Recommended gaming laptops:
Here are included recommended 14.0″, 15.6″ and 17.3″ gaming laptops.
| Model | Screen size | Performance | FullHD screen | Additional points of interest | Price & discounts | Why |
| XoticPC QAL51-HD | 15.6″ | GT 650M DDR3 + I5-2450M | YES | only 4GB DDR3 | 775$ cash | Fastest 15.6″ and got an fhd screen |
| HP dv6z-7200 | 15.6″ | 7670M + A6-4400M | YES | 6GB DDR3 | 640-700$ | the excellent matte 1080p screen with gaming capabilities for lowest price |
| HP dv6t-7000 SE | 15.6″ | GT 650M GDDR5 + I5-3210M | YES | 6GB | 750$-850$ | The BEST gaming performance along with the very good matte 1080p screen for such a low price! |
| Asus N56DP | 15.6″ | Radeon 7730M + A10-4600M | YES | 8GB DDR3 | 750-800$ | very good 1080p screen good gaming performance (although not the highest) quite + good thermals backlit keyboard + 1TB HDD + external subwoofer + Windows 8 included |
| Lenovo Y500 | 15.6″ | GT 650M + I7-3630QM | YES | 8GB DDR3, red backlit keyboard | 800-850$ | Very high gaming performance for the money, Windows OS, good sound, nice 1080p screen, option for an ultrabay |
| Dell Inspiron 15R SE | 15.6″ | Radeon 7730M + I7-3632QM | YES | 8GB DDR3 | 700$ | 1080p screen + good gaming performance + good price |
| Acer V3-571G | 15.6″ | GT 730M (GT 640M-645M), I5-3230M | NO | 4GB DDR3 | 600$ | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Y400 |
14.0″ | GT 750M GDDR5 + I7-3630QM | NO | 8GB DDR3 | 750$-800$ | Highest performance / price ratio. Also 14.0″ which is more compact (although not lightweight) |
Whys:
- Lenovo Y500 - although sometimes a bit higher than 800$, the value of this Y500 is very high with the GT 650M GDDR5 and I7 along with a good 1080p screen (glossy), red backlit keyboard, good sound and an option for an ultrabay with another GT 650M.
- The Y400 14.0″ with GT 750M GDDR5 and I5/I7 for 750$-800$. Excellent laptop, but low battery performance.
- Dell Inspiron 15R SE - including an I7 and a Radeon 7730M and a good 1080p screen. Though not the fastest for the price, for 750$ it will be hard to find such a combination currently.
- HP dv6z-7200 - The good matte 1080p screen with moderate capabilities for comparably lower price than other laptops.
- Asus N56DP. For 800$ you get a sleek laptop with a very good matte 1080p screen along with good gaming performance with the quad A10-4600M + Radeon 7730M + 8GB and you also get some nice features – a backlit keyboard, 1TB HDD and an external subwoofer. The laptop should is cool and quite. It is the fastest of the 15.6″ with 1080p screen and Windows OS.
- Acer V3-571G 15.6″ with a GT 730M and 4GB for 600$ delivers a very good payload. The GT 730M will give you a gaming performance level of the GT 640M-645M.
