Best all-around gaming laptop for $2800+?

[Bolas]

Currently in the market for a new laptop to replace my aging refurbished HP dv9260nr. I currently have a $2800 budget and I can save up another $100-200 each month. I want to buy sometime in the next nine months, but I don't need one urgently because I can get by on my old one. I can sell my old laptop for $250 if I'm buying a new one soon, bumping up my budget a bit more.

I want a 1920 x 1080 resolution screen or larger. I will use it to play League of Legends, Starcraft II, Warcraft III, Civilization V, and perhaps Everquest or any of a couple hundred Steam games. I plan to watch Blu-Ray movies on it while I walk on the treadmill in the basement. I plan to use it in the back seat of a car while it's plugged in to the car's power on long car trips. I plan to use it to game, plugged in, while I game at friends houses. Heck, I might even write a novel on it while plugged in at a sandwich shop. I don't expect to need much battery life, in other words, and I will mostly move it somewhere, plug it in, and use it.

Here's what I'm currently considering.

1. Razer Blade

* 2.8GHz Intel® CoreTM i7 2640M Processor (Dual Core)
* 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 Memory
* 17.3" LED Backlit Display (1920x1080)
* NVIDIA GeForce® GT 555M with NVIDIA® OptimusTM Technology
* 2GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
* Built-in HD Webcam
* Integrated 60Wh Battery
* 320GB 7200rpm SATA HDD
* Wireless Network 802.11 b/g/n Compatible
* 16.81" (Width) x 10.9" (Depth) x 0.88" (Height); 6.97lbs (Weight)
* $2,799.99.

2. Asus G74SX-3DE

http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-g74sx3de...er-p-3096.html

* Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM, 2.0-2.8GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache) (Quad Core)
* 16GB - DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (4GBx4)
* 17.3" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Screen (1920x1080) 120Hz 3D Ready w/ 3D Vision Glasses
* nVidia GeForce GTX 560M 3,072MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX1
* 3GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
* Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
* Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
* 250GB Intel 510 Series Solid State Drive (Up to Sequential Read 470MB/s - Write 315MB/s SSD2 Serial-ATA III)
* 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
* 6X Blu-Ray Writer/Reader + 8X DVDRW/CDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
* Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 (3x3) (Includes 3rd Antenna)
* Asus G Series Matching Backpack made by Targus
* Asus G Series Gaming Mouse
* 16.6"x12.8"x0.8-2.3" (W x D x H); 8.0lbs with 8-cell battery (Weight)
* $2,706.00 (before cash discount)

3. Sager 8170-S1

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8170s...hm-p-2982.html

* Intel® Core™ i7-2720QM, 2.2-3.3GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache) (Quad Core)
* 16GB - DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (4 SODIMMS)
* 17.3" FHD 16:9 "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Glossy Screen (1920x1080)
* ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD6990 2048MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
* 2GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
* Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
* Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
* 250GB Intel 510 Series Solid State Drive (SSD2 Serial-ATA III)
* 750GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
* 6X Blu-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
* Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 (3x3)
* 16.22" (w) x 10.87" (d) x 1.65" ~ 1.79" (h); 8.60 LBs with Battery Pack (Weight)
* $2,739.00 (before cash discount)

4. Alienware m18x

http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-m18x/pd.aspx

* Intel® Core™ i7 2720QM 2.2GHz (3.3GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache) (Quad Core)
* 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)
* 18.4-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 WLED
* Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6990M AMD CrossFireX
* 4GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
* 3.0 Megapixel HD Video and Picture Camera with dual digital microphones
* High Capacity 12-cell Lithium Ion (97whr)
* 320GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
* Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
* Intel® Advanced-N 6200 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology and Bluetooth 3.0
* Height Front: 53.00mm (2.09 inches) Rear: 54.20mm (2.13 inches) Depth: 322.00 mm (12.68 inches) Width: 436.00 mm (17.17 inches)
Starting at weight: 5.41 kg (11.93 lbs)
* $2,799.00.

