Any good recommendations for powerful but not too expensive PC laptops?

sharkboy1200

sharkboy1200

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Sep 11, 2013
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My biggest deal is that I want it to be able to run After Effects decently. That program is such a resource hog. Not gonna buy anytime too soon, probably sometime after I do my taxes and see how much I get back. I paid $800 for a laptop last time. It's solid, but it's quickly left in the dust as well. I'd like to be able to run some games with a steadier frame rate without having to reduce my settings. Anyone with good recommendations?
 
You are looking at $1200 bare minimum if you want any decent power. That is the nature of laptops. But I don't know what After Effects requires. So I am useless.
 
Does After Effect have recommended reqs?
 
Windows
  • Intel Core2 Duo or AMD Phenom II processor with 64-bit support
  • Microsoft Windows 7 with Service Pack 1, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1
  • 4 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended)
  • 5 GB of available hard-disk space; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on removable flash storage devices)
  • Additional disk space for disk cache (10 GB recommended)
  • 1280 x 1080 display
  • OpenGL 2.0–capable system
  • QuickTime 7.6.6 software required for QuickTime features
  • Optional: Adobe-certifi ed GPU card for GPU-accelerated ray-traced 3D renderer
 
Do you have your heart set on a laptop? I'm asking, because you could have a gaming desktop for about half the cost of 1200.
Also, you can't upgrade laptops the same way you can with desktops.

I get the appeal of having a mobile gaming station, but you really will end up over spending, and by a lot.
 
Qbert said:
Do you have your heart set on a laptop? I'm asking, because you could have a gaming desktop for about half the cost of 1200.
Also, you can't upgrade laptops the same way you can with desktops.

I get the appeal of having a mobile gaming station, but you really will end up over spending, and by a lot.
Click to expand...
It's not so much about having a gaming station as having something that's a bit all in one, but mobile as well, as I take my laptop with me on many occasions, usually to get some extra work done. I'd like to be able to have more high end gaming capabilities for sure, but that's not the main reason why I'd be buying a laptop.
 
Just find something with an i7 processor, 8-16GB of ram, and a decent graphics card. I can give recommendations on the first 2, but don't know too much about the graphics cards.
 
Z A C K said:
Just find something with an i7 processor, 8-16GB of ram, and a decent graphics card. I can give recommendations on the first 2, but don't know too much about the graphics cards.
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I actually have an i7 processor, but what I'd like is more of upgrade in ram and memory but a better graphics card wouldn't hurt either.
 
I think the gtx 860m - 880M are currently the top cream for laptop GPUs. I know you can also opt for SLI configurations of those GPUs. Downside is you will be paying $3000.00 or somewhere around that. Also just one gtx 880m is still not as powerful as a single desktop gtx 780.
 
The Living Tribunal said:
I think the gtx 860m - 880M are currently the top cream for laptop GPUs. I know you can also opt for SLI configurations of those GPUs. Downside is you will be paying $3000.00 or somewhere around that. Also just one gtx 880m is still not as powerful as a single desktop gtx 780.
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Hmm... maybe I should go for a desktop. It's not like I'm getting rid of my current laptop and it's still very good and functional. I've many a pondering to do before tax returns come around in 2015.
 
Maybe try cleaning the laptop system; look for background processes or even viruses that might be wasting resources.

C-Cleaner is decent for this, just be sensible with what tell it to clean. Especially if you try it on the Registry lol.
 
Damn this thread.

It got me looking at laptops again and now I have a $1500 ($1350 pre-tax) hole in my wallet.

Old:
Asus G50VT
Windows 8.1 Pro
Intel Core Duo 2.2Ghz
4GB RAM
GeForce 9800M


wGalN7V.jpg

Yay for "cool" tribal art top, loaded with 35 completely unnecessary leds to flash until you have a seizure.
NAH0Uls.jpg

Capslock/TAB/~` keys left this plane of existence a long time ago. Worn out right side of the laptop that looks someone took a belt sander to it is from using my mouse on there for about 8 years.

Newness:
ClEdl3v.jpg

myhhqpP.jpg


6rmtQ6L.jpg

Just loaded it up, completely didn't expect creepy Windows to already have my desktop picture already uploaded onto this as soon as I signed in.

