Thoughts on gaming on a 13.3inch laptop?

[SeanAngelo]

So I'm having second thoughts about ordering my XPS 15 (I can still return it for a full refund.) and I realised that the Dell Alienware R3 13 exists.... Sooo.... I was wondering if it's a good experience gaming on a 13.3inch laptop or is a 15.6inch recommended? The only downside on getting the 15.6inch Alienware R3 15 is it's more expensive The games I plan on playing are BF1, BF4, Overwatch and F1 2016 (all at medium settings) and along with that, I'll be using it for work, browsing, watching videos and photo and video editing.

 

Thanks in advance,

Sean.

[themctipers]

lol nice profile picture

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which one has better specs, go for that one. I personally don't like gaming on a tiny screen however.

[The Sloth]

3 minutes ago, SeanAngelo said:

I was wondering if it's a good experience gaming

it will depend on you, i would go for a 15 or 14 inch laptop, something like aero 14 or msi gt vr

[R3ep3r]

@SeanAngelo Why would you spend 1000 bucks on a laptop for gaming instead of going for a 800bucks PC and 200bucks chrome book?

Well I kinda answered myself. You already got a beast of a PC and you need a laptop since you are an engineering student. Right? I guess that'll be a yes, but why a gaming laptop? I suppose you will use that laptop mostly when you are at the university and maybe while going on a trip or something. Even though you will do that I suggest you looking for something else than alienware. This alienware thing is the same thing with razer in my opinion. More money for low quality products.(PS. I know that laptop is made by dell but I still have doubts about the quality) At around the same price(1k$) you could find an Asus ROG with i7-7700hq and 1050 on 4 gigs.

[Techstorm970]

I would go to a Micro Center or Fry's or something and try out a 15 inch and 13 inch laptop that they have on display.  Then, decide which size you like better, and use that screen size in your laptop purchase.

[Inkz]

2 minutes ago, R3ep3r said:

@SeanAngelo Why would you spend 1000 bucks on a laptop for gaming instead of going for a 800bucks PC and 200bucks chrome book?

Well I kinda answered myself. You already got a beast of a PC and you need a laptop since you are an engineering student. Right? I guess that'll be a yes, but why a gaming laptop? I suppose you will use that laptop mostly when you are at the university and maybe while going on a trip or something. Even though you will do that I suggest you looking for something else than alienware. This alienware thing is the same thing with razer in my opinion. More money for low quality products.(PS. I know that laptop is made by dell but I still have doubts about the quality) At around the same price(1k$) you could find an Asus ROG with i7-7700hq and 1050 on 4 gigs.

Alienware and Razer are very different. Also can you provide a reason why he can't choose to use Alienware? I am using a 17 R4 right now, and it is working just fine.

 

@SeanAngelo Personally I would go for the 15 model. It does add some bulk, but I find a larger screen is very important for gaming. Of course that is very subjective. Also if you go with Alienware sign up for email deals, there is almost always a 10% discount code going on, also you get an extra 15% if you have any military in your family.

[R3ep3r]

2 minutes ago, Inkz said:

Alienware and Razer are very different. Also can you provide a reason why he can't choose to use Alienware? I am using a 17 R4 right now, and it is working just fine.

I find alienware VERY VERY VERY VERY EXPENSIVE and for what? For an i5 and 2gigs GPU? I found a great deal coming from ASUS((Not a fanboy btw)), even from Acer for better laptops at lower prices. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-Aspire-VX5-591G-15-6-Inch-Notebook/dp/B01N24EENE

https://www.amazon.com/GL553VD-Gaming-i7-7700HQ-7200RPM-Keyboard/dp/B01NCOS5ZG  (This one is close to the price he had to pay for that Alienware)

[SeanAngelo]

31 minutes ago, themctipers said:

lol nice profile picture

-

which one has better specs, go for that one. I personally don't like gaming on a tiny screen however.

The Alienware has better specs for gaming with an i7 6700HQ, GTX 1060 and 16GB RAM and the XPS15 has a 7700HQ, GTX 1050 and 16GB RAM. Also to mention the Alienware has better cooling too.

 

27 minutes ago, nerdslayer1 said:

it will depend on you, i would go for a 15 or 14 inch laptop, something like aero 14 or msi gt vr

From looking at the prices in the UK, the Aero 14 is out of my price range and which MSI GT VR are you talking about?

 

18 minutes ago, R3ep3r said:

@SeanAngelo Why would you spend 1000 bucks on a laptop for gaming instead of going for a 800bucks PC and 200bucks chrome book?

