Top 10 Gaming Laptops – May 2012
Top 10 Gaming Laptops – May 2012
This list is based on actual or estimated gaming performance, factoring in the hardware specification (particularly the graphics card) relative to the laptop’s size.
May Update: The big news this month is that Intel has rolled out the new Ivy Bridge platform, but that’s not the most important news for laptop gamers. That would be the new 28nm mobile graphics cards from Nvidia (Kepler) and AMD (GCN – Graphics Core Next). However, keep in mind when buying a gaming laptop today that some of the GPUs in Nvidia’s 600M series are just renamed parts from the 500M series (40nm Fermi), including the high-end GTX 675M, which is identical to the GTX 580M, and the GTX 670M, which is identical to the GTX 570M. The same goes for the AMD Radeon HD 7600M series, which consists of slightly modified 6700M series parts. The fastest mobile GPU today should be the Radeon HD 7970M, whereas Nvidia’s fastest part is still the GTX 675M/580M.
The Ivy Bridge processors are also an improvement, but mostly in the integrated graphics part, which is not relevant for gaming laptops. They are nevertheless more power efficient and come with higher clock frequencies while the power consumptions remains the same. The CPUs that apply here are primarily the Core i7-3610QM, i7-3720QM, i7-3820QM, i7-3612QM (35W) and finally the Extreme Edition Core i7-3920XM.
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Top 10 17″+ Gaming Laptops
Sub 17″ Gaming Laptops
1. Clevo P270WM
The Clevo X7200 was recently updated with new Sandy Bridge-E (desktop) processors and is now known as the P270WM or other names depending on the builder, such as Origin PC’s EON 17-X. This 12-pound monster can now be equipped with a hexa-core (12-thread) Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and up to 32 GB of quad-channel (full-size) DDR3 RAM. On the graphics side you can configure it with dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 580M GPUs in SLI. The most powerful mobile GPU solution on the planet in combination with desktop processors and RAM make this laptop’s performance unbeatable, but its battery should mainly be thought of as backup power with a 60 minute life span at most. Other than that, the “Frankenlaptop” still has room for three hard drives or SSDs in RAID 0, 1 or 5. It’s a large, heavy, and if you want all the bells and whistles, extremely expensive machine, but this kind of performance comes at a price.
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2. Alienware M18x R2
The Alienware M18x is now available with dual Nvidia GTX 675Mgraphics cards in SLI (same as the GTX 580M), or single card configurations with the GTX 670M (570M) or GTX 660M (new Kepler GPU). It is still an exceptional gaming laptop that will handily defeat quite a few gaming desktops in terms of frame rates and visual bliss. Either of these solutions will let your games run at the 18-inch display’s native 1080p resolution with most or all of the details maxed out. It comes with a choice of 3rd-generation, quad core Intel Core i7 CPUs, the fastest of which is a factory overclocked i7-3920XM Extreme Edition that runs at up to 4.1 GHz in Turbo Boost mode. Other features include USB 3.0, optional 1866 MHz DDR3 memory, the usual AlienFX back-lighting artillery, as well as extremely fast RAID 0 SSD storage configurations. The base model starts at $1,999 and includes a 2.3 GHz quad core Core i7 and a single GTX 660M.
| Alienware M18x R2 Price Comparison: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | $1999.00 |  |  |
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3. Alienware M17x R4
The M17x R4 has also been given the Ivy Bridge makeover and new GPU options, but this smaller (relatively speaking) Alienware gaming machine can only house a single GPU. Pretty much every component in the M17x R4 is configurable. It offers a choice of high-end Nvidia or AMD GPUs, up to 32 GB of 1600 MHz RAM, various quad-core Core i7 processors, 1600×900 or 1920×1080 panels and dual hard drives or SSDs in RAID 0. It is also available in a 3D version that includes the mandatory 120Hz panel and an Nvidia 3D Vision kit. The base model ($1,499) includes a GTX 660M, but from a price/performance perspective, the Radeon 7979M upgrade is unbeatable. Unfortunately the latter is not eligible for an Nvidia 3D Vision upgrade.