Complete list
| Model (link to coupon) | GPU/CPU | Street Price | Why | Why not | sources |
| GTX 660M / I7-3610QM | 850$ (was 800$) |
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y580 with fullhd review: 1, 2 | |
| Lenovo IdaPad Y480 14.0″ | GT 650M 2GB (DDR3) / Intel I7-3630QM | 750$ for GT 650M version |
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review1, review2 |
| Lenovo G780 17.3″ | GT 635M / I7-3632QM | 660$ currently |
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review |
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Lenovo Y570 review - this is the I5 version review, but it’s basically the same laptop | |||
| MSI CX61 15.6″ | GT 645M / I5-3210M | 700$ |
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only a 1366×768 resolution (no configuration option) | |
| HP dv6z-7200 15.6″ | Radeon 7670M / A8-4500M | 700$ |
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dv6z-7000 review |
| HP Pavilion dv6t-7000 select edition | Nvidia GT 650M 2GB GDDR5 / Intel Ivy Bridge I5-3210M | 750$ with GT 650M 2GB GDDR5, I5-3210M and 1080p screen |
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review of previous generation dv6tse,dv6t-7000 quad edition review |
| Asus N56DP 15.6″ | Radeon 7730M / A10-4600M | 800$ |
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Asus N56DP review |
| Samsung NP350V5C 15.6″ | Radeon 7730M / I5-3210M | 650$-750$ |
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review |
| Sony Vaio E 17.3″ | HD 7650M / I5-3210M | 760$ on newegg |
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review with I7-3612QM and 7650M |
| Sony Vaio S 15.5 | GT 640M LE / I5-3210M | 900$ |
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Sony Vaio S 15.5″ review (with I7) |
| Acer TimelineU M5-481G 14.0″ | GT 640M LE GDDR5 / I5-3317U | 650$! |
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Acer TimelineU M5-481G review, Acer TimelineU M5-481G review |
| Acer TimelineU M5-581TG 15.6″ | GT 640M LE GDDR5 / I5-3317U | 700$! | Pretty much same as the M5-481TG | Pretty much same as the M5-481TG. Currently the price is right! | review, another review |
| Acer V3-571G 15.6″ | GT 730M / I5-3230M | 650$ |
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review with GT 650M |
| Dell Inspiron 15R SE 15.6″ | Radeon 7730M / I7-3632QM | 750$ |
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Dell 15R SE review |
| Sager NP6110 11.6″ | GT 650M 2GB DDR3 / I5-3210M | 820$ base price |
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Eurocom Monster review |
| XoticPC Force QAL51-HD 15.6″ | GT 650M DDR3 / I5-2450M or I7 | 775$ with I5 and GT 650M DDR3 (cash) |
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Helllooo. I’m looking for a laptop with high quality gaming capabilities. I’m not necessarily looking for a laptop with the highest quality for gaming(but still pretty high quality) because I also care a lot about good thermals and computer build ( I want a laptop that would last a long time). In addition, I prefer 1080p and a clean laptop look overall. Also, I don’t want to drag a heavy ass laptop around. I’m a pretty huge multitasker, so i think a great multicore processor is appropriate. I was thinking that the Asus N56DP would be the right choice for me, but there may be a laptop that would better suit my interests. In your opinion, which laptop do you think i should choose that is close to my 800 budget.
Can you please ask it over the forums?
Hi!
I am new to the laptop world, so I am a bit confused. First of all, here’s my strategy:
The plan is to have my portable computer for when I work outside of town, or when I’m not home for a couple of days. I will carry it to university only once in a while, and I don’t really use a computer when i’m outside.
I also want to buy an external monitor (maybe 22-23 inches) for when I’m at home. I would plug my external speakers, mouse, keyboard and monitor. I would like to work dual screen, altough it is not essential, since I would have a bigger screen at home. But that would be a perk. With the external speakers, I don’t care having not-so-good internal speakers, even on the road.
I like to play video games, but I’m not a hardcore gamer. I prefer performance over graphics quality. I would like to be able to play games like Call of Duty (the most recent would be great), Starcraft 2, Torchlight 2, Diablo 3, WoW, and Skyrim.
I would also like to have a firewire port, since I am a semi-professional musician, and practice pluged in my external firewire sound card. I also do i little bit of home recording. I don’t think I have seen any laptops with a firewire port, exept those specifically designed for audio, or the Apple stuff…
I would like my laptop to last at least 3-4 years, maybe 5, if it’s possible for a laptop to do so.
So here are my questions!
Do I NEED a 1080p resolution to be able to hook a 22-23 ” external monitor and use dual monitor? And do I need a 15″ laptop or the 14″ would be good? Is that only a personal preference for portability?
I would play maybe max 4 hours straight on holidays or weekends, or maybe 1 hour a day on normal days. Would that be a problem for heat or something?
I think the worst enemy of laptops for durability and longevity is heat, and carrying it around a lot. Am I right? Should I consider that heat dissipation for the longevity of the system, since I don’t think I will carry it around all the time?
Is there a solution for the firewire port thing?
And of course, I forgot to ask about what would be good for my needs (processor, RAM, hard drive, GPU, etc)?
Considering all of those facts AND the fact that I don’t want to pay more than 750$-800$ before taxes, unless it is really worth it, is there something in the market that would fulfill my needs?
Maybe you would like to know that my computer right now is a AMD Athlon XP 64 bits 3000+, GeForce FX 5200, 2.5 GB RAM… Quite the time to think about upgrading the system!
Also, I am in Canada. I don’t know if it is important for the deals, etc.
And by the way, your work and dedication is really appreciated! I am looking at your website a lot that helps me a lot in my quest!
