The idea of "Non-problematic" gaming laptop seems to have failed me

The idea of "Non-problematic" gaming laptop seems to have failed me.

Well... at that's what I've been thinking so far. I have bought two laptops over the past 3 years. The first laptop that I bought was Compaq V3606 TX (with Nvidia 8400m GS). I used that laptop for casual gaming with occasional F.E.A.R and Orange Box. The laptop performed quite ok though, but I had one problem...heat--to the point where it was no longer comfortable to use the build in keyboard (had to use external USB keyboard to continue playing) because my hands perspired a lot. Then I decided to retire the laptop because I began to have artifacts when I played games longer than two hours.

The second laptop that I am currently is using is... guess what? Asus G1s. I was completelly aware of the heat issue of this laptop but I decided to gamble knowing that not all G1s are defective, plus this practically "was" the best laptop that I could get in Singapore without burning my pocket (in Singapore laptops cost about 2x more expensive compared to USA). Honestly my G1s is still surviving....no artifact or whatsoever. But how long can my G1s last? everytime I play game temperature always at least 98C, even worst during my Fallout 3 session which is about 102-103C.

Now I want to ask for everyone's opinion....should I gamble on another laptop or just go for desktop? I have read a ton of reviews from countless web forums basically and somehow I kinda came up to this conclusion: if you want "worry-free" gaming laptop...get a boutique brand (AKA Alienware, Sager, Eurocom, Zepto, Clevo, etc). But is this true? if it is, then I'm basically in a no-win situation because these laptops will definately cost a ton of money in Singapore (which is not worth it IMO). I want to try "good deal brand" such as gateway, Asus but I am too scared if my laptop will exhibit the same problem.

Here are some examples :
Gateway FX series (occasional heat issue)
Asus G50, G70, G71 (no more heat issue but replaced with keyboard lag, HD lag, and web cam problem....what on earth is wrong with Asus? Can't they test it first before sending it for mass production?)
Acer 69XX (crappy build quality, tonz of bloat software, some heat issue)
Dell XPS 1530 (aluminum body will cause electrocution --> 2 prongs adapter)
HP (crappy GPU...at most 9600m GT "with" ddr 2, some with gddr 3 but very expensive)
Sony Vaio (too expensive.... basically only paying for the brand)

Should I really go for desktop? Please give your opinion

 

If you don't need to play games outside the house, yes, get a desktop.

 

As said above, if you don't need to game on the go, the desktop is a more viable solution than the laptop. Unless things work differently in Singapour, desktop components should overall still be loads cheaper than laptops and still provide with the same if not more power than a same priced laptop would.

I mean, if money is an issue, I wouldn't go fancy for something like a "gaming" laptop tbh.

 

I am sorry,but I guess you are too picky...nothing "perfect" exists!

 

The performance may not be quite what you'd like, but maybe a laptop with an ATi HD3650 (just a bit slower than a 8600m GT)?

My HD 2600 (same as a HD 3650, but with lower clock speeds because it's 65nm not 55nm) has never gone above 55 degrees from what I'm aware, even when overclocked to the stock speed of a HD 3650 (DDR2 VRAM), though it is on a cooling pad. Games from 2007 play well at 1024x768 and 1280x800 is fine for games like Oblivion, Command & Conquer 3, Company of Heroes and FEAR on near max settings as long as you don't use AA. Haven't tried anything newer as I expect it would struggle (use my PS3 instead).

The only issue is there isn't that many laptops with the ATi GPUs. I can only think of Toshiba Satellite A300 & Dell Studio 17 laptops.

 

at cyber power pc you can get a PC with a GTX 295 for less than you can get any of those laptops new.

 

If you can try and snag a P series gateway off of ebay, you'll be happy. I just got my 6860 in almost mint condition (2-3 months) for around $750. I upgraded to a T9300, and it's perfect. I can run anything on high, including crysis, fallout, etc. etc. the only trouble is GTA 4. It's a good looking comp to, and I'm looking into modifying it to have the alienware m9750's lid plate put on top, just for poops and giggles.

 

some of the things your complaining about are just ONE in a MILLION kind of problems

 

This ^^^^

$1500 USD can get you an i7 system with 6GB RAM and SLI GTX 285's and a 24" monitor.

Unless you absolutely have to game on the go, desktops are great.

 

Also, build it yourself.

p.s. HP =/= gaming machine. None of them do.

 

I have the Dell XPS M1730 with SLi 8800's. Great machine, been problem free for me. Yes, it does generate a lot of heat, but thats to be expected from a machine like this. I actually only just ordered a cooler for it, after more than a year of use?! Silly, oh well.

For your needs, if the machine won't leave your home desk, you'll save yourself a whole heap of money putting together a desktop, and probably get similar or better specs. You need to look at what you need the machine for. I move around the country heaps, not a very settled life due to work. So I needed a desktop replacement. Something thats too heavy to move around daily, but perfect for the occasional move.

I'd recommend the Dell XPS M1730, if you have the coin to spend that is. Good service from Dell, it does what its meant to. Or you could try Alienware or another boutique. Try going for something thats meant to a gaming machine though.

 

Buy a business laptop. Better build quality + 3 year warranty = no gambling

Some examples with gaming capabilities:

Lenovo T500/W500/W700, Dell Precision M4400/M6400, HP Elitebook 8530/8730.

 

Have you tried a cooler? If your only problem is a high temp you might find a cooler to solve your problem and it will cost you $50 instead of over a thousand.

Also, if you don't need to game on the go a desktop really is the way to go, they are dirt cheap and always have better airflow.