Monster laptop. It's time. Need your input

[LittleBoyBlue]

@Sam I Am

Et all?

I need to replace my soy vaio i7 8gb ram 512ssd laptop.

Here are some contenders... any thoughts or input.
Thanks in advance


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y4GZS9C/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I191ZHV4KQVADU&colid=2V9KUWP243F04


http://www.ebay.com/itm/hp-omen-15t...4gb-gtx-1050/362038956870?hash=item544b341346



http://www.ebay.com/itm/alienware-m...tb-225gb-ssd/132260337866?hash=item1ecb5498ca



http://www.ebay.com/itm/dell-xps-15...touch-1yrwty/262990797387?hash=item3d3b791a4b



https://www.amazon.com/Spectre-x360...=UTF8&qid=1500412889&sr=8-9&keywords=Hp+i7+4k

 

[diefree666]

HP Spectre

if you are going nuts go to the best peculiar parlor around

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

HP Spectre

if you are going nuts go to the best peculiar parlor around

So.... no dedicated graphics card?
Resulting in a slight lag when editing video/gaming.

Any other ideas input?


I'm really digg g down into the specifics.

@Sam I Am
Where are you techie dude? Lol need ya

 

[YosemiteSam]

So.... no dedicated graphics card?
Resulting in a slight lag when editing video/gaming.

Any other ideas input?


I'm really digg g down into the specifics.

@Sam I Am
Where are you techie dude? Lol need ya

Whoops, got this on my phone. Was going to wait until I was in front of a PC to answer so I could look at the links.

Acer Predator:

Looks like a heck of a deal with a GTX-1060 with 6GB memory. That's what my laptop has and a quad-core i7 (8 Hyperthreads) The 256GB SSD is a tad concerning given it's a gaming laptop with some games hitting the 80+GB mark. You could always likely switch in a 1TB SSD which is what I game on in my desktop. (256 SSD pro os and 1TB EVO for game installs) 16GB memory is my the standard when buying anything more than a surf the web PC IMO these days. (you expect it to work for 3-5 years and memory growth will be required) Acer's support is questionable, but if you get a good laptop. It shouldn't be a big issue. The price point vs the specs are a bit concerning, though if it works out. *****in!
​

HP Omen

I'm sketchy about HP's cheap gaming products.
​

Alienware M17x

I was never a fan of Alienware. They made some powerful machines, but man where they expensive. I could build the same machine for 40% of the cost, it just didn't look as flashy. Then Dell bought them and the quality dropped off, yet still carried a heavy price tag. I think they finally lowered their price tag to match their quality. Honestly, I don't know where they are now.
​

Dell XPS 15

Dell's XPS models are usually some of their better quality laptops. That said, it sounds like early on there were a few driver issues with Windows 10. Validate they have been resolved, and this might be a very good choice. Just note that it's video card is a GTX 960M. Not quite a good as the GTX-1060. If it's really a gaming laptop. You should probably consider that.
​

HP Spectre x320

I think quality wise, this might be the best laptop. The downside is it's dual core, on the plus side to that is less heat. Good quality, but a lack of specs sort of. The video card might be slightly better then the XPS, but given the lessor processor. Probably less performance.

​

Have you looked at the ASUS ROG GL502VM? It's on sale for $1,297 till Monday.

• Intel Core i7 7700HQ (Kaby Lake 2.8Ghz + turbo to 3.8Ghz quad core)
• 16GB DDR4
• 1TB HD + 128GB SSD
• GTX-1060 /w 6GB GDDR5
• Good reviews.

I think the downside is the battery life, but when you're running a high end gaming PC on batteries. Something has to give.

 

[Trouty]

Whoops, got this on my phone. Was going to wait until I was in front of a PC to answer so I could look at the links.

