Best Gaming Laptop Under $700?

[wbs]

So I'm trying to find a decent gaming laptop under $700 which has a good GPU and has at least an i5. The Acer E15 seems decent but I'm looking for a better GPU than the 940M. What would be your picks?

[DarkBlade2117]

Why a laptop? Only 2 scenarios in my opinion are laptops OK over desktops.

[thetechygamer15]

If you can squeeze another $30, get the dell inspiron 7559

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PYZ186/ref=twister_B016VLEM5K?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

It has a 960m and a core i5 6300hq (a quadcore)

 

 

Linus did a review of it here

 

[sqzit]

Please don't buy a laptop for gaming... especially not one under 1500 dollars. Its just not worth it. For that price, buy a thinkpad and a Nintendo DS or something lol.

[Pendragon]

2 hours ago, sqzit said:

Please don't buy a laptop for gaming... especially not one under 1500 dollars. Its just not worth it. For that price, buy a thinkpad and a Nintendo DS or something lol.

Budget gaming laptops are fine around the 800-1000 dollar range.

[Dackzy]

3 hours ago, DarkBlade2117 said:

Why a laptop? Only 2 scenarios in my opinion are laptops OK over desktops.

let me hear those 2 scenarios

[DarkBlade2117]

3 hours ago, Dackzy said:

let me hear those 2 scenarios

Some people travel a lot, I mean a lot.

I have a friend who leaves state 1-2 times a month for something new every time, where a laptop is just way more viable option for him. My grandpa used to take a business trip every weekend a few hours away.

Also, this one is subjective but for college. Keep in mind, this really depends. Some dorms are small and to the point where a full size desk, to fit 1-2 monitors, keyboard, a decent PC, chair ect is going to be cramming it and it really depends if you take all your notes on paper and such.

I personally find it way easier and convenient to carry my laptop with me, if I so happen forgot to print off a paper, sometimes we do stuff in Google Docs or Slides or what not ect.

[Pendragon]

1 hour ago, DarkBlade2117 said:

Some people travel a lot, I mean a lot.

I have a friend who leaves state 1-2 times a month for something new every time, where a laptop is just way more viable option for him. My grandpa used to take a business trip every weekend a few hours away.

Also, this one is subjective but for college. Keep in mind, this really depends. Some dorms are small and to the point where a full size desk, to fit 1-2 monitors, keyboard, a decent PC, chair ect is going to be cramming it and it really depends if you take all your notes on paper and such.

I personally find it way easier and convenient to carry my laptop with me, if I so happen forgot to print off a paper, sometimes we do stuff in Google Docs or Slides or what not ect.

There's alot more scenarios. Beyond just traveling, somepeople need to work highly intensive workloads on the go and at various locations so you need some heavy computing power. Alot of us run experimental or proprietary software that allows for cuda acceleration just because we need to get something done faster and that time saved is worth. 

[sqzit]

1 hour ago, Pendragon said:

Budget gaming laptops are fine around the 800-1000 dollar range.

I have to disagree. Every one that i've ever tried completely cheeps out on build quality in order to afford to put in decent hardware. In my opinion the trackpad, keyboard, screen, and body materials are by far the most important part of a laptop (in that order). Id much prefer to have integrated graphics and a solidly built laptop, rather than some acer laptop with a 960m in some junk plastic.

[Imglidinhere]

2 hours ago, DarkBlade2117 said:

Some people travel a lot, I mean a lot.

I have a friend who leaves state 1-2 times a month for something new every time, where a laptop is just way more viable option for him. My grandpa used to take a business trip every weekend a few hours away.

Also, this one is subjective but for college. Keep in mind, this really depends. Some dorms are small and to the point where a full size desk, to fit 1-2 monitors, keyboard, a decent PC, chair ect is going to be cramming it and it really depends if you take all your notes on paper and such.

I personally find it way easier and convenient to carry my laptop with me, if I so happen forgot to print off a paper, sometimes we do stuff in Google Docs or Slides or what not ect.

Or how about those of us that don't want to take up space with an oddly shaped, clunker tower or even a SFF desktop with a HUGE monitor on our desks? Yeah sure, the tower itself may not be super huge, but that keyboard and monitor are freakishly big compared to the clean and snug all-in-one appearance of a laptop. I'll sacrifice performance to get the smallest footprint. No sweat off my back.

[DarkBlade2117]

48 minutes ago, Imglidinhere said:

Or how about those of us that don't want to take up space with an oddly shaped, clunker tower or even a SFF desktop with a HUGE monitor on our desks? Yeah sure, the tower itself may not be super huge, but that keyboard and monitor are freakishly big compared to the clean and snug all-in-one appearance of a laptop. I'll sacrifice performance to get the smallest footprint. No sweat off my back.

And you'll get minimal upgradability, a shit keyboard, unless you take up more space, a shitty track pad, one monitor simply isn't enough. Unless sitting properly, its uncomfortable as fuck to lay in bed and do shit on a laptop. So you'll more than likely have some sort of desk space. I could name more.

With proper cable management, a ten keyless keyboard, a small mouse pad and dual 23inch monitors, we are talking a pretty small area. Have to learn how to utilize space effectively.

[Imglidinhere]

21 minutes ago, DarkBlade2117 said:

And you'll get minimal upgradability, a shit keyboard, unless you take up more space, a shitty track pad, one monitor simply isn't enough. Unless sitting properly, its uncomfortable as fuck to lay in bed and do shit on a laptop. So you'll more than likely have some sort of desk space. I could name more.

With proper cable management, a ten keyless keyboard, a small mouse pad and dual 23inch monitors, we are talking a pretty small area. Have to learn how to utilize space effectively.

You constantly bring up "Shitty track pad" like gamers don't use a mouse on a laptop...  You're an idiot if you honestly think that the trackpad on the Inspiron 7559 is complete garbage. It's not phenomenal in any case, but it's far better than what most would call a shitty trackpad.

[DarkBlade2117]

Just now, Imglidinhere said:

You constantly bring up "Shitty track pad" like gamers don't use a mouse on a laptop...  You're an idiot if you honestly think that the trackpad on the Inspiron 7559 is complete garbage. It's not phenomenal in any case, but it's far better than what most would call a shitty trackpad.

And any typical all around cable won't have another monitor, a proper setup that isn't just sitting an already hot laptop on a bed, keyboards are trash on laptops, I've tried a ton of something, extra monitors are always needed. Every friend I've got to get a 2nd monitor, won't go back to 1.

[Imglidinhere]

6 minutes ago, DarkBlade2117 said:

And any typical all around cable won't have another monitor, a proper setup that isn't just sitting an already hot laptop on a bed, keyboards are trash on laptops, I've tried a ton of something, extra monitors are always needed. Every friend I've got to get a 2nd monitor, won't go back to 1.

You are FINE with a single monitor. It depends entirely on what kinds of games and tasks you do on your machines. I and the rest of my roommates can attest to that much. We're all laptop users and none of the games in our Steam libraries require a state-of-the-art setup with 2+ monitors and an external super-keyboard. Again, your argument is that a gaming laptop that's under X amount is horrible and should never be looked at. Mine was $810 and outright proves you wrong. Yeah the keybard isn't GREAT, neither is the trackpad, which is why I don't GAME with the trackpad in any case, even with laptops with GOOD trackpads.  You claim having a super amazing keyboard makes or breaks a gaming computer, which again, is simply untrue. I've owned $3000 gaming machines with the best of the best mechanical keyboards, best, most reliable mice and multi-monitor setups. It's not a matter of "Once you have X you can't go back." it's a matter of necessity.

 

So you hate laptops. Big deal, join the crowd. Don't hate ME or anyone else for gaming on it. I'm not ripped off when I do my research and KNOW what I'm paying for. That's what you're assuming here, more than likely, is that I'm some chump who jumped the gun and thinks he got a steal of a deal when, in reality he got screwed over. You're wrong. I know exactly what I got and I couldn't be happier.

[Pendragon]

3 hours ago, sqzit said:

I have to disagree. Every one that i've ever tried completely cheeps out on build quality in order to afford to put in decent hardware. In my opinion the trackpad, keyboard, screen, and body materials are by far the most important part of a laptop (in that order). Id much prefer to have integrated graphics and a solidly built laptop, rather than some acer laptop with a 960m in some junk plastic.

u got an acer LOL. what do you expect. the y700 is good in terms of all of that. 

