New entry level gaming laptop for uni student

backalsh on 26/11/2014 - 12:34

Hi guys, I'm torn between 2 different types of laptops i'm considering purchasing this year. I have a limited budget and would like to keep the cost as low as possible. I'm currently considering between MSI GE60 and Gigabyte P15F. Specs as follows:

MSI GE60 ($1249) (http://www.affordablelaptops.com.au/contents/en-us/p2629.htm…)
15.6" FHD 1920x1080
GTX850M 2GB DDR3
i7-4710HQ
1TB 7200rpm
8gb DDR3 Ram

Gigatybe p15F v2 ($1249) (http://www.affordablelaptops.com.au/contents/en-us/p2528.htm…)
15.6" FHB 1920x1080
GTX850M 2GB DDR3
i7-4710MQ
1TB 5400rpm
8gb DDR3 Ram

MSI seems to have a lot of issues with heat dissipation, while the Gigabyte's main issue was a lackluster screen.
Also with Black Friday around the corner, do you reckon there's gonna be a discount? I'm open to other suggestions as well.
Any advise?

Computing Computer Laptop

Comments

  • cypher67 on 26/11/2014 - 12:51
    -2

    Gaming Laptop = Oxymoron

    • plmko on 26/11/2014 - 16:24
      +2

      I game on my lowly laptop with a GTX645m, I've been called a 'hacker' before because of my skill.

      Gosh who would of thought, gaming on a laptop?

    • AlienC on 26/11/2014 - 16:35
      +2

      don't knock it till you've tried it, but I think what OP wants is an ASUS Ultra Slim laptop with an inbuilt 'discrete' gfx card like an Nvidia Geforce 740m or whatever the latest decently priced one's there are these days. my intel core i7/geforce 740m surprisingly runs fine all the latest games on decent settings as long as you don't crank up all the options to max or ultra. I used to be a pc/desktop user too until i found the world of laptops it is insane when you add in the convenience and portability factor in to play. I am so lazy now because I can watch awesome videos and movies and play games while lying down in bed while still having very decent game performance and game loading times.

      but cypher67 is right, if u want a stable and solid gaming performance and i mean all out then go the desktop route, but if u want one for uni and portability and being to game on the fly perse, then do what i did and get a nice gaming laptop. MSY usually have good laptop clearance sales and sometimes a full on laptop discount clearance holiday sale. So far their prices have been the best for me and my current gaming laptop has lasted me well since nov last year windows 8 and all the gadgets, only problem is if I want to upgrade my hdd or graphics card I need to get a new one (or maybe i think i can switch out my current ssd for a bigger one, this model only came with a 24gb ssd but 750gb hdd, meh). The model is a ASUS A56C with Intel Core i7 3537U, 2.0GHz —- 8gb memory —- 750Gb + 24Gb (SSD, but i think it's a bit shit but can possibly replace it out and put/install in a new one) —- DVD drive, etc, a few usb 3.0 and 2.0 ports and a hdmi input and headphone jack/network dvi etc. But the great thing about is that it is ULTRA SLIM this is the most important thing i cannot emphasise enough, ultra slim has changed my life i'm sure there are smaller versions now (if there is get that one) because you don't really appreciate how awesome and great an ultra slim/light/whatever it's called nowadays laptop until you finally actually get one. it is the best. i think my previous laptop was 2 or 3x heavier than my current one, some old pos toshiba i think with limited functionality and no inbuilt webcam/mic and that thing weighed a tonne it was literally a brick, i think i hurt my chest just resting on it nearly everyday trying to browse ozb and the whirlpool forums etc.

      so yeah if your on a budget or need it for things other than school, gaming etc check out:

      or more specifically,

      hope this helps and good luck on your future spending endeavours.

  • backalsh on 26/11/2014 - 12:54
    +4

    Yeah, thanks a lot for your insightful comment. Clearly you have a lot of constructive feedback from your mouth and brain.

    • cypher67 on 26/11/2014 - 13:26

      I actually didnt use my mouth, just my fingers and common sense.

      If you want something constructive, buy a light weight laptop suitable for Uni and not gaming. Carrying a gaming laptop around will suck very quickly and get one with an SSD, nothing like having to wait for bootup times when you are running late for a lecture. One of the Surface Pro 2s would be ideal, cheap, comes with office, light and has a keyboard & camera (modern day note taking)

      Use the change to buy a real computer to game on and actually enjoy it.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/11/2014 - 12:55
    +1

    are you studying gaming?

  • jatcave on 26/11/2014 - 12:58

    Why does it have to be a gaming laptop? Could you consider a cheap laptop and a PC that will game better then your above-mentioned laptops?

  • Edsanwong on 26/11/2014 - 13:42
    +3

    Please don't judge OP why he needs/wants laptop or gaming or etc.
    OP just asking for ozbargainers' opinions choosing a gaming laptop.

    My friend bought Gigabyte, diff model, same shop, seems ok. I recommend Logical Blue though….

