Updated 2/3/2012: The latest deal is $450 off a dv6t Quad Edition including free shipping! Extended through 2/7.

How to use:

• Visit HP and Configure Yours!
• In your cart, use the coupon code: NBDV5528

Expires 2/7/2012

There’s also a highly attractive new dv7t coupon available if you prefer the bigger model.

The base configuration includes a Sandy Bridge quad-core Core i7 2670QM running at 2.2 GHz  (up to 3.1 GHz with Turbo Boost), a free upgrade to a 750GB hard drive, another free upgrade to 8GB of DDR3 RAM as well as a free Blu-ray player. The Mobility Radeon HD 7690M GPU with 2GB of GDDR5 video memory is an absolute must-have upgrade for gamers.

An important update to HP’s configuration page is that the graphics card options are either an AMD Mobility Radeon HD 7470M or a Radeon HD 7690M, out of which the latter is considerably more powerful. The dv6 was previously available with a HD 6770M, and the difference in the HD 7690M is small–it is similarly equipped with 480 unified shaders but the memory clocks have been adjusted upwards. It has enough performance to run all current games at medium or high detail settings at the entry-level display’s native resolution (1366×768). In terms of value for money, the dv6t Quad Edition is about as good as it gets right now.

The latest Sandy Bridge version of the Pavilion dv6t is a major update over previous versions. Not only has the design been completely overhauled to be more in line with HP’s premium Envy series, the interior components have been given several important upgrades as well. The quad core edition is, as the name implies, available with the latest quad-core CPUs from Intel with four cores and a total of eight threads (shows up as 8 processors in the operating system). There are three different variants of the Core i7 to choose from in the Quad Edition, of which the fastest i7-2820QM runs at 2.3 GHz but automatically overclocks up to 3.4 GHz in certain situations thanks to the now-improved Turbo Boost feature.

Moreover, the recent change in the GPU department has allowed the Pavilion dv6 series to become competitive gaming laptops. The inclusion of AMD’s 6770M 7690M graphics card lets it compete with exclusive and much more expensive gamer-oriented notebooks from Alienware and Asus’ Republic of Gamers series. The specifications for this video card should in theory produce well over 10,000 points in 3DMark 06 and make the laptop capable of playing Crysis 2, Skyrim and other demanding games at high resolution and with sufficient details to make them look stunning.

On the whole, the new dv6t – especially in its quad-core variety – is a massive improvement on previous versions of the laptop with the same name. The only reason that HP has elected to keep the name is likely that it’s well known and established. However, considering the latest specifications and optional upgrades, there is no doubt that the new Pavilion laptops belong in the high-end segment.

UPDATED 1/27: M14x with Core i5 CPU for $1,049 or Core i7 for $1,149 + free shipping! (Fully configurable).

• Base model (dual-core Core i5)
• Use the following coupon code: BHW1L0MX0D?MCX
• Core i7 (quad-core model: no coupon needed)

The latest update to this offer is the addition of a considerably more powerful version with a 2nd-gen Intel Core i7, 6GB memory, 500GB hard drive, and the 3GB GT 555M video card for $1149 including free shipping! Expires 2/2/2012.

We recently had an M14x over for review and were very impressed with the machine. It remains the most powerful 14-inch gaming laptop on the planet.

Alienware’s 14-inch M14x is a member of the Alienware family designed for users who neither want a desktop replacement or an ultraportable. The processor options for the M14x are all from the latest 2nd-gen Intel Core series, starting at a dual-core Core i5, but configurable up to a quad-core Core i7 CPUs. The new and improved Turbo Boost feature overclocks the processor automatically to achieve optimal performance; the 2670QM which runs at 2.2GHz (3.1GHz with Turbo Boost), the 2720QM running at 2.2GHz (3.3GHz with Turbo Boost), and the 2820QM which is clocked at 2.3GHz and goes up to 3.4GHz with Turbo Boost active. The CPUs are also equipped with Hyperthreading that lets them handle two threads per processor core (4 cores shows up as 8 cores in the operating system).