Well I kinda answered myself. You already got a beast of a PC and you need a laptop since you are an engineering student. Right? I guess that'll be a yes, but why a gaming laptop? I suppose you will use that laptop mostly when you are at the university and maybe while going on a trip or something. Even though you will do that I suggest you looking for something else than alienware. This alienware thing is the same thing with razer in my opinion. More money for low quality products.(PS. I know that laptop is made by dell but I still have doubts about the quality) At around the same price(1k$) you could find an Asus ROG with i7-7700hq and 1050 on 4 gigs.

The thing is, I will be going on vacation this summer and I want to play games so that's why I'm looking for a gaming laptop which I can use for university. I'm very picky when it comes to these things and it has to tick the boxes I require. Some of the cheaper gaming laptops either have a bad display, inferior gpu that can't play games at decent frame rates or a shitty build. And the UK has a limited availability on ASUS ROG laptops, they have less choices being sold here compared to the USA and it kinda annoys me a little bit.

 

15 minutes ago, techstorm970 said:

I would go to a Micro Center or Fry's or something and try out a 15 inch and 13 inch laptop that they have on display.  Then, decide which size you like better, and use that screen size in your laptop purchase.

We don't have those stores in the UK but we have similar ones so I will go and check tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

13 minutes ago, Inkz said:

Alienware and Razer are very different. Also can you provide a reason why he can't choose to use Alienware? I am using a 17 R4 right now, and it is working just fine.

 

@SeanAngelo Personally I would go for the 15 model. It does add some bulk, but I find a larger screen is very important for gaming. Of course that is very subjective. Also if you go with Alienware sign up for email deals, there is almost always a 10% discount code going on, also you get an extra 15% if you have any military in your family.

I'm fine going with an Alienware, seriously. The reviews state that it's built good so I'll take it from them.

 

Where's the signup for the Alienware deals? I can't seem to find it. The cheapest 15 model only has an i5 and a 1050Ti and I'm looking on getting atleast an i7 and a GTX 1060.

 

6 minutes ago, R3ep3r said:

I find alienware VERY VERY VERY VERY EXPENSIVE and for what? For an i5 and 2gigs GPU? I found a great deal coming from ASUS((Not a fanboy btw)), even from Acer for better laptops at lower prices. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-Aspire-VX5-591G-15-6-Inch-Notebook/dp/B01N24EENE

https://www.amazon.com/GL553VD-Gaming-i7-7700HQ-7200RPM-Keyboard/dp/B01NCOS5ZG  (This one is close to the price he had to pay for that Alienware)

You're comparing a laptop that has a 1050/1050Ti to one that has a 1060. Obviously it's gonna be cheaper. Read above.

[themctipers]

1 minute ago, SeanAngelo said:

The Alienware has better specs for gaming with an i7 6700HQ, GTX 1060, 16GB RAM and the XPS15 has a 7700HQ, GTX 1050 AND 16GB RAM. Also to mention the Alienware has better cooling too.

 

From looking at the prices in the UK, the Aero 14 is out of my price range and which MSI GT VR are you talking about?

 

The thing is, I will be going on vacation this summer and I want to play games so that's why I'm looking for a gaming laptop which I can use for university. I'm very picky when it comes to these things and it has to tick the boxes I require. Some of the cheaper gaming laptops either have a bad display, inferior gpu that can't play games at decent frame rates or a shitty build. And the UK has a limited availability on ASUS ROG laptops, they have less choices being sold here compared to the USA and it kinda annoys me a little bit.

 

We don't have those stores in the UK but we have similar ones so I will go and check tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

I'm fine going with an Alienware, seriously. The reviews state that it's built good so I'll take it from them.

 

The cheapest 15 model only has an i5 and a 1050Ti and I'm looking on getting atleast an i7 and a GTX 1060.

 

You're comparing a laptop that has a 1050/1050Ti to one that has a 1060. Obviously it's gonna be cheaper. Read above.

do it, the alienware.

