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

Screaming deal (Office Depot via Rakuten). $699, but with 10% back in Rakuten points (so $69.90 of credit at their store) bringing it to an effective price of $630 once you find a way to spend that credit. Advisable purchases with that credit are:
  1. a second 8GB 260-pin DIMM stick of RAM
  2. an m.2 SSD
https://www.rakuten.com/shop/officedepot/product/9649805/?sku=9649805
You could opt to get it from Office Depot directly, but you'd sacrifice the 10% perk:
https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/9649805/Dell-Inspiron-G3-15-3579-Laptop/

You can verify the specs for this specific unit using the UPC number. It is the GTX 1060 6GB Max-Q variant. Microcenter offers the most informative specs page. They sold this exact same unit for $950 before it went out of stock:
https://www.microcenter.com/product/507458/dell-g3-15-3579-156-gaming-laptop-computer---black

Also observe Amazon prices for comparison on this same 3579 model. The lowly GTX 1050 variant comes with a 256GB SSD instead of 1TB HDD, and sells for $728. There is no GTX 1060 Max-Q variant available which is the one being sold by Rakuten/Office Depot:
https://www.amazon.com/d/Traditional-Laptops/Dell-G3-Gaming-Laptop-G3579-5965BLK-PUS/B07C9J1PY6

Notebookcheck review of this model's GTX 1050 Ti variant. However, the one being sold by Rakuten I'm flagging here is the GTX 1060 6GB Max-Q variant. These Dell G3 units have been the line stealing a bit of the Asus Helios's thunder for budget gaming laptop recommendations over the past 6 months with online reviewers:
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-G3-15-3579-i5-8300H-GTX-1050-FHD-Laptop-Review.318308.0.html

Dell Inspiron G3 3579
115be9b61154ab3a294742.jpg


  • 15.6" 1920x1080 IPS display (overclockable to 95Hz)
  • i5-8300H
  • GTX 1060 6GB Max-Q
  • 1x8GB DDR4-2666 RAM
  • 1TB HDD
  • 802.11ac WiFi (1x1 class) + Bluetooth 5.0
  • 720p Webcam & SD Card Reader
  • Stereo Speakers
  • Windows 10 Home

This Redditor indicates it has a free DIMM slot (it supports up to 32GB RAM), so you can easily add a second 1x8GB stick, or even install 2x16GB. He also mentions it has a free m.2 slot if you wish to install an SSD for top-level performance, but know with Windows 10 Home, instead of Windows 10 Pro, you can't transplant the OS from the SSD before wiping the HDD. You'll have to freshly install it to the SSD yourself.

Finally, he attests that he reached a peak 96fps overclock of his panel with CRU.
 
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Anyone have experience with the hp omen laptops? I need a new one for work and want something that I can fuck around on overwatch and probably apex with on the road.

@Madmick idk if it was you or someone else who moved me to this thread but thanks. Looking at buying the predator in the OP now. Prob upgrade the storage after a couple months. Everything else looks pretty solid for what I need. Adding one of these would probably be my first move.

Samsung 860 EVO 1TB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-76E1T0B/AM)
 
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Anyone have experience with the hp omen laptops? I need a new one for work and want something that I can fuck around on overwatch and probably apex with on the road.

@Madmick idk if it was you or someone else who moved me to this thread but thanks. Looking at buying the predator in the OP now. Prob upgrade the storage after a couple months. Everything else looks pretty solid for what I need. Adding one of these would probably be my first move.

Samsung 860 EVO 1TB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-76E1T0B/AM)

Yeah, that was me. Same group of dudes will look at it in either place, but I figured if I moved it here you would see the list of your other options.