Asus G751M
Windows 8.1
8 GB Ram
Intel Core i7-4710HQ 2.5Ghz
Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M 4GB VRAM
Intel HD Graphics 4600 1.75GB VRAM(onboard gpu thingy) - I guess I'll use this for physics processing?
17-inch screen, 1080p, touchscreen
1TB HDD
I guess I'll have to somehow change over my PRO version of windows to the new computer.
 
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I don't know if I could sell it in good consciousness.

It is missing keys, the plastic cover on the side-vents was smashed and fell off (I can touch the metal vent), and recently it has been prone to overheating so I've been getting BSOD video display crashes when I game for an extended period of time, it overheats from pretty much nothing etc etc. I wanted to get a new one soon, because the crashes have been happening more frequently, so this thing could be on it's way out.

I was honestly considering selling it earlier, then I remembered all of that and I'd be upset if I sold it to you, only to have it crash/die at any given time.
 
Ouch.

Sounds like the slow death of my old Compaq after me and it were in a massive vehicle accident. It was actually ejected out the window into the rain.

It survived, but had constant problems overheating after that.
 
pravus said:
Damn this thread.

It got me looking at laptops again and now I have a $1500 ($1350 pre-tax) hole in my wallet.

Old:
Asus G50VT
Windows 8.1 Pro
Intel Core Duo 2.2Ghz
4GB RAM
GeForce 9800M


wGalN7V.jpg

Yay for "cool" tribal art top, loaded with 35 completely unnecessary leds to flash until you have a seizure.
NAH0Uls.jpg

Capslock/TAB/~` keys left this plane of existence a long time ago. Worn out right side of the laptop that looks someone took a belt sander to it is from using my mouse on there for about 8 years.

Newness:
ClEdl3v.jpg

myhhqpP.jpg


6rmtQ6L.jpg

Just loaded it up, completely didn't expect creepy Windows to already have my desktop picture already uploaded onto this as soon as I signed in.

Asus G751M
Windows 8.1
8 GB Ram
Intel Core i7-4710HQ 2.5Ghz
Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M 4GB VRAM
Intel HD Graphics 4600 1.75GB VRAM(onboard gpu thingy) - I guess I'll use this for physics processing?
17-inch screen, 1080p, touchscreen
1TB HDD
I guess I'll have to somehow change over my PRO version of windows to the new computer.
Click to expand...

Congrats.
It might not be an issue, but don't forget to change over the primary video adapter to your discrete gtx 860m. I know with Nvidia and their 'Optimus' technology on some of those laptops they use the craptacular Intel HD for the primary graphics adapter. Using that will make all your games run like poo poo. It is a power saving feature. If you have the option turn off your integrated solution in the bios.
 
So I found this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834317538
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M 2GB
  • Intel Core i7 4700HQ (2.40GHz)
  • 8GB Memory 1TB HDD 8GB SSD
  • 15.6" 1920 x 1080
  • Windows 8.1 64-Bit
  • External DVD+/-RW
  • 15.24" x 10.37" x 0.94" 5.29lbs
I'm kind of trying to see what was available that could play Witcher 3 at recommended settings:

http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri/requirements/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/12446/?p=a

This laptop seems to do the trick. The reviews seem more favorable than negative and while my current laptop isn't exactly bringing the perfect experience (two out of the three USB ports don't work properly), I've enjoyed what I had overall. I'm curious to get some opinions. Whether its good enough to run a game like Witcher 3 at the recommended settings or if I'd be paying a good price. Personally, I kind of like what I'm getting here. It's much closer to my price range too. I'll have
 
sharkboy1200 said:
So I found this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834317538
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M 2GB
  • Intel Core i7 4700HQ (2.40GHz)
  • 8GB Memory 1TB HDD 8GB SSD
  • 15.6" 1920 x 1080
  • Windows 8.1 64-Bit
  • External DVD+/-RW
  • 15.24" x 10.37" x 0.94" 5.29lbs
I'm kind of trying to see what was available that could play Witcher 3 at recommended settings:

http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri/requirements/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/12446/?p=a

This laptop seems to do the trick. The reviews seem more favorable than negative and while my current laptop isn't exactly bringing the perfect experience (two out of the three USB ports don't work properly), I've enjoyed what I had overall. I'm curious to get some opinions. Whether its good enough to run a game like Witcher 3 at the recommended settings or if I'd be paying a good price. Personally, I kind of like what I'm getting here. It's much closer to my price range too. I'll have
Click to expand...