[The Sloth]

3 minutes ago, SeanAngelo said:

MSI GT VR

msi gt vr stealth 1060 with 16gb ram verson 

[Droidbot]

3rd time I've called in @Pendragon

 

It's a solid machine, and it's cooled quite well but it's heavy and the heatsinks bend slightly so not 100% contact

[Inkz]

16 minutes ago, R3ep3r said:

I find alienware VERY VERY VERY VERY EXPENSIVE and for what? For an i5 and 2gigs GPU? I found a great deal coming from ASUS((Not a fanboy btw)), even from Acer for better laptops at lower prices. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-Aspire-VX5-591G-15-6-Inch-Notebook/dp/B01N24EENE

https://www.amazon.com/GL553VD-Gaming-i7-7700HQ-7200RPM-Keyboard/dp/B01NCOS5ZG  (This one is close to the price he had to pay for that Alienware)

One of those has a lower end 1050, and the other is about the same price once you convert to usd.. Not really sure what your point is. Plus the Alienware has a nice keyboard, track pad, and is pretty rigid. Also those laptops have a much smaller battery. All gaming laptops are expensive. Also you should never buy a Alienware at full price, you should get a discount code atleast, if not in addition to a sale.

12 minutes ago, SeanAngelo said:

The Alienware has better specs for gaming with an i7 6700HQ, GTX 1060, 16GB RAM and the XPS15 has a 7700HQ, GTX 1050 AND 16GB RAM. Also to mention the Alienware has better cooling too.

 

From looking at the prices in the UK, the Aero 14 is out of my price range and which MSI GT VR are you talking about?

 

The thing is, I will be going on vacation this summer and I want to play games so that's why I'm looking for a gaming laptop which I can use for university. I'm very picky when it comes to these things and it has to tick the boxes I require. Some of the cheaper gaming laptops either have a bad display, inferior gpu that can't play games at decent frame rates or a shitty build. And the UK has a limited availability on ASUS ROG laptops, they have less choices being sold here compared to the USA and it kinda annoys me a little bit.

 

We don't have those stores in the UK but we have similar ones so I will go and check tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

I'm fine going with an Alienware, seriously. The reviews state that it's built good so I'll take it from them.

 

The cheapest 15 model only has an i5 and a 1050Ti and I'm looking on getting atleast an i7 and a GTX 1060.

 

You're comparing a laptop that has a 1050/1050Ti to one that has a 1060. Obviously it's gonna be cheaper. Read above.

My A17 R4 is very solid. The track pad and keyboard are a pleasure to use. There were some reports of some heat sink issues a while ago, but I didn't get affected by it. I also heard that many newer models should have a fix for it. I say go ahead, but try to get a sale or at least a discount. I don't know if it is different in the UK , but Dell in the US runs 5 or 10% discounts all the time in emails. Some people have a bias against Alienware, but in the past couple of years they have actually been pretty competitive. Just look at all the facts, and make the decision that fits you the best. If you want to ask my any questions about the 15 (It is very similar to my 17) go ahead. Also you have every right to buy a gaming laptop, there are legit reasons to own one, don't let people shake you off. I was in a similar position a few months ago.

[Bananasplit_00]

id much rather have a 13.3" then a 15+". its not too small to game on and its way more protable. 

[just tilt]

Let me point out the obvious. I'd much more rather have the smaller laptop with 13 inches for portability and practicality, and it has more PPI.

[Amaranth]

I own a SkyLake 13 R3 and will attest that it is more than worth the money I spent on it and thus the Alienware system gets my vote (especially now that the temperature issues seem to be fixed - I would still recommend repasting if you feel that you're up to the task or have the resources to pay someone if you don't feel that you're up to it yourself but, if neither of those are true, Dell seems to have gotten their act together and started to implement more quality control on the production line).

[Guest lilbman]

@SeanAngelo It just so happens I have the exact 15" you described before I upgraded it-6700HQ, 1060 6GB, 16 GB of RAM.

 

GREAT machine.  When you pick it up, you feel like this is a tank.  Great temperatures-I ordered mine the day they released so I got a messed up heatsink.  After undervolting, the CPU never gets above 68 degrees Celcius.  Get the larger battery, DEFINITELY worth it.

[Pendragon]

8 hours ago, R3ep3r said:

This alienware thing is the same thing with razer in my opinion. More money for low quality products.(PS. I know that laptop is made by dell but I still have doubts about the quality) At around the same price(1k$) you could find an Asus ROG with i7-7700hq and 1050 on 4 gigs.

 

you literally know nothing about laptops.

 

7 hours ago, SeanAngelo said:

Also to mention the Alienware has better cooling too.

debatable. 

 

7 hours ago, Inkz said:

There were some reports of some heat sink issues a while ago, but I didn't get affected by it. I also heard that many newer models should have a fix for it.

nope. 

