Gaming Laptops...

[Vraciu]

Is it a scam to look for a “gaming laptop”?

Example: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5098000

Can I just look at “regular” laptops or am I missing something?

What’s a decent screen size to shoot for? 17” is probably too small but I also want to give my wallet a break. 

 

[Skuzzy]

The problem I have with most so-called "gaming laptops" is all the gimmickry employed.  Glowing keyboards (suck,..meant to be used in the dark, but then the screen brightness blows out your retinas) and other types of useless crap make most of them worthless.

Here is a shining example: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834234746&cm_re=asus_rog-_-34-234-746-_-Product ($1538.00)

Good solid hardware for gaming.  Decent CPU, nice video card, good amount of memory and so on, but the keyboard is absolutely horrific!

I made the mistake of buying one of those and had to take the keycaps off, mill the letters into the plastic and paint them before it became useful.  It was for my Wife, but her needs were to be able to run AutoCAD, which has similar requirements as games do.

[Bizman]

"Regular" laptops are fine for gaming if the hardware meets the requirements of the games you want to play. Mostly it doesn't, sometimes it does. The GPU is the most critical part, I wouldn't go below GTX1050, preferring 1050Ti or 1060 as a minimum.

Some guys in our "squad" use laptops for playing AH. The reason for them choosing a laptop is that it's easy to carry to other places than home even when travelling by train. Most often they connect it to a bigger monitor so the screen size is no issue. I know one using a 15" and another a 17" laptop. If no extra screen is available, the built-in one works reasonably well for temporary use.

A mini desktop is more versatile and it's almost as easy to carry it to a con where you can lend a monitor, keyboard and mouse from the locals, but you can't use it in a cafeteria to check your e-mails. Not to mention if you have to be battery operated.

So it depends on what you need. 

[Vraciu]

At Skuzzy: Wow.   That’s a shocker.   I had kinda’ hoped the lighted lettering was subtle and thus useful.   Eeeeek. 

I really want to get a laptop for AH3.  I’m going to be on the road stuck in a hotel more this year than in the past.  If I was playing the game I’d be much happier. 

I even tried doing skins on my current laptop from 2009 this week while on a trip.  The screen size is frustratingly small by today’s standards. 

I guess I just want to be sure I do the right thing when I fork over $1000+.

[Vraciu]

At Bizman:

I need something I can throw in a bag.  It’s mainly going to be for those times I’m stuck on the road in a hotel for three days. 

I’m not a fan of Windows 10.   I had to be dragged kicking and screaming from 2000 to XP and then from XP to 7.   I am resisting 10 with all my will, but I may have no choice. 

I guess the biggest screen I can get for a reasonable price that will run the game well is what I want.   I realize that’s a tad nebulous but I haven’t shopped for a laptop in almost a decade. 

[Skuzzy]

You are not going to have a choice on the OS.  It will be Windows 10.  Intel and Microsoft have conspired to remove support for Windows 7 from newer hardware.  It is arbitrary and Microsoft's best attempt to force people to upgrade.

Any regular laptop is going to be loaded with bloatware.  That is what most gamer systems avoid.  The gamer laptops also tend to have better cooling solutions due to the heat from the higher end video cards.  On occasion, they also have better audio.

The one I got for the Wife happened to have the 17" IPS panel, which is simply beautiful.  The colors are so rich and vivid, but it appears ASUS has dropped the IPS panels from the ROG line, fvoring faster, cheaper TN panels.

[thrila]

I've had gaming laptops for the last 5 years. My job requires me to work away from home a lot and lugging a PC with me is not feasible.

Skuzzy is right about all the gimmickery. My current laptop came with the keyboard glowing lots of colours- it was the first thing i disabled (i checked this was possible before i bought it). Manufacturers don't seem to know their market particularly well. Not many 13 yr olds have the cash to fork out for a gaming laptop or typically require the portability- I want a laptop that is powerful, rugged and discrete i.e. not garish.

Vraciu, my last couple of laptops have a 17" screen and I find it is large enough for AH. I have a stick and pedals at home and another set where i'm located away from home.

[AAIK]

If you want a usable laptop go with one that has solid cooling as well as specs. Some top end machines down clock themselves because of heat.

[Vraciu]

Good info.   

Wow.  So many questions.   

Thanks guys.  Let me chew on this some.  I definitely need to research. 

[Vraciu]

How do the gaming laptops avoid the bloatware?   Is this by using streamlined/downgraded versions of 10 (Home)?

[Ack-Ack]

How do the gaming laptops avoid the bloatware?   Is this by using streamlined/downgraded versions of 10 (Home)?

Every gaming laptop my company has used at various trade shows and conventions have always had just the same, if not more bloatware than "regular" laptops.  Our event techs would just go through each laptop and either uninstall or disable any bloatware.

[Vraciu]

Every gaming laptop my company has used at various trade shows and conventions have always had just the same, if not more bloatware than "regular" laptops.  Our event techs would just go through each laptop and either uninstall or disable any bloatware.

Oh.   Ugh.   Thanks.   

[Bizman]

Vraciu, I suppose all the hotels you visit have a TV which you should be able to hook into any laptop as a bigger screen. I know that some cheaper hotels still have old fat crt tv's, but even those often have a VGA input. All the flat ones I've seen have at least one of the common ones, VGA, DVI or HDMI so all you'd need is a couple of wires and adapters to get a bigger image.

[Skuzzy]

Every gaming laptop my company has used at various trade shows and conventions have always had just the same, if not more bloatware than "regular" laptops.  Our event techs would just go through each laptop and either uninstall or disable any bloatware.

That is a shame.  The ASUS one I bought a couple of years ago was pretty clean (Windows 8.1).  I guess they have fallen prey to creeping bloat too.

[Bizman]

Asus has an option for buying a "clean" version of their computers, with just Windows and drivers. I don't know if it's available for all models, though.