Hello, this is my first forum post ever! Let me apologize on the front end for the length of this post.
I'm in the market to get a new gaming laptop, but I'm struggling to find a model with the specifications I want at the price I can afford (pretty typical problem, I feel). I want to get a laptop that can "future-proof" me in terms of tech requirements for games down the road. I've had my current laptop for almost five years (Intel 480m with integrated graphics), so I'd like to get an even better life time from this laptop.
So, I have two main questions:
1. Should I wait (which I really could, even if I don't want to) for Windows 10 and Intel's Skylake processors since I desire to make this purchase last me for many years? Waiting can only be so beneficial before one has to finally surrender to Moore's Law.
2. Is it even possible to get a model like the one I'm looking for? My knowledge of tech is still in its infancy so I don't know all the tricks of the trade yet.
I'll be using the laptop buyer's FAQ to help organize what I'm thinking.
1. What is your budget? My maximum budget is $1500, but I would like not to exceed $1325-$1400. This would be over double what I payed for my current model.
2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering? I would like a 15-inch screen, but I'm not too picky about this.
3. What screen resolution do you want? 1080p is good. I don't feel the need for more.
4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop? This would be a replacement system for me.
5. How much battery life do you need? I'm alright with being chained to a wall; two hours is plenty, but my current laptop won't usually go past an hour, and that doesn't bother me.
6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? I would like to get current games to run at high settings. Examples include heavily modded Elder Scrols/Fallout series, new Total War games (Rome 2/Attila), and Shadow of Mordor. Future games I have my eyes on that I would like to run as smoothly as possible include Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, any possible Elder Scrolls or Fallout games that may or may not be in development. I know they don't really have tech specs yet, but just as an FYI.
7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? I would like to be able to stream videos, use word, surf the web, and do some hobbyist programming.
8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need? I prefer an SSD, so 256GB is the minimum, but if deals could be had, I'ld love it. Also, if I need more room, I can always pick up a portable external hard drive for stuff.
9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links. I'm not picky; I just want quality.
10. How long do you want to keep your laptop? As mentioned, as long as is possible. Not less than 5-7 years for sure.
11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? I would like to have a DVD ROM/Writer, but I've seen some models without any, and I may be able to roll with that, too.
12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons. I don't have a preference.
13. What country do you live in? USA
14. Please tell us any additional information if needed. I feel I need a GPU that has Directx12 ready to go, so I have my eyes on the 970m, and it seems like the 4710HQ is quite good enough based on what I've read as a processor, but could I possibly save money by downgrading the CPU while still not worrying about bottlenecking a Dx12-ready card like the 970m?
Let me know what you think about this. I hope this wasn't too much stuff.
Edit: Here's an example of what I'm looking for, but I've heard a lot of bad press about this site, so I don't know if I want to get it. Also, as previously asked, would it be worth waiting for the new OS and more efficient processors if future-proofing is a real goal of mine?
http
/www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Xplorer_X6-9500_Gaming_Laptop
Thanks!
I'm in the market to get a new gaming laptop, but I'm struggling to find a model with the specifications I want at the price I can afford (pretty typical problem, I feel). I want to get a laptop that can "future-proof" me in terms of tech requirements for games down the road. I've had my current laptop for almost five years (Intel 480m with integrated graphics), so I'd like to get an even better life time from this laptop.
So, I have two main questions:
1. Should I wait (which I really could, even if I don't want to) for Windows 10 and Intel's Skylake processors since I desire to make this purchase last me for many years? Waiting can only be so beneficial before one has to finally surrender to Moore's Law.
2. Is it even possible to get a model like the one I'm looking for? My knowledge of tech is still in its infancy so I don't know all the tricks of the trade yet.
I'll be using the laptop buyer's FAQ to help organize what I'm thinking.
1. What is your budget? My maximum budget is $1500, but I would like not to exceed $1325-$1400. This would be over double what I payed for my current model.
2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering? I would like a 15-inch screen, but I'm not too picky about this.
3. What screen resolution do you want? 1080p is good. I don't feel the need for more.
4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop? This would be a replacement system for me.
5. How much battery life do you need? I'm alright with being chained to a wall; two hours is plenty, but my current laptop won't usually go past an hour, and that doesn't bother me.
6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? I would like to get current games to run at high settings. Examples include heavily modded Elder Scrols/Fallout series, new Total War games (Rome 2/Attila), and Shadow of Mordor. Future games I have my eyes on that I would like to run as smoothly as possible include Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, any possible Elder Scrolls or Fallout games that may or may not be in development. I know they don't really have tech specs yet, but just as an FYI.
7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? I would like to be able to stream videos, use word, surf the web, and do some hobbyist programming.
8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need? I prefer an SSD, so 256GB is the minimum, but if deals could be had, I'ld love it. Also, if I need more room, I can always pick up a portable external hard drive for stuff.
9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links. I'm not picky; I just want quality.
10. How long do you want to keep your laptop? As mentioned, as long as is possible. Not less than 5-7 years for sure.
11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? I would like to have a DVD ROM/Writer, but I've seen some models without any, and I may be able to roll with that, too.
12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons. I don't have a preference.
13. What country do you live in? USA
14. Please tell us any additional information if needed. I feel I need a GPU that has Directx12 ready to go, so I have my eyes on the 970m, and it seems like the 4710HQ is quite good enough based on what I've read as a processor, but could I possibly save money by downgrading the CPU while still not worrying about bottlenecking a Dx12-ready card like the 970m?
Let me know what you think about this. I hope this wasn't too much stuff.
Edit: Here's an example of what I'm looking for, but I've heard a lot of bad press about this site, so I don't know if I want to get it. Also, as previously asked, would it be worth waiting for the new OS and more efficient processors if future-proofing is a real goal of mine?
http
/www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Xplorer_X6-9500_Gaming_LaptopThanks!
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