Thanks to recent advances in power consumption, new laptops actually have very capable graphics chips. The mobile-class chips aren't nearly as powered-down as, say, the 7xx generation chips.
I haven't looked in a while, but I'd suspect you can get a 960M chip in a sub-$700 laptop now.
You may also want to check out websites like http://www.notebookcheck.net to get an idea of what's current and/or what's coming.
Sweet. I would like to buy one in time for PAX, so the "what's coming" isn't very useful to me. I guess it comes down to if I want to get one with a 900 series card or a 1000 series one. It looks like 1050M isn't too much more expensive than 960M. Hmm...
Dell has some laptops with 1050 Ti available.
ASUS too. I've been happy with my G752 with a 970M.
Of course they released the newer ones like a week after I bought mine, but at least they were more expensive so didn't hurt quite as much.
Are they available yet? I haven't found any of the ASUS ones. Well, not in the sub to 1k range anyway.
Ended up going to Best Buy and picking up this thing. It mostly seems solid, but I'm a little worried about the processor. Do you think I should return it and pick up something else? Any way I can order one online and get it before PAX South?
Thanks to recent advances in power consumption, new laptops actually have very capable graphics chips. The mobile-class chips aren't nearly as powered-down as, say, the 7xx generation chips.
I haven't looked in a while, but I'd suspect you can get a 960M chip in a sub-$700 laptop now.
You may also want to check out websites like http://www.notebookcheck.net to get an idea of what's current and/or what's coming.
Sweet. I would like to buy one in time for PAX, so the "what's coming" isn't very useful to me. I guess it comes down to if I want to get one with a 900 series card or a 1000 series one. It looks like 1050M isn't too much more expensive than 960M. Hmm...
Dell has some laptops with 1050 Ti available.
ASUS too. I've been happy with my G752 with a 970M.
Of course they released the newer ones like a week after I bought mine, but at least they were more expensive so didn't hurt quite as much.
Are they available yet? I haven't found any of the ASUS ones. Well, not in the sub to 1k range anyway.
Sorry, I was thinking of the monster 1070s for like $2300. They do have a 753VE for $1300 with a 1050Ti.
Ended up going to Best Buy and picking up this thing. It mostly seems solid, but I'm a little worried about the processor. Do you think I should return it and pick up something else? Any way I can order one online and get it before PAX South?
What's your specific worry? I haven't heard anything bad about that line, and i7 can handle anything you throw at it. (I usually go i5)
Ended up going to Best Buy and picking up this thing. It mostly seems solid, but I'm a little worried about the processor. Do you think I should return it and pick up something else? Any way I can order one online and get it before PAX South?
What's your specific worry? I haven't heard anything bad about that line, and i7 can handle anything you throw at it. (I usually go i5)
Well, most of the laptops that have a graphics card worth a damn usually have an i7 (I have an i5 in my desktop, but I built that). My worry is that the processor is a tad older than the 7th generation stuff, and I'm worried it might not last me as long as something else available now at a similar pricepoint.
Ended up going to Best Buy and picking up this thing. It mostly seems solid, but I'm a little worried about the processor. Do you think I should return it and pick up something else? Any way I can order one online and get it before PAX South?
What's your specific worry? I haven't heard anything bad about that line, and i7 can handle anything you throw at it. (I usually go i5)
Well, most of the laptops that have a graphics card worth a damn usually have an i7 (I have an i5 in my desktop, but I built that). My worry is that the processor is a tad older than the 7th generation stuff, and I'm worried it might not last me as long as something else available now at a similar pricepoint.
Unless you're doing something incredibly CPU intensive, you'll be fine or a while. I'm using an i5 from a couple of generations ago, and it compiles code just fine. CPU-heavy games also run fine. It could stand to be faster for video encoding, but that taxes even my newer desktop CPU.
Newer CPUs might be more portable by drawing less power, but that doesn't sound like your primary concern.
I'm looking into getting a Surface Pro 4 as well. The i5 128 gig with 4gb of ram dropped to 799 but then seemed to go out of stock on amazon and I think best buy raised it back up to 1000.
