Gaming Laptop Suggestions

[Flying Penguin]

Hey all,

 

I'm looking to replace my croaky, barely DCS capable, 17" laptop with something with a bit more grunt and I was hoping that the collective great and the good might be able to make some recommendations? I'm UK based and the budget is around £1500.

 

Current front runners are the MSI GT70 2PC-1282UK and ASUS ROG G750JS, with the ASUS slightly in front. Any other suggestions as to ones to consider or rule out?

 

TIA,

 

Jamie

 

Obviously the standard response to gaming laptops is "why don't you buy a desktop instead?", so I might as well head that off :) :

• I'm aware that the price/performance ratio is better for desktops
  
• I'm expecting to spend substantial amounts of time away from home but with the laptop
  
• My croaky laptop is a 17" Dell Studio, so I'm aware of the size and weight of desktop replacement laptops
  
• No, I really don't have space for a desktop, even a small form factor one. My office is now a nursery with two screaming occupants, my spare room has in-laws staying long term (i.e. years) and my living room is filled with so much medical equipment and supplies that there really is nowhere for a desktop to go
  

 

:thumbup:

Edited May 8, 2014 by Flying Penguin

[cichlidfan]

I'm typing this on an ASUS G74, which is not my first ASUS laptop, and I would vote for the ASUS. :D

[ShuRugal]

I suggest the MSI. I have the MSI GT70 20D-19USK and it is an absolute -beast-.

 

When i was deciding between MSI and ASUS, the deciding factor for me was the heat dissipation system. The GT70 uses two separate heat sinks (one for GPU and the other CPU) with a radial-flow fan positioned between them. The heat sinks are joined by a beefy heat pipe, so that if one is running hotter, it can passively offload to the other.

 

I don't have any ASUS of similar spec on hand to compare against, but I have never seen my GPU temp rise above 80C, and if I hit the fan override (sets fan to max RPM) it loses 10C instantly. In DCS on highest presets, 1920x1080, TSAA off and 8xMSAA, I get 30-60 FPS (online vs offline) and run around 70C without using the override.

[tysonbishop964]

I second what shu said

[Flying Penguin]

Thanks for the suggestions, I think the GT70 20D is a bit above what I can reasonably spend without having my balls removed with garden shears (they retail about £1900 over here), but the 2PE should fit the bill and can be had for £1300ish.

 

I'm leaning now towards the MSI, bar the default RAM, better specced than the equivalent cost ASUS. Back to the benchmarks...

 

Thanks again,

 

Jamie

[Mnemonic]

Check Origin PC customized laptops, they have quite beefy configurations:

http://www.originpc.com

[Sorin]

I would never consider a laptop for DCS...

For the same money as a "gaming" laptop one can get a GAMING PC :)

[FlightControl]

It depends whether you are at home. A gaming laptop comes in handy when you travel a lot. Also, you can do a fast setup and once you're finished you can pack it away.

[Flying Penguin]

I would never consider a laptop for DCS...

For the same money as a "gaming" laptop one can get a GAMING PC :)

 

Which would be the sensible option if there was anywhere to put it. It is either GAMING LAPTOP (;)) or no DCS.....

 

Yes I may be part of a small niche in the user base, but a desktop isn't any good for me at all, no matter how small or how cheap.

[Flying Penguin]

Check Origin PC customized laptops, they have quite beefy configurations:

http://www.originpc.com

 

Thanks for the suggestion, i saw them but ruled them out as being on the wrong side of the Atlantic if I have a warranty claim at any point...

 

I've gone for an MSI dominator pro now as I found a great deal on a slightly upgraded version.

 

Thanks all...

 

EDIT (14/05/14): Just in case anyone reads the thread with the same problem, my MSI GT70 2PC arrived yesterday (specs below), 45FPS constant with absolutely everything turned up to the max. Perfect mobile DCS machine :)

 

Intel® Core™ i7-4800MQ

16GB DDR3 RAM

NvidiaGTX 870M 6GB

Edited May 14, 2014 by Flying Penguin

[genbrien]

I have a MSI GT70 2OC (wich has a GTX770m instead of a 780m) and I'm very satisfied with it.

[doraemil]

Well some tips, research the brand based off of longevity and quality. At work they've committed to be an HP house, and boy headaches galore on the low quality ships they front as combat ready.

 

then go back and research again.

 

learn to open up the laptop and use canned air to blow out the fan and the fan of the video card (remember to stop the fans with a paper clip, preferably a plastic one so the bearings don't get tore up + unplug the battery, so you don't short stuff out w/ the paper clip.)

 

game for a few hours, then shut the laptop down completely, pull the battery / ac off, and chill it out for a few minutes and back on

 

use less peripherals or a get a uber signal keeping USB hub (but most I've tried don't, even good ones will have stutter for trackir etc), preferably less peripherals is better, since most laptops have 4 USB or so.

 

don't put anything on top of the laptop. like MJ is a gateway drug, once one gets used to putting stuff on top, one day the coke can is there and spillage

 

clean + air blow out the keyboard / watch out for the ac adapter plugs / unplug the ac adapter once you are finished. ALot of issues happen if the ac / power is pulled or put into a back pack and a little pressure can pop the holder in and its a soldering job or RMA to fix it.

