[lemans81]

Ok so budget for the total is probably give or take $2000 for both machines, but lower would be much much better. (See Post #4 for what I have found so far)

Up first is my gaming laptop, this is a must upgrade since mine has taken a dive. I expect this will cost 60%-70% of the budget and the other to cost 30%-40%.
This is replacing my sig rig.
Must have:
17in or larger screen
1920x1080 resolution
i7 quad core
660 or high video card
8gb ram or more
Operating system
500gb 7200rpm drive or more
Backlit keyboard
Max Price of $1250(Ideally $1050)

Next up I would like to replace my netbook(AMD E450/ Radeon HD 6320), I have a spare 320gb WD black hdd with Win7 and 8gb dddr3 Corsair ram, so I could upgrade or not need those for this build.
Must have:
14.1-15.6 in screen
635 or higher gpu(if AMD APU, then 7660 might work)
Max Price of $750

Would like to have:
1920x1080
i7 quad core(willing to go AMD)
Backlit keyboard

Idea's(I know I asked a similar question before, but budget was going to be higher before), hopefully I will be ordering on Wednesday 20th.

 

[Awsan]

Take a look @ the Lenovo Y580 they are worth the look, My cousin has one and its a huge step from the old lenovos
Best options are the Sager NP6370 or the lenovo Y580 if you are temped by the toshiba for 1200 go with the Sager NP 9130 for $1199.00 with i7 3630qm ,GTX 670mx which faster than the GTX675,1920x1080,750GB 7200RPM for $1084.00 with 8GB 1333mhz or for $1119.00 with 8GB 1600mhz

I understand that the Lenovo and the Sager NP9130 are 15 inchers but you gotta consider them

Cheers

 

[lemans81]

I added it to the second laptop option, on the main gaming one, I want no less than 17in and lenovo has zero options for that. In fact if they still made 18.4 in laptops I would be ordering one of those lol.

I actually got my wife a y series laptop last year with an i7 and 555GT in it.

 

[lemans81]

Here is what I am looking at so far....(Updated)

Laptop #1
Toshiba Qosmio X870-BT3G23- i7, 670M, backlit keyboard, 1920x1080 - $1199 <-Top pick right now

SAMSUNG Series 7 NP700G7C-T01US - i7, 7870, backlit keyboard, 1920x1080 - $1249

Sager NP9170- i7, 670MX, Backlit keyboard, 1920x1080(NO OS) - $1289

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230580&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=6146846&SID=s67yjbvvhxej Asus G75 (refurbished) i7, 660M - $1099

Sager NP6370 - i7, 660M, 1920x1080, 12gb Ram - $1071 <-Right now this is my top pick. <-No backlit keyboard, I just don't want to give that up.

Laptop #2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834131393&Tpk=Samsung%20Series%203%20NP355V5C-S01US Samsung 15.6in, AMD A10 Quad, Dual gpu solution - $689

HP Pavilion g6z-2200 - AMD A8 Quad, 15.6in, 7670 gpu, 7200rpm drive - $554 <-Right now this is my top pick.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834312510 Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 REFURBISHED- i5(not sure I want a dual core or that i can handle the 650M), 650M, 14in screen. $559+$139warranty(wouldn't buy it without one being refurb)- $698

HP ENVY dv6z-7200 - AMD A10 Quad, 2gb 7670 gpu, 1920x1080, backlit keyboard - $890 Overbudget

Clevo W150ERQ, 15.6" Barebone Laptop, i7, 650M, 1920x1080, NO hdd/Ram/OS - $869 Overbudget

Compal QAL51- 15.6in, 650M, i7, No Hdd/OS, 1920x1080 - $842 Overbudget

IdeaPad Y580 - i7, 660M - $849 Overbudget

 

[Snoopy83]

Why not just go with one that better covers all your needs?

 

[Awsan]

Toshiba Qosmio X870-BT3G23- i7, 670M, backlit keyboard, 1920x1080 - $1199 is your best option for now or see this refurbished Asus ASUS G75 Series G75VW-BBK5 Notebook Intel Core i7 3610QM(2.30GHz) 17.3" 8GB Memory 1TB HDD Double-layer DVD+/-RW/CD-RW NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M

 

[lemans81]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snoopy83

Why not just go with one that better covers all your needs?

