What gaming laptop should I buy?

[MrOhNoFro]

Hello, I'm pretty new to gaming computers but I'm interested in buying one. I would prefer a laptop as there is no space in my home for a desktop computer, and my pricing range is at just around £500.

 

The games I would hope to play on said laptop include games like Gmod, Portal, Fallout and Call of Duty, including 2D games; for the majority of my game purchases I will use steam.

 

I would very much appreciate if product names and advantages/disadvantages could be given in replies, thank you!!

[RitualBlack]

With that budget I would highly recommend a mini desktop. Gaming laptops are extremely budget unfriendly, even mid-ish ranged ones (which are like lower mid ranged desktops) will likely run you over $1200 if you can find a store to pick it up to avoid shipping. For that price you could put togeather a nice desktop capable of playing just about any game on very high settings, and every one on your list at ultra.

 

If you must get a laptop the main brands are Alienware, Sager/Clevo, MSI, Asus.

 

I have an m18x (r1-initial release) but it cost me a lot (two flagship cards+ an aftermarket 480GB ssd). Though I do really enjoy it and the build quality is exceptional I cannot comment on any of the lower models from experience. I also actually had to buy a laptop (college+lots of travelling around) which is why I went with the desktop replacement model.

 

Sager is probably your best bet if you can find a good reseller. MSI make some good laptops also, but the price and build quality jump around a bit depending on the model so you would have to read up on them. Asus normally make ones with mid ranged graphics cards which makes it good for a mix of performance and mobility.

 

If you want to be able to pick one up from a store you can usually find MSI's or Asus laptops.

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When purchasing a laptop for games you you will want to get at leat this:

 

cpu:

intel i7 processor (any i7 should be fine if you only plan on playing games)

 

gpu:

AMD- newer than the 5xxx series and with at least an X870m model (nothing lower than a 5870m, and no newer card with lower than x870 as the prefix)- lower mobile amd cards performance is not so great.

 

Nvidia- at least a 560m (nothing lower than x55m prefix, so 655m or higher)

 

hdd:

avoid any 5400rpm drive. 7200 at least, a new ssd would be best but not budget friendly (the samsung 840's are very good). Try to get a hybrid for a good price or else just stick with a 7200rpm.

 

memory:

6gb ram or greater. 4GB is pushing it a bit these days with games as well as Windows. Not much of a point paying extra for more than 8gb as you will not use it in a laptop.

 

it is rare for the wifi adapter to be a problem these days, try for a 1920x1080p screen if you can.

[MrOhNoFro]

Thanks for your help! My friend said that he has an ASUS XX50cc or something like that, and said that would be fine for playing fallout etc. also I've heard that having an i5 processor would be sufficient, aswell, but I'll keep looking into it. Thanks again!

[RitualBlack]

No problem :happy:

 

And yes, some of the recent mobile i5's are just like the mobile i7's. They even have all the same bells and whistles. Just make sure you do a comparison first.

 

And the main thing to look at is the graphics card in the laptop. That will be the limiting factor whether you can play games at visually nice settings a few years down the road.

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Also gaming laptops need to be cleaned out often. Dust seems to materialize in mine so I clean it with compressed gas duster every couple of weeks and open it up for a good cleaning a few times a year.