The 256gb with 8gb of Ram dropped down to 1000 from 1200 though, so when my tax refund arrives I think I'm gonna pounce on that.
But for warranty, anyone have any recommendations? I could go through Best Buy but theirs seemed expensive compared to the Asurion thing amazon seems to use, but I've never heard of Asurion.
Also, screen protector something I'm probably going to want? Some sort of cloth zip up case to keep it in maybe? Any other accessory needs?
I bought the one from Microsoft for the free cover. The fact that I have an NFL logo on it is fine because when it is closed it will be in my bag. I didn't look at the extended warranty options for it but I think there was one.
I'm looking into getting a Surface Pro 4 as well. The i5 128 gig with 4gb of ram dropped to 799 but then seemed to go out of stock on amazon and I think best buy raised it back up to 1000.
The 256gb with 8gb of Ram dropped down to 1000 from 1200 though, so when my tax refund arrives I think I'm gonna pounce on that.
But for warranty, anyone have any recommendations? I could go through Best Buy but theirs seemed expensive compared to the Asurion thing amazon seems to use, but I've never heard of Asurion.
Also, screen protector something I'm probably going to want? Some sort of cloth zip up case to keep it in maybe? Any other accessory needs?
I'd say get a good sleeve from Belkin or any similar company--I don't use a screen protector myself, but I guess I could be treating my SP3 rougher.
A bit unsure if this is the general laptop thread but I'll try posting here first. My mom is in need of a new laptop and I really haven't kept up with which companies make good ones these days. She really just needs it for Microsoft Office stuff so doesn't need to be too beefy in terms of power. Only real requirements being that it uses Windows for an OS and has a full size keyboard. I've never met an HP product that I've liked so would be inherently against them, but any other suggestions would be appreciated.
In general: Asus, Dell (say what you want, but their hardware is still pretty good), Lenovo (I recommend them with reservations; I'm still wary after the spyware thing a few years ago). I am not an Acer fan. I feel their build quality for laptops is not great.
Also, a Microsoft Surface may be good for her usage profile. It's at least worth looking into.
Yeah, I'd still recommend against Lenovo. Asus or Dell 100%. Surface Pro only if that's the profile you're shooting for (it's a great machine, but you're spending $texas on a machine that would cost you $500 in standard laptop form factor).
Right now, if you are looking for a gaming-capable laptop, Dell has a very good looking line linked earlier in this thread that has Nvidia 1000 series cards.
If you are looking for a basics-only machine both Dell and Asus usually have good machines in low price ranges. I'd read reviews of what's new from both companies.
A lot of people ask about cheap Windows laptops for family members/for travel and Anandtech just threw up a review of the Chuwi LapBook 14.1" and it seems like a really promising candidate in that class. Pros include it being equipped with a 1080p IPS display, quad-core Apollo Trail CPU, 64GB eMMC + an open M.2 slot and 4GB RAM, AC (1x1) WiFi, and an ~$250 price point. Keyboard seems decent too, but isn't backlit. Apollo Trail means it doesn't need a fan, so there's no moving parts to worry about either.
Cons are that it has a relatively dim backlight, a kind of sucky trackpad, simply OK battery life, and it's a Chinese manufacturer with virtually no US presence so warranty issues might be a thing. Apparently people can't get Windows to install on M.2 drives they install, but they've had success with installing Linux there.
I'm really considering one right now, since a recent cat-related incident has left our household laptopless. If I do, I'll definitely provide feedback here.
Bought an ASUS ROG 502VS (15.6in QuadHD GSync, 16GB of RAM, i7 6700HQ, GTX1070 and NVMe 256GB SSD drive, but it has an empty 2.5in drive bay that I plan to fill soon. Plus that ASUS packin mouse and headset.) Got an awesome deal on this one (around $1350 usd, give or take.) Still feeling kinda guilty because I've never ever spent this amount of money for my gaming needs :P
I'm still setting up Windows to my liking while some games download in the background, so I'll be giving it a go soon.
