Gaming Development Laptop

[Eiriasu]

What is your budget?
$1500 +/- 250

What country will you be buying this in?
USA

What size notebook do you prefer?
Mainstream (15 - 16-inch screen)

What brands do you like or dislike?
Like: HP
Dislike: Dell, Asus (bad experiences with both)
Uncertain: Everything else

Would you consider a refurbished laptop?
Maybe

What are the primary tasks you need this notebook for?
Web Surfing, Photo Editing, Computer Programming, Movie Streaming and Viewing, Output Video to TV or Large Monitor, 3D CAD Design, Casual Gaming, Graphic Intense 3D Gaming

Game development, digital painting, web development

What games will you be playing?
Strategy, RPG, FPS

Where will you be using this laptop?
Will be used different places and Will stay on desk

How many hours of battery life do you need?
2-3+

Will you be buying online or in store?
online

Which OS do you prefer?
Windows 7

List the screen resolutions that interest you:
Standard Resolution (1366 x 768)
High Resolution (1600 x 900)
Max Resolution (1920 x 1080)

Do you prefer a glossy or matte screen?
Glossy or Matte is fine

Is the laptops design important to you?
Yes

Approximately what date will you be buying this laptop?
Around 05/01/2012

How long do you want this laptop to last?
3-4 years

How much storage capacity do you need?
250 GB+, Preferably 7200 RPM

Are you interested in SSD for storage?
Maybe

Do you want a built-in optical drive, what type?
Blu-Ray

[Fenom96]

To be honest, with a budget that high, I suggest going to this website.

Gaming Laptops - XOTIC PC - Gaming Notebooks - Custom Laptops - Custom Notebooks

Here you can customize the laptop you want with perfect gaming specifications, while keeping it business oriented in terms of GPU so that you can design the perfect games.

[Eiriasu]

I'll be honest, I'm quite hesitant to drop 2-grand on a laptop brand I'm unfamiliar with. Looking at that site, I see a lot of Asus, which I have had less than stellar experience with, and some brands (Sager, MSI) that I have never used.

[baiii]

Probably workstation models
They are opt for professional programs, and the GPU arent shabby for gaming.
Thinkpad w520
HP elitebook

Here is a thread that compare current available 15"workstations.

M4600 vs. W520 vs. 8560w

[Geekz]

I suggest for you to visit the sager/clevo section here in the forums, I had the same reaction when I was researching about different gaming laptops around October Last year.

I was deciding over an MSI or alienware m17x, but after reading the reviews and experiences of forum members on the build quality, cooling and overall options of the sager/clevo machines that's what I ended up getting and suggest as well.

you'll also have different resellers to choose from, all have top notch support, customization options and post here in the forums to help out members.

XoticPC, Malibal, Mythlogic, powernotebooks and LPC-Digital just to name a few.

[ralchevd]

A friend of mine bought Alienware 2 months ago, but as I see you dislike Dell.

Maybe Amazon.com: Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7380 17.3-Inch Gaming Laptop - Fusion X2 Finish in Red Horizon: Computers & Accessories

[Eiriasu]

Thanks for all the responses, I'm still investigating my options. I seriously considered Alienware, despite my dislike for Dell, but their lack of a 15" option puts them low on my list. I've adjusted my requirements slightly as well.... decided I couldn't afford a full $2000, and that a 13-14" laptop is just too small for my needs, so I'm shooting for a 15"

My list of machines I'm considering now:
Alienware 14"
Dell XPS15 (despite my dislike of Dell)
HP dv6t
Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 / Thinkpad W520
MSI ???
Sager ???
Sony Vaio C Series 15"
Toshiba P750-BT4N22 / P750-BT4G22


@baiii: Is there an appreciable difference between the Lenovo Thinkpad and the IdeaPad? I had the IdeaPad on my list of possibilities and have just added the Thinkpad to it as well.

@Geekz: I'm not outright dismissing Sager machines, I've just never heard of them and that gives me some pause. What makes them stand out from other more mainstream options?

@ralchevd: Two problems with that link: First, it's a 17" machine and a little less portable than I would like. Second, I bought my last machine off Amazon and I will not be doing that again - lack of customization, incompatible restore discs included with it, lots of minor complaints that added up to a giant pain in the butt.

