New Laptop

[BSOFR]

Not sure as to what thread to post it to so I'll try here. I am looking to get a new gaming laptop that can run every game I play with mods (EM4, GTA's, Cities, etc...) as well as run the normal, everyday things like Word, Internet, TeamSpeak 3. I'm not that tech savvy when it comes to computers and the specs and all of that good stuff. I was wondering if buying a pre-built rig or building your own would be the way to go? Any suggestions on pre-builts? I welcome all input and suggestions. Thanks in advance.

[randomperson139]

Does it have to be a laptop? You can generally get much better performance for the same money with a desktop.

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[BSOFR]

1 hour ago, randomperson139 said:

Does it have to be a laptop? You can generally get much better performance for the same money with a desktop.

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I'm just looking for the best overall gaming performance without having to pay and arm and leg for it. Doesn't necessarily have to be a laptop but it would be preferred. 

[randomperson139]

If you've got no knowledge, it's going to be easier for you to simply buy a prebuilt machine. There are far better people than me to advise you on this, but you want something with a decent dedicated graphics card, a decent processor and a fair amount of RAM. That'd be a good starting point.

 

What would your rough budget be?

[Chris07]

Two help you we need two bits of information:

1. What is your budget?

2. Performance or Portability? You CAN'T have both, so pick one. While we can help you balance it, you can't have something that is Top tier performance with ultra portability, it just doesn't exist. A middle ground can be found, but the scale WILL tip in favor of one direction...which is it for you?

[MikeyPI]

7 hours ago, Chris07 said:

Two help you we need two bits of information:

1. What is your budget?

2. Performance or Portability? You CAN'T have both, so pick one. While we can help you balance it, you can't have something that is Top tier performance with ultra portability, it just doesn't exist. A middle ground can be found, but the scale WILL tip in favor of one direction...which is it for you?

You can actually get extremely impressive performance in a mobile platform (aside from the GPU in many cases the laptops today can pace a desktop), but the sad truth in order to get it is that you'll pay far more for it.  The weakness in mobility is the cooling systems since there is only so much space for the equipment there is usually not much left for the cooling which tends to cause problems on intensive games.  That being said though, on a budget it's far more favorable for someone who does not  require mobility to just go with the desktop.  The desktop will in the end give you far more bang for your buck, particularly on a budget.  The top-shelf laptops really are stupidly overpriced, coupled with the cooling issues most of them suffer it's not the ideal solution unless you really are constantly on the move and spend little to no time at home.

[BSOFR]

I'll more than likely be going for a desktop. I've done some research and I don't really use the portability of my current laptop so there's no point in paying top dollar for a feature I may or may not use. I can snag a desktop at a much better price and probably better performance overall. Any suggestions on brand and/models for a desktop? 

[n00bingtarget]

In addition to what MikeyPI said, laptop/notebooks USUALLY do not allow you to upgrade your GPU (Graphics Processing Unit or Video Card) as your needs change.  Desktops for the most part do.

With notebooks you have to buy as big as you can afford to get it to last.  CPUs can be upgraded to a point, but it is very limited due to the same heat/cooling limitations MikeyPI mentioned.

 

Desktops, avoid the Slim / Small box if you want to be able to upgrade over the years.  This gives you flexibility and can keep a computer running for years over the limits of a mobile platform.

You'll hear lots of arguments on Intel vs AMD.  I build these things for a living.  Both have their plus / minus.  AMD offers more multi core solutions, but start them at slower speeds so if your program doesn't take proper advantage of multi core (most basic programs don't) you are limited to the CPU overall speed.  AMD offers better on-board graphics, but if you are using a separate video card, that doesn't matter then.  AMD does run hotter than Intel in general, and consumes more power so your electric bill will be higher.

If you are wondering if an AMD or Intel processor you are looking at is a good deal vs the other, head over to www.cpubenchmark.net.  They aren't perfect, but they give you a single number score on almost all processors out there to compare them vs each other.

A fast CPU, at least 8GB memory, and a semi-decent or higher video card will let you play most anything on the market today.  The better you want it to look, usually means more expensive video cards.

 

Good luck!

 

 

EDIT:  Look at WARRANTY.  Where do you have to take it / send it if something goes wrong?  How long do they cover it for?  This plays HUGE in your down time and risk in out of pocket repairs.  Short warranty (1 yr or less (yes some companies do less) I usually avoid.  Yes you pay a little more for a better warranty, but you are covered for longer.  Try to find a 3 year warranty.  That covers you pretty well, and if something like your video card, motherboard fail that gets expensive fast.

Also look at reviews, and I don't mean just what they publish on their site.  See what other people have posted about that company's computers/support.

 

Edited April 20, 2016 by n00bingtarget
person replied while I was making my reply