Help deciding on building or buying a laptop

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Nathanway200316

Member
Hi peeps, just looking for help on what to do about getting a new laptop. I had an ASUS TUF DASH f15 die on me after 2 years, and want to get a new laptop.
I haven’t been gaming much but want to get back in to it, i would get a desktop but i need a laptop for taking to work. I want a laptop that is going to last and keep up with modern games over the next few years. I was looking at building a 17” laptop here but the gpu options only go to to a 3050 and i dont know if thats good enough.
I do want a good high performance laptop for gaming but want some advice one what i actually need so i dont spend too much unnecessarily. Would appreciate any advice and conversation, thanks.
 
BlessedSquirrel

BlessedSquirrel

We love you Ukraine
Nathanway200316 said:
Hi peeps, just looking for help on what to do about getting a new laptop. I had an ASUS TUF DASH f15 die on me after 2 years, and want to get a new laptop.
I haven’t been gaming much but want to get back in to it, i would get a desktop but i need a laptop for taking to work. I want a laptop that is going to last and keep up with modern games over the next few years. I was looking at building a 17” laptop here but the gpu options only go to to a 3050 and i dont know if thats good enough.
I do want a good high performance laptop for gaming but want some advice one what i actually need so i dont spend too much unnecessarily. Would appreciate any advice and conversation, thanks.
Click to expand...
Just be aware, any performance laptop will die prematurely if it doesn't have routine maintenance done on it to repaste and clean out heatsinks once a year or so, otherwise it will just overheat and burn out the motherboard / GPU / CPU. You can avoid this a little by replacing the paste with something like a Thermal Grizzly Kryosheet which doesn't degrade and actually performs better than paste anyway. That way you never have to worry about repasting, just cleaning out the heatsinks.

Nathanway200316 said:
I was looking at building a 17” laptop here but the gpu options only go to to a 3050 and i dont know if thats good enough.
Click to expand...
Not sure where you're seeing that, but the top end laptops go up to a 5090

Nathanway200316 said:
I do want a good high performance laptop for gaming but want some advice one what i actually need so i dont spend too much unnecessarily.
Click to expand...
Laptops aren't like desktops, you can't upgrade them, so you simply overspec them as much as your budget will allow. So there is no "unnecessarily" with a laptop, you go as high as your budget will allow, the higher GPU you get, the longer the laptop will last for gaming.
 
N

Nathanway200316

Member
BlessedSquirrel said:
Just be aware, any performance laptop will die prematurely if it doesn't have routine maintenance done on it to repaste and clean out heatsinks once a year or so, otherwise it will just overheat and burn out the motherboard / GPU / CPU. You can avoid this a little by replacing the paste with something like a Thermal Grizzly Kryosheet which doesn't degrade and actually performs better than paste anyway. That way you never have to worry about repasting, just cleaning out the heatsinks.


Not sure where you're seeing that, but the top end laptops go up to a 5090


Laptops aren't like desktops, you can't upgrade them, so you simply overspec them as much as your budget will allow. So there is no "unnecessarily" with a laptop, you go as high as your budget will allow, the higher GPU you get, the longer the laptop will last for gaming.
Click to expand...
Thanks, good to know about the maintenance as i didnt take that in to consideration.

I did see the 5070-90 on the 18” but not on the 17”.

I guess it is just a budget issue really, I’m more of a casual gamer but i always want to get the best product i can even if i don't need it.

What im wondering is if it is better to buy a laptop through pcs or get a brand name laptop, i mean how much different is the set up for a pcs laptop? And what is the difference in quality?
 
Ekans2011

Ekans2011

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Nathanway200316 said:
I did see the 5070-90 on the 18” but not on the 17”.
Click to expand...
Newer laptops come in different sizes, including 15'', 16'', and 18''.
Older models (not recommended) are still 15.6" or 17.3".

Nathanway200316 said:
I guess it is just a budget issue really, I’m more of a casual gamer but i always want to get the best product i can even if i don't need it.
Click to expand...
Yes, everything is budget-related; as said, the more you spend on a laptop, the longer it will last.

Nathanway200316 said:
What im wondering is if it is better to buy a laptop through pcs or get a brand name laptop, i mean how much different is the set up for a pcs laptop? And what is the difference in quality?
Click to expand...
The forum is only for PCS products, so we cannot discuss third-party brands; however, the main (BIG) difference is that you can choose your own components and will not void your warranty by opening the chassis, whereas in the others, you are limited to what the OEMs choose to use and your warranty will most likely be void when you unscrew to open it.
 
