Buying Latest gaming laptop with GTX 970M

1) What is your budget? around 1400$ USD

2) What size & weight consideration (if any) would you prefer? 15.6" 1080p display and weight should be as less as it can.

3) What are the primary tasks you will be performing with this notebook? Gaming and Video Editing It should be remain cooler in high performance task that I do mostly.

5) Any typical configuration in your mind you're eying for ?
Latest core i7 (not the ULV processor please)
nVIDIA GTX 960M GPU
8GB + upgradable RAM slot
256GB SSD or 1TB HDD
Display should be best as I do a lot of photo and video editing.

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: ASUS, Sager, HP and Alienware

^ none of these are under 75k or with 960m, specially the overpriced alienware. Forget them at all.

Better to get this:
XOTIC PC | Sager NP8651 (Clevo P650SE) - 15.6" Gaming Notebook

or any of these if on extremely tight budget:
XOTIC PC | Sager NP8650 (Clevo P650SA) - NVIDIA GTX 965M
XOTIC PC | Sager NP8268 (Clevo P150SM-A) - 15.6" Gaming Notebook

What about Nvidia GTX 960M, GTX 950M and GT 940M GPUs to launch soon - Graphics - News - HEXUS.net and
Lenovo Readies Y50 Refresh with GTX 960M Graphics and IPS Display | techPowerUp ??

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Asus ROG G551 costs 1069$ but with old GTX 860M if it refresh with 960M I think it would be in my budget
Amazon.com: ASUS ROG GL551JM-EH74 15.6" Gaming Laptop w/ NVIDIA GeForce GTX860M 2GB GDDR5 and Optimus Technology, 256 GB SSD & 16GB DDR3L RAM: Computers & Accessories

from the 2nd link

Prices will start at €1120

€1120 ~= 80k

add taxes + customs + shipping charges.
Price goes close to 100k.

Then why get 960m instead of 870m/965m/970m?

European market is always expensive than US. Don't worry about customs my brother will bring it for me.
Sorry but I can't rely on Xotic/Segar like brands. I can't spend that much that I never seen or used. There will no one to repair if it gets broken in India.

S

Dr. House said:
European market is always expensive than US. Don't worry about customs my brother will bring it for me.
Sorry but I can't rely on Xotic/Segar like brands. I can't spend that much that I never seen or used. There will no one to repair if it gets broken in India.

I would recommend one thing; check the warranty transfer and compatibility clauses with Indian counterparts, or else you are up for a not so good surprise. Local warranties are not portable.

Siddhartht said:
I would recommend one thing; check the warranty transfer and compatibility clauses with Indian counterparts, or else you are up for a not so good surprise. Local warranties are not portable.

Asus products come with international warranty.

S

Dr. House said:
Asus products come with international warranty.

I wouldn't bank on Asus that much. If you were purchasing it in India, it might have been "the" best available option. Wait for the actual 960M reviews before making any decision. HP Omen and Acer Nitro are better laptops overall(Screen, portability, battery life and well...looks).

960M is rumored to have 640 cores, same as 860M. Even if this is not a simple renaming stint, the improvements will be based on the merits of Maxwell revision 2, not by the actual (raw) hardware specifications itself.

The best thing is Directx12 update will come for GTX 960M.

R

Dr. House said:
The best thing is Directx13 update will come for GTX 960M.

It's Dx 12.

If the OP is looking into playing heavy games then 960m is not the best bet looking how nvidia has handicapped the 965m compared to the 970m. As for a good screen all the laptops except ROG have TN display. Dont know about the clevo but MSI and Asus screens are pretty much alright along with the fact that both provide International warranty (I'd be with MSI on the warranty part).

S

Rohan Rathi said:
It's Dx 12.

If the OP is looking into playing heavy games then 960m is not the best bet looking how nvidia has handicapped the 965m compared to the 970m. As for a good screen all the laptops except ROG have TN display. Dont know about the clevo but MSI and Asus screens are pretty much alright along with the fact that both provide International warranty (I'd be with MSI on the warranty part).

Agreed.
The strategy nvidia is currently using is to cap chips performance for a resolution bracket. 970 and 980 are being targeted to screens with resolution greater than FHD, whereas 965 is meant for gaming at FHD. 860/960 are...well, remember those odd resolutions starting with 1600 ?

