Alternatives to the new Blade 15

[OfficialLament]

I'm planning to buy the new Razer Blade 15 in a couple of months as a replacement to my current 4720HQ/960m-based laptop.

The model that I'm interested in has a 1070 (MaxQ, I know, but still within 5%-10% of the desktop model), i7 8750H, and 512GB SSD, as well as a 144Hz FHD screen.

 

Price isn't really an issue here (as long as it isn't more than £2,100 (without VAT, GBP), however portability does factor heavily. 

Here's a list of what I want from a laptop:

• FHD or 4K screen, 13" or greater but no more than 15.6"
• Nvidia GTX 1060 or better, at least 6GB VRAM
• Ultraportable
• Has a numpad + RGB keyboard backlighting

The Blade 15 ticks three of those boxes, but I'd really like to find an ultraportable gaming laptop in my price range that has a numpad.

I also don't mind having to buy an external GPU dock and GPU in order to game, but that would mean the laptop would absolutely need Thunderbolt (that would put the laptop down to around £1,000, but the GPU dock would be around £250 and the GPU itself would be around £500, and then we arrive at a total cost price a little less than the Blade 15 that has discrete graphics- totally not really worth it in this case).

 

My use case is games development, games, media consumption, and word processing (as a university student taking a computer science degree in games technology, I need to ask a lot from whatever machine I eventually settle on).

 

Are there any laptops out there that meet all my requirements?

[HK1]

6 minutes ago, OfficialLament said:

I'm planning to buy the new Razer Blade 15 in a couple of months as a replacement to my current 4720HQ/960m-based laptop.

The model that I'm interested in has a 1070 (MaxQ, I know, but still within 5%-10% of the desktop model), i7 8750H, and 512GB SSD, as well as a 144Hz FHD screen.

 

Price isn't really an issue here (as long as it isn't more than £2,100 (without VAT, GBP), however portability does factor heavily. 

Here's a list of what I want from a laptop:

• FHD or 4K screen, 13" or greater but no more than 15.6"
• Nvidia GTX 1060 or better, at least 6GB VRAM
• Ultraportable
• Has a numpad + RGB keyboard backlighting

The Blade 15 ticks three of those boxes, but I'd really like to find an ultraportable gaming laptop in my price range that has a numpad.

I also don't mind having to buy an external GPU dock and GPU in order to game, but that would mean the laptop would absolutely need Thunderbolt (that would put the laptop down to around £1,000, but the GPU dock would be around £250 and the GPU itself would be around £500, and then we arrive at a total cost price a little less than the Blade 15 that has discrete graphics- totally not really worth it in this case).

 

My use case is games development, games, media consumption, and word processing (as a university student taking a computer science degree in games technology, I need to ask a lot from whatever machine I eventually settle on).

 

Are there any laptops out there that meet all my requirements?

asus zephyrus 2018  done. its ultra portable and you can get it with a 1070. https://www.asus.com/Laptops/ROG-ZEPHYRUS-GX501/

[HK1]

7 minutes ago, OfficialLament said:

I'm planning to buy the new Razer Blade 15 in a couple of months as a replacement to my current 4720HQ/960m-based laptop.

The model that I'm interested in has a 1070 (MaxQ, I know, but still within 5%-10% of the desktop model), i7 8750H, and 512GB SSD, as well as a 144Hz FHD screen.

 

Price isn't really an issue here (as long as it isn't more than £2,100 (without VAT, GBP), however portability does factor heavily. 

Here's a list of what I want from a laptop:

• FHD or 4K screen, 13" or greater but no more than 15.6"
• Nvidia GTX 1060 or better, at least 6GB VRAM
• Ultraportable
• Has a numpad + RGB keyboard backlighting

The Blade 15 ticks three of those boxes, but I'd really like to find an ultraportable gaming laptop in my price range that has a numpad.

I also don't mind having to buy an external GPU dock and GPU in order to game, but that would mean the laptop would absolutely need Thunderbolt (that would put the laptop down to around £1,000, but the GPU dock would be around £250 and the GPU itself would be around £500, and then we arrive at a total cost price a little less than the Blade 15 that has discrete graphics- totally not really worth it in this case).

 

My use case is games development, games, media consumption, and word processing (as a university student taking a computer science degree in games technology, I need to ask a lot from whatever machine I eventually settle on).

