What does the average user of an Asus or Alienware gaming laptop look like?

V

Vithar

Limp Gawd
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Mar 6, 2012
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I'm asking this question because while companies like MSI and Gigabyte are coming out with lightweight and portable gaming laptops Asus still seems to do the exact opposite. Just look at the new MSI GE60 GTX 860M, Core i7, and 5.28lbs or the Gigabyte P25W GTX 770M, Core i7, and 5.73 lbs.

Under 6 pounds means you can put it in your backpack along with your books and carry it around all day without looking like The Hunchback of Notre Dame. But the Asus G Series all weight twice that much (well almost). Or we can look at the Alianware 17 series which all weight a "comfortable" 9lbs. Seriously, this means that you have to carry 13 lbs to 15 lbs from class to class every day, unless you work out (and lets face it if you own one of these you probably don't) a lot you're not about to have an easy time doing that.

So why do these 2 companies basically sell $1,500 to $2,000 cinder-blocks?
 
Who brings a gaming laptop to class? Seems like a cheap netbook/ultrabook would be the best option.

Of course, if one invests in a $2000 laptop, you would think they would get a proper backpack to carry it around. A proper backpack makes carrying a big laptop almost trivial.
 
schizrade said:
Who brings a gaming laptop to class? Seems like a cheap netbook/ultrabook would be the best option.

Of course, if one invests in a $2000 laptop, you would think they would get a proper backpack to carry it around. A proper backpack makes carrying a big laptop almost trivial.
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Last I checked the most expensive laptop backpack does not make weight any less.
Anything over 5 pounds is easy to feel. And no I do not skip leg or core day.
 
Cat1yst said:
Last I checked the most expensive laptop backpack does not make weight any less.
Anything over 5 pounds is easy to feel. And no I do not skip leg or core day.
Click to expand...

lol, like this. Back to topic I got a 6 lbs laptop and a $50 Targus laptop backpack, that thing has a ton of cushion and I can still feel the weight. And yeah I work out too.

But I bet Rambo would have no prob walking around with an Asus G750 in his backpack. (Someone who's good with photoshop, make this a thing plz)
 
Well that is your problem. Stop buying "laptop bags". Buy a backpack meant to actually carry things without killing you. A laptop bag is a shitty backpack with some foam in it and sold to suckers every year since that is about as long as they last.

5.11. Look it up. I carry a dell lat, Lenovo x120e, surface pro, tools, papers, lunch etc. You would never know I have almost 40lbs in gear in there by the way I carry it. You barely feel it.

But hey, I guess I am Rambo. Have fun with your laptop bags. LOL
 
schizrade said:
Well that is your problem. Stop buying "laptop bags". Buy a backpack meant to actually carry things without killing you. A laptop bag is a shitty backpack with some foam in it and sold to suckers every year since that is about as long as they last.

5.11. Look it up. I carry a dell lat, Lenovo x120e, surface pro, tools, papers, lunch etc. You would never know I have almost 40lbs in gear in there by the way I carry it. You barely feel it.

But hey, I guess I am Rambo. Have fun with your laptop bags. LOL
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Funny, I've gone through 2 laptop backpacks both of which lasted me a couple years (my last Belkin one lasted 3 years).

So is this your backpack:
inc540768_235544_jb.jpg


Cuz $220 is way too much to spend on a backpack.
 
What does the average user of an Asus or Alienware gaming laptop look like?
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I'd say human, with skin and eyes.
Only a guess though.
 
I dont work out so your generalization is probably spot on. I dont skip any meals, and frankly am not in the best shape in the world anymore
i take my AW18 to work with me everyday and i visit 4-10 clients a day. i use a Targus Drifter II backpack, and its a non issue. Its not light but im not a pussy either. sometimes i even have to carry it up a few flights of stairs. Im loyal to AW since the brickbox Clevo years...so im gonna have to get used to all this "WEIGHT"..IMO if carrying 10-15lbs around is to much for you get a chrome book and stuff it in your skinny jeans, or throw it in your napsack with your macbook
 
I brought a game laptops to collage classes and work.

