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Gaming Laptop

e_paquine_paquin Member UncommonPosts: 7
in Hardware

Hey guys,  I want to change my laptop for a new one and I am willing to pay around $1,500.  As of today, I'm hesitant between these two :

http://www.dell.com/ca/p/alienware-17/pd.aspx (cheaper one)

http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=84159&vpn=GT70%202OC-008US&manufacture=MSI&promoid=1029

I know that some of you have great knowledge of computer so I'd like to have your opinion or take new suggestions.

Note that I do need a laptop and I will use it mostly for gaming.

Thanks for your time!

 

Comments

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,351

    Two things:

    1)  Why do you need a gaming laptop?  There are some people with a legitimate need for them, but not very many.  How often are you going to pick up the laptop and move it somewhere else?  Where are you going to play games on it (home, school, work, travel, etc.) and how often?

    2)  Both of those are Canadian sites.  Does that mean you're in Canada, your budget is in Canadian dollars, and you need a site that will ship to Canada?

  • DarkHighDarkHigh Member UncommonPosts: 157

    Hello there! 

     

    I would highly recommend the lenovo y510p. It's under your budget has an i7 16gigs of ram and dual 750m video cards. It's a little heavy but performs better than the msi you listed. I recently purchased two of these and they are great, a little heavy and you need to have power available to get the most out of the device because of the dual video power requirements. 

    If you will be working on it in the day and playing on it at night where you can plug it in this is an amazing laptop. That's what I use mine for. 

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834313585

     

    Here is GW2 settings when playing on my TV using the y510p.

    image

  • e_paquine_paquin Member UncommonPosts: 7
    Originally posted by Quizzical

    Two things:

    1)  Why do you need a gaming laptop?  There are some people with a legitimate need for them, but not very many.  How often are you going to pick up the laptop and move it somewhere else?  Where are you going to play games on it (home, school, work, travel, etc.) and how often?

    2)  Both of those are Canadian sites.  Does that mean you're in Canada, your budget is in Canadian dollars, and you need a site that will ship to Canada?

    1) I need a gaming laptop because I'm often away from home ( I would say 7-10 days per month).   

    2) Yes I'm Canadian and I would need a site that ship to Canada.  But as I receive suggestion of laptop, I can find the site.  As for the budget, US$1,500 is ok for me.

    Thanks!

    Edit: I would also add that the battery life is not something important to me since it's always plugged in.

  • e_paquine_paquin Member UncommonPosts: 7
    Originally posted by darkhigh

    Hello there! 

     

    I would highly recommend the lenovo y510p. It's under your budget has an i7 16gigs of ram and dual 750m video cards. It's a little heavy but performs better than the msi you listed. I recently purchased two of these and they are great, a little heavy and you need to have power available to get the most out of the device because of the dual video power requirements. 

    If you will be working on it in the day and playing on it at night where you can plug it in this is an amazing laptop. That's what I use mine for. 

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834313585

     

    Here is GW2 settings when playing on my TV using the y510p.

    image

    Looks interesting.  Do you know if it's available with a 17 inches screen?

    I'll do some research about this.

  • DarkHighDarkHigh Member UncommonPosts: 157
    The gaming version only goes up to 15". There is a 17" ideapad but it has an HD4300 series video card in it. Def. not for gaming.
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,351
    Originally posted by e_paquin
    Originally posted by Quizzical

    Two things:

    1)  Why do you need a gaming laptop?  There are some people with a legitimate need for them, but not very many.  How often are you going to pick up the laptop and move it somewhere else?  Where are you going to play games on it (home, school, work, travel, etc.) and how often?

    2)  Both of those are Canadian sites.  Does that mean you're in Canada, your budget is in Canadian dollars, and you need a site that will ship to Canada?

    1) I need a gaming laptop because I'm often away from home ( I would say 7-10 days per month).   

    2) Yes I'm Canadian and I would need a site that ship to Canada.  But as I receive suggestion of laptop, I can find the site.  As for the budget, US$1,500 is ok for me.

