big and heavy machines, none of that really existed in the mid 2000s.

Generally happy with my purchase fingers crossed that I still feel the same way in 2 years time.

 

[K.Jack]

I'm looking to spend around 300. I don't care too much about gsync because this is going to be a mostly situational monitor.

Honestly, I'd ask over in Desktop GAF, because those guys live and breath good monitors.

After minor trouble with the GPU fan constantly being on (totally of my own doing BTW) I have finally installed my new M.2 SSD's and reinstalled windows. I got to play some games this evening and its exactly what I was after when I decided to buy a gaming laptop.

Its quiet when not under heavy load, plays most current generation console games 60/1080 without to much of an issue.

The screen is amazing, playing a bit of Ori and the Blind Forest on this screen 1440P at 60fps is a great experience.

I have been away from PC gaming a long time but it has come on a long way in the last 10 years, mostly great game performance on cross platform games, support of gaming controllers and laptops that can run most that can be thrown at them without them being super big and heavy machines, none of that really existed in the mid 2000s.

Generally happy with my purchase fingers crossed that I still feel the same way in 2 years time.

Man I wish 15" and 17" OLED was a thing.

How are the CPU/GPU temps while gaming?

 

[ChasingComets]

Hi folks, I've been looking to upgrade from my 5 year old laptop and was hoping to get some recommendations from here. I'm mainly using it as a desktop replacement for spreadsheet work and gaming.

I've recently been looking at the Asus ROG zephyrus because I really liked the combination of the form factor with top end power, but I'm reconsidering over learning it only has a 1080p screen, and after seeing all the reviews that it is an overpriced 1070 machine.

So now I'm wondering, what other comparable options are there with a similarly sleek form factor with a 1440p/4K screen, at least 1070 level of specs and preferably doesn't get too hot? Battery life isn't really a concern for me.

 

[peterclark1985]

Man I wish 15" and 17" OLED was a thing.

How are the CPU/GPU temps while gaming?

I haven't given it a long enough play to really give you any hard numbers, I did read a lot about it before buying and it was generally a mixed bag mostly mid 80s at full load in long play sessions. Some people have gone through process of under volting and repasting to improve but not sure I'll be doing that.

 

[theifofdreams]

Honestly, I'd ask over in Desktop GAF, because those guys live and breath good monitors.


Man I wish 15" and 17" OLED was a thing.

How are the CPU/GPU temps while gaming?

Yeah that probably would have been a better place to ask, in hindsight.

I ended up getting this one

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-29-ips-led-wfhd-219-ultrawide-freesync-monitor/5770301.p?skuId=5770301

For $200 bucks it's fantastic.

 

[Speedwagon]

Am I crazy or is the Acer Predator 17 hard drive upside down inside the laptop?

https://youtu.be/khga88zLjS4?t=2m32s

 

[Izuna]

More HP Omen 17 tweaks: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=244229445&postcount=2597

--

Anyway, I found out that Elite Dangerous VR is THE game to test if you wanna see if your Memory Overclock is "stable".

 

[Sch1sm]

I just got an XPS 15 (9560) in recently, and it's my first charge up.

Why's this power supply ringing? It's just faintly there. Really weird. Is it normal for these, or should I call Dell and get a replacement for it?