Acer Predator:

Looks like a heck of a deal with a GTX-1060 with 6GB memory. That's what my laptop has and a quad-core i7 (8 Hyperthreads) The 256GB SSD is a tad concerning given it's a gaming laptop with some games hitting the 80+GB mark. You could always likely switch in a 1TB SSD which is what I game on in my desktop. (256 SSD pro os and 1TB EVO for game installs) 16GB memory is my the standard when buying anything more than a surf the web PC IMO these days. (you expect it to work for 3-5 years and memory growth will be required) Acer's support is questionable, but if you get a good laptop. It shouldn't be a big issue. The price point vs the specs are a bit concerning, though if it works out. *****in!
​

HP Omen

I'm sketchy about HP's cheap gaming products.
​

Alienware M17x

I was never a fan of Alienware. They made some powerful machines, but man where they expensive. I could build the same machine for 40% of the cost, it just didn't look as flashy. Then Dell bought them and the quality dropped off, yet still carried a heavy price tag. I think they finally lowered their price tag to match their quality. Honestly, I don't know where they are now.
​

Dell XPS 15

Dell's XPS models are usually some of their better quality laptops. That said, it sounds like early on there were a few driver issues with Windows 10. Validate they have been resolved, and this might be a very good choice. Just note that it's video card is a GTX 960M. Not quite a good as the GTX-1060. If it's really a gaming laptop. You should probably consider that.
​

HP Spectre x320

I think quality wise, this might be the best laptop. The downside is it's dual core, on the plus side to that is less heat. Good quality, but a lack of specs sort of. The video card might be slightly better then the XPS, but given the lessor processor. Probably less performance.

​

Have you looked at the ASUS ROG GL502VM? It's on sale for $1,297 till Monday.

• Intel Core i7 7700HQ (Kaby Lake 2.8Ghz + turbo to 3.8Ghz quad core)
• 16GB DDR4
• 1TB HD + 128GB SSD
• GTX-1060 /w 6GB GDDR5
• Good reviews.

I think the downside is the battery life, but when you're running a high end gaming PC on batteries. Something has to give.

My son wants an AlienWare, thanks for the heads up, Sam. I'm bookmarking this thread.

 

[Trouty]

@Sam I Am, does your take on Alienware (their drop off in quality relative to price) apply to their CPUs as well?

 

[YosemiteSam]

@Sam I Am, does your take on Alienware (their drop off in quality relative to price) apply to their CPUs as well?

CPUs are made by someone other than Dell. An Intel CPU is an Intel CPU. An AMD CPU is an AMD CPU. Intel's usually gave off less heat which is important in laptops which is why you don't find many AMD laptops.

Alienware was more about highend flashy equipment before Dell bought them. Prior to that nobody bought Dell for high end machines. That was there doorway into that arena and they immediately tarnished the Alienware name by building machines that lacked the same high quality Alienware built theirs with.

I don't know anyone who has purchased an Alienware PC in years, so I really can't tell you the true status of them, but search for reviews for the laptop listed doesn't shine very brightly.

 

[Trouty]

CPUs are made by someone other than Dell. An Intel CPU is an Intel CPU. An AMD CPU is an AMD CPU. Intel's usually gave off less heat which is important in laptops which is why you don't find many AMD laptops.

Alienware was more about highend flashy equipment before Dell bought them. Prior to that nobody bought Dell for high end machines. That was there doorway into that arena and they immediately tarnished the Alienware name by building machines that lacked the same high quality Alienware built theirs with.

I don't know anyone who has purchased an Alienware PC in years, so I really can't tell you the true status of them, but search for reviews for the laptop listed doesn't shine very brightly.

Thank you, Sam. Much appreciated.

 

[Reality]

A budget would help .. there are good laptops at all ranges, but which ones depends on your budget.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it coming with an SSD as I would rather pick my own brand of SSD (Samsung NvME m.2 for example). Most ot the SSDs you see in laptops under $2,500 are SATA-based which are slower than NvME drives.