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The Escape Goatincorrigible ruminantthey/themRegistered Userregular
Ugh, decisions. So I'm looking to upgrade from my recently-deceased Thinkpad T430s that I got from my uni over 4 years ago, which has served admirably as a first gaming machine (up to and including running Overwatch well, albeit with it looking like Minecraft. It did chug trying to run Skyrim which got annoying), and I really have no idea what level of performance I should be looking for and how all the crazy numbers listed by them translate. A quick look seems to show modern ASUS rigs run from $1000-1500? Are those like, midrange machines or higher-end ones? I'm not particularly worried about the price, but I'll feel kind of dumb if I pay an extra $500 for power that I can barely notice the effect of.
Ugh, decisions. So I'm looking to upgrade from my recently-deceased Thinkpad T430s that I got from my uni over 4 years ago, which has served admirably as a first gaming machine (up to and including running Overwatch well, albeit with it looking like Minecraft. It did chug trying to run Skyrim which got annoying), and I really have no idea what level of performance I should be looking for and how all the crazy numbers listed by them translate. A quick look seems to show modern ASUS rigs run from $1000-1500? Are those like, midrange machines or higher-end ones? I'm not particularly worried about the price, but I'll feel kind of dumb if I pay an extra $500 for power that I can barely notice the effect of.
Start by setting a goal as far as what you want to achieve: Run shit in ultra settings with unnameable hair anti-aliasing settings in 4K? Play some games at high framerates (maybe even 60fps) in 1080p? Get something that can VR? Is this your main gaming computer or will it be a portable "It's OK if it runs some things" gaming thing?
And that's just the gaming end of the spectrum, I don't know what other things you might want to do with this machine.
Before I went for the GL502VS, I was dead set on a machine with a GTX1060 that would run most things in high at 1080p, because my 27in monitor is only 1080p. Going for a GTX1070 was a bit overkill in my mind... until it was kinda cheap to go for one. :P
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The Escape Goatincorrigible ruminantthey/themRegistered Userregular
Ugh, decisions. So I'm looking to upgrade from my recently-deceased Thinkpad T430s that I got from my uni over 4 years ago, which has served admirably as a first gaming machine (up to and including running Overwatch well, albeit with it looking like Minecraft. It did chug trying to run Skyrim which got annoying), and I really have no idea what level of performance I should be looking for and how all the crazy numbers listed by them translate. A quick look seems to show modern ASUS rigs run from $1000-1500? Are those like, midrange machines or higher-end ones? I'm not particularly worried about the price, but I'll feel kind of dumb if I pay an extra $500 for power that I can barely notice the effect of.
Start by setting a goal as far as what you want to achieve: Run shit in ultra settings with unnameable hair anti-aliasing settings in 4K? Play some games at high framerates (maybe even 60fps) in 1080p? Get something that can VR? Is this your main gaming computer or will it be a portable "It's OK if it runs some things" gaming thing?
And that's just the gaming end of the spectrum, I don't know what other things you might want to do with this machine.
Before I went for the GL502VS, I was dead set on a machine with a GTX1060 that would run most things in high at 1080p, because my 27in monitor is only 1080p. Going for a GTX1070 was a bit overkill in my mind... until it was kinda cheap to go for one. :P
It would be a rig that's pretty much just for gaming and would only need to be portable in the sense that it fits in my backpack (which has a laptop pocket). The 60fps/1080p benchmark sounds reasonable; I don't need ultra graphics but would like to play games on high. What sort of hardware would that require?
Also, I consider laptops the primary beneficiary of SSDs. The fewer moving parts you can jam into a portable platform, the fewer failure points you have.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
Also, I consider laptops the primary beneficiary of SSDs. The fewer moving parts you can jam into a portable platform, the fewer failure points you have.
Lower vibration levels, lower temperatures, more compact... SSDs are the best possible upgrade for a laptop, buying one that lacks an SSD is a grave mistake.
And when manufacturers get with it: size. M2/nvme drives are tinsy and don't protrude at all because their socket is really similar to laptop ram sockets. They also have the benefit of being bolted down so they aren't likely to become detached for any reason, unlike the hard drives in some of the HP laptops I've worked on in the past.
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The Escape Goatincorrigible ruminantthey/themRegistered Userregular
Huh. The laptop came with a free code for one of For Honor or Ghost Recon.
