Reliable gaming Laptop

BaboonNoob · May 17

Hello,

The past few months I have done an incredible amount of research for a new gaming laptop and have come up with nothing as far as reliably goes. I first wanted a 14 inch gaming laptop which left me with but a few options such as the ROG G14, ZenBook Pro 14" with a 3050. From all the reviews I was watching and the research I came to the conclusion that a 14" chassis is just not big enough to cool something like a 3070 to a 4070 like I was initially looking for. So I promptly gave up on the 14" dream team even though a 4060 G14 does not perform poorly but I would still prefer a 4070 for the device to be more futureproof. The other issue was also the reliability of gaming laptops in general. The more I go into different forums I see completely different experiences across the board as far a preferred brand for a long lasting laptop. I also started looking into workstation laptops such as the ThinkPad P1 with a 4080 or a 4060 which promise a really high "reliability" but they also come at an extremely steep price for what they are offering. Another factor that I threw in the mix as to make my choice more difficult was the fact that I could potentially get something bigger since I have an iPad pro with a keyboard for school thus I am not going to have the laptop with me at all times so I could potentially get something heavier. A friend of mine offered me a great deal on his used Alienware m15 r7 which has a 3070ti and on paper seems fine until the thermal throttling issues and the laptops hybrid power design (draws power from the charger and the battery at the same time) were bringing up issues with performance and the laptop randomly shutting down when unplugging it from the charger (He hasn't mentioned these issues but there were coming up often on the Dell forums and I have a feeling that they might show once I start pushing the machine). So now I'm here...................................................................

I am ok with a laptop 14" to 16", something with upgradable ram and SSD is a must, weight is not the biggest concern as I am most likely not going to carry it to school everyday, a minimum of 3070 to a maximum of a 4060-4070 would be as much as my budget permits, A good CPU would be appreciated as I run a lot of CPU intensive workloads sometimes would have to definitely be an H series or higher intel or amd. Battery life the more the merrier but I realize that asking for good battery life is impossible with the specs I am asking for. Lastly as for the Title I would really like a machine that is not going to give me issues in the future, the reliability is incredibly important for me as I my current Dell laptop has been for the most part but there was a point where there was an issue with a bios update they had put out and the thing was rendered useless for a couple of months, not to mention the issues with the fans rattling and having to be changed once every 3-6 months. I know reliability is a bit of a relative term but I would really prefer if I didn't have to purchase new cooling fans every 3 months or have to deal with bios issues ever again.

I am open to different manufacturers and different specs. Thank you very much for taking the time to read through my post and helping me choose a laptop. Even if you do not have a suggestion for a laptop but maybe advice such as even a 4050 or 4060 being enough from your own experience that would be greatly appreciated.

ki8aras · May 17

7 minutes ago, BaboonNoob said:

Even if you do not have a suggestion for a laptop but maybe advice

i BEG you to not get a gaming laptop for school, you're going to regret it, get something light with a good screen like a thinkpad z13 or even a macbook if you swing that way, and GET A DESKTOP, if you don't have space for a monitor then just game on it through parsec or moonlight

i'm speaking from personal experience that getting a powerful laptop for school is a waste of money and bad for your back (cuz i carry it around everyday)

as you can see from my signature i ended up with a desktop so don't make the mistakes i did

Poinkachu · May 17

14 minutes ago, BaboonNoob said:

my current Dell laptop has been for the most part but there was a point where there was an issue with a bios update they had put out and the thing was rendered useless for a couple of months

I simply don't update my BIOS unless I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY need it. Be it laptop or desktop.

Not even drivers.

Rule #1 : If it aint broken, don't fix.

Dunno which laptop will suit you, but if it's me, I'd most likely opt for 40 series, preferably atleast 4060, especially if I play a lot of AAA games (which often have frame generation option).

And IIRC 40 series uses less power as well.

If your budget allows of course.

BaboonNoob · May 17

Well currently I am running a monitor connected to my laptop with the lid closed so technically speaking I do have room for a tower but I am really against the idea of having more than 2 devices for my work. I cant really justify an iPad Pro M1 with a ThinkPad Z13 and a desktop. I have thought about it in the past but in the end I think I gaming laptop would work although as they say don't knock it till you try it, so maybe in the near future I might look into a tower again. And as i mentioned i don't really take my laptop to school (since i take the iPad) that often but you are right the few times I am going to take it to school with me it is going to be hell.

Also about not updating the bios or driver, I literally compulsively update my devices. Every since the bios update got fixed with another bios update I have been updating everything as soon as the update became available. Ig I could not update when things are working fine but do so when they are not. Either way as far as the graphics card goes, maybe a 4060 is enough since a lot of the competitive games I am going to play are going to be 1080p and for any AAA games that I would want to play I could just use DLSS for better performance.

Apologies for not knowing how to create a thread/ not knowing how to reply to specific comments. I don't really have internet forum etiquette unfortunately.