Sertis

Hi, I'm a PC/Computer gaming fan for about 25 years, mostly desktop, but lately I've been Notebook Focused for impromptu LAN parties. I'm currently an AW M18R1 and Gigabyte P34G user, having owned a dozen models over the years. I work in IT in the gaming industry and love my co-op games. Nice to meet everyone.

Hi, I am currently an M18r1 (CF 6990) and Gigabyte P34 (760M) user and am looking for a performance upgrade. However, it's very difficult finding shops that have gaming laptops in stock to touch/feel so i'd like to get some advice. After owning the P34, I wanted something faster, but it needs to be tougher. While the screen on the P34 was very strong (esp. compared to the MSI and Lenovo construction I've seen, it is very thick), the mid chassis was really just very thin cast aluminum, and it buckled easily. I was considering a new Alienware 15, but I saw the AW13 at Frys but wasn't too impressed and the salesperson indicated that the AW15 also doesn't use an aluminum backed screen. The MSI Ghost also seems to be a bit too thin for my needs. I'm looking for something with a 970m performance but at least as durable as say a Dell Precision M4xxx or the M18R1. Most reviews don't go into build quality in much detail, so I would like some advice from actual owners. I also considered a GPU upgrade for the M18, but it seems like selling it and getting a new laptop would be less expensive than sourcing a pair of 880ms.