| Alienware M17x R4 Price Comparison: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| $1499.00 | | |
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4. MSI GT70
MSI has updated its 17-inch gaming laptop with Ivy Bridge processors and an Nvidia GTX 670M. Instead of various model names and numbers in the GT780 series (DX, DRX, 783 etc.), it is now simply known as the MSI GT70, and most configurations ship with the new quad-core Core i7-3610QM. It comes with a multi-color backlit keyboard designed by SteelSeries that resembles those from Alienware. What makes this and other high-end MSI laptops a little more interesting than the competition is the TDE (Turbo Drive Engine) feature that automatically overclocks the laptop by up to 30%. It also ships with 12 GB of DDR3 and either lots of conventional hard drive storage or an SSD/HDD combo.
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5. Clevo P170EM
The 17-inch Clevo P170EM is the Ivy Bridge-based successor to the P170HM and is sold by several different boutique gaming brands. Besides the new Intel processors, it can be configured with the new HD 7970M from AMD, and the new model also comes with a backlit keyboard. In combination with the fastest single-GPU graphics solution on the market and (in its class comparatively) lightweight chassis (8.6lbs), this is a very desirable laptop. If you don’t want to pay a premium for the fastest of everything, you can also opt for the base configuration, which (usually) includes a capable GTX 660M. The laptop has four memory slots with room for up to 32 GB of RAM. Moreover, it has room for dual hard drives or SSDs that can be configured in RAID 0 mode. Or you could use an ultra-fast Vertex 3 as the boot drive and a secondary 7,200rpm hard drive for storage.
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6. ASUS Republic of Gamers G75VW
The Asus G75VW picks up the mantle from the G74Sx as the manufacturer’s 17-inch flagship; the design has been updated but the cooling solution seems to have stayed intact, which is a good thing that keeps the laptop reasonably cool and quiet even under load. Naturally, the G75VW has been updated with new Intel CPUs and Nvidia GPUs–either the new GTX 660M or the GTX 670M depending on configuration. Just like its predecessor, the G75VW is also available in a 3D edition that ships with an Nvidia 3D Vision kit and a compatible 120Hz panel. One of the best things with the G75 lineup is that it is still very favorably priced compared to the closest competitors. Read the Notebookcheck.net review (by Florian Glaser).
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7. Toshiba Qosmio X775
Qosmio is Toshiba’s premium entertainment brand, so the most surprising aspect of the X775 is the affordable price point for the entry models. For less than $1,200 (at this writing) you get a capable desktop replacement with a Sandy Bridge Core i5 CPU and more importantly for gamers–a GeForce GTX 560M to take care of your gaming needs. There are other and considerably more pricey configurations available though; some with quad-core CPUs and 3D kits, but the base model should hold up pretty well in just about any game thanks to the solid GPU. An updated Ivy Bridge version known as the X870 should arrive soon.
| Toshiba X775 Price Comparison: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | $1028.00 | | |
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8. HP Envy 17 / Envy 17 3D
HP has updated its premium Envy lineup with an entirely new design and partly new hardware, including a very impressive speaker system with a physical “Beats Audio” volume knob. The result is an exclusive machine with lots of customization options including a 3D version with similar hardware but a 120Hz, 3D-ready display. Both versions ship with the new(ish) AMD Radeon HD 7690M with 1GB of GDDR5 and a range of Core i7 or i5 CPUs. This hardware is quite impressive considering the thin and (for a 17-inch laptop) lightweight chassis that surrounds it. Check out your humble correspondent’s review on Notebookcheck.net.
| HP Envy 17 Price Comparison: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | $1249.99 | | |
| HP ENVY 17 Customizable Notebook PC | |||
| $1449.99 | | |
| HP ENVY 17 3D edition Customizable Notebook PC | |||
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9. HP Pavilion dv7t Quad Edition
The quad-core edition of the HP Pavilion dv7t is another interesting option for gamers–not least because of the level of performance it offers for the money. You can order it with a range of 3nd-generation Core i7 CPUs, and the graphics card has now been upgraded to the brand new GeForce GT 650M with GDDR5 video RAM, which should be almost as fast as its bigger brother the GTX 660M. This pushes the dv7t and it’s 15.6-inch counterpart the dv6t into the high-end segment while retaining a highly affordable (in relative terms) price tag. It’s important to note that the GT 650M is an optional upgrade though, and an absolute must-have if you want to call it a gaming laptop.
