Gaming Laptops
Discussion
Can anyone help with a recommendation for gaming laptops please?
I need two, for my Son and Daughter.
What sort of brands should I be looking at or avoiding?
What minimum specs should I need?
I don't think we need anything massively overkill but powerful enough to run most games adequately.
They have laptops for school which were not powerful enough to run VR games on with her Oculus so thats a consideration.
I'd like to get away with spending less than £2.5k for them both if possible!
If anyone has any direct links for examples for sale that would be ace, along with any other input or advice!
Thanks PH!
I need two, for my Son and Daughter.
What sort of brands should I be looking at or avoiding?
What minimum specs should I need?
I don't think we need anything massively overkill but powerful enough to run most games adequately.
They have laptops for school which were not powerful enough to run VR games on with her Oculus so thats a consideration.
I'd like to get away with spending less than £2.5k for them both if possible!
If anyone has any direct links for examples for sale that would be ace, along with any other input or advice!
Thanks PH!
Which games and how portable do they need to be?
Most gaming laptops are significantly more expensive than the equivalent spec'd desktop, and will suffer heat soak and cooling problems when highly stressed. Also the mobile versions of the desktop GPUs are usually lower performing, So unless you have a really good reason for choosing a laptop over a desktop...
In recent years I've had Aorus and Alienware laptops, which have been very good systems, but significantly more expensive than £2.5k for two!
Most gaming laptops are significantly more expensive than the equivalent spec'd desktop, and will suffer heat soak and cooling problems when highly stressed. Also the mobile versions of the desktop GPUs are usually lower performing, So unless you have a really good reason for choosing a laptop over a desktop...
In recent years I've had Aorus and Alienware laptops, which have been very good systems, but significantly more expensive than £2.5k for two!
LimaDelta said:
Which games and how portable do they need to be?
Most gaming laptops are significantly more expensive than the equivalent spec'd desktop, and will suffer heat soak and cooling problems when highly stressed. Also the mobile versions of the desktop GPUs are usually lower performing, So unless you have a really good reason for choosing a laptop over a desktop...
In recent years I've had Aorus and Alienware laptops, which have been very good systems, but significantly more expensive than £2.5k for two!
Sorry, I knew that would be the first response and meant to cover it off!Most gaming laptops are significantly more expensive than the equivalent spec'd desktop, and will suffer heat soak and cooling problems when highly stressed. Also the mobile versions of the desktop GPUs are usually lower performing, So unless you have a really good reason for choosing a laptop over a desktop...
In recent years I've had Aorus and Alienware laptops, which have been very good systems, but significantly more expensive than £2.5k for two!
They do need to be laptops, they would never share time on a single desk top and we don't have the space for two!
They do both move stay at friends and cousins etc so they do need to be lap tops.
Gameswise, other than VR Roblox, nothing too strenuous I wouldn't have thought, they do have XBOX's for games like Forza etc etc......
Appreciate that £2.5k won't get them top spec laptops but maybe we can get away without needing overly powerful ones?
I was thinking of something like this, as an example?
https://www.currys.co.uk/products/acer-nitro-17-17...
Maybe Dell Outlet - for example below. . . . You can also spec a 14" with nVidia 3060 for around £1200 as well . . .
https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInven...
https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInven...
https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInven...
https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInven...
Edited by Digger on Friday 8th December 14:20
Gaming laptops are always a compromise, they are heavier and when playing games the fans will be quite noisy. I have a Lenovo Legion Pro which weighs 2.5 KG and has a massive power brick and it never leaves the house.
I would advise avoiding the 3060 if you can as it is 3 years old now, if you get a 4060 GPU. Do not go for the 4050 as this is a LOT slower than the 4060.
This looks REALLY good value at £999
https://www.box.co.uk/Lenovo-LOQ-15-Intel-Core-i7-...
This is basically the same laptop with the Ryzen 7 processor
https://www.currys.co.uk/products/lenovo-loq-15aph...
The Nitro you linked to is also a good spec (has the 4060) and has a much bigger and higher resolution 17.3 screen.
I would advise avoiding the 3060 if you can as it is 3 years old now, if you get a 4060 GPU. Do not go for the 4050 as this is a LOT slower than the 4060.
This looks REALLY good value at £999
https://www.box.co.uk/Lenovo-LOQ-15-Intel-Core-i7-...
