PC Sherdog Gaming Laptop & Review Thread (OP Updated Apr-2019)

[Madmick]

So I found this:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-n...-512gb-ssd-windows-11/6486189.p?skuId=6486189

Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop
15.6 Inch FHD
Intel 11th Gen Core i7 Processor
GeForce RTX 3050Ti
16 GB DDR4 RAM
512 GB SSD
Price: $899.99

Thoughts?

I don't see anything better at that price, or even a better value at any price, atm. The 3050 Ti is also an amply capable gaming card since devs know nobody can get any of the newer GPUs, and it's quite powerful compared to even the previous gen of desktop GPUs (NVIDIA RTX 2000 series, AMD RX 5000 series).

 

[SSgt Dickweed]

I have a month old gaming laptop, and I've played CP2077 with pretty much no problem.

Using regular internet though, I found recently that the screen gets blurry after many hours of use. And one time, I encountered that blue screen of death with the QR code looking thingy. Is this expected of gaming laptops?

Can this be solved with updating Graphics Card driver?

https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledge/how-to-fix-blurry-screen-in-computer/

 

[Madmick]

I have a month old gaming laptop, and I've played CP2077 with pretty much no problem.

Using regular internet though, I found recently that the screen gets blurry after many hours of use. And one time, I encountered that blue screen of death with the QR code looking thingy. Is this expected of gaming laptops?

Can this be solved with updating Graphics Card driver?

https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledge/how-to-fix-blurry-screen-in-computer/

No, that isn't normal, and it's worth taking the laptop back in.

If the screen was blurry from the start, then updating the graphics driver might be a fix (usually the issue is you'll be at a really low default resolution before updating, then everything looks right). The fact that it looks right, but then only gets blurry after hours of use suggests something hardware-related to me. Either the GPU or something else in the laptop heats up, and it starts to wonk out.

 

[PEB]

Right now, you can get an RTX 3080 gaming laptop for just $1,899. Not only that, but you also get a copy of the game Dying Light 2 with your purchase.

If you're looking for a cheaper gaming laptop, then this HP Victus is a more budget-oriented model with a Radeon RX 5500M GPU. Or, you can snag a shiny new keyboard for your desktop PC with $50 off a Razer Huntsman V2 keyboard.

I have the RTX 3050 version of the Victus laptop it's been really good to me.

 

[Blayt7hh]

Right now, you can get an RTX 3080 gaming laptop for just $1,899. Not only that, but you also get a copy of the game Dying Light 2 with your purchase.

If you're looking for a cheaper gaming laptop, then this HP Victus is a more budget-oriented model with a Radeon RX 5500M GPU. Or, you can snag a shiny new keyboard for your desktop PC with $50 off a Razer Huntsman V2 keyboard.

I have the RTX 3050 version of the Victus laptop it's been really good to me.

Says 2200 when I click the link. Also it’s on Newegg and fuck buying from Newegg these days

 

[PEB]

Says 2200 when I click the link. Also it’s on Newegg and fuck buying from Newegg these days

Sorry it changed likely after the link was posted.

 

[Madmick]

Razer Blade 15 review: A real treat if you've got the cash

Apparently Razer put together a laptop that trumps even the Macbooks for build quality.

• 240Hz 2560x1440 OLED dot matrix Display
• Glass Trackpad
• Anodized Black CNC-customized Aluminum Chassis with anti-smudge coating
• Laser-etched speaker grilles with speakers supporting THX 7.1 software
• Per-key RGB keyboard with n-Key rollover
• Thunderbolt 4 port included

$2,500 - $4,000 (depending on the configuration)

Yet what's the point?