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10. Dell XPS 17
The latest revision of the Dell XPS 17 desktop replacement came with some major upgrades – most importantly the latest Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs. Another nice perk is an included 3D Vision kit from Nvidia (optional), powered by a capableGeForce GT 550M or the faster GeForce GT 555M GPU (same as the M14x). As usual with Dell, there are lots of upgrades available although the base configuration is quite powerful. But if you want a gaming model, the GPU upgrade to a GT 555M is highly recommended.
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Up to 15.6″
1. Clevo P150EM
When it’s fully tricked out in the GPU department, the Clevo P150EM is the fastest 15-inch gaming laptop on the planet. It is known under different names and built-to-order by Origin PC, Sager, AVADirector a number of other gaming PC specialists. What makes the P150EM special is that it’s configurable with one of the fastest GPUs on the market right now–the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M (a.k.a. GTX 580M)–as well as 3rd-gen quad-core Intel CPU all the way up to the Core i7-3920XM Extreme Edition. It can also house up to 32 GB of RAM. This hardware puts it a step ahead of all of the competition in the 15-inch segment today, no matter if compared in gaming performance or raw processing power.
Read our review of the EON 15-S/P150HM here.
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2. MSI GT60
The new GT60 from MSI is also equipped with very powerful hardware for its size. It has the “new” GeForce GTX 670M and 3rd-gen Intel Core i7 CPUs–in most cases the Core i7-3610QM as well as 12GB of RAM and dual hard drives in RAID 0. Just like its bigger brother the MSI GT70 it also comes with MSI’s proprietary overclocking technology TDE that boosts the CPU/GPU clocks by up to 30% with the push of a button.
| MSI GT60 Price Comparison: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| $1499.00 | | |
| MSI Computer G Series GT60 0NC-004US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) | |||
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3. Alienware M14x R2
The M14x has just been updated to its second revision, and the Nvidia GeForce GT 555M in the previous version has been replaced by a brand new Kepler-based GT 650M with either 1 GB or 2 GB of video RAM. This graphics card in combination with a choice of 3rd-gen Intel Ivy Bridge processors should be more than enough to let the Alienware M14x keep its title as the world’s fastest 14-inch gaming laptop. The base model ships with an older dual-core processor that can be upgraded to the latest quad-core Ivy Bridge models. It also has options for a 1600×900 WLED panel and new SSD/hard drive combos that consist of an mSATA SSD and a regular hard drive, taking advantage of Intel’s Smart Response technology.
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4. Asus G55VW
Asus’ new G55VW replaces the G53SX, which has been one of the most popular 15-inch gaming laptops on the market. The old GTX 560M has been replaced by a newer, better and faster GTX 660M, while the processor has been upgraded to a new quad-core Core i7–in most cases the Core i7-3610QM. It is more or less a 15-inch version of the 17-inch G75 and comes with a 1080p display, a backlit keyboard, and an option for dual hard drives or SSDs, this time in RAID 0. Just like its bigger brother the G75VW it seems to have retained the exceptional cooling solution that keeps its noise level to a minimum.
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5: HP Envy 15
HP’s 15- and 17-inch Envy laptops are radically different than the quad-core Pavilion dv6t and dv7t in terms of design and materials, but they have a lot in common under the hood. The hardware includes a capable Mobility Radeon HD 7690M GPU from AMD and a choice of Core i7 or Core i5 processors. One feature that’s unique to the Envy 15 is the (optional) high quality IPS panel known as ‘Radiance Full HD’. Another, that the Envy 15 has in common with its 17-inch sibling is the excellent Beats Audio sound system comprised of six speakers, a subwoofer and a physical volume control knob.