  • backalsh on 26/11/2014 - 14:10
    +2

    thank you edsanwong. People always assume and judge too quick.
    Because I'm an international student, I need one that plays game doesn't have to be kick ass/ runs on high definition, as well as work. I travel a fair bit for conferences.
    Yes I understand why you recommended having a cheap laptop and then another PC. That is not wrong, however the restriction i have is the budget, assuming my cheap laptop costs $400 (Surface Pro2 32GB), that leaves me with $800 for a full complete PC set up including screen, keyboard, mouse speaker. How much better would that get me.

    • iridiumstem on 26/11/2014 - 17:28
      +1

      The "laptop" that you are describing is not a "laptop", it's a RT tablet. Looking at the price and the storage, I
      think you are referring to Surface 2, which runs on RT.

      Yeah, I feel your pain. I was on move for a long time.

      Surface Pro 2 wouldn't be a bad choice, if you are not planning to play a lot of games. It can run LOL, but seeing how much Surface Pro 1 heated up while running LOL for me, I wouldn't recommend it for gaming. That much heat is not gonna be good for it. Surface Pro 3 I've heard has worse issues with overheating, so that's also something you'd need to consider.

      If I had the choice between bad screen and overheating problem, I'd personally go for bad screen. I had so much fun trying to use laptop that overheats a lot. Once, the laptop wouldn't boot up because it overheated… I couldn't get it to work, almost missed my due date for my essay. Also, overheating laptops usually mean that you cannot use it on the go. I tried that said laptop outside, it overheated. Tried to put it inside the bag, I could feel the heat building up inside the bag. The plastic parts of the laptop started breaking down because of the temperature changes they went through. Of course, it is just from my personal experience. I've got burnt badly, both metaphorically and literally, by overheating laptops. It might not apply to you.

      In terms of gaming laptop recommendation:

      Some people were recommending Gigabyte p34g v1, apparently v2 overheats more than the v1 because of the upgrade in the GPU or something. Also as many people suggested, Horize doesn't sound that bad either.

      If I were allowed to chip in my 2c. I'd actually recommend something that is not a gaming laptop, since they are cumbersome in the airport. Cannot actually use them like a laptop either, since they drain batteries easily. Overheating problem affects the laptop's lifespan and the liability of the laptop.

      If you are not planning on playing anything 3d or anything recent, I personally would recommend Surface Pro 2 and a powered USB Hub + USB ethernet with a type cover or a Macbook. This of course, is just my opinion.

  • Edsanwong on 26/11/2014 - 14:29
    +1

    I am not an expert myself. I know my best friend bought Gigabyte from the affordablelaptops, quality is ok, service is ok too. He spent about $1700. Have a look here http://www.logicalblueone.com.au/store/

    Is MBA or MBP not good for basic gaming?

    Have you thought about Dell Outlet?

    Shop around and wait for Black Friday, its just few days.

    Good luck, sorry cant help much.

    • derkyft on 26/11/2014 - 16:33

      +1 logicalblueone does some good builds for cheap prices. I bought one off them opting for no hard drive and put a SSD in it myself.

  • backalsh on 26/11/2014 - 18:38

    Thank you, I will have a look at logicalblueone and gigabyte. I am leaving the country for a short trip in a months time and am planning to take advantage of the gst refund as well, which gives me 9% of the amount spent back. The games I will be playing would be like Farcry 4, shadow of mordor etc, so I would assume the GPU at least, needs to be decent enough.

    The current laptop I'm using is a Samsung r480 which was bought 4 years ago, and is finally not being able to run modern games anymore, hence the decision to get a better one. As i receive a stipend from the university, I am also trying to maximize and keep within a low budget (~$1200 1300?), but a decent enough one that I won't have to be changing laptops anytime soon for the next couple of years.

    Any ideas which IT shops will offer black friday sales? I've tried searching on Google, but its basically come up with only Apple stores.

    • iridiumstem on 26/11/2014 - 18:57

      If you are going back and forth to your country at least once a year, it is not a bad idea to get a model that is also sold on your country, ask them about global warranty. Australia unfortunately is fairly expensive when it comes to electronics.

  • mrmarkau67 on 28/11/2014 - 12:24

    A modern laptop with Intel graphics plays most games fine. Newer ones might need to be dialled back or have a discrete card to be playable and look beautiful.

    Its First Person Shooter (FPS) games on laptops that are problematic. To be competitive you need good performance, but good performance generates a lot of heat. And dissipating heat in a limited space needs good engineering. Something like an Alienware, Razor or a Macbook Pro is well engineered, but you pay through the nose.

    So if you go for cheaper, more mainstream option, research the forums for the model you are considering and find out whether it throttles after a few minutes of FPS gaming.

  • Brouw3r on 28/11/2014 - 17:47

    Check newegg as they post to Australia now. There might be something worth getting over the weekend. My friend got a Horize from bluelogicalone where they were doing free upgrades to 240gb mSATA ssd's, you could look into something similar.

    If you find something without windows, consider r/microsoftsoftwareswap for cheap windows.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join