Replacing laptop.

[Valkyrjar]

1. What is your budget?
$1500-1650 (Hopefully including an extended warranty, although I know that's pushing it).

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
17"

3. What screen resolution do you want?
1920x1080

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
Desktop replacement. Weight doesn't really matter to me at all. The most travelling I'll do with this laptop is from my bedroom to my living room, or whenever I'm house sitting for a friend. Otherwise it stays locked into one spot.

5. How much battery life do you need?
I honestly never use my laptop unplugged so this doesn't really matter to me, but I guess 2 hours minimum with just browsing the web.

6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low, Medium or High)?
High. I'm trying to get something that's capable of handling games along the lines of Guild Wars 2, Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3, Skyrim and if possible Final Fantasy XIV on medium settings.

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, Etc.)
Photoshop, Maya and 3DS mostly. But I figure if it can handle the games listed above I won't have any problems.

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
500GB minimum, hopefully with a second bay to install a SSD somewhere down the line.

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
I don't have any specific sites, but I am looking at certain models.

ASUS:

a) http/www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2355976&csid=_61 - 670M
b) http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230408 - 670M
c) http/www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007MW73C2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER - 660M

MSI:

http/www.amazon.com/MSI-GT70-0NC-008US-9S7-176212-008-17-3-Inch/dp/B007Y27PGO/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1344461124&sr=1-2

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
For the next three or four years, hopefully.

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer, Bluray ROM/Writer, Etc ?
DVD RW at least.

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've been using an MSI laptop for the past two years (E7235), so I'm okay with them. I don't particularly like HP, Dell, Lenovo or Toshiba. I had an HP before I got my MSI and I had to take it in for repairs three times in the almost two months that I had it (speakers, wireless card and finally the motherboard). As for the rest, I've watched my friends go through hell with those companies so I'm just staying away from that group.

So far from what I've read ASUS has fantastic cooling and build quality on the G55/75 series, so that has me interested. They've also got a wide range of models, albeit at smaller sizes, that fit within my budget and allow for an extended warranty. The same goes from MSI when it comes to build quality, but I've read a few times that their G60/70 models run kind of hot and loud? It goes back and forth. They're the two brands I'm most comfortable with.

13. What country do you live in?
United States.

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed.
I'm open to customisation sites, but I know my limited budget would only get me so much. My biggest issue, or question really, is the decision between the 660M and the 670M. I've spent days reading up on both of these cards and I cannot get a solid answer on which one is better. And I guess better is too final of a word, but which card gets you the most bang for your buck. I know the argument between the two (the 660M = new technology, 670M = rebadged 570M with higher clocks) but I just can't decide. The minute I think I've finally settled on one I'll read something else about the other card that throws me off.

Aside from that, I'm a little turned off by the apparent use of a cheap wireless card in the ASUS models that cannot be easily replaced (my only option here being customisation, but see above). And as you can probably tell I'm fairly partial to Nvidia as well, as they're what I'm used to when it comes to video cards.

I also see a lot of suggestions for brands like Sager and Clevo, but I've no experience with their build quality, or their brands in general, and I'm afraid of what's essentially me jumping into a pool blindfolded without knowing if there's actually a portal at the bottom that leads straight into the fires of Mount Doom. Extremely dramatic, I know, but my point is it feels like I'd be taking a huge risk.

I'm also hoping to secure this laptop, whichever one I choose in the end, before August 17th. I'm going to have a week off from work due to surgery and I'd like to tinker around with all the games I bought recently from the Steam Summer Sales. Not sure if ordering a customised laptop would delay that in any way.

I realise that this is a lot to read and I apologise for that, but I'd appreciate any help!

 

[airanp]

I noticed that most of your examples are from sites that offer preconfigured options. I would highly recommend checking out sites like http/www.xoticpc.com and http/www.gentechpc.com and play around with some of the laptops they offer. Most of them offer a wide range of customization and both offer major brands like Asus, MSI and Sager. Hope this helps you in your decision.

 

[Valkyrjar]

I noticed that most of your examples are from sites that offer preconfigured options. I would highly recommend checking out sites like http/www.xoticpc.com and http/www.gentechpc.com and play around with some of the laptops they offer. Most of them offer a wide range of customization and both offer major brands like Asus, MSI and Sager. Hope this helps you in your decision.

Thank you! I actually got better choices within my price range on these sites. I'm surprised because I honestly thought my budget would severely limit my options.

This list contains the more high performance gaming laptops for this price range:
http/www.gaminglaptopsjunky.com/high-gaming-laptops-recommendations-gtx-670m-675m-gtx-680m-radeon-6990m-radeon-7970m-gaming-laptop-02082012/

In short, your preferred options with performance in mind:

1. Alienware m17x, if you can get to 1800$, but this is not necessary and you don't have to worry. Check link for coupon. Except for being an overall good laptop and the good battery times compared to such a laptop, it also has the option to disable "Enduro" graphics switching system that reduces performance in games due to being just a immature system. Nvidias' Optimus is more reliable.