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6: HP dv6t Quad Edition
HP’s Pavilion dv6t is the more portable version of the dv7t, and just like it’s bigger counterpart the Quad Edition of the dv6 comes with a choice of the latest quad-core CPUs from Intel as well as a GeForce GT650M GPU (optional upgrade). This graphics card is a major upgrade over the previous versions of the dv6t, but the pricing is largely unchanged and it all adds up to a very affordable yet powerful 15.6-inch laptop capable of playing all the latest games without breaking the bank.
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There are lots of factors to take into consideration when choosing a good gaming laptop; hardware, build quality, features you value personally, and of course the price tag. As for the hardware, the graphics card plays the key role in a gaming notebook. Sure, the processor is very important for overall performance, as is the hard drive (or preferably: SSD), but at the end of the day the graphics card is what determines the frame rate and whether your games are playable.
To play the latest titles at high resolution with all the detail knobs turned up, you are going to need a powerful GPU. No amount of tweaking or optimizing will substitute better hardware. Both AMD (formerly ATI) and Nvidia have highly capable mobile video cards on the market. In bigger, 17-inch plus laptops, you will also find them in dual GPU configurations–called SLI or CrossFire for Nvidia’s GeForce and AMD’s Mobility Radeon series, respectively. The fastest mobile graphics cards as of May 2012 are the AMD Mobility Radeon HD 7970M and the Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 580M/675M.
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234 Responses to Top 10 Gaming Laptops – May 2012
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hi guys. i want some help in choosing my next gaming laptop. for now i have my alienware m11xR2 with core i7 processor. since i would like to have a more bigger screen and faster gaming performance. any 15in laptops you could recommend? my budget is $2000
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@Reko24 I would recommend going for the clevo, try this website and build a custom one for you budget, you can get the best for less http://www.sagernotebook.com
i am builing 2x 18.4″ laptops now
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@Ayoob Marafie thanks.. i already tried your advise but when i finish customizing.. oh yeahh it goes to 2.9k usd.. shoot thats out of my budget.. anymore recommended 15in gaming laptops there? thank you again ayoob
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Hi Reko24. I’m guessing that you’ve ruled out the M14x? IMO it’s a nice and compact laptop with lots more performance than the M11x if you equip it with a quad core i7. Besides the very fast and very expensive Clevo there’s also the GT683DXR with the GTX 570M, which is a lot more powerful than the 560M and priced somewhere in between the mid-range and high-end offerings.
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Can the asus g53sx house more than one graphics cards becuase i have one and i’m thinking about an upgrade to the 580m but i need to know if it can house 2.
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I’m looking for a gaming laptop and have a line on a 17.3″ Clevo with:
-i5-2430QM, 2.4 GHz, 3MB L3 cache
-GeForce GT 555M + 2GB
-8GB 2x 4GB DDR3-1333MHz PC3-10600
-500GB 7200RPM SATA II 3Gbs HDDfor about $1300…is that a good price?
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I want to play Skyrim and similar games on a laptop thats no more then $1000-$1500. Any advice
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Berg answer my last post
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itheman, check out the review of Asus G53SX (on this page). You can play Skyrim at full HD with high details! I think that should be in that price range. Im sure there are some good January deals on it as well!
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I’ve been in the boat for a new laptop for a while myself now. I decided to wait until the New Year sale started, and luckily I made the right call. Saved quite a bit by waiting until today, and I just bought a Clevo with 6990M and 120gb SSD..
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hey, I am looking for a new laptop to play Star Wars: The Old Republic,I do not have to run it on ultra graphics but i do want a good laptop, my budget is 1200$ which one would be best for me?
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@Anonemuss: Sadly no. Theoretically the cooling should be enough to handle a single 580M, but the G53′s motherboard layout rules out any form of GPU upgrade as far as I know.
@Fudge: It’s not an unreasonable asking price for that hardware, but I wouldn’t call it a great deal. You can get, for example, the 17-inch Toshiba X775 with the faster GTX 560M for about the same price.