I have considered it, but I really think I want the large laptop for home, and I need something portable for everywhere else. I used to drag my 17in laptop everywhere and it just gets to be a pain.
Quote:

Originally Posted by awsan

Toshiba Qosmio X870-BT3G23- i7, 670M, backlit keyboard, 1920x1080 - $1199 is your best option for now or see this refurbished Asus ASUS G75 Series G75VW-BBK5 Notebook Intel Core i7 3610QM(2.30GHz) 17.3" 8GB Memory 1TB HDD Double-layer DVD+/-RW/CD-RW NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M

I will add that Asus, not sure if it has a backlit keyboard or 1920x1080?

 

[Awsan]

I HAVE FOUND IT the perfect match for less than 2k the winner is the Asus Zenbook with GT 650m ASUS UX51Vz-DH71 15.6-Inch Laptop i understand its a 15.6 but it has i7 GT650m 8gb ram back lit keyboard and the 1920x1080 res you asked for so give it a thought if you want

 

[lemans81]

If i was going to buy just one I think I would look at a Sager with like a 670M or above....I just don't think that will make me happy when I watch movies and play games at home(the only things I do on the home machine).

 

[lemans81]

So I think I have decided on laptop #1 I am going to go with, SAMSUNG Series 7 NP700G7C-T01US - i7, 7870, backlit keyboard, 1920x1080 - $1249. The sager is going to cost the same amount and won't come with an OS(No I won't download one, even if I could). The Toshiba is great, but with limited cooling at least on the surface I think the $50 extra is worth the samsung....also love to try to support the underdog, so buying an AMD gpu feels good too.

Since hardly anyone is looking anyways, I will soon update laptop #2. In answer to your next question, yes I have put in probably 8 full hours doing research on laptop over the last 30 days lol.

Any other solutions that are very close in price or options I would happily take though.

 

[iShox]

Hey man,

Unfortunately for me I've never been able to get use from my desktop rigs so I've been forced to move to portable gaming.

Right now, I bought myself the best portable / gaming laptop mix out there. Its the Aspire Timeline Ultra M3 (581TG). 640m, i5, 500gb w/ 20gb Caching SSD. This thing set me back 630 euro but I've checked Amazon.com/Ebay.com and neither have the M3. Only the more expensive M5.
Its an ultrabook so its thin and reasonably light. Well built as wel.

For laptop GPUs, to really get your moneys worth you want to get a 7970m. Best bang for buck. Its on par with a 680m which is $300-500 more. It also beats the 675MX by around 20% and the 675m by 30-35%
The Sager NP9170 with 7970m is around $1500. This might affect your budget a bit but really give the 7970m a chance. Its a very powerful GPU (7870 desktop equivalent. When overclocked it competes with a 670)

 

[Imglidinhere]

Alrighty good thing I got here in time!

The Samsung isn't the best choice at the moment. If you budget is up to $2,000 then it's best to take into consideration of how well you'll be able to upgrade the GPUs down the road. Remember, the further you can upgrade a laptop, the better the value for your money is.

I'd consider the Sager NP9170 from XoticPC.com. The 670MX is actually faster than the 7870M and overclocks extremely well. Sure the Sager has no OS as a baseline model, but they do that for people who don't need one... plus they've got the second best cooling setup on the market.

The setup I'd go for would be thus:

3630QM
16GB RAM
7970M
128GB mSATA
750GB HDD
BluRay Drive (the reader option)
Killer Wifi
Windows 7 Prem

Should total about just shy of $1,900.

I gotta say that the 7870M isn't any faster than my 6970M. It's based off the 7770 GPU die and really... you want a machine that'll keep putting out in the future. Since the 7970M is so cheap by comparison to the rest of the high end GPUs, there's no real reason not to go for one. You can't upgrade the Samsung, but you CAN upgrade the Sager down the road if wanted.

 

[lemans81]

Sorry I meant $2000, for the total budget.

