Gaming Laptop for $1200-$1300

[damondred]

Hey Guys,
I'm currently comparing the following 2 laptops but I don't know which one I want.

The Asus is always ranked highly by other users and critics, has a bluray player but it only has a 15" screen.

http/www.xoticpc.com/asus-n56vzds71-p-4321.html


The MSI has a bigger screen but no bluray player and it generally has mixed reviews.

http/www.xoticpc.com/msi-ge70-0nd033us-p-4577.html

Here is some background on why I want a laptop for.

I do like to watch movies (we have an extensive DVD/Bluray collection).
I am a PC gamer who has finally taken the plunge into MMORPG's (WOW and Tera or GW2 [haven't decided yet])
I also play other single player RPG's (ME, Skyrim, Grimrock, and old PC rpgs, ie fallout, baldurs gate, Wasteland (part 2 when it comes out), adventure games, some FPS (half-life, Deus Ex, rage, wolfenstein)

I have no delusions about playing Skyrim or Deus EX: HR very well on these but for the rest I really don't need anything too powerful. The reason I'd like a bigger screen is for the MMORPG's which I'm currently really getting into.

Can anyone add anything that may help my decision? Any ideas on any other laptops that I haven't listed (like Sager).

Any help would be appreciated. TIA.

 

[damondred]

Dagnabit! Just saw this as well

http/www.ibuypower.com/Store/Valkyrie_CZ-17_Gaming_Laptop

 

[djscribbles]

I'd go for the MSI over the Asus from a performance standpoint. The 660m with GDDR5 brings an edge for gaming and the 7200RPM HDD will make it more responsive overall. However, the Asus looks a little nicer at a glance, and I would expect is higher build quality

Pick up an external bluray player (I assume such a thing exists) to bridge the gap between the two if needed. If you want to go for the Asus for bluray, be sure that it has software for playing bluray, as free bluray software doesn't exist.

Also, keep in mind that if you put the same money towards a desktop, you'll get a lot better performance in games but I assume you're looking at laptops for a reason.

 

[damondred]

Well I'd like to be able to go to any room and play where I want to and...well...

Dammit...just like that you cause doubt in my reasoning to buy a laptop. And I was all Gung-Ho about it too. I was getting one for portability so that if I go over to a friends house we could still play. But that is a costly incentive after all. I will be using it for work too so its a tax write off...right, RIGHT?! Maybe I'll just buy a desk and put it in the mud room and upgrade my 4 yr old PC with a new graphics card and an SSD....

Thanks for the reality check DJScribbles...thanks a lot. :-\

 

[damondred]

Yeah I was originally going for something $1000 and less but I kept reading about all the new cards and such. I will research some lower end models and post back with my decision. Thanks for the help.

 

[djscribbles]

Hah sorry to raise doubt but I hope it leads to a happier choice. Frankly, when I used to game at my friend's house, he had an area where he kept some old CRTs and keyboards, and I'd just drag my tower over there with my mouse and it was game on You'd be surprised how quick you can move a desktop if you don't have to take the WHOLE setup.

I'm no tax expert, but if you are running your own business, then the computers definitely would be, or if you are a teacher, otherwise I'm not really sure (my work provided me with a laptop so that they could torture me with it's pitiful slowness).

 

[damondred]

Hey guys,
Seriously thinking of getting this. What are your thoughts on Lenovo Ideapad Y series?

http/shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:item.detail?GroupID=457&Code=209945U&category_id=AC523278A4F13F27A84F5F5622D1AC7A

 

[djscribbles]

That seems like a pretty good deal to me, though I'm not familiar with the model. It's a decent GPU for gaming i would expect it to be smooth at medium, it doesn't specify whether it has GDDR5 or not for the GPU (if it doesn't, it's going to hurt it a good bit in gaming performance)

It also doesn't appear to support (or doesn't claim to support) Optimus technology, which is nice for battery/heat control (it lets you use the integrated GPU instead of the 660, saving power). Not a huge deal but worth noting