But that giveaway is supposed to be for 1070 or 1080 cards, this has a 1060.
Weird.
(also holy shit this thing is amazing overwatch looks beautiful and I can actually use hitscan characters because there's way less input lag!)
Huh. The laptop came with a free code for one of For Honor or Ghost Recon.
But that giveaway is supposed to be for 1070 or 1080 cards, this has a 1060.
Weird.
(also holy shit this thing is amazing overwatch looks beautiful and I can actually use hitscan characters because there's way less input lag!)
I know, right? I also got a bit better in R6: Siege because my framerate wasn't jumping all over the place. That and simracing were much enhanced by the extra performance compared to my aging laptop.
I recently got an MSI GE72VR 7FR laptop and I love the thing. However I am concerned about the screen / hinge design abit. It's the type where there are hinges at both sides of the screen connecting it to the bottom and there is a gap that runs through the center. That part has alot of flex to it, even with the lid closed, and I worry about it being damaged over time. Is this something I should worry about?
Steam Profile | My Art | NID: DarkMecha (SW-4787-9571-8977) | PSN: DarkMecha
1) There isn't a whole lot you can do to fix it; a la adding another hinge/support in the middle (note: most laptop screens have these types of hinges)
2) If you're careful about it, you shouldn't have a problem.
3) Theoretically, the hinges are strong enough and the laptop is designed for a certain level of abuse, that you're fine for regular use
@Mugsley Ah that's reassuring, thanks. I am gentle with my electronics so it should be fine. My previous laptop was an Alienware M14x R2 with a super sturdy center hinge so I was taken off guard when I saw this one flex like that.
DarkMecha on
Steam Profile | My Art | NID: DarkMecha (SW-4787-9571-8977) | PSN: DarkMecha
For whatever it's worth, my Lenovo personal laptop (15") and my work HP laptop (13") both use two hinges. I haven't used a 17" laptop for experience with how they are put together.
I didn't even think about it until I picked it up last night to put it in my bag and noticed it flex a bit under my fingers when I grabbed it by the back center. I think I'll handle it from the front or sides just to be safe.
*Update - After looking at it again in better light, I realized that the screen isn't really flexing but that the bottom of the screen casing isn't fully glued together. I'm a little mad that got through QA on a 1300$ laptop, but given it's location I don't think it will cause any actual problems.
DarkMecha on
Steam Profile | My Art | NID: DarkMecha (SW-4787-9571-8977) | PSN: DarkMecha
I didn't even think about it until I picked it up last night to put it in my bag and noticed it flex a bit under my fingers when I grabbed it by the back center. I think I'll handle it from the front or sides just to be safe.
*Update - After looking at it again in better light, I realized that the screen isn't really flexing but that the bottom of the screen casing isn't fully glued together. I'm a little mad that got through QA on a 1300$ laptop, but given it's location I don't think it will cause any actual problems.
For what its worth I got a msi Gt72 with a similar design and I've dragged ti around with me all over the place for over a year, and Haven't had any issues.
Posts
Are they available yet? I haven't found any of the ASUS ones. Well, not in the sub to 1k range anyway.
Steam: pazython
Sorry, I was thinking of the monster 1070s for like $2300. They do have a 753VE for $1300 with a 1050Ti.
What's your specific worry? I haven't heard anything bad about that line, and i7 can handle anything you throw at it. (I usually go i5)
Well, most of the laptops that have a graphics card worth a damn usually have an i7 (I have an i5 in my desktop, but I built that). My worry is that the processor is a tad older than the 7th generation stuff, and I'm worried it might not last me as long as something else available now at a similar pricepoint.
Steam: pazython
Unless you're doing something incredibly CPU intensive, you'll be fine or a while. I'm using an i5 from a couple of generations ago, and it compiles code just fine. CPU-heavy games also run fine. It could stand to be faster for video encoding, but that taxes even my newer desktop CPU.
Newer CPUs might be more portable by drawing less power, but that doesn't sound like your primary concern.
Well that makes me feel a lot better. Thanks.
Steam: pazython
Best Buy has one on sale for $799. Was thinking of picking one up.
