Gaming laptop - expert advice desired (gtx980m)

[oscyjack53]

Howdy,

Not new to gaming, not new to PC's. 1 year ago I sold my DS I7-2600k build as I decided to no longer game. Fast forward to today, and my laptop is about dead (even running on Linux). I need to replace my laptop and want to ability to game at quality settings, and I do not think if i bought a separate gaming rig that I would use it as much as a laptop that is up to the task. Which is why at this point I am looking for a good laptop option.

I am wanting to know if a GTX980m is sufficient to play most new titles at 1080p, high to ultra settings with a min average of 60 FPS. I can get a 980m based machine for ~$2,100-$2,600

Alternatively, I can go up closer to $2,600-$3,000 and get a laptop which has desktop level CPU, and a true GTX980 (non-m). Is the price difference worth the performance gain?

I am looking for the best value per dollar spent, even if I end up spending more. Benchmarks have left me still undecided
Thanks

 

[g-unit1111]

There's three things you need to know before splurging on a laptop with that kind of value:

1. Laptops that expensive depreciate in value extremely quickly. The more you spend on a laptop, the more it will depreciate in value, and when you go to sell it, it won't be worth half of what you paid for it. If you're looking for the best value per dollar spent, you're not going to find it shelling out $3K for a laptop. You're better off getting a $1K laptop and spending the rest on a desktop.

2. No laptop CPU or GPU will ever perform at the same level as their desktop counterparts. On laptops you trade power for portability, and there have been attempts made to get laptops to perform the same as desktops - MSI has that weird GPU integration dock, Asus has a liquid cooled laptop, but that's a major drain on both the laptop's battery and your portability options. If you are considering one of those, get a desktop and save the hassle.

3. If you're paying that much for a laptop, there's better screen options you can get than 1080P. You can easily get a 1440P laptop for that price if you look for it.