Gaming notebook on a budget

[Webby's Boyfriend]

I want to get back into videogames so I need hardware for that.

I plan to get myself a notebook for that. Most new ones cost over $1000 or so, yet I have to admit that my budget that I can currently spend on something like that is more like 500 bucks, at most. What can I get for that? I have no problems with older models, second-hand hardware or building one by myself from components. I am mostly into strategy games, btw.

 

[RG 448]

It’s called a “playstation”.

 

[byuu]

Gaming laptops are retarded, especially on a budget.

 

[A shitty ass clover]

just build a PC, Laptops have the shittiest cooling options for the sake of portalibility.

 

[Takodachi]

>gaming
>notebooks

Pick one and only one.

 

[OB 946]

What the fuck am I reading? Laptop gaming is a meme, first of all, especially for $500. If you want to PC game build a PC. If you use second hand parts, buy on sale, and build it yourself you can probably make something not outdated on day 1 with $500.

Also if you're a filthy fucking casual you should probably just buy an Xbox or Playstation or a bing bing wahoo or something.

 

[Judge Holden]

*tfw you are such a tech retarded troglodyte you saw the title and unironically thought some nigga was asking for literal notes on budget friendly games to play and shit, and had already mentally compiled a bunch of cheap/free games like OG doom and TF2 to recommend before you actually read the post*

 

[Mike Hunt]

@Webby's Boyfriend, you probably should consider first how often you’d actually be bringing said laptop around. If you won’t bring it around much but still like the idea of bringing it every so often (maybe a LAN party with friends or something), you’d probably be better-served building a mini-ITX rig. Desktop power, but still portable enough to bring around sometimes. There are even ITX cases with handles on top so it’ll even be easier to move around.

 

[Gustav Schuchardt]

@Webby's Boyfriend, you probably should consider first how often you’d actually be bringing said laptop around. If you won’t bring it around much but still like the idea of bringing it every so often (maybe a LAN party with friends or something), you’d probably be better-served building a mini-ITX rig. Desktop power, but still portable enough to bring around sometimes. There are even ITX cases with handles on top so it’ll even be easier to move around.

Something like a Fractal Design Node 202 wouldn't be all that less portable than a Playstation. And if for you portable means "I put it in my car book every six months" even a full size ATX case isn't too bad.

Incidentally I wish someone would do an ATX/ITX cases like Apple's Mac Pro with a handle on top and wheels on the bottom. They'd be luggable to your car if you need to move them a short distance and the wheels would keep them clear of the dusty floor even if you just want to leave them in a room.

I'd go for a cheap and cheerful gaming PC build and a cheap and cheerful laptop with integrated graphics for note taking.

I've had a few gaming laptops, a few PCs and a few laptops. Gaming laptops have always been a bit disappointing. They're either too expensive and bulky or affordable but highly marginal for gaming. I'd say get a gaming PC and a laptop but admittedly that will be way more than $500.

One option which seems like it would work but doesn't is an external GPU. Last time I looked into this there are two problems. One is that the sort of laptop you actually want to carry has the U series CPU which doesn't really have the horsepower to drive keep a high performance GPU busy. The other is that external GPU cases are way overpriced for what you get.

Like I say in the long run you need a light integrated graphics laptop and a desktop computer with a discrete GPU for things that need a bit more horsepower, but right now you probably need to choose one or the other.

For a cheap/low end gaming desktop one option is to pick up a second hand Dell machine and put a second hand GPU in it. Or you could build a system with one of the Ryzen G chips which have OK-ish integrated graphics for now and buy a GPU when you've got the cash.

 

[ThinkThankThunk]

I too once made the mistake of buying a gaming laptop thinking that it would be nice to have something portable for school that I could still play vidya on. Long story short: don't do it. The ones I've encountered, including my own, idle at 60+ degrees Celsius, and are capable of hitting over 90+ while the GPU is active for any reason, whether it be heavy gaming or simple processing. They run so hot that within a half-hour of turning on you have to stop using it because it hurts to type with the keyboard let alone hold down keys while playing something, a problem that's made even worse on the keys (often WASD) that sit right above the GPU. After a few months the components will begin to fail like the Venera probes on Venus as a result of the absurd heat levels. This heat takes forever to dissipate because of the lack of ventilation and poor fan speeds. This means that when you close the shell, the heat will begin to damage the screen unless you leave it open to vent off for an hour or two, defeating the point of a portable computer. When it inevitably gets clogged with dirt, you'll have to open the case to dust it out, which in most cases will void your warranty.

