Buying a gaming laptop

puzlpuzl The Old Firm Join Date: 2003-02-26 Member: 14029Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">need advice</div>I <b>need</b> to buy a decent laptop for gaming. I know desktops are better in general but please just accept as fact that I need a laptop :D

The current front runner in my search is the <a href="http://www.kobaltcomputers.co.uk/g870_overview.php" target="_blank">Kobalt g870</a>.

Kobalt are a UK company that rebrand Clevo equipment, which is very well designed in general, from what I can see.

The user testimonials and reviews seem pretty good, bordering on fanboy frenzies.

I had a look at Alienware too, and it seems to me that the quality of their laptops have deteriorated over the last couple of years. I also want something that doesn't look like chinatown when I turn it on - preferably a single colour without too much fancy decoration and lighting.


Anyway, do you have experience with Kobalt, Clevo or any other high-end laptop producer and have some advice to share?
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Comments

  • Draco_2kDraco_2k Evil Genius Join Date: 2009-12-09 Member: 69546Members
    I have no knowledge of laptops at all, but I do have one tip from personal experience: make sure it's comfortable. Don't hesitate to venture to your nearest shop and demand to sit down with it, or at least a similar model.

    Gaming quickly ceases to be fun when the thing is burning your skin, twisting your hand and crushing your spine.
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  • SopsSops Join Date: 2003-07-03 Member: 17894Members, Constellation
    I don't know much about gaming laptops but of coarse compare with newegg to see what they have.
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  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    Hmm, gaming laptops are a lie! Also All i'd compare if I would get a laptop for gaming would be:
    <ul><li>HDD RPM (are there 7200rpm's for laptops?)</li><li>memory (2gb for XP, which are no longer available and 4 for <strike>Vista</strike>/7)</li><li>a pretty spiffy gpu "chip"...</li><li>Oh and don't forget a good dualcore (Intel?)</li></ul>Other then that, I honestly don't know :P
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  • lolfighterlolfighter Snark, Dire Join Date: 2003-04-20 Member: 15693Members
    Don't forget the ol' "suitcase o' lithium." The <strike>light</strike>weight power solution YOU need to remain on the move! Trolley sold seperately.
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  • puzlpuzl The Old Firm Join Date: 2003-02-26 Member: 14029Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1761954:date=Mar 31 2010, 05:25 PM:name=Kouji_San)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kouji_San @ Mar 31 2010, 05:25 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1761954"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Hmm, gaming laptops are a lie! Also All i'd compare if I would get a laptop for gaming would be:

    [/list]Other then that, I honestly don't know :P<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    Well, the system I linked has the following basic specs
    <!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->Intel® Coreâ„¢ i7-720QM 1.60 GHz -   (45nm, 6MB L2 Cache)
    4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 PC3-10666 RAM at 1333MHz
    ATI Mobility Radeonâ„¢ 5870 1GB GDDR5
    320GB 7200rpm (SATA-II 16MB Cache)<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->
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  • puzlpuzl The Old Firm Join Date: 2003-02-26 Member: 14029Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1761956:date=Mar 31 2010, 05:32 PM:name=lolfighter)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lolfighter @ Mar 31 2010, 05:32 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1761956"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Don't forget the ol' "suitcase o' lithium." The <strike>light</strike>weight power solution YOU need to remain on the move! Trolley sold seperately.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I'll be using it near a socket, so I can plug it in, silly. Can't you read my mind yet?
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  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    That guy seems more powerful then my desktop... Dualcore E6420 (2.13Ghz), ATI HD4850 512Mb, 2Gb DDR2, 10.000 RPM WD Raptor... And I can run most games on either high or medium...
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  • FaskaliaFaskalia Wechsellichtzeichenanlage Join Date: 2004-09-12 Member: 31651Members, Constellation
    edited March 2010
    Ok.

    You should really do a priority list, rating the following:
    Then go to a local store and try the speakers, keyboard, screen etc.

    -Battery live
    -Screen
    -Internal Keyboard/Trackpoint/Touchpad
    -Internal Speakers

    GPU, CPU, RAM and chipset usually give you the performance of a laptop, but the main problem is that you will also be buying the peripherals, which cannot be replaced.
    So roam your local stores and try a few. Most laptops have several RAM/CPU/GPU choices, but usally come with only 1 hid and maybe 2 screen options.

    Personally I am a fan of lenovo (formerly imb) thinkpads, but I doubt that they are shipping those with gaming gpus :)

    Just try
    <a href="http://www.notebookcheck.net/" target="_blank">http://www.notebookcheck.net/</a>
    scroll through the reviews, till you can see the futuremark scores and then compare.

    Edit: Also check deviltech.de they pretty much only sell gaming notebooks.
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  • SentrySteveSentrySteve .txt Join Date: 2002-03-09 Member: 290Members, Constellation
    edited March 2010
    If, for whatever reason, my only computer could be a laptop I would probably look at Asus.

    All of their computers are decent for casual gaming in general (SC2 on low/med/maybe even high, TF2, etc.) and then there's a line called "Gamer Republic" or "Republic of Gamers" or some such gibberish which is more expensive but has a lot of power. Their designs aren't even too flashy.

    forgot the link:

    <a href="http://usa.asus.com/ProductGroup1.aspx?PG_ID=1quIC6RvvlvcvNbn" target="_blank">http://usa.asus.com/ProductGroup1.aspx?PG_...quIC6RvvlvcvNbn</a>
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  • Cereal_KillRCereal_KillR Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1837Members
    I know this isn't answering your question, but one thing to consider as well is to be using a base or an external screen at home.

    I frequently move between 4 places and I couldn't stand having several computers. And because I wanted everything, I couldn't ever manage finding the right laptop for me. Mostly because a small laptop is a pain to work on at home, and a large laptop is annoying on the move.

    When you have a base, you can have only one computer, but when you're at home (normally that's where you'll be gaming and need the most power, yes?) you can gain the added benefits of a correct environment. For example, when I get home, I put my laptop on this cooling base and plug in one USB hub, and I get a full size keyboard, a real mouse, my external HDD, 'good' audio and my screen is at eye level. You can even consider having a full size screen.
    And when I'm on the move, I don't have a 5 kg behemoth with a 19" screen and 2 hour battery.
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  • puzlpuzl The Old Firm Join Date: 2003-02-26 Member: 14029Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
    So after way too much comparing various options I went for a kobalt 870 in the end.

    <a href="http://www.kobaltcomputers.co.uk/g870_overview.php" target="_blank">http://www.kobaltcomputers.co.uk/g870_overview.php</a>

    Thanks for all the advice folks... now I've gotta wait up to a month for it to be assembled and shipped :(

    Here are the specs I settled on:

    Core i7-720QM 1.60 GHz - (45nm, 6MB L2 Cache)
    4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 PC3-10666 RAM at 1333MHz
    ATI Mobility Radeonâ„¢ 5870 1GB GDDR5
    17.3" 16:9 LED Backlit 1920 x 1080 X-Glass Screen
    W7 Pro 64bit
    320GB 7200rpm (SATA-II 16MB Cache

    Looking forward to cranking her up later this month hopefully.
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