I noticed when I got my own MSI that the HP Omens were the most competitively priced gaming laptops by the brick and mortar retailers like Best Buy and Staples, but I doubt you'll find any that matches the Helios via Amazon you've spotted from the OP (the MSRP of that model is $1299). Adding storage will definitely be your priority, and the Samsung 860 EVO 1TB is a fantastic choice. PCPP is a convenient reference to shop alternatives when you buy. Here's the link with the appropriately pre-selected filters (SSD,SATA 6 Gb/s, 2.5", and 1000GB+ on the slider since that appears to be the size class you desire):
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/i...sort=ppgb&A=1000000000000,15360000000000&i=25

I've seen an inflation among Samsung's drives due to their excellent reputation over the past year. They used to be a no-brainer when considering performance and longevity, but lately I usually see a better buy where you only give up a tiny bit of performance. For example, the best price on that Samsung 860 EVO 1TB drive is $155 (no tax in Cali), today, but you should also consider the ADATA SU800 1TB for $118 ($125 after tax in Cali). From a gaming point of view, the "4K Read" (which is the random read speed) is the most important spec in the below benchmark comparison, and the 860 EVO is 25% faster in that metric, but practically speaking, there will be almost zero difference between these drives with anything you do including game loads:
https://ssd.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Samsung-860-Evo-1TB-vs-Adata-Ultimate-SU800-1TB/m423831vs3914
The Samsung is an MLC SSD while the ADATA is a TLC SSD. The former tend to have greater endurance, but again, practically speaking, there's no way in hell you're going to exhaust the P/E cycles of either drive. You can't go wrong with either. The Samsung is definitely a little bit better for a little bit more.

This 2018 Acer Predator Helios is an Overwatch beast; on "High" settings even the lowest framerate dips stay above the 144 frames per second that its display puts out:

 
Yeah, that was me. Same group of dudes will look at it in either place, but I figured if I moved it here you would see the list of your other options.

I noticed when I got my own MSI that the HP Omens were the most competitively priced gaming laptops by the brick and mortar retailers like Best Buy and Staples, but I doubt you'll find any that matches the Helios via Amazon you've spotted from the OP (the MSRP of that model is $1299). Adding storage will definitely be your priority, and the Samsung 860 EVO 1TB is a fantastic choice. PCPP is a convenient reference to shop alternatives when you buy. Here's the link with the appropriately pre-selected filters (SSD,SATA 6 Gb/s, 2.5", and 1000GB+ on the slider since that appears to be the size class you desire):
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/i...sort=ppgb&A=1000000000000,15360000000000&i=25

I've seen an inflation among Samsung's drives due to their excellent reputation over the past year. They used to be a no-brainer when considering performance and longevity, but lately I usually see a better buy where you only give a tiny bit of performance. For example, the best price on that Samsung 860 EVO 1TB drive is $155 (no tax in Cali), today, but you should also consider the ADATA SU800 1TB for $118 ($125 after tax in Cali). From a gaming point of view, the "4K Read" (which is the random read speed) is the most important spec in the below benchmark comparison, and the 860 EVO is 25% faster in that metric, but practically speaking, there will be almost zero difference between these drives with anything you do including game loads:
https://ssd.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Samsung-860-Evo-1TB-vs-Adata-Ultimate-SU800-1TB/m423831vs3914
The Samsung is an MLC SSD while the ADATA is a TLC SSD. The former tend to have greater endurance, but again, practically speaking, there's no way in hell you're going to exhaust the P/E cycles of either drive. You can't go wrong with either. The Samsung is definitely a little bit better for a little bit more.

This 2018 Acer Predator Helios is an Overwatch beast; on "High" settings even the framerate dips stay above the 144 frames per second that its display puts out:



Sweet, thanks for the info. I’ll prob pick this up in a couple of weeks when I get back from my next work trip.
 
Hp dv6 3122us
Amd turion 2 duo 2.4ghz
Amd hd4550(4520?? Maybe?) gpu
4g ram.

Came with 7, has 10 installed but I’ve never seen it run with 10 so I don’t know how well it does(did on it)

Anyway..
Won’t boot windows, hdd passes the hdd tests for quick and full scan, do mem test in start up test, mem passes, then shows hdd failure.