    Thanks!

    Edit: I would also add that the battery life is not something important to me since it's always plugged in.

    Which laptop makes sense for you depends tremendously on what you're going to do with it.  You don't want to buy a laptop that would make a ton of sense for someone else but doesn't meet your needs at all.

    Is it only going to be used from hotel rooms?  A dorm room?  On trains or planes?

    Will you only transport it by putting it in a suitcase?  Will you carry it around in a backpack every day?

    How often will you move it?  Are you going to take it somewhere and bring it back home every day?  Or will you move it once and then leave it somewhere for a week or two before you move it again?

    Is the laptop always going to be sitting on a flat desk with proper ventilation?  Are you going to use the laptop on all sorts of weird surfaces?  Do you have ideas about playing games with the laptop actually sitting on your lap?

    That the battery life doesn't matter is useful to know.

  • e_paquine_paquin Member UncommonPosts: 7
    Originally posted by Quizzical
    Originally posted by e_paquin
    Originally posted by Quizzical

    Two things:

    1)  Why do you need a gaming laptop?  There are some people with a legitimate need for them, but not very many.  How often are you going to pick up the laptop and move it somewhere else?  Where are you going to play games on it (home, school, work, travel, etc.) and how often?

    2)  Both of those are Canadian sites.  Does that mean you're in Canada, your budget is in Canadian dollars, and you need a site that will ship to Canada?

    1) I need a gaming laptop because I'm often away from home ( I would say 7-10 days per month).   

    2) Yes I'm Canadian and I would need a site that ship to Canada.  But as I receive suggestion of laptop, I can find the site.  As for the budget, US$1,500 is ok for me.

    Thanks!

    Edit: I would also add that the battery life is not something important to me since it's always plugged in.

    Which laptop makes sense for you depends tremendously on what you're going to do with it.  You don't want to buy a laptop that would make a ton of sense for someone else but doesn't meet your needs at all.

    Is it only going to be used from hotel rooms?  A dorm room?  On trains or planes?

    Will you only transport it by putting it in a suitcase?  Will you carry it around in a backpack every day?

    How often will you move it?  Are you going to take it somewhere and bring it back home every day?  Or will you move it once and then leave it somewhere for a week or two before you move it again?

    Is the laptop always going to be sitting on a flat desk with proper ventilation?  Are you going to use the laptop on all sorts of weird surfaces?  Do you have ideas about playing games with the laptop actually sitting on your lap?

    That the battery life doesn't matter is useful to know.

    Most of the time, I use my laptop from hotel rooms.  I carry it in a suitcase and leave it at the hotel for a couple days (3-5) before moving it again (so weight is not a factor).

    I usually put it on a desk or use a lap desk.  I never use it on an irregular surface.

    I use it for playing games 90% of the time and the other 10% is to check email and to lurk on mmorpg.com :).  I don't use it for work as my employer is providing me one for that.

    I would also prefer a 17 inches screen.  

     

     

  • SephrosSephros Member UncommonPosts: 429
    Way to make this way to complicated. Lol.

    Error: No Keyboard Detected!
    Press F1 to continue......

  • Whiplash931Whiplash931 Member Posts: 36

    http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7358164&CatId=7669

     

    Solid gaming laptop in your price range

  • Sho0terMcgavinSho0terMcgavin Member UncommonPosts: 301

    Take a look at sager laptops.  I've had 3 and never had one issue.

     

     

    http://www.sagernotebook.com/

    image
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,351

    If you're going to leave the laptop in a hotel room for 3-5 days at a time, you could consider getting a highly portable desktop instead.  That will get you much better performance for cheaper, along with much more reliability.  For example, build something for a case like this:

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163187&Tpk=Silverstone%20SG08

    In case inches don't mean anything to you, that's about 35 cm x 22 cm x 19 cm.  It's not as convenient to move as a laptop, but it will be a lot nicer when you're actually using it.

