# Techies - Seeking a black Friday/Cyber Monday gaming laptop



## Aquin (Nov 20, 2013)

Yep, this is an early Christmas gift. I have a budget of about $1,000 though there is a possibility that might get a little bigger depending on the deals surrounding Cyber Monday. I am seeking the best possible configuration for that budget that you can find.

Some features I'd like it to have: Touch Screen aka 2-in-1 (if Windows 8 ), i did see some decent ones on Best Buy. Nvidea 765M or better. Solid State Drive if possible, preferably 128GB. Most of the regular ones come with at least a 1TB normal harddrive by default. 

Post a few i can go over or compare and i will decide from there. I will also update this if my budget gets bigger, i was trying for $1400 a couple weeks ago but it doesn't seem feasible AT THIS POINT, but it may come Cyber Monday. 

I will consider AMD cards, but no Intel Integrated crap.

Update: I am not looking for strictly top-end here, but the best i can get for my current budget.


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## Lobar (Nov 20, 2013)

Is there a specific reason you want a "gaming" laptop, as opposed to a desktop gaming system or a mainstream laptop?  Gaming performance on laptops is very cost-inefficient for what you get.


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## Aquin (Nov 20, 2013)

Lobar said:


> Is there a specific reason you want a "gaming" laptop, as opposed to a desktop gaming system or a mainstream laptop?  Gaming performance on laptops is very cost-inefficient for what you get.



Since i am waiting on PS4, Gaming is a major reason i am getting this laptop. So its gotta have power, but it also doesn't specifically have to be branded as a gaming laptop. 

Something like this: http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/ideapad/y-series/y510p/?sb=:000001C9:0000F3AF:#customize

Basically high performance, but doesn't have to be strictly gaming.


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## Lobar (Nov 20, 2013)

Aquin said:


> Since i am waiting on PS4, Gaming is a major reason i am getting this laptop. So its gotta have power, but it also doesn't specifically have to be branded as a gaming laptop.
> 
> Something like this: http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/ideapad/y-series/y510p/?sb=:000001C9:0000F3AF:#customize
> 
> Basically high performance, but doesn't have to be strictly gaming.



Alright, but that still doesn't answer why it has to be a laptop.


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## Aquin (Nov 20, 2013)

Lobar said:


> Alright, but that still doesn't answer why it has to be a laptop.



Laptops take up far less space in my opinion and i like being able to move it around. You can't do that easily with a desktop. Plus if i order this online, ive gotta pay extra shipping for a desktop.


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## Toshabi (Nov 20, 2013)

Aquin said:


> Laptops take up far less space in my opinion and i like being able to move it around. You can't do that easily with a desktop. Plus if i order this online, ive gotta pay extra shipping for a desktop.




Gaming laptops usually have a shorter lifespan. Not to mention the amount of power you can get out of a desktop far exceeds what you can do with a laptop (and at almost half the cost). But you have your reasons. I don't have anything particularly good to suggest for $1k.


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## Lobar (Nov 20, 2013)

Aquin said:


> Laptops take up far less space in my opinion and i like being able to move it around. You can't do that easily with a desktop. Plus if i order this online, ive gotta pay extra shipping for a desktop.



How much "moving around" are you actually going to do?  They do make speciailzed compact cases with handles made for taking systems to LAN parties.

Shipping isn't as bad as you think, either.  You can probably get free shipping on parts from Amazon, and they generally have a selection on par with Newegg.

Basically, it's really hard to recommend a laptop for $1k, but if you built a desktop instead, you're golden for high-end gaming for sure.


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## Arshes Nei (Nov 21, 2013)

Laptops also have the shittiest monitors. Even laptops with better displays still pale greatly vs getting standalone parts. Honestly gaming laptops are a joke. "Everyman laptop" is not great. 

You're better off getting a handheld like a DS or Vita instead of a gaming laptop if you want portability

You're much better off building your own desktop if you want to do better gaming.


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## Runefox (Nov 21, 2013)

Laptop vs desktop debate aside (I think that's been handled plenty by the above responses), if you've got your heart set on a laptop, it's going to be tough to tell you what's going to be on sale during Black Friday / Cyber Monday. Especially me, where I don't even live in the USA.  That said, if you absolutely have your heart set on a laptop, I've got a few questions that should help narrow down the selection a bit:


Beyond gaming, what else will you be doing with the laptop?
What is the most intense game you want to play on the laptop? Are you looking to max everything out?
What size screen are you looking for? 15"? 17"? Smaller? Would you be set on 1080p, or would you accept a lower resolution screen?
If you're set on a SSD, what will you use for storage? I'd more recommend a hybrid approach with a small (32-64GB) cache SSD and larger hard drive unless you have a different plan.
Do you have brand preference? I understand you prefer NVidia graphics processors but will consider AMD, but beyond that, do you have an aversion to certain brands like Acer or Dell?
How much are you going to move around with it? For example, is this going to be an all-rounder, take it everywhere laptop, or is it a desktop replacement?
Pursuant to the above, what kind of battery life are you looking to get out of it?