Depending on your budget, the things I would make sure a laptop you're considering has are:

• At least 16GB of RAM preferably upgradeable to 32GB if you plan to run VM's or use memory-intensive applications.
• Support for NvME drives.
• An NvME boot drive that either comes with it or can be upgraded.
• A case that can be opened and accessed quite easily for upgrading drives and memory at least. Many of the newer HP laptops have very small, though nice looking, cases, but are a pain to upgrade and some require full disassembly including removing the entire motherboard along with its ribbon connectors to access upgradeable areas.
• At least one USB3.1 port (that's 3.1, not just USB3)
• A thunderbolt 3 port.
• Extended battery life, especially if you're going to use it while out a lot.
• Solid airflow and heat distribution system or else fan noise will drive you crazy during intensive use. May also cause keyboard area to get hot if not properly ventilated.
• Back-lit keyboard with multiple brightness settings to help find keys in low light.
• An LCD/LED screen that has an IPS panel rather than TN panel. TN panels have horrible viewing angles which means if the screen is angled too high or too low, it will be very hard to see.
• A touchpad that uses Windows Precision drivers.
• Study the keyboard closely to make sure the keys you use are both in the spot you are used to having them and they are the appropriate size. In particular check the SHIFT keys as a lot of laptop companies will alter or move one of them. Also, make sure the keyboard has a numeric pad if you are used to using one. Even if you plan to use an external keyboard, still check for these things because you will end up using the laptop keyboard more than you expect.

Most importantly, read as many reviews as you can stand for any specific computer you start leaning toward buying. Don't worry about any one review in particular, but rather look for patterns of complaints. Are a lot of users complaining about dropped WiFi connections? Are a lot complaining about fan noise? etc.

Post a budget and specifically what you want to use it for (type of gaming, type of editing, etc.) and I and others can make some suggestions.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

@Reality
@Sam I Am

Thanks for input. I'm going to read it over and see what's what's....
Appreciate it


Budget: I don't know... $800-$2000

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Whoops, got this on my phone. Was going to wait until I was in front of a PC to answer so I could look at the links.

Acer Predator:

Looks like a heck of a deal with a GTX-1060 with 6GB memory. That's what my laptop has and a quad-core i7 (8 Hyperthreads) The 256GB SSD is a tad concerning given it's a gaming laptop with some games hitting the 80+GB mark. You could always likely switch in a 1TB SSD which is what I game on in my desktop. (256 SSD pro os and 1TB EVO for game installs) 16GB memory is my the standard when buying anything more than a surf the web PC IMO these days. (you expect it to work for 3-5 years and memory growth will be required) Acer's support is questionable, but if you get a good laptop. It shouldn't be a big issue. The price point vs the specs are a bit concerning, though if it works out. *****in!
​

HP Omen

I'm sketchy about HP's cheap gaming products.
​

Alienware M17x

I was never a fan of Alienware. They made some powerful machines, but man where they expensive. I could build the same machine for 40% of the cost, it just didn't look as flashy. Then Dell bought them and the quality dropped off, yet still carried a heavy price tag. I think they finally lowered their price tag to match their quality. Honestly, I don't know where they are now.
​

Dell XPS 15

Dell's XPS models are usually some of their better quality laptops. That said, it sounds like early on there were a few driver issues with Windows 10. Validate they have been resolved, and this might be a very good choice. Just note that it's video card is a GTX 960M. Not quite a good as the GTX-1060. If it's really a gaming laptop. You should probably consider that.
​

HP Spectre x320

I think quality wise, this might be the best laptop. The downside is it's dual core, on the plus side to that is less heat. Good quality, but a lack of specs sort of. The video card might be slightly better then the XPS, but given the lessor processor. Probably less performance.

​

Have you looked at the ASUS ROG GL502VM? It's on sale for $1,297 till Monday.

• Intel Core i7 7700HQ (Kaby Lake 2.8Ghz + turbo to 3.8Ghz quad core)
• 16GB DDR4
• 1TB HD + 128GB SSD
• GTX-1060 /w 6GB GDDR5
• Good reviews.

I think the downside is the battery life, but when you're running a high end gaming PC on batteries. Something has to give.

Ok so per your comments I took HP and Omen off list. Don't want cheap build and don't want dual core.