 

Are there any laptops out there that meet all my requirements?

you can get a 1080 version for that. if you go for the 2017 model. ill attach links

[HK1]

1. ASUS GX501VS-XS71 ROG Zephyrus GX501 15.6” Full-HD 120Hz Ultra-portable Gaming Laptop, GeForce GTX 1070, Intel Core i7-7700HQ, 256GB PCIe SSD, 16GB DDR4, Windows 10 Pro 64-Bit: for $1899

 

  https://www.amazon.com/GX501VS-XS71-Zephyrus-Full-HD-Ultra-portable-i7-7700HQ/dp/B0731JXL49/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527244636&sr=8-2&keywords=asus+gx501&dpID=41splH1z7yL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

 

2.  or 8th gen with same specs for $2199: https://www.amazon.com/Zephyrus-GM501GS-XS74-IPS-Type-i7-8750H-FireCuda/dp/B07BSKLV3K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1527244636&sr=8-3&keywords=asus+gx501&dpID=41hzQX9m1DL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

[OfficialLament]

Just now, HK1 said:

you can get a 1080 version for that. if you go for the 2017 model. ill attach links

I considered the Zephyrus but I'm not a fan of the touchpad location, same goes for the Blade Pro.

 

Used to have an Aorus X7 Pro Sync 4 which was pretty thin, but I accidentally did a Linus on it in October last year:

 

 

[williamcll]

I have never seen a 15.6 laptop with a dedicated numpad, nor an ultrabook with a dedicated GPU.

 

However, the cheapest 15.6 inch laptops out there with GTX 1060 6GB RAM is either the Xiaomi gaming laptop or the lenovo Y720,

Mi: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mi.com%2Fmigaminglaptop%2Fspecs%2F&edit-text=&act=url
Lenovo: https://www3.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/ideapad/lenovo-legion-y-series-laptops/Legion-Y720/p/88GMY700794#tab-techspec

 

 

either those or the Zephyrus/ Zephyrus M as the poster above mentions
 

[OfficialLament]

1 minute ago, HK1 said:

1. ASUS GX501VS-XS71 ROG Zephyrus GX501 15.6” Full-HD 120Hz Ultra-portable Gaming Laptop, GeForce GTX 1070, Intel Core i7-7700HQ, 256GB PCIe SSD, 16GB DDR4, Windows 10 Pro 64-Bit: for $1899

 

  https://www.amazon.com/GX501VS-XS71-Zephyrus-Full-HD-Ultra-portable-i7-7700HQ/dp/B0731JXL49/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527244636&sr=8-2&keywords=asus+gx501&dpID=41splH1z7yL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

 

2.  or 8th gen with same specs for $2199: https://www.amazon.com/Zephyrus-GM501GS-XS74-IPS-Type-i7-8750H-FireCuda/dp/B07BSKLV3K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1527244636&sr=8-3&keywords=asus+gx501&dpID=41hzQX9m1DL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Really liking the look of the Zephyrus M... might try and find a model with a 512GB or 1TB SSD though.

[genexis_x]

2 minutes ago, HK1 said:

you can get a 1080 version for that. if you go for the 2017 model. ill attach links

It's 1080 Max-Q model. 1080MQ is just about the same performance with 1070N

 

Gigabyte Aero 15/15X, has more battery life compared to other thin gaming laptops. Though it needs undervolting+repaste. Avoid Razer laptops, terrible quality and QC.

[OfficialLament]

Just now, williamcll said:

I have never seen a 15.6 laptop with a dedicated numpad, nor an ultrabook with a dedicated GPU.

 

However, the cheapest 15.6 inch laptops out there with GTX 1060 6GB RAM is either the Xiaomi gaming laptop or the lenovo Y720,

Mi: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mi.com%2Fmigaminglaptop%2Fspecs%2F&edit-text=&act=url
Lenovo: https://www3.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/ideapad/lenovo-legion-y-series-laptops/Legion-Y720/p/88GMY700794#tab-techspec

 

 

either those or the Zephyrus/ Zephyrus M as the poster above mentions
 

My Lenovo Y50-70 is 15.6" and has a numpad (I mean just a keyboard with a numpad on it, without messing about with the function keys).

[OfficialLament]

1 minute ago, ZM Fong said:

It's 1080 Max-Q model. 1080MQ is just about the same performance with 1070N

 

Gigabyte Aero 15/15X, has more battery life compared to other thin gaming laptops. Though it needs undervolting+repaste. Avoid Razer laptops, terrible quality and QC.

Wowee, that Aero 15X looks like a really nice machine and it ticks all my boxes.

Same specs as the new Blade 15 but cheaper.

[genexis_x]

54 minutes ago, OfficialLament said:

Wowee, that Aero 15X looks like a really nice machine and it ticks all my boxes.

Same specs as the new Blade 15 but cheaper.

