Advice needed

[gsejune]

Hi,

I'm thinking of getting a new gaming notebook. Thinking of getting either the MSI or Aftershock one. Looked through the forum and narrow down to 2 choices:

1)
GS60 2PC Ghost (GTX860M 2GB GDDR5) w/ backlight multi color KB
GS60 2PC (Ghost)-
Black 15.6" FHD, Anti-Glare (1920*1080) eDP Wide View Angle
nVidia Geforce GTX860M, 2GB GDDR5
Sharkbay i7-4700HQ+HM87
DDR III 8GB*2 (Total 16GB)
128GB SSD (mSATA3)+1TB (SATA) 7200rpm
Intel 7260 Wilkins Peak 2 (2x2 802.11 ac)+BT4.0 M.2 type combo
Win8.1 Multi Language
6 cell
Free Gaming Mouse and backpack
2 Year Warranty
Price: SGD 2,899

2)
Aftershock x15s (Still thinking if I should customize to the GTX870M or GTX880M Graphics card)
Will be customizing to similar specs like the one listed above.

So, actually what's bothering my decision is the build quality.
Like, for instance, have read through abit that MSI build quality is not that good (like the hinges will become loose or break?).
And also, being a computer noob, do you guys think I should go for the GTX870M or GTX880M graphic card? Is the price worth the upgrade? (I play games like dota2, L4D2, BF4 etcetc, mainly FPS).

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

 

[chiaRH]

Regarding 870M vs 880M, "are you willing to pay $330 more for a roughly 20% stronger performance in GPU?" is the big question. Ultimately a lot of it I feel will go down to how future-proof you want, like do you see yourself 3-4 years down the road still using the same laptop? Remember that games like DOTA 2 and L4D arent really going to need a 880M.

 

[Hailgod]

870m is definitely better performance/dollar than the 880m. I would go for that any day. The 880m isn't worth it at all.

Regarding 870M vs 880M, "are you willing to pay $330 more for a roughly 20% stronger performance in GPU?" is the big question. Ultimately a lot of it I feel will go down to how future-proof you want, like do you see yourself 3-4 years down the road still using the same laptop? Remember that games like DOTA 2 and L4D arent really going to need a 880M.

u can max dota 2 and l4d with a ddr3 850m lol

 

[annoymous]

Aftershock x15s

 

[Evonera]

I spent 3k on a gaming notebook and regretted months later.
If you are really into gaming, dont get a notebook. You can build a MUCH better custom desktop cpu for lesser costs.

With that being said, if you still insist on getting one, definitely Aftershock.

 

[chiaRH]

so u regretted it purely on the basis of cost-per-dollar or was it some other factor like things you can't upgrade, etc?

The way i look at gaming laptops is if you don't really need the portability factor then quite certainly a desktop is always a better choice.

 

[gsejune]

Thanks all for the input, needed a notebook cause I'll be needing for sch needs as well otherwise I'll definitely go for a desktop.

Since I'll be graduating in about 1 year time, most probably I'll be changing to a new system again when I graduate. That being said, I might not change if I'm really really satisfied with the system.

Anybody knows the build quality of Aftershock?

 

[Hailgod]

Thanks all for the input, needed a notebook cause I'll be needing for sch needs as well otherwise I'll definitely go for a desktop.

Since I'll be graduating in about 1 year time, most probably I'll be changing to a new system again when I graduate. That being said, I might not change if I'm really really satisfied with the system.

Anybody knows the build quality of Aftershock?

how about building a custom pc + getting a cheaper laptop? Do you really game outside?

 

[Evonera]

so u regretted it purely on the basis of cost-per-dollar or was it some other factor like things you can't upgrade, etc?

The way i look at gaming laptops is if you don't really need the portability factor then quite certainly a desktop is always a better choice.

Yes, for the money that you are putting into a gaming laptop, the performance isnt that satisfactory. It is also much harder and tedious to upgrade laptops as compared to desktops. The ONLY good thing about having a gaming laptop is when I do travel overseas, I still can have some decent gaming in hotels at night.

@gsejune if you need a laptop for school work, I suggest you just get a good gaming desktop + a decent lightweight laptop. This way it might not even add up to the sum of getting an aftershock. It isn't that light so you may regret carrying that heavy ass laptop + huge power brick to school often and the end you will just leave it on your table at home. Not to mention that you are going to graduate in a year, the more you should not spend so much just for the sake of "portability".

 

[gsejune]

Hmm, will consider doing a custom desktop and look around for a cheap decent laptop then. But doing up a custom desktop is very tedious right..
Or does anyone have any recommendations about where I can do a good custom desktop?

 

[Hailgod]

Hmm, will consider doing a custom desktop and look around for a cheap decent laptop then. But doing up a custom desktop is very tedious right..
Or does anyone have any recommendations about where I can do a good custom desktop?

can either DIY or pay some money for shops like mynextcomonline.com to help you. If u do want advice about a custom pc, go to hardwareclinic and post a thread.

 

[zXioNGz]

A custom built desktop is still the best idea for gaming, better Heat dissipations, and a mere GTX card can outdo the Mobile version anytime.

That's why the main question here is,

- Do you need the portability?
- Are you going to play games on the go or mainly at home?
- Do you need to save some eletricity
- Do you need to save space on your work desk?
- Do you prefer a cleaner look on your desk or prefer a nice aesthetic custom built desktop PC?
- Do you plan to upgrade your hardware in future?
- Are you knowleagable to to upgrades by yourself, can be a issue if you keep needing to visit shops for simple upgradings.

As for the MSI-Aftershock, the Aftershock will definitely have better raw specs performance over the MSI, but the weight is so heavy that it's just better to get a custom built Desktop, you wouldn't want to carry a 3KG laptop on daily basis.

From what I see on your gaming, a GTX 870M can handle any titles effectively, especially on BF4 Dota 2 and L4D2, heck even the Intel HD 4600 can play L4D2 and Dota 2 lol!

So, if you are heading towards portability and design, the MSI will be the better choice, if you really need the massive 8GB Vram of the GTX880M from Afterhock, which I seriously doubt you do, unless you are planning to play games with Matrix Display 1440p screens etc.

So as to say, GTX880M is not a very performace/worthy card, the price of it is not worth over GTX870M, so if you are buying the Aftershock choose the GTX870M to save $300!

MSI GS60 Ghost Pro:
- Portability at a mere 1.9KG
- Better overal aesthetic design
- Steelseries keyboard

Aftershock x15s:
- Higher Vram for GTX870M at 6GB
- Better chasiss design
- Bigger form factor for better Heat dissipation
- 1.5 times heavier than MSI GS60 at 3.1KG and above, not recommended for daily on the go