 

uninstall all the junk programs. laptops seems to come with them, and attract them. and lots of those apps run in the background too.

 

check batteries and replace them (often). bad batteries can power spike a laptop and reduce it to blue screens and reboots and the worse is can't turn on the laptop (unless you release the battery and use AC adapter only, then push battery back in once its started) w/ battery in.

 

get a mini mouse, and keyboard. or better a wireless paired keyboard and mouse (one usb receiver for both mouse and kb), they have a wired versions of one usb to two, but watch Tangled for effect.

 

don't ever place things on the keyboard while the laptop is open. once it becomes a habit, all it takes is one fast closing the lid with a pen / chord / keys / cell and christmas tree pixels comes early.

 

 

and avoid trying to carry multiple items in the hand that has the laptop, even if its a magazine. new laptops like to fall on a corner, and once it becomes a habit, juggling items with a bomber laptop arm / hand . . .

---

 

I know OP wants a laptop but for those sitting on the fence who can own a desktop but thinking a laptop is better . . .

 

I'm all for a desktop, in fact I've built a PC based of bets made at work for all those laptops turned in by requiring power that had our company purchase beast like workstation laptops built to their hearts (and application) spec's.

 

In general sense, desktops perform better and run longer than laptops in heavy usage (gaming, graphics etc) even if spec's match. desktops have more PSU / fan / mobo design / spatial layout, and cooling is big. Heat is a kryptonite to electronics.

 

Some of main issues is the heft and size of those workstation laptops. They are heavy, and even with the linebacker built guys (and gals), and some can't even fit standard backpacks. Next is the heat issue. They heat up fast. In the lesser quality laptops that means it crashes or have to shut it down for a bit.

 

 

Limited peripheral plug ins. Even with the dock. If you have a mouse / keyboard / HOTAS / petals , and trackIR or some trackIR clone USBs can run out. No room for the gaming headset. And most offerings have cheesy 4 USBs . . . But wait, what about USB hubs. Even in 2014 usb hubs have crackles with sound or weird max headroom pan issues w/ sensory devices.

 

 

 

Then there's the ever present fan issue (related to heat). And batteries. Yeah right now its 15-20 hours, but 5 days a week on heavy gaming will drop it. And the laptops crunched in size comes at a cost, if running the processors at full speed (which gaming tends to do) it will over heat it, and reduce the lifetime of it / as opposed to tower, which components are spread out w/ decent fan placement, stays cooler.

 

And places to store, mods, maps, skins . . . most laptops roll with 256 or 512 HDD's, plenty of space but then there's videos, and music . . . And if you have the newest ones with the tiny RAM like stick HDD's it take a college tuition to get a 512 of those.

 

 

The other thing is the monitor, unless you get the rare laptops that sport the 21 or 22", but most I've seen in reasonable price ranges are 17-19" range. You could got with dual 22" via the dock but if you have room for that, you can get a ATX tower and slip it behind the monitors.

[CJS]

Hey all,

 

I'm looking to replace my croaky, barely DCS capable, 17" laptop with something with a bit more grunt

:thumbup:

 

Have a look at https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/.

 

Running a 17" OptimusV here and DCS runs fine on 2 monitors incl Helios when the notion takes me.

 

If it is a laptop you want, your budget will pull in the Vortex range... configure what ever way you want.... it will run DCS fine...

 

Kind Regards

Chris

[blackgold]

You don't really need something really strong. The money goes into video cards and heat dissipation. You only really need a good CPU. Any mid range graphics card is fine. Your main concern with your gaming laptop is heat dissipation. Do research and get something that has a good cooling design (downward facing vents) and has a good reputation online for running cooler than other laptops.

[Rhinox]

Do not forget that mobile-CPU/GPU is not the same, as desktop-CPU/GPU! Even the best "gaming laptop" is about as good as mid-range PC...

 

I just tested P34G/v2: quite impressive specs (i7-4710, gtx-860m, 8GB ram), but it was "just enough" for DCS. My year and half old PC (i5-2500k, GTX-670) is in DCS ~25% faster...

[Pikey]

My office is now a nursery with two screaming occupants, my spare room has in-laws staying long term (i.e. years) and my living room is filled with so much medical equipment and supplies that there really is nowhere for a desktop to go

I'm expecting to spend substantial amounts of time away from home but with the laptop

I would too. We can solve the lack of real estate for your desktop in the following way:

 

London Heathrow to Bangkok £450

Months rent in a guest house £346 I found a lovely place on http://www.wimdu.ie

1 months food (Pot noodle/rice/fried rat) £60 based on two street dish's for 50 THB each though you can rock that with 2 bottle of beer a night for under £120

http://www.priceoftravel.com/34/thailand/bangkok-prices

 

So, that's about £1000 for a month if you are careful and assuming you dont get any work in the first month and stay sober for a few days.

 

Which leaves £500 for a desktop.