Gaming Laptop?

ShaShaBear

I'm coming into some money and I'd really like to buy myself a gaming laptop. I know there's plenty of good online sites, and I'll be honest - I have no patience, I know I'm going to want to hand over money and get my new baby handed to me on the spot. I'm aware that store bought laptops are generally more expensive for the specs than internet purchases.

The main problem is my flat is almost impossible to find (even for people who are born and bred in my area) and I have had numerous despicable dealings with couriers to date, most of which give up if they can't find the flt on their own.

Basically I'm looking for a recommendation for a good store that sells laptops (I'm in Dundalk, but I can travel to Drogheda/Dublin/Newry) or maybe a good online store with a reputable courier service that you would know I can rely on.

Please don't say PC World or Curry's - I'll cry :P

Ri_Nollaig

Any laptop capable of high gaming bought from a bricks and mortar store is gonna be pricey...
You really should consider buying online. Could you not get the courier sent to where you work? Worse case you can surely just collect from their depot.

What do you mean by gaming too? High end (crysis/metro at 1920*1080)?
MSI and Asus make some high end machines with GTX560m's in them, but even they might struggle at that...
The 6990m is meant to be great, but only those custom laptops like alienware/kobalt seem to have them and you will be paying close to 2000 for one of them. Check out http://www.notebookcheck.net/Comparison-of-Laptop-Graphics-Cards.130.0.html

ShaShaBear

I don't work currently - I'm a student
As regards to depot collecting, awesome - I didn't know you could do that. I was looking at an Alienware for 780 quid. Very reasonable, but apparently I have to go through Dell, and through personal experience I wouldn't go near them again
If I knew the courier was going to either come to my flat or actually take the time to phone me on the first attempt rather than the third, I'd be happy to buy online. Don't get me wrong, my address is an awkward bugger to find, I myself have walked past it by accident on my way to it >.>

As for what kind of gaming laptop, I'm open to suggestion. Basically a laptop that will run what my computer runs with the same lack of difficulty. I imagine i5 at the lowest, with at least 4gigs of RAM. The GFX card is the problem though. Very hard to find one who will run my favourite (WoW... *shameface*) at an acceptable "high".

Ri_Nollaig

I wouldn't think WoW would be the most demanding, anything with the GT540 should handle it at high without any issue, perhaps not at full HD? You should be able to find some reviews that include it as a benchmark.

Check out komplett's selection http://www.komplett.ie/Komplett/catalog/ZKB_02PC/02_NOTEBOO/default.aspx. You would have the option of collection from their warehouse too, to avoid any confused couriers. I think elara.ie would also give this option.

Personally, I dont understand how "hard to find" can your place be? If you are at home when they call then just meet them on the street (...They will call you). It IS their job to find you. If you want to risk it, http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/, would be a good option then.

ShaShaBear

It's hard to find in that it is actually the back door of a solicitor's office. Like there is absolutely no indication whatsoever that there are flats. There is a massive sign with the solictor name on it at the front door, a designated parking space for the solicitors only, and in a tiny nook if you happen to look hard enough, there is a door which appears to lead to the back of the solicitor's. It's actually a flat, but even my postman doesn't know that.

It wouldn't be the most demanding, but my XFire Radeon 5700s actually can only manage borderline High (choice settings reduced to minimum) with any sort of decent FPS, so I'd basically be expecting that. I've got Dragon Age (Origins and 2), and would love a laptop that would be capable of Skyrim when it comes out. Not picky at all like!

Any idea where Komplett's warehouse is? Elara is quite pricey compared to the others...

beno619

Surely you have a friend you could get the laptop deliver to ?

ShaShaBear

beno619 wrote: »

Surely you have a friend you could get the laptop deliver to ?

Not within relative driving distance, no. I've recently moved to where I study and I don't know anyone here that I would trust enough to tell me they just got my €800 laptop in the post :P

Ri_Nollaig

Yeah, Elara isn't that great, but they have that collection option atleast. They are still probably cheaper then the likes of PC World.

Address here for the pick up point for komplett http://www.komplett.ie/Komplett/site/service_and_help/delivery/cms.aspx#PUP

The Asus N53SN looks good but komplett don't seem to have it. Skyrim will be running on the 360/ps3 so I'd say it will scale down fairly well.

ShaShaBear

I do not possess a PS3/XBox (it would make life a lot easier if I did >.> )
My boyfriend is giving me the patience lecture, I'm giving him the "if you loved me you'd take me to the Komplett warehouse" lecture. His debate holds many truths, I might as well quit and make sammiches while I'm ahead :P

700 or 800 quid just seems like so much money to pay for something that is likely to find difficulty in getting to me within a reasonable length of time. And since I have to pay for it first, I'd be the paranoid kind that would wonder what trouble I would have to go through to get a refund if things did go wrong (a dispute with an un-named online catalogue took a total of 6 weeks to refund me €32 quid for a keyboard they insisted was delivered and signed for by me, with ID presented, even though my door didn't get so much as a knock).

Ri_Nollaig

No, I meant skyrim is going to be released on 360/ps3 aswell and should scale well on the PC as a result. Obviously you will have to wait till its actually out to confirm this, but I would say its possible to get it to run on fairly old/low end hardware. All the screenshots are meant to be 360 footage.

I would say an Acer or Asus with a GT540 would do the job tbh. GT555 even better.
You never said what size and other options? Blu ray drive? SSD?

How about http://www.komplett.ie/Komplett/product/ZKB_02PC/02_NOTEBOO/21_15/productdetails/80002572/Asus_15_6_X5QSF_S1123V_NL_i7_2630_6GB_750GB/90N5FI2D9H5512VL133U/default.aspx? Full HD and GT555, worst case skyrim wouldnt run on high at its native res but you can lower it. Likes of WoW should be grand.

arodabomb

I live in a difficult to deliver to area too. I never get the delivery first time, even if I leave directions. Recently got a laptop of saveonlaptops.co.uk, they delivered though dpd, which have depots all over dublin that you could collect from. I rang them after my order went through (when I got my tracking number), gave them extra directions, and left my mobile number. Driver rang me about an hour before delivery and I gave him directions, and he got there grand. Any time I order anything that gives me a tracking number I ring the company and give extra details, most of these guys would rather deliver first time than mess around, so they are more than happy to ring you.

You'll be hard pushed to get as good in store as you can online.

ShaShaBear

Definitely like what you linked there Ri... Om nom nom lappytop!

And thanks for the heads up Aroda, it seems to be the drivers of the courier companies that are causing me the most problems!