Really, the Blade 15's biggest weakness (aside from its price) is battery life. On our local video rundown test, it lasted just 5 hours and 42 minutes. That's similar to what we got from the Asus Flow Z13 (5:38), which if you’ll recall is a PC gaming tablet. But compared to more traditional rivals, the Blade 15 lasted than three hours less than the Alienware x14 (7:57) and four hours shorter than the Asus Zephyrus G14's (9:45). And in the real world, it's not much better. The Blade 15 struggled to make it through two games of Teamfight Tactics back-to-back, which entailed about an hour and 15 minutes of relatively light-duty gaming. I should also note that when you're running off the battery, the Blade's performance takes a hit too, with framerates in Shadow of the Tomb Raider dropping down to around 45 fps.

 

[Armbars]

One important bit of advice I'd give anyone outside of the obvious stuff we all look for in a gaming laptop is to ensure your laptop has one of the following features:

A MUX switch
Or
Advanced Optimus

I can't tell you how often people overlook this feature. A friend of mine got himself a £1600 laptop a few weeks back and sent me pictures of it all happy. Hours later he was asking me how to tweak settings for high FPS. I instantly knew what the issue was, he purchased a laptop with no mux switch or the new Advanced Optimus feature. It's pretty crazy how impactful it is. We see a 40% fps decline on the laptop built in Screen on some games. I told him to open up NVIDIA PHYSX page in the nvidia control panel and see what port the dGPU is connected to, thankfully the hdmi port was. On a 4k screen plugged into the dGPU we got north of 150fps on all ultra settings in the new Zone of WoW Shadowlands where its busy and latest graphical design. On the built-in screen fluctuations between 50-90 fps.

Make sure you have a MUX!!

 

[what-wut]

sherbros what's the cheapest available graphics card that will allow me to play current games on my laptop.

 

[sverre054]

Have been needing a new laptop and saw a random deal on slickdeals I hopped on, from Gamestop of all places, which had it in clearance.

Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Laptop: 15.6" FHD 120Hz IPS, i5-11300H, GTX 1650 4GB, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD $499.97

Specs (Model 82K100LNUS):

• 15.6" 1920x1080 FHD 120Hz IPS Display
• Intel i5-11300H 3.1GHz 4-Core / 8-Thread Processor
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GDDR6 (85W Max)
• 8GB DDR4 3200MHz
• 256GB Solid State Drive
• Intel WiFi 6 (802.11 ax) + Bluetooth 5.0
• Windows 11
• RGB Backlit Keyboard
• Ports:
  • 1x Ethernet (RJ-45)
  • 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (support data transfer only)
  • 1x Headphone / microphone combo jack (3.5mm)
  • 1x HDMI 2.0
  • 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1
• 3-Cell 45 WHr Battery

I'm pretty happy with it so far. It seems like I got a pretty good deal for the specs. The build quality is actually pretty nice, and it's very solid. I have ordered an extra 8GB ram stick and another 1TB SSD drive, that I'm waiting to be shipped up to Rural Alaska. Speaking of shipping, Gamestop shipped it out and my estimated delivery date was nearly 3 weeks, but I somehow received it in 2 days, which is insane considering our mail is brought in by Float plane. Best of all, I had a few Gamestop gift cards from trading in stuff, so I paid nothing.

 

[Madmick]

sherbros what's the cheapest available graphics card that will allow me to play current games on my laptop.

You should target the RTX 3050 (Mobile) or GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile) as a minimum. The Acer Nitro 5 AN515-55-53E5 is currently the #9 bestseller among all laptops on Amazon, the top bestseller among gaming laptops, and at $750 represents this baseline. It carries a 10th gen i5 and just 8GB of 2933MHz RAM (running in single channel, unfortunately, I believe). It also only has 256GB of SSD space.

