Quote:
Originally Posted by
jedihobbit 
Thanks guys. Guess I need to add a little....
Not looking to match the desktop as I never had the chance to really "use it", so won't know what I'm missing. I have three brand new Acer S231HLs that I was going to use and would somewhat like to still do it. Also love my Eclispe and current logitech mouse so would like to continue to use them. Guess that means something like a "docking station" or whatever?
Thanks ziddy for the link as that so far has been the only site that lets me really have more latitude in picking stuff. SLI or Crossfire with the exception of F@H is not a big deal.
So with this in mind the monitor size and "quality" would be secondary but still would like to the "power" of a good proc and gpu. Oddly enough I've always used AMD for the "principle of it" but with lappies looks like I'll finally venture to the dark side!!
Oh well in that case, then go for Alienware. The HD6970M in the Alienware is equivalent to a desktop HD6850 which can play all games including Witcher 2 on high settings at 1080p right now. It should last since the next gen consoles won't be out for a while. And game developers have proven over and over, whenever they say the PC is the first/main platform, they were lying as the games are always optimized for consoles first, it's just play on words/marketing. Just look at BF3, almost all the technology for that are for consoles to ensure high performance. The lighting system was first seen in PS3 games, now adopted for BF3, the differed shading/lighting proven by CryTek to have minimal impact for consoles and the tile based differed rendering that DICE has been raving about... Yeah that was developed for consoles by PowerVR almost a decade ago. So suffice to say, even BF3 is not a PC main platform game, it's a complete lie, the game is optimized for console performance.
Why would I recommend Alienware over Clevo if you don't need SLI/CFX? Alienware has warranty just as good as MSI/Asus, though it's pricier, it's not standard, have to pay for it. Oh well, but it's still great. The casing on Alienware is 2nd to none. They use lightweight magnesium/aluminum casing. Their screens are also 2nd to none. Dell use the best RGB/IPS/120hz screens in laptops. Well, HP's DreamColor is 2nd to none, but that screen costs $1,500... Dell screen is better than Clevo and will be as good as what XoticPC offers. Alienware keyboards are also 2nd to none on gaming laptops, no one has anything better. Great backlighting, full size keyboard with plenty of tactile response etc. The cooling system is as good as Clevo and the back access is excellent.
So if you just need a single GPU setup, go for Alienware.
If you just need a simple high, mid tier gaming notebook, then look at MSI and Asus. MSI and Asus are the best at giving you the most bang for your dollar. Excellent screens as good as Clevo, with 560M Nvidia, upgradable CPU options and ridiculous amount of ram and HDD space and the best standard warranty free given with all notebooks in the industry. Free shipping for repairs, 1 year free accidental, LCD protection for first 30 days etc.
For reference, I've been using the HD5870M equipped G73jh for past almost 2 years now. I've played every game up til now on 1080p with high settings, including Metro 2033 (Tessellation/DOF off, since DOF is annoying and tessellation is overrated). Witcher 2 I have dropped to 1280*720 for the post processing effects and the amount of texture detail is ridiculous, probably want a card with 1.5GB-2GB of vid ram for that, or something faster. But even at 720p, Witcher 2 is the best looking game I've played. And I don't see a reason to upgrade my laptop for another year still.
