Laptop for photography, video & gaming

[fWord]

Feedback mentions anything between 10 and 15%. Some have cycled through several representatives until they could get a decent discount. Please look around for more information. You could use this
AW/DELL Ordering Advice - How to save $$$

Sorry I missed your response earlier. Thanks for the link, I've just gone through the info on that page. 10-15% sounds pretty good!

[fWord]

Well, lo and behold, I had a big diversion and actually now looking at Clevo/ Sager!

I've set my eyes on the Clevo P150EM which seems just about perfect for me...15" screen (so hopefully not too big), option for AMD 7970M, option for premium matte screen with 95% gamut for my photos, and in the case of one supplier an option for 3-year onsite pickup & return warranty! Not to mention a price that won't break the bank.

I located two websites in Australia that sell it, Logical Blue One and Affordable Laptops:

Logical Blue One - Horize P150EM Clevo Notebook

Metabox P150EM - Clevo P150EM - 15.6 inch Gaming laptop notebook with 2GB graphics

Does anybody know how legit these sellers are? I've been sussing out their rep at the Whirlpool forums, pretty much our local Aus forums about nearly everything...and here, their rep seems fine.

If both these sellers are fine, then I must have struck gold and found the perfect laptop!

[fWord]

Hehe, it would cost about $79 + any ATX PSU you may have lying around! Just use the thread DIY eGPU experiences

You can put in any card, but nVidia cards are much better as they implement Optimus compression. Yes, with a W520 + eGPU you can have a laptop what is comparable to a desktop in performance (think about GTX 680!)

Thank you. I was looking at that link and there is so much that I don't understand about the use of an eGPU. In theory it is an excellent idea, especially being able to upgrade the GPU whenever I need to. Just wish I could understand and develop the 'know how' to actually make it work.

[zsero]

Thank you. I was looking at that link and there is so much that I don't understand about the use of an eGPU. In theory it is an excellent idea, especially being able to upgrade the GPU whenever I need to. Just wish I could understand and develop the 'know how' to actually make it work.

You are lucky, because for the W520 you don't need to do any of the tricks. Just ask in the forum and they'll explain it.

[NextDoor]

These laptops below are a lot of cheaper than your candidates. IMO, they can fulfill you gaming as well as photography needs. Maybe they are not available in Aussie, but then you can fly to US to buy it and when you return you still have leftover.
Or you can order by mail.
MSI G Series GT780DX-406US Core i7 with 12GB RAM and GTX570M
MSI G Series GT783R-658US Higher model of Core i7 with 12GB RAM and GTX580M

I think many brands have international warranty nowadays. But if you are not confident, search local stores.

[zsero]

These laptops below are a lot of cheaper than your candidates. IMO, they can fulfill you gaming as well as photography needs. Maybe they are not available in Aussie, but then you can fly to US to buy it and when you return you still have leftover.
Or you can order by mail.
MSI G Series GT780DX-406US Core i7 with 12GB RAM and GTX570M
MSI G Series GT783R-658US Higher model of Core i7 with 12GB RAM and GTX580M

I think many brands have international warranty nowadays. But if you are not confident, search local stores.

Hehe, these are about 2 times heavier than a W520! And I'd guess they have glossy screen, what makes them unusable for any professional work.

[fWord]

You are lucky, because for the W520 you don't need to do any of the tricks. Just ask in the forum and they'll explain it.

Really? That would be good for the non-tech people like myself. I'm still waiting on info from a local supplier regarding the Sager/ Clevo that I'm looking into...fingers crossed, I'll hear back from them soon.

[fWord]

These laptops below are a lot of cheaper than your candidates. IMO, they can fulfill you gaming as well as photography needs. Maybe they are not available in Aussie, but then you can fly to US to buy it and when you return you still have leftover.
Or you can order by mail.
MSI G Series GT780DX-406US Core i7 with 12GB RAM and GTX570M
MSI G Series GT783R-658US Higher model of Core i7 with 12GB RAM and GTX580M

I think many brands have international warranty nowadays. But if you are not confident, search local stores.

Thanks for the suggestions. They would definitely be sufficient for my current gaming needs, but not so sure about the future. Something tells me that the power of AMD's current card (and possibly Nvidia's upcoming card) will be exploited by game makers, making games of the future much more demanding. If I get a card that is 'lesser' and not easily upgradable, I could be in strife when the next generation of games is released. Hence I'm really looking at getting something with the AMD 7970M in it, and fortunately it is not awfully expensive and there are computers within my budget that carry that card.

Alternatively of course was zsero's idea of using a computer that would work with an external GPU, though it does mean an additional outlay for a card initially.

[fWord]

Because various members at this forum have been such great help, I feel obliged to write an update to this thread and +rep to those who have helped with the decision making process. Also, for the few Australian buyers who are perusing this website, I thought this update might be of some benefit to them...hopefully it will get them out of the trap of paying WAY over the limit for overpriced goods from most stores in this country. I think the 'being Australian' levies are becoming difficult to stomach.

Anyway, I took a big diversion from the original three choices and eventually went with a Clevo/ Sager P150EM from Metabox, and purchased this computer from Affordable Laptops in Australia at this website:

Metabox P150EM - Clevo P150EM - 15.6 inch Gaming laptop notebook with 2GB graphics

It's a fantastic computer with a real workhorse kind of look, no frills and all business. I opted for the AMD 7970 card, 95% gamut matte screen, Bigfoot Killer upgrade, 3-year on-site pickup and return warranty, and barebones for everything else. It is a perfect fit for me. Great computing power in a compact form factor and at a superb price (by Australian standards). So glad I decided to take a leap of faith and look at Clevo/ Sager. They do make great computers indeed and the warranty from Metabox/ Affordable laptops makes it easier to get repairs done if things go wrong during that warranty period. I heard that dealing with Clevo directly is a nightmare...

Thank you so much again to those who have helped. I am amazed with the amount of knowledge readily available at this website and the number of people who will help with the most mundane of requests.