 

58 minutes ago, DarkBlade2117 said:

Every friend I've got to get a 2nd monitor, won't go back to 1.

Just learn to shortcut multiple desktops. I have a dual monitor at work, but I don't really need it. I just have several shortcuts for multiple short cuts and it's good too, ofc I prefer dual monitor but mobility comes first so what can you do. 

 

1 hour ago, DarkBlade2117 said:

keyboards are trash on laptops

Nah, depends what you get really. 

 

1 hour ago, Imglidinhere said:

if you honestly think that the trackpad on the Inspiron 7559 is complete garbage

I'm a hardcore laptop user and I think it's pretty bad compared to other offerings. I disagree that all gamers would just get a mouse, because trackpads are some of the most important things for me in a laptop because that's how I usually use my laptop. Which is why I still have my MBP of 5 years despite having much stronger (hardware wise) gaming laptops or business laptop. The trackpad is just so much better. The trackpoint on business laptops is also great, comparable in ease of use to MBP trackpad. 

[D2ultima]

10 hours ago, wbs said:

So I'm trying to find a decent gaming laptop under $700

You're hunting unicorns. Ain't happening.

[sqzit]

2 hours ago, Pendragon said:

u got an acer LOL. what do you expect. the y700 is good in terms of all of that. 

Keyboard is alright, no better than most though, and terrible compared to their thinkpad lineup. However I hate the trackpad on those things, and also they are a damn nightmare to mess with the internals on. Not to mention they look like children's light up toy, though to be fair, almost everything marketed towards gamers looks like that lol. 

 

I personally have a strong distaste for all windows laptops in general. I could go on a big rant about why they don't make any sense and are a waste of money, but I've done that too many times on this forum hahaha. Basically I hate all windows laptops with the exception of the older thinkpads, elitebooks, surface devices, and razer blades. Those ones I just don't like as opposed to hate. 

 

Also, huh? I've never purchased an acer device in my life lol. Actually, I have a second hand acer external hard drive. That thing is actually dank af tho. 

[wbs]

Found this one, is it good?

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834315423

[wbs]

I've already built a good gaming PC this is just for when I travel outside the country, and I need something to game on...

[Dackzy]

29 minutes ago, wbs said:

Found this one, is it good?

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834315423

no, stay away from Acer, you will end up giving people like me more work ( I fix laptops)

[wbs]

3 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

no, stay away from Acer, you will end up giving people like me more work ( I fix laptops)

Whats a brand you recommend?

[Dackzy]

3 hours ago, DarkBlade2117 said:

keyboards are trash on laptops,

have you ever tried a ThinkPad keyboard? Those are pretty much taken as the best keyboard you can get on a laptop right now and they are insanely good compared to other laptops and desktop keyboards, the only way you are going to beat them is with a mechanical keyboard.

[Dackzy]

3 minutes ago, wbs said:

Whats a brand you recommend?

dell has pretty good support, Lenovo also have decent support for normal laptops

[wbs]

Just now, Dackzy said:

have you ever tried a ThinkPad keyboard? Those are pretty much taken as the best keyboard you can get on a laptop right now and they are insanely good compared to other laptops and desktop keyboards, the only way you are going to beat them is with a mechanical keyboard.

Actually I found a decent Lenovo pc with good specs but the reviews said it was super finicky. 

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-Flex-3-15-6-Full-HD-2-in-1-Touch-Laptop-Core-i7-6500U-8GB-RAM-1TB-HDD/371713938355?hash=item568be093b3&_trkparms=5373%3A0|5374%3AFeatured

[Dackzy]

1 hour ago, wbs said:

Actually I found a decent Lenovo pc with good specs but the reviews said it was super finicky. 

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-Flex-3-15-6-Full-HD-2-in-1-Touch-Laptop-Core-i7-6500U-8GB-RAM-1TB-HDD/371713938355?hash=item568be093b3&_trkparms=5373%3A0|5374%3AFeatured

never seen that before, maybe because they don't sell them here in Denmark. I know that the ideapad 510 and 710 are decent