It can be equipped with up to 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3, 500GB or 750GB 7200rpm hard drives or a 256GB Samsung SSD. The most important component for gamers is the Nvidia GeForce GT555M GPU, which is available with either 1.5GB or 3GB of DDR3 video RAM. The GT 555M has 144 CUDA cores (compared to the GT 550M, which only has 96) and is probably the fastest card you can find in a 14-inch laptop. Again compared to the GT 550M, the 555M has a 192-bit memory bus whereas the slower card has a 128-bit one. It’s worth pointing out that we have tried our luck overclocking this GPU and it responds very well to rather large increases in clocks (this is at your own risk of course). Read the article here.

The display options are either a 1366×768 panel or one with the higher 1600×900 resolution. Regardless of which you choose, the GT555M GPU will let you run all of the latest games at the laptop’s native resolution. Both option also come with a 2 megapixel webcam built into the bezel. A couple of other nice additions for the latest Alienware laptops is that they come with two USB 3.0 ports and HDMI 1.4 out for external 3D capability. There’s also a slot-loading optical drive included.

A WirelessHD transmitter is an optional add-on that lets you send a Full HD signal straight to your HDTV with more or less the same performance as you would get with a cable. You can opt for just the transmitter or one bundled with the universal VIZIO XWH200 audio/video receiver. Just like all of the other Alienware laptops, the M14x also comes with the full-custom AlienFX backlighting system that will light up your system in a variety of different colors of your choosing, as well as a personalized laser etched nameplate. You can even get it with Steam and Portal, World of Warcraft or Eve Online preinstalled for your convenience.

A quick overview of the M14x:

UPDATED 1/30 2012: Toshiba Direct has just launched a few brand new offers on pre-built and customizable Qosmio gaming machines that are now starting at just $949 (up to $320 savings)

The offer includes pretty much the entire Qosmio lineup, including the 17-inch X775 and X770 as well as the 15-inch F755 glasses-free 3D laptop. Prices start at $949 with $250 off the dual-core Core i5 edition of  the X770, which might just be the best price yet on a laptop with the GTX 560M. For a comparatively small price premium you can get it with a quad-core Core i7 processor for $1,249 ($320 off).

Visit Toshiba Direct to have a look at the full listing.

Valid 1/31 – 2/6.

All of the 17-inch Qosmio gaming laptops include an NVIDIA GTX 560M graphics card–the same model as in the ASUS G53SX that we recently reviewed but with 1.5GB of video RAM and a wider memory bus. The short version is that it can play all current games at the laptop’s default resolution.

The F755 is an interesting specimen in that it comes with a glasses-free 3D display that shifts resolution depending on the content. It runs in native 1366×768 with 3D on and native 1980×1080(Full HD)  in 2D mode. It ships with a Core i5 processor and a GT 540M GPU. For those hoping to play games in glasses-free 3D, however, it should be pointed out that support for 3D gaming without the glasses is in its infancy and the 3D functionality should primarily be thought of as a movie feature (a Blu-ray optical drive is also included).

Update: The glasses-free 3D laptop has actually been updated and the Qosmio F755 3D now supports “hundreds of games”, according to Toshiba.

The best deals of the year are here, and we have meticulously sorted the wheat from the chaff in the gaming laptop segment. As it turns out, there are quite a few great deals available on excellent machines. There are different limitations in terms of expiry date, stock and/or coupons redeemed and we can’t check and re-check them all. The short version is that it’s best to hurry up before the deals expire.

Alienware

First of all, Alienware is running their best offer in several months. It’s valid for four days (expires 11/29/11). The coupon is worth $100 extra in savings on ANY Alienware laptop and includes free shipping. That means that the latest M11x starts at just $799, the M14x (review here) at $999, M17x at $1,399 (3D version also eligible) and M18x at $1,899!

• Visit Alienware.com
• Use the following coupon code: D95K0RNX$0XF10

HP

The dv6t and dv7t Quad Edition with the option for an AMD Radeon HD 6770M GPU is probably the most interesting options for gamers from HP right now. As it happens, these two are now selling for the lowest price ever! There are two separate coupons that take $450 and $430 off the list price for each of these laptops including free shipping. These are also valid until 11/29/11 or until the limited amount of coupon codes have been redeemed. Note that the codes differ and that the HD 6770M gaming GPU is an optional (but highly affordable) upgrade.

