Best gaming laptop in sub-1500$ range

[chiragddude]

Hello, Tom's Hardware Community, I'm looking at two possibilities for a new computer I have to purchase, one, a enthusiast level gaming PC and the other somewhere between a mid to high end gaming laptop.

Maximum Budget: 1500 +/- 50 $

Games I'll play: GTA IV, Battlefield 3, Crysis 2. Modern Warfare 2 and other similar ones.

Now, would expecting a 1500$ laptop to do these games without considerable lag on ULTRA/HIGH (I might use HIGH settings instead of ULTRA) be legit?

If yes, then which one'd be the best?

I'm not brand-specific. However, my favorite yet would be the MSI Gx683. Your views on that guy?

 

[killersquirel11]

Good luck with GTA IV. That game isn't optimized for PC at all.

Here's a newegg power search which has a fair amount of decent picks:
http/www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=32&Description=&Type=&N=100006740&IsNodeId=1&srchInDesc=&MinPrice=850&MaxPrice=2000&PropertyCodeValue=393%3A53928&PropertyCodeValue=393%3A49576&PropertyCodeValue=398%3A6692&PropertyCodeValue=398%3A6694&PropertyCodeValue=398%3A48346&PropertyCodeValue=398%3A44336&PropertyCodeValue=398%3A16356&PropertyCodeValue=398%3A40014&PropertyCodeValue=398%3A6696&PropertyCodeValue=398%3A47205&PropertyCodeValue=398%3A39989&PropertyCodeValue=3021%3A20010&PropertyCodeValue=400%3A43771&PropertyCodeValue=400%3A40986&PropertyCodeValue=400%3A6723&PropertyCodeValue=400%3A40015&PropertyCodeValue=449%3A104080&PropertyCodeValue=449%3A49738&PropertyCodeValue=449%3A104081&PropertyCodeValue=449%3A49570&PropertyCodeValue=402%3A75109&PropertyCodeValue=402%3A154106&PropertyCodeValue=402%3A167527&PropertyCodeValue=402%3A265151&PropertyCodeValue=2923%3A18470&PropertyCodeValue=406%3A43790&PropertyCodeValue=406%3A24679&PropertyCodeValue=406%3A33097&PropertyCodeValue=406%3A43779&PropertyCodeValue=406%3A45867&PropertyCodeValue=406%3A157045&PropertyCodeValue=406%3A39260&PropertyCodeValue=406%3A90513&PropertyCodeValue=406%3A28503&PropertyCodeValue=410%3A44102&PropertyCodeValue=410%3A46027&PropertyCodeValue=410%3A155496&PropertyCodeValue=410%3A10743&PropertyCodeValue=410%3A127987&PropertyCodeValue=424%3A26910&PropertyCodeValue=424%3A55446&PropertyCodeValue=424%3A148257&PropertyCodeValue=10600%3A53844

Let's just say it's a good thing that tomshardware forums automatically trims URLs to a reasonable length...

I don't see anything blatantly wrong with that MSI you listed, besides the fact that the screen is only 15.6" (and that's entirely personal preference). Granted if you don't want to have back problems later in your life you probably shouldn't go with the 18.5" beast I tote around on an almost daily basis...

 

[chiragddude]

Best answer selected by chiragddude.