 

@SeanAngelo getting an Alienware right now is still a roll of the lottery. http://www.notebookcheck.net/Alienware-15-R3-Notebook-Review.196584.0.html. Look at the temps. Still fucked. The fix was a) redefining CPU overheating to 110c which is literally impossible. I have a email from a rep explaining to me how incompetent it is. b) use thermal tape inside of pads on 1 area of the heatsink to improve contact. As you can see from the NBC review, still fucks things half the time. How to fix it guide here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/alienware-17r4-15r3-disassembly-repaste-guide-results.797373/

 

But. If you get a decent machine, it's a pretty good machine. Probably the best BGA laptops right now. Also, getting a GSync screen is shit because battery life goes to hell. I got one of these things purely for the astounding battery life. 

 

I thinking gaming on a 13in screen is shit. Actually even working on 1 is shit. If you want to save money, buying a Dell 7567 and DIY replacing the screen accomplishes the same results for like 900 pounds total. 

 

Never buy AW at MSRP. At MSRP it is literally the most overpriced thing ever. If it's within 5-10% of https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/defianceIII-15/ similarly configured, then it's priced good. There's also alot of bs sales Dell does at random. You might want to consider PCSpecialist as well for their 1070 laptops. Probably similar priced to your XPS15. 

[Droidbot]

1 minute ago, Pendragon said:

I thinking gaming on a 13in screen is shit. Actually even working on 1 is shit. If you want to save money, buying a Dell 7567 and DIY replacing the screen accomplishes the same results for like 900 pounds total. 

working on one is fine, gaming on one is mediocre

 

I've been working on my 2570p all day, and that's 12.5"

Except going here for like short 5min breaks

[Pendragon]

Just now, Droidbot said:

working on one is fine, gaming on one is mediocre

 

I need to rephrase that, for my primary workstation I can't do anything smaller than 15in. Often I plop my Zbook down with docks and boom 2 more monitors. For mobility, yes 13in is great. Hence my search for the T430.

 

Also depends on your workflow right? I need a Bloomblerg Terminal + 1 moniter for an excel sheet + 1 for extra. 

[larKvan]

I would test the alienware keyboard in a store or something, I personaly dont like it and thats the main thing you interact with so I have not looked at them much past that. (Although I would probably get used to it and it wouldn't be an issue)

[Droidbot]

1 minute ago, Pendragon said:

I need to rephrase that, for my primary workstation I can't do anything smaller than 15in. Often I plop my Zbook down with docks and boom 2 more monitors. For mobility, yes 13in is great. Hence my search for the T430.

 

Also depends on your workflow right? I need a Bloomblerg Terminal + 1 moniter for an excel sheet + 1 for extra. 

Fair point - I was writing an essay based on two novels and tabbing between apps and tabs like a madman

I find with most workflows (ie web browsing, research, etc as I am a student) I use two-three monitors efficiently, and three isn't something I have often. One for notes, one for research, one for something else like skype or something

[Pendragon]

2 minutes ago, larKvan said:

I would test the alienware keyboard in a store or something, I personaly dont like it and thats the main thing you interact with so I have not looked at them much past that. (Although I would probably get used to it and it wouldn't be an issue)

 

Interesting, it's one of my fav keyboards. I guilty admit I think that it's like old school thinkpad keyboards. alot of travel. i can slam it while typing which is how i type. 

[larKvan]

Just now, Pendragon said:

Interesting, it's one of my fav keyboards. I guilty admit I think that it's like old school thinkpad keyboards. alot of travel. i can slam it while typing which is how i type. 

I didnt use it for super long, my hand wouldnt press the spacebar hard enough for it to register / it felt cheap? i duno.  yea its probably a travel distance thing

[Droidbot]

4 minutes ago, Pendragon said:

Interesting, it's one of my fav keyboards. I guilty admit I think that it's like old school thinkpad keyboards. alot of travel. i can slam it while typing which is how i type. 

Have you tried the Surface Pro 4 keyboard? I slam my keys hard as I used to type on MX Blacks and I absolutely love it. 

[Pendragon]

Just now, Droidbot said:

Have you tried the Surface Pro 4 keyboard? I slam my keys hard as I used to type on MX Blacks and I absolutely love it. 

I have, I think it's better than Surface Pro 3, but I still don't like it. Not enough travel. Keys aren't big enough. I dont like the modern chiclet style keyboards. Suprisingly, the old school Macbook 2012 keyboard was one of my fav too. And I like my mechanical numberpad. On god MX Blacks, I don't slam that hard. MX blacks tire me out so fast. I'm a MX Blues guy.