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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we are looking to purchase a gaming laptop in the $800 to $1300.00 range. One that will play Star Wars Old Replublic, Sims 3, Civilization V, Starcraft, Skyrim, WOW, COD, etc. and one that will play the new games that are coming out. I have researched DELL XPS 15 & XPS 17, wondering about Asus and Toshiba, Gateway and Samsung gaming models.
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in addition to my previous post: one more game to the games we are looking for the gaming laptop to play are Minecraft.
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What is anyone’s opinion about the Asus G53SX-AH71?
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@Berg Thank you for your response on my last question, I know this is going to sound like ive already got my mind made up, but again, like i said im more interested in bang for buck. Do we know how upgradeable the G64SX is GPU wise. Like could i get a 570 or 580 or hell even 590 and it handle it? And lets say i go for the M18X alienware, and upgrade to the 580M SLI.. how overkill are we talking? I think that from what i was reading its a dual 580M, but thats also like an extra grand on top of what i can get the Asus for. Like i said i really only play WoW. I’m interested in maybe going to BF3 in the future, but more so WoW is my main interest. And im assuming that since you said WoW is not that graphics demanding, that the G74SX is probably overkill in itself, would i be correct on assuming that?
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anyone’s opinion on the Asus N53SN-SH71-CBIL
or on a Gateway laptop 10131393 i7
again looking to play Minecraft, Starcraft, STOR, WOW, Civilization V, Sims3, BF3, COD,
Thanks in advance.
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@Linkalee: here are my two cents on the G53SX: http://www.bestgaminglaptop.net/reviews/asus-g53sx-review/
The AH71 is an updated model with a 10 % faster processor but the same graphics card.@therandleray: I’m not entirely sure, but I think that the G74SX is like the G53SX and has the GPU soldered to the motherboard, so no upgrading there. The M18x and M17x use MXM boards, so it’s technically possible but the parts are quite rare and expensive. Two 580M’s in SLI are crazy fast and definitely overkill if you just play WoW. BF3 is something else entirely. With the highest detail setting it is choppy with all but the fastest mobile GPUs, but you can definitely play it on a G74SX with some of the knobs turned down. For WoW in native Full HD it should be more than adequate.
@Mack: Is that the one with a GT 550M? In that case it should be sufficient for most games, but demanding ones like BF3 will probably only run with low/medium settings.
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Happened on this site by accident, found some very interesting reviews and just had to give my 2 cents.
I recently (3 months ago) bought the g74sx Republic of Gamers-laptop, with the geforce 560m 3gb graphics card.
3 months ago I had no idea laptops were this good!
I however disagree with above review and comments saying the 560m could only handle newer games on Low to Medium settings.
I run Skyrim in 1920×1080 with EVERYTHING on Ultra settings AND running ~50 fanmade mods at the same time, half of which are HD Texture packs (up to 8x the original texture sizes!!) and other enhancers like more AA and Realistic lights – with (although maybe barely playable) ~30 fps.
BF3 on the other hand at 1920×1080 res can’t really go higher than High graphic settings, in order to keep the playable 30 fps. In full Ultra settings (I just had to try, right?) it actually performs well with around 20-25 fps, which works almost perfectly during the campaign! But for the more fast-paced and competative Multiplayer I need to dial it back down to High settings to be able to keep up on the largest maps.This is an awesome computer all over!
I frequently render movies in Adobe After Effects and Premiere, and ofcourse play a lot. Hasn’t disappointed yet!I strongly recommend it for this price-range!
My next computer will definitly be a laptop as well (as a former die-hard stationary computer-fan I now consider myself CONVERTED to laptops) and I will make sure it has an Nvidia graphics card in it, cause I AM SOLD on Nvidia with this computer!Hope this helped someone decide.
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Thanks for the great comment and interesting input, ChrisStrawhat.
The reason that my own experience differs somewhat is that I’ve reviewed the 128-bit version of the GTX 560M, which is bottlenecked by the smaller memory bus width and not as fast as the 560M in the G74SX (192-bit). On the other hand, even the “bottlenecked” GTX 560M plays Skyrim in 1080p on the Ultra preset minus AA/AF.
