Discussions

So I've been saving up for a gaming laptop but I'd like some input as I've never had such a system before.  
 
I have a regular laptop but its at the end of it's day. All I really want is something that will be good for the next like 5 years or more. I know technology is advancing fast so I'm not expecting it to last forever.  
 
I don't play a lot of games but I like playing The Sims and I find a regular laptop is super slow and choppy.  
 
Does anyone have any suggestions? My price range is around the $1500 mark.  
 
If you have one where did you buy it? What should I look for? Are some better than other?

a MAINGEAR.  
www.maingear.com

If you are looking for a good used gaming laptop for a great price I have a few for sale. send me a PM if interested. Otherwise for a new one I would recommend buying one from NCIX or Memory express.  
 
Edited by ron546, 2016-02-01 10:07:14

Is there any warranty for any of these? I'm kind of weary of shopping online because I can't physically see what I'm getting.

I'd go with a Lenovo Y series setup. Best bang for the buck if you can catch a sale.  
 
Consider your needs carefully though. Can put together a desktop gaming rig that is easily min twice as fast for half the cost.  
 
Gaming laptops are very poor value unless you need the portability factor.

See I thought about getting a desktop but I don't have any room for a desktop in my house. That's kinda why I was leaning more towards a laptop because when I'm done with it, it's a lot smaller and I can store it away. I don't have a very big house and I just can't seem to find a decent spot to fit a desktop.  
 
I guess I'm just trying to figure out which brand is the best and what I need to look for. I've never bought anything like this before so I'm a little bit lost, you know? Reading about them online and seeing all the tech talk in the description doesn't mean anything to me.  
 
Has anyone ever bought from Best Buy or Staples or Extreme electronics?  
 
Edited by Knucklehead, 2016-02-01 10:35:07

Most laptops nowadays will have no issue playing SIMS games. Just ensure it has a decent processor (Intel I5 or better)and a good amount of RAM (4GB or more) and it's a bonus if it has dedicated memory for video. Most computer stores in Brandon will have what you are looking for and the sales person should be able to point you in the right direction.If you are wanting to be playing more visually intensive games looking online (NCIX as stated above ) is your best bet.

Most brands these days compete aggressively for price, quality, and performance so there really isn't much of an issue in that regard. Toshiba and MSI have been my personal favorites. Buying online has never been an issue for me and if there is a problem they will replace it in a snap. I would recommend taking a look at the Redflagdeals forums because they often post the good deals there.

Knucklehead said "Is there any warranty for any of these? I'm kind of weary of shopping online because I can't physically see what I'm getting. "

Ive dealt with NCIX for over 10 years they have excellent after sale service, and they will cover the shipping for returns for the first 30 days at no extra charge then you can upgrade from there just like the local dealers sell, as far as seeing what you are buying it is best to look locally anyway so you know if your getting a good enough price to bother buying on line.you have to be cartful on shipping I have always found NCIX very reasonable but there are sellers that charge a lot for shipping. plus NCIX is in BC so no provincial sales tax because you are out of province another small saving to consider

With minimal experience you are gonna be in for it going to a retailer... will either end up overpaying or buying something way under powered for your needs. The problem is that unless you find an actual gamer working at these places they will likely have no clue what they are selling you.  
 
Head to notebookcheck.net to compare specific machines, GPU/CPU's, and reviews. Find benchmarks for games your usually play and decide.  
 
The big thing to remember is that mobile parts are nowhere close to their desktop equivalent when looking at performance stats/benchmarks. For example, the very popular mobile GTX960M graphics card gets you around half the performance of the desktop GTX960 version.  
 
 
Edited by ren008, 2016-02-01 10:54:32

Knucklehead said "So I've been saving up for a gaming laptop but I'd like some input as I've never had such a system before.     I have a regular laptop but its at the end of it's day. All I really want is something that will be good for the next like 5 years or more. I know technology is advancing fast so I'm not expecting it to last forever.     I don't play a lot of games but I like playing The Sims and I find a regular laptop is super slow and choppy.     Does anyone have any suggestions? My price range is around the $1500 mark.     If you have one where did you buy it? What should I look for? Are some better than other? "

Try and stick with either ASUS or MSI when it comes to gaming laptops if you do decide to buy a laptop over a Desktop PC.  
 
*MOST* MSI gaming laptops come factory with a 2 year warranty so make sure to check this depending where you purchase from  
 
Select model ASUS gaming laptops come with a 2 year warranty, not all do though. So again check this depending where you buy from.  
 
It is also worth mentioning that both ASUS and MSI have warranty repair depots in Ontario, although you will have to send them away for repair should something go wrong, you won't be shipping it outside of Canada.  
 
MSI GE62 6QD-041US - $1399.99 (On Sale $1320)  
http://www.ncix.com/detail/msi-ge62-apache-pro-i7-b2-115845-1312.htm  
 
MSI PE60 6QE-062US $1456.99 (On Sale $1399)  
http://www.ncix.com/detail/msi-pe60-i7-6700hq-gtx960m-40-118210-1066.htm  
 
MSI GE72 6QD-040US $1549.99 (On Sale $1449)  
http://www.ncix.com/detail/msi-ge72-apache-i7-6700hq-5c-115844-1165.htm  
 
MSI GE62 6QD-274US $1549.99 (On Sale $1499)  
http://www.ncix.com/detail/msi-ge62-apache-pro-i7-b2-125274-1165.htm  
 
Those are just some examples of what is available in your price range of $1500  
 
You can check out these sites  
http://www.memoryexpress.com/  
http://www.newegg.ca/  
http://www.ncix.com/  
http://www.directcanada.com/  
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/  
http://www.alienware.ca/  
 
To see who has the best deals.

Have you considered getting a desktop and using your TV as the monitor. Pick up a wireless keyboard and mouse, or just a usb extension to use wired ones. Depending on your situation (shared tv area, etc), it could get you a faster system at a lower cost, while not taking up any more space.

Some_Guy said "Have you considered getting a desktop and using your TV as the monitor. Pick up a wireless keyboard and mouse, or just a usb extension to use wired ones. Depending on your situation (shared tv area, etc), it could get you a faster system at a lower cost, while not taking up any more space. "

I really did consider a desk top but I share a T.V. with my better half and a lot of the time he'll be using it when I'm on my laptop. We do have another T.V. but I have no where to place it and not enough space by any open outlet. I thought about in the basement but I'm weary because last year our basement flooded and I wouldn't want to have electrical items down there that could be damaged.

Knucklehead said "So I've been saving up for a gaming laptop but I'd like some input as I've never had such a system before.     I have a regular laptop but its at the end of it's day. All I really want is something that will be good for the next like 5 years or more. I know technology is advancing fast so I'm not expecting it to last forever.     I don't play a lot of games but I like playing The Sims and I find a regular laptop is super slow and choppy.     Does anyone have any suggestions? My price range is around the $1500 mark.     If you have one where did you buy it? What should I look for? Are some better than other? "

http://brandoncomputers.ca/  
 
Located at the corner of 13th and Richmond. If they don't have it they can get it, make it etc. I have dealt with Danny for a number of years and I have never been disappointed with any Laptop i have purchased there.  
 
Good Luck.

I'm going to try and move some things around in the house I think and go with a desktop!  
 
It just seems like a better investment long term as hardware is upgradable as compared to buying a new laptop every 5 years or so.  
 
I might need to save a little more for a monitor and stuff but I don't mind waiting a little longer.  
 
Thanks everyone for all the input and help! I appreciate it!