    If you don't like that idea, then try this:

    http://www.xoticpc.com/force-msi-1763-22002-770m-msi-gt70-barebones-p-5816.html?wconfigure=yes

    Select the Black Friday special, pick which free game you want, switch the hard drive to a 120 GB Samsung 840 Evo, and if you need more capacity than that, add a 1 TB hard drive as the second drive option.  Pick Windows 7 or 8 as you prefer, but don't leave it at no OS.

    If you'd rather stay strictly inside the budget, then try this:

    http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np7370-clevo-w370st-p-5841.html?wconfigure=yes

    Switch the CPU to a Core i7-4700MQ, change the storage as before, add an OS as before, and you come in substantially under budget.

    And yes, they do ship to Canada, though it costs extra for that.

  • e_paquine_paquin Member UncommonPosts: 7
    Originally posted by Quizzical

    If you're going to leave the laptop in a hotel room for 3-5 days at a time, you could consider getting a highly portable desktop instead.  That will get you much better performance for cheaper, along with much more reliability.  For example, build something for a case like this:

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163187&Tpk=Silverstone%20SG08

    In case inches don't mean anything to you, that's about 35 cm x 22 cm x 19 cm.  It's not as convenient to move as a laptop, but it will be a lot nicer when you're actually using it.

     

    I actually like this idea a lot.  I could use the TV as the screen.  If you're willing to give me some more time, I'd like to know more about this option.  I've build a PC once, which was easier than I thought it would, but someone had chosen the components for me.  What components would you put in it?  Do I have to look at the same components as if I was building a Desktop (cause I don't see everything fitting in that small box!!)?

    And is it louder than a laptop?  Just wondering.

    And thank you for your input guys  I appreciate it!

    PS: Quizz, You can PM me if you prefer.

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,351

    You use ordinary desktop parts, as it is a real desktop, but there are some peculiar considerations.  You need a small CPU cooler in order for it to physically fit.  You need a GPU with a two-slot cooler, and preferably external exhaust, as a three slot cooler won't fit.  You need a half-height optical drive rather than full height.  You use the power supply built into the case, as it's a custom form factor to fit the case neatly.  You use a Mini ITX motherboard, rather than Micro ATX or full size ATX.

    But it's likely that it will, on net, be quieter than a gaming laptop.  A desktop lets you use big fans run slowly to get a lot of airflow without a lot of noise.  A laptop forces you to use small fans, and then has to run them fast to get enough airflow.  Laptop airflow is also very restricted by the form factor, and gaming laptops are fundamentally a proposition of putting too much heat into too little space.

    For example, something like this would work for you:

    http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163187

    http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128615

    http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820313355

    http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130938

    http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=87693&vpn=ST240HM000&manufacture=Seagate&promoid=1029

    http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=88851&vpn=SN%2D208DB%2FBEBET&manufacture=Samsung

    http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=91219&vpn=WN7%2D00615&manufacture=Microsoft&promoid=1029

    http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=81328&vpn=BX80646I54670&manufacture=Others&promoid=1029

    That's much faster than any laptop listed on this page, while costing about $1200.  I included a 240 GB SSD but no hard drive; if you need more capacity than that, then add a hard drive, but be warned that hard drives aren't fond of being jostled around.

    I realize that the optical drive is out of stock; New Egg is out of stock on the same item and that's the one you want.  You might be able to find it on some other Canadian e-tailer, but I didn't check.  For some strange reason, other slim optical drives cost a lot more.

    For the video card, I wouldn't really go any higher end than that.  A small case limits your ability to dissipate heat as well as you could with a mid-tower case that had several case fans.  I also picked a non-overclockable CPU, as overclocking in a Mini ITX form factor isn't the best idea.

  • e_paquine_paquin Member UncommonPosts: 7
    Originally posted by Quizzical

     

    For the video card, I wouldn't really go any higher end than that.  A small case limits your ability to dissipate heat as well as you could with a mid-tower case that had several case fans. 

    Last question: Does that mean that it cannot be upgraded later on?

