Laptop selection for work & gaming

[hwadhwa]

Hey guys,

 

I'm a developer currently using a base rMBP 13" (2013) with has worked great for me so far. 
I currently work on web technologies (node.js, django) but also started working with tensor flow recently. I need to upgrade to a new system (mainly a RAM issue) but want to get something that would be suitable for atleast 3 years.
Besides that, I play about 4-5 hours/week  of CSGO. I'd like to play more recent games, but my current desktop ( Phenom X6 + GTX580 ) can't handle most of them. 
I don't want to buy a 2017 MBP 15" since extending the budget that far is not even an option. I'll be getting rid of my desktop and plan to use the laptop exclusively.
Currently I am looking at the three below:

 

1. Dell XPS 15: https://www.amazon.com/Dell-XPS9560-7001SLV-PUS-Laptop-Nvidia-Gaming/dp/B01N1Q0M4O/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1500810219&sr=1-1&keywords=xps+15
2. Razer Blade (2017): https://www.amazon.com/Razer-Blade-Gaming-Laptop-GeForce/dp/B01N9SSQ9E/ref=sr_1_20?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1500810219&sr=1-20-spons&keywords=xps%2B15&th=1
3. Gigabyte Aero 15: https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-Aero-15W-BK4-Kabylake-i7-7700HQ/dp/B07141QMKD/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1500810536&sr=1-1&keywords=aero+15
    

Build quality and reliability are REALLY important. I live in India and plan to buy it from US, 'cause the prices in India are RIDICULOUS! Gigabyte and Razer both don't have support at all and even Dell is not certain since the model is not available in India with no plan to bring it any time soon. So, if any issue happens, I'll be own my own.
Based on what I have read so far, there seem to be some serious build issues in both the Razer & Dell and I can't ask the person I will have to ask to get the system to test things before bringing.

Considering all the above, what system should I go for?
I could really use your suggestion here.

PS: I need to place the order within the next 2 days to be able to get it. Sorry for the late thread. 

Thanks A Bunch ! 

[zzzzzzzhhh]

Just upgrade your PC?

[hwadhwa]

2 minutes ago, Vespertine said:

Just upgrade your PC?

Can't do that that right now since I won't have space for a desktop setup soon. Plus I already need to get a new laptop for work, so I am looking to get something that can do both well.

[Yahtadi]

Alienware 13 R3 with Kabylake and 1060. That thing is a tank, would survive if you drop it for sure.
Well build, well material, good keyboard, good specs and fantastic OLED screen. RMA Dell is good well i heard

[hwadhwa]

5 minutes ago, Yahtadi said:

Alienware 13 R3 with Kabylake and 1060. That thing is a tank, would survive if you drop it for sure.
Well build, well material, good keyboard, good specs and fantastic OLED screen. RMA Dell is good well i heard

I'd rather not go for an Alienware personally cause I want something more portable and a bit professional looking.

[Yahtadi]

8 minutes ago, hwadhwa said:

I'd rather not go for an Alienware personally cause I want something more portable

I dont think you have tried any Alienware laptop in your hand. Specifically the 13inc one. They are pretty portable (but a kind of heavy)

 

 

9 minutes ago, hwadhwa said:

bit professional looking.

Get a lattitude?

[genexis_x]

50 minutes ago, hwadhwa said:

Hey guys,

 

I'm a developer currently using a base rMBP 13" (2013) with has worked great for me so far. 
I currently work on web technologies (node.js, django) but also started working with tensor flow recently. I need to upgrade to a new system (mainly a RAM issue) but want to get something that would be suitable for atleast 3 years.
Besides that, I play about 4-5 hours/week  of CSGO. I'd like to play more recent games, but my current desktop ( Phenom X6 + GTX580 ) can't handle most of them. 
I don't want to buy a 2017 MBP 15" since extending the budget that far is not even an option. I'll be getting rid of my desktop and plan to use the laptop exclusively.
Currently I am looking at the three below:

 

1. Dell XPS 15: https://www.amazon.com/Dell-XPS9560-7001SLV-PUS-Laptop-Nvidia-Gaming/dp/B01N1Q0M4O/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1500810219&sr=1-1&keywords=xps+15
2. Razer Blade (2017): https://www.amazon.com/Razer-Blade-Gaming-Laptop-GeForce/dp/B01N9SSQ9E/ref=sr_1_20?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1500810219&sr=1-20-spons&keywords=xps%2B15&th=1
3. Gigabyte Aero 15: https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-Aero-15W-BK4-Kabylake-i7-7700HQ/dp/B07141QMKD/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1500810536&sr=1-1&keywords=aero+15
    

Build quality and reliability are REALLY important. I live in India and plan to buy it from US, 'cause the prices in India are RIDICULOUS! Gigabyte and Razer both don't have support at all and even Dell is not certain since the model is not available in India with no plan to bring it any time soon. So, if any issue happens, I'll be own my own.
Based on what I have read so far, there seem to be some serious build issues in both the Razer & Dell and I can't ask the person I will have to ask to get the system to test things before bringing.

