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I need the best gaming laptop for my budget :)

orangeoreosorangeoreos Member UncommonPosts: 13
in Hardware

Hi fellow nerds and mmo addicts and such. 

 

I am going to be buying a gaming laptop quite soon and i would like to hear you guy's opinion on what I should buy.

I would prefer not to buy a desktop because i plan to take the computer to and from school, and I'm planning to move soon and do not feel like transporting it to a different state, fearing it would damage.

So, i have a budge of about 900, but can probably stretch it out to 1000. I know that I won't be able to get the most high-tech gaming computer of all time for that, but I pray that i could get a decent one.

I am looking for one that will last for a good amount of time, and one that can play most of the mmorpgs on the market even if I have to play them at low quality graphics.

Thanks in advanced ;)

«1

Comments

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,351

    You need to back up and consider your priorities.

    First, why does it need to be a gaming laptop?  There are good reasons for gaming laptops to exist, but a majority of them basically amount to "the customer is stupid".  Most of the people who think they want a gaming laptop shouldn't get one.

    Gaming laptops only make sense for people who want to play intense games in a variety of places away from home.  A common example of this is a business traveler who is going to live in a variety of hotel rooms for a month or two per year and wants to have a gaming rig there but finds it impractical to move a desktop every day or two as he travels.

    In particular, even if you need both a gaming computer and also a portable laptop, it doesn't follow that they need to be the same device.  I need something to keep milk cold and also need something to toast bread, but it doesn't follow that I need a single device that can do both.  Those two functions are best served by having a refrigerator and a toaster as two separate appliances.  Similarly, many people who think they want a gaming laptop should get both a cheap, portable laptop and also a gaming desktop--each of which will be better at its intended uses than the gaming laptop would have been at either.

    It's also important to consider why you plan to take a computer to and from school.  If you have a laptop out in class, then unless it's an unusual class where everyone is told to do this, most professors will assume--correctly--that you're not paying attention.

    You also say that you want the computer to last a long time.  Gaming laptops don't do that unless they're lightly used or you get lucky.  A gaming laptop is fundamentally a proposition of cramming too much heat into too little space.  That puts a lot of stress on the system, and dust can very quickly become a very big problem.  Gaming laptops thus have short life expectancies.

    So basically, you have three choices:

    1)  Get a cheap, portable laptop like this, and use it for whatever you need a laptop for:

    http://www.frys.com/product/8000694?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

    And then also buy a $750 desktop that will be a much nicer gaming rig than any laptop you could get inside of $1000.

    2)  Get a low power laptop that will be okay for most games, but isn't really a gaming laptop.  Save some money in the process, or perhaps use some of what you save to replace the hard drive with an SSD so that it can be a decent laptop.  For example:

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834317602

    3)  Spend $1000 or so on a "gaming laptop" and then don't be surprised if it dies a horrible heat-related death in two years and you have to replace it entirely then.  For example, you could get this for around $1000:

    http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np6658-clevo-w650sj-eta-march-p-6994.html?wconfigure=yes

    You'll need to switch from one 8 GB memory module to two 4 GB modules and add an operating system.  Don't get the free "upgrade" from a 750 GB 7200 RPM hard drive to a 1 TB 5400 RPM hard drive.  I'd call that a downgrade, not an upgrade, as the rotation speed is the main spec to look at, not the capacity.  If you think you need more than 750 GB in a laptop then either you have very unusual needs or else you're doing something severely wrong.

    You could also go here and pick the one with the 256 GB SSD and justify it as being a nice laptop even if a ULV processor means it's really not a gaming rig:

    http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/lenovo/y-series/y40/

  • VrikaVrika Member LegendaryPosts: 7,888

    I'd recommend buying a cheap Chromebook for school use. It'll cost only something like 200$, will have double the battery life of gaming laptop, and weight only half as much.

    Then you can use the remaining 700$ to buy a dedicated desktop that's more powerful than a gaming laptop you could get at 900$.

    Don't worry that the desktop might break while you're moving, the laptop breaking while you're carrying it around at school is much more likely scenario.