Although it is a huge step up in performance for the Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-54-760S at $1213 with the RTX 3060, the most current iteration of a laptop line that has been the most popular market offering in the $1000-$1200 range for around half a decade, now. If you can swing that budget, it's certainly the better value despite being more expensive. It boasts an 11th gen i7, 16GB of 3200MHz RAM (in dual channel), and 512GB of SSD space. There's actually a Slickdeal running on this model for $1040 from Acer directly that even includes the additional 1TB HDD as a bonus:
https://slickdeals.net/f/15891160-p...ng-laptop-ph315-54-74de-1039-99?src=catpagev2

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

How do these specifications look? Is this a good machine? How about for its price ($1900 Canadian - approximately $1450 USD)

 

[Based and White Pilled]

How do these specifications look? Is this a good machine? How about for its price ($1900 Canadian - approximately $1450 USD)

View attachment 938270

It looks like a good price for that machine to me. My only criticism would be that a 3070ti seems like overkill for 1920x1080, although I'm not knowledgeable on how the current gen laptop GPUs compare to the full sized ones. I'm just assuming that performance is similar.

Edit: I decided to look into it. The GPU is not quite on par with the desktop model, but it's still perfectly capable of 1440 and seems underutilized playing in 1080 imo.

 

[Madmick]

How do these specifications look? Is this a good machine? How about for its price ($1900 Canadian - approximately $1450 USD)

View attachment 938270

Yeah, those Intel 12th gen processors are coming at a steep premium right now, so that's a very good price. KitGuru reviewed that model with the lone difference being it was the 3060 variant instead of the 3070 Ti.
https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/m...gf66-i7-12700h-rtx-3060-gaming-laptop-review/


As you can see the, original MSRP for that laptop was £1399, which Google tells me is $2150 CAD, and that's for the 3060 variant. The 3070 Ti is two steps up, and probably would have been £1599, or ~$2560 CAD. And this isn't looking back a year to explain the price decline. That review above is from June 2022.

It looks like a good price for that machine to me. My only criticism would be that a 3070ti seems like overkill for 1920x1080, although I'm not knowledgeable on how the current gen laptop GPUs compare to the full sized ones. I'm just assuming that performance is similar.

Edit: I decided to look into it. The GPU is not quite on par with the desktop model, but it's still perfectly capable of 1440 and seems underutilized playing in 1080 imo.

The benefit here is that the screen isn't VRR. It shines because it's 240Hz. So it works out, because with a laptop processor and GPU, this means you'll always be running a very high framerate where tears won't be noticeable. Besides, even at 1080p, the desktop 3070 Ti paired with a monstrous 5800X and 4000MHz RAM isn't averaging north of 144fps on some of the most popular AAA games right now:
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/nvidia-geforce-rtx-3070-ti-founders-edition/5.html

• AC Valhalla: 82.9 fps
• Borderlands: 111.4 fps
• Control: 116.9 fps
• Cyperpunk 2077: 93.3 fps
• Death Stranding: 166.3 fps
• Far Cry 5: 140.5 fps
• etc.

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Yeah, those Intel 12th gen processors are coming at a steep premium right now, so that's a very good price. KitGuru reviewed that model with the lone difference being it was the 3060 variant instead of the 3070 Ti.
https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/m...gf66-i7-12700h-rtx-3060-gaming-laptop-review/


As you can see the, original MSRP for that laptop was £1399, which Google tells me is $2150 CAD, and that's for the 3060 variant. The 3070 Ti is two steps up, and probably would have been £1599, or ~$2560 CAD. And this isn't looking back a year to explain the price decline. That review above is from June 2022.

The benefit here is that the screen isn't VRR. It shines because it's 240Hz. So it works out, because with a laptop processor and GPU, this means you'll always be running a very high framerate where tears won't be noticeable. Besides, even at 1080p, the desktop 3070 Ti on a 5800X and 4000MHz RAM isn't averaging north of 144fps on some of the most popular AAA games right now even at 1080p:
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/nvidia-geforce-rtx-3070-ti-founders-edition/5.html

• AC Valhalla: 82.9 fps
• Borderlands: 111.4 fps
• Control: 116.9 fps
• Cyperpunk 2077: 93.3 fps
• Death Stranding: 166.3 fps
• Far Cry 5: 140.5 fps
• etc.

