[SOLVED] best Laptop for under $1200

[dpassenger97]

Hello

I am planning on a buying a new laptop. I live in KSA and laptops here are filthy expensive, so I will be importing it from USA.

I will use the laptop for gaming, and maybe video editing i.e if I go down the youtube path (which i think about often). I've had a terrible experience with lenovo laptops, had 2 y520s both died, got a y540 a month ago, it had this issue of blank screen in hybrid mode, so returned it. So I'd prefer not to use lenovo again. I have no problem with using used and refurbished laptops.

Ive shortlisted some laptops, would like your take on them and if you have any other suggestions, let me know.

-Asus TUF A15 (2060 or 1660ti): The 1660ti model is $200 cheaper and the performance is roughly the same. Apart from SSD, and GPU, everything else is same. However, DLSS has been getting a lot of attention and it improves FPS massively. So Im not sure which one to go for.

-MSI GF65 Thin (i7 or i5) Both latops are essentially the same the only difference is of processor and $100.

Which laptop is the better deal and Do you have any other laptop recommendations? Please Let me know.

 

[NightShade_7]

The Ryzen 4800H in the TUF A15 beats the MSI's 9th gen intel offerings so CPU wise, Asus has the better goods. And as for deciding between 2060 and 1660Ti, you can't go wrong with the 1660Ti as it's performance comes pretty close to the 2060 at $200 less. But the 4800H is a pretty powerful CPU and i feel a 2060/2070 should be a more appropriate pairing. The 1660Ti is best paired with an intel 8th or 9th gen i5,which is what MSI is offering.

DLSS 2.0 seems great but as of now there aren't a lot of titles that support it so it's not really a deal breaker. But that said the 2060 variant is my recommendation.

Edit: I forgot to add, the previous TUF models compromised heavily in the cooling department, with the shared heatpipe really messing up the temps, but maybe they did it right this time. Be sure to check out the thermals of this laptop in reviews before buying.

 

[Budge414]

As NightShade_7 makes mention of above, my main consideration would be cooling capabilities under load. The machine's ability to prevent throttling will determine if the hardware will perform at it's rated best and whether you're getting what you're actually paying for.

The two models you're looking at seem to have improved in this department from previous versions and (with ThrottleStop* enabled. See end of post) are viable options, in my opinion. Here's what else to take into account:

• $200 is an expensive price/performance upgrade to an RTX 2060. However, at a total price of $1200 for the Asus, it's still a REALLY compelling deal.
• The Ryzen 7 4800H on the Asus is brand new and the 8-cores/16-threads will be better if you go down the YouTube/video editing route. This will edge out the 6-cores/12-threads of the MSI's i7-9750H.
• The MSI only has 8GB of slower 2666MHz RAM vs the Asus's 16GB 3200MHz. With a $100 price difference, this evens out to be relatively similar value-wise. At very least I'd be looking for a second stick of 2666MHz for a total of 16GB if you opt for this unit.
• If you do happen to begin editing videos down the line, you may even want to look at 32GB, regardless of which unit you pick.
• Bob Of All Trades on YT has a review of the Asus unit to look at, if you haven't already seen it. In it he mentions NOT being in love with the panel provided, at least in comparison to other available gaming notebooks.

One of these notebooks is the Acer Predator Helios 300, which is a worthy competitor at any price-range.

All-in-all, the Asus TUF A15 seems to have more to offer and makes appropriate use of your budget. Due to multiple reports of a less-than-impressive panel though, I'd personally put the Helios into contention. As long as we can find it at the right price and configuration.
On that note, where else can we look? Are you restricted to B&H as a retailer?

*NOTE: Bob Of All Trades's channel has two ThrottleStop undervolting guides HERE & HERE. Undervolting is an absolute MUST for any Intel-based^ performance laptop and is relatively easy to implement under instruction. This will improve the performance of ANY laptop (with varying results) essentially for free.

^EDIT: There is currently no undervolting support for Ryzen based laptops, but Ryzen machines don't suffer from performance throttling as much as the current crop of Intel ones. All statements here may change in the future, however.

 

[dpassenger97]

actually I only know of B&H, newegg and amazon that ship to Saudi Arabia. The problem with Helios 300 is that its expensive, like you get a 1660ti for $1200, in that price Asus gives you a 2060.

So you saying that I go with the MSi variant?

 

[Budge414]

actually I only know of B&H, newegg and amazon that ship to Saudi Arabia. The problem with Helios 300 is that its expensive, like you get a 1660ti for $1200, in that price Asus gives you a 2060.

So you saying that I go with the MSi variant?

If you're going to edit videos, the Asus has better specs at a really good price. This is let down by the screen if you'll edit on the go, though. For gaming you'll probably get away with it, but I'd be tempted to drop to the 1660 Ti and put the cash saved towards an external monitor at some point that's more suitable for content creation. Battery life is also REALLY good. 90watt hours vs 51watt hours of the MSI.

The $999 specced MSI unit can't compete at the same price. Only the $1099 RTX 2060 version is worth considering, and even then you'd still need to purchase another 8GB RAM to match either version of the Asus. A slightly better colour/contrast but, overall, similarly average panel. Temperatures-wise they turn out roughly on par. I'd suggest a cooling pad to go with either unit.

The ASUS is a better buy within your budget. Either GPU config is hard to beat, and if the only major flaw is indeed the screen (which you could argue against the MSI too, really), there are options to remedy this down the line.
Get the RTX 2060 if the gamer in you will regret not doing so later, otherwise be happy with a virtually unbeatable deal in the 1660 Ti.
This is assuming you can't afford to wait, of course. We're no doubt going to see new releases and price-drops on many more 1660 Ti and especially RTX 2060 units over the next month and beyond.

 

[Anujkmr]

If your primary usage is gaming and video editing, then you need a high performance gaming laptop for sure. There are a lot of high performance gaming laptops below $1200 and I am pretty sure that both your picks of Asus TUF 15 and MSI GF65 are amazing. I’d prefer the MSI over Asus any given day, because I’m a huge MSI fan and I’ve been using one for my games for a couple of years now.

I’d like to throw in a few more options for you to checkout - MSI GV62, Alienware AW15R3, and HP Omen. I hope you find your next dream laptop right away!

 

[dpassenger97]

So I've upped my budget and have decided to buy from the local market. Here are some laptops I am considering.

They all have the similar specs, and similar prices. Im buying it from Saudi Arabia and these are the best prices for these laptops. while most of the specs are similar, things like actual performance, thermals, display quality can vary a lot. Please let me know what laptop I should go for considering the prices and other differences.

All laptop configurations have these in common:

• Intel i7 9750h
• RTX 2060
• 16GB Ram
• Full HD 15.6 inch 144hz IPS panel

Here the main differences in configurations

Dell G5 9590	256GB SSD + 1TB HDD	$1413
Lenovo Legion Y540	512GB SSD + 2TB HDD	$1520
Hp Omen dc 1007nx	256GB SSD + 1TB HDD	$1520
Acer Predator Helios 300	256GB SSD + 1TB HDD	$1573

I dont have any brand preference and I will under volt the cpu and overclock the gpu, so yeah im not afraid of getting my hands dirty. Good battery is a bonus as long as it doesn't compromise the performance.

 

[4745454b]

My current laptop is a Lenovo and it works fine for what I use it for. The screen on it is garbage but I spent MUCH less on it. Considering the extra drive space it comes with I personally would spend the extra $$$ and get it.