Then again my class was in 3d graphics production sound editing and autocad and UDK. books died about that time and we had no books we had a usb flash drive and a laptop everything was stored on a server digital everybody had a login with wifi if they wanted to the server from any pc or the pc they bought.

before that we had some books but nobody used them or brought them with.

so they tools was a small ass flash drive and a laptop )optional but you want your own to save settings you like and not have anybody screw with it.


they are not that heavy

and when i went back to there to get trained in moto correct not that long ago there was even less paper or books and everybody was using anroid tablets and ebooks and training videos on them from the server and not paper anything. and everybody typed notes on the laptops.
 
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I'll bite, I use an Alienware 18 which is a fairly large notebook. I travel for work, typically for months at a time, so having a laptop makes sense since it's far easier to pack into the car and safely travel with while the weight doesn't matter in the slightest since I don't carry it around everywhere.

As far as the backpacks, if you the weight is heavy for you, you'll want a bag that rests the weight on your hips instead of your shoulders. Look for a backpacker's style backpack, those won't make the laptop lighter, but will make it trivial to carry around because the load will be on the part of your body that can carry weight.
 
Typical Alienware laptop user:

alien_et_1775433i.jpg



Typical ASUS gaming laptop user:
man_crying_by_broken_laptop_245211.jpg


You forced my hand, OP :D

Im my opinion high powered, discrete GPU laptops are already designed to operate near their thermal envelope. Add flexing, bumps, and numerous thermal cycles to that.

I disassembled several laptops in my life, including an expensive, 'gaming' sli capable Toshiba (yeah I know).
After 3 years there's usually at least one bit of plastic or some random washer or a screw rattling around in there.

So, for the time being, I am ALL FOR making them as heavy and sturdy as possible.
We already have monstrous heaps of electronic garbage all over the world with like one failed component in them that is probably worth 20 cents (i'm looking at you, shitty capacitor makers and lazy solderers).

Until we find a way to keep that silicon from melting the world around it because of a dust bunny, or develop new generation durable, cheap and light materials for the chassis/frames/screen I don't see another way.
 
michalrz said:
So, for the time being, I am ALL FOR making them as heavy and sturdy as possible.
We already have monstrous heaps of electronic garbage all over the world with like one failed component in them that is probably worth 20 cents (i'm looking at you, shitty capacitor makers and lazy solderers).

Until we find a way to keep that silicon from melting the world around it because of a dust bunny, or develop new generation durable, cheap and light materials for the chassis/frames/screen I don't see another way.
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So what about the two models I mentioned hasn't that method already been discovered, before the P25W there were no laptops with more than a GTX 765m that weighted under 9 lbs.
 
They both look like decent machines. I would buy one if I liked using small screens, gamed on laptops and they weren't available for a minimum of two of my monthly paychecks :D
To answer you, a time machine would have to hit retail chains before my theoritical super-materials. That way I could tell you whether these designs will start appearing at my doorstep for repairs in 3 years.
I wish I could take one apart with my own hands or actually try to break one purposefully - then I could form a more educated opinion.
But the one thing that seems constant industry-wide is greed and corner-cutting.
I mean, if this: linky is legit and these are actual hw failures due to design (not user error), then I'd dare to say a number in the range of around 20% (average for all vendors) is pretty horrible.
By chance, while you were researching those, have you encountered some info on how they actually managed that? Because my inner pessimist tells me it happened at a cost - like for example nerfing the cooling.
 
michalrz said:
They both look like decent machines. I would buy one if I liked using small screens, gamed on laptops and they weren't available for a minimum of two of my monthly paychecks :D
To answer you, a time machine would have to hit retail chains before my theoritical super-materials. That way I could tell you whether these designs will start appearing at my doorstep for repairs in 3 years.
I wish I could take one apart with my own hands or actually try to break one purposefully - then I could form a more educated opinion.
But the one thing that seems constant industry-wide is greed and corner-cutting.
I mean, if this: linky is legit and these are actual hw failures due to design (not user error), then I'd dare to say a number in the range of around 20% (average for all vendors) is pretty horrible.
By chance, while you were researching those, have you encountered some info on how they actually managed that? Because my inner pessimist tells me it happened at a cost - like for example nerfing the cooling.
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Here's a review on the Gigabyte. I've read through it and I like what I see but let me know if you see any issues.
 
Yeah, skimmed through it and they do claim a sturdy build aside from 'loose' screen hinges (which wouldn't bother me).
Time will tell. Good luck.
 
The G Series is more meant to be a portable desktop, than a laptop you carry around to class. Plus it has a bigger screen size and a more robust cooling system.
 