Ive never owned a gaming laptop before. I know laptops generally have limited to no ability to upgrade them (ie you’re stuck with what you get) but would there be any ability whatsoever to upgrade either the RAM (say swapping out for DDR5 or doubling the existing DDR4 to say 32 gb) or the SSD (say putting in a 1TB ssd)?

 

[Madmick]

Ive never owned a gaming laptop before. I know laptops generally have limited to no ability to upgrade them (ie you’re stuck with what you get) but would there be any ability whatsoever to upgrade either the RAM (say swapping out for DDR5 or doubling the existing DDR4 to say 32 gb) or the SSD (say putting in a 1TB ssd)?

DDR4 RAM and DDR5 RAM operate on different motherboard chipsets. So you can't upgrade to DDR5 from DDR4.

You can upgrade RAM. It's one of the few things you can pretty much always upgrade in a laptop. Often, this is the resourceful & tech-savvy buyer's way forward because the best deals will be on laptops with just one stick of RAM in them. That means the RAM is running in single channel which is awful for speed. So you buy the laptop, figure out the exact RAM stick in it, and buy another stick for very cheaply to install yourself rather than paying a stupid premium by buying it with that second stick pre-installed from the manufacturer.

The one you listed specifies that it has 2x8GB of RAM (from the Kitguru review expect it to be DDR4-3200 MHz). So if you did buy RAM, you'd have to buy 2x16GB sticks, and then dispense with these, or sell them wherever you can. Thus, upgrading wouldn't be quite as thrifty as just adding a second stick. It would provide the option to possibly buy faster RAM, too, DDR4-3600MHz for example, but that could be a bit of a gamble, because it depends on the motherboard in the laptop whether it will support RAM running that fast. And laptop RAM isn't the same as desktop RAM. Different pin profiles. Laptop 3600MHz+ RAM tends to be very expensive even today.

Expanding storage is the one other thing that is easily done with almost all laptops, and yes, this model has a spare m.2 slot, so you can just add more storage. The pre-installed OS drive is apparently Gen4, so no reason to replace it. You can buy economically. Choose from here. The WD Green SN350 1TB or 2TB are suitable:
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/products/internal-hard-drive/#t=0&f=122080&D=1&sort=ppgb&page=1

 

[Minnja]

Will there be sales on laptops for Labor Day? Haven't ever bought a gaming laptop but looking into buying a decent/good one (Helios Predator series recommended by friends) whenever there's some sales.

 

[Madmick]

Will there be sales on laptops for Labor Day? Haven't ever bought a gaming laptop but looking into buying a decent/good one (Helios Predator series recommended by friends) whenever there's some sales.

There's sales running on laptops nonstop. Will there be a slew of sales for Labor Day? Don't know. There will be a bunch on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Some of those mght be bangers, but most sales on those days, now, aren't particularly outstanding, the ones that are outstanding are doorbusters that are lottery to "win".

There's a Lenovo Legion on sale right now from Gamestop, of all places. This has probably become the prime competitor to Acer's Helios around the $1000-$1200 entry range for higher performance gaming laptops.
($949) Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 6
Part Number 82JUCTO1WWUS1

SPECS:

• 15.6" FHD (1920x1080) 16:9, 120 Hz, 250-nits, 45% NTSC, Anti-glare, IPS DIsplay, Free-Sync, DC dimmer
• AMD Ryzen 5 5600H (6C / 12T, 3.3 / 4.2GHz, 3MB L2 / 16MB L3)
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Boost Clock 1425 / 1702MHz, TGP 130W
• 1x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200 (Two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, dual-channel capable)
• 512GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0x4 NVMe
• Wi-Fi 6 11ax, 2x2 + BT5.1
• Windows 11 Home 64, English
• 4-Zone RGB Backlit, English (US)
• HD 720p with E-camera Shutter
• Stereo speakers, 2W x2, Nahimic Audio
• 60Whr Battery
• 300W Slim Tip (3-pin)
• 2.4 kg (5.3 lbs)
• PC + ABS (Top), PC + ABS (Bottom)
• Model: 82JU00N5US
• Ports:
  • 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1
  • 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
  • 1x HDMI 2.1
  • 1x Ethernet (RJ-45)
  • 1x Headphone / microphone combo jack (3.5mm)
  • 1x Power connector

