Best Gaming/General Laptop? €700-1000

Liveforrugby

Hi guys, sorry if this had already been asked.

Basically I'm looking for a laptop that's an absolute BEAST. HD amazing graphics card, ridiculously fast - all that jazz. Something that can handle even the heaviest games without breaking a sweat

Problem is I don't know anything about laptops. Could you guys point me in the right direction? My budget is about 700-800 but feel free to offer laptops that cost up to a 1000 I guess.

Also, I've heard from friends that buying second hand laptops is a bad idea. Is this true? I'm wondering because I'm assuming second-hand is much cheaper whilst still doing the same job as a new one

Thanks, really appreciate it

emo72

Good question. I'm looking for the same thing for my son. He wants a good gaming machine. But Santa Claus could be a wee bit tight this year. Anyone got any suggestions ? It seems gaming machines are north of 1k

Torqay

Configure you own Schenker, e.g. the XMG A502.

15.6" display (1600x900)
Intel Core i7-3610QM
Nvidia Geforce GTX 660 M (2 GB GDDR5)
8 GB RAM
UK Keyboard
(no operating system)

€990 + delivery

Also has a 2nd HDD bay if you want to install a solid state disk.

This is about as good as it gets for under a grand.

emo72

Thanks. Will have a gander at it.Do they not have an English version of that website? Can't seem to find it.

Torqay

emo72 wrote: »

Thanks. Will have a gander at it.Do they not have an English version of that website? Can't seem to find it.

I don't think so, but their configuration sheet isn't too hard to manage, even if you do not speak German. The only thing to remember: order a UK keyboard (+ €20). The English OS is also dearer than the German counterpart, you can buy that cheaper here.

AlmightyCushion

emo72 wrote: »

Thanks. Will have a gander at it.Do they not have an English version of that website? Can't seem to find it.

Use google chrome and visit the site, chrome will translate it for you.

Liveforrugby

emo, now that you're done hijacking, anyone have any suggestions whatsoever?? =(

Torqay

Liveforrugby wrote: »

emo, now that you're done hijacking, anyone have any suggestions whatsoever?? =(

You didn't read my post, no?

You are "looking for a laptop that's an absolute BEAST. HD amazing graphics card, ridiculously fast - all that jazz. Something that can handle even the heaviest games without breaking a sweat", well, the bad news is, you will not find such a laptop for 700-800 yoyos, unless you're getting lucky on the 2nd hand market (which means you'll be buying a cat in a bag).

Since you can stretch budget up to a thou, you can get a Intel Core i7-3610QM laptop with Nvidia Geforce GT 660 M (2 GB GDDR5). I daresay, you won't get anything better for less than €1,000 unless you'll go shopping someplace Far East (with all the risks involved, from import tax to outright fraud).

Liveforrugby

Torqay, how's this laptop, any good considering the price? It comes out at about 900 euro

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Samsung_RF711-S07UK_17.3_Inch__Core_i7_Entertainment_Laptop__NP-RF711-S08UK/version.asp

WillyFXP

Liveforrugby wrote: »

Torqay, how's this laptop, any good considering the price? It comes out at about 900 euro

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Samsung_RF711-S07UK_17.3_Inch__Core_i7_Entertainment_Laptop__NP-RF711-S08UK/version.asp

Thats going to struggle with gaming, if you really want a gaming laptop, minimum gfx chip you need is GTX560M, anything lower is going to run newer games at best on medium detail. As Torqay says, you're going to have to raise your budget if you want a laptop with your desired specs.

Liveforrugby

WillyFXP wrote: »

Thats going to struggle with gaming, if you really want a gaming laptop, minimum gfx chip you need is GTX560M, anything lower is going to run newer games at best on medium detail. As Torqay says, you're going to have to raise your budget if you want a laptop with your desired specs.

Do you have any suggestions for websites where I can look, anything at all?

Liveforrugby

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_5755G_15.6_HD_Ci7-2670QM_8GB_750GB_DVD_6-cell_CAM_WiFi__GT540M_LX.RQ002.075/version.asp#maindesc

Also if anyone can review this and tell me if it's any good?

WillyFXP

Liveforrugby wrote: »

Do you have any suggestions for websites where I can look, anything at all?

You're not going to get anything that comes close to the Schenker that Torqay posted, Alienware, Asus, MSI etc all do very good gaming laptops but they are way overpriced, I've never seen anything better specced than the Schenker for the price.