This is basically the same laptop with the Ryzen 7 processor
https://www.currys.co.uk/products/lenovo-loq-15aph...
The Nitro you linked to is also a good spec (has the 4060) and has a much bigger and higher resolution 17.3 screen.
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 8th December 14:31
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 8th December 14:33
Sarnie said:
LimaDelta said:
Which games and how portable do they need to be?
Most gaming laptops are significantly more expensive than the equivalent spec'd desktop, and will suffer heat soak and cooling problems when highly stressed. Also the mobile versions of the desktop GPUs are usually lower performing, So unless you have a really good reason for choosing a laptop over a desktop...
In recent years I've had Aorus and Alienware laptops, which have been very good systems, but significantly more expensive than £2.5k for two!
Sorry, I knew that would be the first response and meant to cover it off!Most gaming laptops are significantly more expensive than the equivalent spec'd desktop, and will suffer heat soak and cooling problems when highly stressed. Also the mobile versions of the desktop GPUs are usually lower performing, So unless you have a really good reason for choosing a laptop over a desktop...
In recent years I've had Aorus and Alienware laptops, which have been very good systems, but significantly more expensive than £2.5k for two!
They do need to be laptops, they would never share time on a single desk top and we don't have the space for two!
They do both move stay at friends and cousins etc so they do need to be lap tops.
Gameswise, other than VR Roblox, nothing too strenuous I wouldn't have thought, they do have XBOX's for games like Forza etc etc......
Appreciate that £2.5k won't get them top spec laptops but maybe we can get away without needing overly powerful ones?
I was thinking of something like this, as an example?
https://www.currys.co.uk/products/acer-nitro-17-17...
This is a similar spec and has a Mini DP (and is cheaper). Screen not as good, but if it is for VR use that doesn't matter so much.
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/gigabyte-g5-nvidia-...
Roblox VR won't be particularly taxing on the system though.
Joey Deacon said:
Gaming laptops are always a compromise, they are heavier and when playing games the fans will be quite noisy. I have a Lenovo Legion Pro which weighs 2.5 KG and has a massive power brick and it never leaves the house.
I would advise avoiding the 3060 if you can as it is 3 years old now, if you get a 4060 GPU. Do not go for the 4050 as this is a LOT slower than the 4060.
This looks REALLY good value at £999
https://www.box.co.uk/Lenovo-LOQ-15-Intel-Core-i7-...
This is basically the same laptop with the Ryzen 7 processor
https://www.currys.co.uk/products/lenovo-loq-15aph...
The Nitro you linked to is also a good spec (has the 4060) and has a much bigger and higher resolution 17.3 screen.
Another vote for the LOQ series. Lenovo have been nailing the gaming laptops the last few years. Always well rated by reviewers. This guy rated the LOQ as the best laptop of 23:I would advise avoiding the 3060 if you can as it is 3 years old now, if you get a 4060 GPU. Do not go for the 4050 as this is a LOT slower than the 4060.
This looks REALLY good value at £999
https://www.box.co.uk/Lenovo-LOQ-15-Intel-Core-i7-...
This is basically the same laptop with the Ryzen 7 processor
https://www.currys.co.uk/products/lenovo-loq-15aph...
The Nitro you linked to is also a good spec (has the 4060) and has a much bigger and higher resolution 17.3 screen.
Edited by Joey Deacon on Friday 8th December 14:31
Edited by Joey Deacon on Friday 8th December 14:33
https://youtu.be/QpiwjFS2uoQ?si=940eyZZPb98dsDIA
Check their website for any deals, They had a 30% off cyber Monday deal on their new legion 7 pro which made it £2100 for a top of the range 4090 laptop. Was very tempted.
I was running a gaming laptop as my daily driver for a couple of years; they are NOT good to use on your lap for long periods of time as they get flipping hot. I've heard horror stories of "penetration burns", I don't think I had that but it is a bit like the frog-in-the-saucepan scenario as you don't realise how hot it has got. I'd certainly be concerned of 1) my kids doing themselves a mischief with the hot laptop on their legs and 2) my kids doing the laptop a mischief by using it with their duvet blocking the intakes.