@itheman: Thanks Confused (nice system btw!). You can also check out a Skyrim-specific test here: http://www.bestgaminglaptop.net/articles-guides/skyrim-laptop-requirements-%e2%80%93-is-it-playable-on-your-laptop/
As it turns out, Skyrim isn’t particularly demanding since it’s DX9. It even plays well on a HD 5650, so all of the laptops listed above will be able to play it with decent quality settings (even the M11x).@Wartle: SWTOR is also comparatively easy on the GPU, so I would say the same as the above.
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So I can’t even put a radeon graphics card in it? That sucks.
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I’m looking for a new gaming laptop as my MX17 has broken and can not be repaired even with extended warranty. I need one with SSD if possible which would you recommend? I’ve already looked at Toshiba, Clevo seems to be the only one I can see with SSD any ideas?
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Staples had a nice Dell XPS 17″ HD laptop for sale for $1199 over the holidays. For $1200, it had the better components of anything comparable at that price. I think Best Buy has the same model. Make sure it’s the one with the HD screen…not the other one.
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Hello Tim here I was looking for the most powerful gaming rig around 700$
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Hi Tim, I’ve said about the same thing before but it’s somewhere among the older comments: With a budget around $700 I’d suggest looking for laptops with the Radeon HD 6650M (AMD) or GT 540M (Nvidia). Those are sometimes available with quite inexpensive laptops from, for example, Acer or Asus and offer decent mid-range performance.
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Thx.
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i’ve seen two similarly priced laptops, one a Toshiba with the nvidia 540m and the other an HP pavillion dv6 with radeon 6770m.
i was going to go for the HP but then heard that they are less reliable. Is this still true? and is the 6770m going to be that much better?
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JF,
Nothing wrong with Toshiba, but the 6770M is quite a bit faster than the 540M. (here’s a very comprehensive GPU comparison: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Computer-Games-on-Laptop-Graphic-Cards.13849.0.html)
I believe the Pavilion laptops had some issues with the auto-switching graphics. Not sure if that’s resolved in the latest AMD drivers, but the new firmware should allow you to switch off the switching in the BIOS. (if this was the source of the reliability concerns, that is)
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I went for the HP. My concern is general hardware failure but I’m taking the risk. hoping no switching problems will occur
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I need a laptop that is less than 17 inch and it’s not heavy .. can someone please tell me, oh I need it good e.g. 1 GB video card.. somehow like that, Thanks
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Hi I was wondering what gaming laptop I should get to play Starcraft 2 on ultra setting while trying to maintain a good fps when playing something like 4v4. I’m looking to spend below 1500
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@Player,
Low weight unfortunately not an area where gaming laptops shine, because of all that beefy hardware and cooling systems. The Clevo P150HM is probably the least heavy (but still the potentially fastest laptop below 17″) at 6.8 pounds/3kg. If you are willing to trade off some graphics performance, HP’s Pavilion and Envy lines are also reasonably lightweight.@Sc2boss,
I would again like to refer to Notebookcheck’s comparison page (by GPU) linked to above (SC2 is listed). It looks like an Nvidia GTX card, or AMD 6870M/5870M or better is needed for frame rates consistently above 30 at ultra settings. But there are plenty of options with sufficient capability below 1500, including the Asus G74/G53SX, Qosmio X775 or Alienware M17x.
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hey folks, i need a lil help with a laptop purchase… i’m pretty dead set on the eon17 but i’m unsure what equipment to get inside the damn thing, i wanna play skyrim and batman: AC maybe a lil bf3 and some older games like black and white. but can someone hold my hand and walk me through the hardship that is customizing a new laptop? also it has to be good enough to play max or ultra settings. now i know i could get a desktop for twice as cheap as this laptop but i travel around alot, so it’s gotta portable. kthnx.
p.s. can you use the tv tuner on the laptop to use its monitor to play a ps3?