2. G75VW-TS2, FHD screen, GTX 670M, 1400$, superior cooling solution:
http/www.gaminglaptopsjunky.com/great-deal-asus-g75vw-ts2-17-3-gaming-laptop-i7-3610qm-gtx-670m-16gb-ddr3-750gb-hdd-high-quality-fullhd-screen-high-build-quality-great-heat-noise-level-1400-130-discount/
you save the money and get a very good gaming laptop, but you don't get the most performance for the money.

3. Sager NP9170 - top performance for the money + very good overall quality (unlike the MSI barebones based laptops which cost less). No OS.

thoughts?

I'm really considering three or four of the models you have listed. Two are ASUS, with one being the premade option you linked to (if all else fails), the second is this! and the third would be the Sager NP9170.

I've customised a Sager and an ASUS and so far I'm liking the Sager the most. But I've got another question, is the boost to the 72% NTSC Color Gamut worth it? That's the only edge I see the ASUS having over the Sager unit. I'm going to list the specs below for each model just to get some input from you all. Whatever I don't mention was left at the default/stock options.

*******************

1) Asus G75VW-RS72: $1604.01 (GenTech PC)

Screen: 17.3" 16:9 1920X1080 Full HD LED backlight Ultra Bright, 72% NTSC Color Gamut, Glossy
Graphics Controller: nVidia GeForce GTX 670M 3GB GDDR5 DX11
Processor: 3rd Gen Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7-3610QM, 2.3-3.3GHz, 22nm, 6MB, 45W
Thermal Compound: IC Diamond 24 Carat Thermal Compound on both CPU/GPU (I added this in for safety, but if it's not needed I'll remove it)
RAM: 16GB DDR3 1600 Dual-Channel (4GB x 4) (I know anything above 8GB is overkill, but there was a special promotion to add it in for 0.01)
Primary Hard Drive: 750GB 7200rpm SATA II 16MB 3GB/s (Standard)
WiFi: Intel Advanced-N 6235 Wireless-N + Bluetooth Combo Card
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit Pre-installed (Standard)
Warranty: Asus 1 Year Limited Global Warranty / One Year Accidental Damage Warranty Included

2) Sager NP9170 NV GTX670M/GTX675M: $1619.00 (GenTech PC)
Screen: 17.3" 1920X1080 Full HD LED Backlight, glossy
Graphics Controller: nVidia GeForce GTX 675M 2GB GDDR5 DX11 w/Optimus Technology
Processor: 3rd Gen Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7-3610QM, 2.3-3.3GHz, 22nm, 6MB, 45W
Thermal Compound: IC Diamond 24 Carat Thermal Compound on both CPU/GPU
RAM: 16GB DDR3 1600/PC3 12800 Dual-Channel (4G X 4)
Primary Hard Drive: 500GB Seagate Momentus XT 7200RPM 32MB, 4GB SSD Hybrid Drive, SATA II 3Gb/s
WiFi: Intel Ultimate-N 6300 802.11 a/b/g/n Wireless LAN with 3 antenna
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 32/64 bit DVD
Warranty: Life-time GenTech PC Labor Warranty / 1 Year Parts Warranty, Lifetime Toll-Free Technical Support

************************

I really like both, but I'm leaning towards the Sager. The only thing that stops me is the warranty. With ASUS I get the accidental damage warranty in addition to the limited global warranty. For the model with the 675M, I took the jump because they only seemed to be offering the 670M in the 1.5GB model and I figured I may as well take a step up to get better performance.

So any input?

Thanks for all your help so far, guys.

 

[airanp]

1. Why the GT70?

2. You mean the boost to the 90% or 95% NTSC Gamut, not 72%. Well, most screens are 60% so even if you stay with the 72% you'll be ok. It's less important for games as you don't really need the whole color thing. But, the upgrade screen has also better brightness and contrast, I think. The Gamut is less interesting but could be nice in HD movies.

3. Asus over Sager:
- Superior cooling system. The Asus is really cool and quite compared to other laptop of such HW and price, Sager included, Alienware not. Is it important? the low temps are good for the hardware life. Less problems in the long run.
- build quality might be better.
- OS. If you need to buy an OS then Sager comes with no OS. You can buy and they'll install it, but remember that. It seems that you added the OS.

Sager over Asus:
- higher performance per price mainly. I saw you configured the NP9170 with GTX 675M - well, the Radeon 7970M is *considerably* faster and costs the same or less with the Sager. That's one strong selling point.
- customizable: upgrades are expensive, but the laptop itself is very easily customizable.


If you have no upcoming upgrades in mind, I'd take the Asus as they have the same price and the Asus just for the cooling system. But again - why the GTX 675M when you have the Radeon 7970M?

Junky77 hit the nail on the head here. Asus is known for better cooling which could, and usually does, lead to longer hardware life where as sager is more "bang" for the buck. And as he also said your money would be better spent on upgrading performance aspects such as ram, ssd and so on versus spending it on the NTSC Gamut unless you plan on spending more time watching HD movies or doing mid to high end photo/video editing.