    Thank you, I really appreciate that you took the time to send me all this info.

    Going to order this now ! :) 

  • jdnewelljdnewell Member UncommonPosts: 2,237
    Originally posted by e_paquin
    Originally posted by Quizzical

     

    For the video card, I wouldn't really go any higher end than that.  A small case limits your ability to dissipate heat as well as you could with a mid-tower case that had several case fans. 

    Last question: Does that mean that it cannot be upgraded later on?

    Thank you, I really appreciate that you took the time to send me all this info.

    Going to order this now ! :) 

    You can upgrade it later on. You will just have to pick a card that has similar cooling which exhausts out of the case and one that does not generate a ton of heat.

    You will be somewhat limited in choice, but no more than you are today.

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

     

    For the video card, I wouldn't really go any higher end than that.  A small case limits your ability to dissipate heat as well as you could with a mid-tower case that had several case fans. 

    Last question: Does that mean that it cannot be upgraded later on?

    Thank you, I really appreciate that you took the time to send me all this info.

    Going to order this now ! :) 

    You'll be able to upgrade your video card in the future just fine.  You just have to be careful about which card you get for the upgrade.

    Many higher end video cards put two big fans on the card and spray heat off in every which direction.  That's the most efficient way to cool the card in a big case with a lot of fans.  But you're not getting a big case with a lot of fans; you're getting a small case with only one case fan--and that one is designed mostly to get heat off of the CPU.  So you don't want to spray heat in every which direction.

    There are external exhaust cards such as the one that I linked for you, and those mostly send the video card's heat out the back of the card--and hence right out of the case.  But some external exhaust cards don't do a very good job of cooling the card.  Furthermore, you can't really dissipate as much heat efficiently with an external exhaust card, which limits how much heat you can dissipate safely.  For you, performance per watt will be a big deal.

    The faster cards than a GeForce GTX 760 in the current lineups have a variety of problems.  The Radeon R9 290X and R9 290 have bad coolers that struggle to keep the cards cool even in cases with a lot of airlow, and there aren't better aftermarket coolers available yet.  The Radeon R9 280X is based on an inefficient GPU chip.  The GeForce GTX 770 pushes the GPU chip about as hard as it can go, which hurts efficiency.  The GeForce GTX 780 Ti just puts out too much heat for a simple external exhaust setup.  The GeForce GTX Titan would work nicely, but it costs $1000.  A good external exhaust version of a GeForce GTX 780 might be all right if the card exists, but that's $500.

    In a few years, there will new process nodes that can deliver the same performance with half the power usage.  Or equivalently, they'll be able to offer double the performance for the same power usage.  By conservation of energy, power used = heat output.  That will let you double your performance without being problematic on heat.  But that's a few years away, so you can't buy it today.

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

    Two things:

    1)  Why do you need a gaming laptop?  There are some people with a legitimate need for them, but not very many.  How often are you going to pick up the laptop and move it somewhere else?  Where are you going to play games on it (home, school, work, travel, etc.) and how often?

    2)  Both of those are Canadian sites.  Does that mean you're in Canada, your budget is in Canadian dollars, and you need a site that will ship to Canada?

    1) I need a gaming laptop because I'm often away from home ( I would say 7-10 days per month).   

    2) Yes I'm Canadian and I would need a site that ship to Canada.  But as I receive suggestion of laptop, I can find the site.  As for the budget, US$1,500 is ok for me.

    Thanks!

    Edit: I would also add that the battery life is not something important to me since it's always plugged in.

    Which laptop makes sense for you depends tremendously on what you're going to do with it.  You don't want to buy a laptop that would make a ton of sense for someone else but doesn't meet your needs at all.

    Is it only going to be used from hotel rooms?  A dorm room?  On trains or planes?

    Will you only transport it by putting it in a suitcase?  Will you carry it around in a backpack every day?

    How often will you move it?  Are you going to take it somewhere and bring it back home every day?  Or will you move it once and then leave it somewhere for a week or two before you move it again?

