Gaming laptops - What are some good companies to look at?

[xonto]

I am probably not looking to buy for ~3 months yet, but I want to start looking and picking the companies that I am interested in. My budget will be ~$2000. I am looking for the best bang for my buck, I am not paying for a brand, I want the best specs I can get for around that price point.

Who do you all like for gaming laptops?

 

[Geoff]

Dell offers some really nice laptops, especially for the price. If you want a mid-ranged laptop, you can buy an Inspiron with an 8600M GT, Core 2 Duo, etc for around $1500. If you do go with Dell, don't forget to have a look here:

http://www.edealinfo.com/dell/#C2

They are currently offering 30% off all Inspiron laptops of $1299 or more.

 

[xonto]

Dells are not really customizable enough for me. Sure, they may offer dedicated graphics cards, but when you customize it there is only one option in the list. Well, it's not much of an option if that is all there is. If you want a different graphics card you have to choose a whole different model, and then the new model might not have the features of the one you picked first or it's 900$ more.

 

[daisymtc]

http://www.gateway.com/systems/product/529668034.php

 

[xonto]

I want to be able to customize my machine. I will probably want to buy a machine with awesome components but as little RAM as possible, then I can get http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820141340 from newegg and put it in myself. That RAM as an upgrade from 1gb 667 would probably cost hundreds from a laptop manufacturer. A high level of customization is really key in getting he best bang for my buck, because it lets me buy some of the more accessible components (RAM, HD, possibly video card, OS...) and install them myself for way cheaper.

 

[Calibretto]

I wouldn't get a Gateway. They've crashed and burned. It's amazing they're still alive.

Dell XPS models are awesome for gaming. HP has some good laptops but they might not be suitable for gaming.

 

[Kill Bill]

I recommend bootcamping windows on the mac book pro/macpro. (waits for windows fandude to tell me otherwise (you know who i'm talking about)

 

[Sir Travis D]

@Kill Bill - Another post related to fanboy macism.. Some mod really needs to start reading your post, because even in laptop gaming sections, you suggest a mac that is clearly out of his price range.

A macbook, the only "mac" laptop starting at around his price range, will have integrated graphics. You, Kill Bill, need to stop making comments like this. I am not a fanboy like you, you only suggest macs. That's all. I suggest what people want. If they want a $1000 laptop with 4gb's of ram and a dedicated graphics card, it is not the mac. So I am no fanboy, you are.

The macbook pro is $1999, but it only has the nvidia geforce go 8600m gt. For the same price, you can get a laptop with the nvidia 8800m gtx. Some mods really need to look at Kill Bill's posts. Just because he is 12 and owns a mac does not mean every other adult that wants a laptop needs a mac. All of the posts relating to macs I have seen of his have clearly not been what the @op wants.

You can get a good alienware m15x for around your price range. I am not like Kill Bill, I am only suggesting this because Alienware is known for quality and gaming. Macs are not. Anyways, you can get a better graphics card for a lower price on an alienware laptop.

www.alienware.com

 

[Kill Bill]

@Kill Bill - Another post related to fanboy macism.. Some mod really needs to start reading your post, because even in laptop gaming sections, you suggest a mac that is clearly out of his price range.

A macbook, the only "mac" laptop starting at around his price range, will have integrated graphics. You, Kill Bill, need to stop making comments like this. I am not a fanboy like you, you only suggest macs. That's all. I suggest what people want. If they want a $1000 laptop with 4gb's of ram and a dedicated graphics card, it is not the mac. So I am no fanboy, you are.

The macbook pro is $1999, but it only has the nvidia geforce go 8600m gt. For the same price, you can get a laptop with the nvidia 8800m gtx. Some mods really need to look at Kill Bill's posts. Just because he is 12 and owns a mac does not mean every other adult that wants a laptop needs a mac. All of the posts relating to macs I have seen of his have clearly not been what the @op wants.

You can get a good alienware m15x for around your price range. I am not like Kill Bill, I am only suggesting this because Alienware is known for quality and gaming. Macs are not. Anyways, you can get a better graphics card for a lower price on an alienware laptop.

www.alienware.com

Thats your name I forgot to type it in I think your an alienware fan boy. Why not get an asus? I suppose he doesnt do any media rather than gaming so maybe a pc is suited to him. Anyway at least macs have good design unlike alienware.

1. If you went into a normal starbucks with a macbook pro 89% of the people would think you have a real laptop

2. If you went in with an alienware only about 22% know what an alienware is Also the way you reference to my age is very disturbing and some what low. Also how many times did you need to say Mod. I bet your going to report me now as I like apple more than dell i mean alienware.

Also macs dont have quality. Thats very laughable.

