I will be going to college for computer science soon, and I am looking to get a laptop for doing school work and any gaming/activities. I am looking for a laptop with probably a 15.6" screen, so that it is big without being too heavy. I am interested in touchscreen because it seems to be the future of computers and I will probably be a part of that, but I don't think it would be necessary. I will post some of the ideas I have had/been suggested:
Haven't done anything with barebones, but it seemed good to me http
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This is a possible touchscreen option http
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There are a lot of others I have looked at, but these are the current ones I would like to get an idea on. I will list some other things I would like to know:
What are the main components I should look for when considering a laptop that can handle games decently and be able to support other activities (like hardware)?
Is it possible to use a second monitor to act as a dual screen, and what kind of hardware would I need? Basically having different windows open on my laptop and a separate monitor.
Can I use a touchscreen monitor with a non-touch laptop using windows 8 for dual screen? Or the other way around?
This is all I have for now. Hopefully I am not asking for too much info.
EDIT: I think I am leaning towards the MSI barebones maybe with the 750 GPU to save on the price a bit. I have been looking around at some other threads to see what is the better stuff to get and I think I have a good idea, but I am still looking for suggestions on any laptops or the good components to get.
Haven't done anything with barebones, but it seemed good to me http

This is a possible touchscreen option http

There are a lot of others I have looked at, but these are the current ones I would like to get an idea on. I will list some other things I would like to know:
What are the main components I should look for when considering a laptop that can handle games decently and be able to support other activities (like hardware)?
Is it possible to use a second monitor to act as a dual screen, and what kind of hardware would I need? Basically having different windows open on my laptop and a separate monitor.
Can I use a touchscreen monitor with a non-touch laptop using windows 8 for dual screen? Or the other way around?
This is all I have for now. Hopefully I am not asking for too much info.
EDIT: I think I am leaning towards the MSI barebones maybe with the 750 GPU to save on the price a bit. I have been looking around at some other threads to see what is the better stuff to get and I think I have a good idea, but I am still looking for suggestions on any laptops or the good components to get.