Buying first gaming/high performance laptop

[A_Deviant_Hero]

I have started looking for a gaming/high performance laptop. I am looking for recommendation and general information. I have had my eye on a few laptops, but have been looking around and seeing what different brands have to offer. Obviously I am on this website because the ASUS ROG laptops caught my eye.

I am looking to spend about $1500 + tax. Maybe a little more depending on what feedback I get and what I determine I would like.

I think I want a 17.3" laptop. Going to go to the local Best Buy this weekend to make for sure that is the size that will be comfortable to view. But I think it will. I use a 27" for desktop gaming.

Things I am looking for:
- Good CPU and GPU that'll last fairly well for a few years until I finish my Mechanical Engineering and Business Management degrees. Not needing the best of the best every year for the next 3 years, but would like something good that will "last" for that time frame.
- Nice screen
- Nice keyboard with backlight
- Nice overall design, not just cosmetic, but also with regards to internal cooling and functionality
- Up to 32gb ram - don't know why but I feel like I need it lol
- DVD or Bluray drive, kind of indifferent because I have an external blu ray burner
- Probably forgetting some other things, but the point is, I am looking for a nice laptop for ~$1500 with hopefully no problems that will last me a few years.


I have been looking at the following laptops:

G751 series and G750 series

Recently saw Sager models, some of which have upgradeable CPU and GTX 980M or GTX 970M Graphics card variants
- such as these models: NP9772, NP8672, NP8278-S, NP8671

MSI Laptop - again upgradeable CPU, GTX 970M 3gb GPU
model MSI GT70 Dominator-2293

Now these are just a few that I have come across. If you have other ideas, recommendations, etc., please let me know!

I appreciate the feedback and input!

The community on this forum seems great.

[AppleofmyDroid]

hey hows it going i am too in the same market you are i myself wanted the g751jt it has an ips panel and its about 1500$ but alot of people here on the forums have been complaining about color bleed and other screen problems with the ips display the g750 models are the older early 2014 models the g751 is the late 2014 early 2015 model. i dont know anything about MSI quality but they have very similar componets they have multicolor backlit keyboards i think there cooling isnt as good as ASUS cooling think of it as ford vs chevy but instead its ASUS vs MSI now the Saeger you speak of i know nothing about my guess its some no name company somebody started and pays other companies to build there laptops and they just brand it or something but i dont really know my biggest problem is screen i dont care if the laptop gets hot because i can buy a laptop cooler. but if the screen is jacked up then i cant really fix that enless i RMA it which would suck after paying 1500$ for a laptop i hope this helps and good luck to ya let me know what you decide as it may help me in my decision

[A_Deviant_Hero]

I will definitely update once I decide.

I had been looking at the G751JT as well, but it was slightly worrying to hear about the screen bleed and left side USB ports not working problems that I saw in a few threads on this forum.

At this point, I really like what I see in the G751JT if I get one without a screen problem and USB ports functioning properly.

However, I do want to get more input on other laptops out there just so I know what comparable laptops are going for and what will best suit me for my budget and performance.

[niki1x]

Hey A Deviant Hero
I was in the same position as you, just a few days ago. I currently own a Satellite Toshiba laptop (+4yr old), and decided it was time for an upgrade. I used to have a desktop for gaming but I don't really like to isolate myself and play video games alone so decided to get a gaming laptop even if I had to sacrifice some performance for portability...
That said, I was also debating between the ASUS G751 & the MSI GT70. Specs looked the same, price alike, though I think the MSI was a tad cheaper in my area.
Finally read reviews and made my choice on the ASUS G751JT with i7 4710, gtx 970, 16gb ram. It came with 2hdds but I will replace one with an ssd. You can upgrade to 32gb RAM if you'd like too. They had similar components but overall the ASUS seemed to have a better cooling system and seemed more robust. It also comes with a 1yr warranty including accidental damage (unsure about MSI's).