Another option turned up for the 15.6in.. Acer Aspire V3-551G-X419 for $599 with dual 7670 gpu's.

 

[Imglidinhere]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lemans81

Sorry I meant $2000, for the total budget.

Another option turned up for the 15.6in.. Acer Aspire V3-551G-X419 for $599 with dual 7670 gpu's.

It's actually an A10 APU in hybrid Crossfire with a 7670M. They aren't bad for gaming though.

Also, if you wanted to support the "underdog", and are rather strapped for cash, why not try to go for something like the MSI GX60? :3

A10 APU and a 7970M for $1,200. The APU holds the GPU back a little but it's not THAT terrible from what I can see. Really, in games that use a quad core, you won't have any real problems.

 

[lemans81]

Generally I play games like Borderlands 2, Starcraft 2, Diablo 3, Torchlight 2, L4D2.....most of the rest of the gaming I do is less demanding than that.

That samsung is $1249.99 right now....so I think I want that way.

 

[Imglidinhere]

If you're dead set on the Samsung, then at least humor me and look at the Sager NP9170. The Stock configuration on XoticPC.com is faster than the Samsung you're looking at. I'm not trying to get you to spend any more than you need to now, just trying to get the best machine for your money. The Sager can be upgraded later if it's wanted and it has the second best cooling in a laptop on the market.

 

[lemans81]

Does it have a backlit keyboard? I know the Sager 6370 w/660 does not.

What has better cooling?

 

[Warsteiner]

I just got a brand new Sager NP9170 and it is a great machine. I got mine with a GTX675MX and the 3630QM. This machine is fast and runs pretty cool for a laptop. The keyboard is backlit and has color options that you can change using the software. Windows 7 HP is an $80 option or for the same price you can get Win 8. I am running Win 8 on mine and everything works fine. You will need to download the latest drivers from the Sager website, but I always do that anyways as a matter of habit.

The keyboard has 8 color options for the backlighting. They are Black, Blue, Red, Purple, Green, Turquoise, Yellow, and White. There are 3 lighting zones on the keyboard and they can all be set to a different color.

 

[lemans81]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warsteiner

I just got a brand new Sager NP9170 and it is a great machine. I got mine with a GTX675MX and the 3630QM. This machine is fast and runs pretty cool for a laptop. The keyboard is backlit and has color options that you can change using the software. Windows 7 HP is an $80 option or for the same price you can get Win 8. I am running Win 8 on mine and everything works fine. You will need to download the latest drivers from the Sager website, but I always do that anyways as a matter of habit.

The keyboard has 8 color options for the backlighting. They are Black, Blue, Red, Purple, Green, Turquoise, Yellow, and White. There are 3 lighting zones on the keyboard and they can all be set to a different color.

Except for the thread next to mine where a guy has issues with a week old one. I am torn, but to add an os brings the sager to $120 more, ideally I should be spending $1200. Back and forth I go, lol.

 

[Warsteiner]

Well if it was me I would not spend more than $400-$500 on the second machine. That will leave you with $1500 for your gaming machine. You could go with something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834131444 and still be able to play some games on the go then give yourself a better budget for the gaming machine. One thing to consider when buying a laptop is that it is not like a desktop. Sure you can upgrade the CPU and GPU, RAM, HDD, SSD and all that, but the longevity of a laptop will ultimately be decided by its base hardware and construction. The most important things are going to be the chassis for cooling and the motherboard. I don't want to push you towards Sager since it sounds like you want something that is more store bought. If I were you these would be my shortlist for the gaming laptop:

Lenovo Y500: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834312439
MSI GT70: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152366
MSI GX60: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152372
ASUS G75: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230602
Sager NP9170: http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np9170-gaming-laptop-clevo-p170em-p-4342.html

I realize that some of those are 15.6" machines, but keep in mind they are all 1080P and if you need a bigger screen you could always pick up a external monitor later. One other thing I think you should consider is whether or not it makes sense for the gaming machine to be a laptop at all. If space is the issue and that I why you want a laptop, you could always build an SSF. I have seen some mini-ITX builds that have been beastly and will surely outperform any laptop you could buy for $1500.