Want to slap a cheap ssd in it, and swap out the 2x2g ram for 2x4 and get it going with 10

Has hdmi out,

Will this set-up support an external touch screen monitor like this one

https://www.microcenter.com/product...ull-hd-60hz-vga-hdmi-touch-screen-led-monitor
 
oh eBay.. how you've delivered me some goodness these past 2 weeks.

I just scored a brand new t480 i7 mobo for about 80 beans, a t470 i5 missing a screen coupled with a t440 touchscreen for $91 (the seller couldn't ID what kind ThinkPad it was), a t450 for $57, & the best score yet - an x1 carbon 6th gen , top of the line: i7-8650U with 16gb onboard, 192 days warranty left (could be better, the t480 has close to 3yrs warranty left with accidental damage protection).

last night I won an auction for a yoga 260 for about $91, won't power up as per the auction but its under warranty (I was able to grab the serial from the pics in the auction).

aiming for 6th gen & up Intel processors on ThinkPads, especially if they have performance issues/dead mobos will almost always be a score because they tend to have 3yr warranties activated, almost always.

also, if anyone is looking for MyDigitalSSD 2242/42mm 256gb m.2 SSDs, I found an ebay store offering them (new but out of the original packaging) for $38. PM me if you want the link.
 
oh shit, I forgot to mention the rest of the story behind the x1 carbon - I got it for free! when originally I won the auction costing me a little over $200 which was already a fucking huge score. well, the seller messaged me asking for my help because his paypal got hacked & redirected all payments to another email address, rendering all payments as "pending". I believed him because I've been getting crazy texts randomly from paypal asking me to verify my purchases, while at the same time odd texts asking me to visit random sites (would look like paypal3.com/williamxmkdppoid) declaring my funds will be frozen if I didn't visit within a 24 hour time period, all on my phone in which I only have the number registered on both ebay/paypal. this leads me to believe there is a massive information leak going on over at eBay, nevertheless, I opened up a case saying I wanted to return the x1 carbon, to which the seller obliged & I got my refund back, saying I can keep the x1. the only part I don't get is how he got a refund back, because on his end he told ebay I could keep the x1, & went to paypal working something out where on top of my refund, he would get the money he was owed. either way, I scored out of the fucking blue. shit like that never happens.
 
any Sherbros got a gaming laptop? Im currently deciding if I wana buy a Gaming Laptop under $1,000. Im looking at the Acer Nitro (1050ti gpu). Is it worth it? Ive been a console gamer for a while but I like to be able to travel around with the laptop and game anywhere. I know you can buy portable screens for consoles but seems like too much work.
 
any Sherbros got a gaming laptop? Im currently deciding if I wana buy a Gaming Laptop under $1,000. Im looking at the Acer Nitro (1050ti gpu). Is it worth it? Ive been a console gamer for a while but I like to be able to travel around with the laptop and game anywhere. I know you can buy portable screens for consoles but seems like too much work.
Get the Acer Predator Helios 300 (2018 model) from the OP for $998, and buy an additional storage drive to throw in it:

I know this technically takes you over $1000, but you're getting a much better bang-for-your-buck with this laptop than with the Acer Nitro 5.
 
Is this a good rig for the GS63? Has a huge mark down that seems to good to be true from $2500 down to $1400. Was waiting for a good deal to pull the trigger on the stealth thin line, and this could be it. Not having any reviews on it makes me think there is something fishy going on.

 
Is this a good rig for the GS63? Has a huge mark down that seems to good to be true from $2500 down to $1400. Was waiting for a good deal to pull the trigger on the stealth thin line, and this could be it. Not having any reviews on it makes me think there is something fishy going on.


That's a very good price, especially since this is the STEALTH-009 comes with Windows 10 Pro instead of Home, and carries a 2TB HDD instead of 1TB. That should be ~$250-300 off what is normal for that model, now. The STEALTH-010 is $1599 regular on Best Buy, now, so this one is probably $1699 regular.

