Best gaming laptops?

[raychumley]

I'm looking for what people would say are the top 3-5 gaming laptops?

To be even more specific, I want a 17" monitor in the $2.5k-3k range. Other then that though, what requirements would you put on a "best" gaming laptop (how much RAM, video card, etc.)?

 

[Prostar Computer]

In my humble opinion - and in no particular order:

MSI GT70-2OD-039US

Clevo P372SM-S

Alienware 17

Those may not be my personal favorites, but they are some of the most powerful gaming laptops out there. The Clevo P570WM outshines them in capability, but it's a monster in terms of dimensions. The Asus G750JH is also a new contender and looks to offer some good horsepower.

Here is notebook check's verdict (note that the Schenker, One, and Eurocom systems are all Clevo laptops): http/www.notebookcheck.net/Top-10-Gaming-Laptops.91068.0.html

 

[raychumley]

For the MSI systems, where would you suggest looking at their systems? They seem to be highly customize-able, but they don't actually sell on their site (unless I'm missing it).

Interesting that the notebookcheck page only has the alienware 14 and not the 17.

I did look at the alienware products in the past, but I'm slightly concerned about some reviews that talked about horrible customer service. Do you think that's justified or just people complaining about them being owned by dell now?

I currently have an asus g75, and I have loved it. My only concern with going with another asus is the difficulty of accessing the fans from inside to really clean them out. On the g75 you need to take the keyboard off and that's a bit problematic due to the double sided tape.

What about the www.doghousesystems.com computers? I have heard a lot of stuff about their customer service but have not been able to find any reviews online for their systems.

 

[Prostar Computer]

For MSI, there are a lot of resellers out there that not only sell MSI systems (including us), but also rebrand MSI laptops and sell it as their own system.

To be honest, service from just about anyone is not "good", unless you go with a reseller. We don't have the volume big business does and we're able to devote more manpower to support.

Yeah, some Asus laptops just have a grill you remove. I don't remember if the new G750JH has that, as we just got it in and I haven't had much of an opportunity to play with it. Fans are generally not meant to be accessed by customers though, for fear they could inadvertently damage something (you generally void your warranty if you open the system to get to the fans).

Never heard of doghousesystems, though those laptops look like Clevos to me.

 

[raychumley]

Thanks for all the feedback so far, one more question (I think)... I was just reading that the MSI systems only have one fan and so they tend to run a bit hotter; any input on that front?