Liveforrugby

WillyFXP wrote: »

You're not going to get anything that comes close to the Schenker that Torqay posted, Alienware, Asus, MSI etc all do very good gaming laptops but they are way overpriced, I've never seen anything better specced than the Schenker for the price.

thank you very much!

Torqay

WillyFXP wrote: »

You're not going to get anything that comes close to the Schenker that Torqay posted, Alienware, Asus, MSI etc all do very good gaming laptops but they are way overpriced, I've never seen anything better specced than the Schenker for the price.

Two more things I like about the Schenker: the second HDD bay and the optional Bigfoot Killer. If you're hardcore gamer and need a good wireless connection, you don't save on your WLAN controller.

In another thread I posted the XMG A702, 17.3" full HD, same CPU but a GT 650M (also with GDDR5 VRAM) for 950 Euro. The closest was a similarly equipped Samsung (€930) but it has only 1600x900 and DDR3 VRAM.

There is something to be said for ordering tailor made rather than off the rails.

Overheal

Torqay wrote: »

Configure you own Schenker, e.g. the XMG A502.

15.6" display (1600x900)
Intel Core i7-3610QM
Nvidia Geforce GT 660 M (2 GB GDDR5)
8 GB RAM
UK Keyboard
(no operating system)

€990 + delivery

Also has a 2nd HDD bay if you want to install a solid state disk.

This is about as good as it gets for under a grand.

I think you have to select the option for a driver spacer instead of a DVD drive if you want 2 hard drives. I'd personally go with a 128GB SSD (the more the merrier though. Don't advise less) and a 1TB HDD myself. Dont forget to then pick up the USB external DVD reader

For gaming, the i7 is sheer pointless. They don't take advantage of the additional horsepower. The Higher of the Ivy Bridge i5 options will be your best choice. You can of course get an i7 anyway for 'future-proofing' but you won't see the return on investment for several years, just as I didn't when I invested the extra money into a fancy "Dual Core" system 6 years ago, before games did any such thing. The laptop enjoyed a good year or two of extra kick out of that, but only from select titles - ultimately it was retired from it's gaming duties and now is a bulky, noisy email machine. I'd also reccomend 8GB (the single DIMM option). You won't need more than that for a while, and when you do, this leaves you with 1 open slot to tack it in.

WillyFXP

Overheal wrote: »

I think you have to select the option for a driver spacer instead of a DVD drive if you want 2 hard drives. I'd personally go with a 128GB SSD (the more the merrier though. Don't advise less) and a 1TB HDD myself. Dont forget to then pick up the USB external DVD reader

For gaming, the i7 is sheer pointless. They don't take advantage of the additional horsepower. The Higher of the Ivy Bridge i5 options will be your best choice. You can of course get an i7 anyway for 'future-proofing' but you won't see the return on investment for several years, just as I didn't when I invested the extra money into a fancy "Dual Core" system 6 years ago, before games did any such thing. The laptop enjoyed a good year or two of extra kick out of that, but only from select titles - ultimately it was retired from it's gaming duties and now is a bulky, noisy email machine. I'd also reccomend 8GB (the single DIMM option). You won't need more than that for a while, and when you do, this leaves you with 1 open slot to tack it in.

Where does it say they only have one HDD bay? You can choose 2 HDD's for both the A522 and the A722 PLUS a DVD. The DVD to HDD bracket option is so you can add a THIRD HDD. Please dont confuse the OP with the wrong information.
The reason those specs were posted is because they are within the OP's budget range, the options you have listed take it way above that.

Jarren

OP

There is another lappy with GT 650M within your budget

Intel® Core™ i7-3610QM Quad Core Processor
17.3" HD+ Screen
Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit
6GB DDR3 RAM
1000GB HDD
Blu-Ray
Dedicated GT 650M 2GB Graphics


http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Samsung_550P7C_1198887.html
or

39.6 cm (15.6 "), 1920 x 1080 glossy
Core i7-3610QM 4x 2.30 GHz (3.30 GHz Turbo), 4 GB RAM, 32 GB SSD, 1.0 TB HDD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M 2.0 GB, BD-ROM / DVD burner
Wi-Fi b / g / n, 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, HDMI / VGA
1.3 MP Webcam, Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

http://www.computeruniverse.net/products/90470082/lenovo-ideapad-y580-m772jge.asp

^^^

You going to have to reinstall Windows +change keys settings on your keyboard.