5. Asus G53SX-A1

http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-g53sxa1-...er-p-3097.html

* Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM, 2.0-2.8GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache) (Quad Core)
* 16GB - DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (4GBx4)
* 15.6" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Anti-Glare Screen w/ 95% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080)
* nVidia GeForce GTX 560M 2,048MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
* 2GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
* Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
* Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
* 250GB Intel 510 Series Solid State Drive (Up to Sequential Read 470MB/s - Write 315MB/s SSD2 Serial-ATA III)
* 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
* 6X Blu-Ray Reader + 8X DVDRW/CDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
* Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 (3x3) (Includes 3rd Antenna)
* Asus G Series Matching Backpack made by Targus
* Asus G Series Gaming Mouse
* 15"x11.42"x2.36" (W x D x H); 7.5lbs with 8-cell battery (Weight)
* $2,529.00 (before cash discount)

6. Sager NP8150-S1

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8150s...hm-p-2981.html

* Intel® Core™ i7-2720QM, 2.2-3.3GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache) (Quad Core)
* 16GB - DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (4 SODIMMS)
* 15.6" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Anti-Glare Screen w/ 95% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080)
* ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD6990 2048MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
* 2GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
* Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
* Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
* 250GB Intel 510 Series Solid State Drive (SSD2 Serial-ATA III)
* 6X Blu-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
* Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 (3x3)
* Integrated Fingerprint Reader
* 14.80" (w) x 10.08" (d) x 1.38" ~ 1.69" (h); 6.83 LBs with Battery Pack (Weight)
* $2,679.00 (before cash discount)

[Bolas]

7. Alienware m17x

http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-M17x-r3/pd.aspx

* Intel® Core™ i7 2720QM 2.2GHz (3.3GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache) (Quad Core)
* 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)
* 17.3-inch WideFHD 1920x1080 120Hz WLED w/ NVIDIA 3D Vision Bundle
* 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 580M
* 2GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
* 320GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
* Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
* Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO for Gaming & Video
* Height (rear): 1.77" - (45mm) Height (front): 1.75" - (44.5mm) Depth: 11.96" - (304mm) Width: 16.14" - (410mm) Starting weight* - 9.39lbs (4.26kg); [9.67lbs (4.39kg) with 3D panel]
* $2,529.00.

[El Mano]

LOL who voted YES to the Blade and why?
It's the worst option by far.

[mutantmagnet]

None of them. For the price certain components are inappropriate. The best laptop by far here is the Asus G74SX-3DE

The M18X offers the best GPU performance but at 12 lbs, before the adapter, the weight is going to be very tedious. Take this seriously from someone who actually carried a 12lbs laptop (adapter included) to game anywhere during college instead of leaving it his dorm.

Also after the Anand review I can't help but feel enamored by the idea the Killer Wireless card is the superior choice to any current offering.

[Bolas]

None of them. For the price certain components are inappropriate. The best laptop by far here is the Asus G74SX-3DE

The M18X offers the best GPU performance but at 12 lbs, before the adapter, the weight is going to be very tedious. Take this seriously from someone who actually carried a 12lbs laptop (adapter included) to game anywhere during college instead of leaving it his dorm.

Also after the Anand review I can't help but feel enamored by the idea the Killer Wireless card is the superior choice to any current offering.

The Asus is tempting, my wife has an Asus G73JW that we bought her last year, and it's so cool and quiet that it is pleasant to be around.

I would get the Killer card after reading Anandtech's review. Agreed, it sounds fun.

I would buy a backpack for any Alienware I buy, or use my existing Swiss Army bag for any of the Sagers, or use the bag that comes with the Asus for that one. So I'll have an easy way to lug it wherever I go. I'm not lugging it to class every day, just from the basement to the living room when my wife kicks me out of the basement occasionally. I think I can handle climbing six steps with 12 pounds. I sure do get to haul heavier stuff than that -- laundry basket full of clothes and a 30 pound toddler riding up two flights of steps is more work than that.

[trinibwoy]

The best laptop by far here is the Asus G74SX-3DE

Yep, the Asus is an easy winner, checks all the right boxes.

[mutantmagnet]

If your portability situations are limited mostly to that then the M18x is fine.

It also helps that alienware webpage is inaccurate because the dell web page gives you option to choose the Killer Wireless as an option which negates my only other reservation for it.

[XSAlliN]

Based on specs there is no room for comparison between Alienware, Sager vs the rest...

[Bolas]

If your portability situations are limited mostly to that then the M18x is fine.

It also helps that alienware webpage is inaccurate because the dell web page gives you option to choose the Killer Wireless as an option which negates my only other reservation for it.

Alienware does have the Killer option, I didn't list that because it would have pushed the price over $2800, which would have made it not quite an even comparison.

I'll probably end up with a $3500 laptop next spring some time, unless I get really impatient. So yes, I'd get the Killer card after reading Anandtech's review.

[zanzabar]

why is origin not in the poll, them or falcon NW are the best IMO for that market.

[Bolas]

why is origin not in the poll, them or falcon NW are the best IMO for that market.