 

[Valkyrjar]

1. Why the GT70?

2. You mean the boost to the 90% or 95% NTSC Gamut, not 72%. Well, most screens are 60% so even if you stay with the 72% you'll be ok. It's less important for games as you don't really need the whole color thing. But, the upgrade screen has also better brightness and contrast, I think. The Gamut is less interesting but could be nice in HD movies.

3. Asus over Sager:
- Superior cooling system. The Asus is really cool and quite compared to other laptop of such HW and price, Sager included, Alienware not. Is it important? the low temps are good for the hardware life. Less problems in the long run.
- build quality might be better.
- OS. If you need to buy an OS then Sager comes with no OS. You can buy and they'll install it, but remember that. It seems that you added the OS.

Sager over Asus:
- higher performance per price mainly. I saw you configured the NP9170 with GTX 675M - well, the Radeon 7970M is *considerably* faster and costs the same or less with the Sager. That's one strong selling point.
- customizable: upgrades are expensive, but the laptop itself is very easily customizable.


If you have no upcoming upgrades in mind, I'd take the Asus as they have the same price and the Asus just for the cooling system. But again - why the GTX 675M when you have the Radeon 7970M?

1) It was recommended to me by a friend who owns that exact model. I just thought I'd throw it into the mix just to have a random extra option, especially since it comes with a 675M. It was kind of a comfort backup just in case I wasn't satisfied with the warranties offered with the models I customised. The warranty offered on that one falls just right under where I'm willing to push my budget. I know I keep beating on the warranty drum, but after my experience with HP I'm a bit paranoid and like to make sure I have proper backup.

2) I just happened to be reading around different forums and saw a few people raving about it, so I figured maybe it was worth the money. If it's not that big of a deal then I'll stick with the matte screen and invest the money in getting the two year warranty. (total $1618.00)

3) I was considering the 7970M after seeing the massive reaction from the community about it, but adding it pushed me right over the edge with my very tight budget unfortunately. I only have leg room for one thing, and it was going to be either the 7970M or the warranty. (I changed the warranty after I made my post, brought my total to $1688.00)

Junky77 hit the nail on the head here. Asus is known for better cooling which could, and usually does, lead to longer hardware life where as sager is more "bang" for the buck. And as he also said your money would be better spent on upgrading performance aspects such as ram, ssd and so on versus spending it on the NTSC Gamut unless you plan on spending more time watching HD movies or doing mid to high end photo/video editing.

Based on what you guys are telling me it sounds like I'd be comfortable with the ASUS. I'll be adding in my own SSD hopefully not too long after I get this. The Samsung 830 series is always on sale every other week, so I'm planning on snagging either the 128GB or 256GB models to use as my boot drive as soon as I gather extra funds.

I'm hoping to put my order in tomorrow night. I think I'm set what I've got, but I'm going to shop around with different resellers to see if I can find any other deals.

Anything else to add? Really appreciate the input.

 

[airanp]

Agreed, enjoy your new laptop when you get it =)

 

[Valkyrjar]

WAIT! have you bought yet??

No, not yet! I'm hoping to make my purchase tomorrow morning or afternoon. Got something else for me?

 

[Valkyrjar]

you wrote this:

" Asus G75VW-RS72: $1604.01 (GenTech PC)

Screen: 17.3" 16:9 1920X1080 Full HD LED backlight Ultra Bright, 72% NTSC Color Gamut, Glossy
Graphics Controller: nVidia GeForce GTX 670M 3GB GDDR5 DX11
Processor: 3rd Gen Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7-3610QM, 2.3-3.3GHz, 22nm, 6MB, 45W
Thermal Compound: IC Diamond 24 Carat Thermal Compound on both CPU/GPU (I added this in for safety, but if it's not needed I'll remove it)
RAM: 16GB DDR3 1600 Dual-Channel (4GB x 4) (I know anything above 8GB is overkill, but there was a special promotion to add it in for 0.01)
Primary Hard Drive: 750GB 7200rpm SATA II 16MB 3GB/s (Standard)
WiFi: Intel Advanced-N 6235 Wireless-N + Bluetooth Combo Card
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit Pre-installed (Standard)
Warranty: Asus 1 Year Limited Global Warranty / One Year Accidental Damage Warranty Included "

Now, I didn't see anywhere else the G75VW with a GTX 675M and I went to the GentechPC site and didn't see it there neither. Also, Asus site say it has only GTX 660M and GTX 670M - like I remembered:
http/www.asus.com/Notebooks/Gaming_Powerhouse/G75VW/#specifications

So how did you get the 675M in there?

Ah, I should have clarified that line but I figured you guys would notice I was talking about the Sager. The ASUS would only come with the 3GB 670M and the Sager was the only other model I customised that I could add in a 675M (2GB). So no 675M in the ASUS, only in the Sager.

 

[Valkyrjar]

Best answer selected by Valkyrjar.