Which Laptop?

Truvidien88

Greetings,

So I'm interested in buying my girlfriend a laptop and I'm semi terrible when it comes to this sort of thing.. I know some parts are better than others but that's about it. I was looking at this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07M9SMWMS/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza right now. It doesn't really need to be a really high end laptop but I would like it for her to run what games she wants on either max/really high settings.  Right now all she play's is FF14/ESO/League of Legends.

My other option I was looking at is this: https://www.amazon.com/HP-Performance-Flagship-i5-8300H-Bluetooth/dp/B07ML242CD/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2AFZTBM17HHL6&keywords=gaming+laptop&qid=1551577413&s=gateway&sprefix=gaming+laot,aps,158&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1 

Along with: https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-Overclockable-Aeroblade-PH315-51-78NP/dp/B07CTHLX8C/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2AFZTBM17HHL6&keywords=gaming+laptop&qid=1551577555&s=gateway&sprefix=gaming+laot,aps,158&sr=8-4

Basically want something she can use that will run her games for her. Her current setup is a desktop with a FX-6300 along with a Radeon HD 7850 and it's been showing the years.  She is deadset on having a laptop.  Any help will be thankful.  I'm trying to keep this with Amazon so I can use my prime benefit and discount code. 

Thanks!

Quizzical

As usual, it depends on what you're going to do with it.  Why does it need to be a laptop?  I realize that you said your girlfriend insists on it, but why?  Does she need the battery to last for many hours of use, or is it always going to be plugged into a wall while in use?  Does she want to actually play demanding games on it while running on battery power, or does battery life only matter for light loads like web browsing or word processing?  How often is she going to move the laptop from one location to another?

GladDog

The last one. the Acer, would be the best choice for the games you are running, and it would be a good gaming computer for the next gen of games. 

The first one isn't bad, but its gaming life is at the end.  It  would play the games you listed OK, but if she wants to go to a newer game in a year or so, the graphics card is at the end of its curve, and she will end up turning down the settings to near minimum in the next generation of games. 

The HP machine is not a good choice.  By the time you add memory and hard drive, you are spending as much as you would to buy the Acer, which has a better video card.

Sandmanjw

Last one is only one i would consider for gaming.

Be sure she understands that a "gaming laptop" will need to be plugged in for anything over like 30-45 minutes of use. So being tied to an outlet for the majority of the time is normal for gaming.

I bought my wife a Asus ROG system a year or so ago, and it is still going strong, a very nice gaming system. Though they can be quite expensive..but if someone is really going to game on a laptop, i say that you need to spend more than you would on a desktop system to get comparable systems.

gervaise1

As Quizzical says why etc. ....

However if the answer is it has to be then remember to check the manufacturer's sites e.g. hp.com as well. They don't all sell direct but some do. You might get something "better". 

vegetableoil

If it is for gaming then you need 16 G mem. 8G could works but not recommending for gaming since OS nowadays need 2G to just run the laptop and if it's window they will continue expand, graph card anything with 10 series nvidia will work for all the game, but the problems with laptop is the hard drive. ESO and FF14 combined is close to 150 G and with expansion the size will grow so you really need a big hard drive at least 1tb, SSD if you want fast loading this is quite optional.

GladDog

Sandmanjw said:

Last one is only one i would consider for gaming.

Be sure she understands that a "gaming laptop" will need to be plugged in for anything over like 30-45 minutes of use. So being tied to an outlet for the majority of the time is normal for gaming.

I bought my wife a Asus ROG system a year or so ago, and it is still going strong, a very nice gaming system. Though they can be quite expensive..but if someone is really going to game on a laptop, i say that you need to spend more than you would on a desktop system to get comparable systems.

Actually, modern laptops do pretty well on power.  I have almost exactly the same laptop (mine is a 17.3" and it has a 7th gen i7) as the Acer that was listed, and it will do about 4 hours non-gaming, and about 1.5 hours gaming.  If you are not using a game, it uses the intel HD620 video, which is a lot easier on power.  But if you turn down a few graphics settings, such as distance rendering, 1.5 hours on a charge is not a stretch.