Considering all the above, what system should I go for?
I could really use your suggestion here.

PS: I need to place the order within the next 2 days to be able to get it. Sorry for the late thread. 

Thanks A Bunch ! 

Avoid Razer, tons of QC issues
XPS 15 and Aero 14/15 are solid choices.

[System Error Message]

xps and the new alienware look pretty good if you are a professional.

 

If you are stuck with "professional" looking laptops than your choices are few and stuck to lattitudes, thinkpads and so on.

 

Alienware wont survive a drop, unlike thinkads. Sure the alienware is well built this time and will handle a few dings but not a drop as its not design with the same chassis type as thinkpads (the key is to look at the chassis inside too). Alienware will survive some abuse but not as much as thinkpads.

 

Honestly theres no such thing as a professional looking laptop. A laptop regardless of looks will not do anything to your image and for alienware you can tone down the lights. Bringing a MBP around just tells others that you have lots of money and dont know tech not to mention apple isnt great at hardware support so you cant easily just plug in eGPUs either. I dont consider node.js and django as new tech, and if you do it shows you dont know coding and i pity whoever uses your software (lack of optimisation). 

 

If you can, grab an i7 with 8MB of cache. There is an alienware option with this but it doesnt have IGP which means lack of battery. Other laptop lines might have this choice, if not you can still use the i7-7700hq. Regardless of which laptop you use, a place like india you will want to tone down the lights and styling. This means using stickers that hide the logo and make the laptop look battered.

 

I know dell has support in india, they have many indians on the line

[hwadhwa]

3 hours ago, System Error Message said:

Bringing a MBP around just tells others that you have lots of money and dont know tech

Bringing a MBP around doesn't tell anything. The only thing it tell is the person likes the OS and is willing to spend so much on the machine.

 

Quote

I dont consider node.js and django as new tech, and if you do it shows you dont know coding and i pity whoever uses your software (lack of optimisation). 

I never said node or django were "new" tech. And what you say makes you sound like one of those newbie devs who just go after whatever the latest fad is. Most developers don't just change their tech to the latest "fad". There is a cost to switching the tech, especially if your business has a large existing platform build on it.

But thanks for sharing your views. Will be going for the XPS 

[System Error Message]

44 minutes ago, hwadhwa said:

Bringing a MBP around doesn't tell anything. The only thing it tell is the person likes the OS and is willing to spend so much on the machine.

 

I never said node or django were "new" tech. And what you say makes you sound like one of those newbie devs who just go after whatever the latest fad is. Most developers don't just change their tech to the latest "fad". There is a cost to switching the tech, especially if your business has a large existing platform build on it.

But thanks for sharing your views. Will be going for the XPS 

not really, i dont think much of javascript. I've dabbled in various things and even made a compiler for a custom CPU. I know a lot of developers dont actually code their apps but use a framework that takes web coding and turns it into native apps which ends up becoming very poorly optimised. Im really hoping you arent one of those devs.

 

There are 2 things between switching to a new tech, either it costs to switch and doesnt provide any benefit, or it costs to switch but provides a benefit. If you arent doing anything serious like i do regarding hardware coding than mac OS doesnt matter as you dont have to deal with compatibility issues outside apple's exclusive bubble.

 

Make sure to get the best CPU you can get with your XPS. Some laptops actually have 4 ram slots allowing you to have 64GB of ram easily in a 15 inch chassis or less but i know the XPS doesnt. Even alienware doesnt which is disappointing as dell has betrayed some of the design aspects the original alienware had. 

[Galm]

I'd strongly recommend you give real consideration to the Clevo P950HP6.  Especially from GentechPC or HIDEvolution where you can add liquid ultra thermal paste.  It's a well built little gaming beast.  

[System Error Message]

13 minutes ago, Galm said:

I'd strongly recommend you give real consideration to the Clevo P950HP6.  Especially from GentechPC or HIDEvolution where you can add liquid ultra thermal paste.  It's a well built little gaming beast.  

his first concern is that it is built well. Clevo doesnt compare to the well known, heck even dell is not well built either otherwise you could suggest inspiron too. Gaming is his second concern. Even the dell XPS and alienwares have their flaws too. I had the first dell xps and some of it's onboard devices failed (like the dvd drive), otherwise the laptop still works.