R

I dont think the budget will meet OP's requirements if he's looking at companies that provide warranty. 256 gig ssd alone will eat a large chunk of your budget. Couple that up with premium companies like Asus, Alienware(!) or even MSI and you'll have to extend that budget. Your best bet is to go with Clevo or hope that Lenovo comes out with a 960m laptop.

Then there's the fact that weight and cooling don't go together. If you want a good laptop you've got to make some sacrifice or another.

SaiyanGoku said:
^ none of these are under 75k or with 960m, specially the overpriced alienware. Forget them at all.

Better to get this:
XOTIC PC | Sager NP8651 (Clevo P650SE) - 15.6" Gaming Notebook

or any of these if on extremely tight budget:
XOTIC PC | Sager NP8650 (Clevo P650SA) - NVIDIA GTX 965M
XOTIC PC | Sager NP8268 (Clevo P150SM-A) - 15.6" Gaming Notebook

At last.... :clap2:

+1 for the suggestion.

Yeah +1 to XOTIC PC

Rohan Rathi said:
I dont think the budget will meet OP's requirements if he's looking at companies that provide warranty. 256 gig ssd alone will eat a large chunk of your budget. Couple that up with premium companies like Asus, Alienware(!) or even MSI and you'll have to extend that budget. Your best bet is to go with Clevo or hope that Lenovo comes out with a 960m laptop.

Then there's the fact that weight and cooling don't go together. If you want a good laptop you've got to make some sacrifice or another.

Amazon.com : Lenovo Y50 Touch 4K UHD Laptop Computer - 59423621 - Intel Core i7-4700HQ / 256GB Solid State Drive / 16GB RAM / 15.6" UHD MultiTouch 3840x2160 Display / NVidia GeForce 860M 2GB / Dual Band Wireless AC / Windows 8.1 : Computers & Accesso
Everything about this laptop is fine but I want a newer GPU and 1080p non touch screen panel.

^ then get any one from the sager/clevo laptops I mentioned.

SaiyanGoku said:
^ then get any one from the sager/clevo laptops I mentioned.

As I said previously I can't spend that much money on Clevo/Segar that is irreparable in India if broken. I can wait for other international popular brands.

R

Those international popular brands are what is called "premium" brands. Best of luck finding one that suits your budget. Go to Xotic PC and you'll know what I'm saying.

Lenovo is not one of them and they dont have a 960/965m laptop yet so yeah rule it out. The brands which I had listed will cost you minimum 1500$ for what you're asking. Although rumors are lenovo may be working on getting a 960/965m laptop out.

Rohan Rathi said:
Those international popular brands are what is called "premium" brands. Best of luck finding one that suits your budget. Go to Xotic PC and you'll know what I'm saying.

Lenovo is not one of them and they dont have a 960/965m laptop yet so yeah rule it out. The brands which I had listed will cost you minimum 1500$ for what you're asking. Although rumors are lenovo may be working on getting a 960/965m laptop out.

I don't think my budget is too less for my requirements if last year model (860M) costs around 1000$. As I mentioned on my first post I will purchase in April.
FYI New Alienware 15 with GTX 960M is selling 1400 USD on official alienware USA website.

Dr. House said:
I don't think my budget is too less for my requirements if last year model (860M) costs around 1000$. As I mentioned on my first post I will purchase in April.
FYI New Alienware 15 with GTX 960M is selling 1400 USD on official alienware USA website.

Lol that is overpriced. Clevo has 970M + 120 GB M2 SSD + IC Diamond for 1376$

Your budget isn't less, the configs OEMs offer are overpriced for that matter.
And why are you so fixated that the Clevo laptop will break with normal use ?

[MENTION=150630]sam_738844[/MENTION] had a Clevo laptop previously. Ask him if in doubt.

S

SaiyanGoku said:
Lol that is overpriced. Clevo has 970M + 120 GB M2 SSD + IC Diamond for 1376$

Your budget isn't less, the configs OEMs offer are overpriced for that matter.
And why are you so fixated that the Clevo laptop will break with normal use ? [MENTION=150630]sam_738844[/MENTION] had a Clevo laptop previously. Ask him if in doubt.

Overpriced ? Maybe.
970M, 120 GB M2 SSD. Fine.

Anyways, my question is, why is everyone treating IC Diamond as a standout feature ?
That is some over hyped thing.

^ IC Diamond is one of the best Heat Sink Compound for laptops, that's why.

S

SaiyanGoku said:
^ IC Diamond is one of the best Heat Sink Compound for laptops, that's why.