Just be aware this is one of the only MSI Stealth models that doesn't come with a Max-Q GPU. It's the higher TDP traditional version. TGP is 80W. TGP for Max-Q is 60W-70W. The GS63VR is the version with a Max-Q 1070.
 
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That's a very good price, especially since this is the STEALTH-009 (comes with Windows 10 Pro instead of Home, and carries a 2TB HDD instead of 1TB). That should be ~$250-300 off what is normal for that model, now. The STEALTH-010 is $1599 regular on Best Buy, now, so this one is probably $1699 regular.

Just be aware this is one of the only MSI Stealth models that doesn't come with a Max-Q GPU. It's the higher TDP traditional version. TGP is 80W. TGP for Max-Q is 60W-70W. The GS63VR is the version with a Max-Q 1070.

Thanks Madmick, alawys super informative. After reading a little bit, it seems the main the main draw to the Max-Q would be the lower power consumption which would mean lower temperatures.

Are there any other benefits of going with the Max-Q variant?
 
Thanks Madmick, alawys super informative. After reading a little bit, it seems the main the main draw to the Max-Q would be the lower power consumption which would mean lower temperatures.

Are there any other benefits of going with the Max-Q variant?
Heat, noise, sleekness, weight are the aims of Max-Q.
Nvidia Max-Q limits fan noise to 40 dBA when gaming - so why are we recording louder results?

Better battery life due to less power consumption. Otherwise, none that this MSI series doesn't already enjoy as much as the Max-Q Stealth variants. It's what enables them to make the laptops super thin, but the GS63 is 0.69" thick, and no heavier than Max-Q versions.
  • Razer Blade 15 is 0.77" thick (GTX 1060 Max-Q); 0.70" thick (RTX variants).
  • Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX531 ranges from 0.60"-0.64" thick. That is billed as the thinnest gaming laptop in the world.
 
Get the Acer Predator Helios 300 (2018 model) from the OP for $998, and buy an additional storage drive to throw in it:

I know this technically takes you over $1000, but you're getting a much better bang-for-your-buck with this laptop than with the Acer Nitro 5.

Just picked up a Helios 300 last week based off of your recommendation in this thread and some others I got. Have put in the extra storage but will soon.
 
any Sherbros got a gaming laptop? Im currently deciding if I wana buy a Gaming Laptop under $1,000. Im looking at the Acer Nitro (1050ti gpu). Is it worth it? Ive been a console gamer for a while but I like to be able to travel around with the laptop and game anywhere. I know you can buy portable screens for consoles but seems like too much work.

hi I wouldn't buy a gaming laptop with a 1050 nowadays, you will have a power deficit quite soon for the newest games, if you want to run them in high detail and smooth framerate.

Personally I would Save for a bit longer and get one with a 1070, a GTX1080 or one of the RTX cards. You want it to be a nice gaming experience for as far into the future as possible.
I have a gaming laptop spec's below - it's doing fine right now, but towards the end of the year or at least by jan 2020 I'll be getting one with the best RTX card in it.

Capture.PNG
 
hi I wouldn't buy a gaming laptop with a 1050 nowadays, you will have a power deficit quite soon for the newest games, if you want to run them in high detail and smooth framerate.

Personally I would Save for a bit longer and get one with a 1070, a GTX1080 or one of the RTX cards. You want it to be a nice gaming experience for as far into the future as possible.
I have a gaming laptop spec's below - it's doing fine right now, but towards the end of the year or at least by jan 2020 I'll be getting one with the best RTX card in it.

View attachment 560717
Thats the problem with Gaming Laptops that Im aware of. I just wanted something that will allow me to play games from 2018 and prior.
 
Thats the problem with Gaming Laptops that Im aware of. I just wanted something that will allow me to play games from 2018 and prior.
The GTX 1060 6GB (Mobile) in the Acer Predator Helios 300 (2018) I recommended to you is capable of that.