Some people will physically replace/change keys ,others just buy stickers for UK keyboards.

http://www.4keyboard.com/language-stickers-english-uk-c-82_40.html

WillyFXP

Jarren wrote: »

OP

There is another lappy with GT 650M within your budget

Intel® Core™ i7-3610QM Quad Core Processor
17.3" HD+ Screen
Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit
6GB DDR3 RAM
1000GB HDD
Blu-Ray
Dedicated GT 650M 2GB Graphics


http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Samsung_550P7C_1198887.html
or

39.6 cm (15.6 "), 1920 x 1080 glossy
Core i7-3610QM 4x 2.30 GHz (3.30 GHz Turbo), 4 GB RAM, 32 GB SSD, 1.0 TB HDD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M 2.0 GB, BD-ROM / DVD burner
Wi-Fi b / g / n, 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, HDMI / VGA
1.3 MP Webcam, Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

http://www.computeruniverse.net/products/90470082/lenovo-ideapad-y580-m772jge.asp

^^^

You going to have to reinstall Windows +change keys settings on your keyboard.

Some people will physically replace/change keys ,others just buy stickers for UK keyboards.

http://www.4keyboard.com/language-stickers-english-uk-c-82_40.html

The Schenker A522 has a GTX660M, the samsung only has the GT650M, the lenovo only has 4gb of ram and one HD slot. The schenker still has better specs for less money.

Jarren

^^^ Much better ?

Do please elaborate.

WillyFXP

Jarren wrote: »

^^^ Much better ?

Do please elaborate.

Where did I say much better? Benchmarks mean nothing, its real world gaming that seperates them. Also, the GT650M only has GDDR3 memory, the GTX660M has GDDR5. The 660 will piss all over the 650 in games.

Torqay

Jarren wrote: »

^^^ Much better ?

Do please elaborate.

Well, the GT 650M is certainly a good card, but I'm sure, the results shown in your screenshot are those of a GT 650M with GDDR5 VRAM. The card in the Samsung only has DDR3, big difference.

The GTX 660M in the Lenovo comes with 2 GB GDDR5, which is probably the best graphics you'll find for less than a grand, but it's only a 15.6" laptop.

WillyFXP wrote: »

Also, the GT650M only has GDDR3 memory

True for the Samsung, but not in general, the GT 650M is available with both GDDR5 and DDR3 (Schenker also offers gaming laptops with a GT 650M but with GDDR5)

Jarren

WillyFXP wrote: »

benchmarks mean nothing, its real world gaming that seperates them. Also, the GT650M only has GDDR3 memory, the GTX660M has GDDR5. The 660 will piss all over the 650 in games.

So you actually speaking from personal experience then ?

You had a chance to play on laptops with GT650M and GTX660M I presume?

Benchmarks are for a reason ,you can't say that they mean nothing.

You cant just look at the memory... The cards have to be taken as a complete package when you evaluate them.

WillyFXP

Jarren wrote: »

So you actually speaking from personal experience then ?

You had a chance to play on laptops with GT650M and GTX660M I presume?

Benchmarks are for a reason ,you can't say that they mean nothing.

You cant just look at the memory... The cards have to be taken as a complete package when you evaluate them.

The memory type makes a HUGE difference. No I have not personally tested both these laptops, but I have a had many years of experience with gaming PC's and laptops, and I know how they stack up with different configs. Benchmarks do mean nothing, its FPS in games that matter, thats why any reviewer worth his salt tests on many different games, they only add the benchmark results to please the 3Dmarkfags and generally don't include them in the conclusion.

The actual gaming benchmarks show that the 660 is between 8 and 24% faster than the 650, 24% is a LOT in gfx terms.

I don't understand why you are arguing this point, the 2 laptops you linked are both VERY capable machines, but they are lower spec and higher priced than the ones already shown, I'm no genius, but if I can get more for less in ANY purchase then I know what I'll be buying.

WillyFXP

Torqay wrote: »

Well, the GT 650M is certainly a good card, but I'm sure, the results shown in your screenshot are those of a GT 650M with GDDR5 VRAM. The card in the Samsung only has DDR3, big difference.

The GTX 660M in the Lenovo comes with 2 GB GDDR5, which is probably the best graphics you'll find for less than a grand, but it's only a 15.6" laptop.



True for the Samsung, but not in general, the GT 650M is available with both GDDR5 and DDR3 (Schenker also offers gaming laptops with a GT 650M but with GDDR5)

I was talking about the samsung mate

Overheal

WillyFXP wrote: »

Where does it say they only have one HDD bay? You can choose 2 HDD's for both the A522 and the A722 PLUS a DVD. The DVD to HDD bracket option is so you can add a THIRD HDD. Please dont confuse the OP with the wrong information.
The reason those specs were posted is because they are within the OP's budget range, the options you have listed take it way above that.