 

The first thing he needs is the best mobile CPU paired with lots of ram and decent battery life (clevo, MSI and asus have terrible battery life). Since gaming isnt his main concern and his last GPU is a GTX 580 a 1050 (ti) is a big upgrade especially if you consider that both GPUs clock their shaders to similar speeds. He wont be able to game the newest on highest settings but if hes ok with playing games in 1080p at medium settings for a while it will suffice.

 

Its too bad hes not considering alienware, alienware 15 can have 99whr battery life which is really nice for portability and i use it for coding too, gives me many hours of time. Some laptops do have 99whr battery too so its something to consider.

 

You can add thermal paste yourself, just buy a really good one.

 

Gigabyte aero is also a nice option too.

[Galm]

1 minute ago, System Error Message said:

his first concern is that it is built well. Clevo doesnt compare to the well known, heck even dell is not well built either otherwise you could suggest inspiron too. Gaming is his second concern. Even the dell XPS and alienwares have their flaws too. I had the first dell xps and some of it's onboard devices failed (like the dvd drive), otherwise the laptop still works.

 

The first thing he needs is the best mobile CPU paired with lots of ram and decent battery life (clevo, MSI and asus have terrible battery life). Since gaming isnt his main concern and his last GPU is a GTX 580 a 1050 (ti) is a big upgrade especially if you consider that both GPUs clock their shaders to similar speeds. He wont be able to game the newest on highest settings but if hes ok with playing games in 1080p at medium settings for a while it will suffice.

 

Its too bad hes not considering alienware, alienware 15 can have 99whr battery life which is really nice for portability and i use it for coding too, gives me many hours of time. Some laptops do have 99whr battery too so its something to consider.

 

You can add thermal paste yourself, just buy a really good one.

 

Gigabyte aero is also a nice option too.

I'm not sure what you're talking about.

 

Clevo is very well built, the P950HP6 is actually one of their best ones too.  An Asus GL502 or MSI GS63 both feel much cheaper in comparison.

 

I don't see anything here warranting battery life above the Clevo (or other options).   The Clevo is around like 4ish hours.  That's really not too shabby.  Lots of ram?  The standard 16GB will be fine.  I'm curious do you even know what the best mobile cpu is?  A lot of this sounds very unclear to me.

 

Clevo's tend to be reliable.  But I don't like this situation at all.  No brand is perfect, and normally business class laptops are more reliable.  So something with no support is a risky thing to buy.

 

OP maybe consider HIDEvolution?  They offer an expensive but good global warranty on their laptops (they offer all the major gaming brands).

[System Error Message]

Just now, Galm said:

I'm not sure what you're talking about.

 

Clevo is very well built, the P950HP6 is actually one of their best ones too.  An Asus GL502 or MSI GS63 both feel much cheaper in comparison.

 

I don't see anything here warranting battery life above the Clevo (or other options).   The Clevo is around like 4ish hours.  That's really not too shabby.  Lots of ram?  The standard 16GB will be fine.  I'm curious do you even know what the best mobile cpu is?  A lot of this sounds very unclear to me.

 

Clevo's tend to be reliable.  But I don't like this situation at all.  No brand is perfect, and normally business class laptops are more reliable.  So something with no support is a risky thing to buy.

 

OP maybe consider HIDEvolution?  They offer an expensive but good global warranty on their laptops (they offer all the major gaming brands).

i dont doubt clevo's reliability in its electronics, just like with lenovo too. But the battery life of 4 hours, is it a practical 4 hours or theoretical like everyone posts? Alienware with 99whr says 10 hours and watching videos from browser i manage 5 hours after tweaking about. I considered clevo as well before but it lacked thunderbolt in their mid to high end laptops and battery life seemed poor (better than asus and msi though) A clevo however is no thinkpad, its not going to survive abuse as well.

 

All laptops will fit lots of ram for DDR4 thats not an issue. As long as the ram isnt soldered onto the board (probably why hes upgrading from MBP ). Remind him to check xps line for ram upgradeability.

 

The best mobile CPU right now is the i7-7820hk. The problem with this CPU is that many laptops that offer it dont offer to use it with an IGP so that does affect battery life. Not only can it be overclocked but it also offers 8MB of cache while other mobile i7s only offer 6MB of cache. When it comes to programming,  having more cache is noticeable.

[Galm]

15 minutes ago, System Error Message said:

i dont doubt clevo's reliability in its electronics, just like with lenovo too. But the battery life of 4 hours, is it a practical 4 hours or theoretical like everyone posts? Alienware with 99whr says 10 hours and watching videos from browser i manage 5 hours after tweaking about. I considered clevo as well before but it lacked thunderbolt in their mid to high end laptops and battery life seemed poor (better than asus and msi though) A clevo however is no thinkpad, its not going to survive abuse as well.

