Dillema between 2 Gaming Laptops

[FliP0x]

Hello community,
I have (once again) a question that I can't seem to find an answer for, so I like to come here as I usually get a good answer from professionals.

This time I have a question regarding laptops. I plan on getting myself a budget gaming laptop, as I will have to travel a lot in the next 2 years, so upgrading my current PC seems like a bad decision and waste of money. Once I am settled again I will simply build myself a new PC, as I will not take my old Desktop with me. Hence why I want a gaming laptop.

My budget is 999€ (laptop + probable upgrades).
These are the 2 laptops I have in mind:
- Lenovo Y50-70
- ASUS GL752VW-T4108D

Now, I know that Asus laptops are manufactured better than Lenovo. The Lenovo has a slightly better GPU (well, both have the same, but the Lenovo has 4GB VRam compared to the Asus that only has 2 GB). The Asus has a slightly faster CPU and comes with a 1 TB HD, while the Lenovo (the version I plan on getting) only has a 256GB SSD.
Both Laptops come with 8GB RAM, but the Asus one has DDR4 RAM compared to the Lenovo which has DDR3.


Now, my questions are:
- Can I build in a HDD (not replace the SSD) into the Lenovo Y50-70?
- Can I build in a SSD (not replace the HDD) into the Asus GL752VW-T4108D?

In case that I can build in a SSD into the Asus, I might be willing to go over the budget and spend a bit extra for the SSD. If the Lenovo is able to fit an extra HDD in it, I might be able to have a "perfect" laptop within my price range.
But then, the 4GB VRAM compared to 2GB VRAM are still tempting me over to get the Lenovo instead.

If you have any other suggestions that are within my price range, please suggest them.

 

[filippi]

@ your price range a 2GB VRAM GPU is a deal-breaker.

This is a great option:

http/www.amazon.de/gp/offer-listing/B00SWPKGRW/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

 

[fouadsy99]

I have the y700 it is good if u can get a bigger budget get it if not get the asus

 

[FliP0x]

@ your price range a 2GB VRAM GPU is a deal-breaker.

This is a great option:

http/www.amazon.de/gp/offer-listing/B00SWPKGRW/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

This one is used, so not sure whether it is worth risking. The laptop is great, but I have never purchased used items before.
Is there some kind of safety when you purchase from 3rd party sellers on amazon?

EDIT:
I have just taken a closer look and it currently is not available.

 

[filippi]

@ your price range a 2GB VRAM GPU is a deal-breaker.

This is a great option:

http/www.amazon.de/gp/offer-listing/B00SWPKGRW/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

This one is used, so not sure whether it is worth risking. The laptop is great, but I have never purchased used items before.
Is there some kind of safety when you purchase from 3rd party sellers on amazon?

EDIT:
I have just taken a closer look and it currently is not available.

How about that? Asus N551JW-CN095H for 10% more.
i7 4720HQ, 8GB de RAM, SSD de 256GB, NVIDIA GTX 960m 4GB, Blu-ray, Win 8.1 and USB 3.0 for External Hard Drives. You will need OS for that ASUS GL752VW-T4108D Free DOS after all.

http/www.amazon.de/Asus-N551JW-CN095H-Notebook-4720HQ-Blu-ray/dp/B00UHH2R48/ref=sr_1_12?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1461424343&sr=1-12&keywords=GTX+960M

http/www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-N551JW-GTX-960M-Notebook-Review.145820.0.html

 

[FliP0x]

Free DOS is fine, as I already have a windows license I can use. Will add this one to my watchlist and will try to inform myself how amazon protects buyers.
If you have any other suggestions, please tell me.
I will buy the laptop in July, so I am informing myself ahead of time. I will even consider a used one if I can get a decent price.

 

[filippi]

Absolutely. You will find a good 960m-4GB & i7 notebook until july for sure.
I think 256SSD + USB 3.0 for external Hard Drive a good compromise.
Maybe 512SSD will be inside your budget when the time come. This would be perfect.
Good luck mate

 

[FliP0x]

Is there any confirmed information for new mobile gpus soon to come? Since Nvidia is just about to release their new architecture, they might probably release new mobile gpus as well.

I did some more research and figured that a 960m will run the game I want to play at medium. I would like to push it to high, so I will need a 970m for that, sadly.

 

[filippi]

Some games, like the new Hitman, play beautifully well @ med settings so really verify that before change your plans.
960m is a good gpu for a budget notebook.