     
  • orangeoreosorangeoreos Member UncommonPosts: 13
    Originally posted by Quizzical

    You need to back up and consider your priorities.

    First, why does it need to be a gaming laptop?  There are good reasons for gaming laptops to exist, but a majority of them basically amount to "the customer is stupid".  Most of the people who think they want a gaming laptop shouldn't get one.

    Gaming laptops only make sense for people who want to play intense games in a variety of places away from home.  A common example of this is a business traveler who is going to live in a variety of hotel rooms for a month or two per year and wants to have a gaming rig there but finds it impractical to move a desktop every day or two as he travels.

    In particular, even if you need both a gaming computer and also a portable laptop, it doesn't follow that they need to be the same device.  I need something to keep milk cold and also need something to toast bread, but it doesn't follow that I need a single device that can do both.  Those two functions are best served by having a refrigerator and a toaster as two separate appliances.  Similarly, many people who think they want a gaming laptop should get both a cheap, portable laptop and also a gaming desktop--each of which will be better at its intended uses than the gaming laptop would have been at either.

    It's also important to consider why you plan to take a computer to and from school.  If you have a laptop out in class, then unless it's an unusual class where everyone is told to do this, most professors will assume--correctly--that you're not paying attention.

    You also say that you want the computer to last a long time.  Gaming laptops don't do that unless they're lightly used or you get lucky.  A gaming laptop is fundamentally a proposition of cramming too much heat into too little space.  That puts a lot of stress on the system, and dust can very quickly become a very big problem.  Gaming laptops thus have short life expectancies.

    So basically, you have three choices:

    1)  Get a cheap, portable laptop like this, and use it for whatever you need a laptop for:

    http://www.frys.com/product/8000694?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

    And then also buy a $750 desktop that will be a much nicer gaming rig than any laptop you could get inside of $1000.

    2)  Get a low power laptop that will be okay for most games, but isn't really a gaming laptop.  Save some money in the process, or perhaps use some of what you save to replace the hard drive with an SSD so that it can be a decent laptop.  For example:

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834317602

    3)  Spend $1000 or so on a "gaming laptop" and then don't be surprised if it dies a horrible heat-related death in two years and you have to replace it entirely then.  For example, you could get this for around $1000:

    http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np6658-clevo-w650sj-eta-march-p-6994.html?wconfigure=yes

    You'll need to switch from one 8 GB memory module to two 4 GB modules and add an operating system.  Don't get the free "upgrade" from a 750 GB 7200 RPM hard drive to a 1 TB 5400 RPM hard drive.  I'd call that a downgrade, not an upgrade, as the rotation speed is the main spec to look at, not the capacity.  If you think you need more than 750 GB in a laptop then either you have very unusual needs or else you're doing something severely wrong.

    You could also go here and pick the one with the 256 GB SSD and justify it as being a nice laptop even if a ULV processor means it's really not a gaming rig:

    http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/lenovo/y-series/y40/

    If i were to do the 1st option what desktop do you think i should get, any suggestions?

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,351
    Originally posted by orangeoreos

    If i were to do the 1st option what desktop do you think i should get, any suggestions?

    Do you already have desktop peripherals (keyboard, mouse, speakers, surge protector, and especially monitor) or do you need to fit them into the budget, too?  Naturally, having to spend $200 of your budget on peripherals means that a $750 desktop budget becomes $550 without periperhals, and that doesn't go as far.  But it would still be nicer than a $1000 laptop.

  • orangeoreosorangeoreos Member UncommonPosts: 13
    Originally posted by Quizzical
    Originally posted by orangeoreos

    If i were to do the 1st option what desktop do you think i should get, any suggestions?

    Do you already have desktop peripherals (keyboard, mouse, speakers, surge protector, and especially monitor) or do you need to fit them into the budget, too?  Naturally, having to spend $200 of your budget on peripherals means that a $750 desktop budget becomes $550 without periperhals, and that doesn't go as far.  But it would still be nicer than a $1000 laptop.

    I have keyboard mouse speakers. However, my monitor is from a computer that has extreme problems like bsod and tons of viruses, but does that affect the monitor?