    Is the laptop always going to be sitting on a flat desk with proper ventilation?  Are you going to use the laptop on all sorts of weird surfaces?  Do you have ideas about playing games with the laptop actually sitting on your lap?

    That the battery life doesn't matter is useful to know.

    Most of the time, I use my laptop from hotel rooms.  1) I carry it in a suitcase and leave it at the hotel for a couple days (3-5) before moving it again (so weight is not a factor).

    I usually put it on a desk or use a lap desk.  I never use it on an irregular surface.

    I use it for playing games 90% of the time and the other 10% is to check email and to lurk on mmorpg.com :).  2) I don't use it for work as my employer is providing me one for that.

    I would also prefer a 17 inches screen.  

    1) I'm assuming you are carrying this laptop in a bag that you are bringing on the plane with you. (because here in the states they do not let you store them in checked baggage)

    2) Another rule I ran into earlier this year, only one laptop permitted per passenger, pretty sure this was a TSA rule.

     

    "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






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

     

    For the video card, I wouldn't really go any higher end than that.  A small case limits your ability to dissipate heat as well as you could with a mid-tower case that had several case fans. 

    Last question: Does that mean that it cannot be upgraded later on?

    Thank you, I really appreciate that you took the time to send me all this info.

    Going to order this now ! :) 

    One final point, hopefully before you order it.  Generally speaking any computer you bring through airport  checkpoints you have to be able to turn it on and show it working if they ask you to.

    If this box you build has no monitor, you may not be able to do so and then you are basically carrying a small metal box with lots of computer parts in it....would make the TSA jumpy here and likely they would not let you take it.

     

    "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






  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383

    Originally posted by Kyleran
    One final point, hopefully before you order it.  Generally speaking any computer you bring through airport  checkpoints you have to be able to turn it on and show it working if they ask you to.If this box you build has no monitor, you may not be able to do so and then you are basically carrying a small metal box with lots of computer parts in it....would make the TSA jumpy here and likely they would not let you take it. 

    I don't think this is true.

    First off, they don't want you to check anything valuable or fragile, so it is correct to assume that you will be carrying this thing on and off the plane - so it needs to fit inside of carryon baggage, you will have to take it out for X-Ray, and you will have to be lugging it around during layovers.

    But they aren't going to jump on it and call it a bomb just because it doesn't have a screen attached and you can't turn it on while in line. They let consoles and other devices through all the time, and while occasionally they will ask someone to turn on their laptop, that is the exception and not the rule. They see electronic devices all the time that can't necessarily be turned on right there in line, sure they may ask a few more questions but they won't re-route you to Guantanamo.

    I would be more concerned about having to carry it around in carry on luggage than I would TSA. Even SFF it's still gonna be plenty large and weighty, compared to a laptop, and not every hotel has a TV with an accessible HDMI input you can use.

    http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/how-get-through-line-faster

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,351

    I've put a desktop in checked bags when flying on several occasions.  (This was for when I was going to be somewhere for months at a time, not just a few days.)  And that was a normal-sized desktop, complete with a CRT monitor.

    A small form factor desktop would readily fit in a backpack or carry-on suitcase.  I don't know how common it is for hotel TVs to have an HDMI port; you may want to bring your own monitor sometimes.  And you'll need a keyboard and mouse, of course, though you'd likely want those for a gaming laptop, too, and may already have them.

  • e_paquine_paquin Member UncommonPosts: 7
    Originally posted by Kyleran
    Originally posted by e_paquin
    Originally posted by Quizzical
    Originally posted by e_paquin
    Originally posted by Quizzical

    Two things:

    1)  Why do you need a gaming laptop?  There are some people with a legitimate need for them, but not very many.  How often are you going to pick up the laptop and move it somewhere else?  Where are you going to play games on it (home, school, work, travel, etc.) and how often?

    2)  Both of those are Canadian sites.  Does that mean you're in Canada, your budget is in Canadian dollars, and you need a site that will ship to Canada?

