Gaming laptop quandry

hawkeye02

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Sep 11, 2014
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I am doing my homework and currently looking for a new gaming laptop (under $2k before taxes) and im torn between the MSI Ghost Pro, the Stealth PRo or an ROG comparable model. when specs are roughly equal how do i distinguish which is the way to go?

Thanks
 
Solution


Except this hardly ever works perfectly in practice, and if it does you get additional lag, which ruins games that require quick reaction times. Yes, gaming laptops don't last as long, and that's typically because the laptops run hotter and are demanded to perform better while...

g-unit1111

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The bad thing about ultra high end laptops is that the higher up you go the more likely you are to lose value on them as the years pass. And the bad thing about gaming laptops is that their shelf life is far more limited than dekstops are. If you have a $2K budget I'd suggest getting a $1500 desktop PC and setting that up for game streaming, then getting a $500 laptop for the streaming client and running VM, and that would be a much better way to go, IMO.
 

drapacioli

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Except this hardly ever works perfectly in practice, and if it does you get additional lag, which ruins games that require quick reaction times. Yes, gaming laptops don't last as long, and that's typically because the laptops run hotter and are demanded to perform better while at the same time being as light and thin as possible.

When the specs on the laptops are equal, the best thing to do is start asking people who own the laptop how they like them. Check out the reviews and see what the review sites claim each model does well or not so well. Check out all the reviews from all the major sites you can and look for recurring problems, and if you find them look into them. MSI and ROG both have community forums you can browse. From what I've experienced with Asus laptops and desktops myself, their hardware is typically sound but their driver support isn't great. Something to think about if you want to upgrade your OS to something newer in the future. I've not owned an MSI so I can't weigh in there.

 
Solution
Also bear in mind that the two MSI systems you listed are designed in mind for a higher degree of portability than the ROG systems. Asus employs a very good cooling system in their laptops, but the ROG series─especially the G750 line─is noticeably physically bigger and heavier than the GhostPro and Stealth. MSI's design on these two laptops yields higher temps, which consequently yields reduced lifespan of components and more potential for overheating/permanent damage.

Desktops are more viable in almost every way apart from their extreme lack of portability, but that's not to say you can't find a good gaming laptop that will treat you well for the long haul too.
 

drapacioli

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This is true. The $2000 ROG models offer dual fans and vent for cooling, something that will prevent throttling of both components if one starts to run too hot on a single heatsink/fan combo. This will yield better performance and better longevity. If you're on the lookout for a long-lasting model, definitely put more weight on the dual-fan models, or those with very efficient cooling. Note the G55o and G56 models DON'T have large vents, so they will likely run hotter than the ROG counterparts.
 

g-unit1111

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Yeah VM and game streaming doesn't always work in practice but the technology is getting better, in fact much better than it was at this point 5 years ago. Look at the Shield and the new Shield tablet after a few software updates and how much better it is. Is it perfect? No. Is it better? Getting there.