  • luisrkillerluisrkiller Member UncommonPosts: 107

    I don't personally agree with the "people who own gaming laptops are stupid" concept, but everyone has their own opinion. You can own a gaming laptop and get great performance, while also getting portability wherever you go. I have a gaming laptop and have had zero problems. I've always had gaming laptops due to college, and as long as you get a quality build you will be fine.

    I have some suggestions that may fit your budget,

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834317539&cm_re=lenovo_y50-_-34-317-539-_-Product

    you can also check on http://www.xoticpc.com/ they have great laptop builds there, as well as desktops if you do decide to get a desktop instead.

    Hope this was of some help!

  • DeniZgDeniZg Member UncommonPosts: 697
    Originally posted by orangeoreos

    I have keyboard mouse speakers. However, my monitor is from a computer that has extreme problems like bsod and tons of viruses, but does that affect the monitor?

    It does not affect the monitor at all.

    As others mentioned, you could go with some cheap laptop for school and build some sweet desktop PC for gaming at home. This way, you can also stream your games via Steam streaming from desktop to laptop if you like and it works great.

    Or...you could buy THIS. MSI GS30 is an ultrabook which comes with a dock for discreet desktop GPU which you purchase separately. I'm not sure that the price has been announcedyet, but it's worth the wait IMHO.

     

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,351
    Originally posted by orangeoreos
    Originally posted by Quizzical
    Originally posted by orangeoreos

    If i were to do the 1st option what desktop do you think i should get, any suggestions?

    Do you already have desktop peripherals (keyboard, mouse, speakers, surge protector, and especially monitor) or do you need to fit them into the budget, too?  Naturally, having to spend $200 of your budget on peripherals means that a $750 desktop budget becomes $550 without periperhals, and that doesn't go as far.  But it would still be nicer than a $1000 laptop.

    I have keyboard mouse speakers. However, my monitor is from a computer that has extreme problems like bsod and tons of viruses, but does that affect the monitor?

    Viruses normally only live on storage, such as a hard drive.  I don't think it's even possible for a virus to infect a monitor, or at least not without the malicious person trying to infect the machine with viruses having physical access to the monitor.  So the monitor should be fine.

    This comes to $720, including shipping and before rebates:

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113286

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1904493

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182066

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147183

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226395

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820721108

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161442

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136270

    It would also be massively faster than any laptop you're going to find in the ballpark of $1000.

    Yes, it's parts, not an assembled computer.  But all you need is a screwdriver, as the motherboard will come with directions of what to do.

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,351
    Originally posted by DeniZg
    Originally posted by orangeoreos

    I have keyboard mouse speakers. However, my monitor is from a computer that has extreme problems like bsod and tons of viruses, but does that affect the monitor?

    It does not affect the monitor at all.

    As others mentioned, you could go with some cheap laptop for school and build some sweet desktop PC for gaming at home. This way, you can also stream your games via Steam streaming from desktop to laptop if you like and it works great.

    Or...you could buy THIS. MSI GS30 is an ultrabook which comes with a dock for discreet desktop GPU which you purchase separately. I'm not sure that the price has been announcedyet, but it's worth the wait IMHO.

    Ultrabook means low end performance for a high end price tag.  Why anyone besides Intel is excited about that is something of a mystery.

  • DeniZgDeniZg Member UncommonPosts: 697
    Originally posted by Quizzical
    Originally posted by DeniZg
    Originally posted by orangeoreos

    I have keyboard mouse speakers. However, my monitor is from a computer that has extreme problems like bsod and tons of viruses, but does that affect the monitor?

    It does not affect the monitor at all.

    As others mentioned, you could go with some cheap laptop for school and build some sweet desktop PC for gaming at home. This way, you can also stream your games via Steam streaming from desktop to laptop if you like and it works great.

    Or...you could buy THIS. MSI GS30 is an ultrabook which comes with a dock for discreet desktop GPU which you purchase separately. I'm not sure that the price has been announcedyet, but it's worth the wait IMHO.

    Ultrabook means low end performance for a high end price tag.  Why anyone besides Intel is excited about that is something of a mystery.

    I wouldn't discard this laptop so easily. It has 4th gen i7, which granted is not as good as it's desktop counterpart, but it's still very nice CPU. Link

  • NagilumSadowNagilumSadow Member UncommonPosts: 318

    The Lenovo Y series.

     

     

  • majimaji Member UncommonPosts: 2,091
    I'd try to avoid a gaming laptop. Rather get a work laptop and gaming rig at home. After all, for what you pay for a gaming laptop, you get a gaming desktop far more powerful, with surround sound and two screens each of which much larger than the screen of a laptop. It's also much easier to upgrade and repair. Unless you have never any time whatsoever to game at home, I'd always get a gaming desktop.

    Let's play Fallen Earth (blind, 300 episodes)

    Let's play Guild Wars 2 (blind, 45 episodes)

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,351
    Originally posted by DeniZg
    Originally posted by Quizzical
    Originally posted by DeniZg
    Originally posted by orangeoreos

    I have keyboard mouse speakers. However, my monitor is from a computer that has extreme problems like bsod and tons of viruses, but does that affect the monitor?

    It does not affect the monitor at all.

    As others mentioned, you could go with some cheap laptop for school and build some sweet desktop PC for gaming at home. This way, you can also stream your games via Steam streaming from desktop to laptop if you like and it works great.

    Or...you could buy THIS. MSI GS30 is an ultrabook which comes with a dock for discreet desktop GPU which you purchase separately. I'm not sure that the price has been announcedyet, but it's worth the wait IMHO.

    Ultrabook means low end performance for a high end price tag.  Why anyone besides Intel is excited about that is something of a mystery.

    I wouldn't discard this laptop so easily. It has 4th gen i7, which granted is not as good as it's desktop counterpart, but it's still very nice CPU. Link

    You can clock a chip higher for more performance and more power consumption, or you can clock it lower for less performance and lower power consumption.  The desktop Haswell chips commonly used in gaming rigs are typically clocked for a TDP of 84 W.  The part you picked is clocked for a TDP of 15 W.  Guess which one runs faster?  Think the performance between the two parts will be close?  At all?

    Also missing is a price tag.  There's a decent chance it won't fit inside of the stated $1000 budget even without a discrete video card.

  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 43,498
    Originally posted by Quizzical

    You need to back up and consider your priorities.

    First, why does it need to be a gaming laptop?  There are good reasons for gaming laptops to exist, but a majority of them basically amount to "the customer is stupid".  Most of the people who think they want a gaming laptop shouldn't get one.

    Gaming laptops only make sense for people who want to play intense games in a variety of places away from home.  A common example of this is a business traveler who is going to live in a variety of hotel rooms for a month or two per year and wants to have a gaming rig there but finds it impractical to move a desktop every day or two as he travels.

    We've had this discussion before, they make great sense to play games on your lap in your living room while pretending to watch TV with your wife, especially since there's no room to set up a desktop in the TV room.  Besides, try playing on a desktop in your recliner sometime, just doesn't work well.

    Tri-boxing 3 EVE accounts most evenings on mine, while watching TV and occasionally chatting about the show.

    "True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

    "I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant

    Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

    Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

    Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™

    "This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon






  • HrimnirHrimnir Member RarePosts: 2,415
    Originally posted by orangeoreos

    Hi fellow nerds and mmo addicts and such. 

     

    I am going to be buying a gaming laptop quite soon and i would like to hear you guy's opinion on what I should buy.

    I would prefer not to buy a desktop because i plan to take the computer to and from school, and I'm planning to move soon and do not feel like transporting it to a different state, fearing it would damage.

    So, i have a budge of about 900, but can probably stretch it out to 1000. I know that I won't be able to get the most high-tech gaming computer of all time for that, but I pray that i could get a decent one.

    I am looking for one that will last for a good amount of time, and one that can play most of the mmorpgs on the market even if I have to play them at low quality graphics.

