Gaming laptop?

Adenoid Hynkel said:
Posted from my Razer Blade 18, which will happily outperform your desktop any time of the day
Click to expand...
1) Not even close
2) You spent a great deal on a peen-machine. Why not go all out on an iMac?
3) You see flashy specs and think "weeeeeeee" without understanding *why* laptop kit is downclocked, capped and dies so quickly. That's not an argument. That's ignorance.
 
rustypup said:
1) Not even close
2) You spent a great deal on a peen-machine. Why not go all out on an iMac?
3) You see flashy specs and think "weeeeeeee" without understanding *why* laptop kit is downclocked, capped and dies so quickly. That's not an argument. That's ignorance.
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I have worked on many "gaming e-peens" aka gaming laptops and what you say is true.
Heat is a massive problem, premature failure is always an issue.
Also why a fricking laptop? Ah because e-peen.

Had one in for repair a couple of weeks ago... BAAAAKED.
I always go for a desktop PC, because, at least I can cool it adequately and I can upgrade it as needed. Also no shortage of USB ports.
 
rustypup said:
1) Not even close
2) You spent a great deal on a peen-machine. Why not go all out on an iMac?
3) You see flashy specs and think "weeeeeeee" without understanding *why* laptop kit is downclocked, capped and dies so quickly. That's not an argument. That's ignorance.
Click to expand...

iMac? Can I fold it, throw it in my backpack and run Linux on it?

You know, different strokes.... Some of us travel a lot and still want something beefy with decent performance. What exactly am I supposed to do, lug a desktop, monitor, keyboard and UPS around just to satisfy your definition of a real gaming machine :D

Heck, if you had half a brain cell, you'd know you can undervolt almost any CPU without sacrificing performance. I do exactly that on my 290HX. When hammering the CPU, temps rarely exceed 90C, and while gaming they hover around 70C.
 
Maybe then just consider a ROG, Switch or Steam deck?

On the laptop side nothing more than 8gb graphics under 20k.
 
mr_norris said:
I wouldn't buy a gaming laptop again. They are not built to last.

I had a Gigabyte and its hinges gave in. At the end of its time with me, it's dGPU gave in.

I now have a Wootbook which I got in 2023 and the issues I've had with the thing are still a constant pain.

* BSODs are a norm with this thing, and have been for years. I could probably write a book on the troubleshooting I have done here.
* The screen cable gave out at one stage, I replaced that myself with an Aliexpress cable
* The hinge mounts gave out, much like on my Gigabyte. Had to buy the whole keyboard deck replacement to fix that
* The screw mounts on the bottom cover broke too, I replaced that cover as well
* Some keys on the original keyboard deck and RGB go a bit wonky - they were stuck lit up in red

The Wootbook has been a terrible experience if I am honest. It is probably one of the most expensive things I have bought (excluding car and house and so on) yet its existence has caused nothing but grief.

I enjoy laptops and they have their place. My work one is a workhorse, and almost the same age as my Wootbook. The thing is abused, and pretty much used and tossed around daily. My Wootbook has had a life of peace and pampering, yet condition wise they couldn't be further apart.

I will never buy a gaming laptop again.
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Ok, so what are you supposed to do if you want to do casual gaming (not the latest releases either) on a laptop?

Just turn all the settings to low and buy a non-gaming laptop?

Are there no laptop brands that can play games without it heating up, the fans going wild or which the lifespan is short.
 
I bought one of these over 2 years ago. Still going strong with zero issues. I game a lot (like 10+hrs per day very often) with GPU usage maxed out. No Game No Life.

www.evetech.co.za

MSI GP77 Vector 13VG Gaming Laptop | 13th Gen Core i7 & RTX 4070

Discover the MSI GP77 Vector 13VG gaming laptop, equipped with a powerful 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA RTX 4070 graphics. Experience high-performance gaming and stunning visuals in a sleek design.
www.evetech.co.za www.evetech.co.za

I still do have an older desktop that I run on the side with a GTX970. However purchasing a laptop let me take it with me when I travelled for months at a time in the past few years. One of the best purchases I ever made.

So don't be persuaded with "laptop bad" posts. I will probably build a desktop as my next upgrade, then a laptop upgrade a few years after that. That way I have the best of both.


If buying new, this is a good deal for R28k if ok with a 1080p screen:

www.evetech.co.za

MSI CYBORG 17 32GB/1TB | High-Performance Gaming Laptop

MSI CYBORG 17 — Core i7, RTX 5070, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD and a 17.3" FHD 144Hz display. High-FPS gaming and multitasking. Evetech SA.
www.evetech.co.za www.evetech.co.za
 
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EmmanuelGoldstein said:
I have worked on many "gaming e-peens" aka gaming laptops and what you say is true.
Heat is a massive problem, premature failure is always an issue.
Also why a fricking laptop? Ah because e-peen.

Had one in for repair a couple of weeks ago... BAAAAKED.
I always go for a desktop PC, because, at least I can cool it adequately and I can upgrade it as needed. Also no shortage of USB ports.
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What about those of us that want, need and prefer a laptop.
 
PC-Enjoyer said:
Hey guys hows it going.

Pretty new to the whole world of gaming laptops and windows systems in general

However id like to ask anyone here if their willing to sell their machine. I am looking for one!

Preferably something with a 3070ti or better!

Thanks for reading and reach out if you do have a laptop laying about.

[Edit for ballpark amount :R12000 to a maximum of R20000]

[Edit 2 : This is for my own windows adventures, no gonna resell or trade it anyway. I keep my elecontics for like 5+ years before bothering with a replacement. So yeah just wanted to say your machine would be in good hands 😎]
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I have a Dell gaming laptop with Gtx1650 4gb gddr5 in it
 
Jeesh, this thread lol. Maybe I can be the voice of reason (or devil's advocate!)

Best performance for your buck, a desktop!
Need something portable at the expense of performance/heat, a laptop!

Both have their places, but a laptop you can take with you. I've had three gaming laptops (Asus, Lenovo, HP) and two gaming desktops in the last 15 years. Having a laptop I could game on during stage 6 loadshedding was great, and I could keep it charged. My backup power wouldn't have lasted for more than 2 hours running a desktop and screen.

A R300-R400 Coolermaster notebook cooler also helps... All still working 100%, but I have had to replace a couple of fans and apply new thermal paste.

My 2c
 
OutlawJoseyWales said:
Ok, so what are you supposed to do if you want to do casual gaming (not the latest releases either) on a laptop?

Just turn all the settings to low and buy a non-gaming laptop?

Are there no laptop brands that can play games without it heating up, the fans going wild or which the lifespan is short.
Click to expand...
I would just get a desktop if I wanted something for gaming to be honest. My wootbook is still great spec wise so I am fortunate enough to be in a position to still use it - in between BSODs.

My issue is not the heat and loudness, both have been annoying but I live with them. My gripe is you spend so much that clearly has a very limited lifespan post-warranty. I would feel differently if they were cheap.

I am probably one of the few that has just had bad experience after bad, but damn, I have been stung so hard that I will never buy one again.
 
OutlawJoseyWales said:
Ok, so what are you supposed to do if you want to do casual gaming (not the latest releases either) on a laptop?

Just turn all the settings to low and buy a non-gaming laptop?

Are there no laptop brands that can play games without it heating up, the fans going wild or which the lifespan is short.
Click to expand...
Casual gaming? Switch, Ally, Steam Deck, Legion Go or MSI claw
 
mr_norris said:
I would just get a desktop if I wanted something for gaming to be honest. My wootbook is still great spec wise so I am fortunate enough to be in a position to still use it - in between BSODs.

My issue is not the heat and loudness, both have been annoying but I live with them. My gripe is you spend so much that clearly has a very limited lifespan post-warranty. I would feel differently if they were cheap.

I am probably one of the few that has just had bad experience after bad, but damn, I have been stung so hard that I will never buy one again.
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Biggest issue with Wootbook is when your battery goes you can't source them easy or at all. I have 2 at work, perfect condition, working order and batteries have started to go.

Wootware don't have stock and can't get stock, we ordered one from China months ago and it never arrived. I have had to retire it as a laptop that is always plugged in now.
 
CrypticZA said:
Biggest issue with Wootbook is when your battery goes you can't source them easy or at all. I have 2 at work, perfect condition, working order and batteries have started to go.

Wootware don't have stock and can't get stock, we ordered one from China months ago and it never arrived. I have had to retire it as a laptop that is always plugged in now.
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I struggled with parts too.

Bottom panel replacement came from Wootware.
Ribbon cable came from Aliexpress
Couldn't source a new daughterboard for the right side USB, so I essentially have one USB-A port on the left and USB-C on the back, so need a hub (which is fine, but I swear my hub causes BSODs when I game - one of my tinfoil hat theories anyway)
Keyboard deck came from Wootware, but the cost was steep (possibly as steep as the compromise - the new deck has a membrane keyboard and it's for a slightly different model, so no more mechanical keyboard with backlight for me)

But even the Gigabyte I had had the EOL issues and at a certain point I couldn't source parts anymore, even from Rectron themselves.
 
mr_norris said:
I struggled with parts too.

Bottom panel replacement came from Wootware.
Ribbon cable came from Aliexpress
Couldn't source a new daughterboard for the right side USB, so I essentially have one USB-A port on the left and USB-C on the back, so need a hub (which is fine, but I swear my hub causes BSODs when I game - one of my tinfoil hat theories anyway)
Keyboard deck came from Wootware, but the cost was steep (possibly as steep as the compromise - the new deck has a membrane keyboard and it's for a slightly different model, so no more mechanical keyboard with backlight for me)

But even the Gigabyte I had had the EOL issues and at a certain point I couldn't source parts anymore, even from Rectron themselves.
Click to expand...

Wootbooks are made by Clevo or Tongfang.

In Europe a company called Dream Machines uses the same parts.
 
RedViking said:
Even on Dell getting a battery is near impossible once warranty runs out.
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A gaming laptop can only really be used plugged in. That battery should otherwise last for many years.
 
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