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Nathanway200316

Member
Ekans2011 said:
Newer laptops come in different sizes, including 15', 16', and 18''.
Older models (not recommended) are still 15.6" or 17.3".


Yes, everything is budget-related; as said, the more you spend on a laptop, the longer it will last.


The forum is only for PCS products, so we cannot discuss third-party brands; however, the main (BIG) difference is that you can choose your own components and will not void your warranty by opening the chassis, whereas in the others, you are limited to what the OEMs choose to use and your warranty will most likely be void when you unscrew to open it.
Click to expand...
Ah right thanks, didnt know about not discussing 3rd party brands.
if its alright ill have a look and post a build specs and if you guys could let me know if you think it would be suitable for casual gaming for most modern games that would be great.
 
N

Nathanway200316

Member
BlessedSquirrel said:
The big thing with a laptop is cooling, believe it or not a lot of the big names like Asus, Dell etc just don’t do cooling terribly well and it makes the whole thing suffer.

Custom laptops tend to be a little less polished and blingy, but they also tend to have far better cooling setups.
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That makes sense, ill have a look at a build now and if you could provide a little input that would be great. I want to keep the cost down as much as i can but still have a reliable laptop capable of running most games.
 
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Nathanway200316

Member
This is the prebuilt 16 defiance 70 which is kinda the budget i was looking for at £1399
    • Intel® Core™ i7 16 Core Processor 14650HX
    • Windows 11 Home
    • 240Hz QHD+ Panel (2560 x 1600), sRGB 100%
    • 32GB corsair 5600MHZ DDR5 RAM
    • NVIDIA GFORCE RTX 5070 - 8GB
    • 2TB CRUCIAL P310 GEN 4
    • Multi-Colour Backlit Keyboard
    • Sound Blaster™ Studio
    • SuperSpeed USB 3.2
    • HDMI Output Connection
    • DisplayPort over USB Type C
    • 2.0 MP FHD Webcam
    • Wireless Fitted as Standard
    but i was looking at getting a 18” defiance series for £2300 I know this one is better but for casual gaming is it worth spending so much more

    Chassis & Display
    Recoil Series: 18" Matte QHD+ 240Hz DCI-P3 100% LED Widescreen (2560x1600)
    Processor (CPU)
    Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 24 Core Processor 275HX (Up to 5.4 GHz) 36MB Cache
    Memory (RAM)
    32GB Corsair 5600MHz SODIMM DDR5 (2 x 16GB)
    Graphics Card
    NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 5070Ti - 12GB GDDR7 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.2
    1st M.2 SSD Drive
    2TB CRUCIAL T500 GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7400MB/sR, 7000MB/sW)
    Memory Card Reader
    Integrated SD Memory Card Reader
    AC Adaptor
    1 x 330W AC Adaptor
    Power Cable
    1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
    Battery
    Recoil Series Integrated 98WH Lithium Ion Battery
    Thermal Paste
    STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
    Sound Card
    4.1 High Def. Audio + Sound Blaster ™ Studio PRO 2
    Bluetooth & Wireless
    2 x GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 BE200 + BT 5.4
    USB/Thunderbolt Options
    2 x THUNDERBOLT 5 PORT + 2 x USB 3.2 PORTS
    Keyboard Language
    RECOIL 18 SERIES RGB BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence





 
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N

Nathanway200316

Member
Ekans2011 said:
Is this your max budget? To be honest, I don't think you can have a decent gaming laptop for such price.

PS. I'd stay away from INTEL (especially 13th and 14th Gen); they're DOA.
Click to expand...
No its not, i was just hoping to bring the price down as much as i can. Realistically my max budget would be around the £2000 mark, maybe a couple hundred over. But its a good chunk of money for something that will mainly be casual use, unless i make sure i dedicate myself to getting as much out of it as i can
 
Ekans2011

Ekans2011

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Nathanway200316 said:
So im guessing AMD is the way to go?
Click to expand...
Personally, I would never buy an Intel platform now.
Unfortunately, AMD has a limited choice, with mostly mid/high-end laptops for gaming.