    Thanks in advanced ;)

    Unfortunately you kind of need to be more in the 1200-1300 range to get somethings thats more future proof.  That being said you do have some options if you're not hoping to play things like BF4 at High settings at 1080p.  I've been doing a ton of research on laptops in the past 2-3 months, looking for a mid range rig.

    If you can stretch up to $1100, i'd go with:

    http://www.amazon.com/MSI-GE70-Apache-Pro-061-17-3-Inch/dp/B00IMTQ4BK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412556142&sr=8-2&keywords=msi+ge70

    Its a little heavy, but it has a good screen, has an 860m, decent cooling, and should serve you well.

    Unfortunately The only real options under $1000 is the Lenovo Y50.

    If you go on notebookreview forums, the laptop is bad.   Its got decent build quality, but its only a single fan cooling system so it gets really hot and really loud.  Also, it has literally the worst screen you can get.  Thats not an exaggeration.  Its some Chai Mei screen that is really bad, even by TN panel standards.

     

    "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."

    - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • HrimnirHrimnir Member RarePosts: 2,415
    Originally posted by Quizzical
    Originally posted by DeniZg
    Originally posted by orangeoreos

    I have keyboard mouse speakers. However, my monitor is from a computer that has extreme problems like bsod and tons of viruses, but does that affect the monitor?

    It does not affect the monitor at all.

    As others mentioned, you could go with some cheap laptop for school and build some sweet desktop PC for gaming at home. This way, you can also stream your games via Steam streaming from desktop to laptop if you like and it works great.

    Or...you could buy THIS. MSI GS30 is an ultrabook which comes with a dock for discreet desktop GPU which you purchase separately. I'm not sure that the price has been announcedyet, but it's worth the wait IMHO.

    Ultrabook means low end performance for a high end price tag.  Why anyone besides Intel is excited about that is something of a mystery.

    Because people who use laptops for their original purpose, which is portability.  Like things that are light and thin.

    Lets see, why would people like something made out of aluminum/magnesium thats 3/4 of an inch thick, has batteries that last for 8-12 hours, but still has proper performance, OS, etc.

    Why would people like that, i just can't figure it out.

    "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."

    - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,351
    Originally posted by Hrimnir
    Originally posted by Quizzical
    Originally posted by DeniZg
    Originally posted by orangeoreos

    I have keyboard mouse speakers. However, my monitor is from a computer that has extreme problems like bsod and tons of viruses, but does that affect the monitor?

    It does not affect the monitor at all.

    As others mentioned, you could go with some cheap laptop for school and build some sweet desktop PC for gaming at home. This way, you can also stream your games via Steam streaming from desktop to laptop if you like and it works great.

    Or...you could buy THIS. MSI GS30 is an ultrabook which comes with a dock for discreet desktop GPU which you purchase separately. I'm not sure that the price has been announcedyet, but it's worth the wait IMHO.

    Ultrabook means low end performance for a high end price tag.  Why anyone besides Intel is excited about that is something of a mystery.

    Because people who use laptops for their original purpose, which is portability.  Like things that are light and thin.

    Lets see, why would people like something made out of aluminum/magnesium thats 3/4 of an inch thick, has batteries that last for 8-12 hours, but still has proper performance, OS, etc.

    Why would people like that, i just can't figure it out.

    I get why people would want a laptop to be lightweight.  That makes it easier to carry it around.

    But why the big deal about thinness?  Add half an inch of thickness to a typical Ultrabook and you can offer a lot more performance, much better reliability, realistic options to repair it if things go wrong, double the battery life, a better keyboard, more ports to plug in what you need, and probably still have a lower total price tag.  If you value thinness more than everything else added together, then yes, get an Ultrabook.  But for any other purpose--including wanting something lightweight so it can be highly portable but not needing extreme thinness--Ultrabooks should be dismissed out of hand.

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,351
    Originally posted by Hrimnir
    Originally posted by orangeoreos

    Hi fellow nerds and mmo addicts and such. 

     

    I am going to be buying a gaming laptop quite soon and i would like to hear you guy's opinion on what I should buy.

    I would prefer not to buy a desktop because i plan to take the computer to and from school, and I'm planning to move soon and do not feel like transporting it to a different state, fearing it would damage.