Thanks!
Reply in the Forum!
I went to the Lenovo site and it looks like the price has changed to $999 for the 480. Here’s a picture of the shopping cart; maybe I did something wrong. http://i.imgur.com/wPWrw7X.jpg
Hit “Activate” in the coupon part
I found a cx61 with a full HD screen for $678.03 cash! This is the laptop I am getting. It also has 6GB of RAM i5 2310m and a geforce gt 645m.
http://www.xoticpc.com/force-qal15hd-compal-qal15-p-4808.html?wconfigure=yes
Sorry wrong link-
Here is the right one-http://www.xoticpc.com/msi-cx61-0nf257us-preorder-p-5390.html?wconfigure=yes
that would be great, but I think it is some kind of mistake. Same model on J&R and others are listed with a 768p screen and the press release:
http://www.msi.com/news-media/news/1460.html
and product page:
http://www.msi.com/product/nb/CX61.html#?div=Specification
talk about 768p screen too
not that it is not possible to use a 1080p screen on the CX61 – but for 700$???
I agree but if I order it and I receive it with an HD screen surely I can complain and receive some compensation.
any updates on deals for laptops in this category?
should be in a day or two
I was looking through these laptops and saw the MSI CX61 and really enjoy what I’ve read about it. I want to spend around ~700 before tax and it seems great for some gaming as well as general use. I know I may not need this high of specs with what I’ll be doing with it, but I want this laptop to last me for 4 years or so if possible. Do you think this laptop can last for awhile as long as I take care of it and will be good for the money? Also, I stumbled upon the which seems similar but for $20 less which would help me because I want to put a 1 year warranty on it. Also I would like to try windows 8 so these laptops seem to fit the bill. Is there one you would recommend over the other or something else at a similar price/performance that would work?
Sorry the link sort of died. I am referring to the Acer Aspire V3-771G-6851.
well, the reason I don’t recommend the CX61 or V3-771G (although the price is now down by 20$) is because you have the M5-581TG with GT 640M GDDR5 and some nice features (20GB mSSD cache drive) and because for 730$-750$ (now 730$) you get the Y480 with I7-3630QM and GT 650M GDDR5 – although it depends on how much will be the taxes..
And they all do not have 1080p screen – for that you have the QAL51-HD that now ships with windows included.
I think the MSI is a good laptop probably and the V3-771G is good too, according to reviews and you won’t pay TAX (right?), so it is a good deal
Can u plz help me with purchasing a gaming laptop……my budget is around 1000$….i want to play MP3, N.F.S-MW, The witcher 2 such games with medium to high resolution….could u plz help me out…
can you install your own OS or do you need it pre-installed?
The Acer TimelineU M5-581TG-6666 is on sale at Newegg for 650. It has the 640M
thanks
it is in the list
as (Andy N) said im looking not for the best gaming laptop, but for a decent one at around $700. my estimated specs are:
CPU intel i7 3rd gen or so
RAM: 4gb is ok but prefered 6gb as optional
GPU: nvidia GT 640m or higher ATI anyone that equals nvidia GT 640m or higher
HDD: the best that could fit the price with at least 500gb if is a 5400rpm
Screen Size: 15.6″ with a resolution of 1366 x 768 but with 1920×1080 if is possible
additionals: well im not looking for a nice style laptop, but for a nice gaming one. i checked the: FORCE QAL51-HD; that is in the top of your list, but is $813 not $775. anyway this laptop seems stunning for the price, even when it only come with 4gb ram, but that is not a problem, since i can upgrade it later, but i want to see the performance of this latop on “games” and the cons, since every latop have it, but the seller wont tell of course. btw i know this is off topic but i never brought on black friday before and i want to know how much, does laptops like this drop in prices. for secure reason; i want to know if this websites are careful and legitimate?
Hi!
