Hoping to make the gaming laptop plunge

[Rob87]

Hello all,

I'm hoping to upgrade to a gaming laptop in the near future from my aging 2009 macbook pro. I am a poor student and still scraping my pennies together, as such I have had some amount of time for independant research. I've pretty much decided to go big or go home with the GPU, I'm aiming for a 780m. I imagine it'll be night and day compared to my 9600 GT. So onto what I'm hoping for help with: I think I've settled on a Sager 8255/ Clevo 157sm. I'm hoping to play a little bit with overclocking, nothing serious. From the research I've done, the 180W power supply may not be up to the task. Is rigging a better power supply safe/advisable? Especially for a rookie OCer.

If you some think it's a bad idea, is there a computer out there in a similar price range (~$1800) that could better handle the power issues?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[johnxfire]

I don't quite know if its ideal or not, but you can try scrounging up a 220W power supply online. Otherwise, I'd say that the Sager is a good choice. Would be best to get it through a reseller - even better if it was a direct Clevo reseller, as Sager can be a bit daft.

[Aram]

Hi Rob

I'm sharking for a new laptop myself and have finally decided to go for a single 780m and like you am worried about the power draw. I've seen talk of the MSI GT60/70 using the battery to make up any short fall in power which would probably work fine for most games. The GT itself is probably out of our reach but there are barebones very LIKE it however i don't know if this is functionality works for on barebones systems, can anyone confirm?

Otherwise its modding a supply myself I'm going to be copying this:

Recommed 180W / 220W power supply for P150EM? - Page 8

and hoping that long term use of high power doesn't toast the wire/connector. No-one seemed to be saying that this should happen and a couple saying that this probably the safest route, guess i better just practice my soldering!

[Anaseb]

You have to ask yourself if you really can handle the size and weight of a high end gaming machine. First off a single 650m is a night and day improvement over a 9600m and there are laptops with duel 750m shoved into them that still fit into the normal 15" size and thinness that one could take from class to class, however once you get past that the thickness and weight goes straight into heavy desktop replacement that you will not want to move ever.

[scribbles311]

I agree weight (and heat!) are definitely issues. Fortunately most games run just fine without ridiculous graphics cards (um, Titan, anyone?) The tech is really outpacing the programming in this case.

[Rob87]

I understand that any type of card I could purchase today would be better than what I have now, but part of me wants to be able to say that just once I had the best GPU. Plus I may need it, as I tend to be in the habit of upgrading only every 4 years... Thanks Aram, for posting that, and like you I have some minor concern with melting out the connector with the extra power draw.

But then, why even get a computer if I can't have some fun with it

[Rob87]

Double post, please delete

[Zwergling]

Just letting you know, even if you only upgrade once every 4 years, I think the 765m, which you can find on the clevo w230st or razer blade 14, will be enough. Plus, those laptops will be more portable so you can actually have a laptop that you can move around rather than an overly powerful brick.

[JSeymour421]

I mean you can go for the Lenovo Y510P with 750m Sli I can play World of Warcraft in maxed out ultra with 16x and 4x settings. Also play Call of Duty maxed out. Amazing laptop.

[mortenmoulder]

I'm not quite sure you can get a laptop with a 780M in it, for about $1800.

I know that's maybe 2/3 of the price for the laptop in Denmark (cheapest with 780M).

[Rockin_Zombie]

If the weight and the price suits you, go for it. But remember, even the 780m will be outdated within a year probably, so think carefully if you really need that much power before splurging.

[R3d]

The MSI gt60 barebones might have hybridpower, which draws additional power from the battery if the power supply isn't enough.

Not the ideal solution, but its something you could probably fit in your budget.

I would recommend the 780m if you want to play games comfortably in 4 years.

[happydave]

I have the w230st and have to say it performs great. The size and weight is perfect if you think you'll be carrying it around much.

[stark1885]

He is refering to the y510p from lenovo. I own one and its a great laptop. Lenovo support is mediocre at best. Sucks they whitelist wifi cards in the bios but a member of this forum developed a work around.

[Compraa]

Yeah I would also recommend the Lenovo Y510P due the expandability, not many laptops have those kind of upgradable possibilities but this one sure stands out bit of a hefty price tag though...

[jon10110]

I agree with the idea of gettting a Clevo/Sager. I bought mine a bit ago and it was a great investment. I actually was able to get rid of my Desktop gaming rig and have not looked back. I used XoticPC and found them to be very helpful and had quick shipping.

[bangabob]

Clevo is great value for money. PC specialist make them to order. I think one had a GTX 850m for £501. Great if you don't mind waiting for 14 days.