Because they are basically equivalent to the Sager already listed. Clevo made by one company vs by another = negligible difference. I don't need it painted fancy, so no reason for me to go with Origin or Falcon Northwest.

Sorry if that wasn't clear... when I say "Sager" I'm referring to any laptop built on that particular Clevo platform, and the example I provide is just the most cost effective.

[zanzabar]

Because they are basically equivalent to the Sager already listed. Clevo made by one company vs by another = negligible difference. I don't need it painted fancy, so no reason for me to go with Origin or Falcon Northwest.

Sorry if that wasn't clear... when I say "Sager" I'm referring to any laptop built on that particular Clevo platform, and the example I provide is just the most cost effective.

i meant the one with the desktop cpu, but i can see your point.

[halofanman]

have you considered falcon northwest
the worst thing is not being able to upgrade your graphics/ CPU.
I got the alienware M17 right before the m17x came out, I was running duel 3870's at the time, and I was pretty much screwed wasn't able to upgrade to 4870's without replacing the laptop

[Bolas]

i meant the one with the desktop cpu, but i can see your point.

Good point, the dual gpu desktop cpu should have been on the list. Clevo x7200 / Sager NP7282.

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np7282-...00-p-2881.html

I didn't have that one as an option because I had already ruled it out for my purchase due to noise, heat, and the replacement due out any month now with Sandy Bridge E. Here it is for those that are curious how it compares.

8. Sager NP7282 / Clevo x7200

* Intel® Core™ i7-960 (3.2-3.46GHz) 8MB L3 Cache, 4.8 GT/sec QPI, LGA 1366 (Quad Core)
* 6GB - DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (2GBx3)
* 17.3" FHD 16:9 "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Glossy Screen (1920x1080)
* ATI Radeon DUAL (2) HD6990M's (4096MB Total) GDDR5 DX11 - WITHOUT Extra AC Adapter & Power Converter Box
* 4GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
* Integrated Digital Video Camera
* Primary Smart Li-ION Battery Pack
* 750GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
* 6X Blu-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
* Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 (3x3)
* 16.5" (w) x 11.2" (d) x 2.2-2.4" (h); 12.13 LBs with Battery Pack
* $2,774.00.

If I would get that one, I would for sure wait for the refresh with Sandy Bridge E in the next month or two and not buy the current offering.

9. Sager/Clevo P270, Sandy Bridge "E", dual gpu's, unknown specs.

-Bolas

[Russian]

Alienware has upped their game.

1. M18x and M14x are reasonably priced and specced
2. Build quality is impeccable
3. Razer Switchblade is an overpriced unsupported unproven laptop.
4. Sager has TERRIBLE customer support, if you buy from them expect zero support.

[Bolas]

Alienware has upped their game.

1. M18x and M14x are reasonably priced and specced
2. Build quality is impeccable
3. Razer Switchblade is an overpriced unsupported unproven laptop.
4. Sager has TERRIBLE customer support, if you buy from them expect zero support.

1. I plan to watch Blu-Rays and HBOGO.com on the laptop, so I want full 1920 x 1080 resolution or better, if possible. So based on that, I've eliminated the m14x from contention. M18x is sounding better and better, though.
2. Anandtech and other sites have given Alienware good reviews lately, so that's promising.
3. Agreed. Looks good, but the bang for the buck isn't there to risk buying the first edition. I'll wait for the second generation Razer... if I ever buy one.
4. I would buy from Xoticpc.com and not directly from Sager. They are local for me because I live in Lincoln, Nebraska. They've provided great support on my wife's Asus, I have no reason to think that would change if I buy a laptop from them. I'm actually more worried about support from Alienware / Dell than from Xoticpc -- they have had some negative reviews online about customer support.

With xoticpc, I can drive there and camp out in their lobby until they fix any problem, after all, and I know the techs there already. I'd prefer to buy from them, but they don't sell Alienware. I'm considering www.hidevolution.com for a customized Alienware, but I don't really know anything about them, so that makes me a bit nervous.

[malkiewicz]

Sager will always be the best because you have multiple dealers / distributers competing against one another...

[Russian]

1. I plan to watch Blu-Rays and HBOGO.com on the laptop, so I want full 1920 x 1080 resolution or better, if possible. So based on that, I've eliminated the m14x from contention. M18x is sounding better and better, though.
2. Anandtech and other sites have given Alienware good reviews lately, so that's promising.
3. Agreed. Looks good, but the bang for the buck isn't there to risk buying the first edition. I'll wait for the second generation Razer... if I ever buy one.
4. I would buy from Xoticpc.com and not directly from Sager. They are local for me because I live in Lincoln, Nebraska. They've provided great support on my wife's Asus, I have no reason to think that would change if I buy a laptop from them. I'm actually more worried about support from Alienware / Dell than from Xoticpc -- they have had some negative reviews online about customer support.