    1) I need a gaming laptop because I'm often away from home ( I would say 7-10 days per month).   

    2) Yes I'm Canadian and I would need a site that ship to Canada.  But as I receive suggestion of laptop, I can find the site.  As for the budget, US$1,500 is ok for me.

    Thanks!

    Edit: I would also add that the battery life is not something important to me since it's always plugged in.

    Which laptop makes sense for you depends tremendously on what you're going to do with it.  You don't want to buy a laptop that would make a ton of sense for someone else but doesn't meet your needs at all.

    Is it only going to be used from hotel rooms?  A dorm room?  On trains or planes?

    Will you only transport it by putting it in a suitcase?  Will you carry it around in a backpack every day?

    How often will you move it?  Are you going to take it somewhere and bring it back home every day?  Or will you move it once and then leave it somewhere for a week or two before you move it again?

    Is the laptop always going to be sitting on a flat desk with proper ventilation?  Are you going to use the laptop on all sorts of weird surfaces?  Do you have ideas about playing games with the laptop actually sitting on your lap?

    That the battery life doesn't matter is useful to know.

    Most of the time, I use my laptop from hotel rooms.  1) I carry it in a suitcase and leave it at the hotel for a couple days (3-5) before moving it again (so weight is not a factor).

    I usually put it on a desk or use a lap desk.  I never use it on an irregular surface.

    I use it for playing games 90% of the time and the other 10% is to check email and to lurk on mmorpg.com :).  2) I don't use it for work as my employer is providing me one for that.

    I would also prefer a 17 inches screen.  

    1) I'm assuming you are carrying this laptop in a bag that you are bringing on the plane with you. (because here in the states they do not let you store them in checked baggage)

    2) Another rule I ran into earlier this year, only one laptop permitted per passenger, pretty sure this was a TSA rule.

     

    Luckily, I usually use my car, so I'm fine!

    Edit: I still think that a laptop would be more convenient, but I really like that I can get much more performance with the "mini desktop" and it won't be too difficult to carry.  I didn't even knew it existed (yeah I'm a bit ignorant when it comes to hardware!) . 

  • Romulan78Romulan78 Member UncommonPosts: 99
    I highly recommend buying a Maingear Laptop. I recently purchased one and it runs everything amazing. Here is my review on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogzW-V9-U1I
  • DarkHighDarkHigh Member UncommonPosts: 157
    Originally posted by Whiplash931

    http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7358164&CatId=7669

     

    Solid gaming laptop in your price range

     

    it is 17" but it is $200 more than the lenovo and half the performance

  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383

    Originally posted by Quizzical
    I've put a desktop in checked bags when flying on several occasions.  (This was for when I was going to be somewhere for months at a time, not just a few days.)  And that was a normal-sized desktop, complete with a CRT monitor.A small form factor desktop would readily fit in a backpack or carry-on suitcase.  I don't know how common it is for hotel TVs to have an HDMI port; you may want to bring your own monitor sometimes.  And you'll need a keyboard and mouse, of course, though you'd likely want those for a gaming laptop, too, and may already have them.

    They will let you check just about anything (so long as it isn't on the no-fly list).

    The problem is, the gorillas in the back that throw the luggage around. That's why they recommend nothing fragile; it's not that they care you have a computer, it's the likelihood of that computer working again once it comes down the luggage shoot. Travel once or twice a year - ok you can probably package it well enough to survive one trip. If your traveling often, then that's a big chance to take no matter how well you can package it. And there is the chance of theft - you have a nice pelican case for it, it may be near indestructible, but what if someone else just picks up your nice pelican case from the turnstyle and walks off with it, or some gorilla in the back opens it up to take a peek and decides to help themselves...

    Plus, now there's the added checked bag fee - $25 (or more) every time you travel if you check it. There are some ways around that if you fly often enough though.

    Is it possible? Sure. But once the practicality of traveling with it often enough starts to set in, I think laptop is probably more the way to go too.

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