Truvidien88

She mostly wants it because we're on the road traveling often and she would love to bring it with her so she could play games with. Which I don't blame her. She knows about the battery life and being mostly sitting at a wall having it plugged up most of the time. Other than gaming she plays those "sims" games? Sorta like browser games?  www.gonemushing.com is what I'm trying to describe basically. 

GladDog

Truvidien88 said:

She mostly wants it because we're on the road traveling often and she would love to bring it with her so she could play games with. Which I don't blame her. She knows about the battery life and being mostly sitting at a wall having it plugged up most of the time. Other than gaming she plays those "sims" games? Sorta like browser games?  www.gonemushing.com is what I'm trying to describe basically. 

I bought a spare power cord and a cheap cordless mouse which is in the backpack I stow my laptop in when I travel.  But most of the time it is attached to a dock with a monitor, USB 5.1 sound card hooked to a Logitech G906 speaker set and a wired gaming keyboard & mouse.

Truvidien88

So the third option far as my options go would be the best choice for me? @GladDog She could always bring her mouse with her that she has so that shouldn't be a issue. 

Quizzical

Truvidien88 said:

So the third option far as my options go would be the best choice for me? @GladDog She could always bring her mouse with her that she has so that shouldn't be a issue. 

Basically, you listed two $700 laptops and a $1000 laptop.  People told you that the $1000 laptop is faster than the $700 ones.  Well yes, it is.  But whether it's a more sensible purchase depends on your budget.  There's also the question of why you limited the comparison to those three.

Truvidien88

Quizzical said:

Truvidien88 said:

So the third option far as my options go would be the best choice for me? @GladDog She could always bring her mouse with her that she has so that shouldn't be a issue. 

Basically, you listed two $700 laptops and a $1000 laptop.  People told you that the $1000 laptop is faster than the $700 ones.  Well yes, it is.  But whether it's a more sensible purchase depends on your budget.  There's also the question of why you limited the comparison to those three.

Yeah that's true. I'm just browsing around and seeing which would be the best fit for her. If I could save a few hundred dollars by purchasing one that cost less that would run the games she wants I would do so. I'm not opposed to buying a $1000 laptop either. 

bonzoso21

I would definitely keep shopping other models. You mentioned playing on max or very high settings but didn't mention what frame rates she considers good enough. While it's an NVME drive and will be fast and responsive, that last laptop appears to only have 256GB of storage, which will be full pretty much immediately with Windows and a couple MMOs on it. Look for one that has both an SSD and a HDD. Also, it has an i7 which really isn't necessary for gaming and general browsing, so you could consider "downgrading" the processor to an i5 and maybe get the graphics card bumped up another notch from a 1060M to a 1070M, which would have a more significant impact on gaming performance.

ChildoftheShadows

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-15-Quad-Core-Thunderbolt/dp/B0794BZJDJ

Here's one more in the middle in price. Can find it for $799 and it has an open hdd slot and an open memory slot, both are easy to upgrade even if you've never touched the inside of a computer before - hardest part, knowing which to get.

Do more research. Watch some youtube videos to get an idea of what you might want. Dave Lee reviews a lot of laptops so might be a good place to watch. Bottom line, don't get your information from one source.

Quizzical

ChildoftheShadows said:

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-15-Quad-Core-Thunderbolt/dp/B0794BZJDJ

Here's one more in the middle in price. Can find it for $799 and it has an open hdd slot and an open memory slot, both are easy to upgrade even if you've never touched the inside of a computer before - hardest part, knowing which to get.

Do more research. Watch some youtube videos to get an idea of what you might want. Dave Lee reviews a lot of laptops so might be a good place to watch. Bottom line, don't get your information from one source.

By the time you upgrade it, it might well be a $1000 laptop inferior to the one linked in the original post.

GladDog

Truvidien88 said:

So the third option far as my options go would be the best choice for me? @GladDog She could always bring her mouse with her that she has so that shouldn't be a issue. 

