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Need a Laptop
Yes i really need one:) no, i can not go with a regular desktop for this.
I have a good computer that i built a year or so ago, this is for my wife that has some medical issues. So regular computer build is out and not an option here.
Price range i am going for is 1200-1700 US and one with a decent warranty is a nice plus. Not looking for a refurb, just do not like to go that way.
Need one that can play MMO's as well as a few other single player games so it needs to be a pretty good gaming system. Battery life will not be an issue it will be plugged in almost always.
Mainly will be in her lap so i am guessing we need to look at some type of lap pad or something to keep it and her cool? Anyone have any personal info and/or experience with anything like that?
What i am looking for is info on what is the best size, i see a lot of 15. whatever and 17 inch ones, is the extra size on screens important?
Should i go with an I5 or an I7? I am planning on 16 gig ram and at least a 512 gig SSD. May go to a 256 ssd if it has another storage HD.
I am unsure what the best way to go on vid card is. I know bigger and more expensive is of course better, but also runs hotter. Do the new cards run too hot to be used in a person's lap?
Will be looking to buy in next week or so, if you know of something of a great deal right now, i can do that as well, but would like to hear some info from everyone and get a bit of an education and knowledge before i order.
Thanks.
I have a good computer that i built a year or so ago, this is for my wife that has some medical issues. So regular computer build is out and not an option here.
Price range i am going for is 1200-1700 US and one with a decent warranty is a nice plus. Not looking for a refurb, just do not like to go that way.
Need one that can play MMO's as well as a few other single player games so it needs to be a pretty good gaming system. Battery life will not be an issue it will be plugged in almost always.
Mainly will be in her lap so i am guessing we need to look at some type of lap pad or something to keep it and her cool? Anyone have any personal info and/or experience with anything like that?
What i am looking for is info on what is the best size, i see a lot of 15. whatever and 17 inch ones, is the extra size on screens important?
Should i go with an I5 or an I7? I am planning on 16 gig ram and at least a 512 gig SSD. May go to a 256 ssd if it has another storage HD.
I am unsure what the best way to go on vid card is. I know bigger and more expensive is of course better, but also runs hotter. Do the new cards run too hot to be used in a person's lap?
Will be looking to buy in next week or so, if you know of something of a great deal right now, i can do that as well, but would like to hear some info from everyone and get a bit of an education and knowledge before i order.
Thanks.
Comments
You say the laptop is generally going to be plugged in. Does that mean it's only going to be in one spot? If so, you might be better off getting a desktop and a monitor arm to put the monitor wherever you want. She can have a keyboard or gamepad in her lap, as those won't burn her. A mouse really needs a hard, stable surface, but you could probably set up something appropriate.
Or are you planning on moving the laptop around a lot? If so, is that moving it around within your house, taking it when you travel, or what?
And no a desktop will not work, not with an arm or anything. i need a laptop.
I have a setup now that has a arm for monitor and keyboard and it does not work for her. So all "desktop" types and configurations are not what i am looking for.
The laptop will be moving around both in our house and when she travels. But it will always be close to a plugin for power. So battery not really a concern.
I will either make or buy some type of laptop pad/desk so it is not sitting "in" her lap but it will still be right there close so the heat may be an issue. Why i have a concern about the high end vid cards.
I would seriously consider this series of laptops:
https://www.asus.com/us/Notebooks/ROG-GL502VS/
There are a few variations, the 1060m version will run around $1300, the 1070m will run around $1650. Both are similar TDP so it shouldn't be a gigantic difference. This does also have a good cooling solution so it shouldn't get absurdly hot, however, you still would want something to protect her lap. There are cooling pads and such you can buy, or even just a hard piece of plastic or wood would suffice.
The 1060m is SIGNIFICANTLY better than 960m (and related) series of cards. I would not buy a laptop without one, personally. Also, one thing I like on this laptop is it is gsync. That is helpful when you have framerates in the 30's and 40's.
Hope this helps
Edit: Review if you're curious, http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/asus-rog-strix-gl502-1326519/review
"Thanks to this efficient cooling system, the GL502 never really gets toasty on your lap, and the fan noise doesn't get too rowdy either. Heck, you might even find a use for all the hot air coming out the back to keep your coffee hot."
