Looking for a semi-gaming laptop under 1000 usd

dis236 · Jun 4, 2015

Hi I'm looking to buy a laptop under or around a 1000 usd. The general aspects of the machine would be that it would be capable of light gaming (I wouldn't want to rely on intel hd graphics though), it would have a generally good build quality and decent speakers, however the main aspect would be portability and battery life. I would like it to have a minimum of 5 hours of battery life under light use (web browsing, media consuming) and also the screen size would be 13-15,6".
A backlit keyboard is not necessary but it would be a huge boost.
Thanks for the replies!

Solandri · Jun 4, 2015

You need to define what you mean by "light gaming." The newest Intel HD graphics is actually pretty good (about the same as the nvidia 325m on my old laptop). It will be fine for most older games, and newer games on med/low settings.

Go to this stie, pick out the games you're interested in playing, and see what sorts of framerates they get on the different mobile GPUs.
http

/www.notebookcheck.net/Computer-games-on-laptop-graphic-cards.13849.0.html

If the newer Intel HD graphics isn't good enough for your needs, look for something with a 850m or 950m (or an older 750m). The 860m/960m are a bigger step up from that, and are found in the Lenovo Y50, Acer Nitro V, and HP Omen. Those are considered the low-end of true gaming laptops, and come in right under $1000.

True "gaming" laptops don't prioritize battery life. The above three are usually configured with a quad core i7 which burn 35-45 Watts under load. Most ultrabooks use a 15 Watt i5 instead.

dis236 · Jun 4, 2015

Solandri :

Actually I was looking around 840m and above (850m would be a bit better but an 840 would be good as well) and actually with this laptop gaming wouldn't be a priority (I have a desktop as well which I would use mainly for gaming). This would be mainly for media consuption and browsing, plus a little bit of gaming (most probably would be League of Legends) so if you could point me towards a laptop or a ultrabook which could provide this on the go (if it has intel hd graphics which play League with 60 fps high that I will bear with it) with decent battery life I would highly appreaciate it

MWeaver150 · Jun 4, 2015

I use this ASUS for school and gaming, and I think it could be exactly what you're looking for. It runs newer games on medium settings, and can run older games like a champ. I run Skyrim on ultra with an HD texture pack, and Dark Souls on it's highest settings with an Hd texture and visual effects pack. When I take it out with me I can usually get at least 4-5 hours out of the battery with the brightness up fairly high too. Overall it's just a great laptop, and I think it would be a great fit to what you're asking for!

This is the exact model that I have: http

/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834231684

dis236 · Jun 4, 2015

MWeaver150 :

Thank you for the advice but portability is a priority and I think laptop is bit too thick for my liking. I would settle for a bit weaker hardware in exchange for a thinner and lighter chasey.

Construkt · Jun 4, 2015

dis236 :

You could take a look at this list to get an idea of the best options within your budget.

Specifically, I would go for the Alienware 15 for $1099 if you can swing it in your budget. You'd get great build quality, a high end 15.6" 1920x1080 IPS display, Nvidia GTX 965M graphics, and 7 hour battery life, which is pretty nasty for a gaming laptop. Portability isn't its strong suit, though.

If the gaming is light, just get the Lenovo Y40-80 for $629. It can still play up to GTA V (with res at 1600x900) with decent frames, gets up to 7 hours of battery life, and is a fairly light 14" machine. It's a really good student/gamer rig.

dis236 · Jun 4, 2015

Construkt :

Thank you for the page you sent, it's really helpful! I checked out the Lenovo Y40 and it would be so perfect but I checked some feedback and they weren't that positive especially about the keyboard and the screen which is discouraging and also very frustrating because I really was psyched about it...
If you have any other suggestions I would love to hear them!

Construkt · Jun 4, 2015

The keyboard on the Y40-80 isn't bad. It's actually pretty good from the ones I've messed with. Some people are crazy picky about keyboards and displays.

But yes, in this case with the display, the Y40's is on the low end of quality. It's a cheap TN panel, but unless you're doing graphics work or something, a washed out display doesn't normally matter a whole bunch. It's also possible to upgrade it yourself if you get a 14" IPS display with matching pins. They usually sell for around $100.

Solandri · Jun 5, 2015

If you're already settled on a 840m, then just go to this page. Scroll down to the bottom and you'll see a list of every laptop using the 840m.

http

/www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-840M.105681.0.html

Also be aware that I'm seeing a report that League of Legends doesn't work with nvidia's Optimus GPU-switching software, and only runs on the built-in Intel graphics.

http

/www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2671110/low-fps-laptop-shouldnt-performing.html

dis236 · Jun 5, 2015

Solandri :

Thanks for the site!

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