On topic xonto if your uk/ireland based check out www.laptopsdirect.co.uk /ie and they sale macs cheaper and if you have a vat card you dont need to pay for vat but since your in america darn

 

[xonto]

1. If you went into a normal starbucks with a macbook pro 89% of the people would think you have a real laptop

2. If you went in with an alienware only about 22% know what an alienware is Also the way you reference to my age is very disturbing and some what low. Also how many times did you need to say Mod. I bet your going to report me now as I like apple more than dell i mean alienware.

I really could not care less about what people in a starbucks think. The simple fact of the matter is that there is zero reason for me to purchase a mac. Macs are more expensive for the hardware, bottom line. I could not care less about what my laptop looks like aesthetically. Macs looks slick, but that says nothing about what hardware inside them, and that is literally all I care about. That said, the only justifiable reason for buying a mac is because you legitimately like the OS better than Windows or Linux (unless you can justify doing something because of peer pressure/you care what strangers think about you based on an electronics purchase). And if you do like the Mac OS, that's fair. Personally, I do not. I'll dual boot Linux if I want a Unix-like environment. Furthermore, I have my degree in IT, I've worked with and used computers since I was little (I am 23 now), and I know enough that I don't experience all the windows problems that most people whine about (viruses, spyware, etc.). I have a perfectly stable XP machine that I have been using for 6 and a half years with no issue, still runs fast (relatively speaking of course, the hardware can not compete to today's hardware, obviously).

It comes down to money for me. The idea of buying a Mac if all you are going to do is run windows on it is, for lack of a better word, ridiculous. It is a shameful waste of resources for all the wrong reasons. Get over what people think; buy something that that is the absolute best you can get at the price point you are aiming for.

 

[chupacabra]

1. If you went into a normal starbucks with a macbook pro 89% of the people would think you have a real laptop

2. If you went in with an alienware only about 22% know what an alienware is Also the way you reference to my age is very disturbing and some what low. Also how many times did you need to say Mod. I bet your going to report me now as I like apple more than dell i mean alienware.

@kill bill

SHUT THE **** OFF, we are getting tired of your stupidity and the fact you say you're 12 when in reality you're 24, so grow up mum kiddo

 

[Kill Bill]

@kill bill

SHUT THE **** OFF, we are getting tired of your stupidity and the fact you say you're 12 when in reality you're 24, so grow up mum kiddo

Haha. If you only knew

 

[Sir Travis D]

"I think your an alienware fan boy. Why not get an asus? I suppose he doesnt do any media rather than gaming so maybe a pc is suited to him. Anyway at least macs have good design unlike alienware."

Alienware has one of the best designs of laptops, aside from the sentia's and 5550's. Why do you think they can have good graphics cards like the nvidia 8700sli or 8800? Because they have good heat dispersion units. Even if they do have heating problems, like the m15x when it came out, they released a bios update to fix it.

" 1. If you went into a normal starbucks with a macbook pro 89% of the people would think you have a real laptop" What does this have to do with anything? Macs are not gaming computers, and people do not game at star bucks often. Who knows what an asus, clevo, alienware or voodoo are anyway? Any gaming laptop is not well known. In fact, alienware uses product placement on shows like 24 so they have one of the most recognized gaming laptops. Sheesh.

"Also the way you reference to my age is very disturbing and some what low." Referenced your age? You act like your age. If you don't want that referenced, don't advertise it to the world and act mature. I'm proud of my age. Aren't you?

" On topic xonto if your uk/ireland based check out www.laptopsdirect.co.uk /ie and they sale macs cheaper and if you have a vat card you dont need to pay for vat but since your in america darn" What does this have to do with anything? Again, this is a random post of yours. Also, gaming laptops on that site at best have ONE nvidia 8700 graphics card. That website, for a DECENT graphics card for gaming, a laptop with one 8700 costs $3176.31. That is absurd. On an alienware, asus, or dell, you can get an 8700 for about half that. Everything you suggested good about a mac, is not good for the op. The highest quality mac laptop (pro, $2499) still has a bad gaming graphics card. For $2500, or even $2000, it is absurd to get the nvidia 8600. I mean come on. You can get a dell xps notebook with the 8600 for $1149. I don't think going to a starbucks is worth $850.

I'm not going to argue all day. I, try to help people. Not suggest things that are absolutely the wost thing to suggest in this case. I just want you to know that I am right, and you are wrong.

 

[Kill Bill]

"I think your an alienware fan boy. Why not get an asus? I suppose he doesnt do any media rather than gaming so maybe a pc is suited to him. Anyway at least macs have good design unlike alienware."