As you can see, this model carries an MSRP of $1599 directly from Lenovo-- it's actually $1639 with that 4-zone backlit keyboard. The only difference is that the SSD from them directly comes in the 1TB size only. Nevertheless, the above sale is a huge discount.
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/lapt...6-(15-inch-amd)-gaming-laptop/len101g0004?org

Here is an in depth review of this model by Rtings:
https://www.rtings.com/laptop/reviews/lenovo/legion-5-gen-6-15-2021
Notebookcheck didn't review the 15" model with the NVIDIA RTX 3060, but they did review the 15" model with an AMD GPU, and the 17" model with the RTX 3060:
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenov...ming-laptop-with-a-lot-of-power.559368.0.html
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenov...-with-current-gen-AMD-Ryzen-CPU.603198.0.html

This laptop offers the savvy buyer the opportunity to save extra not only because of the sale, but because it only comes with 1x8GB of RAM, as I was explaining to @Law Talkin’ Guy above. This means you definitely want to add a second stick of RAM yourself for optimal performance. As Rtings notes:

(7.6) Serviceability

Ease Of Access: 6.0
RAM Slots: 2
Storage Slots: 2
Replaceable Battery: Yes
Replaceable Wireless Adapter: 2

The Lenovo Legion 5 15's serviceability is good. The memory, storage, wireless adapter, and battery are all user-replaceable. However, it isn't easy to access the internals. Removing the ten Philips screws isn't a problem, but prying open the bottom panel is hard. You'll need a metal pick or prying tool, and you have to be careful as the clips holding the panel break easily. Once inside, you can find the components under the metal sheaths. You can see the service manual here. Opening the laptop and changing the hardware may void the manufacturer's warranty.


RAM
Capacity: 8 GB
Modules: 1
Type: DDR4
Speed: 3,200 MHz

You can configure the Lenovo Legion 5 with 8, 16, or 32GB of memory. For the best gaming experience, it's best to get at least 16GB because 8GB isn't enough for some games and will cause stutters. The 8GB model is also in a single-channel configuration, which impacts performance, especially on AMD Ryzen systems. This laptop uses a single rank x16 memory module that doesn't perform as well as rank x8 modules due to its smaller bandwidth. However, this slower memory doesn't affect all games and applications; it's more of an issue in CPU-bound scenarios. Some users have reported getting rank x8 memory in their units, but Lenovo doesn't specify which type is in each model, so it's impossible to know what you'll get until you receive the device. On the upside, the memory is user-replaceable, meaning you can swap it out for a better one

I can help you pick a precise mate for the RAM stick once you receive it to install yourself (you could also add a 16GB stick, btw, the size of the stick isn't what matters when matching them to ensure no hiccups). You can also use Lenovo's "Service Bridge" software to automatically detect your serial number when you receive it to search their website for more precise service/parts. Alternatively, you can manually read off the serial number yourself to search their website. But in a blind I can already tell you both of these sticks will almost certainly be a match, so we're talking $30 to expand the laptop to 16GB of RAM:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Dy...-x-8-gb-ddr4-3200-cl22-memory-ted48g3200c2201
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/487v6h/crucial-8-gb-1-x-8-gb-ddr4-3200-memory-ct8g4dfs832a

*Edit*
Oh, and while you're at it, since you will have gone to the trouble of opening that bottom panel, you might as well install a second SSD in the other m.2 slot. The Silicon Power A60 is fine for a secondary drive:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/7tCFf7/silicon-power-a60-1-tb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-sp001tbp34a60m28
Or the Teamgroup MP33 if you want to add 2TB:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/C3xbt6/team-mp33-2-tb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-tm8fp6002t0c101

 

[Minnja]

There's sales running on laptops nonstop. Will there be a slew of sales for Labor Day? Don't know. There will be a bunch on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Some of those mght be bangers, but most sales on those days, now, aren't particularly outstanding, the ones that are outstanding are doorbusters that are lottery to "win".