I would get that Acer.  I bought an Acer with a core2duo for my wife.  It went 11 years before it broke to the point I could not fix it - she broke the screen hinge.  I bought an Acer gaming laptop in 2010 that I loved.  It was still handling the games I play up until I traded it to a friend last year.  I replaced it with another Acer, one that is very similar to the third unit you picked.  It games well, runs quietly (although that is more likely because I run it on a cooling pad).  The Acer you picked only has a 256GB SSD, but thats enough for Win10, Office, the three games you listed and probably 1-2 more games + apps.  You can add a 1TB HDD for under $60.  It isn't the easiest thing to get to the HDD bay, but I have definitely had a harder time getting into a laptop.  I opened mine to upgrade the 256GB SSD to a 1TB SSD, since mine already came with a 1TB HDD.  The HDD has my backup data and a whole bunch of superhero cartoons and anime.

BTW, the laptop I replaced my wife's laptop with was a Dell.  It went 3 months beyond the warrantee and died the death.  So now she has a nice used Toshiba that she really likes.  When I replace that it will be with an Acer.

Another BTW, the HP listed is not $699.  It is $699 + memory and + hard drive.  With 16GB of RAM and a 1TB HDD, it was $899, and you would still probably want to add an SSD - a 512GB unit is about $75.  The SSD options they listed to 'include' in the HP were too expensive IMO.  And with all of that, the video card on the Acer is clearly better.  So $974 for the HP, or $1060 for the Acer with a better video card.  I would definitely choose the Acer over the own-3-years-and-then-it-blows-up HP.

ChildoftheShadows

Quizzical said:

ChildoftheShadows said:

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-15-Quad-Core-Thunderbolt/dp/B0794BZJDJ

Here's one more in the middle in price. Can find it for $799 and it has an open hdd slot and an open memory slot, both are easy to upgrade even if you've never touched the inside of a computer before - hardest part, knowing which to get.

Do more research. Watch some youtube videos to get an idea of what you might want. Dave Lee reviews a lot of laptops so might be a good place to watch. Bottom line, don't get your information from one source.

By the time you upgrade it, it might well be a $1000 laptop inferior to the one linked in the original post.

Yeah and he could spend the $ to upgrade it later or buy a different one for $1200. It’s a never ending cycle with PCs. 

Kyleran

While the last one on the OP's list is the "best" of the bunch, none of those can be considered a "gaming" laptop.

This is an example of an actual gaming laptop, comes from Sager who makes terrific "notebooks", because quite honestly, the heat from most of these will burn the heck outta your lap.  (I keep mine on a plastic/rubber coated cutting board and no longer am interested in having children)

https://www.sagernotebook.com/Notebook-NP9176-G3.html

ChildoftheShadows

Kyleran said:

While the last one on the OP's list is the "best" of the bunch, none of those can be considered a "gaming" laptop.

This is an example of an actual gaming laptop, comes from Sager who makes terrific "notebooks", because quite honestly, the heat from most of these will burn the heck outta your lap.  (I keep mine on a plastic/rubber coated cutting board and no longer am interested in having children)

https://www.sagernotebook.com/Notebook-NP9176-G3.html

I don't have experience with Sager, but I own an Origin which uses the same generic cases. Mines older so it has the i7 7700k and a gtx 1060, 32g ram. It gets hot. It's heavy AF. For the price in this day and age I'd probably look into the MSI stealth series. Just my personal experience/opinion here, but I wont be getting another desktop CPU in a laptop again. just my 2c.

Wizardry

Something i never thought of when i bought my gaming laptop was the HEAT factor.Laptops tend to run really hot and when they do they tend to run at lower setting although you can force it to run on full throttle no matter what.I noticed when on full the battery was being depleted at an incredible pace,like 2 hours tops and was dead.

IMO Laptaps are not good value,i really knew that before my purchase but this stop by in life has reminded me i'll never buy another laptop.So now i am thinking about a new PC,besides the small screen of a laptop is sort of painful to use,i need my 32 inch screen.

NorseGod

Don't get any Dell, I can tell you that much.