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## Aquin (Nov 21, 2013)

Toshabi said:


> Gaming laptops usually have a shorter lifespan. Not to mention the amount of power you can get out of a desktop far exceeds what you can do with a laptop (and at almost half the cost). But you have your reasons. I don't have anything particularly good to suggest for $1k.



I have honestly considered going back to building a desktop, i can use my HDTV as a monitor the problem is finding a permanent home. I have seen some decent desktops within my budget range. Since my room is also my gaming space i have to keep outlets and power usage in mind. Hence another laptop reason.


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## Runefox (Nov 21, 2013)

Aquin said:


> I have honestly considered going back to building a desktop, i can use my HDTV as a monitor the problem is finding a permanent home. I have seen some decent desktops within my budget range. Since my room is also my gaming space i have to keep outlets and power usage in mind. Hence another laptop reason.


If you're going to be using an HDTV as a monitor, make sure your TV has a gaming mode or is otherwise low delay. Turn off MotionFlow or any other picture enhancements, because they will add delay. If you're going to be gaming mainly with a controller, this won't be such a big deal, since it'll be very similar to how you game with a console; With a keyboard and mouse, however, it's a lot more noticeable. Just something to keep in mind.

Anyway, let me see what I can build.


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## Runefox (Nov 21, 2013)

Here's a bump with a parts list. It totals out to $1160.90 and includes a cache SSD, Radeon R9 280X (much more powerful than equivalent priced GeForce GTX 760), 16GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive... The CPU is essentially a non-HyperThreading 4770k, and if you wanted to grab the 4770k the difference is about $70. I didn't include an optical drive; Those are around $20. I did include Windows 8.1, which is $99; if you have an OS that you can use already, you can cut the OS and replace it with the 4770k and optical drive without any change in price. You could also go up to a 120GB Samsung 840 EVO for another $60, which would perform better than the cache SSD. Bear in mind that many of these parts may go on sale via Newegg or other vendors on Black Friday / Cyber Monday, so the price could very well be much lower.


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## GatodeCafe (Nov 23, 2013)

The idea of a gaming laptop is sort of a misnomer. The best you can hope in regards to the vast majority of laptops is to be able to run programs, without becoming a steaming pile of slag in the process. Gaming needs a fat GPU, GPUs generate fuckloads of heat, and laptops do not play well with heat at all generally. I have a macbook, and I use it for light gaming/emulation for funsies, but even given the superior heat dissipation, throttling is an absolute bitch to FPS. 

Honestly, you can go with a laptop, but don't allow yourself to buy into the marketing of a "gaming" laptop. You'll definitely need a discrete graphics card, nice screen, satisfying keyboard, etc... All of which cost a pretty penny. You can get a similarly powered rig for MUCH CHEAPER if you choose to build it yourself, and you might even be able set it up to run nearly silently, without having to worry about heat. Even the most expensive laptops available labor hard on higher-settings, and the moment you hear that fan turn on, you're fucked.

If you simply insist on having a laptop, PLEASE at the very least do a trot over to best buy so you can get them under your fingers first. One of my pet peeves of online purchasing is the fact I CANNOT FUCKING LIVE without an unsatisfying keyboard. Find one that feels good to interact with and hold, with the specs you want, and ignore all the bullshit. (Any laptop with "beats by dre" is just overdriven garbage, for example)


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## Armaetus (Dec 4, 2013)

You're better off making a gaming desktop computer, and it will be better in the long run.


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## AshleyAshes (Dec 5, 2013)

I really don't get the hate for people looking for laptops to game on.  I totally get that desktops are more bang for your buck, but when that computer is likely to be the person's ONLY computer, being able to take it off their desk and take it to work, or school, or anywhere else is a pretty valuable asset in and of itself.


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## Runefox (Dec 5, 2013)

AshleyAshes said:


> I really don't get the hate for people looking for laptops to game on.  I totally get that desktops are more bang for your buck, but when that computer is likely to be the person's ONLY computer, being able to take it off their desk and take it to work, or school, or anywhere else is a pretty valuable asset in and of itself.


The thing is, you get a better value out of a gaming-*capable* laptop than a "gaming" laptop. If it's going to be an all rounder (and it invariably is), it's best to get something that's a little more reasonable. If a desktop is out of the question, then the laptop should first and foremost be a solid laptop. "Gaming" laptops are not reliable machines, are not cheap to repair, and are not easy to carry around.


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