There's a Lenovo Legion on sale right now from Gamestop, of all places. This has probably become the prime competitor to Acer's Helios around the $1000-$1200 entry range for higher performance gaming laptops.
($949) Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 6
Part Number 82JUCTO1WWUS1

SPECS:

• 15.6" FHD (1920x1080) 16:9, 120 Hz, 250-nits, 45% NTSC, Anti-glare, IPS DIsplay, Free-Sync, DC dimmer
• AMD Ryzen 5 5600H (6C / 12T, 3.3 / 4.2GHz, 3MB L2 / 16MB L3)
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Boost Clock 1425 / 1702MHz, TGP 130W
• 1x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200 (Two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, dual-channel capable)
• 512GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0x4 NVMe
• Wi-Fi 6 11ax, 2x2 + BT5.1
• Windows 11 Home 64, English
• 4-Zone RGB Backlit, English (US)
• HD 720p with E-camera Shutter
• Stereo speakers, 2W x2, Nahimic Audio
• 60Whr Battery
• 300W Slim Tip (3-pin)
• 2.4 kg (5.3 lbs)
• PC + ABS (Top), PC + ABS (Bottom)
• Model: 82JU00N5US
• Ports:
  • 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1
  • 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
  • 1x HDMI 2.1
  • 1x Ethernet (RJ-45)
  • 1x Headphone / microphone combo jack (3.5mm)
  • 1x Power connector

As you can see, this model carries an MSRP of $1599 directly from Lenovo-- it's actually $1639 with that 4-zone backlit keyboard. The only difference is that the SSD from them directly comes in the 1TB size only. Nevertheless, the above sale is a huge discount.
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/lapt...6-(15-inch-amd)-gaming-laptop/len101g0004?org

Here is an in depth review of this model by Rtings:
https://www.rtings.com/laptop/reviews/lenovo/legion-5-gen-6-15-2021
Notebookcheck didn't review the 15" model with the NVIDIA RTX 3060, but they did review the 15" model with an AMD GPU, and the 17" model with the RTX 3060:
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenov...ming-laptop-with-a-lot-of-power.559368.0.html
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenov...-with-current-gen-AMD-Ryzen-CPU.603198.0.html

This laptop offers the savvy buyer the opportunity to save extra not only because of the sale, but because it only comes with 1x8GB of RAM, as I was explaining to @Law Talkin’ Guy above. This means you definitely want to add a second stick of RAM yourself for optimal performance. As Rtings notes:


I can help you pick a precise mate for the RAM stick once you receive it to install yourself (you could also add a 16GB stick, btw, the size of the stick isn't what matters when matching them to ensure no hiccups). You can also use Lenovo's "Service Bridge" software to automatically detect your serial number when you receive it to search their website for more precise service/parts. Alternatively, you can manually read off the serial number yourself to search their website. But in a blind I can already tell you both of these sticks will almost certainly be a match, so we're talking $30 to expand the laptop to 16GB of RAM:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Dy...-x-8-gb-ddr4-3200-cl22-memory-ted48g3200c2201
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/487v6h/crucial-8-gb-1-x-8-gb-ddr4-3200-memory-ct8g4dfs832a

Thanks for this, I will look into it.

One thing though is I have some bonuses from work that I intend to use for helping buy a laptop and I would need to check if GameStop is one of the places that i can use the bonus on. I've previously used the bonuses on Amazon so I was hoping to get something from there but I will need to check what other stores I can use them on

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

There's sales running on laptops nonstop. Will there be a slew of sales for Labor Day? Don't know. There will be a bunch on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Some of those mght be bangers, but most sales on those days, now, aren't particularly outstanding, the ones that are outstanding are doorbusters that are lottery to "win".