What do you want to play? It runs Overwatch on "High" settings at 1080p with a minimum framerate above 144fps as demonstrated in post #143. Here's the Steam Hardware survey for March 2019:
https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/Steam-Hardware-Software-Survey-Welcome-to-Steam

Notice how many gamers on Steam use an RTX video card? 1.41%
Notice how many gamers on Steam use a video card more powerful than the GTX 1060 6GB (mobile)? ~34%. Its closest desktop analogue is the RX 470.

CPU
  • Most Common: Intel 4-core 3.3GHz - 3.7GHz base clock
  • ~2/3 machines run on an Intel 4-core 2.3GHz+ base clock or better
  • Understand that the i5-2500 from the Sandy Bridge generation (2011) qualifies for the most common category above, and only has a 3.7 GHz Turbo Clock
  • Helios = Intel 6-core 2.2 GHz base clock (4.1 GHz turbo clock-- laptop CPUs Turbo much more aggressively)
i7-8750H vs. i5-2500 [+30% effective speed, +121% overall horsepower]
i7-8750H vs. i7-6820HK [+23% effective speed, +73% overall horsepower]

GPU
  • Most Common GPU: GTX 1060 (Desktop)
  • Most Common VRAM: 2GB
  • Helios = GTX 1060 6GB (Mobile)
GTX 1060 6GB (Mobile) vs. GTX 1060 3GB (Desktop) [-15%]

RAM
  • Most common System RAM size: 8GB
  • Speed isn't specified, but many of these are probably running DDR3 speeds, and most are probably 2400 MHz or below
  • Helios = 16GB DDR4-2666
Finally, it packs an SSD for the OS drive.
 
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I’ve got this: ASUS Zenbook UX501VW SSD 512GB, 24GB ram and it was a pretty okay work/gaming laptop until the SSD died on me. I’m replacing the SSD but will probably give it to my gf.

Any ideas for a $1000-$2000 laptop to replace it? I need the same specs expect I would like a better GPU and smaller general memory is okay. SSD drive is an absolute requirement.

I’m not a PC master race dude, I prefer my PS4 for gaming so we could be talking refurbished, used or new with graphic settings at medium. I don’t give a shit about running some game at 4K at 120fps with mods.
 
I’ve got this: ASUS Zenbook UX501VW SSD 512GB, 24GB ram and it was a pretty okay work/gaming laptop until the SSD died on me. I’m replacing the SSD but will probably give it to my gf.

Any ideas for a $1000-$2000 laptop to replace it? I need the same specs expect I would like a better GPU and smaller general memory is okay. SSD drive is an absolute requirement.

I’m not a PC master race dude, I prefer my PS4 for gaming so we could be talking refurbished, used or new with graphic settings at medium. I don’t give a shit about running some game at 4K at 120fps with mods.
I updated the OP last month.

You want one of these three. The first offers the best bang-for-your-buck (you'll want to add a storage drive). This is the 2018 version. It has been the bestselling gamer-class laptop on Amazon for over two years, now. The second has nearly identical specs with a higher build quality, costing quite a bit more, and roundly wins the top recommendation from credible review sites for gaming laptops. The last is the new kid on the block. It is getting stellar recommendations. PC Gamer has it at #2 behind the MSI, and the RTX 2070 incarnation (Y740-15ICHg) they're recommending is #2 on Notebookcheck's Gaming Laptop list behind the new Razer 15 (a list that places little emphasis on value or cost). These are the Germans who more exhaustively and objectively analyze a laptop's engineering than any other reviewer. It's brand new, so Amazon doesn't even have it. You can get it from Lenovo's shop, and there is more personal flexibility:
  1. ($999) Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop, 15.6" FHD IPS w/ 144Hz Refresh Rate, Intel 6-Core i7-8750H, Overclockable GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, 16GB DDR4, 256GB NVMe SSD, Aeroblade Metal Fans PH315-51-78NP
  2. ($1629) MSI GS65 Stealth THIN-050 15.6" Gaming Laptop - 144Hz 7ms, Ultra Thin, i7-8750H (6 cores), GTX 1060 6G, 16GB RAM, 512G NVMe SSD, Win 10 Pro, RGB Keys, Black w/ Gold Diamond Cut
  3. ($1461 - $1677) Lenovo Legion Y740 [4 options-- I recommend the most expensive RTX 2070 variant]