Even if for some god forsaken reason you read all of that and still think it's a good idea to buy one, know that you won't find anything operable under at least $800. Their lifespans are so short that a used market is pretty much dead, and the lack of a uniform standard for laptop components makes it so that you can't build or modify one yourself if something goes fucky. Don't do it. Use https://pcpartpicker.com/ and https://www.logicalincrements.com/ and build your own PC like everyone else and if you need help ask /g/ or some other hardware forums. You can build a decent rig for $600 if you're willing to upgrade later, but a laptop will leave you with nothing but a big hole in your pocket and nothing but a smoldering pile of metal to show for it.

 

[Arkangel]

Eh. I'm not gonna jump on the "JUST BUILD A DESKTOP" bandwagon. That'd be too easy.

If you really want a gaming laptop for under 500$ then you should look at older hardware and see benchmarks for it to see if it fits your needs. Then start browsing ebay for second-hand deals.

 

[Vampirella]

*tfw you are such a tech retarded troglodyte you saw the title and unironically thought some nigga was asking for literal notes on budget friendly games to play and shit, and had already mentally compiled a bunch of cheap/free games like OG doom and TF2 to recommend before you actually read the post*

If it makes you feel better I read the title and thought "You can just buy a notebook at the store for you table top note taking."

 

[Kamiii]

You need a desktop, especially if you aren't willing to go all in money-wise.

 

[Dingo]

Budget gaming laptops are a disability in the world of PC gaming.

 

[MediocreMilt]

Yeah, you need a cheap gaming desktop.

Or if you need portability, buy what the cool kids buy:

 

[sasazuka]

The ones I've encountered, including my own, idle at 60+ degrees Celsius, and are capable of hitting over 90+ while the GPU is active for any reason, whether it be heavy gaming or simple processing. They run so hot that within a half-hour of turning on you have to stop using it because it hurts to type with the keyboard let alone hold down keys while playing something, a problem that's made even worse on the keys (often WASD) that sit right above the GPU.

I can play decade-plus old games on this non-gaming HP laptop from circa 2012 and I don't think it gets anywhere near that hot (maybe 40 degrees Celsius). Then again, I always turn down the resolution on games to 640 x 480 or less for semi-decent framerate, not that resolution matters that much on a smaller screen.

 

[Shaved Kiwis]

Gaming laptops are a terrible idea unless you are never home. Personally I would NOT buy a laptop with a dedicated GPU. My laptop has a cutdown 1060 that gives me an extra 30% extra FPS in games when I prop the back end onto a book for better airflow. You basically need to play it on a desk unless you want to become infertile. Not to mention the power draw. You're basically better off lugging around a small form factor PC and an HDMI cable half the time. And a 500 USD desktop PC is more or less powerful enough to max out any game on the market today at 1080p.

That or get an ultrabook and use it to play old games. All the best games came out in the 90's and early 2000s anyway and an intel GPU is enough to max those games at 4k/60fps. I had way more fun replaying Max Payne last week then I did playing any of the recently released slop.

 

[Samoyed]

Here is your gaming laptop. You saved yourself 495.00 bucks.

 

[Varg Did Nothing Wrong]

>I need a gaming notebook
>It needs to cost $500

Are you retarded?

 

[Y2K Baby]

Just buy a spiral, dude.

 

[Shaved Kiwis]

View attachment 818132
Here is your gaming laptop. You saved yourself 495.00 bucks.

I like how the toymakers at Mattel managed to shit out a more efficient and ergonomic mouse for Barbie's Magic laptop than anything Apple has put on the market for their 10,000 dollar computers. I wouldn't be surprised if the laptop+mouse dealie retailed for far lower than some of apples standalone mice.