Use this link for the dv7t Quad
Save $450 instantly using the following coupon: NBDV7478

Use this link for the dv6t Quad
Save $430 instantly using the following coupon: NBDT5966

Newegg

Click on the picture on the left to view Newegg’s complete Black Friday listing. Head for page 3 and scroll to the bottom to find some very interesting deals on ASUS’ Republic of Gamers laptops as well as a couple of MSI laptops. These are selling out quickly, so even though the listing will be up for another couple of days it’s better to act fast.

One of the best deals in terms of value for money is a recertified ASUS G73 laptop with a 2nd-generation Core i7 quad core processor and an NVIDIA GTX 460Mgraphics card that is selling for just $859.99! The newer and slightly faster G74SX is also available starting at $1,149.99 (new).

Additionally, the equally fast but smaller MSI GT683R is selling for just $1,169.99 after using a mail-in rebate card.

TigerDirect

Follow this link to get straight to TigerDirect’s Black Friday page and scroll down to around the middle of the page to find a couple of very attractive offers. One is for a brand new ASUS G53SX (read our review here) for just $899.99 including a Blu-ray drive! Even more importantly, this laptop comes with a 2nd-gen (Sandy Bridge) quad-core Core i7 processor and the NVIDIA GTX 560M.

The larger and also brand new G74SX with the even faster Core i7-2670QM plus a GTX 560M with 3GB of Video RAM and a 192-bit memory bus, plus 12GB of RAM is selling for only $1,249.99–a real bargain on this laptop, which has just been upgraded with a new processor and normally sells for $1,479.99.

Toshiba

Here’s the link to Toshiba’s Black Friday Deals. These are valid until 11/27 and the most interesting option for gamers is of course the latest Qosmio laptops located at the bottom of the page. The deal is $300 off plus 30% off upgrades! This is not bad at all considering that the starting price is $999 or $1,199 for the quad-core version with a brand new Core i7 2670QM.

The new 17-inch Qosmio X770 lineup come standard with an NVIDIA GTX 560M graphics card, backlit keyboards and Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs. It also has room for dual hard drives or even better, an SSD + hard drive combination. There’s also an option for an affordable upgrade to a Hybrid drive (likely a Seagate Momentus XT).

[Updated 12/22/11] The GT780DX-406US is the latest and most heavily equipped version of MSI’s 17-inch gaming rig. It comes with the latest Intel Sandy Bridge refresh–the quad-core  i7 2670QM, which operates at 2.2GHz instead of 2.0GHz in its predecessor. In Turbo Boost mode it overclocks to 3.1GHz instead of 2.9GHz. The gaming graphics are handled by an NVIDIA GTX 570M, which is second only to the much more expensive GTX 580M in the manufacturer’s lineup.

Update: The coupon code has been replaced by a mail-in rebate that brings the price down to just $1,449.99 including free shipping.

• Click here to visit Newegg (opens in a new window)
• Print the MIR rebate card to get it for $1,449.99 (expires 12/31/11)

Don’t forget to print the mail-in rebate card to ensure you get the best possible price (there’s a link to it just below the extended warranty option). As far as we’ve been able to gather, this is the best price online on this model at this writing. Note that it’s not the cheaper 8GB version with a 2.0GHz CPU. This one is equipped with 12GB of RAM, the faster processor as well as all the other goodies that come with the GT780DX, including the nice-looking new Steel Series back-lit keyboard. The configuration also includes a 750GB 7200rpm hard drive.

Another neat feature exclusive to MSI’s gaming laptops is the TDE (Turbo Drive Engine) feature that overclocks both the CPU and GPU of the laptop with the simple push of a button. All in all, this is a pretty great deal on a really powerful laptop.

HP has just launched a coupon for Pavilion laptops configured at $1,399+ that takes $500 off the regular price tag and includes free shipping. This one might might come in handy if you have been planning on getting a high-end configuration of the dv6t or dv7t Quad Edition laptops.