And a 15$ addon which can be delivered to India. Point being, it is not a special feature; an additional expansion slot can be termed as a feature worth mentioning and so on. I believe that such mentions(thermal paste) may confuse thread openers or others.

As for IC diamond itself, I have no comments, never in my life I have seen any electronics(OEM, high end medical and diagnostics equipments) use a diamond based conductor, too much abrasive even for normal stationary use. It is famous due to marketing strategies.

Sager laptops are not that cheap as I thought. They are charging extra 80$ for a genuine windows 8.1 64bit unlike all brands. Overall it is costing 1450$ as per my requirement but with GTX 970M.

Dr. House said:
Sager laptops are not that cheap as I thought. They are charging extra 80$ for a genuine windows 8.1 64bit unlike all brands. Overall it is costing 1450$ as per my requirement but with GTX 970M.

Do they offer laptop with DOS?

Dr. House said:
Sager laptops are not that cheap as I thought. They are charging extra 80$ for a genuine windows 8.1 64bit unlike all brands. Overall it is costing 1450$ as per my requirement but with GTX 970M.

You can buy Windows 8.1 Pro student version for 3.5k here from Microsoft India

SaiyanGoku said:
You can buy Windows 8.1 Pro student version for 3.5k here from Microsoft India

Hey is windows 8.1 pro getting free Windows 10? I am uncertain about it.

S

$hadow said:
Hey is windows 8.1 pro getting free Windows 10? I am uncertain about it.

Yup, but for the first year only(the time frame for update, not for the actual product)

Siddhartht said:
Yup, but for the first year only(the time frame for update, not for the actual product)

I know about the time frame update but I am not sure about pro version free upgrade.

NVIDIA GTX 960M and 950M hit ultra-sleek gaming notebooks - SlashGear

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G501: Coolest Thin & Light 15-inch Gaming Laptop, With 4K, PCIE SSD
ASUS ROG G501 just turned me on! :razz:

Dr. House said:
NVIDIA GTX 960M and 950M hit ultra-sleek gaming notebooks - SlashGear

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G501: Coolest Thin & Light 15-inch Gaming Laptop, With 4K, PCIE SSD
ASUS ROG G501 just turned me on!

They aren't releasing the 4K version in India.

Will order that from US, no issue as asus provides international warranty.

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I can raise my budget to 1500 USD for this premium piece of hardware. It looks as great as macbook pro.

At that budget you will surely be getting a great piece of hardware.

Dr. House said:
Will order that from US, no issue as asus provides international warranty.

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I can raise my budget to 1500 USD for this premium piece of hardware. It looks as great as macbook pro.

For 1500$, you can get this:

XOTIC PC | Sager NP8652 (Clevo P650SG) - 15.6" Gaming Notebook
Comes with GTX 980M

And if you want 4k screen ,
XOTIC PC | Sager NP8651 (Clevo P650SE) - 15.6" Gaming Notebook
Comes with GTX 970M

G501: Coolest Thin & Light 15-inch Gaming Laptop, With 4K, PCIE SSD

While we’re saving the fine details for later, key specs continue to include the option of 4K (3840 x 2160) IPS or Full HD displays with 100% sRGB, and dual storage with the option of a PCI-Express x4-based SSD that gives incredible performance, without suffering the risks of RAID. On the gaming front it still stands up it, packing up to an Intel quad-core CPU an upcoming Nvidia 900-series GPU

I'm expecting it to be GTX 950M and that for 4k gaming in a "premium" priced but much underpowered laptop? :facepalm:

J

I am interested in buying a Sager NP9752 with Sharp 4K IGZO from Xotic PC.
Have not made my final decision yet, but it is the most powerful laptop available right now.

Let me know if you are interested, we can plan and buy together.

S

Dr. House said:
Will order that from US, no issue as asus provides international warranty.

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I can raise my budget to 1500 USD for this premium piece of hardware. It looks as great as macbook pro.

If you are buying from US, and that too after raising your budget to 1500 USD.....and want a "premium machine", then why don't you go for Alienware 15 ? for 1.5K, they are giving you GTX 980M.........and a transferable warranty.

On a side note, I am personally going to buy Alienware 15 this month, hopefully it will reach here by April mid(they have a 3-4 weeks lead time).

