Gaming Laptop Recs?
-
wrote last edited by [email protected]
Hi all, my son is 11 and a gamer. He does a lot of Roblox (yeah, I know) but also has gaming interests outside of Roblox. He is getting into more robust games. He also likes to record and make YouTube videos of his gaming.
He had a Razer Blade 15 and it crapped out after a year (RMA says motherboard). I had the extended warranty and they are giving me a cash settlement (check) for what I paid for the computer because Razer apparently said they cannot replace the part as it’s not available anymore.
So, did I just have bad luck with the Blade and should I go for another in the Blade series OR go with a different gaming laptop replacement?
I’m researching on my own, but also looking for recommendations from people that have knowledge in this area.
Thank you!
Edit 1: Yes, it should be a laptop. My child likes to switch environments and space is also an issue. Eventually we will consider a desktop, but I am looking for laptop suggestions.
-
Hi all, my son is 11 and a gamer. He does a lot of Roblox (yeah, I know) but also has gaming interests outside of Roblox. He is getting into more robust games. He also likes to record and make YouTube videos of his gaming.
He had a Razer Blade 15 and it crapped out after a year (RMA says motherboard). I had the extended warranty and they are giving me a cash settlement (check) for what I paid for the computer because Razer apparently said they cannot replace the part as it’s not available anymore.
So, did I just have bad luck with the Blade and should I go for another in the Blade series OR go with a different gaming laptop replacement?
I’m researching on my own, but also looking for recommendations from people that have knowledge in this area.
Thank you!
Edit 1: Yes, it should be a laptop. My child likes to switch environments and space is also an issue. Eventually we will consider a desktop, but I am looking for laptop suggestions.
My first question when I read this is: does it need to be a laptop?
You will be severely limited in performance, and you will pay at least double the price compared to a desktop pc
-
My first question when I read this is: does it need to be a laptop?
You will be severely limited in performance, and you will pay at least double the price compared to a desktop pc
Yeah, for now. I’m aware of the pricing and all of that but he likes to move around a lot (sensory kid). Eventually I’ll update him to a desktop.
-
Hi all, my son is 11 and a gamer. He does a lot of Roblox (yeah, I know) but also has gaming interests outside of Roblox. He is getting into more robust games. He also likes to record and make YouTube videos of his gaming.
He had a Razer Blade 15 and it crapped out after a year (RMA says motherboard). I had the extended warranty and they are giving me a cash settlement (check) for what I paid for the computer because Razer apparently said they cannot replace the part as it’s not available anymore.
So, did I just have bad luck with the Blade and should I go for another in the Blade series OR go with a different gaming laptop replacement?
I’m researching on my own, but also looking for recommendations from people that have knowledge in this area.
Thank you!
Edit 1: Yes, it should be a laptop. My child likes to switch environments and space is also an issue. Eventually we will consider a desktop, but I am looking for laptop suggestions.
A bit pricey and possibly overkill, but I can recommend Lenovo Legion. Bought one for myself last year, and I'm really satisfied with it.
-
A bit pricey and possibly overkill, but I can recommend Lenovo Legion. Bought one for myself last year, and I'm really satisfied with it.
That’s one I’ve been looking at. My wife had a Lenovo Thinkpad for work and hated it which is all that’s making me hesitate. However, she’s not a tech nerd and a thinkpad is a totally different beast than the Legion series.
Thoughts on the Legion Pro 5 (AMD), 5i (Intel), or 7i (Intel)? If I were to choose, I’d probably lean toward the 5 for the AMD over the Intels.
-
Hi all, my son is 11 and a gamer. He does a lot of Roblox (yeah, I know) but also has gaming interests outside of Roblox. He is getting into more robust games. He also likes to record and make YouTube videos of his gaming.
He had a Razer Blade 15 and it crapped out after a year (RMA says motherboard). I had the extended warranty and they are giving me a cash settlement (check) for what I paid for the computer because Razer apparently said they cannot replace the part as it’s not available anymore.
So, did I just have bad luck with the Blade and should I go for another in the Blade series OR go with a different gaming laptop replacement?
I’m researching on my own, but also looking for recommendations from people that have knowledge in this area.
Thank you!
Edit 1: Yes, it should be a laptop. My child likes to switch environments and space is also an issue. Eventually we will consider a desktop, but I am looking for laptop suggestions.
If it's a Razer, it was probably pretty expensive. Is a Framework (https://frame.work/) in the budget? If so, he'll have a great work machine capable of gaming, and upgradeable too.
Another option is a lower-spec laptop supplemented with a GeForce Now subscription for demanding games. If you have a decent internet connection, the service actually works really well - far better than earlier services which tried to sell gaming on the cloud. You can try it for a day for $4 (or $8, for the top-tier hardware) to see how you go with it on your home connection.
-
If it's a Razer, it was probably pretty expensive. Is a Framework (https://frame.work/) in the budget? If so, he'll have a great work machine capable of gaming, and upgradeable too.