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Hey Berg, I’m looking for a laptop to play games like WoW, Hon, Lol, TF 2 while having a couple explorer pages open. Will this hp dvt7 quad do it with i7 2760, 2Gb amd radeon 7690m, 8 Gb Ram, 660Gb (160Gb SSD/ 500 Gb). Will that do the job very well? And is that with a bluejay player worth $1700 ? Thanks
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Hey Camboss, there’s no question that it can handle the games you mention. $1700 sounds a bit steep, but I suppose it’s the SSD that inflates the price? (not that I would ever argue against getting one – best invention since the 3dfx Voodoo)
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Well im in Australia and it turns out hp doesn’t do that custom Laptop here. Do you know of any laptops that have those specs ? cause i want all those specs pretty much exactly. abit of SSD and a good graphics card.
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I am looking to get a Asus G72GX RBBX05, I know nothing about pcs so Im surfing web for any info.
I currently am playing SWTOR on a NON gaming laptop, and can tll I have to start searching for a gaming rig. So I would like to know if the Asus G72GX RBBX05 isa good gaming rig to run SWTOR. Doesn’t have to be super, but at least good.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
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The GTX 260M in the G72GX should still be on par with current mid-range GPUs, but I assume that the CPU is also an older variety? In that case you might be better off opting for a new(er) entry-level gaming machine (unless the price is exceptional).
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Hey Berg,
I am looking for a gaming laptop that can play skyrim, bf3, diablo3, and sc2. My budget is ~1300. Any thoughts? Also, would it be worth it to wait until the next gen ivy bridge and gpu’s come out?
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Hi Verge,
A few that comes to mind in that price range would be the MSI GT683 or Asus G53SX (15.6″) or Qosmio X775 (17.3″). But like you said, if you can hold out for a couple of months there will probably be lots of new models on the market (and prices should continue to drop on Sandy Bridge-based laptops).
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What are your thoughts on the ibuypower.com laptops? i think it’s called battalion.
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What is the best gaming laptop between the $1700-$2000 range?
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info: looking to play bf3, mw3, d3, sc2, etc. Thanks!
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@Verge: I have no personal experience with ibuypower, but their top model is the same as this one: http://www.bestgaminglaptop.net/reviews/origin-eon-15-s-review-clevo-p150hm-gtx-580m/ but the GPU options seems to be limited to the HD 6990M (AMD’s top mobile GPU). The CZ-12 models have a bottleneck in the GT 540M, which is a bit weak for demanding games like BF3.
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@gstylez: With that budget you have a lot of options that will play any game at high settings! I would personally go for a laptop with a single GTX 580M or Radeon HD 6990M, like the M17x or Clevo P170HM.
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@Berg, You think the base M17x without any upgrades would do the trick? Because every time I try to build out the M17x it’s always over $2000 lol. If you think it DOES need some upgrades…which ones would you choose? updated wi-fi, updates speed, space? etc.
Thanks
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My buddy said that he’d definitely do this over alienware http://www.engadget.com/photos/lenovo-y580-and-z580-gallery/
Thoughts?
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I would upgrade the GPU before anything else, to the 6990M (strangely, the 580M is not an option right now). The Lenovo definitely looks interesting, especially with the unreleased GTX 660M. Those new GPUs and Intel’s Ivy Bridge are a couple of good reasons to wait for a couple of months and see what shows up in April/May. Of course, then there’s the matter of waiting for Intel’s Haswell in 2013
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Hey Berg,
I need a powerful machine with a medium battery life/runtime so which one:
- Alienware m14x (555m seems too weak and fan noises kicking out)
- MSI GT683DX (Cool 570m)
- Asus g53sx-a1/dh71 (poor 560m 128bits)
I would like to use it in the university, so I need something like 5h + oO on text editing only and powerful enough for a Desktop Replacement or at least kind of. The m14x sounds almost perfect but its fan noise its disturbing but I don’t know if in this (text) activities the fan kicks out (any owner?) and its 555m, can it perform like a ps3 on hdmi connection with a 42′ tv like?
Games: Skyrim
DDD and WoW ! ! ! If its possible to get a ultra like experience with a OC on the m14x I’m going to get it!
Regards.
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Just to add a other 15ish
- Envy 15-3040nrAnd if those above can’t manage to provide me enough battery, should I get a m11x r3 and OC “him” to his limit?
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Hi BMA!
If battery life is important then both the MSI and Asus are pretty much out of the question since they don’t have Optimus/switchable graphics. The M14x fan noise is only an issue when playing games, otherwise it’s quite silent actually (although it might be worth waiting on the R2 with a 28nm GPU, should be both faster and put out less heat). And the Envy 15 should definitely be listed here, thanks!(that one should also have a more than decent battery life with the switchable 7690M).