With xoticpc, I can drive there and camp out in their lobby until they fix any problem, after all, and I know the techs there already. I'd prefer to buy from them, but they don't sell Alienware. I'm considering www.hidevolution.com for a customized Alienware, but I don't really know anything about them, so that makes me a bit nervous.

I recently dealt with Alienware support. They're actually a lot better than you might think. They've outgrown that big company image and have put a huge focus on support. Once you get your Alienware, they actually call you (a live person) to follow up on the laptop and see how you like it and if you have any concerns, etc. Its pretty cool.

Also, i wrote something up about the Razer Blade.

http://bit.ly/RazerBLADE

[Kessian]

I was getting a bit confused when reading through peoples post, as it seems there is a mixup between the Razer BLADE, and the Razer SWITCHBLADE. As Russian said in his link, i wouldnt touch the Switchblade with a ten foot pole, and it doesnt belong in the list above. The Razer Blade on the other hand does look like an interesting concept, but i would definately go with something like alienware.

The downfall of Alienware in Australia, is that if i order the exact same laptop through the Australian site, it costs about $1400 more than if i order through the US site, absolutely ridiculous!

[Russian]

The Switchblade is the concept that ended up influencing the blade. Idk if the switchblade will ever get made, but it would be an utter failure either way. The Blade itself isn't much better.

I think you actually switched them up there. Switchblade is the little thingy and the blade is the actual big 17.3" laptop.

[Kessian]

I know that the switchblade is the little one, it is mentioned at the top that the switchblade is what the person was looking at Even though they post the specs of the Blade

[Macadamia]

M17/18x has HDMI in. That makes it an easy win for me IMO. Plus the 580M/6970MCF are really strong compared to the others.

if I'm not wrong they have dual drive bays too so you can add your own OS drive SSD for cheap.

[pby5cat]

As far as the graphics cards go: GT555m<<GTX560m<GTX570m<GTX580m<HD6990m. Also you need 8GB of ram, I see some have 4 and others have 12. The intel 510 is a great drive, you will enjoy it, but another option is the Crucial M4. If ur going to pay the money to get an I7-2720 then get the 1600mhz ram for it. The I7 2630 and below can only do 1333. The Alienware M17/18X have HDMI in, can we say XBOX360 in the car!

If ur buying a Sager/Clevo get it from XoticPC or Malibal.com they will treat you better.

[Bolas]

My mistake, I meant "Razer Blade" laptop with the "switchblade" interface on the right side of the laptop. Not the Atom powered Razer Switchblade netbook. I've edited the first post to fix the typo.

[Bolas]

As far as the graphics cards go: GT555m<<GTX560m<GTX570m<GTX580m<HD6990m. Also you need 8GB of ram, I see some have 4 and others have 12. The intel 510 is a great drive, you will enjoy it, but another option is the Crucial M4. If ur going to pay the money to get an I7-2720 then get the 1600mhz ram for it. The I7 2630 and below can only do 1333. The Alienware M17/18X have HDMI in, can we say XBOX360 in the car!

If ur buying a Sager/Clevo get it from XoticPC or Malibal.com they will treat you better.

Yep, the Blade has the lowest end gpu for a high end gaming machine. I'm leaning towards the m18x or the Sager 8170-S1.

I like the idea of installing a 512 GB Crucial M4 SSD for the boot drive. Something like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148450

Lots of fast SSD storage for the price. $780 currently, and includes a transfer kit! Easy to upgrade the weak boot drive that comes with the system to the boot drive I actually want. I already have a 750GB HDD in my old laptop that I would move to the second drive bay in whatever I use. Sadly, I have more than 750 GB of Steam games, but I heard there's a program to let you divide steam files between different drives, so I could potentially get them all on the computer with that kind of a setup.

Also, the 1600 MHz Kingston Hyper-X RAM has been on sale lately. Sadly, the $25 rebate just ended yesterday. But it might be a bit before I buy, I'm tempted to wait for Ivy Bridge.

I don't have an X-Box. Interesting idea though. I'm happy enough using my phone to tether my laptop and surf the web or play single player Steam games (Civ V) in the car on long drives, though.