Adding a drive to the Helios is a low-risk, low-skill, low-equipment (screwdriver) hassle. It's like adding RAM. There are videos online that will take you through it. You'll want to use this filter to choose your drive (2.5" & SATA 6Gbps already selected; check "SSD" if you wish to narrow to that class):
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/internal-hard-drive/#f=3&i=25

Updating my previous recommendation listing for expansion drives:

HDD
SSHD
SSD

I generally recommend the FireCuda or cheaper TLC SSD.
https://www.neweggbusiness.com/smartbuyer/buying-guides/ssd-buying-guide/
SSD NAND: SLC > MLC > TLC > QLC
It's amazing how SSD prices have crashed. The Crucial MX500 1TB (3D/TLC) drive launched in March of last year for $250. Today you can get it for $130, and the ADATA above is nearly identical in performance for $112. These aren't even sale prices.
 
I updated the OP last month.

You want one of these three. The first offers the best bang-for-your-buck (you'll want to add a storage drive). This is the 2018 version. It has been the bestselling gamer-class laptop on Amazon for over two years, now. The second has nearly identical specs with a higher build quality, costing quite a bit more, and roundly wins the top recommendation from credible review sites for gaming laptops. The last is the new kid on the block. It is getting stellar recommendations. PC Gamer has it at #2 behind the MSI, and the RTX 2070 incarnation (Y740-15ICHg) they're recommending is #2 on Notebookcheck's Gaming Laptop list behind the new Razer 15 (a list that places little emphasis on value or cost). These are the Germans who more exhaustively and objectively analyze a laptop's engineering than any other reviewer. It's brand new, so Amazon doesn't even have it. You can get it from Lenovo's shop, and there is more personal flexibility:
  1. ($999) Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop, 15.6" FHD IPS w/ 144Hz Refresh Rate, Intel 6-Core i7-8750H, Overclockable GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, 16GB DDR4, 256GB NVMe SSD, Aeroblade Metal Fans PH315-51-78NP
  2. ($1629) MSI GS65 Stealth THIN-050 15.6" Gaming Laptop - 144Hz 7ms, Ultra Thin, i7-8750H (6 cores), GTX 1060 6G, 16GB RAM, 512G NVMe SSD, Win 10 Pro, RGB Keys, Black w/ Gold Diamond Cut
  3. ($1461 - $1677) Lenovo Legion Y740 [4 options-- I recommend the most expensive RTX 2070 variant]


Adding a drive to the Helios is a low-risk, low-skill, low-equipment (screwdriver) hassle. It's like adding RAM. There are videos online that will take you through it. You'll want to use this filter to choose your drive (2.5" & SATA 6Gbps already selected; check "SSD" if you wish to narrow to that class):
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/internal-hard-drive/#f=3&i=25

Updating my previous recommendation listing for expansion drives:

HDD
SSHD
SSD

I generally recommend the FireCuda or cheaper TLC SSD.
https://www.neweggbusiness.com/smartbuyer/buying-guides/ssd-buying-guide/
SSD NAND: SLC > MLC > TLC > QLC
It's amazing how SSD prices have crashed. The Crucial MX500 1TB (3D/TLC) drive launched in March of last year for $250. Today you can get it for $130, and the ADATA above is nearly identical in performance for $112. These aren't even sale prices.

Thanks. I was looking at the Helios. I will probably buy a used one.

I already put in a new 1tb SSD into the Zenbook. I might just swap it out from there and put the Helios SSD in because there is no way in hell 256 is enough for me, my job and Steam. I can handle the job unless there are some weird screws involved. Worst part of every computer purchase and upgrade is the goddamn software install and license crap.
 

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