I haven't tried that machine specifically, but I imagine it should be fine. I watched plenty of Netflix (at 720p) on a laptop with less than 4GB.
Microsoft store throws in a free type cover, but it is an NFL type cover, for the i5 Pro at 799.
The 256gb with 8gb of Ram dropped down to 1000 from 1200 though, so when my tax refund arrives I think I'm gonna pounce on that.
But for warranty, anyone have any recommendations? I could go through Best Buy but theirs seemed expensive compared to the Asurion thing amazon seems to use, but I've never heard of Asurion.
Also, screen protector something I'm probably going to want? Some sort of cloth zip up case to keep it in maybe? Any other accessory needs?
I'd say get a good sleeve from Belkin or any similar company--I don't use a screen protector myself, but I guess I could be treating my SP3 rougher.
Also, a Microsoft Surface may be good for her usage profile. It's at least worth looking into.
Right now, if you are looking for a gaming-capable laptop, Dell has a very good looking line linked earlier in this thread that has Nvidia 1000 series cards.
If you are looking for a basics-only machine both Dell and Asus usually have good machines in low price ranges. I'd read reviews of what's new from both companies.
Cons are that it has a relatively dim backlight, a kind of sucky trackpad, simply OK battery life, and it's a Chinese manufacturer with virtually no US presence so warranty issues might be a thing. Apparently people can't get Windows to install on M.2 drives they install, but they've had success with installing Linux there.
I'm really considering one right now, since a recent cat-related incident has left our household laptopless. If I do, I'll definitely provide feedback here.
I'm still setting up Windows to my liking while some games download in the background, so I'll be giving it a go soon.
Start by setting a goal as far as what you want to achieve: Run shit in ultra settings with unnameable hair anti-aliasing settings in 4K? Play some games at high framerates (maybe even 60fps) in 1080p? Get something that can VR? Is this your main gaming computer or will it be a portable "It's OK if it runs some things" gaming thing?
And that's just the gaming end of the spectrum, I don't know what other things you might want to do with this machine.
Before I went for the GL502VS, I was dead set on a machine with a GTX1060 that would run most things in high at 1080p, because my 27in monitor is only 1080p. Going for a GTX1070 was a bit overkill in my mind... until it was kinda cheap to go for one. :P
It would be a rig that's pretty much just for gaming and would only need to be portable in the sense that it fits in my backpack (which has a laptop pocket). The 60fps/1080p benchmark sounds reasonable; I don't need ultra graphics but would like to play games on high. What sort of hardware would that require?
Newegg has this deal running today, as a mobile exclusive.
Hmm... might actually just grab this one, the other comparable ones I can see listed on newegg all lack a SSD, which seems... silly?
Beyond silly. Any gaming machine today should be sporting an SSD as the primary drive.
Lower vibration levels, lower temperatures, more compact... SSDs are the best possible upgrade for a laptop, buying one that lacks an SSD is a grave mistake.
But that giveaway is supposed to be for 1070 or 1080 cards, this has a 1060.
Weird.
(also holy shit this thing is amazing overwatch looks beautiful and I can actually use hitscan characters because there's way less input lag!)
I know, right? I also got a bit better in R6: Siege because my framerate wasn't jumping all over the place. That and simracing were much enhanced by the extra performance compared to my aging laptop.
2) If you're careful about it, you shouldn't have a problem.
3) Theoretically, the hinges are strong enough and the laptop is designed for a certain level of abuse, that you're fine for regular use
*Update - After looking at it again in better light, I realized that the screen isn't really flexing but that the bottom of the screen casing isn't fully glued together. I'm a little mad that got through QA on a 1300$ laptop, but given it's location I don't think it will cause any actual problems.
For what its worth I got a msi Gt72 with a similar design and I've dragged ti around with me all over the place for over a year, and Haven't had any issues.
http://steamcommunity.com/id/BretonBrawler
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834264318&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction-CS&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-CS-_-Chromebooks-_-Hewlett-Packard-_-34264318&cm_sp=&AID=11886886&PID=6361382&SID=trd-839255426
Also I know an SSD would be better reliability and storage wise, but the truth is he stores so little on it anyway it may not be a big issue.