I saw Asus ROG. I looked at your link and saw these Cons in reviews,

1. Can only upgrade 1 Ram stick and will only give a max of 24GB, since 8gb is on motherboard.
MY RESPONSE. Per your other post in other thread, I want to get 32gb now or later in this purchase.


2. Bad placement of the lid, block the hot air from moving out while gaming => The bottom of the lid and the top of keyboard are getting hot easily.
MY RESPONSE: bad design. I hate that.


3. Battery life when not gaming is around 4 hours.
MY RESPONSE: not terrible. But....


What else you besides the ones I listed?

Give me a top 3 Monster list... if/when you can... please

 

[YosemiteSam]

I haven't bought a laptop since I bought my Samsung Series 9 in 2012. (wow, it's five years old now!)

It's still a great laptop, but I'm going to start looking for a new one within the next year or so. I'm not really up on current laptops, but Reality uses a laptop as his desktop and I believe he purchased a powerhouse not long ago. Right at this moment, he would be the better resource since I haven't been laptop shopping in quite a while.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

A budget would help .. there are good laptops at all ranges, but which ones depends on your budget.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it coming with an SSD as I would rather pick my own brand of SSD (Samsung NvME m.2 for example). Most ot the SSDs you see in laptops under $2,500 are SATA-based which are slower than NvME drives.

Depending on your budget, the things I would make sure a laptop you're considering has are:

• At least 16GB of RAM preferably upgradeable to 32GB if you plan to run VM's or use memory-intensive applications.
• Support for NvME drives.
• An NvME boot drive that either comes with it or can be upgraded.
• A case that can be opened and accessed quite easily for upgrading drives and memory at least. Many of the newer HP laptops have very small, though nice looking, cases, but are a pain to upgrade and some require full disassembly including removing the entire motherboard along with its ribbon connectors to access upgradeable areas.
• At least one USB3.1 port (that's 3.1, not just USB3)
• A thunderbolt 3 port.
• Extended battery life, especially if you're going to use it while out a lot.
• Solid airflow and heat distribution system or else fan noise will drive you crazy during intensive use. May also cause keyboard area to get hot if not properly ventilated.
• Back-lit keyboard with multiple brightness settings to help find keys in low light.
• An LCD/LED screen that has an IPS panel rather than TN panel. TN panels have horrible viewing angles which means if the screen is angled too high or too low, it will be very hard to see.
• A touchpad that uses Windows Precision drivers.
• Study the keyboard closely to make sure the keys you use are both in the spot you are used to having them and they are the appropriate size. In particular check the SHIFT keys as a lot of laptop companies will alter or move one of them. Also, make sure the keyboard has a numeric pad if you are used to using one. Even if you plan to use an external keyboard, still check for these things because you will end up using the laptop keyboard more than you expect.

Most importantly, read as many reviews as you can stand for any specific computer you start leaning toward buying. Don't worry about any one review in particular, but rather look for patterns of complaints. Are a lot of users complaining about dropped WiFi connections? Are a lot complaining about fan noise? etc.

Post a budget and specifically what you want to use it for (type of gaming, type of editing, etc.) and I and others can make some suggestions.

I'm finding that reviews are helpful and as you said don't go by one.
Some reviews are only use experience. Need more nuts an bolts reviews.

Which one did you buy recently?
What are your top 3?

Thanks again.

I haven't bought a laptop since I bought my Samsung Series 9 in 2012. (wow, it's five years old now!)

It's still a great laptop, but I'm going to start looking for a new one within the next year or so. I'm not really up on current laptops, but Reality uses a laptop as his desktop and I believe he purchased a powerhouse not long ago. Right at this moment, he would be the better resource since I haven't been laptop shopping in quite a while.

Yeah I bought a Sony Vaio in 2009-10.
It's still a beast. I need to freshen up and get new workhorse.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

@Sam I Am
@Reality

Thoughts on this one guys?


The item:
https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predato...ywords=Acer+Predator+Helios+300+Gaming+Laptop

A Review of item:
https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/acer-predator-helios-300

 

[Reality]

@Sam I Am
@Reality

Thoughts on this one guys?


