High Performance Gaming Laptops On A Budget?

Cory Tunney writes "In my quest to find a gaming laptop that will fulfill my gaming fantasies, but not kick me in the wallet at the same time, I've come across many options. Alienware is out of the question, as are companies like VooDooPC, but out of the rough comes companies less known but with impressive hardware. Sager seems to have won over a pretty large group of fans, and iBuyPower also seems to put out a decent amount of bang for the buck. However, when it comes down to it, I am still left with several options and I do not know what road to travel. So here's the jist of it - a system with a price tag around $2,000, a high-end video card (Radeon or the equivalent NVidia) and a system with an AMD would be a plus, but I will not rule out Intel if they can offer similar performance. So, Slashdot readers, what systems can you recommend?"

Comments

Hmm...

[Rie Beam]

" So, Slashdot readers, what systems can you recommend?"

A desktop computer and a midget to carry it around?

Don't get a laptop

[mrluisp]

I know this isn't exactly on topic, but don't get a laptop for gaming. My last two computers have been "gaming" laptop. It just isn't worth it. It really isn't. The cost of a laptop is so much higher than a desktop, and the performance is so much lower. A Geforce4Go 5600 isn't anything like a Geforce 5600 FX. Laptops are essentially crippled by their graphic cards, no matter how hard Ati and nVidia try otherwise. My biggest argument against laptop is that the graphic drivers aren't updated. nVidia specifically states on their driver pages that laptop users should get updated drivers from their manufacturers. Maybe this issue is limited to Toshiba, but my graphics card's drivers have not been updated once by Toshiba since I bought my laptop a year ago. If you get a laptop, it will be fine for the first 6-8 months, but as soon as new games come out which rely on updated drivers, you will start missing out. I've tried upgrading my drivers, and all that does is create sub par performance and quite a few artifacts. Simply put, the graphic drivers are not optimized for laptops.

Re:Don't get a laptop

[obeythefist]

I strongly agree with the parent. If you intend to play games on a PC, the laptop is not the form factor you want.

Laptops are popular for LAN gamers and I can see the appeal, but seriously, for the same kind of outlay you can buy a flat panel LCD display and a shuttle or similar small form factor PC. These small systems cost more than a full sized desktop but they will easily outperform any laptop in the same price range. They're also significantly more upgradable than a laptop, and the drivers are much better.

Go Small Form Factor

[pat_trick]

I know you say you're looking for a laptop, but for that price range, you're not going to find what you really want.

I'd say build yourself a small form factor pc. The plus side of this is that you get something that's still portable and will cost /much/ less than a laptop. The downside is that you'll need to haul / find a monitor wherever you go.

I have a Shuttle SN41G2 (http://www.shuttle.com/) and it works wonders.

Re:Dunno if this counts

[joeljkp]

I also purchased a 5150, but I got mine last fall for $2k (student discount):

• 3.06 Ghz Mobile Pentium 4
• 15" UXGA LCD
• 512 MB RAM
• 60 GB HD
• 64 MB nVidia GeForce FX Go5200

I enjoy using it, but I would not recommend it for a hardcore gaming system. The go5200 is essentially a "value" chip, and performs worse than the older ATI Radeon Mobility 9000 (although it has DX9 support). What they don't tell you is that the chip is 50% underclocked and hardcoded that way. Look on rojakpot.com for a review.

Of course it counts.

[Anonymous Coward]

two words: DELL REFURBISHED.

9 times out of 10 this is the best deal on desktops and laptops anywhere, especially when you consider the quality of what you're getting (I'm sorry, but Dell is better than most of these fly-by-nite operations by a long shot). The inventory changes almost daily, so if they don't have what you want, try again the next day.

That being said, I *have* had a Dell refurbished part fail on me, four months after purchase. Of course I thought "well, you can't get something for nothing..". However, after a quick chat with customer service they had a replacement on my doorstep two days later, with a RMA and a box for the old part. I'm so happy about this that I'm writing this post.

Sager.... Cringe......

[LWATCDR]

My company used to seel Sagers about 10 years ago. Yes they have been around that long. We had to take back more systems with them than I can count. It was a nightmare to deal with them. Unless you know for a fact that they have changed I would stay far a way from them.

PC Torque

[Rinisari]

PC Torque has about the best customer service in the laptop industry. They sell both Sager and Acer notebooks. I got a Sager 5680 from them a year ago and it has been the most solid machine I've ever owned (and I've owned A LOT of machines, from Macs to store-boughts to homebrew). You aren't going to find a better place to discuss laptops than NotebookForums.com.