[UPDATE: This offer has expired. Take a look at the Pavilion dv6t and dv7t Quad coupon pages respectively for the latest offers]

HP’s quad-core Pavilion series has also just been given the same treatment as the Alienware lineup and MSI’s GT-series gaming laptops, i.e. an updated entry-level quad core Intel processor. The Core i7-2670QM replaces the 2630QM and is clocked at 2.2GHz instead of 2.0GHz and reaches 3.1GHz instead of 2.9GHz when Turbo Boost is active. The Turbo Boost feature kicks in automatically when the laptop isn’t utilizing all cores but can take advantage of a higher clock frequency in single-threaded applications, which happens quite often. Just like its predecessor and all other mobile quad-core Intel CPUs, it has the Hyperthreading feature enabled that makes it an 8-core processor for practical purposes since all of the cores can handle two threads simultaneously.

These laptops are quite well equipped from the get-go, with a 750GB hard drive, 8GB of RAM and a Blu-ray combo player. There are still quite a few things that can be upgraded though, out of which the AMD Radeon HD 6770M upgrade is the most important one for gamers. Other options include Full HD (1920×1080) displays, larger batteries and of course more RAM and faster CPUs. The dv7t also has room for an additional hard drive–allowing for up to 2TB of hard drive space or a combination of a speedy 160GB SSD and a 500GB hard drive.

UPDATED 2/3 2012: Save 30% on the latest HP Envy 17 3D including free shipping! Expires 2/7 2012.

• Visit HP’s ENVY 17 3D Page
• To save 33% plus free shipping, use the coupon code: NBEY4748

Note that this is the latest version of the HP Envy 17 3D with a brand new design and the new Radeon HD 7690M GPU. That makes it the best offer yet on this laptop. It is still equipped with the latest 2nd-gen Core i7 processors but a new GPU as well as several cool new physical features such as a dedicated volume control knob and a new backlit keyboard. The weight is still very low for a 17-inch laptop at just 7.37 pounds.

The Envy 17 3D remains the flagship in HP’s high-end lineup, with a slim design that hides plenty of raw processing power. The configuration options for the 3D version of the Envy 17 start at a quad-core (eight-thread) 2nd generation Core i7 clocked at 2.2GHz (Turbo Boost 3.1GHz) on the processor side, which can be upgraded to a 2.3GHz version that reaches 3.4GHz in Turbo Boost mode.

All of the Envy 17 laptops come with the same GPU–a powerful AMD Radeon HD 7690M, which is equipped with 480 stream processors and 1GB of GDDR5 VRAM. It can handle all of the latest games and add an extra dimension to your gaming experience on top of that. Active shutter 3D glasses and the mandatory 120Hz display are also included.

Furthermore, the Envy can also be equipped with up to 16GB of RAM and a large variety of different (dual) hard drive combos, including the option to use an ultra-fast SSD for the system files along with you most important games or apps, and use a secondary hard drive with plenty of room for your movies and music.

The entire Envy lineup has been upgraded with the latest Sandy Bridge CPUs from Intel. This coupon is very limited and could expire any minute if it hasn’t already, so act fast or miss out on this one-of-a-kind opportunity.

Unlike other 3D gaming laptops such as the Alienware M17x, this solution is not based on Nvidia’s 3D vision technology but the techology is very similar, using active shutter glasses to block every other image for every other eye to create a depth of field effect.If you are looking for the smaller Envy laptop, there’s also a brand new Envy 14 coupon, also with an excellent rebate.

I ran a poll a while back, asking the readers at what price they considered an “affordable gaming laptop” to actually be affordable? I set the lowest option to “below $800″ thinking that this would be ridiculously cheap if it we were talking about a full-featured gaming laptop and not some mainstream machine with a GeForce GT card. After almost 600 votes, 73% of the respondents thought that less than $800 would be a suitable number. Well, here you go! 

Newegg is selling the ASUS Republic of Gamers G53SW-XN1 for $899.99 [EXPIRED. Please check out our other gaming laptop deals instead. Most of them are updated on a regular basis, so some scrolling might be worth your while] which is down from $1,199.99. In addition, there’s a $100 mail-in rebate and free shipping so there’s your bona fide gaming laptop for less than $800. This is a brand new laptop with a full 1-year warranty and a very tough deal to beat.