The item:
https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predato...ywords=Acer+Predator+Helios+300+Gaming+Laptop

A Review of item:
https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/acer-predator-helios-300

A video review I saw for this laptop just a few days ago ..



I have not dealt with Acer laptops myself. Acer really stormed onto the scene a few months ago with their $9,000 curved screen gaming laptop that no sane person would ever buy, but was still a cool concept. However, the new Predator Helios 300 has definitely been getting good reviews so it is something to consider along with the the Asus ROG GL502VM that Sam mentioned above as both sound like good mid-range gaming laptops.

Another laptop to consider would be the Dell Inspiron Gaming (7567) laptop. It has a 1050ti GPU instead of 1060 GPU (full VR support requires 1060 I believe). If you were to consider this laptop, make sure you only consider getting one that has the 1050ti GPU (not just 1050) in it and also make sure to only get a model with an IPS panel in it as the TN panel in the early releases was horrible. In fact, most reviews for this laptop were very positive with the exception of the TN screen. The main advantage of this laptop is that it supposedly has the best battery life of any gaming laptop available.

It really comes down to budget and intended use though. Personally, I prefer mid-range laptops because you can buy them, then upgrade the drives and memory with higher quality and faster versions of those as well. So, you end up spending more money, but still less than the high-end laptops while at the same time upgrading with better drives and memory.

That said, my current laptop is an Asus ROG G751 (2015 model) that was a high-end laptop when I got it and still handles everything I throw at it including multiple VM's and every game I have played on it while pushing two 27" monitors. Going forward though, I don't see me buying another high-end laptop because the performance on the mid-range laptops are quite powerful these days and with thunderbolt and an external GPU server (eGPU), you can really have the best of both worlds now.

If you are looking at more business-like laptops, I would look at the Dell XPS or the HP Spectre x360 laptops.

Regardless of what you do, use that checklist I gave you above because it is really easy to find what you think is the perfect laptop only to overlook something simple like no back-lit keyboard or a key you use on the keyboard constantly is in a different location or it's hard or impossible to upgrade later.

 

[YosemiteSam]

@Sam I Am
@Reality

Thoughts on this one guys?


The item:
https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predato...ywords=Acer+Predator+Helios+300+Gaming+Laptop

A Review of item:
https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/acer-predator-helios-300

This specific model looks good. (it seems there are several different models of the same Helios 300.)

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

This specific model looks good. (it seems there are several different models of the same Helios 300.)

@Sam I Am
@Reality

I'm leaning towards one of these bad boys

http://www.ebay.com/itm/acer-17-3-i...dows-10-home/262979962398?hash=item3d3ad3c61e

 

[TheKey]

2 grand is a lot of change to throw down for a laptop. What's the incremental improvement from 8 or 12 GB of RAM to 32? Seems like at some point fast is fast enough

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

2 grand is a lot of change to throw down for a laptop. What's the incremental improvement from 8 or 12 GB of RAM to 32? Seems like at some point fast is fast enough

I strictly went for the newest and fastest.
Coolest as in great cooling system.



Processor is i7 2.9ghz 7820hk (the bulk of what's out there is i7 6700, 7700)

Memory: 32gb (upgradeable to 64gb)

Drives: 512ssd and 1TB HHD

Graphics card : GeForce GTX 1080 (this is pretty much the best of the best. Handles all games and full setting) the cards out there are 980, 1060 and 1070)

Plus g-Sync

 

[TheKey]

Are you going to be gaming?

I strictly went for the newest and fastest.
Coolest as in great cooling system.



Processor is i7 2.9ghz 7820hk (the bulk of what's out there is i7 6700, 7700)

Memory: 32gb (upgradeable to 64gb)

Drives: 512ssd and 1TB HHD

Graphics card : GeForce GTX 1080 (this is pretty much the best of the best. Handles all games and full setting) the cards out there are 980, 1060 and 1070)

Plus g-Sync

ing to