Just to be clear, Gigabyte support and QC are hit or miss, though not as bad as Razer. I suggest you buying from resellers like GentechPC, they offer repaste service without voiding warranty

[OfficialLament]

1 minute ago, ZM Fong said:

Just to be clear, Gigabyte support and QC are hit or miss, though not as bad as Razer. I suggest you buying from resellers like GentechPC, they offer repaste service without voiding warranty

I plan to buy from Amazon, plus an accidental damage warranty (since I can't afford to lose £2,000, the cost is nothing compared to the cost of the machine).

Amazon will usually honor a product's warranty, which is one of the reasons why I use them.

[YoungStarDCx]

50 minutes ago, OfficialLament said:

I plan to buy from Amazon, plus an accidental damage warranty (since I can't afford to lose £2,000, the cost is nothing compared to the cost of the machine).

Amazon will usually honor a product's warranty, which is one of the reasons why I use them.

Personally I'd go with the Asus M over the Aero. You get a full blown 1070, a better display (3ms response time), better cooling and a better keyboard and trackpad. The only real tradeoff would be the battery life I think. 

 

I'm trying to decide between the Blade and the Asus myself. Razers bad track record is a big issue for me. 

[genexis_x]

5 minutes ago, YoungStarDCx said:

3ms response time

Where did you get this info?

[YoungStarDCx]

4 minutes ago, ZM Fong said:

Where did you get this info?

Various reviews, but most importantly: https://www.asus.com/us/ROG-Republic-Of-Gamers/ROG-Zephyrus-M-GM501/Tech-Specs/

[genexis_x]

43 minutes ago, YoungStarDCx said:

Various reviews, but most importantly: https://www.asus.com/us/ROG-Republic-Of-Gamers/ROG-Zephyrus-M-GM501/Tech-Specs/

That's not GTG. Refer to displays subforum and see display mythbuster

[D13H4RD]

GS65 and the Zephyrus M alongside the Aero 15X

 

Do not get any Razer laptop until they have actually sorted out their quality control problems.

[genexis_x]

59 minutes ago, D13H4RD2L1V3 said:

GS65 and the Zephyrus M alongside the Aero 15X

Zephyrus M has full blown 1070N. GS65 and Aero 15X has Max-Q 1070

 

Cooling wise: Zephyrus M>GS65≈Aero 15X

 

Build quality: Zephyrus M≈Aero 15X>GS65

 

My thoughts.

[HK1]

5 hours ago, D13H4RD2L1V3 said:

GS65 and the Zephyrus M alongside the Aero 15X

 

Do not get any Razer laptop until they have actually sorted out their quality control problems.

oh yes the gs65 is really good too

[genexis_x]

8 hours ago, HK1 said:

oh yes the gs65 is really good too

Except for the meh build quality and OKish cooling

[HK1]

On 5/26/2018 at 6:35 AM, ZM Fong said:

Except for the meh build quality and OKish cooling

the build quality is great from what i've heard... but idk about cooling, i would personally go with the zephyrus.

[HK1]

On 5/25/2018 at 1:40 PM, OfficialLament said:

I considered the Zephyrus but I'm not a fan of the touchpad location, same goes for the Blade Pro.

 

Used to have an Aorus X7 Pro Sync 4 which was pretty thin, but I accidentally did a Linus on it in October last year:

 

 

 

On 5/25/2018 at 1:40 PM, OfficialLament said:

I considered the Zephyrus but I'm not a fan of the touchpad location, same goes for the Blade Pro.

 

Used to have an Aorus X7 Pro Sync 4 which was pretty thin, but I accidentally did a Linus on it in October last year:

 

 

why not just fix this though? you could get a new one and get much better performance but this is pretty good too, do you know what broke?

[msaw89]

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/new-dell-g7-15-gaming/spd/g-series-15-7588-laptop/dncwfsb626s

 

Dell G7 15

15.6 inch 4K UHD Display

1060 6Gb

Numpad

8th gen 8750H

Has thunderbolt 3 so you can use other GPUs down the line if you want more power.

Save $600-700 and you can purchase a high refresh rate monitor for use at home.

 

[OfficialLament]

5 hours ago, HK1 said:

 

why not just fix this though? you could get a new one and get much better performance but this is pretty good too, do you know what broke?

Insurance determined that it was a write-off, especially as the heatsink was damaged (after this happened, one of the GPUs was much hotter than the other, and the CPU was a little warmer than normal).

Aorus quoted me £400 to repair, to replace the chassis, fans, and heatsinks.

[HK1]

19 hours ago, OfficialLament said:

Insurance determined that it was a write-off, especially as the heatsink was damaged (after this happened, one of the GPUs was much hotter than the other, and the CPU was a little warmer than normal).

Aorus quoted me £400 to repair, to replace the chassis, fans, and heatsinks.

ooouch. speaking of paying £400 to repair your laptop... I FIXIT! the service. lol. in that case i guess you should get a new one or try actually like i fixing it