Alienware has one of the best designs of laptops, aside from the sentia's and 5550's. Why do you think they can have good graphics cards like the nvidia 8700sli or 8800? Because they have good heat dispersion units. Even if they do have heating problems, like the m15x when it came out, they released a bios update to fix it.

" 1. If you went into a normal starbucks with a macbook pro 89% of the people would think you have a real laptop" What does this have to do with anything? Macs are not gaming computers, and people do not game at star bucks often. Who knows what an asus, clevo, alienware or voodoo are anyway? Any gaming laptop is not well known. In fact, alienware uses product placement on shows like 24 so they have one of the most recognized gaming laptops. Sheesh.

"Also the way you reference to my age is very disturbing and some what low." Referenced your age? You act like your age. If you don't want that referenced, don't advertise it to the world and act mature. I'm proud of my age. Aren't you?

" On topic xonto if your uk/ireland based check out www.laptopsdirect.co.uk /ie and they sale macs cheaper and if you have a vat card you dont need to pay for vat but since your in america darn" What does this have to do with anything? Again, this is a random post of yours. Also, gaming laptops on that site at best have ONE nvidia 8700 graphics card. That website, for a DECENT graphics card for gaming, a laptop with one 8700 costs $3176.31. That is absurd. On an alienware, asus, or dell, you can get an 8700 for about half that. Everything you suggested good about a mac, is not good for the op. The highest quality mac laptop (pro, $2499) still has a bad gaming graphics card. For $2500, or even $2000, it is absurd to get the nvidia 8600. I mean come on. You can get a dell xps notebook with the 8600 for $1149. I don't think going to a starbucks is worth $850.

I'm not going to argue all day. I, try to help people. Not suggest things that are absolutely the wost thing to suggest in this case. I just want you to know that I am right, and you are wrong.

Hold on let me refraise this ''I'm not going to argue all day. I, try to help people. Not suggest things that are absolutely the wost thing to suggest in this case. I just want you to know that I am right In my opinion , and you are wrong in my opinion.''

No ones right nor wrong.

 

[MrRandom]

Kill Bill and Sir Travis D, STOP F***IN ARGUING!!! (sorry, no one else way sayin it)

Ok, may I ask why you want a laptop? do you move around frequently or something? because a desktop would be many times cheaper and also of alot better quality.

if you really wanted a laptop, i would go for the alienware m15x. only a few upgrades would be needed, like ram.

 

[Kill Bill]

Kill Bill and Sir Travis D, STOP F***IN ARGUING!!! (sorry, no one else way sayin it)

Ok, may I ask why you want a laptop? do you move around frequently or something? because a desktop would be many times cheaper and also of alot better quality.

if you really wanted a laptop, i would go for the alienware m15x. only a few upgrades would be needed, like ram.

Very true. Might aswell buy a gaming desktop and buy a media notebook like a think pad. (if I said macbook air I would get crammed)

 

[sandlotje89]

Well aside from the argument, I have the 8600M GT in my notebook and it is just plain depressing. To go from max everying in DX9 (on my DT) to Poor-Average in DX10 was not what I was hoping for. However, the 8600M GT does perform fairly well in DX9; but not as well as my *outdated* 7800GT.

 

[xonto]

Quite frankly, I have had a laptop too long and it has spoiled me. I like to be able to use my computer anywhere in my house; in bed, on the couch, at my desk, on the floor. It's just so convenient. It's now really hard to tie myself to one location if I want to play a game on my computer.

So, I want a laptop that can handle games. Nothing too crazy, but I'd like to be able to play Starcraft 2 when it comes out. I am willing to pay a little more for a machine that is not quite as powerful if it buys me as much convenience as a laptop has over a desktop.

 

[sandlotje89]

Well I'll give you my personal pros and cons with the 8600M GT:

Pros: Performs really well with DX9
Cons: VERY VERY hot underneath the laptop -- So hot that I don't let it sit on my skin for fear of it being burnt a little. Also, it does not like DX10 games; and, I think a lot of the weight comes from the heaftier PSU and the card itself.

If you go to http://www.nvidia.com/object/wtb_notebooks.html , you can get the DL on all of the notebooks with the cards from all of the companies -- very good resource; make use of it! Hope this helps.

 

[Kill Bill]

Well I'll give you my personal pros and cons with the 8600M GT:

Pros: Performs really well with DX9
Cons: VERY VERY hot underneath the laptop -- So hot that I don't let it sit on my skin for fear of it being burnt a little. Also, it does not like DX10 games; and, I think a lot of the weight comes from the heaftier PSU and the card itself.

If you go to http://www.nvidia.com/object/wtb_notebooks.html , you can get the DL on all of the notebooks with the cards from all of the companies -- very good resource; make use of it! Hope this helps.

Buy a laptop cooler