@ op
wait....
9 pounds is what? like 5 kilograms? (google says 4.08kgs)

why are you bitching about carrying 4kgs around? if that is too heavy for you then I suggest you get your little sister to carry it around for you.
dont all the cool kids have "satchels" that they carry their macbooks around in? im pretty sure you could place a PC in one instead of said mac.


*incredibly befuddled why anyone would complain about FOUR KILOGRAMS??!?

O_____o
 
SoAndSo said:
@ op
wait....
9 pounds is what? like 5 kilograms? (google says 4.08kgs)

why are you bitching about carrying 4kgs around? if that is too heavy for you then I suggest you get your little sister to carry it around for you.
dont all the cool kids have "satchels" that they carry their macbooks around in? im pretty sure you could place a PC in one instead of said mac.


*incredibly befuddled why anyone would complain about FOUR KILOGRAMS??!?

O_____o
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Because while the laptop is nothing by its self its not going into a backpack by its self, its going in there with another 5 lbs to 6 lbs of gear, which is what makes it heavy and difficult to carry.
 
Cheetoz said:
They should include these free with purchase
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lol, every time I see one of those bags I have the uncontrollable urge to kick it. But no really carrying around 15 lbs on your back for 8 to 10 hours a day is not easy.
 
Not to derail the thread too much further, but I understand the OP's scenario: I carry an old MacBook Pro 17 in an HP notebook backpack every day. With all your other goodies (external HDD, spare battery, AC adapter, etc) it is a burden to carry around, though still a huge upgrade over the Targus 17" notebook carrying case that I had (old fashioned, briefcase style job).

Back on track: if the extra weight is from a larger battery, heavier-duty AC adapter, decent cooling solution, and sturdy build quality, then I think it is worth it, even if it weighs a lot. Squeezing the higher TDP parts into a portable machine with a cheap build quality, terrible cooling solution, mediocre battery, and over-rated AC adapter is a recipe for disaster. I've worked on too many of them to keep track of them all.

TL;DR - If you want an ultraportable desktop replacement gaming machine, we don't quite have the technology for that yet, though we are getting closer with each successive generation of hardware. Also, Razers are not ultraportable desktop replacement gaming machines, though they are promising and I look forward to future iterations of their tech.
 
schizrade said:
A laptop bag is a shitty backpack with some foam in it and sold to suckers every year since that is about as long as they last.
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My Icon Messenger style laptop bag is over 7 years old now and it's fine. I carry a book, Dell E6320 with all 3 batteries, random computer and phone accessories. sometimes an HP laptop for software demos. With other accessories too. No problems here.

This all fit in that bag.
23FEFn7l.jpg
 
I'm kind of with the sentiment that if you can't manage 10-15 pounds then you should probably get a tablet and a fannypack. I was a turbo-nerd in high school but have since become an electrician toting around spools of copper, boxes of tools, lighting ballasts the size of an office cubicle wastebasket and the like, so perhaps that's why I find it hard to believe that 10 pounds is an absolute brutal weight for somebody. But I used to use an Alienware M17X R2 and would on occassion take it to class or out around campus no issues for half a day at a time. That on its own was ~12 lb, and I'd tote it with around with a Diff EQ or Physics book.

In all seriousness though, get one of those SwissGear packs, they're very nice and you shouldn't feel most of the weight if you adjust the shoulder straps properly. Also, who carries all of that extra stuff these days? You have terabyte HDDs in these things now, I really didn't even need stuff like external HDDs and crap back when a big hard drive was 500GB.
 
I have an Alienware 17 an one of the things I love about it is the fact that its still user upgradable for alot of parts. Most of the other companies are starting to go away from that to cut back costs. Another aspect you need to look into is if you are gaming how the cooling aspects work. With most of the smaller gaming laptops its been widely known that the fans get super loud and throttling is typical.

The new 14 inch Razer could change that but I am leaning more towards the fans being really loud and throttling issues galore.
 
17 inch gaming laptops are not for going to class they more for the lan party gamer who brings their pc places and plugs it in once there. The battery life is bad and they are too heavy to be carrying with other stuff.

I have a Sony 13 inch now. Its not the most powerful gaming laptop but it is a reasonable weight and plays Diablo 3 and Final Fantasy 14 well so it suits my needs.

I had a 17 inch gaming laptop for awhile. Was good for going to lan parties but I stopped going to lan parties so didn't get another.
 
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