I am wondering if it is worth getting a gaming-level laptop just so i can have some power even if it isn't for games. I understand that they don't last long (battery) and are heavy, but they seem to be really powerful and could last me long. I was wondering if it is possible to lower the power usage by disabling some memory or lowering graphics/cpu power. The ASUS G73JH looks really good value for what your getting and is under $2000 compared to the dell M17X which easily goes for $3000+. Even toshibas seem pretty expensive compared to ASUS.
Depends on what you want it for. I have a Sager NP9262, just for the power to match my desktops. Battery will only run it about 50 minutes, and it weighs in at 13lbs with a 2lbs power brick. It's really a desktop replacement. Has a 17 inch screen a 3.0GHz Dual core Intel process, 2gb ram, a gaming graphics card(don't remember which one, and 3 hard drives. 2 320gb drives in raid 0 and a third 320gb drive as a D: drive. One thing Sager got right was cooling. It does run cool. Is it worth it. Was to me. Pete
I would look for a laptop with Nvidia Optimus. For the rest you can usually find a laptop with the same power and less powerful gpu. GPU power can be used, if we exclude gaming, for calculations or specific programs like Adobe Suite that take advantage of it. So my opinion is that you don't need a notebook marked as gaming machine.
The M11x lasts a little over 3 hrs with a GT 335 enabled. Disable the GT 335 by nVidia and run on the Intel 4500 MHD and you get 5+ hours.
from several reviews ive read and watched, the battery life with the 335m disabled is about 7 hours, not the 8 hours that its advertised as tho.
If it's not for games...what kind of "power" do you need? Would seem like a waste of money to get a gaming laptop...paying all that extra cash for beefy graphics that...quite frankly, if you're not a gamer..it's totally wasted money. You can still build a strong performer by thinking wisely about your other options.... *Good processor..you don't need a gaming laptop for this to be maxed out *Adequate RAM..you don't need a gaming laptop for this to be maxed out *7,200rpm or SSD hard drive..you don't need a gaming laptop for this to be maxed out. And it's often an overlooked option that people fail to upgrade..and they end up disappointed in the performance of their laptop due to the stock 5,400rpm hard drive (or...if a super el cheapo laptop..ultra painfully slow 4,200rpm hard drive) *Intel 5100/5300 wifi..you don't need a gaming laptop for this option And just get a decent entry/mid-range graphics option. If you're not going to game..no need to spend an extra 500 bucks on GPU power for games. If you're looking into graphics design..CAD like stuff, naturally you should do your homework here and get a good professional graphics card like ATI Fire or nVidia Quadro.
IMO there is no such thing as a "gaming notebook". That's a marketing term that falls short describing the capabilities. I would have say the same thing for "desktop replacement" too, unless all you do is email, write a Word doc, and watch an occasional movie, on a small monitor. So desktop replacement is also a marketing term - though less of a stretch. Today's 3d animated gaming is just about the most demanding task you can ask of any computer. That means a tremendous amount of heat will be generated and that is impossible to avoid. Notebooks, by their very nature, are tiny boxes, barely capable of containing all the hardware inside, let alone a proper cooling solution. Cooling on a big tower gaming rig is a challenge so it should be easy to see there is just no way to provide adequate cooling in notebook. So in order to survive, the notebooks toggle down in speed to minimize heat generation. Toggling down speeds is not good for gaming. The second problem is that due to their proprietary, and again, compact nature, it is nearly impossible for a "normal" user to thoroughly clean the interior of a notebook. And keeping the interior clean is essential for proper cooling of any computer. And since gaming generates lots of heat, fans spin at full speed sucking in all sorts of heat trapping dust, dirt, dander, microscopic critters that eat dander, and all that microscopic critter droppings they leave behind - sounds nasty but ask someone with allergies if you think it not true. A normal user can open access ports and remove drives to access and remove some of the heat trapping dust. But unless you know what you are doing, you can actually jam more dust deeper into the heart of the notebook. You almost need to be a certified notebook repair person to gain full access for a thorough cleaning. You at least need to be very comfortable with a screwdriver, know the "trick" to pop open your specific case (they are all different!) without damaging anything, and you must be fully aware and disciplined at ESD prevention. As YeOldeStonecat mentions, you will have to spend a small fortune to get "adequate" gaming graphics performance. A serious gaming machine needs to have serious graphics which (guess what?) needs serious cooling too. Notebooks were designed for road warriors who need to take their "work" with them.
This may be true for many of the branded laptops, but not for the current crop of machines from Clevo, who makes the machines sold under the Sager label plus others. Early on the did have some horrific heat problems. An early version of my NP 9262, was notorious for burning out motherboards. But this NP9262, actually runs cooler then my well ventilated desktops. Mainly thru 4 fans, and loads of copper heat sinks and tubing. Also the fan intakes are easily vacuumed and doing so has totally prevented dust build up. Pete
