Gaming Laptops not more than $1500 - Are brands important?

LTC John Shaw — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 22:52:07 -0400

I am looking to purchase a gaming laptop for my 17 years old's. When I look at the review sites the pricing is out of my budget, my max is $1500. (This will be Birthday, Xmas, and College gift all in one.)
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2020688,00.asp

Response by SGT John Wesley made Apr 21 at 2015 11:26 PM

SGT John Wesley — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 23:26:41 -0400

Definitely the ASUS!

Here's a review from BestTop10:

In the gaming laptops niche, ASUS Republic of Gamers G75VW-BHI7N07 is popular. It is one of the most recommended models for both novice and professional video gamers mainly because of its high processing speed. Its Intel Core i7-3630QM third generation processor is also energy efficient and eliminates the lags and performance issues many people grapple with when playing high specification games. It has 8GB DDR3 memory, 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M, functional connectivity ports and adapters, a 17.3-inch TFT LCD-backlit screen.

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Apr 22 at 2015 8:29 AM

Capt Richard I P. — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 08:29:21 -0400

Back in the day I bought a Toshiba satellite and it cost a pretty penny but I've been very happy with it. When I bought it it was a good gaming laptop.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 22 at 2015 8:48 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 08:48:51 -0400

Sir,

It really depends on what games he's looking to play - that's a big factor. What you need to do is look at the requirements of the games and go above that. I.E. if it requires 8gb of RAM, go 12. I would recommend nothing less than the Recommended amount for hardware, not the minimum.

I purchased mine as a custom build from HP. You should qualify for the HP Government Employee Purchase Program.

ASUS and Alienware are both good options, but make sure you're getting the right hardward requirements. Message me and I can help you with it as well.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 22 at 2015 8:58 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 08:58:29 -0400

Sir, I like the stuff that is coming out of Ibuypower.com. They seem to have good set-ups and you can adjust your build to fit your needs or wants. They also have a pretty wide selection.

That being said, my personal desktop is powered by an Asus MB. This is my fourth MB from them and I have never had an issue. I bought an Asus gaming laptop in 2008 that survived two deployments and was still strong enough to do most gaming until about two years ago.

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Apr 22 at 2015 9:01 AM

LTC Paul Labrador — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 09:01:11 -0400

Gaming laptops tend to be very expensive because they pack a lot of premium parts (to include a separate graphics card which regular laptops do not have) into a relatively small and portable package. I buy Alienware because they had a good reputation and good customer service. They also "buy back" older models when you upgrade. Some questions you need to ask are 1) is he going to be using this machine primarily for gaming? If he is, what kinds of games? Modern FPS games require a lot of processing power so if it IS going to be a gaming rig, he will need that extra oomph. 2) does he need a laptop? Desktop machines with equivalent processing power are actually cheaper, and in the long run, easier to upgrade. Yes they are not as portable, but at 10lbs a gaming laptop isn't all that fun to lug around either. If the answer to 1 & 2 are "yes" you can consider buying a refurbished machine. They are factory checked to ensure they work, but are a bit cheaper.

Incidentally, whenever I buy a new Alienware, I tend to buy the top of the line model. I do game, but not as much as I used to. I'm willing to spend the extra money because a higher end machine does not go obsolete as fast and will remain functional for longer.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 22 at 2015 9:02 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 09:02:48 -0400

If you are looking for a Gaming Laptop that you can customize what it comes with, the best choice (in my opinion) is ibuypower.

But to answer your question, you can't go wrong with MSI.

Custom Gaming Computers and Laptops: iBUYPOWER Gaming PC

Custom Gaming PC - 10 years of award-winning Custom Gaming Computers & gaming laptops custom-built for PC gamers. Build the best Gaming PC at iBUYPOWER

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 22 at 2015 9:04 AM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 09:04:23 -0400

And it will be outdated by the end of the year. Get him an old motorcycle instead.

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Apr 22 at 2015 9:22 AM

COL Vincent Stoneking — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 09:22:17 -0400

I would go ASUS - they are a reputable brand that builds solid machines with good components at a fair price. I would look for a good laptop that ALSO is serviceable for gaming, however. Whatever you get will be obsolete as a "gaming" system within a year or so.

Response by SGT Nia Chiaraluce made Apr 22 at 2015 10:11 AM

SGT Nia Chiaraluce — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 10:11:12 -0400

Personally Sir for gaming computers I invest a little and design and build from scratch.

Response by SPC James Johnson made Apr 22 at 2015 10:53 AM

SPC James Johnson — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 10:53:26 -0400

ASUS all the way. I am not making this up, my ASUS survived an IED in 2007 lol. Cords were shredded, bag full of holes, and some scratches on the laptop itself, and it kept on running for years after hahaha

I recently got a ROG for 1100, so far it's been great! Fan gets a little loud, but it has stayed below the "average" hot temp while gaming thus far.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2015 9:09 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 21:09:29 -0400

Go to http://www.reddit.com/r/suggestalaptop
The users there are awesome and will help you out greatly. In addition they might (read: almost certainly) will be able to get your budget down a bit too. I used a sister subreddit to pick parts for my desktop and it runs like Usain Bolt.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 7 at 2015 9:29 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 07 May 2015 21:29:51 -0400

Asus brand. I picked one up at Best Buy of all places for in/around that same price about four years ago and it still takes anything I throw at it including a deployment to AFG with its ever so popular moon dust and rocket attacks.

Response by PFC Kyle Klofstad made May 16 at 2015 5:01 AM

PFC Kyle Klofstad — Sat, 16 May 2015 05:01:53 -0400

For $1500, you aren't going to find a gaming laptop that will be on par with today's games. You can, however, build a suitable desktop for a fraction of that price if you're willing to shop around for the parts and pieces you need and you or someone you know knows how to order and assemble parts that are designed to go together. A gaming laptop that meets the minimum specs for the games coming out now are around $1800-$2500, and thats before extras like a decent mouse and possibly a stand alone keyboard, extended battery, and headphones. almost all of which will be needed if playing anywhere other than home.

Response by PFC Tuan Trang made May 16 at 2015 7:36 AM

PFC Tuan Trang — Sat, 16 May 2015 07:36:12 -0400

Sir, i think the best brands are alienware,Ibuypower and asus.

For my experience(i own a custom gaming desktop), if you can custom build it better.