There's a Lenovo Legion on sale right now from Gamestop, of all places. This has probably become the prime competitor to Acer's Helios around the $1000-$1200 entry range for higher performance gaming laptops.
($949) Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 6
Part Number 82JUCTO1WWUS1

SPECS:

• 15.6" FHD (1920x1080) 16:9, 120 Hz, 250-nits, 45% NTSC, Anti-glare, IPS DIsplay, Free-Sync, DC dimmer
• AMD Ryzen 5 5600H (6C / 12T, 3.3 / 4.2GHz, 3MB L2 / 16MB L3)
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Boost Clock 1425 / 1702MHz, TGP 130W
• 1x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200 (Two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, dual-channel capable)
• 512GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0x4 NVMe
• Wi-Fi 6 11ax, 2x2 + BT5.1
• Windows 11 Home 64, English
• 4-Zone RGB Backlit, English (US)
• HD 720p with E-camera Shutter
• Stereo speakers, 2W x2, Nahimic Audio
• 60Whr Battery
• 300W Slim Tip (3-pin)
• 2.4 kg (5.3 lbs)
• PC + ABS (Top), PC + ABS (Bottom)
• Model: 82JU00N5US
• Ports:
  • 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1
  • 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
  • 1x HDMI 2.1
  • 1x Ethernet (RJ-45)
  • 1x Headphone / microphone combo jack (3.5mm)
  • 1x Power connector

As you can see, this model carries an MSRP of $1599 directly from Lenovo-- it's actually $1639 with that 4-zone backlit keyboard. The only difference is that the SSD from them directly comes in the 1TB size only. Nevertheless, the above sale is a huge discount.
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/lapt...6-(15-inch-amd)-gaming-laptop/len101g0004?org

Here is an in depth review of this model by Rtings:
https://www.rtings.com/laptop/reviews/lenovo/legion-5-gen-6-15-2021
Notebookcheck didn't review the 15" model with the NVIDIA RTX 3060, but they did review the 15" model with an AMD GPU, and the 17" model with the RTX 3060:
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenov...ming-laptop-with-a-lot-of-power.559368.0.html
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenov...-with-current-gen-AMD-Ryzen-CPU.603198.0.html

This laptop offers the savvy buyer the opportunity to save extra not only because of the sale, but because it only comes with 1x8GB of RAM, as I was explaining to @Law Talkin’ Guy above. This means you definitely want to add a second stick of RAM yourself for optimal performance. As Rtings notes:


I can help you pick a precise mate for the RAM stick once you receive it to install yourself (you could also add a 16GB stick, btw, the size of the stick isn't what matters when matching them to ensure no hiccups). You can also use Lenovo's "Service Bridge" software to automatically detect your serial number when you receive it to search their website for more precise service/parts. Alternatively, you can manually read off the serial number yourself to search their website. But in a blind I can already tell you both of these sticks will almost certainly be a match, so we're talking $30 to expand the laptop to 16GB of RAM:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Dy...-x-8-gb-ddr4-3200-cl22-memory-ted48g3200c2201
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/487v6h/crucial-8-gb-1-x-8-gb-ddr4-3200-memory-ct8g4dfs832a

Thanks for sharing. I’m still strongly considering picking up that MSI Katana with the 3070 Ti. The price of $1900 Canadian seems pretty damn good for what it is. It’s sold out online but the nearest store (Memory Express is the store, I think they may be localized to Alberta with about 6 stores total, not sure) says they’ve got two in stock and sale ends tomorrow. I’m kind of leaning towards the best possible GPU I can get (without breaking the bank on a laptop running a 3080 or 3080 Ti) because the game I honestly want to play the most with it is Quake 2 RTX, which afaik is still one of the heaviest games on a GPU even after three years, lol.

Edit: wtf, Best Buy’s site is apparently offering the Katana GF76 that’s got the same cpu and gpu, but 1TB ssd and a 17.3” screen instead of 15.6 for a mere $50 more. If that’s legit then I should go with that.