Nathanway200316 said:
No its not, i was just hoping to bring the price down as much as i can. Realistically my max budget would be around the £2000 mark, maybe a couple hundred over. But its a good chunk of money for something that will mainly be casual use, unless i make sure i dedicate myself to getting as much out of it as i can
Click to expand...
I see, so approx £2200?

This is your only choice for a solid mid-high gaming laptop that will not become obsolete as soon as you receive it... :ROFLMAO:

Chassis & Display
Recoil Series: 16" Matte QHD+ 300Hz, 500nits, sRGB 100% LED Widescreen (2560x1600)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen™ 9 9955HX3D 16 Core Processor (2.5GHz, 5.4GHz Turbo,)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair 5600MHz SODIMM DDR5 (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 5070Ti - 12GB GDDR7 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.2
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB CORSAIR ELITE MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 7000 MB/R, 6200 MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB CORSAIR CORE XT MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 5000 MB/R, 4400 MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated SD Memory Card Reader
AC Adaptor
1 x 280W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Battery
Recoil Series Integrated 99WH Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
PHASE CHANGE THERMAL PAD COOLING (PTM7950)
Sound Card
Nahimic by SteelSeries 2 Channel HD Audio
Wireless Network Card
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS AMD Wi-Fi 6E AW-XB591N (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.2
USB/Thunderbolt Options
2 x USB 3.2 PORTS (Type C) + 3 x USB 3.2 PORTS
Keyboard Language
RECOIL 16 SERIES RGB BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED IR+FHD Hybrid Webcam
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Chassis
AIstone X6FR57TY (12GB RTX-5070Ti, R9-9955HX3D, 300Hz QHD+ LED, AW-XB591N)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Price: £2,141.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/recoil-16-AMD/W34Kw0FKun/
 
N

Nathanway200316

Member
Ekans2011 said:
Personally, I would never buy an Intel platform now.
Unfortunately, AMD has a limited choice, with mostly mid/high-end laptops for gaming.


I see, so approx £2200?

This is your only choice for a solid mid-high gaming laptop that will not become obsolete as soon as you receive it... :ROFLMAO:

Chassis & Display
Recoil Series: 16" Matte QHD+ 300Hz, 500nits, sRGB 100% LED Widescreen (2560x1600)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen™ 9 9955HX3D 16 Core Processor (2.5GHz, 5.4GHz Turbo,)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair 5600MHz SODIMM DDR5 (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 5070Ti - 12GB GDDR7 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.2
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB CORSAIR ELITE MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 7000 MB/R, 6200 MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB CORSAIR CORE XT MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 5000 MB/R, 4400 MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated SD Memory Card Reader
AC Adaptor
1 x 280W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Battery
Recoil Series Integrated 99WH Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
PHASE CHANGE THERMAL PAD COOLING (PTM7950)
Sound Card
Nahimic by SteelSeries 2 Channel HD Audio
Wireless Network Card
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS AMD Wi-Fi 6E AW-XB591N (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.2
USB/Thunderbolt Options
2 x USB 3.2 PORTS (Type C) + 3 x USB 3.2 PORTS
Keyboard Language
RECOIL 16 SERIES RGB BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED IR+FHD Hybrid Webcam
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Chassis
AIstone X6FR57TY (12GB RTX-5070Ti, R9-9955HX3D, 300Hz QHD+ LED, AW-XB591N)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Price: £2,141.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/recoil-16-AMD/W34Kw0FKun/
Click to expand...

Ooft, ok thanks, ill have to have a good think about it. I really appreciate the help though.
Ill come back here and let you know how it goes. Thanks again.
 
BlessedSquirrel

BlessedSquirrel

We love you Ukraine
Nathanway200316 said:
Ooft, ok thanks, ill have to have a good think about it. I really appreciate the help though.
Ill come back here and let you know how it goes. Thanks again.
Click to expand...
You've got to bear in mind, laptops GPU's are about a tier down from a desktop GPU. So a laptop 5080 is roughly a desktop 5070

All modern gaming laptops are now 1440p screens, and for 1440p ENTRY LEVEL you'd want a 5070 which means a 5080 laptop GPU

So a 5070ti is already going to have to lower settings, that's NOW, so you're already significantly limiting the lifetime of the laptop

The 5090 is not really any benefit for gaming, it's exactly the same chip as the 5080 laptop, just with added VRAM
 
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