"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
What's the intended way to play games? Use the built-in keyboard or a separate USB keyboard plugged into the laptop? Use the built-in trackpad or a separate mouse? Or use a controller instead? Does she have a standard setup, or are you just hoping that if you get a laptop, you'll be able to figure out something that works?
BTW, I agree with quiz, if she isn't a proper gamer, you don't need something super powerful, and a lesser GPU will be much cooler operating.
Really it depends on the games she plays, if it's WoW and Minecraft and relatively undemanding games. You can get away with a lot less. If she likes stuff like Conan Exiles, Witcher 3, Skyrim (or whatever the MMO version is called, can't remember), you probably want at least a 1060m
"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
First an answer to your specific question: 17" makes a huge difference. And gives a larger keyboard. I believe choice of screen size will be the defining feature.
However a 17" is "bulkier" and heavier. It usually will limits your choice and it will increase the cost. And if it will be going on your wife's lap the weight would be a consideration.
That said - and without wanting to beat a dead horse:
Seen your answer to @Quizzical 's comment. So a) it will be moved around the house and b) it will be travelling will be key features c) it will be on your wife's lap?
Have you considered an NUC solution? Could be paired with a monitor - so lots of options - OR can be paired wirelessly with a tablet (using Intel's iDisplay) (so less on the lap).
If it has to be a "laptop" though have you considered large "tablets" paired with a keyboard or something like a Surface Book?
Having used large (17") laptops on numerous occasions I always found them to be very bulky and not that easy to use "on your lap". The newer "Surface" "ThinkPad" etc. designs seem to have had the design effort put into them whilst laptops haven't really changed - they are designed to go on desks..
I agree they can be bulky to use,i have my notebook on a small TV dinner stand lol which does the trick nicely.I could not fathom using one on my lap...ever.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
It is worse with laptops that get really hot (HP are rather notorious for that but gaming computers often get the same problem even with good fans.
You don't need an actual cooling plate though (even if it is good for the laptop), just something relatively thick that don't spread heat.
Just a side note. Why is it that whenever someone asks for a gaming laptop people feel the need to say "nah, get a desktop". He doesn't want a desktop, he's made that very clear. It's bloody irritating tbh.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
1300-1700 is his budget, that is more than enough for a "true gaming" laptop. The ones I linked have 1060 and 1070's and are literally at the bottom and top end of his budget and are from Asus Republic of Gamers line.
"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
Yeah it gets really annoying. It's not like he was wishy washy, he made it very clear in his first post that he needed a laptop. I got the impression it was due to some kind of medical situation that is causing her to be stuck in a bed (that's just an assumption, don't really know).
To be fair the whole swing arm monitor things wasn't a horrible suggestion, but I usually just try to take people at their word unless I'm getting the impression there are things they just hadn't considered.
"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
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
This is the belkin cooler ive used for over 5 years. Its larger than my 17" laptop and works perfectly in my lap.
The ones in my price range all seem to have pretty much the same hardware, just really comes down to which ones people feel have the best cooling setups in my opinion.
Will do a follow up when i make my choice and give some feedback on how it goes, again, thanks.
It can be very difficult and uncomfortable to have a gaming laptop on your lap. You definitely want an SSD to reduce some of the heat. You also may want to think about turning down the graphics and focusing on a system that produces the least amount of ambient heat.
You might want to look real hard at solutions that move the laptop off of her lap though.
I had major surgery at one point and was laid up for a bit and this was a great purchase.
https://www.amazon.com/Altra-Jacob-Laptop-Cherry-Black/dp/B004CVKXHS
Not the exact one I got, as it was over a decade ago that I purchased it. It allowed me to use a laptop in bed, on the coach or in a chair without the heat right on me and it had a space for the mouse.
I tried a lap cooler for laptops and it was crap, again over a decade ago. I am not sure what the actual limitations you face are, but be mindful of the heat that a gaming laptop can bring. I think regulating heat should be your first concern, and graphics second, unless there is some nerve damage that would make heat a non-issue.
--John Ruskin
To that end I would suggest that before looking at coolers etc. you focus on trying to get a suitable "solid platform" - even if its only a bamboo breadboard or a polypropylene cutting board or a tray. Something flat basically.
Flat sounds obvious but if your thighs are sloping down you can have issues, if your thighs are sloping upwards you can have issues. You want to tilt of the screen further back and it just makes them "less stable" and then you move and .... it becomes tiresome basically.
