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hyacinthbunny's avatar
hyacinthbunny
6 years ago
Solved

Help choosing a gaming laptop

Hi! I'm searching for a laptop for both everyday use and gaming, but I'm not really familiar with the Windows brands and what's available in my price range. I currently play on a desktop mac mini tha...
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  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    6 years ago

    @hyacinthbunny  When I dealt with Best Buy, I don't believe my parents had to pay anything extra for the service.  On the other hand, they had a few systems installed and were probably over the minimum for complimentary Geek Squad setup.  I wasn't saying Best Buy is great for accidental damage, the kind you'd have to pay for almost anywhere.  (Even Apple makes you buy extra coverage.)  I was more thinking about if the laptop had some issue that wasn't your fault and should be covered by a standard warranty, in-store repair is usually more efficient.

    If the Asus doesn't get good reviews, there will almost certainly be competing laptops released soon enough.  Or you could fall back on the higher-end Lenovo, not the one you saw but the Legion line.  Last I saw, it was a bit more expensive than the new Asus, but prices will probably drop as this year's models hit the market.  The Legion line did have very good reviews when I looked, better than the comparable MSI model, and also better than the one you were considering.

    Another option is the higher-end HP Pavilion.  Yes, the software can be an issue, but it's easy enough to get rid of it.  I know someone who bought a Pavilion with a 9750H and a 1660 ti recently and is very happy with it.  But this is also a power user who laughs in the face of meager attempts to impose proprietary software.

    I haven't heard much about other new laptops, especially not with the same 4800H CPU.  Intel has released its 10th-gen high-end laptop CPUs, as of... this week?  So laptops with those processors will be showing up soon enough.  You might have to wait a few weeks to see what else is out there, but you'll have options.  It looks like the i7-10750H is around 10% slower than teh 4800H, but it's still a beast of a CPU, and probably more power than you'll realistically ever use.

    By the way, I know all about Macs and TS3—that's how I started on this site.  I had some adventures with the unknown error myself a couple years ago, and various other fun errors as well.  We're hoping the 64-bit update (macOS only, as far as we know) takes care of a lot of that, but we'll probably just end up with a whole new set of cryptic error messages to figure out.

puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
6 years ago

@hyacinthbunny  When I dealt with Best Buy, I don't believe my parents had to pay anything extra for the service.  On the other hand, they had a few systems installed and were probably over the minimum for complimentary Geek Squad setup.  I wasn't saying Best Buy is great for accidental damage, the kind you'd have to pay for almost anywhere.  (Even Apple makes you buy extra coverage.)  I was more thinking about if the laptop had some issue that wasn't your fault and should be covered by a standard warranty, in-store repair is usually more efficient.

If the Asus doesn't get good reviews, there will almost certainly be competing laptops released soon enough.  Or you could fall back on the higher-end Lenovo, not the one you saw but the Legion line.  Last I saw, it was a bit more expensive than the new Asus, but prices will probably drop as this year's models hit the market.  The Legion line did have very good reviews when I looked, better than the comparable MSI model, and also better than the one you were considering.

Another option is the higher-end HP Pavilion.  Yes, the software can be an issue, but it's easy enough to get rid of it.  I know someone who bought a Pavilion with a 9750H and a 1660 ti recently and is very happy with it.  But this is also a power user who laughs in the face of meager attempts to impose proprietary software.

I haven't heard much about other new laptops, especially not with the same 4800H CPU.  Intel has released its 10th-gen high-end laptop CPUs, as of... this week?  So laptops with those processors will be showing up soon enough.  You might have to wait a few weeks to see what else is out there, but you'll have options.  It looks like the i7-10750H is around 10% slower than teh 4800H, but it's still a beast of a CPU, and probably more power than you'll realistically ever use.

By the way, I know all about Macs and TS3—that's how I started on this site.  I had some adventures with the unknown error myself a couple years ago, and various other fun errors as well.  We're hoping the 64-bit update (macOS only, as far as we know) takes care of a lot of that, but we'll probably just end up with a whole new set of cryptic error messages to figure out.

hyacinthbunny's avatar
hyacinthbunny
6 years ago
@puzzlezaddict That's great news about Best Buy. I'll definitely consider buying from them when I make my decision about the model.

I am eager to get my laptop soon but I'll try to be patient. All that RAM is going to make my life less frustrating! Thank you so much for all of this advice.

I didn't know you had experience with Macs and TS3 - so many PC gamers never use other systems. I attempted TS3 on my mac mini and got a few hours of play with Twallan's mods installed before my game stopped working entirely. Of course, I was trying to play with all the packs, some mods, and in Isla Paradiso, so I MAY have been pushing it when I attempted to add CC...
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    6 years ago

    @hyacinthbunny  I know it can be hard to wait for a new toy... I mean, computer, especially when you have the money and good options right in front of you.  But long-term, the newer laptop looks like it's probably going to be a better choice.  And if you see anything else you like in the interim, feel free to come back and ask for a second opinion.

    You tried to play in Isla Paradiso with all packs on a Mac mini?  Are you insane?  I'm kidding, but still, I'm surprised your Mac ever spoke to you again after that.  I gave up playing in macOS and Bootcamped mine two years ago, and it was exactly the right decision.  If and when you do go back to TS3, you'll find out it's such a vastly improved experience, you might as well be playing an entirely different game.

    • hyacinthbunny's avatar
      hyacinthbunny
      6 years ago

      @puzzlezaddictSorry I vanished - I had to distract myself because I was looking too much at laptops I'd love but can't afford. ☹ One review of the ASUS said the display wasn't great, but I don't know whether that means it's bad for the price, or just worse than top of the line models I can't afford anyway. I am not super knowledgeable about displays.

      I realize that my Sims 3 game was destined to fail, but in my defense Isla Paradiso is very pretty! And I've never completed that island explorer aspiration. Still, a supernatural household of island dwellers who love gardening, collecting, and exploring was doomed, especially with CC added. I strongly considered Bootcamp but you have to pay lots for that Windows license and it really eats up hard drive space. Since I was saving for a laptop anyway so I can write and do some art stuff on the go, I figured I might as well put that money into a gaming laptop.

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