Answering
Hello hardcore gamers! With a budget of around 2K, I'd like to get a very poweful gaming laptop that has THE BEST HD screen for 3D gaming: high res, bright, emitters, 120hz LCD +, etc
For a while, I've had my eye on the Toshiba Qosmio X875 Q7390
http://computers.toptenreviews.com/gaming-laptops/toshiba/toshiba-qosmio-x-series-review.html
But I've wondered about the Alienware MX17:
http://computers.toptenreviews.com/gaming-laptops/alienware-corporation/alienware-m17x-review.html
^ the MX17 has as good screen, but I don't know if it is as bright and as crisp as the Qosmio. Granted the MX17 has a better keyboard, heating, batt life, graphics, and RAM option. I don't like that the max ram on the Qosmio is 16GB and cannot be upgraded past 16GB (I've seen a 32GB version on amazon but it is around $2050 which exceeds my budget).
The screen is VERY important for this purchase, however. And I'd rather it be a laptop for business reasons, and to take it to other people's houses to work with them on projects and such.
ALSO: I am very good at modding electronics (I'm an inventor), and I was wondering if it's possible to find a 17.3" LCD with 240hz and just swap out the laptop screens.
Answer
Be it either Eurocom, Sager, XMG, Origin PC or any other vendor, they will probably be selling you the base of a Clevo laptop fitted with the parts that you choose. Sager is the cheapest of them all and pulls it off without compromising on performance.
In your case, you should be looking for the Sager NP9370-3D model which is based on the Clevo P370EM3 chassis.
It outranks the Alienware M17x R4 and the M18x R2 in performance given that you choose the right components to put in. The Sager is sold via resellers thus giving it much better customisation options than the Alienware. However this is not an issue if you purchase an Alienware from a reseller which however is very hard to find and even when you do find a reseller that sells Alienwares, they will be restrained in the otherwise more options they can offer than those that are available on the Dell website. This is because when it comes to Alienware, the extra options are also produced and fitted by Dell and not the reseller.
But the guarantee with a Clevo based chassis is that it will always be cheaper than an Alienware given that both of them have been fitted with similar components. Plus, a Clevo based laptop is easier to maintain and upgrade (Sager allows hardware upgrades with component warranty)
Try it out yourself, go to this website: www.xoticpc.com and build an Alienware M18x R2 and a Sager NP9370-3D with the same (or similar components) and watch the Alienware price climb higher than the Sager by USD 500 - USD 800 depending on what components you select. Why am I comparing the Sager build to the M18x and not an M17x? That's because the M17x is a single GPU laptop and the Sager NP9370-3D is a DUAL GPU laptop. Thus to keep it fair, we need to compare the builds equally to the M18x which is also a DUAL GPU laptop.
People often argue over the difference between build qualities of both brands claiming in most cases that Alienwares are better built however, it is worthy to note that before Dell bought Alienware (and ruined it), Alienware used Clevo as their chassis' whereas now they don't. What I do know is that neither laptop has bad build quality since they need to be strong enough to hold what is inside them in the first place. 17 inches of real estate on a desk requires durability in a laptop as standard. Then again quality is not fact, it is an opinion. This is where many people confuse the better design of the Alienware as an indicator of better build quality. Alienware laptops are very intimidating in their looks and quite frankly deserve the stares they draw from the rest of a classroom/meeting room/office.
You mentioned that you'd rather the laptop for business reasons. The Sager wins in this department since it is very discrete in it's design and you can also choose to remove any branding from the body of the laptop to make it look plain. The Alienware is more ostentatious in this regard with all the obvious lighting and bodywork albeit a beautiful piece of design.
The screen. The Sager NP9370-3D comes with a 72% color Gamut 120hz display as standard. The Alienware M17x R4 does as well but without the Gamut adjustment unless you're buying form a reseller and they provide that service. Also the M17x R4 is a single GPU laptop whereas the NP9370-3D is a DUAL GPU laptop. The Alienware dual GPU laptop, the M18x R2 does not come with 3D capabilities nor a 120hz screen. In terms of replacement, I have not heard of any screen variants for any Alienware laptop on the market nor do I recommend it. Alienware laptops are the complete opposites of there desktop counterparts when it comes to customisation. which means that they do not handle it well. Sager on the other hand has a better track record in custom parts however I have not seen any screen replacement for the NP9370-3D on the market either.
The choice is yours however since Alienware in itself is not a bad choice if you have the money. They are powerful themselves. But my personal recommendation is a Sager NP9370-3D with the Nvidia 680m SLi setup which is more powerful, better value for money and leaves options for future customisation, upgrading (this includes CPU and GPU upgrades apart from RAM) and overclocking.
