Looking for a gaming laptop ~$2500

MaximusW47

Honorable
Aug 1, 2013
2
0
10,510
I've been looking to get a nice high performance laptop for a while now and will probably do so with Tiger Direct's current sale. It currently looks like ASUS and MSI have the best notebooks in that range, with Alienware coming in third.

The best I've seen so far is the MSI GT70 2OD-019US:
-4th generation Intel Core i7-4700MQ 3.4GHz
-24GB DDR3
-2x 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD
-NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M
-Blu-ray, 17.3" Display
Running Windows 8, which I've never tried. I may just put Windows 7 on if I don't like it.
Are there better sights or better deals I'm overlooking? My budget is around $2500, I could go a bit over that for an awesome laptop if necessary.
 
Solution
I buy custom built Clevo laptops specifically for AutoCAD usage but with gaming spec requirements closely mirroring 2D AutoCAD, they make damn fine gaming machines....as my sons will attest to after I give them hand me downs.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/91510-clevo-guide-v2-0-faq-reseller-info.html

CLEVO is a large Taiwanese computer company specializing in laptops. While the Clevo brand name is perhaps not widely known, their products are re-branded and sold by known boutique brand OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers)… notably Sager, VoodooPC, Falcon Northwest, Eurocom, etc. They are also considered (by whoever knows about notebooks) to design and manufacturer the best of the best notebooks in terms of superior...
I buy custom built Clevo laptops specifically for AutoCAD usage but with gaming spec requirements closely mirroring 2D AutoCAD, they make damn fine gaming machines....as my sons will attest to after I give them hand me downs.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/91510-clevo-guide-v2-0-faq-reseller-info.html

CLEVO is a large Taiwanese computer company specializing in laptops. While the Clevo brand name is perhaps not widely known, their products are re-branded and sold by known boutique brand OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers)… notably Sager, VoodooPC, Falcon Northwest, Eurocom, etc. They are also considered (by whoever knows about notebooks) to design and manufacturer the best of the best notebooks in terms of superior build quality and innovative designs.

I get them for Larry here:

http://www.lpc-digital.com/

Clevo P375SM
http://www.lpc-digital.com/sager-np9390.html
17.3" Full HD LED-Backlit Display Matte type (1920 x 1080)
Dual NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 765M Total 6GB GDDR5 SLI® Enabled
4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-4800MQ Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.70 GHz)
IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
Win 8 64 bit Pro
16GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 2 X 8GB
750GB Seagate Momentus XT ST750LX003 7200RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 8GB SSD
6X Blu-ray Reader/8X DVD±R/2.4X +DL Super-Multi Drive & Software
Killer™ Wireless-N 1202 with Bluetooth 4.0 (Dual Band)
Removable Smart Lithium-Ion battery pack (8 cell) 89.21WH
Integrated Fingerprint Reader
Free Delivery

$2350 ($2500 ish w/ 780M GFX .... and bigger discount will apply for hitting $2500)

Numerous options on HDs, SSD's, RAM, GFX cards, Opticals, LAN, etc

 
Solution

Indefatigable

Honorable
May 18, 2013
38
0
10,590
I wouldn't spend $2500 on a gaming laptop.

If you insist, Alienware, ASUS ROG, MSI, and Clevo sell high-end options. Alienware has the best warranty--in-house and remote technical support, accidental damage coverage, and Next Business Day parts--but inconsistent customer service. ASUS's G750 has the best cooling of the lot (or similar to the Alienware 17) but is the hardest to upgrade and maintain. MSIs and Clevos are usually cheaper and have more customization options, and their resellers have decent support.