    So, i have a budge of about 900, but can probably stretch it out to 1000. I know that I won't be able to get the most high-tech gaming computer of all time for that, but I pray that i could get a decent one.

    I am looking for one that will last for a good amount of time, and one that can play most of the mmorpgs on the market even if I have to play them at low quality graphics.

    Thanks in advanced ;)

    Unfortunately you kind of need to be more in the 1200-1300 range to get somethings thats more future proof.  That being said you do have some options if you're not hoping to play things like BF4 at High settings at 1080p.  I've been doing a ton of research on laptops in the past 2-3 months, looking for a mid range rig.

    If you can stretch up to $1100, i'd go with:

    http://www.amazon.com/MSI-GE70-Apache-Pro-061-17-3-Inch/dp/B00IMTQ4BK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412556142&sr=8-2&keywords=msi+ge70

    Its a little heavy, but it has a good screen, has an 860m, decent cooling, and should serve you well.

    Unfortunately The only real options under $1000 is the Lenovo Y50.

    If you go on notebookreview forums, the laptop is bad.   Its got decent build quality, but its only a single fan cooling system so it gets really hot and really loud.  Also, it has literally the worst screen you can get.  Thats not an exaggeration.  Its some Chai Mei screen that is really bad, even by TN panel standards.

    If you're willing to push the budget to $1100, you can get this:

    http://www.xoticpc.com/msi-gx60-destroyer-p-6902.html?wconfigure=yes

    That offers a much faster GPU and some real configuration options.  But $1100 is over the stated budget.

  • HrimnirHrimnir Member RarePosts: 2,415
    Originally posted by Quizzical
    *snip*

    If you can stretch up to $1100, i'd go with:

    http://www.amazon.com/MSI-GE70-Apache-Pro-061-17-3-Inch/dp/B00IMTQ4BK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412556142&sr=8-2&keywords=msi+ge70

    Its a little heavy, but it has a good screen, has an 860m, decent cooling, and should serve you well.

    Unfortunately The only real options under $1000 is the Lenovo Y50.

    If you go on notebookreview forums, the laptop is bad.   Its got decent build quality, but its only a single fan cooling system so it gets really hot and really loud.  Also, it has literally the worst screen you can get.  Thats not an exaggeration.  Its some Chai Mei screen that is really bad, even by TN panel standards.

    If you're willing to push the budget to $1100, you can get this:

    http://www.xoticpc.com/msi-gx60-destroyer-p-6902.html?wconfigure=yes

    That offers a much faster GPU and some real configuration options.  But $1100 is over the stated budget.

    It is faster, its also heavier and more unwieldly.  How important that is to him would be up to him.  Im also not 100% but i think the GX60 has a TN panel whereas the GE70 is a PLS(IPS) display.  So, thats something to consider too.

    "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."

    - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • HrimnirHrimnir Member RarePosts: 2,415
    Originally posted by Quizzical

     

    I get why people would want a laptop to be lightweight.  That makes it easier to carry it around.

    But why the big deal about thinness?  Add half an inch of thickness to a typical Ultrabook and you can offer a lot more performance, much better reliability, realistic options to repair it if things go wrong, double the battery life, a better keyboard, more ports to plug in what you need, and probably still have a lower total price tag.  If you value thinness more than everything else added together, then yes, get an Ultrabook.  But for any other purpose--including wanting something lightweight so it can be highly portable but not needing extreme thinness--Ultrabooks should be dismissed out of hand.

    Well, to be fair you asked why someone would like it.  Not why would someone pay for it.

    Value and price are two altogether different things.

    For example, some people would think paying $45k for a BMW 528, vs say $28k for a Honda Accord is ridiculous.  Being that they're basically the same car.  But some people place a higher value on premium materials, engineering, etc.  At the end of the day both cars are going to get you from point A to point B safely.  But some people are willing to pay more to have a nicer place to be in during their commute, etc.

    "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."

    - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,351
    Originally posted by Hrimnir
    Originally posted by Quizzical

     

    I get why people would want a laptop to be lightweight.  That makes it easier to carry it around.