They get pretty loud too. At full pelt my Acer sounded like a Harrier Jumpjet taking off. Not too bad for the person using it as they can wear noise cancelling headphones however very annoying for someone in the same room trying to do something else. As an aside, don't get an Acer laptop - the hinges are undersized, will fail and then the large national chain named after Indian food weasel out of the warranty repairs.
So I'd recommend a gaming desktop with a tablet as a portable companion if required.
They get pretty loud too. At full pelt my Acer sounded like a Harrier Jumpjet taking off. Not too bad for the person using it as they can wear noise cancelling headphones however very annoying for someone in the same room trying to do something else. As an aside, don't get an Acer laptop - the hinges are undersized, will fail and then the large national chain named after Indian food weasel out of the warranty repairs.
So I'd recommend a gaming desktop with a tablet as a portable companion if required.
LimaDelta said:
That one doesn't have a DP or MiniDP which it will need for the Oculus. It's also a 17" screen which makes it a big lump to carry around.
This is a similar spec and has a Mini DP (and is cheaper). Screen not as good, but if it is for VR use that doesn't matter so much.
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/gigabyte-g5-nvidia-...
Roblox VR won't be particularly taxing on the system though.
What is a DP? Quick google says Display Port?This is a similar spec and has a Mini DP (and is cheaper). Screen not as good, but if it is for VR use that doesn't matter so much.
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/gigabyte-g5-nvidia-...
Roblox VR won't be particularly taxing on the system though.
Considering this one;
https://www.box.co.uk/Lenovo-LOQ-15-Intel-Core-i7-...
It seems to have a USB-C DP?
Sarnie said:
LimaDelta said:
That one doesn't have a DP or MiniDP which it will need for the Oculus. It's also a 17" screen which makes it a big lump to carry around.
This is a similar spec and has a Mini DP (and is cheaper). Screen not as good, but if it is for VR use that doesn't matter so much.
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/gigabyte-g5-nvidia-...
Roblox VR won't be particularly taxing on the system though.
What is a DP? Quick google says Display Port?This is a similar spec and has a Mini DP (and is cheaper). Screen not as good, but if it is for VR use that doesn't matter so much.
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/gigabyte-g5-nvidia-...
Roblox VR won't be particularly taxing on the system though.
Considering this one;
https://www.box.co.uk/Lenovo-LOQ-15-Intel-Core-i7-...
It seems to have a USB-C DP?
Consider looking at the Asus TUF range of gaming laptops. You should be able to get an RTX4060 or 4070 for under £1100 each.
They're relatively light for a gaming laptop (2.2 kgs) and upgradable with more RAM or a larger SSD.
I've had one for the last 18 months and the only real complaint I have is that the battery doesn't last forever but that's to be expected on a gaming laptop (I still get a good 5+ hours on the battery). Hasn't struggled with anything ive thrown at it yet but it's only a 3050.
I wouldn't bother with anything less than 15" for gaming also anything small and thin is likely to have/develop cooling problems with modern GPUs.
They're relatively light for a gaming laptop (2.2 kgs) and upgradable with more RAM or a larger SSD.
I've had one for the last 18 months and the only real complaint I have is that the battery doesn't last forever but that's to be expected on a gaming laptop (I still get a good 5+ hours on the battery). Hasn't struggled with anything ive thrown at it yet but it's only a 3050.
I wouldn't bother with anything less than 15" for gaming also anything small and thin is likely to have/develop cooling problems with modern GPUs.
Sarnie said:
What is a DP? Quick google says Display Port?
Considering this one;
https://www.box.co.uk/Lenovo-LOQ-15-Intel-Core-i7-...
It seems to have a USB-C DP?
Looking at the tech specs it has a usb c display port 1.4. you will just need a USB C to display port adapter. I use a Amazon basics version and seems to work fine with my Legion. Considering this one;
https://www.box.co.uk/Lenovo-LOQ-15-Intel-Core-i7-...
It seems to have a USB-C DP?
tactical lizard said:
Looking at the tech specs it has a usb c display port 1.4. you will just need a USB C to display port adapter. I use a Amazon basics version and seems to work fine with my Legion.
Stupid question time, but what is a USB C to display port adapter and why would I need it? I'm here for the "Laptop? Are you sure?" Bandwagon.
Even with limited space, I'd say do anything you can to stick to desktop hardware.
Gaming laptops are pretty crap at being laptops, and crap at being desktops - They're very heavy and require massive AC adapters, and there's still not enough airflow to keep things cool enough if they're static.