Vrika

Truvidien88 said:

She mostly wants it because we're on the road traveling often and she would love to bring it with her so she could play games with. Which I don't blame her. She knows about the battery life and being mostly sitting at a wall having it plugged up most of the time. Other than gaming she plays those "sims" games? Sorta like browser games?  www.gonemushing.com is what I'm trying to describe basically. 

If she plays a lot browser games and games like that, she should consider whether she'd be happy with an android tablet + a gaming desktop at home.

A good sized tablet (something like 10 inch) is good enough for playing games, it's a lot easier to carry, and offers true portability because you don't need to plug it in.

Also buying a separate tablet and a gaming desktop at home isn't any more expensive than buying a gaming laptop. It's not any cheaper, but the portability in laptop costs enough that buying two separate devices isn't more expensive than a gaming laptop.


But it's about personal preference whether she'd be okay playing just the mobile games and browser games while she's traveling, or whether she needs to have a laptop and access to PC games all the time.

Kyleran

Wizardry said:

Something i never thought of when i bought my gaming laptop was the HEAT factor.Laptops tend to run really hot and when they do they tend to run at lower setting although you can force it to run on full throttle no matter what.I noticed when on full the battery was being depleted at an incredible pace,like 2 hours tops and was dead.

IMO Laptaps are not good value,i really knew that before my purchase but this stop by in life has reminded me i'll never buy another laptop.So now i am thinking about a new PC,besides the small screen of a laptop is sort of painful to use,i need my 32 inch screen.

32 inch monitor would block my view of the TV and prevent me from watching Netflix.

Kyleran

ChildoftheShadows said:

Quizzical said:

ChildoftheShadows said:

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-15-Quad-Core-Thunderbolt/dp/B0794BZJDJ

Here's one more in the middle in price. Can find it for $799 and it has an open hdd slot and an open memory slot, both are easy to upgrade even if you've never touched the inside of a computer before - hardest part, knowing which to get.

Do more research. Watch some youtube videos to get an idea of what you might want. Dave Lee reviews a lot of laptops so might be a good place to watch. Bottom line, don't get your information from one source.

By the time you upgrade it, it might well be a $1000 laptop inferior to the one linked in the original post.

Yeah and he could spend the $ to upgrade it later or buy a different one for $1200. It’s a never ending cycle with PCs. 

That used to be true. My Sager Notebook is 4.5 yrs old and I still haven't run into  a PC game I've wanted to play which it can't handle except for Windows 10 exclusives as I stick with Win 7.

I realize the day is coming, but sadly since most games have to support running on the computer equivalent of a smart toaster to reach "the common player" they really haven't been pushing the limits of what a high end gaming PC can deliver.

BobVa

Quizzical said:

As usual, it depends on what you're going to do with it.  Why does it need to be a laptop?  I realize that you said your girlfriend insists on it, but why?  Does she need the battery to last for many hours of use, or is it always going to be plugged into a wall while in use?  Does she want to actually play demanding games on it while running on battery power, or does battery life only matter for light loads like web browsing or word processing?  How often is she going to move the laptop from one location to another?

Don't mind this guy. He clearly missed "Right now all she play's is FF14/ESO/League of Legends." He asks some .. questions, like you are going to buy a nuclear bomb or something.

Anyway, the Acer Predator is your best bet from the ones you linked, as is pretty good for FF14 , ESO and LoL. However, it seems it has heating problems, which I mostly hate very much on laptops ( some of them at least ). 

But, for 1k$ , that's pretty O.K. 

gervaise1

From those listed you seem to be looking at 15 inch monitor. Which makes sense since 17 inch models tend to be somewhat bulky. Is 15 inches needed though for on the road use? Its one thing to use a laptop on a desk its quite another to use it on your lap! when even 15 inches is somewhat large.  

The 1st and 3rd that you list have M2.NVMe. Clear benefits: lighter, smaller, more power efficient and it will be cooler overall etc. No reason to consider HDDs or even an SSD imo. 512Gb - if needed - can be had for not much more.