[edit1754]

There is a big difference between "Thinkpad" and "IdeaPad". Lenovo being the manufacturer of a laptop doesn't mean anything useful about its build quality, because brands cannot be generalized. The Thinkpad T/W/X series are those that tend to have excellent build quality, and their reputation falsely skews that of the IdeaPads. That's not to say there is anything particularly bad about the build quality of IdeaPads in general, but the fact that they are made by Lenovo doesn't instantaneously mean they have well-above-average build quality.

The Lenovo Y570 and Toshiba P750 are not options I would recommend, because their 15.6" displays have a low resolution of 1366x768. 1366x768 resolution in a 15.6" display makes multitasking and productivity difficult for the screen size because it makes things onscreen large. And 15.6" 1366x768 displays usually exhibit low contrast and thus tend to have terrible image quality.

The Toshiba Qosmio X775 falls under similar unrecommendability, because its 17.3" 1600x900 display is like 15.6" 1366x768 displays in that it makes things onscreen large and has poor image quality.

If you were to get the Alienware M14x, the lowest configuration I would recommend as worth buying would be the base model with the 14" 1600x900 display upgrade. Link to such a configuration
Other notes about the M14x:
- Don't downgrade to the 1366x768 display either for budget reasons or to trade-out for another upgrade.
- The 3GB GPU upgrade doesn't make a difference for gaming.
- Don't upgrade the processor past the cheapest i7.
- It's more expensive for specs than other options.

For the Dell XPS 15, the cheapest recommendable configuration is the base model with the 1920x1080 display upgrade: The Dell Online Store: Build Your System - Use coupon code 932N$0ZCCHWZB9

For the HP DV6:
- HP DV6z Quad Edition (A6-3420M, Radeon 7690M, 15.6" 1920x1080 matte) - $749 + tax with coupon code 25LOGICBUY - Don't downgrade to the 1366x768 display; don't downgrade the GPU. Note: A8-3520M has faster iGPU for Llano crossfire, A8-3550MX has 40% faster CPU performance. Important: Go into the BIOS and set the graphics switching to FIXED.
- HP DV6t Quad Edition (i7-2670QM, Radeon 7690M, 15.6" 1920x1080 matte) - $859 + tax with coupon code NBD6563 - Don't downgrade to the 1366x768 display; don't downgrade the GPU; don't upgrade to the 2GB GPU. Important: Go into the BIOS and set the graphics switching to FIXED.

For the W520:
- Get at least the 1600x900 display.
- Use coupon code WEEKEND

[Eiriasu]

"Thinkpad" vs. "IdeaPad".

So... how does one find that sort of stuff out, short of buying a machine and realizing that it sucks? Asking here, obviously, seems to lead to that info, but I'd like to know how to find that out on my own, too.

Lenovo Y570 & Toshiba P750 low-res stuff

Very good thing for me to keep an eye out for while I compare specs, thanks!

Alienware M14x

As I mentioned, I think the Alienware is likely to fall off the end of my list. I like the idea of its "coolness" factor more than anything else about it, and I can't justify spending the extra money for a smaller machine just cuz it looks neat. As you mentioned, it is a bit more pricey than other similar configurations.

Dell XPS 15

While it's still on my list, my distaste for Dell means it has an uphill battle for my money. I do appreciate the link & coupon code, though. My company has an employee purchase program through Dell, so it may be the best option financially, I'm still hesitant.

HP DV6

I noticed you linked to the AMD as well as the Intel. At the risk of sparking the AMD vs. Intel argument, is there one you recommend over the other? My (albeit very limited) research says that AMD is cheaper & better bang for your buck, while Intel is more expensive but overall better performance. Honestly, when it comes down to using it, I probably won't notice the difference regardless of what I end up buying. Again, thanks for the coupon codes.
Out of curiosity, (and laziness for not just googling it) what is that BIOS setting?

[baiii]

Go with intel if you want a machine that work right after you pull it out of the box. At your budget , there is no reason to pick a AMD. The $100 upgrade to intel quad is well worth it.

The dv6z does not offer FIXED unless there is a new bios released.