Just doing a comparison purely based on Tflops, the 980m gpu seems to be the laptop match for performance with the 770. They're both about 3,2tflops. Far Cry 4, they both run maxed at about the same performance. So to answer the question, no, I don't think an 860m will get you to what one would expect coming from those recommended specs as it is a decent gap away from a 980m.

That isn't to say the game won't be playable and still look great, you're just going to have to take some hits; lowered graphics quality settings, resolution, AA/AF etc etc to get there. An 860m will definitely NOT get 1080p 30fps with all of the bells and whistles, but it is worth pointing out that a lot of those bells and whistles are likely to have big performance penalties, so it's going to be hard to gauge where the 860m will land when this game releases.

I actually returned the laptop above and went with the model that has the 970m, it's not quite a 980m, but I think it will be good enough to give me a great experience with this game.

I should mention, I returned the laptop I posted above a week or so later and got the same model with the 970m as it future proofs the gaming experience considerably. The price gap to get to the 980m was a bit of a stretch that I didn't think was worth it with Asus.

If I had gone with a Sager/MSI or Lenevo, I definitely wouldn've gotten the 980m though.
 
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pravus said:
Just doing a comparison purely based on Tflops, the 980m gpu seems to be the laptop match for performance with the 770. They're both about 3,2tflops. Far Cry 4, they both run maxed at about the same performance. So to answer the question, no, I don't think an 860m will get you to what one would expect coming from those recommended specs as it is a decent gap away from a 980m.

That isn't to say the game won't be playable and still look great, you're just going to have to take some hits; lowered graphics quality settings, resolution, AA/AF etc etc to get there. An 860m will definitely NOT get 1080p 30fps with all of the bells and whistles, but it is worth pointing out that a lot of those bells and whistles are likely to have big performance penalties, so it's going to be hard to gauge where the 860m will land when this game releases.

I actually returned the laptop above and went with the model that has the 970m, it's not quite a 980m, but I think it will be good enough to give me a great experience with this game.

I should mention, I returned the laptop I posted above a week or so later and got the same model with the 970m as it future proofs the gaming experience considerably. The price gap to get to the 980m was a bit of a stretch that I didn't think was worth it with Asus.

If I had gone with a Sager/MSI or Lenevo, I definitely wouldn've gotten the 980m though.
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Interesting, looks like I'll have to keep searching. Another day though. I put enough time into it. I'll keep in mind a 970m or 980m for the future though. I might actually go with a desktop when it's all said and done.
 
sharkboy1200 said:
Interesting, looks like I'll have to keep searching. Another day though. I put enough time into it. I'll keep in mind a 970m or 980m for the future though. I might actually go with a desktop when it's all said and done.
Click to expand...

A similarly performing desktop build well be about half the price probably. Laptop gaming prices have a bit of a formfactor luxury tax.

I will be supplementing my gaming needs with an official desktop build eventually, but at the moment my laptop is doing a decent enough job on everything I've thrown at it.
 
Remember fellas he's not looking to play games, he's looking to use Adobe After Effects, you're going to want something with a good amount of CPU and a decent GPU as it looks like it has GPU acceleration.
 
eVo7 said:
Remember fellas he's not looking to play games, he's looking to use Adobe After Effects, you're going to want something with a good amount of CPU and a decent GPU as it looks like it has GPU acceleration.
Click to expand...
I'll also be playing games on it for sure, but my main focus is definitely for After Effects. Although I'd love to be able to play some Witcher 3 this year as well.
 
sharkboy1200 said:
I'll also be playing games on it for sure, but my main focus is definitely for After Effects. Although I'd love to be able to play some Witcher 3 this year as well.
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Ahh okay. Man you might as well go desktop my friends more horse power for 1/2 the price.
 
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My price range just went up to around the $1200 to $1700 area thanks to tax season! I wonder if I can write off the PC next year since I'll be using it for work...

Anywhoo, I'll be joining the PC douchebag race in a matter of time!
 