Another option is a lower-spec laptop supplemented with a GeForce Now subscription for demanding games. If you have a decent internet connection, the service actually works really well - far better than earlier services which tried to sell gaming on the cloud. You can try it for a day for $4 (or $8, for the top-tier hardware) to see how you go with it on your home connection.
It’s expensive, but I also got it on a sale probably because it was an older model.
I’m not familiar with Framework. What is customer service like and warranty on parts/units?
-
That’s one I’ve been looking at. My wife had a Lenovo Thinkpad for work and hated it which is all that’s making me hesitate. However, she’s not a tech nerd and a thinkpad is a totally different beast than the Legion series.
Thoughts on the Legion Pro 5 (AMD), 5i (Intel), or 7i (Intel)? If I were to choose, I’d probably lean toward the 5 for the AMD over the Intels.
The reason AMD rules the gaming world when it comes to CPU is the large L3 cache of their X3D line of cpus.
That large L3 cache isn't found when looking at their mobile cpu offerings on Lenovo Legion, f.e. amd ryzen ai 7 350 comes with 16MB cache compared to Intel
Core
Ultra 7 255HX with 30MB.
Depending on budget I would be more interesting in ensuring I get at least 12GB VRAM on the GPU than caring about AMD or Intel on the CPU side. -
That’s one I’ve been looking at. My wife had a Lenovo Thinkpad for work and hated it which is all that’s making me hesitate. However, she’s not a tech nerd and a thinkpad is a totally different beast than the Legion series.
Thoughts on the Legion Pro 5 (AMD), 5i (Intel), or 7i (Intel)? If I were to choose, I’d probably lean toward the 5 for the AMD over the Intels.
Thinkpads are workhorses, but come in many flavors and can be burdened by decisions they make like buying the cheapest models or loading it up with security software.
I manage Lenovo thinkpads and like them. I bought a legion slim 7i and like it.
If I were to do it over I’d make sure that I was getting the latest cpu. While it’s plenty fast for my needs the intel cpu I bought was lesser to the amd at the time. The most recent intel CPUs are about equal in performance to amd but are more efficient. The amd CPUs have better multithreading performance but are not as efficient.
-
It’s expensive, but I also got it on a sale probably because it was an older model.
I’m not familiar with Framework. What is customer service like and warranty on parts/units?
wrote last edited by [email protected]Framework are standouts in customer service and warranty; I recommend them because their ethos is repairability and re-use. They design their products for maximum interoperability of parts - so for example of you got one of the original laptops, you could upgrade the internals to new framework parts and buy (or build, or 3d-print) an enclosure for the original parts that still work, and turn it into a file server or whatever. You won't run into this situation you have now, where you can't get a part a few years later because the company themselves can't get one. And, it's all open source, so you can build and modify as you like... and equally if not more importantly, so can everyone else. Robust ecosystems are nice to have!
-
Framework are standouts in customer service and warranty; I recommend them because their ethos is repairability and re-use. They design their products for maximum interoperability of parts - so for example of you got one of the original laptops, you could upgrade the internals to new framework parts and buy (or build, or 3d-print) an enclosure for the original parts that still work, and turn it into a file server or whatever. You won't run into this situation you have now, where you can't get a part a few years later because the company themselves can't get one. And, it's all open source, so you can build and modify as you like... and equally if not more importantly, so can everyone else. Robust ecosystems are nice to have!
Very interesting. I’ll have to look more into this company. Thank you for bringing it to my attention!
-
Thinkpads are workhorses, but come in many flavors and can be burdened by decisions they make like buying the cheapest models or loading it up with security software.
I manage Lenovo thinkpads and like them. I bought a legion slim 7i and like it.
If I were to do it over I’d make sure that I was getting the latest cpu. While it’s plenty fast for my needs the intel cpu I bought was lesser to the amd at the time. The most recent intel CPUs are about equal in performance to amd but are more efficient. The amd CPUs have better multithreading performance but are not as efficient.
This is very true about the thinkpads. She’s in academia, so probably had a specific budget that didn’t quite cover what she wanted.
-
The reason AMD rules the gaming world when it comes to CPU is the large L3 cache of their X3D line of cpus.
That large L3 cache isn't found when looking at their mobile cpu offerings on Lenovo Legion, f.e. amd ryzen ai 7 350 comes with 16MB cache compared to Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX with 30MB.
Depending on budget I would be more interesting in ensuring I get at least 12GB VRAM on the GPU than caring about AMD or Intel on the CPU side.Interesting. I didn’t know that info about the L3 cache, but it makes sense. I wonder why it doesn’t take advantage on laptops? Space issues/cost savings not allowing for it?
-
Hi all, my son is 11 and a gamer. He does a lot of Roblox (yeah, I know) but also has gaming interests outside of Roblox. He is getting into more robust games. He also likes to record and make YouTube videos of his gaming.
He had a Razer Blade 15 and it crapped out after a year (RMA says motherboard). I had the extended warranty and they are giving me a cash settlement (check) for what I paid for the computer because Razer apparently said they cannot replace the part as it’s not available anymore.
So, did I just have bad luck with the Blade and should I go for another in the Blade series OR go with a different gaming laptop replacement?
