Is there such a thing as a good gaming laptop under £800?

Titchy

Titchy

Titchy

Associate
Joined
11 Nov 2008
Posts
1,141
Hey all , i know normally for state of the art gaming on laptops its normally a case of spending a couple of grand but with 3 desktop PCs in the house for the family to use i dont want to lash out massive money on a laptop.

I bought an Alienware laptop back in the day of the pentium 4 being the best cpu and even back then it was over 2k for what i purchased.

What im really looking for here is a laptop that can play any game reasonably well under 800 quid , i just dont know if it can be done or not as i know nothing nowadays about laptops.

Ideally , this is where it may get hard i was hoping it was one i could buy out a shop , im heading abroad for a couple of weeks at the weekend and as a spur of the moment decision i figured i could take a laptop with me.

If i can't get one out a shop then i could do without it over the next couple of weeks and just get one from the internet , cheers !
 
** No competitor hinting **

Its an Asus with

Brand: ASUS
Colour: Black
Screen Size: 15.6 inches
Processor: Intel Core i7
Processor Model: i7-3610QM
Memory (RAM): 8 GB
Storage (hard drive): 750 GB
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium
Dedicated Graphics: nVidiaGT555 2 GB
Optical Drive Type: Plays Blu-Ray DVDs
Bluetooth:
HDMI Port:
Battery Life: Up to 3.5 hours
Quad Core Processor
2.7kg Weight
Bang & Speakers
Multi-Format Digital Media Card Reader
Built-in Webcam
2 x USB 3.0 slots
2 x USB 2.0 slots
1366 x 768 Screen Resolution
VGA Port
802.11b/g/n Wireless networking
Ethernet
2.3GHz processor clock speed
LED backlit Screen
Plays & Records CD's & DVD's, Plays Blu Ray
100 Wired Networking Speed
Internal sound card
3027MB processor cache
1333MHz processor bus
SATA Storage
Turbo
Intel sandy Chipset
Wireless LAN
Headphone jack
Microphone Jack
Chiclet keyboard
Built-in microphone
Black Palm rest
Black Colour
6 cell battery
DDR 3


Its 799 quid though and i assume that is an older GFX card as i think laptop cards are 600 series now are they not ?

Thanks again for any help as i really am out of touch with laptops.
 
You can get a Dell XPS 15 L502x off the Outlet that is essentially that spec for about half the money mentioned (I paid £460 for mine). Granted mine 'only' has 4GB RAM (£40 upgrade if you want 8GB) and is only a Sandybridge i5 but it has the gorgeous 1920 screen and a slightly nicer chassis (IMHO).
 
sidethink said:
You can get a Dell XPS 15 L502x off the Outlet that is essentially that spec for about half the money mentioned (I paid £460 for mine). Granted mine 'only' has 4GB RAM (£40 upgrade if you want 8GB) and is only a Sandybridge i5 but it has the gorgeous 1920 screen and a slightly nicer chassis (IMHO).
Click to expand...

Thanks mate , that is what was bothering me , for 800 quid that did not sound a great machine at all.

Im keen to be able to just buy one out a shop for taking away but i get the feeling all i am doing if i do is wasting money.

I will have a looky at the outlet page.
 
sidethink said:
You can get a Dell XPS 15 L502x off the Outlet that is essentially that spec for about half the money mentioned (I paid £460 for mine). Granted mine 'only' has 4GB RAM (£40 upgrade if you want 8GB) and is only a Sandybridge i5 but it has the gorgeous 1920 screen and a slightly nicer chassis (IMHO).
Click to expand...

The Dell mentioned only has the GT540m GPU. This is noticeably weaker than the 144sp GT555m in the Asus.

The Asus is ok, but not for £800.

For reference I paid £650 for my Asus N55SL which came with:

- 15.6" 1600x900 screen
- i7 2670QM (2.2-3.1Ghz (2.9Ghz Quad)
- 6GB DDR3 (1333MT/s but tight timings)
- Nvidia GT635m (144SP) - highly overclockable
- Blu Ray drive
- 750GB HD
- Excellent speakers
- All the other gubbins you can expect on a mid range laptop

I didn't buy it specifically to be a gaming laptop but it handles pretty much everything I have thrown at it without fuss. You will have to drop a few settings in the latest games to get them playable at the native resolution but that's pretty much par for the course in the mid range sector.

If you want something primarily as a gaming laptop and don't care so much about the other extras (Blu ray etc), I would look at something with the GT650m as a minimum level. It is around 25% faster than the 635m in my N55 (without overclock) so should handle most modern games at medium / high settings at the native resolution.
 
oweneades said:
The Dell mentioned only has the GT540m GPU. This is noticeably weaker than the 144sp GT555m in the Asus.

The Asus is ok, but not for £800.

For reference I paid £650 for my Asus N55SL which came with:

- 15.6" 1600x900 screen
- i7 2670QM (2.2-3.1Ghz (2.9Ghz Quad)
- 6GB DDR3 (1333MT/s but tight timings)
- Nvidia GT635m (144SP) - highly overclockable
- Blu Ray drive
- 750GB HD
- Excellent speakers
- All the other gubbins you can expect on a mid range laptop

I didn't buy it specifically to be a gaming laptop but it handles pretty much everything I have thrown at it without fuss. You will have to drop a few settings in the latest games to get them playable at the native resolution but that's pretty much par for the course in the mid range sector.