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dead_nd: I would definitely prioritize the GPU before even looking at the other components. The difference (in games) when moving from a GTX 560M to 580M is huge compared to paying lots for a Core i7 2960XM over a 2760QM, for example. Personally I’m also a sucker for SSDs for the ultrafast boot and load times, but they are also expensive and do nothing for your games (other than decrease the load times, obviously).
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I want to get a Intel Core i7 990X 3.46GHz or 970 3.2GHz LGA 1366 Hex-Core Processor and Dual 2 GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6990M graphics cards with a 24GB Triple-Channel DDR3 1333MHz memory unit. would that be good enough or overkill? granted i don’t really think you can go “overkill” on a CpU or laptop/desktop replacement.
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You are asking whether the most powerful Franken-Laptop available is overkill?
Of course, but also awesome. Here’s a comparison of two 580Ms vs two 6990Ms: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gtx-580m-sli-hd-6990m-crossfire,3022-12.html (that’s also an X7200, so basically the same system as the EON 17).
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Has there been any information released about any of these machines shipping with the new third gen i7 CPUs?
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Hi Dain, no not yet. The latest rumor sets the time frame for Intel’s new Ivy Bridge to around April, which might also coincide with the new 28nm mobile GPUs from AMD and Nvidia.
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Is the HP Pavilion dv7t Quad Edition a good gaming laptop?
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Hi netgold, I’m currently testing the Radeon HD 7690M (in the Envy 17, but the dv7t has the same GPU) and it’s quite impressive for a midrange graphics card. Not as speedy as the GTX 560M, but great value, as are the Quad Edition Pavilion laptops IMO).
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Where the [SNIP] is Razorblade
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Hi so i am trying to find a laptop that I can play battlefield 3 on but i only have a grand any sugestions?
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Berg, I originally started with a Asus G50 RoG series gaming lap top and quickly moved to the G60 when windows 7 came out a year later. I’m still using that laptop today with realtively no issues. I have had to restore it to factory setting once due to a virus that shut me down. But i was able to do it from the computer with no extra disc and such. Im ready to move up in the world of gaming laptops and i’ve eyed the G74SX. I have loved my Asus ever since i bought it but have been encouraged to consider all. So i am. My question to you is, What is going to get me my bang for buck. Im not interested in creating a Frankenmonster, but if i were to go to Fry’s or Bestbuy and say whats the best laptop AsIs that money can buy right now. Which way am i going to be swayed. For the recored I am a WoW geek and soon to play the Beta for Diablo 3. What is your suggestion as i have enough money to go with the Alienware m18x, but is it really worth the extra 600$. If your able to email me back ill get it faster..
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@ Gordon.black: I’m currently reviewing the Envy 17 with the Radeon HD 7690M XT (same GPU with marginally lower clocks is available with the much cheaper dv6t/dv7t quad + others) and I’d say that this is the bare minimum for running BF3 at decent resolutions. It produces around 30 fps at 1600×900 medium preset and roughly 25 fps at 1920×1080 low preset. And if it plays BF3 it plays every other game that I know of.
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@ therandley: The G74SX is a well rounded machine, but you may also want to consider the MSI GT780DX(R) with the faster GTX 570M GPU (the GPU should always be priority #1 for gaming). The M18x starts with a GTX 560M, but with the SLI configurations it gets a lot more expensive. Another option might be the M17x, which is in the same size category as the G74SX but can be equipped with a single GTX 580M or HD 6990M. The 580M is vastly superior to the 560M. Another option still would be to wait 2-3 months until the new 28nm mobile GPUs are launched along with Intel’s Ivy Bridge update. If AMD’s desktop HD 7970 is anything to go by, we will see some significant improvements in the next-gen laptop GPUs.
[edit: Oh, I should also have mentioned that WoW is not particularly demanding compared to BF3 for example, so an ultrafast graphics card might be overkill. No idea about Diablo 3 though (?) Sounds interesting with the Beta!]