I didn't state anything authoritatively. calm your tits.

I don't read German, but neither have I seen a 15.6" Laptop that has physical space for 2 internal 2.5" drives (barring the use of the optical bay).

WillyFXP wrote: »

The actual gaming benchmarks show that the 660 is between 8 and 24% faster than the 650, 24% is a LOT in gfx terms.

And 8% is not, but its funny how you slanted that argument.

The 660 ranks a 50 and the 650 a 56 on notebook check. The 650 can be overclocked to match the core speed of the 660, but it is true, the memory clock is more than double that of the 650 (900Mhz vs. 2000 Mhz). Otherwise, they are effectively the same card, with matching numbers of shader cores. Franky there was a lot more difference between the 550 and the 560. Actually I'd be more disappointed that both only have a 128 bit memory pipe. Seems like a bit of a choke on 2ghz memory anyway.

Memory certainly has an impact but is not the end all be all. It handles texture resolution, for the most part. You might see a little less responsiveness with really high resolution settings. Your antisotropic filtering would also be affected and a few other choice features. The core on the other hand is whats actually handling anti-aliasing, shading, dx11 library calls, particle effects and all the other flashy things. Just a little FYI; some computer science stuff.

I work in retail on top of it all, and the funniest thing I see regularly (and I used to do this before I knew better) was look for the graphics card with the most memory. So much more to it than that. I'd rather a 560 with 1GB than a 550 with 2GB.

Torqay

GT 650M GDDR5 vs DDR3 and 2GB vs 1GB memory capacity

Bottom line, you definitely want GDDR5 if it is within your budget.

WillyFXP

Overheal wrote: »

I didn't state anything authoritatively. calm your tits.

I don't read German, but neither have I seen a 15.6" Laptop that has physical space for 2 internal 2.5" drives (barring the use of the optical bay).

And 8% is not, but its funny how you slanted that argument.

The 660 ranks a 50 and the 650 a 56 on notebook check. The 650 can be overclocked to match the core speed of the 660, but it is true, the memory clock is more than double that of the 650 (900Mhz vs. 2000 Mhz). Otherwise, they are effectively the same card, with matching numbers of shader cores. Franky there was a lot more difference between the 550 and the 560. Actually I'd be more disappointed that both only have a 128 bit memory pipe. Seems like a bit of a choke on 2ghz memory anyway.

Memory certainly has an impact but is not the end all be all. It handles texture resolution, for the most part. You might see a little less responsiveness with really high resolution settings. Your antisotropic filtering would also be affected and a few other choice features. The core on the other hand is whats actually handling anti-aliasing, shading, dx11 library calls, particle effects and all the other flashy things. Just a little FYI; some computer science stuff.

I work in retail on top of it all, and the funniest thing I see regularly (and I used to do this before I knew better) was look for the graphics card with the most memory. So much more to it than that. I'd rather a 560 with 1GB than a 550 with 2GB.

Calm yer own tits mate, dont go off on some rant just because you got called out on giving wrong information. Who cares if you work in retail? I for one am not interested in what you sell to people, or what advice you give them for that matter, seeing as how in this instance it was total fiction. This thread is about giving the OP information on his purchase, not relaying stories of how good you are at playing shop.

Jarren

WillyFXP wrote: »

The memory type makes a HUGE difference. No I have not personally tested both these laptops, but I have a had many years of experience with gaming PC's and laptops, and I know how they stack up with different configs. Benchmarks do mean nothing, its FPS in games that matter, thats why any reviewer worth his salt tests on many different games, they only add the benchmark results to please the 3Dmarkfags and generally don't include them in the conclusion.

The actual gaming benchmarks show that the 660 is between 8 and 24% faster than the 650, 24% is a LOT in gfx terms.

I don't understand why you are arguing this point, the 2 laptops you linked are both VERY capable machines, but they are lower spec and higher priced than the ones already shown, I'm no genius, but if I can get more for less in ANY purchase then I know what I'll be buying.

I was saying that there is no much difference between GTG50M vs GTX660M
based on the benchmark.

We all want to get more for less,this is why people are coming to this forum and looking for an advice.

Purely for gaming that Shenker wins because is made for that purpose.

However for more multimedia laptop usage I'd stick with that Sammy from SOL.

