ASUS ROG G751JT-CH71 vs. MSI GT60 Dominator-1065

[starscream27]

Please help me decide b/w the following 2:

ASUS:
http/www.amazon.com/dp/B00NVV2B98/ref=asc_df_B00NVV2B983532995?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=iceleadscom-20&linkCode=df0&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B00NVV2B98&ascsubtag=s14233910640906ii2a52378#productDetails

MSI (16GB RAM)
http/www.amazon.com/dp/B00O4ORNDA/ref=asc_df_B00O4ORNDA3532995?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=iceleadscom-20&linkCode=df0&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B00O4ORNDA&ascsubtag=s14233910640906ii2a52378#customerReviews

I would love to get one with GeForce GTX 980M but my budget is $1500 and I was able to narrow it down to the above two choices. I would appreciate any suggestions/recommendations.

Regards

 

[njoy]

okay.. both are really ample machines and you can't really go wrong with either of them. The only performance related difference is that the ASUS one got more RAM, 16GB vs 8. Depending on your usage model, it can be significant or not. For example, if you plan on working with heavy PhotoShop files, complex 3D rendering or working with Adobe AfterEffects, the extra 8Gb it offers over MSI can make for a noticeable difference. At the same time, RAM is the easiest part of a laptop to upgrade, so you can always add more into MSI at a later stage if you'll feel you need to. 8Gb is, after all, is quite adequate for most tasks at the moment.

Another moment to consider, is that ASUS is 17" while MSI is 15". If you're not planning to carry it with you often, I'd recommend a bigger screen, it's just a better experience in such case. If you do plan on moving it around and taking it with you, then MSI is a better choice, and not because of weight, since they are equally heavy, but because a 17" wide screen laptop will require you to get an amply sized backpack. I used to have a 17" lappy in my student years and it was always a much bigger logistical pain compared to 15".

 

[starscream27]

Thanks man for the input.
btw i'm open to other suggestions besides the above two.
Budget: $1500
Regards

 

[njoy]

well, as I said, both are really ample laptops.

However, have you considered going a custom laptop route? For example, if we look at this
http/www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8651-clevo-p650se-eta-nov7-p-7690.html?wconfigure=yes

it starts at $1230 for the base spec, which is almost the same as the two in your original post, i7 4720HQ 2.6GHz +8Gb +1Tb + 970M

And now the best part is that for the remainder you can customise it. If I was buying it for myself, this is what I would do:

1) Screen - 15.6" FHD (16:9) Anti-Glare Matte-Type Sager IPS Screen (1920x1080) (LG) +$45. The key word here is IPS. It will probably have a slightly slower response time, but you get accurate and rich colours and perfect viewing angles. In simple terms, it's the screen tech that is used in mobile phones and tablets (think iPhone/iPad)

2) 256GB Micron M600 M.2 mSATA SSD +$185. Now, this is what will make for massive difference in performance. You use your 1Tb drive for movies, work and other non-critical performance wise stuff, while having the OS and your programs and games installed on the SSD. Normally, mechanical hard drive is the biggest bottleneck in a modern PC. This takes care of it.

Overall, this ends up at $1454. Just one caveat - this is without the OS. Win 8.1 is +$80, making it 1534. You could skip on the screen upgrade to bring it back below the 1500mark, go for a smaller SSD (128GB - although this is not what I'd do), or get the Win7 OEM license from some local PC repair shop and install the system yourself. They usually have them for like 20-30 bucks.

In terms of the laptop itself, it is made by Clevo, an ODM (original design manufacturer) which makes these barebones for boutique vendors such as XoticPC and others (PCSpecialist in the UK), their build quality is very solid, you get the same niceties such as backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader, card reader etc, and from what I heard (although quite a while ago) XoticPC is quite good in the customer service department.

Hope this helps =)

PS: Or, if you really really want to get the 980M... here you go, $1521. However, this doesn't include the price of the OS

http/www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8672-clevo-p670sg-p-7800.html

 

[starscream27]

Thanks again for your detailed response. it's much appreciated. Right now I'm inclining towards ASUS http/www.amazon.com/dp/B00NVV2B98/ref=asc_df_B00NVV2B983532995?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=iceleadscom-20&linkCode=df0&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B00NVV2B98&ascsubtag=s14233910640906ii2a52378#productDetails as I have no experience with custom laptops. But the last one with 980M does look enticing.
Anyway what do you think of my choice ? Also, i would appreciate your opinion on Alienware
http/www.amazon.com/Dell-Alienware-17-i7-4710HQ-Processor/dp/B00T8S0K5U/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1423744577&sr=1-2&keywords=NVIDIA+GeForce+GTX980M#productDetails

Regards

 

[njoy]

OMG that Alienware weighs 8 (!!!) Kg. Whoah! And it has a slow hdd. That's inexcusable in such a system. Even with the 980, somehow I feel it is overpriced for what it is. Between this and the custom one, I would definitely go for the custom one. Which is ironic, because Alienware themselves started out and became famous as a boutique custom brand, with their laptops being those very Clevo designs with a custom lid, before being bought out by Dell.

ASUS over MSI? Yeah, I agree. And here it is more down to the appearance. Being a designer, I prefer the cleaner and less flashy look of it.

But honestly, I think that Sager/Clevo with 980 trumps them all. It's just an ultimate killer machine. Clevo been making gaming laptops for years, before ASUS or MSI even thought of the idea. I'd recommend having a look through the owners thread over at NBR to get a better idea of what a beast it is. http/forum.notebookreview.com/threads/official-sager-np8671-clevo-p670se-sager-np8672-clevo-p670sg-owners-lounge.766559/

 

[psycrow395]

Thanks again for your detailed response. it's much appreciated. Right now I'm inclining towards ASUS http/www.amazon.com/dp/B00NVV2B98/ref=asc_df_B00NVV2B983532995?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=iceleadscom-20&linkCode=df0&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B00NVV2B98&ascsubtag=s14233910640906ii2a52378#productDetails as I have no experience with custom laptops. But the last one with 980M does look enticing.
Anyway what do you think of my choice ? Also, i would appreciate your opinion on Alienware
http/www.amazon.com/Dell-Alienware-17-i7-4710HQ-Processor/dp/B00T8S0K5U/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1423744577&sr=1-2&keywords=NVIDIA+GeForce+GTX980M#productDetails

Regards

hello there what the other person was referring to is having someone else build you a laptop based on your needs if you were to buy a stock laptop but wanted to upgrade it wit more ram and stuff but didnt know what you were doing then you would have to pay someone where as you can already pay someone to that for you before you get your laptop anyways i myself just purchased this this laptop

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152711

that model is a 15 inch with a gtx 965m and its a 2015 model just came out its has 3 M.2 slots available for Raid0 for your Operating System, after hearing all the complaints over at the ROG ASUS forums for there gaming laptops and no or little response from ASUS themselves and seeing the awesome response from the people over at the MSI forums i chose to go with MSI and a laptop that wont be outdated for awhile good luck on your decision would love to hear what you chose

 

[starscream27]

Dear njoy, thanks again for your advice. You've almost convinced me to go for Sager/Clevo (980M can't be ignored, after all). I will finalize my decision soon. psycrow395 buddy i will update this thread to let you all know about my purchase

regards

 

[njoy]

Dear njoy, thanks again for your advice. You've almost convinced me to go for Sager/Clevo (980M can't be ignored, after all). I will finalize my decision soon. psycrow395 buddy i will update this thread to let you all know about my purchase

regards

Looking forward to see your thoughts on that laptop)