 

All laptops will fit lots of ram for DDR4 thats not an issue. As long as the ram isnt soldered onto the board (probably why hes upgrading from MBP ). Remind him to check xps line for ram upgradeability.

 

The best mobile CPU right now is the i7-7820hk. The problem with this CPU is that many laptops that offer it dont offer to use it with an IGP so that does affect battery life. Not only can it be overclocked but it also offers 8MB of cache while other mobile i7s only offer 6MB of cache. When it comes to programming,  having more cache is noticeable.

I was referring to practical.  My P650RS with a 4K display can hit around 4 hours in a light usage scenario.  

 

The 7820HK is the best mobile cpu good (though desktop 7700k cpus exist in laptops like the Clevo P750 and MSI 16L13).  It does have an iGPU though.  Clevo laptops with it can use it.  The reason I raised the point is I don't think it makes sense in this case.  A 7700HQ is more than fine.  He'd have to overclock to make the 7820hk worth it anyway.

[Pavilion]

I would go with the DELL XPS. it's a great laptop for business and some light gaming.

[Pendragon]

27 minutes ago, System Error Message said:

Alienware with 99whr says 10 hours and watching videos from browser i manage 5 hours after tweaking about.

Something is wrong here. I get 7 hours pretty easily. Do u have the latest firmware. Do ur fans spin up while watching? 

 

Older skylake Alienwares had thermal and firmware bugs that fucked with battery life at stock. 

[System Error Message]

2 minutes ago, Pendragon said:

Something is wrong here. I get 7 hours pretty easily. Do u have the latest firmware. Do ur fans spin up while watching? 

 

Older skylake Alienwares had thermal and firmware bugs that fucked with battery life at stock. 

watching videos online. When it comes to normal work i can get up to 10 hours of battery. I set CPU and IGP frequency to lowest and undervolt (though mine doesnt undervolt well). I also tweak windows too. In order to watch videos i cant clock down the IGP so it ends up using some watts.

15 minutes ago, Galm said:

I was referring to practical.  My P650RS with a 4K display can hit around 4 hours in a light usage scenario.  

 

The 7820HK is the best mobile cpu good (though desktop 7700k cpus exist in laptops like the Clevo P750 and MSI 16L13).  It does have an iGPU though.  Clevo laptops with it can use it.  The reason I raised the point is I don't think it makes sense in this case.  A 7700HQ is more than fine.  He'd have to overclock to make the 7820hk worth it anyway.

the ones with desktop CPU have 2 hours of battery at best. The i7-7820k has 8MB of cache, the i7-7700hq has 6MB of cache. From my experience more cache does actually help but only if you are compiling larger programs for running them its not needed. As a programmer you can expect to compile every few seconds to minutes.

[Galm]

14 minutes ago, Pendragon said:

Something is wrong here. I get 7 hours pretty easily. Do u have the latest firmware. Do ur fans spin up while watching? 

 

Older skylake Alienwares had thermal and firmware bugs that fucked with battery life at stock. 

This is a good point.  If you don't know what you're doing battery life can be terrible on most machines lol.  

 

13 minutes ago, System Error Message said:

watching videos online. When it comes to normal work i can get up to 10 hours of battery. I set CPU and IGP frequency to lowest and undervolt (though mine doesnt undervolt well). I also tweak windows too. In order to watch videos i cant clock down the IGP so it ends up using some watts.

the ones with desktop CPU have 2 hours of battery at best. The i7-7820k has 8MB of cache, the i7-7700hq has 6MB of cache. From my experience more cache does actually help but only if you are compiling larger programs for running them its not needed. As a programmer you can expect to compile every few seconds to minutes.

I am a programmer lol.  The difference exists, but is not very large in most cases.  If you don't have build machines for huge compilations it could be an issue, but usually when I compile locally it's only 4-5 seconds tops.  

[System Error Message]

5 minutes ago, Galm said:

 

I am a programmer lol.  The difference exists, but is not very large in most cases.  If you don't have build machines for huge compilations it could be an issue, but usually when I compile locally it's only 4-5 seconds tops.  

LLVM takes half an hour, even longer if you use MSVS, but on linux with GCC it takes less than half an hour to do a full compile. Every new compile takes seconds though but its a bit faster with more cache.

[Galm]

7 minutes ago, System Error Message said:

LLVM takes half an hour, even longer if you use MSVS, but on linux with GCC it takes less than half an hour to do a full compile. Every new compile takes seconds though but its a bit faster with more cache.

This is all very dependent on what you do.