traveller seeks reputable vendor for gaming laptop

[polyesterpoppycock]

Hello all,

I travel for work, and am looking to procure a gaming laptop for around $2k. I've done some shopping and some research, and I have my eye on a handful of options. At this point, I'd like to ask the community here for your opinions on the matter because I know that I can get tunnel-vision when I shop. This is as much a quest for the machine itself as it is (perhaps more importantly) for an excellent vendor.

I am a little particular about the specifications I want:

1) CPU - at least a quad core with at least 3.1GHz base speed per core; the bigger the cache, the better

2) GPU - at least 6GB GDDR5 dedicated

3) RAM - at least 16GB DDR4 2400MHz

4) Storage - 512GB Western Digital Black NVMe M.2 SSD or something comparable; no need for a secondary, as I will be pulling the 1TB SSD (not an M.2) from my current laptop

5) Cooling - I would prefer not to have to resort to external cooling solutions

I had a bit of a sour experience with the last laptop I purchased, so solid warranties and reliable customer service are a must. I'm not up for any more shenanigans.

For reference, I have looked at MSI, Origin, Falcon Northwest, Alienware, Razer, ASUS, Sager, XoticPC, Newegg, Best Buy, Fry's, and LPC Digital. In the past I have been advised to steer clear of iBuyPower and CyberPowerPC, so I have done just that.

Please advise.

 

[hang-the-9]

Some of the systems you listed are actual laptop makers, the others are places that sell them. Really any of the top sites are fine to buy from. I like www.xoticpc.com because they have a great sorting of gaming systems that are easy to see and compare, and offer a lot of custom options from picking the brand of drive to doing a burn in test to even picking thermal paste you want to use. In your price range, every system should have about a good size SSD and a 1060 or 1070 video card. This one is just a bit over 2,000 but will last for a while http/www.xoticpc.com/msi-gs63vr-sp-002.html

 

[polyesterpoppycock]

Some of the systems you listed are actual laptop makers, the others are places that sell them. Really any of the top sites are fine to buy from. I like www.xoticpc.com because they have a great sorting of gaming systems that are easy to see and compare, and offer a lot of custom options from picking the brand of drive to doing a burn in test to even picking thermal paste you want to use. In your price range, every system should have about a good size SSD and a 1060 or 1070 video card. This one is just a bit over 2,000 but will last for a while http/www.xoticpc.com/msi-gs63vr-sp-002.html

First and foremost, thank you for your response.

I am aware that I've listed both manufacturers and distributors; I wanted to list the various builds and sellers that I'd looked into, but I didn't think it necessary to separate them.

I am also a fan of the scope of customization that Xotic offers, but that's more of a bonus feature. I can settle with a proprietary machine if it meets my needs. What I'm more concerned about is the reputation of the seller. I've never purchased a computer system online, unless you count individual parts from Newegg, so I'm hesitant to do so now. I've heard an uncomfortable number of horror stories. That being said, my options are far better online than if I opt for a local purchase. I guess I'm just lacking a sense of security - no face to the name of who I'm buying from, should I buy online.

As for the specific MSI build you listed, I like most everything except the processor, which unfortunately is not optional for the Stealth. The 7700HQ has a base of 2.8, and can overclock to 3.8. I'd really like to have a processor with a base above 3.0GHz. The 7700 or 7700K, for instance, or the Ryzen 1700, would be preferable. For the sake of clarity, I'm not trying to nitpick or ask for you to find me a better build. I just want to express why that particular build is unsatisfactory, so as to better facilitate an understanding between us.

Thank you again for your input. I appreciate that you took time to offer a reply.