Be it either Eurocom, Sager, XMG, Origin PC or any other vendor, they will probably be selling you the base of a Clevo laptop fitted with the parts that you choose. Sager is the cheapest of them all and pulls it off without compromising on performance.
In your case, you should be looking for the Sager NP9370-3D model which is based on the Clevo P370EM3 chassis.
It outranks the Alienware M17x R4 and the M18x R2 in performance given that you choose the right components to put in. The Sager is sold via resellers thus giving it much better customisation options than the Alienware. However this is not an issue if you purchase an Alienware from a reseller which however is very hard to find and even when you do find a reseller that sells Alienwares, they will be restrained in the otherwise more options they can offer than those that are available on the Dell website. This is because when it comes to Alienware, the extra options are also produced and fitted by Dell and not the reseller.
But the guarantee with a Clevo based chassis is that it will always be cheaper than an Alienware given that both of them have been fitted with similar components. Plus, a Clevo based laptop is easier to maintain and upgrade (Sager allows hardware upgrades with component warranty)
Try it out yourself, go to this website: www.xoticpc.com and build an Alienware M18x R2 and a Sager NP9370-3D with the same (or similar components) and watch the Alienware price climb higher than the Sager by USD 500 - USD 800 depending on what components you select. Why am I comparing the Sager build to the M18x and not an M17x? That's because the M17x is a single GPU laptop and the Sager NP9370-3D is a DUAL GPU laptop. Thus to keep it fair, we need to compare the builds equally to the M18x which is also a DUAL GPU laptop.
People often argue over the difference between build qualities of both brands claiming in most cases that Alienwares are better built however, it is worthy to note that before Dell bought Alienware (and ruined it), Alienware used Clevo as their chassis' whereas now they don't. What I do know is that neither laptop has bad build quality since they need to be strong enough to hold what is inside them in the first place. 17 inches of real estate on a desk requires durability in a laptop as standard. Then again quality is not fact, it is an opinion. This is where many people confuse the better design of the Alienware as an indicator of better build quality. Alienware laptops are very intimidating in their looks and quite frankly deserve the stares they draw from the rest of a classroom/meeting room/office.
You mentioned that you'd rather the laptop for business reasons. The Sager wins in this department since it is very discrete in it's design and you can also choose to remove any branding from the body of the laptop to make it look plain. The Alienware is more ostentatious in this regard with all the obvious lighting and bodywork albeit a beautiful piece of design.
The screen. The Sager NP9370-3D comes with a 72% color Gamut 120hz display as standard. The Alienware M17x R4 does as well but without the Gamut adjustment unless you're buying form a reseller and they provide that service. Also the M17x R4 is a single GPU laptop whereas the NP9370-3D is a DUAL GPU laptop. The Alienware dual GPU laptop, the M18x R2 does not come with 3D capabilities nor a 120hz screen. In terms of replacement, I have not heard of any screen variants for any Alienware laptop on the market nor do I recommend it. Alienware laptops are the complete opposites of there desktop counterparts when it comes to customisation. which means that they do not handle it well. Sager on the other hand has a better track record in custom parts however I have not seen any screen replacement for the NP9370-3D on the market either.
The choice is yours however since Alienware in itself is not a bad choice if you have the money. They are powerful themselves. But my personal recommendation is a Sager NP9370-3D with the Nvidia 680m SLi setup which is more powerful, better value for money and leaves options for future customisation, upgrading (this includes CPU and GPU upgrades apart from RAM) and overclocking.
Whats the best laptop to get in 2013?
Q. Preferably one without Windows 8 pre-installed and one thats powerful enough to use as a gaming computer as well be used for simple browsing and has great battery life.
Answer
ASUS laptop.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230987
Core i5 3230M(2.60GHz) 15.6" 6GB Memory DDR3 1600 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD±R/RW NVIDIA GeForce Dedicated 2GB GT 610M 1 Year Accidental Damage/30-Day Zero Bright Dot 5.8 lbs
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230416
Core i5 3210M(2.50GHz) 14.1" 8GB Memory 750GB HDD 5400rpm DVD±R/RW NVIDIA GeForce Dedicated 1GB GT 620M
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834231089
Core i7 4700HQ(2.40GHz) 17.3" 12GB Memory 1TB HDD 5400rpm DVD±R/RW NVIDIA Dedicated 2GB GTX 765M 1920 x 1080 1 Year Accidental Damage/30-Day Zero Bright Dot
These HP can be customized to what you need, Bump the APU and ram for better performance. They would be consider good all around laptops.