1. All these websites are legitimate and well known.
2. QAL51-HD is 775$ with an I5, not the default I7 – you can change the processor in the configuration page.
3. If you are limiting the budget to strictly to 700$, the MSI CX61 from the complete list is the fastest currently.
4. But, to assist you better, you better tell us your needs and games you want.
first 1000x thanks. well i got a TOSHIBA P755-S5215 and it is able to play games like: codmw3 & skyrim in low setting, with around 12-18 FPS but i want to play games like; nfs the run too but it run very low, like 8-12 in low setting. im looking a laptop that could run those game at least high setting with out lagging, 30 FPS average.
one question; does this laptops are going to low price this 23 black friday?
ooh and i forgot to add those questions: are i7 way better then i5? and i heard CPU speed dont matter to much on gaming. that stunned me cus i always though CPU and GPU should be at almost same level, to get good gaming performance. im willing throw up $800 for a laptop that can handle current games as: BF3, CODMW & NFS the run at maxed settings. i heard that 5400rpm hard drive lack game FPS performance, im not sure how, because as i was aware the slow HDDs only lack loading the games, but not the FPS.
can you clear me if this is true please, because if is i will have to buy a 7200rpm HDD? because almost all those nice laptops come with the 5400rpm only.
1. GPU and CPU – as I wrote before, the GPU is generally far more important. Moreover, you CAN’T tell the performance by just looking on the cpu raw speed. Technology evolve and a current generation cpu can be much faster for the same clocks speed than previous generations. To know what will be the performance you need to read reviews / forum messages or just check it yourself
2. I don’t know about black friday. Some laptops should have lower prices, but I don’t know if these will be the ones you need. I would say that if you can wait, then yes – wait, because the 700-800$ laptops are here to stay anyway.
3. You said you can install your own Windows. Then I suggest you take the Sager NP6165 (look in the “under 1000$”) section or the QAL51-HD which does not have in depth reviews yet.
all the games you’ve mentioned will run on high to highest settings
thanks for clear me the (CPU GPU) thing, but you didnt answer my question about; if hard drivers have a matter in gaming, if yes what would be the difference?. does it affect the FPS in a game?, because im aiming the QAL51 but not sure if i select the 7200rpm, instead of the 5400rpm, since im breaking my limit of $800 if i choose the 7200. pls help me decide, i really appreciate you support for help us thanks.
For gaming – won’t matter much. It does effect things like load times, save times and so on, but have almost no impact on the FPS.
You seem to know a lot about high performance laptops, wondering if you could help me out.
I’m currently looking for a laptop this year and black friday is where usually the good deals are at. I’m pretty picky on the specs of the laptop I’m looking for, but anyways here are the MINIMUM specs I’m looking at (ranked from most important to least):
Keyboard: Backlit or lightup
Graphics card: Anything better than Intel 3000 HD
Processor: Intel i5 or AMD A10
Optical Drive: DVD RW
OS: Windows 7 (not too keen on W8)
Screen: 14-16″
RAM: 4GB DDR3
HD: 500GB
Webcam: Yes
Not looking to spend more than $70 total if possible
hi
700$?
yes $700 lol
actually, all the laptops in this list will be much faster than what you’ve asked for gaming.
Do you have specific games you want to play? specific application to run? what are you doing with it?
I mainly play SC2, but I would like a computer that would last at least 3 years so when new games come out I won’t have the need to upgrade. It needs to at least play medium settings. I liked the HP dz6-7200 (can the A8 handle SC2 on medium settings) you listed up there but the laptop I had before overheated and fried the motherboard (it had a AMD dual core). I understand that AMD is infamously known for its overheating issues compared to Intel but I would like something better than integrated graphics. How has the AMD Trinity series stood out so far?
I appreciate the help
AMD is not infamously known. It is probably some rumors from years ago. I think from around year 2000.
In late years, the AMD cpus were less energy efficient, but were not “overheating” more than others. It also a matter how the laptop builder built the laptop.
The Trinity is more energy efficient and generally has a very good performance for the money for low budget, especially because the integrated GPU (graphics processor unit) is much faster than what you usually get with intel counter parts.
For gaming, it is generally a lesser cpu, but you should mainly be bothered with the GPU because this is the part that has the highest importance for gaming performance.
dv6z-7200 has the advantage of having good matte 1080p screen. However, its gaming performance is much lower than 800-850$ options.
If you want something that is more future proof with good 1080p screen, I suggest the N56DP or the QAL51-HD, but then you have to install your own Windows
+ about to acquiring laptops with out windows yet installed; that is not a problem to me, since i just brought a copy, because a lot of laptops now day come with windows 8, and it have a lot of problems. well installing my own os is not a problem, unless a need some skills, a part of the normal installs process of course
ps. sorry for been so recurrently but i want to be very sure about the laptop im going to buy. when i brought the TOSHIBA P755-S5215 1 year ago, it cost me around $650-700. that was a rip off of my money for a piece of junk.