What I'm currently looking at according to http://www.newegg.com/Product/BOM.a...-Gaming-Entertainment_4-_-visnav-_-CyberPower:
  • Chassis - CYBERPOWERPC X-Titan Black/Red Full-Tower Gaming Case
  • CPU & Motherboard Combo - AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz(4.2GHz Turbo) CPU and AMD 760G Chipset Motherboard Combo
  • CPU Cooler - 120MM Closed-loop Liquid Cooler
  • Hard Drive - Major Brand 2TB 7200 RPM SATA III 6.0
  • Memory - G.Skill 16GB DDR3 2133MHz (2 X 8GB) RipJaws-X
  • Video Card - AMD Radeon R9 290X 4GB Video Card (Require Min. 600W Power Supply)
  • Power Supply - Corsair 600 Watt CX600 80+ Power Supply
  • ODD - 12X Blu-ray Player & DVD-Rewriter Combo Drive
  • Operating System - Microsoft Windows 8.1 64 Bit - OEM
  • Keyboard & Mouse Combo - Azza Keyboard and Mouse Combo
  • All Priced at $1,526.90
So what do you guys think? Overkill? There are definitely things I know can be lowered. For instance, I don't really need a blu-ray player on my PC, but I figured I'd try to push the price and I know going with just a DVD player would get me $5 under $1500, so that's over $30 I save. I'm interested in all thoughts, top to bottom, but the radeon 290x seems to have a bit of controversy around it. So I'm especially interest in hearing thoughts about that and the power supply, but comments on everything is welcomed.
 
sharkboy1200 said:
What I'm currently looking at according to http://www.newegg.com/Product/BOM.a...-Gaming-Entertainment_4-_-visnav-_-CyberPower:
  • Chassis - CYBERPOWERPC X-Titan Black/Red Full-Tower Gaming Case
  • CPU & Motherboard Combo - AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz(4.2GHz Turbo) CPU and AMD 760G Chipset Motherboard Combo
  • CPU Cooler - 120MM Closed-loop Liquid Cooler
  • Hard Drive - Major Brand 2TB 7200 RPM SATA III 6.0
  • Memory - G.Skill 16GB DDR3 2133MHz (2 X 8GB) RipJaws-X
  • Video Card - AMD Radeon R9 290X 4GB Video Card (Require Min. 600W Power Supply)
  • Power Supply - Corsair 600 Watt CX600 80+ Power Supply
  • ODD - 12X Blu-ray Player & DVD-Rewriter Combo Drive
  • Operating System - Microsoft Windows 8.1 64 Bit - OEM
  • Keyboard & Mouse Combo - Azza Keyboard and Mouse Combo
  • All Priced at $1,526.90
So what do you guys think? Overkill? There are definitely things I know can be lowered. For instance, I don't really need a blu-ray player on my PC, but I figured I'd try to push the price and I know going with just a DVD player would get me $5 under $1500, so that's over $30 I save. I'm interested in all thoughts, top to bottom, but the radeon 290x seems to have a bit of controversy around it. So I'm especially interest in hearing thoughts about that and the power supply, but comments on everything is welcomed.
Click to expand...
Kinda high for going the amd route.
For that price you can get a better nVidia gf gtx/ intel i7 combo.
Did you check magicmicro.com
 
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sharkboy1200 said:
What I'm currently looking at according to http://www.newegg.com/Product/BOM.a...-Gaming-Entertainment_4-_-visnav-_-CyberPower:
  • Chassis - CYBERPOWERPC X-Titan Black/Red Full-Tower Gaming Case
  • CPU & Motherboard Combo - AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz(4.2GHz Turbo) CPU and AMD 760G Chipset Motherboard Combo
  • CPU Cooler - 120MM Closed-loop Liquid Cooler
  • Hard Drive - Major Brand 2TB 7200 RPM SATA III 6.0
  • Memory - G.Skill 16GB DDR3 2133MHz (2 X 8GB) RipJaws-X
  • Video Card - AMD Radeon R9 290X 4GB Video Card (Require Min. 600W Power Supply)
  • Power Supply - Corsair 600 Watt CX600 80+ Power Supply
  • ODD - 12X Blu-ray Player & DVD-Rewriter Combo Drive
  • Operating System - Microsoft Windows 8.1 64 Bit - OEM
  • Keyboard & Mouse Combo - Azza Keyboard and Mouse Combo
  • All Priced at $1,526.90
So what do you guys think? Overkill? There are definitely things I know can be lowered. For instance, I don't really need a blu-ray player on my PC, but I figured I'd try to push the price and I know going with just a DVD player would get me $5 under $1500, so that's over $30 I save. I'm interested in all thoughts, top to bottom, but the radeon 290x seems to have a bit of controversy around it. So I'm especially interest in hearing thoughts about that and the power supply, but comments on everything is welcomed.
Click to expand...


That's way too much money, you could build that system for 1000 dollars.
 
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