Hello all,
I have finally thrown in the towel on my 4 year old ThinkPad E520. Great machine, but I need a little more GPU power...and the SSD dismounts if not placed down carefully xD
I want to be able to play online games like Counter Strike: GO, but also have decent portability and non-gaming battery life. I am currently studying for the CPA Exam and will be going to grad school and will be studying on the train/at the library.
After some research I am between the lower models of MSI and ASUS because of their value, good reviews, quality keyboards (with NUM PAD, a must!), and their simple black style which will not be obnoxious in a business setting.
Need:
1) Newest i5 or i7
2) Nvidia GPU
3) Quality keyboard with Num Pad
4) 15 inch
5) Quality build and battery life (when not gaming)
6) Under $1300
Also, I have an almost new Samsung 500GB EVO SSD I plan on replacing the HDD with.
Basically, what I have in mind are:
MSI:
Cheaper route (Leopard): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TI6TAB2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A23M3KL3V61UGY
Is this good enough? I'm only a casual gamer, but don't want to buy a PC that will be obsolete in 2 years.
Apache: http://www.amazon.com/MSI-GE60-Pro-867-15-6-Inch-Aluminum/dp/B00TI6TFHQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1434496132&sr=1-2&keywords=msi+laptop+15.6
ASUS:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T7XRGGC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T7XRGGC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Is it worth the extra for AC wireless and the IPS display? At $1300, is there a better alternative? I would love to be able to buy the $800 leopard, but worry that the specs are too weak. I've also read multiple people stating that ASUS components are far superior...but I know people can have their biases. I do like the MSI design a little more, but quality is more important to me.
Thanks in advance!
I have finally thrown in the towel on my 4 year old ThinkPad E520. Great machine, but I need a little more GPU power...and the SSD dismounts if not placed down carefully xD
I want to be able to play online games like Counter Strike: GO, but also have decent portability and non-gaming battery life. I am currently studying for the CPA Exam and will be going to grad school and will be studying on the train/at the library.
After some research I am between the lower models of MSI and ASUS because of their value, good reviews, quality keyboards (with NUM PAD, a must!), and their simple black style which will not be obnoxious in a business setting.
Need:
1) Newest i5 or i7
2) Nvidia GPU
3) Quality keyboard with Num Pad
4) 15 inch
5) Quality build and battery life (when not gaming)
6) Under $1300
Also, I have an almost new Samsung 500GB EVO SSD I plan on replacing the HDD with.
Basically, what I have in mind are:
MSI:
Cheaper route (Leopard): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TI6TAB2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A23M3KL3V61UGY
Is this good enough? I'm only a casual gamer, but don't want to buy a PC that will be obsolete in 2 years.
Apache: http://www.amazon.com/MSI-GE60-Pro-867-15-6-Inch-Aluminum/dp/B00TI6TFHQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1434496132&sr=1-2&keywords=msi+laptop+15.6
ASUS:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T7XRGGC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T7XRGGC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Is it worth the extra for AC wireless and the IPS display? At $1300, is there a better alternative? I would love to be able to buy the $800 leopard, but worry that the specs are too weak. I've also read multiple people stating that ASUS components are far superior...but I know people can have their biases. I do like the MSI design a little more, but quality is more important to me.
Thanks in advance!