Its one reason why - like @Xodic - you might want to look at a Surface Book (and something "flat" - or maybe something like @MrMelGibson posted a picture of - which has the benefit of being large.
ASUS GL502VS-DS71
http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-gl502vs-ds71.htmlJust ordered it so will come back here after it arrives and we use it a bit and give a report.
Went with Xoticpc because i did not like the stock hard drive setup it had from Asus or other stores, and i did not want to have to crack open a new laptop to mess with putting other hard drives in. Just got a 250GB Samsung 960 EVO M.2 NVMe SSD (Read 3200MB/s - Write 1500MB/s) for main OS-game drive and a 1TB 7400 for storage. Those were about only options i got that was different from the stock ones.
Was no tax or shipping right now with them as well...so seemed to be best option for me.
Went with ASUS over the sager or msi versions simply because i seemed to find a few more reviews of them over the others on the cooling of laptops. Seemed to be more happy people with the ASUS's than the others...but then again it all depends on where you look on the net. You can eventually find anything you search for if you look long enough:)
I know it's the one I suggested, and this isn't confirmation bias, but I did a pretty good bit of reading and I think that's about the best gaming laptop you can get that isn't a giant behemoth desktop replacement.
I think she is gonna be really happy with it. It has an excellent card that can play a lot of the most demanding games at good framerates, its got an excellent 120hz IPS screen with gsync, etc.
Asus makes good laptops, they consistently rate very high on durability and build quality, etc.
Let us know how it works 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
It is all working fine so far. One of the items i had questions about on the reviews on these Asus was the small power brick, but they have changed them to a 230 watt( from a 180 Watt) so that is no longer an issue.
They used to slowly lose battery power while you were gaming even plugged into the wall, that is no longer an issue at all so they do make changes as needed.
Speaking of battery though, this thing REALLY chews through the battery power off the wall. Do not expect to game or even surf for long off the power. Not an issue for us, since it is always plugged in, but just a heads up for anyone else looking.
The build quality seems pretty nice as well. No seams out of alignment or anything on the build i have an issue with at all so far.
Have not really stressed it with a game yet on what she uses it for WOW and surfing and such, it never gets even warm . She did play Black Desert a bit on her old system, but has not tried that yet with her new laptop. But i have no doubt that it will play any game out now at top settings pretty easily. Seems to be a beast so far, and the fast M2 SSD we put in is really nice.
The wifi seems to be really good as well. We used an wired hook up to download everything when we got it but she has been playing WOW and doing all her surfing on wireless, and never had a drop or any lag so far.
Maybe i am too old school:P I always like to go wired all the time, never use wireless. maybe it is just so much better now than it was long ago, that that is not an issue, like it used to be.
She is on her first trip out of town with it now, so we will see how it goes on her gaming on wifi in a hotel:) WIFI at hotels are so hit and miss, you never know how it will go.
The lap desk i got for her is http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018WNXPEE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Works really well and she likes it alot. Can go from completely folded up to standing on the legs and being more like a desk, so lots of options, and still is pretty light weight, and has a mouse area as well.
Has a fan that we have not even tried since there is no need since this thing runs really cool so far.
Not being a laptop family, so take this from that perspective, this system really is damn close to a desktop replacement if you can leave it plugged in all the time and need a this small form factor for mobility.
Of course you pay a premium for that as well. For the price of these systems you could build a exceptionally nice desktop system from scratch. But that was not an option for us so we are extremely happy right now.
Will see how the thing holds up to use and the years i expect to get out of it. That will of course be the final majority of our opinion of course.
Any other questions you have let me know. Will attempt to answer them. As of now would say A+ rating.
Really awesome review. Glad it's working great for what you guys wanted out of it.
As for the battery thing, literally no "gaming" laptop will do better than 1-2 hours (and that's really stretching it) without being plugged in. GPU's that are capable of pushing decent framerates have a much higher TDP (power usage, essentially) than GPU's that are powerful enough to do basic video stuff like youtube/hulu/Netflix, desktop usage, etc.
Either way, I'm gladdest to hear about the cooling being excellent. I know that was high on your priority list, and i'll admit I was pretty impressed with what I saw when I was doing the basic research on laptops. I really wish this thing had existed when I was buying my laptop ;-). Not that I'm unhappy with mine per se, but this one is just that much better in every area.
"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