Which Gaming/college laptop is best?

[dirksey]

Hello, I am a senior in highschool and am looking at different laptops for college. I definitely want to be able to game on it, and i will be going into engineering, so CAD software must also run smoothly. Here are a few of the options i have found (i know there are a lot, but i have no clue how to narrow them down). I would like to know which one/s is best based on both hardware (although all are very similar specs) and brand reliability and customer service. Here they are...

Ibuypower.com
Battalion 101 P151HM1: $1413
- intel i7-2630QM
- 8GB RAM
- 750GB (7200rpm) HD
- DVD combo
- nvidia GTX 560M (1.5GB) (3D)
-15.6" (1920x1080)
- updated wifi card (450mbps)
- swissgear backpack & 3 games

Malibal.com
Malibal lotus P150M: $1449
- intel i7-2630QM
- 12GB RAM
- 750GB (7200rpm) HD
- DVD combo
- nvidia GTX 560M (1.5GB)
- 15.6" (1920x1080)
- standard black carrying case

Lotus P151HM1: $1374
- intel i7-2630M
- 12GB RAM
- 750GB 7200rpm HD
- DVD combo
- nvidia GTX 560M (1,5GB)
- 15.6” (1920x1080) (95% NTSC with matte finish)
- standard black carrying case

Sagernotebook.com
Sager NP8150: $1474
- intel i7-2630QM
- 12GB RAM
- 750GB 7200rpm HD
- DVD combo
- nvidia GTX 560M (1.5GB)
- 15.6” (1920x1080)

Sager NP8130: $1399
- Intel i7-2630QM
- 12GB RAM
- 750GB 7200rpm HD
- DVD combo
- nvidia GTX 560M (1.5GB)
- 15.6” (1920x1080) (95% NTSC with matte finish)

Amazon.com
MSI GT683R-242US: $1469
- intel i7-2630QM
- 12 GB RAM
- 1 TB (2x500GB 7200 rpm in serial ATA) HD
- DVD combo
- nvidia GTX 560M (1.5 GB)
- 15.6" (1920x1080)

Asus G53SX-A1: $1367.98
- intel i7-2630QM
- 12GB RAM
- 750GB 7200rpm HD
- DVD combo
- nvidia GTX 560M (2GB)
- 15.6" (1920x1080)
- backpack and mouse

**note: all ram is 1333 MHz unless otherwise noted, and while other laptop suggestions are welcome, 15.6" and around $1500 is the max i want

Thanks!!

 

[WR2]

just how much do the asus and the msi shout "gaming laptop!!" to everyone around?

Pretty loud. You wouldn't want to take either to a job interview where it might convey an unwanted impression (like where your priorities lie).

 

[WR2]

192-bit bus should be faster.
I saw one 3DMark Vantage benchmark score than was a bit more than 25% higher.

 

[dirksey]

Yeah, I was kinda worried about that wr2... I was thinking maybe the asus would be less so because of the lack of LED's...hmm, well food for thought I guess
So the 1.5GB will be 25% faster because ofthe larger bus? I wasn't expecting that big of a jump, but thanks for letting me know!
So if the asus and the msi look like the gaming laptops they are lol, does anyone know how well the clevo chassis on the sager and the malibal handle the heat that comes with overclocking? They don't look to have nearly the same fan system, but does anyone own one or know for sure?

 

[gamer25]

MSI GT683DXR

Intel Core i7 2630QM

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570M (DDR5 1.5GB)

1TB hard drive

12GB DDR3 memory

USB 3.0

HDMI Port

Click Here

 

[dalauder]

Thank you all for the great feedback and advice, it has been really helpful! I think i am going to go with the asus mentioned in my original question, mainly because I've heard really good things about their customer service and general reliability. If anyone actually owns that laptop and could give me a quick opinion of it that would be great, since I won't actually gave the cash to buy it until later this fall thanks again to all of you!

The Asus from your original question costs $400 more than the one I posted while not having better gaming performance.

Take look at this thread's $1500 gaming laptops: http/www.tomshardware.com/forum/71084-35-best-gaming-laptop#t283877

FYI:, 12GB of RAM doesn't help in gaming (4GB is just as good) and all the gaming laptops will have USB 3.0 and HDMI. Why not just mention features that change/matter like manufacturer, screen size, CPU, HDD, & graphics?

As far as that 192-bit bus vs. 128-bit...the 192-bit is faster hands-down if using similar architecture. That's why a GTX 460 1GB beats a GTX 460 768MB.

 

[dirksey]

http/m.bestbuy.com/m/e/product/detail.jsp?skuId=3105157&pid=1218378584760&catId=&ev=prodView#product-overview-open

Alright, so kinda random, but bestbuy has this asus g73sw as a refurb for $850 (which I could afford to buy now, instead of waiting for Christmas cash lolz)! Intel i7 2630qm, 8gb ram, 750gb 7200rpm hdd, 8 cell battery, and $100 gift card with purchase. I know it's missing blu-ray and has a 900 instead of 1080p screen, but for that price it seems unbeatable to me! Anyone know any reason I should avoid this laptop (and don't say bestbuy or refurb, cuz I'm gonna buy the two year warranty, which includes accidental damage, and my friend works at bestbuy so customer service will be good for me at least), I really just want to know if there are any major design flaws in either the chassis or the GPU I should be aware of?

 

[dalauder]

I don't see where it tells you the resolution. How much does the warranty upgrade cost? But for me--I'd probably buy it. It's not as good as a new one for $800, but it's good enough.

 

[thesnappyfingers]

the resolution is 1600*900. I would probably buy it to as you are essentially getting it for 750 dollars. That is a very large laptop (8.3 lbs) , and you will need to purchase backpack to go along with it, assuming this is still for college. Also bringing that size of a laptop to class will be a pain in the ass.

Here is a forum discussion about your laptop
http/forum.notebookreview.com/asus-gaming-notebook-forum/563938-g73sw-bst6-initial-thoughts-review.html

Here is a review by PCMag
http/www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2383653,00.asp

 

[dirksey]

Thanks for all the advice guys!!! I'm gonna go for it on this g73, just because of the $$$ I'll save, but you guys have been huge help!

 

[dalauder]

I personally wouldn't bring a laptop to class. You can take plenty of notes by hand in a notebook and it's way easier to sketch things, if necessary. Also, there are tons of computer labs all over the place in college, so a flash stick is as useful as a laptop. Then you just take your laptop with you if you're planning on meeting up with people in a study lounge somewhere or at a coffee shop.