Semi-Frequent Traveler Looking for a Gaming Laptop Upgrade

Synighte · January 28, 2020

Hey all,

I wanted to get opinions on laptops from this community and what I want from my laptop so I'll try to keep it short and sweet in the first part and maybe give a more in depth explanation in the last.

-$1000-$2000 USD

-Good Build/Thermals. This will be travelling with me a bit so it'll go through airport security etc.

-Gaming on medium/high quality

-I am disliking my MSI GF63 I got on black Friday 1.25 years ago so I would prefer to stay away from MSI unless their build quality has improved.

-I am open to the idea of having an external GPU/work station that I can bring with me if I deploy to sites.

-Already have a work laptop so I don't need a huge amount of space on my personal laptop. If I need to use my personal gaming laptop for work I can user an external drive.

Basically a semi-permanent mobile tough gaming station. I think my priorities come down to:

1. Build quality

2. Thermals (I worry about overheating and damaging parts, I don't give a shit about my crotch)

3. Graphics/performance.

4. Enough storage space for games ~500GB or I have no qualms upgrading my RAM/SSD myself

I don't travel too much but i move around often enough that I don't want to build another PC. I built a PC ~5 years ago and it's a little outdated but hauling it around as I move or deploy is a bit of a hassle. I am open to an external GPU because I can be on a site 1-6 months depending on the job. I have an MSI GF63 but it has been a little frustrating to work with. The screen broke within the first month of me having it and was replaced by MSI under warranty (points for them there) but overall it feels very flimsy and I have to be extra gentle with it. I bought a bulky pelican case to protect it but I am still waiting for the day something else breaks. I upgraded the SSD from a 256GM to a ~1TB Crucial SSD but the upgraded SSD has died (supposed to be covered under crucial's warranty as well and I am waiting for the new SSD in the mail). I am thinking of giving my girlfriend my GF63 and getting myself an upgrade. In my old age (31) I am not going to be gaming competitively anymore and I am comfortable with medium/high graphics settings.

I was checking out the Razer Blade Pro but after reading some opinions on here that Razer's build quality has declined I may not be so hot on that idea. All help and advice is appreciated. Thanks!

genexis_x · January 29, 2020

Are you buying in US? Preferred max weight and min battery life?

Synighte · January 30, 2020

Hi there! Sorry for the late response. I am buying in the US. Don’t have weight preferences. I am usually carrying a bit in my backpacks. As long as I can reasonably travel with it I am happy. Also battery life isn’t much of an issue either since I will usually be near an outlet/power source.

Edited January 30, 2020 by Synighte