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Question

Could you help me decide on a gaming laptop?

Mar 6, 2016 11:32AM PST

Hi, for a while now I've been searching for a gaming large laptop that offers performance and has an awesome design. I managed to narrow down ( after a LONG time ) what I wanted - Alienware 18 ( from dell factory outlet nvidia 780m sli w/ 8gb vram, 32 gigs of ram i7 4900) and asus rog g752vt ( i7 6700, 16 gigs, 970m ) The asus g752vt would be new condition. Which one would you go for?
Thanks for your help!

Discussion is locked

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Answer
My son has this ASUS ROG
Mar 6, 2016 11:37AM PST

It has 16GB DDR4 RAM, the usual i7 6th gen and the 960m. It plays all the usual games at high or more settings. You seem to be going far beyond the norm. Why?

He paid 1K for it and we popped in a 500GB SSD for speed. Total bill was under 1200.

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Response
Mar 6, 2016 12:16PM PST

The main reason why I am going over the norm is mostly because I want something that will last a pretty long time. Also, I found the Alienware 18 for 1090 pounds ( £1200 incl. VAT ), I'm also going over the norm because I have a bit of a higher budget.

Many thanks for your response, anyway !

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We thought of that
Mar 6, 2016 1:11PM PST

But for the 1K mark, he can put that extra 1K in savings for a better machine in the years to come. I've learned to not over invest as Moore's Law is unkind to such an idea.

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Answer
Better Hardware equals to better performance
Mar 7, 2016 12:21AM PST

In your case Asus ROG has the newest gen Intel processor and also NVIDIA 970m graphics are far more better than 780m so definitely you should go for Asus ROG G752vt.

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The SLI 780 would be superior to the
Mar 7, 2016 5:12AM PST

one Nvidia 970. SLI means 2 cards.

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780m single still isnt that bad
Mar 7, 2016 10:04AM PST

It's only rated 0.6 worse than the 970m, ( on GPU boss ) but the 780m is in sli.... so ..... it's about 70% better performance than a single 970m, and its also got 8gb vram instead of 3 gb vram. ( but that doesn't really increase fps but, hey, just another thing that's better anyways )

Still though, Thanks for the response !

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Answer
Yes in the notebook check website the
Mar 7, 2016 5:15AM PST
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An interesting issue is when you go past 60FPS
Mar 7, 2016 9:06AM PST

Since the display is running at 60, anything beyond that is well, lost. There are folk that want to get the best but it's like adding another 1,000 horsepower to your car. You may turn in the same performance since you can't get the power to the ground.

You can warn folk over and over about it but it's their money so why not?

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The asus rog has G-sync
Mar 7, 2016 9:59AM PST

So the refresh rate would be higher (75), but really, if i am really honest, I am just looking for something that has an awesome looking design, will last and has a big large screen.
I am also considering the asus because of : reliability - I currently have an asus rog g551jm nvidia 860m w/2 gb vram and 8 gb ram, and it runs most games on medium or high at 60 fps. I am also considering the asus because they are bringing out a graphics amplifier, but thats just a bonus really.
I'm considering the Alienware 18 because I do want a desktop replacement, and I know for a fact that it will run games on ultra at 60 fps +, and I also thought of it as a bit of a bargain, especially when you compare it to a new one ! I was also thinking of the alienware becuase I really like the design, and having done ( EXTENSIVE ) research and looked at reviews into it, it seemed to be a pretty amazing gaming laptop ( not the best ~MSI GT80 TITAN~ but still, pretty good :3 ).
Thanks for your responses, anyway !

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My son learned long ago looks
Mar 7, 2016 10:12AM PST

Are not so important. The model he got is doing quite well and his 5 year old ROG with the 230 Nvidia was retired for only one reason. It would not play the new DX11 games.

The 960m is playing MGS5 at ultra settings. Unsure if you need a higher GPU today.

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After doing a bit more research
Mar 7, 2016 12:27PM PST

around graphics cards, processors, ram, G-sync screens, sizes, and ssd's, I've decided to go with the Asus Rog g751jy. It has a 980m w/ 4gb vram, 32 gigs of ram, 256 gb ssd, 1 tb hdd, awesome screen, 17.3 inch ( what I wanted ) and also looks awesome. I found it on Amazon for £1150, leaving me £950 to spend.

I really appreciate all of your responses and all your advice.

Thanks for making me think twice about alienware and newer models ( with the same gpu's as previous generations) !

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Answer
Go bespoke
Mar 7, 2016 8:48PM PST

I wouldn't go for any of the brands, id go to one of the custom builders out there (don't want to promote any but google custom laptop's).

You will save quite a bit on the brands, and will be bloat ware free.

Take the spec from some of the branded and see how they compare.