You've probably read a lot of posts about people having issues, and I've read them too and haven't even received my laptop yet-- should be here tomorrow or Friday. At the same time, people who don't have issues with theirs probably don't need to post online. If you want, I'll post my thoughts on it. I've never owned a gaming laptop before so I'll let you know if this one was worth it.

[A_Deviant_Hero]

I look forward to hearing about your new laptop niki1x. I have been looking heavily at the G751JT. Where did you purchase your laptop from? I am not sure, if I decide to get the G751JT, whether to buy it at a local Best Buy, so that if there is a problem I can take it back and exchange it, or from somewhere online.

[A_Deviant_Hero]

I think I have a pretty good idea what I am looking for, and may have narrowed it down to two.

G751JT

or

MSI GT72 - the one in the eBay link below. I think it might be mispriced honestly. Only 1695 USD looks too cheap, like it is a mistake.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MSI-GT72-2QE-641US-Notebook-i7-4720HQ-8GB-RAM-1TB-HDD-NV-GTX980M-Win8-17-3-/...

Both physically look cool. I like that MSI has the bluray writer, but again that isn't a necessity, just a nice to have.

Processor 4710HQ vs 4720HQ looks to be negligible difference I read.

Honest opinions?
I am not sure if I should be wanting to follow ASUS brand and get the 970m vs the 980m or what I think I would be happy with owning for the next few years.

[niki1x]

BTW, he's selling for 2100 CAD I think, that's why it's 1695 US... $2100 is normally what you pay for a GT72 from my researches here.

[niki1x]

Honestly the GT72 looks nice too. Apparently the GTX980 is out there for a laptop GPU. I just got my G751 yesterday and everything is well. Had trouble connecting to wifi at first but once logged in with Windows, it worked without any issue.

The price you see on that link is correct. It's because it's a Canadian seller. If you get buy one from Canada, that's great too. The declining value of our dollar makes it interesting for you $1.25CA = $1US. And the prices on the goods here are not that different from over there, so you're winning.

If I could've gotten a GTX980 included with the price I got this one for, I probably would've taken it.

Let me know how it goes.

I'll play with this one some more and let you know if anything comes out. For now, I like it.

[ReeveJ]

I just thought that I'd chime in here with my two cents.

I bought a G751JT about one month ago and have had no problems with the hardware whatsoever (that being said, I'm still struggling with a minor driver issue affecting the speaker). Get the newest BIOS and update to the latest drivers, the subwoofer issue seems to be resolved and so is the left-side USB problem.

My system is actually the second of this model which I've had, the first being RMA'd for a defective fan which made an (extremely) high-pitch squeal. It has no apparent light bleed and no IPS 'glow' beyond what seems to be considered normal. My recommendation would be to go for the G751, but make sure that you're able to get it back to the point of sale for a return if it does happen to be defective. In other words I'd purchase it in-store, not online. There's nothing worse than getting a brand new system only to wait another few weeks while it's sent back.

[A_Deviant_Hero]

Glad to hear everything is perfect niki1x. I think I basically have my heart set on a G751JT. I went to Best Buy earlier and they had a G751JM. First time I have seen an ASUS gaming laptop in person. I was impressed. It had the IPS touchscreen, which I had no idea they had. The Best Buy employee told me that the JT has the touchscreen as well, but I was sure that they did not. Maybe I have read wrong information.

Anyways, the 17.3" screen is phenomenal, and I don't think that the laptop is too big. Also, I watched the Guardians of the Galaxy trailer on youtube while I was there to hear how the speakers sounded. I thought they sounded great.

The G751JM has a different design so I wasn't able to see what the G751JT 100% looks like. (The JM has the black vent ports in the back and the vents are a little different/smaller)

The backlighting on the keyboard looked great. The trackpad/mousepad seemed like the sensitivity was really low. I assume that can be changed?

Overall, my impression of a G751 is that it looks well built, sturdy, and nice looking.