http://www.shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Laptops/HP-ENVY/C9W57AV;pgid=c7twGfjc0ptSRpIq7ZUcoGXQ0000fb8mNv9y;sid=NID2W1inOb6JXwkRbh2qz4GoAJwzDmy78dUe8LW2AJwzDtPc7Kuhl6jI?HP-ENVY-15z-j000-Notebook-PC A8-5550M APU HD 8000 Series Graphics 6GB DDR3 750GB 5400 rpm HD Starting at $530
http://www.shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Laptops/HP-Pavilion/D1H55AV;pgid=c7twGfjc0ptSRpIq7ZUcoGXQ0000fb8mNv9y;sid=NID2W1inOb6JXwkRbh2qz4GoAJwzDmy78dUe8LW2AJwzDtPc7Kuhl6jI?HP-Pavilion-17z-e000-Notebook-PC A4-5000 APU HD 8330G 4GB DDR3 500GB 5400 rpm HD Starting at $450 Your choice of 4 colors
These are not customizable
http://www.shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Laptops/HP-ENVY/C2K91UA;pgid=c7twGfjc0ptSRpIq7ZUcoGXQ0000ptFcn-Ce;sid=UfkUk5vYup7bi8p-xu5OB0LXZeXRxq_ElKxaT319WyKZOCFLk0_Q5UIX?HP-ENVY-Sleekbook-6-1110us
HP SleekBook AMD Quad-Core A8-4555M APU AMD Radeon HD 7600G 4 GB DDR3 500 GB SATA (5400 rpm) $700 less then an inch thick 4.5lbs
http://www.shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Laptops/HP-ENVY/C2N66UA;pgid=c7twGfjc0ptSRpIq7ZUcoGXQ0000ptFcn-Ce;sid=UfkUk5vYup7bi8p-xu5OB0LXZeXRxq_ElKxaT319WyKZOCFLk0_Q5UIX?HP-ENVY-dv7-7230us-Notebook-PC
17" DV7-7230US laptop AMD Quad-Core A8-4500M APU AMD Radeon HD 7640G 6 GB DDR3 750 GB SATA (5400 rpm) $750
Brand buying advise
You get what you pay for. Systems with high end parts with low prices are to be viewed with suspicion. They have to cut corners somewhere to get the price down. What cost you less today is going to cost you more tomorrow.
Apple makes a good quality laptop. The problem comes when it requires service or minor upgrades. It is near impossible to do anything with them. They even glue the battery and hard drive down so you can not change it. They solder the ram to the logic board so you can not increase it. They lock up most of the software so your stuck with what they approve.
Lenovo has serious stand behind their product problems. They bought IBM PC division and proceeded to drive the quality of the system into the ground. Their customer service is well below par. They even makes Dell customer service look good. The last and final thing to remember about them is they are a Chinese Government own company. It is up to you if you want to trust them.
Toshiba, Panasonic, Sony should be avoided because of their heavy modification of Windows and the drivers. If you remove some of the bloat they install, you can cripple the system.
Acer, Gateway, and eMachines should be avoided period. Low end system that are driving the race to the bottom.
Dell once made a good system and fell from grace. They are now struggling to regain their place in the market. Customer service is one of many problems with this company.
Alienware are glorified Dells and are more name then product. Priced extremely high for what you get. They do perform but you can get the same for less by looking around, just not packaged to be eye candy to the gamers.
Samsung has a history of using cheap parts in critical areas. Capacitors has been one area Samsung has a known history of going cheap, causing units to fail early. For that reason I would avoid them.
ASUS and HP do not modify Windows as bad as the other manufacturers. They have excellent build quality. They might add a lot of bloat but they also makes it easy to get rid of it.
Ultrabooks are the higher end of Wintel laptops but they have some of the same concerns as Apple. Your paying for it being thin and slim. For the money your going to spend on it you can buy a much better laptop with more power.
Hybrids are the worse of the worse. The flip or detachable touch screens are just a disaster waiting to happen.
Never buy an All In One. They are far worst then laptops of any kind to service and they have a higher failure rate.
Choose wisely.