If you want something primarily as a gaming laptop and don't care so much about the other extras (Blu ray etc), I would look at something with the GT650m as a minimum level. It is around 25% faster than the 635m in my N55 (without overclock) so should handle most modern games at medium / high settings at the native resolution.
Click to expand...


Thanks , good solid advice there !
 
A highly portable gaming laptop for sub £600 delivered, i7 quad core processor, 2GB 650M GPU, 8GB RAM:

Code: 
Chassis & Display
Inferno Series: 11.6" Matte HD LED Widescreen (1366x768)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-3610QM (2.30GHz) 6MB
Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M - 2.0GB DDR3 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - Hard Disk
250GB SERIAL ATA II 2.5" HARD DRIVE WITH 8MB CACHE (5,400rpm)
Memory Card Reader
Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® N135 802.11N (150Mbps) + BLUETOOTH
USB Options
2 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Battery
Inferno Series 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (62.16WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 90W AC Adaptor
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Keyboard Language
INTEGRATED UK KEYBOARD
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1.3 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £593.00 including VAT and delivery.

Or, if you want a larger laptop (17", the 15" is £5 less) with an i7 quad core processor, 2GB 660M GPU, 8GB RAM for under £700:
Code: 
Chassis & Display
Optimus Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-3610QM (2.30GHz) 6MB
Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 660M - 2.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - Hard Disk
250GB SERIAL ATA II 2.5" HARD DRIVE WITH 8MB CACHE (5,400rpm)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)
Memory Card Reader
Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® N135 802.11N (150Mbps) + BLUETOOTH
USB Options
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Battery
Optimus Series 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (5,200 mAh/76.96WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 120W AC Adaptor
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Keyboard Language
INTEGRATED UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 2.0 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £692.00 including VAT and delivery.

There are some amazing gaming machines for well under £800. Use the change to get a £40 120GB SSD or a £100 240GB SSD and you're laughing! If you need an OS you can still buy that with the 120GB SSD for under £800 in my second example.
 
Kreeeee said:
A highly portable gaming laptop for sub £600 delivered, i7 quad core processor, 2GB 650M GPU, 8GB RAM:

Code: 
Chassis & Display
Inferno Series: 11.6" Matte HD LED Widescreen (1366x768)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-3610QM (2.30GHz) 6MB
Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M - 2.0GB DDR3 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - Hard Disk
250GB SERIAL ATA II 2.5" HARD DRIVE WITH 8MB CACHE (5,400rpm)
Memory Card Reader
Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® N135 802.11N (150Mbps) + BLUETOOTH
USB Options
2 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Battery
Inferno Series 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (62.16WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 90W AC Adaptor
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Keyboard Language
INTEGRATED UK KEYBOARD
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1.3 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £593.00 including VAT and delivery.

Or, if you want a larger laptop (17", the 15" is £5 less) with an i7 quad core processor, 2GB 660M GPU, 8GB RAM for under £700:
Code: 
Chassis & Display
Optimus Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-3610QM (2.30GHz) 6MB
Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 660M - 2.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - Hard Disk
250GB SERIAL ATA II 2.5" HARD DRIVE WITH 8MB CACHE (5,400rpm)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)
Memory Card Reader
Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® N135 802.11N (150Mbps) + BLUETOOTH
USB Options
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Battery
Optimus Series 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (5,200 mAh/76.96WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 120W AC Adaptor
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Keyboard Language
INTEGRATED UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 2.0 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £692.00 including VAT and delivery.

There are some amazing gaming machines for well under £800. Use the change to get a £40 120GB SSD or a £100 240GB SSD and you're laughing! If you need an OS you can still buy that with the 120GB SSD for under £800 in my second example.
Click to expand...

is there a link to either of these machines?? I too am after a sub £800 gaming laptop .
Thanks
 
** No hinting at competitors ** for inspiron 17r se.

Its a 17" with decent 1080p screen, decent speakers, 2gb 650m ddr5 and quad core. Can be had for £630-750 depending on spec.
Not the prettiest machines but great performance for the price
 
Definitely get it, or apply it yourself for half the price (with another 20 CPU's worth of thermal paste spare) on there imo.
 
Kreeeee said:
Definitely get it, or apply it yourself for half the price (with another 20 CPU's worth of thermal paste spare) on there imo.
Click to expand...
I actually have some thermal paste left over from my desktop build which I think may be the good stuff as supplied by OCUK with a 2500k i5 processor.
I have never though about taking a laptop apart and always seen them as , non upgradeable. would the laptop you mention Kreee, be easy to whip the processor out and apply my own paste then? or is it tricky. thanks bud
 
Samsung Chronos 7

Ive had this laptop (well the first revision 700Z5A) for a the past year and i highly recommend it. Even now more so that its £699 compared with the £899 i paid!

No competitor links. Thank you.

Spec is:
OS: Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

Processor: Intel Core i7 3615QM 2.3GHz

Display: 15.6" SuperBright 300nit HD+ LED Display

Graphic: NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 640M Graphics, Optimus™ technology - 1GB GDDR5

Memory: 8GB DDR3 System Memory at 1600MHz (on BD 4GB + 4GB x 1)

Storage: 1TB + 8SSD

USB: 1 x USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.0

And some reviews (positive) if you needed more persuasion to purchase it!
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Samsung-Series-7-Chronos-700Z7C-Notebook.76839.0.html
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc...books/samsung-series-7-chronos-1038589/review

Do it! :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom