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Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop #1191352
07/14/19 03:06 PM
07/14/19 03:06 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 196
Matunuck, RI
KatieB Offline OP
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I am an avowed Macintosh user since 1986. I have a MacBook Air, a MacBook Pro, and a large and small iMac. I was a writer and graphic designer (now blissfully retired) and I built a successful business with Macintoshes and Aldus (now Adobe) software. However, many many more games are made for Windows than Mac OS. So finally I am looking to add to my collection a fast gaming laptop with excellent graphics that runs Windows.

I tend to play pretty adventure games like Myst, rather than shoot-em-ups.

There are so many things I don't know. I tend to play games primarily on my laptop. I like my 13" MacBooks; I like their lightness and size. I am used to playing games on that size screen. But am I going to sacrifice performance by selecting a 13" rather than a 15"?

I also like a 4K screen. But do I need that for gaming? Will it drain the battery life and run hot?

And what's this about a touch screen? Will that do me any good at all if I am not used to one?

Right now I am specifically looking at Razers because I think they're cool. I like the Blade Stealth 4K (13.3") and the Blade 4K (15.6"). My inclination is to go with the Stealth but I read it runs hot and that the better gaming machine is the bigger Blade.

Or should I forego "cool" and go with another choice? Thanks in advance for advice and guidance!

Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: KatieB] #1191355
07/14/19 04:09 PM
07/14/19 04:09 PM
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southeast USA
Jenny100 Offline
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Winfrey got a new gaming laptop recently. Check this thread
https://www.gameboomers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1189867/i-got-a-new-computer-im-sooo-excited

Originally Posted by KatieB
I also like a 4K screen. But do I need that for gaming? Will it drain the battery life and run hot?

I wouldn't recommend running a demanding 3D game off battery no matter whether it had a 4K screen or a lower resolution. Plug it into an outlet for high end gaming. It's not just the resolution that will increase power draw while playing a game. As for whether you need a 4K screen, the question is whether you can see a difference between 4K and a lower resolution, and whether you can afford the extra cost.

Originally Posted by KatieB
Right now I am specifically looking at Razers because I think they're cool. I like the Blade Stealth 4K (13.3") and the Blade 4K (15.6"). My inclination is to go with the Stealth but I read it runs hot and that the better gaming machine is the bigger Blade.

I'd recommend the larger 15.6" Blade. The smaller the laptop, the less air space it has to help keep it cool. Also the hotter it runs, the more likely it is to throttle down and the shorter its life will be.

Originally Posted by KatieB
And what's this about a touch screen? Will that do me any good at all if I am not used to one?

I don't find touch screens very useful for computers or laptops. They're more useful for tablets where you're holding the thing in your hands.

Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: Jenny100] #1191357
07/14/19 04:54 PM
07/14/19 04:54 PM
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Matunuck, RI
KatieB Offline OP
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Thank you Jenny. I did see that thread earlier and that's when I decided to post my queries. Thanks too for the info about plugging in vs. battery. Any other input is very much appreciated as well!

Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: KatieB] #1191359
07/14/19 05:31 PM
07/14/19 05:31 PM
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Near St. Louis, MO
Draclvr Offline
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When you are talking about gaming laptops, there is always going to be a lot of "give and take." Is that 4K screen going to worth giving up hours of battery life? Are you willing to only play while plugged in? Winfrey weighed and balanced the high end components required for computer gaming with cost, heat, battery life, performance etc. She had been looking at brands like Acer and Asus, along with HP and Dell. I linked her to some possibilities and then threw in the Razer Blade option which on the high end of things. We had done most of our discussions on Messenger. Let me see if I can post some of them here. They and Winfrey herself are a great resource.


I dearly love my touch screen on my Surface tablet. But I would never use it on a desktop and perhaps only rarely on a laptop. I'm in agreement with Jenny on her other points too.


Gardens put to bed for the winter. Time for some gaming!
Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: Draclvr] #1191360
07/14/19 07:11 PM
07/14/19 07:11 PM
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KatieB Offline OP
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Yes, it sounds as though Winfrey and I were/are on a similar mission. I would value your input, Draclvr. I can message you my email address or Messenger info if you would be so kind as to respond to my queries/comments. BTW, I am originally from St. Louis and my Dad still lives there. Great city.

Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: KatieB] #1191364
07/14/19 08:29 PM
07/14/19 08:29 PM
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Draclvr Offline
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Cool! I live about an hour west of St. Louis in Franklin County out in the country.

The basics in choosing a gaming laptop start, of course, with your budget. Then you should look at the KIND of gaming you want to do. If you play high demand shooters and RPGs, you're going to need higher end components than if you just do adventure gaming. Although if you want to play new adventure games, you will still need a fairly hefty computer.

Number 1 is going to be a stand-alone video card, followed by a good processor and 16 GB of RAM. Then you should look at how you will use it - do you need it to be light enough to carry around? Do you need a larger screen? I agree that a 15.6 inch screen is going to give you a better gaming experience. Is premium sound important? How much drive space do you want? Personally, I'd suggest a minimum 512 GB solid state drive. I like to look at places where they are actual user reviews.

A good place to start is to choose a few games you want to play and check out what the RECOMMENDED computer specs are... don't use MINIMUM specs.


The Acer Predator Triton is one she looked at... https://us-store.acer.com/laptops/g...ZU_WtND2MlvlU9xvw0fzrVbnDxlbBARGqbqRjkUo

The ASUS ROG Strix… https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...RceZSFW4BSJ5aN_SmeVjV-ZFNVMvGjUvYIL8cWf8

The MSI... https://www.bestbuy.com/site/msi-15...BJOukfLRJXAFxBhfU12eKondFM9C4TKYho_aYPCs

And of course, the Razer Blade... https://www.pcmag.com/review/366894...hrZfL-CG935k7M2LAEOclduNcPYiFpI-wUEcvqmc


Gardens put to bed for the winter. Time for some gaming!
Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: Draclvr] #1191365
07/14/19 08:51 PM
07/14/19 08:51 PM
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KatieB Offline OP
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What do you think about the 13" options? I know the drawbacks, but it's what I am used to... Thanks!

Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: KatieB] #1191368
07/14/19 09:11 PM
07/14/19 09:11 PM
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The battery life of the Razer was the best. I went with the 2070 video card. Cause with the cost of the machine and the way the games are getting so demanding I didn’t want to have to buy another in a year or so. I really like their mouse too. If you decide in a Razer, I’ll Tell you more.

Last edited by Winfrey; 07/14/19 09:13 PM.

Would that I could be the peacemaker in your soul that I might turn the discord and the rivalry of your elements into oneness and melody
Gibran
Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: KatieB] #1191373
07/14/19 10:00 PM
07/14/19 10:00 PM
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Draclvr Offline
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The 13" option is strictly personal preference. You might get better battery life with a 13", but I'm not sure about the screen size for gaming. Like I said, personal preference. If you can go to a brick and mortar store such as Best Buy, maybe you can compare screen sizes for gaming.


Gardens put to bed for the winter. Time for some gaming!
Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: KatieB] #1191425
07/15/19 10:09 AM
07/15/19 10:09 AM
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Jenny100 Offline
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As far as I can find, the only graphics card available on the Razer Stealth 13" is the Geforce MX 150.
Checking benchmarks, it's not in the same category as the 2060 or 2070 that Winfrey's laptop came with, or even with the 1060.

Razer's website lists Intel UHD Graphics 620 and NVIDIA GeForce MX150 (25W) 4GB GDDR5 VRAM for the 13"
https://www.razer.com/gaming-laptops/razer-blade-stealth
UHD Graphics 620 is onboard graphics, not really for gaming at all though it would have superior battery life.

They list many more video card options for the 15"
https://www.razer.com/gaming-laptops/razer-blade

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q Design (6GB GDDR5 VRAM, Optimus Technology)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB GDDR6 VRAM, Optimus Technology)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q Design (8GB GDDR6 VRAM, Optimus Technology)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q Design (8GB GDDR6 VRAM, Optimus Technology)

This benchmark website compares the MX150 with the 1060.
https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-MX150-0-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1060-6GB/m332822vs3639

The MX150 compared to the 2060.
https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-RTX-2060-6GB-vs-Nvidia-MX150-0/4034vsm332822

Why didn't they put a Geforce 1060 or 2060 in the 13" model?
Probably because of heat.
Even without the faster video cards it was running hot.

If you want a serious gaming laptop, I think you need the 1060 or 2060 or faster if you buy a Razer, which means the 15" model.

Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: KatieB] #1191431
07/15/19 11:05 AM
07/15/19 11:05 AM
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My Razer has a 2070.


Would that I could be the peacemaker in your soul that I might turn the discord and the rivalry of your elements into oneness and melody
Gibran
Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: Winfrey] #1191437
07/15/19 11:45 AM
07/15/19 11:45 AM
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Jenny100 Offline
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Originally Posted by Winfrey
My Razer has a 2070.

fixed

Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: Jenny100] #1191479
07/15/19 09:47 PM
07/15/19 09:47 PM
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Matunuck, RI
KatieB Offline OP
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So I went to Best Buy today, and I was all fired up to actually buy an Asus. When I returned
I looked at the Amazon Prime deals and really...they offer last year's goods or other not really stellar offerings. Anyway, I can't pull the trigger on a new computer. I guess I am realizing how special Macs are. What I think I will probably do is buy the Razer Blade 13. Stuck in a rut, I suppose.

Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: KatieB] #1191480
07/15/19 10:12 PM
07/15/19 10:12 PM
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Draclvr Offline
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I know the feeling! As I told Winfrey, there is NO such thing as the perfect gaming laptop when you consider high end components, battery life, screen size, price etc.

Just be aware that, as Jenny said, the 13" Razer has a fairly low end video card compared to the 15". Make sure it can play any of the games you are considering. As I mentioned before, a good way to look is to pick a few games and check out their recommended computer requirements, NOT the minimum requirements.

Last edited by Draclvr; 07/15/19 11:40 PM.

Gardens put to bed for the winter. Time for some gaming!
Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: KatieB] #1191483
07/15/19 10:51 PM
07/15/19 10:51 PM
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KatieB Offline OP
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OK, so I bought what I think is best for me...a "renewed" Razer Blade Stealth 13. After reading about problems of the Stealth--battery in particular--why not buy one that was returned and repaired? And save $200? Mine has the better Nvidia chip. I really like my 13" computers so I think this one is right for me. I will update, of course!

Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: KatieB] #1191484
07/15/19 11:38 PM
07/15/19 11:38 PM
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Can't wait to hear what you think of it! Hopefully it will play the games you want it to! As always, everything is about what is right for you.


Gardens put to bed for the winter. Time for some gaming!
Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: Draclvr] #1191566
07/16/19 08:51 PM
07/16/19 08:51 PM
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KatieB Offline OP
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I do understand that I am not buying a true gaming computer. But then again I have had a Mac since the mid-1980s. Any computer running Windows will open a whole new vista to me. LOL

Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: KatieB] #1191572
07/16/19 09:11 PM
07/16/19 09:11 PM
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KatieB, I think you are going to be very happy with your purchase! Let us know what game is your first one!


Gardens put to bed for the winter. Time for some gaming!
Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: KatieB] #1192311
07/27/19 10:24 PM
07/27/19 10:24 PM
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KatieB Offline OP
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I received my new Razer Blade Stealth a couple of days ago. Since I opted to buy a refurbished computer from Amazon, it arrived in a brown box with just the computer and power cord. No documentation of any kind. But the software (Windows and Razer) was completely up to date. All seems to work beautifully. I think the screen is better than the screen on my MacBook Pro.

I think I will play Barrow Hill as my first game. It was a favorite a long time ago, and one I cannot play on my Mac. I am not cutting edge I know...but happy to be able to play what I want to play!

Thank you again for all the great advice.

Re: Please Help Me Buy a Windows Gaming Laptop [Re: KatieB] #1192315
07/27/19 11:48 PM
07/27/19 11:48 PM
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KatieB, this sounds like time for some serious gaming fun! That's what we all like - to be able to play what we want to play. Have fun and let us know how it works out!


Gardens put to bed for the winter. Time for some gaming!
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