ASUS laptop.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230987
Core i5 3230M(2.60GHz) 15.6" 6GB Memory DDR3 1600 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD±R/RW NVIDIA GeForce Dedicated 2GB GT 610M 1 Year Accidental Damage/30-Day Zero Bright Dot 5.8 lbs
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230416
Core i5 3210M(2.50GHz) 14.1" 8GB Memory 750GB HDD 5400rpm DVD±R/RW NVIDIA GeForce Dedicated 1GB GT 620M
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834231089
Core i7 4700HQ(2.40GHz) 17.3" 12GB Memory 1TB HDD 5400rpm DVD±R/RW NVIDIA Dedicated 2GB GTX 765M 1920 x 1080 1 Year Accidental Damage/30-Day Zero Bright Dot
These HP can be customized to what you need, Bump the APU and ram for better performance. They would be consider good all around laptops.
http://www.shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Laptops/HP-ENVY/C9W57AV;pgid=c7twGfjc0ptSRpIq7ZUcoGXQ0000fb8mNv9y;sid=NID2W1inOb6JXwkRbh2qz4GoAJwzDmy78dUe8LW2AJwzDtPc7Kuhl6jI?HP-ENVY-15z-j000-Notebook-PC A8-5550M APU HD 8000 Series Graphics 6GB DDR3 750GB 5400 rpm HD Starting at $530
http://www.shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Laptops/HP-Pavilion/D1H55AV;pgid=c7twGfjc0ptSRpIq7ZUcoGXQ0000fb8mNv9y;sid=NID2W1inOb6JXwkRbh2qz4GoAJwzDmy78dUe8LW2AJwzDtPc7Kuhl6jI?HP-Pavilion-17z-e000-Notebook-PC A4-5000 APU HD 8330G 4GB DDR3 500GB 5400 rpm HD Starting at $450 Your choice of 4 colors
These are not customizable
http://www.shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Laptops/HP-ENVY/C2K91UA;pgid=c7twGfjc0ptSRpIq7ZUcoGXQ0000ptFcn-Ce;sid=UfkUk5vYup7bi8p-xu5OB0LXZeXRxq_ElKxaT319WyKZOCFLk0_Q5UIX?HP-ENVY-Sleekbook-6-1110us
HP SleekBook AMD Quad-Core A8-4555M APU AMD Radeon HD 7600G 4 GB DDR3 500 GB SATA (5400 rpm) $700 less then an inch thick 4.5lbs
http://www.shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Laptops/HP-ENVY/C2N66UA;pgid=c7twGfjc0ptSRpIq7ZUcoGXQ0000ptFcn-Ce;sid=UfkUk5vYup7bi8p-xu5OB0LXZeXRxq_ElKxaT319WyKZOCFLk0_Q5UIX?HP-ENVY-dv7-7230us-Notebook-PC
17" DV7-7230US laptop AMD Quad-Core A8-4500M APU AMD Radeon HD 7640G 6 GB DDR3 750 GB SATA (5400 rpm) $750
Brand buying advise
You get what you pay for. Systems with high end parts with low prices are to be viewed with suspicion. They have to cut corners somewhere to get the price down. What cost you less today is going to cost you more tomorrow.
Apple makes a good quality laptop. The problem comes when it requires service or minor upgrades. It is near impossible to do anything with them. They even glue the battery and hard drive down so you can not change it. They solder the ram to the logic board so you can not increase it. They lock up most of the software so your stuck with what they approve.
Lenovo has serious stand behind their product problems. They bought IBM PC division and proceeded to drive the quality of the system into the ground. Their customer service is well below par. They even makes Dell customer service look good. The last and final thing to remember about them is they are a Chinese Government own company. It is up to you if you want to trust them.
Toshiba, Panasonic, Sony should be avoided because of their heavy modification of Windows and the drivers. If you remove some of the bloat they install, you can cripple the system.
Acer, Gateway, and eMachines should be avoided period. Low end system that are driving the race to the bottom.
Dell once made a good system and fell from grace. They are now struggling to regain their place in the market. Customer service is one of many problems with this company.
Alienware are glorified Dells and are more name then product. Priced extremely high for what you get. They do perform but you can get the same for less by looking around, just not packaged to be eye candy to the gamers.
Samsung has a history of using cheap parts in critical areas. Capacitors has been one area Samsung has a known history of going cheap, causing units to fail early. For that reason I would avoid them.
ASUS and HP do not modify Windows as bad as the other manufacturers. They have excellent build quality. They might add a lot of bloat but they also makes it easy to get rid of it.
Ultrabooks are the higher end of Wintel laptops but they have some of the same concerns as Apple. Your paying for it being thin and slim. For the money your going to spend on it you can buy a much better laptop with more power.
Hybrids are the worse of the worse. The flip or detachable touch screens are just a disaster waiting to happen.
Never buy an All In One. They are far worst then laptops of any kind to service and they have a higher failure rate.
Choose wisely.
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