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I have a laptop with 4 GB DDR3 1333 MHz RAM and dedicated graphics card AMD Radeon HD 6470M with 1GB memory. I want to know if it is possible to play SWTOR, CoD:MW3, Battlefield 3, GTA IV and the upcoming GTA V with low or medium settings. If it is not enough, then would you please recommend me the cheapest gaming laptop that can handle them.
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Any idea of a rough price point on the new Radeon/ nVidia cards that are coming a little later in the year? I’m wondering wether to drop about 3k used on a frankenmonster rig now, or wait and get the next frankenmonster that comes out, but I’m a little concerned about my price point…..!
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@Infothirst: The GPU is definitely your weakest link almost regardless of the rest of your system specs. SWTOR should be playable in lower settings, but BF3 and similarly demanding games (likely including GTA V) will likely stutter even at the lowest details and resolutions (BF3 was just barely playable with the more powerful HD 6630M that I just tested). I would recommend moving up to at least a HD 6770M/HD 7690M (essentially the same GPU) or GeForce GT 555M/GT 635M (also same). To get away as cheaply as possible the refurb./used market may have some attractive options, alternatively HP’s (quad-core) Pavilion lineup.
@Andycinoz: If I was about to drop 3K on a Frankenmonster right now I would (at least try) to hold out for a few months. Once the new chips are widely available it is unlikely that the price points will differ a great deal (or at all) from the current ones. Usually, when a new generation is rolled out it may be a bit more pricey at first (when old stock clears out) and then drop to about the same levels as before (my two cents).
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Thank you very much for this good review!
Can you please answer my question?
I want to buy notebook that can run modern games, but the thing is:
1)I will use external video card (GTX 560)
2)My budget is only 500-700$I was thinking about HP g7, but not so sure…
Also notebook should support wi-fi internet of course.
Thanks!
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Hi Kon,
OK, an external video card, that’s quite unusual! Then you should be able to use a relatively affordable laptop (but perhaps with a quad-core CPU so it’s not a bottleneck for the GTX 560). The big question is what interface you will be using to hook it up? That could restrict your choices a great deal.
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if i buy the m14x will it be able to handle big games like world of warcraft without lag?
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Do I need to upgrade my existing Intel Core i5 2410M to get the games to playable frame rates?
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Yes, the m14x should be able to handle WoW and similar games without any problems whatsoever. If you are referring to network lag I believe it is now also being sold with Bigfoot’s “Killer” wireless, which is a better WLAN solution than the Intel standard issue.
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@Infothirst: No the i5 should be sufficient not to affect the frame rates in most games by a large amount. The GPU is much more important in that case.
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Erazer Medion – x6819
http://tinyurl.com/89a7nsn
that spec for that price? Unbeatable I think.
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My current laptop has had some issues with games, but it’s able to play WoW and Left 4 Dead 2 and such without much difficulty. However, recently it’s been nothing but trouble; it constantly loses power from overworking itself, despite cleaning the fans and getting a new battery, and it refuses to launch the Saints Row the Third demo outright. Even in multiplayer Terraria I lag to the point where I’m spending more time lagging at home than exploring with friends, let alone using a video recording program to capture the adventure on film. I’m getting tired of all the limitations and I’m thinking of buying a new laptop outright.
Does anyone have any advice for a solid gaming laptop that can handle the above-mentioned issues, that I’ll be able to use for the rest of the forseeable future without breaking down or losing the ability to handle future games, and that costs around $1000-$1300? I’m looking at the Alienware M14x right now, but I’m not a computer expert and I’d like some reassurance that I’m making the best decision before I go buying a new laptop based on only one night’s research.
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Linkalee, have a look at Origin as well, they tend to be a little cheaper than Alienware, although they can be a bit more complicated to spec. I’ve also heard that Dell can be a bit funky with their driver updates….
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Andycinoz, I poked around the Origin website, but building their EON15-S with similar specs to an Alienware M14x will cost me about $500 more. If they have a cheaper laptop model, I can’t find it on their site.
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Hi. I would like to know what’s a good pick for under $1000. All i want to play on it are Sims 3 games. Thanks in advance.
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