ASUS’ 15.6-inch G53SW is predecessor to the G53SX that we just reviewed. The design is identical (and also the processor) but the laptop’s graphics card–in this case an Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M–has been replaced by a GTX 560M. The newer GPU has higher clocks, but we are still undecided on which card is the faster one since the 2GB 560M has been given a 128-bit memory bus.

Nevertheless, this is one of those gaming laptops that is deserving of the title. This particular version of the G53SW ships with 6GB of RAM, a 500GB 7200rpm hard drive, a DVD-RW optical drive and last but not least: a combination of a quad-core, 2nd-gen Intel 2630QM and the DX11-capable GTX 460M from Nvidia with 1.5GB of dedicated GDDR5 and a 192-bit memory bus.

The display is “Full HD” (1920 x 1080) and it has the same excellent cooling solution that we remarked on in out G53SX review as well as a gorgeous illuminated keyboard. The short version is that this is a great deal on a great laptop–probably the best one we’ve seen on a new Republic of Gamers laptop.

Note: this deal has expired. Have a look at the regular M11x R3 coupon instead.

This is a coupon worth no less than $315 off an Alienware M11x with a 2nd-gen Core i7 CPU. The list price is $1,114–with coupon $799. A deal not to be missed! This deal is limited to just 175  units in total, so if you want to secure an M11x at this price time is of the essence. It also includes free shipping.

An important thing to note is that this appears to be a custom build of the M11x that ships with the GT 335M graphics card, so it is not identical to the , but it nevertheless offers a considerable boost in overall system performance compared to the earlier revisions of this laptop.

EXPIRED

The processor is an Intel Core i7 640UM–a low-voltage version of the Core i7 that consumes less power and runs at 1.2GHz when all cores are active, but overclocks to 2.26GHz with Intel’s Turbo Boost feature. Like the other versions of the M11x it is also overclockable.

It ships with 4GB of DDR3 RAM, which is upgradeable to 8GB and a 320GB 7200rpm hard drive that can be upgraded to a 256GB SSD. Bluetooth is not included with this model but can be added for $20.

Other than that it comes with the usual Alienware extras and the display is the same 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 version with WLED backlighting as the one in the other versions of this laptop. A personalized, laser etched name plate is also available.

[UPDATED] Toshiba Direct has extended the time frame for this promotion but the rebate is now $200 and it is valid until 9/29–a quad-core Qosmio X770 that is normally priced at $1,599 is now selling for $1,399–a $200 savings including free shipping.

• Visit this page on ToshibaDirect.com to configure
• No coupon code is required, but the offer expires 9/19/2011

What makes the 17-inch Toshiba Qosmio X770 (with the peculiar model name ST4N04) interesting are several factors. On the top of the list is that it’s equipped with a GeForce GTX 560M with 1.5GB of GDDR5, which is currently the most common GPU in gaming laptops, for good reason. It offers a nice balance of good performance and a reasonable price tag, while being able to tackle all games currently on the market. Unlike many other manufacturers that use the GTX 560M, Toshiba advertises that the Qosmio comes with Optimus (Nvidia’s battery-saving auto-switching feature).

Secondly, the Qosmio X770 comes with a quad-core Intel Core i7 2630QM CPU running at 2.0GHz or 2.9GHz with Turbo Boost. The 4 core /8 thread Sandy Bridge CPU puts it in a whole other segment than the Qosmio variants that ship with Core i5 CPUs (some at almost the same price as this model). Another plus is the LED backlit keyboard–one piece of nice-looking and practical gadgetry that is difficult to live without once you’ve tried it.

There’s also plenty of storage in this machine; one hybrid drive (HDD/SSD), which is likely a Momentus XT that spins at 7200rpm and also includes 4GB of SLC Flash modules that dynamically allocate files you use often to the much faster SLC chips. There’s also another 500GB 7200rpm hard drive included for a total of 1TB of storage space. 8GB of RAM is also included in the bargain.

Another couple of bonuses is that this Qosmio X770 ships with a Blu-ray writer and Harman Kardon speakers. The native resolution is 1600 x 900, and it also comes with the customary HDMI port and a memory card reader. All in all, $1,399 is a bargain for this gaming system and one that puts it hundreds below some of its competitors with similar specs.