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Hey Berg,
I am thinking buying the system below. How well can this laptop run BF3, Skyrim, ME3, SC2, Diablo 3. (i would like play all games at the highest settings if possible).
MSI GT780DX-406US:
17.3″ FHD 16:9 “Matte Type” Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Matte Screen (1920×1080) (SKU – X1R553)
- 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2670QM, 2.2-3.1GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache) -
- nVidia GeForce GTX 570M 1,536MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11 (SKU – X3R454)
- 16GB DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (4x4GB SODIMMS) – SPECIAL! (SKU – X4P997)
- 500GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) (SKU – X5R207)
- Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti DVDRW/CDRW Drive w/ Software (SKU – X7R451)The way I customized it, its around ~$1464.
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Hi Berg, I recently bought a laptop from lenovo
The U400 ultrabook the reason i bought it its because
I read that it has an ati radeon6470m gpu but I try to play
Arkham city at medium settings and it lag so much plus
It was overheating,so I stopped and well now
I’m looking to buy a gaming laptop just for that and
Saw a couple models from Asus, hp and Sony and I decided to go with the Asus G74sx but then I read about The Sony F series, in your opinion which one of this two would run new games from 2010 and 2011
that I can purchase that will also give me good fps without the overheating and that I can also play the new games from 2012. Please if you can give me an advise before I purchase the laptop, thank you
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Hi berg,
I’m trying to get a laptop just for playing wow at a high end level for raiding. I need one that can handle add ons and run fast. I’m not using this laptop for anything but that game. I don’t mind spending the extra bucks to get the top of the line laptop. I don’t care about 3D. I would prefer a smaller screen but dont want to lose the speed by going smaller but what is out there now that will run as fast as my home pc and give me the best gaming experience. And not be outdated in 6 months. I bought the ASus g-72 when that was top of the line or I thought 2 years ago but I’m not happy with it. And if I get a smaller screen what should I upgrade in the laptop. What is the most important thing Ram/Graphic card/ or what ??? Great site and thanks
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I was looking at the battalion 101 x 7200 but that didn’t even make your list so that’s out
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Hi, what do you think of Acer Timeline M3? Not a pure gaming notebook, I heard, more of an ultrabook but it has GT640M which said can run BF3 ultra setting with around 25fps.
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KowAwA, read this: http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-640M.71579.0.html
Basically, it can run BF3 with medium to high settings (26-34fps), at 1360×768.
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@Verge: That’s definitely a powerful machine. You can check out some frame rates on the smaller MSI with the GTX 570M here: http://www.bestgaminglaptop.net/reviews/msi-gt683dxr-review-2/ The 570M will probably only struggle with ‘Ultra’ presets, particularly in BF3.
@Vic: The GTX 560M graphics card in the G74SX is at least 50% faster than the GT 540M in the Vaio, so the difference in gaming frame rates will likely be about the same.
@Bigd: The X7200 was actually just replaced in 1st position here with the almost identical P270WM. The difference is Sandy Bridge-E processors.I would like to repeat to everyone though (don’t want to be the reason for anyone’s buyer’s remorse), that the next-generation mobile Nvidia cards are due in April, and they look quite promising as (no longer) Confused points out.
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hey guys new to this site. I was wondering if I could get some advice on how powerful a mobile gpu I need. The games that I am interested in playing are WoW, Aion, and Diablo 3 in the future. Thing is, I have no idea how powerful a gpu I need to be able to run these on high settings with playable fps. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
.
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Hey jlin06, thanks for stopping by! Neither WoW, Aion or Diablo 3 are overly demanding (relatively speaking), so most upper-midrange GPUs should be able to play them on high settings. For exemple, Diablo 3 beta put out 69 FPS on the high preset with the GTX 570M (http://www.bestgaminglaptop.net/reviews/msi-gt683dxr-review-2/), so basically half of that polygon crunching power would suffice for playable frame rates. Also have a look at this table: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Computer-Games-on-Laptop-Graphic-Cards.13849.0.html
It doesn’t contain Aion or Diablo 3 unfortunately, but lots of other games that could give you a rough idea of the GPU’s relative performance.
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hey this is my first time visiting this site and was hoping you guys could help me out. Im looking to get a laptop in the 1800-2100 price range mostly for guild wars 2 and probably some diablo 3 what laptop would be able to play those games at high settings?
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Are there any problems with viruses for the Alienware M14x?