I’m researching on my own, but also looking for recommendations from people that have knowledge in this area.
Thank you!
Edit 1: Yes, it should be a laptop. My child likes to switch environments and space is also an issue. Eventually we will consider a desktop, but I am looking for laptop suggestions.
wrote last edited by [email protected]I adore Asus's ROG lineup. Their cooling blows the Razers (and to be blunt, Frameworks) out of the water, and if you're in the US, you can often find them for deep discounts at Best Buy, specifically. Repairability is reasonable.
I also adore by old Razer Phone, but I'd never buy a laptop from them, heh...
I just wish they had a AMD Strix Halo laptop bigger than a tablet... But almost no one has these, yet.
-
Hi all, my son is 11 and a gamer. He does a lot of Roblox (yeah, I know) but also has gaming interests outside of Roblox. He is getting into more robust games. He also likes to record and make YouTube videos of his gaming.
He had a Razer Blade 15 and it crapped out after a year (RMA says motherboard). I had the extended warranty and they are giving me a cash settlement (check) for what I paid for the computer because Razer apparently said they cannot replace the part as it’s not available anymore.
So, did I just have bad luck with the Blade and should I go for another in the Blade series OR go with a different gaming laptop replacement?
I’m researching on my own, but also looking for recommendations from people that have knowledge in this area.
Thank you!
Edit 1: Yes, it should be a laptop. My child likes to switch environments and space is also an issue. Eventually we will consider a desktop, but I am looking for laptop suggestions.
For what it's worth; your Razer issues were likely not a random thing. Razer has a rough history of bad quality control and even worse customer support. The one thing they're still good at is marketing. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KhfqhCxqpQ8
I've also heard good things about the frameworks laptops, but I've not personally used any of them. At least with a frameworks laptop you can do upgrades later, rather than having to buy a completely new device whenever a part breaks or you have it for longer than three years. Easily available battery replacements alone make that a good deal.
-
I adore Asus's ROG lineup. Their cooling blows the Razers (and to be blunt, Frameworks) out of the water, and if you're in the US, you can often find them for deep discounts at Best Buy, specifically. Repairability is reasonable.
I also adore by old Razer Phone, but I'd never buy a laptop from them, heh...
I just wish they had a AMD Strix Halo laptop bigger than a tablet... But almost no one has these, yet.
I’ve seen ROG mentioned, but I’ve also seen people say that they feel cheaply built and there are mobo issues? Is that your experience?
-
I’ve seen ROG mentioned, but I’ve also seen people say that they feel cheaply built and there are mobo issues? Is that your experience?
wrote last edited by [email protected]Not at all. My 2020 G14 is still kicking, and from what I've seen in the ROG-linux community, their construction has only gotten better, with even beefier heatsinks crammed in, more shared heatpipes between the sides and liquid metal TIM. Look up their teardowns on notebookcheck; they're crazy.
I dunno about mobo issues. Our Asus laptops had no problems, but I haven't used them for desktop in a long time.
Best to check on individual models before pulling the trigger, of course. I know there was some bad history with the Intel ones specifically.
-
Not at all. My 2020 G14 is still kicking, and from what I've seen in the ROG-linux community, their construction has only gotten better, with even beefier heatsinks crammed in, more shared heatpipes between the sides and liquid metal TIM. Look up their teardowns on notebookcheck; they're crazy.
I dunno about mobo issues. Our Asus laptops had no problems, but I haven't used them for desktop in a long time.
Best to check on individual models before pulling the trigger, of course. I know there was some bad history with the Intel ones specifically.
Nice! Thank you for the info. I’ll keep looking into them as I keep seeing the ROG and Legion battle online via Reddit and forums.
I’ve had ASUS in the past myself. My current desktop mobo is ASUS and has lasted for years. It’s a budget mobo but it’s taken a lot of what I’ve thrown at it. I think it’s from 2012?
-
Nice! Thank you for the info. I’ll keep looking into them as I keep seeing the ROG and Legion battle online via Reddit and forums.
I’ve had ASUS in the past myself. My current desktop mobo is ASUS and has lasted for years. It’s a budget mobo but it’s taken a lot of what I’ve thrown at it. I think it’s from 2012?
FYI laptops from the Asus (or TUF) brands are much more mixed, especially in terms of their cooling hardware.
-
Hi all, my son is 11 and a gamer. He does a lot of Roblox (yeah, I know) but also has gaming interests outside of Roblox. He is getting into more robust games. He also likes to record and make YouTube videos of his gaming.
He had a Razer Blade 15 and it crapped out after a year (RMA says motherboard). I had the extended warranty and they are giving me a cash settlement (check) for what I paid for the computer because Razer apparently said they cannot replace the part as it’s not available anymore.
So, did I just have bad luck with the Blade and should I go for another in the Blade series OR go with a different gaming laptop replacement?
I’m researching on my own, but also looking for recommendations from people that have knowledge in this area.
Thank you!
Edit 1: Yes, it should be a laptop. My child likes to switch environments and space is also an issue. Eventually we will consider a desktop, but I am looking for laptop suggestions.
What about a steam deck?