 

[1shado1]

Not sure if this is true or not, but I have read here numerous times that the 4GB version of the GTX 960m can't really make use of the extra 2GB anyway because of the 128-bit Memory Interface Width. I think it would need to be 192-bit (or higher) to make use of the extra 2GB of video Ram.

Actually, the CPU in the Lenovo is marginally superior to the one in the Asus. But not enough to be a deciding factor.

 

[FliP0x]

Not sure if this is true or not, but I have read here numerous times that the 4GB version of the GTX 960m can't really make use of the extra 2GB anyway because of the 128-bit Memory Interface Width. I think it would need to be 192-bit (or higher) to make use of the extra 2GB of video Ram.

Actually, the CPU in the Lenovo is marginally superior to the one in the Asus. But not enough to be a deciding factor.

Thats right, but why not get the 4GB version for about the same price? I dont know if it matters, but I mainly plan on playing MMORPGs. Huge maps that require a lot of VRAM, and once loaded they remain in the VRAM for a while. So I suppose 4GB at 128 bit should be fine.

Cant quote 2 people so @filippi:
The game I am mainly buying this laptop for is Black Desert Online, a very beautiful and graphically intensive game. Obviously, I would be better off with a 970m so I can play on high, but a 960m should be fine with medium.
My old Desktop plays it 40-60 FPS on Low at 720p, so Medium 1080p should still be a nice improvement I guess.

I found a cheap used Medion Erazer for 1100€. 4th Gen i7, 16GB RAM DDR3, 1TB HDD + 128GB SSD, 3GB GTX 970M and its a 43,9cm screen. Specs are very good for the price, the only downside is that it is Medion, a cheap brand. Cooling is probably bad.

 

[filippi]

The cooling in my Samsung notebook is bad too: I cannot use it as a "laptop" when gaming
But its ok i guess: Price was good and it has good temp for regular internet/work.
I use a cooling table for gaming so no throttle. For me it was a good compromise.
If this Black Desert Online is the most important thing than you should go 970m for sure even if 960m is ok (imho).


http/www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-970M.126694.0.html
http/www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-960M.138006.0.html

 

[FliP0x]

I can "live" with medium settings, but the point of buying something new is to be able to run it well. I have seen the Lenovo Y50-70 drop to 450€ a few times in the past 2 days, so I suppose I can expect a few more prices to drop by July, when I will do another research to see which laptop has the best price/value.

How about a 880m? Just looked up a comparison and it seems to be more powerful than a 960m. In fact, a bit slower than the 970m. According to user reviews, a 880m will play the game on high. Surely not as a 970 or 980, but if it is around the price tag of a 960m, then the 880m might be a good pick.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, 880m is 256 bit compared to the 960m which is only 128

 

[filippi]

I think you should go for 970m.
According notebookcheck 970m is about 15 % faster than the GTX 880M.

Pleople seems happy w/ GTX960 for Black Desert Online.
The 970m should give you something close to that performance.

 

[Construkt]

I'd be hesitant to take the Lenovo over the Asus in any scenario. The Y50's had quite a few problems including hinges locking up and breaking. The Asus is also a considerably newer model. I wasn't aware that the Y50 was still an option since the launch of the Y700 line.

 

[FliP0x]

I believe the Lenovo will be more suitable for games like GTA V (I read a comment from an user with the same card, apparently he plays GTA V at High settings at about 40 FPS), where the 4GB VRAM come in place.
Things can still change until mid July so I might get a cheap used laptop with a 970m for about the same price.
1100+ € instead of 850€ is a huge difference, at least to me.

 

[FliP0x]

I'd be hesitant to take the Lenovo over the Asus in any scenario. The Y50's had quite a few problems including hinges locking up and breaking. The Asus is also a considerably newer model. I wasn't aware that the Y50 was still an option since the launch of the Y700 line.

So this (http/www.amazon.de/Lenovo-Multimedia-i5-6300HQ-Quad-Core-Betriebssystem/dp/B016QB9HZK/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1461583689&sr=1-1&keywords=y700) would be a good pick instead of the y50 I linked above?

EDIT:
Or this one (http/www.amazon.de/Lenovo-Multimedia-i7-6700HQ-Quad-Core-Betriebssystem/dp/B01CJRH9LY/ref=sr_1_5?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1461583689&sr=1-5&keywords=y700) is probably better, and within my price range.

 

[spruce11]

Oh ..if I were you, I'll also take MSI and Alienware into consideration.

 

[FliP0x]

Oh ..if I were you, I'll also take MSI and Alienware into consideration.

Not in the budget. Unless I want a 950M.