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Hi I have a spending limit range between 1000-2000. Games I currently play are WOW,old republic,Aion,FF14,Batman asylum and city, RE5,Battlefield 3,skyrim. any recommendations that would run all those at max or close to max. battlefield 3 and skyrim not so much at max but would like to play future games coming out this year at max or very close like RE6.should i increase my Price range or is there anything good around there i was thinking on the ASUS g4 series any thoughts?
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“Current Alienware Coupons:
1. Take an additional $50 off any Alienware laptop configured at $999 or more (that would be pretty much all of them) with the coupon code: BHW1L0MX0D?MCX”
As soon as I saw the word Alianware I knew this wasn’t the list I was looking for.
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Hi Berg, i was wondering if the alienware m17x is portable, or is it better if i go with the m14x? Because I’m traveling a lot. And do you think if I would like to play games half the time and the other half surf the web that viruses would be a problem?
Thanks
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@wookieslayer: You can definitely find a great machine within that price range. Laptops with the 580M/HD 6990M will be best equipped for gaming. The Asus G series is great, but in that case I would personally wait for about a month for the next generation with the GTX 660M.
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@Charlie Sheen: Hi! If you are traveling a lot I would definitely choose the M14x to save your back. The M17x is more powerful but also much bigger and heavier. Viruses shouldn’t be a problem more than on any other computer if you are using a decent antivirus solution and stick with legit games.
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Hey Berg, Im thinking you may just be able to help me… Right now i have 600 bucks saved up. im tryin to get to 1k but i dont wanna spend more than that. Im lookin for a laptop that can play todays games. it doesnt have to be the highest settings of course but i guess really what im lookin for is a laptop between
600-900 dollars that can play some of the better games. i want as much bang as i can get for less than 1k. Even cheaper would be better. Some of the brands ive considered are Lenovo, Sony, Asus, Toshiba. Ive been looking on newegg so far. do you know any other good sites for laptops?
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Hi Monyx, sure I can give it a try
The dv6t Quad is good value IMO. It sells for $787 right now with the HD 7690M GPU ($25 upgrade). Check out the ‘HP coupons’ link at the top of the page. If you don’t mind waiting a while, I would keep an eye out for laptops with the new mid-range GeForce GT 640M. They should be reasonably priced and produce good frame rates. Another option might be to look at the used/refurbished market for an Asus G-series gaming laptop. I’ve seen the G53SW (Core i7-2630QM + GTX 460M: still good) go for less than $1k. Newegg and Amazon are probably the most well stocked, but I have personally made some good finds on eBay.
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Hey, I am looking into buying a gaming laptop in the near future and I am wondering what would be the best option. I am not on a serious budget because if I can find the one I want I can just save longer for it if it is too pricey. I am looking for a bit of portability like the M14x, but I also am interested in the power of a dual graphics card. Is there anything that has both the power of the larger desktop replacements and the versatility of the gaming notebooks?
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Hey i was just wondering about the xps 17 if there is any serious cons about it , or anyways im thinking bout buying a new laptop for most likely casual gaming… games like diablo 3 , LoL ,Guild wars 2 when ever its out … if you guys could give me a tip id be thankful
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The list is amazing, but I have a technical question.
If you get the exact same specs (Same CPU, GPU, RAM, HDD…etc.), would it still differ if the factory is different (Like Toshiba or HP or Dell with same specs)?
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@Riley,
There will always be compromises (unfortunately). The M14x is just the right size to manage that single, upper mid-range card within the heat constraints of a 14″ casing (although the upcoming R2 might be equipped with something a bit faster). Same goes for the 15.6″ Eon 15-S/P150HM (http://www.bestgaminglaptop.net/reviews/origin-eon-15-s-review-clevo-p150hm-gtx-580m/), which just barely manages to cope with a single 580M. Full SLI/Crossfire setups (not counting hybrid) are more or less out of the question in laptops smaller than 17″.@Maro,
No flaws that I’m aware of (haven’t tested it personally). Going by the specs (GT 555M + Core i7) it should be on par with the M14x (http://www.bestgaminglaptop.net/reviews/alienware-m14x-review-hdd-ssd/), which should have no problem running those games.@Robbie Bek,
Thanks! And no, there shouldn’t be a noticeable difference unless there are some design flaws in a specific model, like CPU/GPU throttling due to excessive heat buildup.
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Where do Ibuypower and DigitalStorm products rank? I’ve really had a good experience with my desktop and am considering a new laptop, but didn’t see them anywhere on this list…
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ddd123: I believe they both build on the Clevo laptops listed above. That also includes Sager, AVADirect and several others.
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