In the interest of space concerns, I would suggest looking at Mini-ITX PCs:
The first example I can find; A little overbudget but an all round very good PC: https://www.scan.co.uk/3xs/configurator/3xs-gamer-...
And a quick one I knocked up on PCSpecialist, Similar but £1100EA - Room for peripherals: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configuration...
(Usually I'd build my own but I'm guessing that isn't an option here!)
With a large desk, you could probably set up both of them on one desk, or benefit from the tiny form factor to otherwise squeeze them into the same space you would have the laptop standing in.
You can usually find rugged cases with carry handles for moving around as well, but would likely need to build your own for that.
The benefits are numerous -
Much less risk of loss / smashing
Vastly more serviceable; GPU / RAM and storage upgrades would all slot straight in.
Hardware performs better as a baseline, as battery power efficiency doesn't factor into design
Better cooling will make for far better sustained performance
Even with limited space, I'd say do anything you can to stick to desktop hardware.
Gaming laptops are pretty crap at being laptops, and crap at being desktops - They're very heavy and require massive AC adapters, and there's still not enough airflow to keep things cool enough if they're static.
In the interest of space concerns, I would suggest looking at Mini-ITX PCs:
The first example I can find; A little overbudget but an all round very good PC: https://www.scan.co.uk/3xs/configurator/3xs-gamer-...
And a quick one I knocked up on PCSpecialist, Similar but £1100EA - Room for peripherals: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configuration...
(Usually I'd build my own but I'm guessing that isn't an option here!)
With a large desk, you could probably set up both of them on one desk, or benefit from the tiny form factor to otherwise squeeze them into the same space you would have the laptop standing in.
You can usually find rugged cases with carry handles for moving around as well, but would likely need to build your own for that.
The benefits are numerous -
Much less risk of loss / smashing
Vastly more serviceable; GPU / RAM and storage upgrades would all slot straight in.
Hardware performs better as a baseline, as battery power efficiency doesn't factor into design
Better cooling will make for far better sustained performance
Sarnie said:
Stupid question time, but what is a USB C to display port adapter and why would I need it?
Something like this: UGREEN USB C to DisplayPort Cable 2M https://amzn.eu/d/8B0MydQIt converts your USB C dp output on the laptop to a display port input on a monitor,
Can also get them with a female display port.
Just see what you need for the oculus.
I haven't fired up my desktop in months. Being tied to one spot in one room is a grind.
The only reason I'd favour one if I had to choose would be VR as you need so much more firepower and you get more for less money.
Other than that I don't feel remotely compromised using a gaming laptop. My backup's a 1070 maxq which is comparatively ancient and weedy and I've no complaints with graphical performance, let alone the more modern one.
If I was a performance obsessive then it would make less sense as you can pay an awful lot more and still get less, but I'm not. I just turn the settings down if necessary.
The only reason I'd favour one if I had to choose would be VR as you need so much more firepower and you get more for less money.
Other than that I don't feel remotely compromised using a gaming laptop. My backup's a 1070 maxq which is comparatively ancient and weedy and I've no complaints with graphical performance, let alone the more modern one.
If I was a performance obsessive then it would make less sense as you can pay an awful lot more and still get less, but I'm not. I just turn the settings down if necessary.
bloomen said:
I haven't fired up my desktop in months. Being tied to one spot in one room is a grind.
The only reason I'd favour one if I had to choose would be VR as you need so much more firepower and you get more for less money.
Other than that I don't feel remotely compromised using a gaming laptop. My backup's a 1070 maxq which is comparatively ancient and weedy and I've no complaints with graphical performance, let alone the more modern one.
If I was a performance obsessive then it would make less sense as you can pay an awful lot more and still get less, but I'm not. I just turn the settings down if necessary.
This is the issue, the kids don't want to be sat in a single spot.The only reason I'd favour one if I had to choose would be VR as you need so much more firepower and you get more for less money.
Other than that I don't feel remotely compromised using a gaming laptop. My backup's a 1070 maxq which is comparatively ancient and weedy and I've no complaints with graphical performance, let alone the more modern one.
If I was a performance obsessive then it would make less sense as you can pay an awful lot more and still get less, but I'm not. I just turn the settings down if necessary.
Plus we don't have the room for two desktops and they won't share a single one.......
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