    But why the big deal about thinness?  Add half an inch of thickness to a typical Ultrabook and you can offer a lot more performance, much better reliability, realistic options to repair it if things go wrong, double the battery life, a better keyboard, more ports to plug in what you need, and probably still have a lower total price tag.  If you value thinness more than everything else added together, then yes, get an Ultrabook.  But for any other purpose--including wanting something lightweight so it can be highly portable but not needing extreme thinness--Ultrabooks should be dismissed out of hand.

    Well, to be fair you asked why someone would like it.  Not why would someone pay for it.

    Value and price are two altogether different things.

    For example, some people would think paying $45k for a BMW 528, vs say $28k for a Honda Accord is ridiculous.  Being that they're basically the same car.  But some people place a higher value on premium materials, engineering, etc.  At the end of the day both cars are going to get you from point A to point B safely.  But some people are willing to pay more to have a nicer place to be in during their commute, etc.

    That doesn't explain why people would highly value thinner laptops, to the degree of being willing to sacrifice everything else for the sake of making it thinner.  Indeed, I'd argue that the premium laptop is the one that does everything else except thinness better.

  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383

    Being thinner lets me slip it into a briefcase, or stack in books/files in the case with the laptop. And it makes the laptop lighter in weight and easier to carry around (especially if you are carrying it with one hand).

    It's not a deal-breaker if one is 18mm and another is 22mm, but there is a world of difference between something <3/4" thick and something 2.25" (and those are real thicknessess of laptops sold today).

    It's kinda like smartphone specs - phone vendors bend over backwards to be able to print some random spec better than the competition. Who really cares if one is 1.5% faster than the other, but everyone loves to have the "Fastest". "Thinnest" is just another marketing ploy, but I can totally see why the drive is to go "thinner".

    Laptops and portables in general - you not only have the performance aspect of it being a computing machine, you also have the ergonomic aspect of it being portable and having people requiring it to be carried around with them - smaller, lighter, easier to carry are all very valid in that regard, and are items you rarely need to consider in a desktop.

    And yes, they have tradeoffs. Which is why we have some laptops that are 0.68", and others that are 2.26".

  • orangeoreosorangeoreos Member UncommonPosts: 13
    Okay so my budget has increased a bit, at the moment I have 900$ to spend on a gaming DESKTOP computer. I've researched laptops a lot and it seems to be a waste of money for me. So what would be a good build for a gaming desktop excluding monitor speakers keyboard and mouse, because I already have those
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,351

    $900 is in the range where you could reasonably go either AMD or Intel on the CPU.  I decided that the way to handle it was to go Intel but save some money by giving up overclocking:

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116989

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128731

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233180

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147153

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182068

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226371

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135305

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161456

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832416776

    That comes to $895, including shipping and before rebates.  I included a 240 GB SSD and no hard drive, under the assumption that 240 GB will be enough at least at first.  If you later need more capacity, it's easy to add a hard drive later.  Buying a hard drive up front would necessitate cutting back somewhere else, probably on the video card.

    I'm also assuming that you can assemble parts yourself if you know what parts to get.  If you have to pay someone else to screw things together for you so that you can get a prebuilt, that eats up 10%-20% of your budget.

  • HrimnirHrimnir Member RarePosts: 2,415

    I agree with his list, with a couple minor exceptions:

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139028&cm_re=Corsair_cx600-_-17-139-028-_-Product

    Corsairs PSU's are rock solid, ive used over a half a dozen in mine and various friend's builds and had quite literally zero issues.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130932&cm_re=evga_760-_-14-130-932-_-Product

    While the R280 is a good deal price/perf, those things are heat MONSTERS and are loud as all get out.  I have this card in my setup and i've yet to find a game i can't run at max settings (except AA, i hate antialiasing) on 1080p.

    The ACX cooler is nice, runs it a few C cooler than the reference design and a few dB quieter as well.  (FAR FAR FAR quiter than the AMD card).

    If heat/power usage and noise level are not a concern to you, go with the r280

     

    "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."

    - Friedrich Nietzsche

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