Posted November 20, 2019 Hi all, I'm downsizing and going through a bit of a lifestyle change right now, so I would like to replace my large desktop with a laptop. I happen to do a lot of gaming, streaming, and video editing (The holy trinity, I know...), and I do some minor photo editing and audio production. I ask a lot out of my desktop PC and I wouldn't be surprised if I'm not able to find a worthy replacement just yet. I'm very familiar with benchmarks on modern desktop components, but haven't really followed mobile chips in a while, so I could use some expert advice. My current desktop setup is this: i7-7700K OCd to 4.8GHz 32GB RAM (I could get away with 16GB pretty easily - I upgraded when prices finally came crashing back down just in case) Nvidia GTX 1070 At least 1TB SSD storage Couple of laptop preferences, in order of importance: Good cooling - this is VERY important! I intend to frequently use my laptop in areas where there may not be AC, so it must be able to keep itself cool in 80-85F ambient temps. Support for at least two external displays 15-16" size preferred. 17" acceptable only if it's a significant improvement Quality display with good SRGB coverage. Not pro level, but high end consumer level. Nice-to-haves, in no particular order: Touch input and stylus capability USB Type A ports 2-3 hours of battery life under light-moderate use would be nice, but I realize how improbable this may be for a 15" laptop with these specs. I have another Windows 2 in 1 I can go to for general use. An extra NVME slot would be a nice bonus! I currently have one of my slots used up by a 500GB stick that I use as render cache. I like to keep that separate from my OS to keep performance from tanking too much. Something that doesn't look too out of place at a Starbucks ------------- Don't need 4K. 1080p is fine. Looking around some synthetic benchmarks, I'm thinking I would see similar performance with an RTX 2060 / RTX 2070-MaxQ or better, and an i7-8850H/9750H or better. Is this about right? Any good laptops with those that fit my criteria above? Having trouble finding a lot of info on cooling and display statistics, or flat out finding laptop models that use more than one type of panel depending on your luck that day. Budget is flexible, but obviously I don't want to be spending more than I need to. Figure no more than $2.5k unless there's a really good reason for it. Lastly, I don't need to buy right away. I could wait a few months if new hardware is on the horizon - even if I still buy current gen stuff and just get a price discount. Every little bit does help. Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1125453-need-to-replace-my-desktop-with-a-laptop/ Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted November 20, 2019 woudnt it be better to just build a small form factor PC and use touch monitors? or do you plan to move around with the laptop? Im with the mentaility of "IF IM NOT SURE IF ITS ENOUGH COOLING, GO OVERKILL" CURRENT PC SPECS CPU : Ryzen 5 3600 (Formerly Ryzen 3 1200) GPU : ASUS RX 580 Dual OC (Formerly ASUS GTX 1060 but it got corroded for some odd reasons) GPU COOOER : ID Cooling Frostflow 120 VGA (Stock cooler overheats even when undervolted ) MOBO : MSI B350m Bazooka MEMORY : Team Group Elite TUF DDR4 3600 Mhz CL 16 STORAGE : Seagate Baracudda 1TB and Kingston SSD PSU : Thermaltake Lite power 550W (Gonna change soon as i dont trust this) CASE : Rakk Anyag Frost CPU COOLER : ID-Cooling SE 207 CASE FANS : Mix of ID cooling fans, Corsair fans and Rakk Ounos (planned change to ID Cooling) DISPLAY : SpectrePro XTNS24 144hz Curved VA panel MOUSE : Logitech G603 Lightspeed KEYBOARD : Rakk Lam Ang HEADSET : Plantronics RIG 500HD Kingston Hyper X Stinger and a whole lot of LED everywhere(behind the monitor, behind the desk, behind the shelf of the PC mount and inside the case) Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1125453-need-to-replace-my-desktop-with-a-laptop/#findComment-13060286 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted November 20, 2019 Author 2 minutes ago, Martin2132 said: woudnt it be better to just build a small form factor PC and use touch monitors? or do you plan to move around with the laptop? I won't be in the same place all the time so yeah a laptop is a requirement. If I can't take it to the library or cafe, it won't work. Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1125453-need-to-replace-my-desktop-with-a-laptop/#findComment-13060290 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted November 20, 2019 15 hours ago, Fullmental said: I won't be in the same place all the time so yeah a laptop is a requirement. If I can't take it to the library or cafe, it won't work. are you okay with those thick laptops that is about half the size of suitcases? Im with the mentaility of "IF IM NOT SURE IF ITS ENOUGH COOLING, GO OVERKILL" CURRENT PC SPECS CPU : Ryzen 5 3600 (Formerly Ryzen 3 1200) GPU : ASUS RX 580 Dual OC (Formerly ASUS GTX 1060 but it got corroded for some odd reasons) GPU COOOER : ID Cooling Frostflow 120 VGA (Stock cooler overheats even when undervolted ) MOBO : MSI B350m Bazooka MEMORY : Team Group Elite TUF DDR4 3600 Mhz CL 16 STORAGE : Seagate Baracudda 1TB and Kingston SSD PSU : Thermaltake Lite power 550W (Gonna change soon as i dont trust this) CASE : Rakk Anyag Frost CPU COOLER : ID-Cooling SE 207 CASE FANS : Mix of ID cooling fans, Corsair fans and Rakk Ounos (planned change to ID Cooling) DISPLAY : SpectrePro XTNS24 144hz Curved VA panel MOUSE : Logitech G603 Lightspeed KEYBOARD : Rakk Lam Ang HEADSET : Plantronics RIG 500HD Kingston Hyper X Stinger and a whole lot of LED everywhere(behind the monitor, behind the desk, behind the shelf of the PC mount and inside the case) Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1125453-need-to-replace-my-desktop-with-a-laptop/#findComment-13060299 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted November 20, 2019 Author 7 minutes ago, Martin2132 said: are you okay with those thick laptops that is about half the size of suitcases? Okay is probably the word I'd use, yes. I'm not expecting a thin and light and I'm not really looking to pay a premium to minimize the thickness. My last gaming laptop was an Asus G56JK - 15.6", 6lbs, and chunky enough to still have a DVD drive in 2015. That was fine as a portable when I was in college, I'd be OK with the same again. Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1125453-need-to-replace-my-desktop-with-a-laptop/#findComment-13060309 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted November 20, 2019 what do you think of this?https://www.razer.com/gaming-laptops/razer-blade Im with the mentaility of "IF IM NOT SURE IF ITS ENOUGH COOLING, GO OVERKILL" CURRENT PC SPECS CPU : Ryzen 5 3600 (Formerly Ryzen 3 1200) GPU : ASUS RX 580 Dual OC (Formerly ASUS GTX 1060 but it got corroded for some odd reasons) GPU COOOER : ID Cooling Frostflow 120 VGA (Stock cooler overheats even when undervolted ) MOBO : MSI B350m Bazooka MEMORY : Team Group Elite TUF DDR4 3600 Mhz CL 16 STORAGE : Seagate Baracudda 1TB and Kingston SSD PSU : Thermaltake Lite power 550W (Gonna change soon as i dont trust this) CASE : Rakk Anyag Frost CPU COOLER : ID-Cooling SE 207 CASE FANS : Mix of ID cooling fans, Corsair fans and Rakk Ounos (planned change to ID Cooling) DISPLAY : SpectrePro XTNS24 144hz Curved VA panel MOUSE : Logitech G603 Lightspeed KEYBOARD : Rakk Lam Ang HEADSET : Plantronics RIG 500HD Kingston Hyper X Stinger and a whole lot of LED everywhere(behind the monitor, behind the desk, behind the shelf of the PC mount and inside the case) Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1125453-need-to-replace-my-desktop-with-a-laptop/#findComment-13060317 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted November 20, 2019 Author 2 minutes ago, Martin2132 said: what do you think of this?https://www.razer.com/gaming-laptops/razer-blade I was hoping you wouldn't link that one lol. It's fine, but I'm concerned about the heat dissipation on that model. A lot of people complain it gets hotter than the competition especially where your wrist rests. I'm more shopping around for alternatives. Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1125453-need-to-replace-my-desktop-with-a-laptop/#findComment-13060323 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted November 20, 2019 15 hours ago, Fullmental said: I was hoping you wouldn't link that one lol. It's fine, but I'm concerned about the heat dissipation on that model. A lot of people complain it gets hotter than the competition especially where your wrist rests. I'm more shopping around for alternatives. How about the alienware Area 51. i personally havent seen it but it looks powerful with a huge exhaust at the back Im with the mentaility of "IF IM NOT SURE IF ITS ENOUGH COOLING, GO OVERKILL" CURRENT PC SPECS CPU : Ryzen 5 3600 (Formerly Ryzen 3 1200) GPU : ASUS RX 580 Dual OC (Formerly ASUS GTX 1060 but it got corroded for some odd reasons) GPU COOOER : ID Cooling Frostflow 120 VGA (Stock cooler overheats even when undervolted ) MOBO : MSI B350m Bazooka MEMORY : Team Group Elite TUF DDR4 3600 Mhz CL 16 STORAGE : Seagate Baracudda 1TB and Kingston SSD PSU : Thermaltake Lite power 550W (Gonna change soon as i dont trust this) CASE : Rakk Anyag Frost CPU COOLER : ID-Cooling SE 207 CASE FANS : Mix of ID cooling fans, Corsair fans and Rakk Ounos (planned change to ID Cooling) DISPLAY : SpectrePro XTNS24 144hz Curved VA panel MOUSE : Logitech G603 Lightspeed KEYBOARD : Rakk Lam Ang HEADSET : Plantronics RIG 500HD Kingston Hyper X Stinger and a whole lot of LED everywhere(behind the monitor, behind the desk, behind the shelf of the PC mount and inside the case) Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1125453-need-to-replace-my-desktop-with-a-laptop/#findComment-13060330 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted November 20, 2019 Author 2 minutes ago, Martin2132 said: How about the alienware Area 51. i personally havent seen it but it looks powerful with a huge exhaust at the back Isn't that a desktop? Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1125453-need-to-replace-my-desktop-with-a-laptop/#findComment-13060335 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted November 20, 2019 15 hours ago, Fullmental said: Isn't that a desktop? no there is a laptop version. i think it was Alienware Area51m Im with the mentaility of "IF IM NOT SURE IF ITS ENOUGH COOLING, GO OVERKILL" CURRENT PC SPECS CPU : Ryzen 5 3600 (Formerly Ryzen 3 1200) GPU : ASUS RX 580 Dual OC (Formerly ASUS GTX 1060 but it got corroded for some odd reasons) GPU COOOER : ID Cooling Frostflow 120 VGA (Stock cooler overheats even when undervolted ) MOBO : MSI B350m Bazooka MEMORY : Team Group Elite TUF DDR4 3600 Mhz CL 16 STORAGE : Seagate Baracudda 1TB and Kingston SSD PSU : Thermaltake Lite power 550W (Gonna change soon as i dont trust this) CASE : Rakk Anyag Frost CPU COOLER : ID-Cooling SE 207 CASE FANS : Mix of ID cooling fans, Corsair fans and Rakk Ounos (planned change to ID Cooling) DISPLAY : SpectrePro XTNS24 144hz Curved VA panel MOUSE : Logitech G603 Lightspeed KEYBOARD : Rakk Lam Ang HEADSET : Plantronics RIG 500HD Kingston Hyper X Stinger and a whole lot of LED everywhere(behind the monitor, behind the desk, behind the shelf of the PC mount and inside the case) Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1125453-need-to-replace-my-desktop-with-a-laptop/#findComment-13060338 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted November 20, 2019 Author 2 minutes ago, Martin2132 said: no there is a laptop version. i think it was Alienware Area51m I will look into it, thanks. Any other suggestions I should look into? Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1125453-need-to-replace-my-desktop-with-a-laptop/#findComment-13060346 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted November 20, 2019 im not sure but ill list some . just check their cooling if it fits your needs Lenovo Legion Y740 MSI gt75 Titan Asus Rog Strix GL502. then lets just wait for what people says. Im with the mentaility of "IF IM NOT SURE IF ITS ENOUGH COOLING, GO OVERKILL" CURRENT PC SPECS CPU : Ryzen 5 3600 (Formerly Ryzen 3 1200) GPU : ASUS RX 580 Dual OC (Formerly ASUS GTX 1060 but it got corroded for some odd reasons) GPU COOOER : ID Cooling Frostflow 120 VGA (Stock cooler overheats even when undervolted ) MOBO : MSI B350m Bazooka MEMORY : Team Group Elite TUF DDR4 3600 Mhz CL 16 STORAGE : Seagate Baracudda 1TB and Kingston SSD PSU : Thermaltake Lite power 550W (Gonna change soon as i dont trust this) CASE : Rakk Anyag Frost CPU COOLER : ID-Cooling SE 207 CASE FANS : Mix of ID cooling fans, Corsair fans and Rakk Ounos (planned change to ID Cooling) DISPLAY : SpectrePro XTNS24 144hz Curved VA panel MOUSE : Logitech G603 Lightspeed KEYBOARD : Rakk Lam Ang HEADSET : Plantronics RIG 500HD Kingston Hyper X Stinger and a whole lot of LED everywhere(behind the monitor, behind the desk, behind the shelf of the PC mount and inside the case) Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1125453-need-to-replace-my-desktop-with-a-laptop/#findComment-13060354 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted November 20, 2019 Author 1 hour ago, Martin2132 said: im not sure but ill list some . just check their cooling if it fits your needs Lenovo Legion Y740 MSI gt75 Titan Asus Rog Strix GL502. then lets just wait for what people says. OK, out of these the MSI GT75 Titan is a definite no based on the design. I don't mind if the laptop is a bit chunky but that is well over the line lol. ROG Strix looks good. The GL502 looks to be a 6th gen intel model though? Lenovo is a brand I'd like to avoid in general For the record: NOT a fan of the Razer Blade 15's keyboard layout. That arrow key in front of the shift will be nothing but problems. EDIT: Any opinions on the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo? Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1125453-need-to-replace-my-desktop-with-a-laptop/#findComment-13060485 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted March 11, 2020 I own the Alienware area51m with the i9900k, RTX 2080 and 64gb ram. If you need big performance and dont care about weight or money get this „laptop“ (Please dont put it on your lap, it could crush your bones haha) I paid 4500$ for it and i dont regret it at all. But i would recommend to go for the 2070 option. Do NOT go for the 2060 because it closes the vents at the side of the laptop. The touchpad is a little bit weird because it does not use the precision drivers. It gets loud under load (still isnt as loud as the MSI (that thing is a freakin heli carrier lol)) but you will never burn your legs because it blows really cold air out the bottom. Wait for the next sale at the alienware website if you want to buy it. I saved 600$ when i got mine!! Dont go for the dell insurance, get a better one from somewhere else. Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1125453-need-to-replace-my-desktop-with-a-laptop/#findComment-13365374 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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