That Samsung will cost about 950 yoyos delivered with OS on board.

OP will have to decide what he really wants though.

Torqay

Overheal wrote: »

The 650 can be overclocked to match the core speed of the 660

You can overclock the GTX 660M nicely too:



But as it goes with such recommendations, do this at your peril... 1,000 yoyos is a lot of money and if you fry the GPU you will also fry the warranty.

magnumbud

always found with looking for the same that its far cheaper to just get a desktop. sure you cant play on the go but you get better bang for your buck

Torqay

Jarren wrote: »

OP will have to decide what he really wants though.

I believe, the OP has lowered his expectations somewhat. In his new thread he is looking at the likes of a GT 630M, so this discussion seems to be rather superfluous.

magnumbud

also actually its a lot easier to update a desktop than it is a laptop meaning not having to replace it as fast

Overheal

WillyFXP wrote: »

Calm yer own tits mate, dont go off on some rant just because you got called out on giving wrong information. Who cares if you work in retail? I for one am not interested in what you sell to people, or what advice you give them for that matter, seeing as how in this instance it was total fiction. This thread is about giving the OP information on his purchase, not relaying stories of how good you are at playing shop.

My retail experience had nothing to do with that.

To give you an english lecture (ya need one?) saying "I think that..." is not the same as stating "This is that...". Theres a big difference between an authoritative statement, and suggesting what my opinion or experience is. If you want to say it can take 3 Hard Drives, thats great. Theres a first time for everything. All I said was I've never seen it in a 15" chassis. But hey, they're German, they do what they want.

Jarren

Torqay wrote: »

I believe, the OP has lowered his expectations somewhat. In his new thread he is looking at the likes of a GT 630M, so this discussion seems to be rather superfluous.

So why are we even arguing about this :pac:

He is not coming back is he ?

WillyFXP

Overheal wrote: »

My retail experience had nothing to do with that.

To give you an english lecture (ya need one?) saying "I think that..." is not the same as stating "This is that...". Theres a big difference between an authoritative statement, and suggesting what my opinion or experience is. If you want to say it can take 3 Hard Drives, thats great. Theres a first time for everything. All I said was I've never seen it in a 15" chassis. But hey, they're German, they do what they want.

Why post paragraphs with your retail experiences then?
english lecture? Surely you mean English?
You see there's the difference between you and me, what I post I actually make sure is fact rather than having to say "I think". If you actually had some knowledge in this field you would have known that Schenker build their laptops from Clevo barebone chassis, in this case, the A522 is the Clevo W350ET chassis, and they are not German, they are Taiwanese.

Anyway, as others have said, pointless arguing, the OP probably got bored reading reams of geek talk and started a new thread.

Jarren

Just on the Clevo resellers subject

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/652403-clevo-resellers-european-union-v1.html#htger

Torqay

Jarren wrote: »

Just on the Clevo resellers subject

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/652403-clevo-resellers-european-union-v1.html#htger

On that subject, if you configure a similar machine at the UK reseller PC Specialist (Vortex III LE) to the same specs as the Schenker, you'll have to pay well over 1.200 Euro... OK, they'll throw in the OS plus bloat (MSO trial and Bullguard AV).

Liveforrugby

Appreciate all the info guys, even if I don't understand any of it

Overheal

WillyFXP wrote: »

Schenker build their laptops from Clevo barebone chassis, in this case, the A522 is the Clevo W350ET chassis, and they are not German, they are Taiwanese.

That would have been all that we needed to say.

I'll post how I like. Ignore me if you wish. Ta

Torqay

Liveforrugby wrote: »

I don't understand any of it

Never mind us eejits fighting over the best way to waste your money.

But let me give you a brief summary:

If it is purely gaming you're interested, then the GTX 660M w 2 GB GDDR5 is most certainly the best graphics card you can hope for in a laptop under 1,000 Euro.

This would be the Lenovo at computeruniverse.net but there is a catch: it comes with a German keyboard and you may want to upgrade the memory.

The Schenker doesn't come with an operating system (at least not the way it was configured) but you'll get Windows 8 for $70. Also, its GTX 660M only comes with 1 GB GDDR5.

The Sammy (the only 17" laptop in the fray) is the best allrounder of them all, excellent sound system, Bluray drive, the works. Plus it comes with Windows 7 and a UK keyboard, so there will be no hassle. However, the GT 650M with 2 GB DDR3 (a decent card by all means, and listed under "high-end" for a reason) is not quite up there with the GTX 660M.