Sorry it has been delayed as my brother is going in May end now. The prices of laptops have also been changed now.
Now in my budget I can get GTX 970M 3 GB DDR5 GPU with core i7 processor.
Alienware 15 with GTX 970M costs $1425
SAGER NP8651 with GTX 970M costs $1182

The advantage of alienware over sager for extra $243 is that I will get an IPS panel 1080p display, 8-cell over 4-cell battery of sager, genuine pre-loaded windows 8.1, ability to shift country warranty, brand value in India as well reselling.

S

Dr. House said:
Sorry it has been delayed as my brother is going in May end now. The prices of laptops have also been changed now.
Now in my budget I can get GTX 970M 3 GB DDR5 GPU with core i7 processor.
Alienware 15 with GTX 970M costs $1425
SAGER NP8651 with GTX 970M costs $1182

The advantage of alienware over sager for extra $243 is that I will get an IPS panel 1080p display, 8-cell over 4-cell battery of sager, genuine pre-loaded windows 8.1, ability to shift country warranty, brand value in India as well reselling.

You have answered your own question.

Siddhartht said:
You have answered your own question.

lol but which one you choose in this case?
IPS panel can be customized in Sager by paying $45. So the price difference between them is $198.

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I am worried about resell of Sager in India. Most of the people know about Alienware as broken parts can be obtained in India dell service centre as well. :/

S

Dr. House said:
lol but which one you choose in this case?
IPS panel can be customized in Sager by paying $45. So the price difference between them is $198.

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I am worried about resell of Sager in India. Most of the people know about Alienware as broken parts can be obtained in India dell service centre as well. :/

What I am trying to say is that you know the pros and cons, we really don't need to tell those. Seemingly, a third person cannot point you in choosing what you actually want, other than giving a rough direction. Rest is up to you to explore.

Honestly, if you worried about resell value and warranty in India, the choices are limited to Alienware and MSI, and even out of those two, only Alienware have pan India coverage, thanks to dell service network.

Sager, now that is a subjective question. Yes, it is cheaper, more "maintainable", but again, there is inheritor requirement of importing broken parts, which can be expensive. And you can't be always sure that any of your acquaintance will do that task for you.

Siddhartht said:
What I am trying to say is that you know the pros and cons, we really don't need to tell those. Seemingly, a third person cannot point you in choosing what you actually want, other than giving a rough direction. Rest is up to you to explore.

Honestly, if you worried about resell value and warranty in India, the choices are limited to Alienware and MSI, and even out of those two, only Alienware have pan India coverage, thanks to dell service network.

Sager, now that is a subjective question. Yes, it is cheaper, more "maintainable", but again, there is inheritor requirement of importing broken parts, which can be expensive. And you can't be always sure that any of your acquaintance will do that task for you.

How is Sager more "maintainable" if parts are expensive? I think Alienware is would be better for Indian user.

Dr. House said:
How is Sager more "maintainable" if parts are expensive? I think Alienware is would be better for Indian user.

My friend has a Sager Gaming Laptop and he is using it without any problem so far. Alienware is costly but Sager is very cost effective.

bssunil said:
My friend has a Sager Gaming Laptop and he is using it without any problem so far. Alienware is costly but Sager is very cost effective.

Yeah! the price difference is about 200$.

S

Dr. House said:
How is Sager more "maintainable" if parts are expensive? I think Alienware is would be better for Indian user.

Maintainability is not a function of price. Again, I said that it was rather more subjective. It is cheaper to maintain in US/Europe, but for India, it can be expensive-As in you might not be able to replace parts like GPU/CPU or motherboard without a model specific replacement(even generic socketed laptop CPUs and MXM GPUs are not available in India). And I am not referring to "upgrade potential" either, that is a different story altogether.
The word maintenance is also used for things like opening the bottom cover to clean parts, replacing RAM and storage drives, etc.

If your mind is saying Alienware, then go for it. There is no use of playing wait game. I always say one thing, if you need it, you buy it. If you don't, then you will keep searching.

K

Dr. House said:
lol but which one you choose in this case?
IPS panel can be customized in Sager by paying $45. So the price difference between them is $198.

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I am worried about resell of Sager in India. Most of the people know about Alienware as broken parts can be obtained in India dell service centre as well. :/

Your Sager can be serviced by Azom.

kunalgujarathi said:
Your Sager can be serviced by Azom.

By paying at Azom service centre?

K

Dr. House said:
By paying at Azom service centre?

I guess so but this is in acute cases.
Generally 90% problems can be solved by yourself only with the help of Notebookreview forums community.

If you get from XoticPC then their support for Sager is the best.
Even Sager itself doesn't provide such support like the Xotic does