Ashley Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 Looking at getting a new laptop for me and the misses. She's a graphic designer and I do the odd bit too. I'll possibly use it for gaming.... Obviously it will need to run Photoshop, indesign, illustrator etc and I don't want to die within a year of buying it... would need a half decent hard drive for photos etc too. Been pointed in the direction of Alienware anyone got one? http://www.very.co.uk/alienware-17-intel-core-i7-16gb-ram-ddr4-1tb-hdd-amp-256gb-ssd-173in-fhd-pc-gaming-laptop-nvidia-gtx-980m-8gb-graphics/1600098272.prd The reviews I've read on this look good bar 'it's not got a disk drive' - easily buy able though yeah? @DB11 and any other people itk with laptops.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potter3 Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 You will be able to get an external optical drive - I doubt there's any room to install one within the laptop itself. Does it definitely have to be a laptop? You generally get much better specs for your money with a desktop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashley Posted 10 November 2016 Author Share Posted 10 November 2016 8 hours ago, potter3 said: You will be able to get an external optical drive - I doubt there's any room to install one within the laptop itself. Does it definitely have to be a laptop? You generally get much better specs for your money with a desktop. Laptop would be easier yeah, don't really have the room for desktop after having our first child Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeTheFox Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 I got a Dell Xps 15. Bit less powerful than that Alienware but looks classy and more professional. 960m graphics card does the job on any game, with high graphics on most. It can run bf1 but I can't remember the settings I used. You might want to consider waiting for the new pascal cards to become more available, they're supposed to be a huge step up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnegan Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 I had an Alienware laptop for the last six or so years and I've just bought myself a new MSI Dominator (Pascal 1070, yeah boi) so it's fair to say I'm a fan of gaming laptops. As a rig purely for portable gaming (that's gaming sitting in bed or on your sofa, beyond that, not very portable tbh) they're fine. You'll pay more than you would for the equivalent PC in power but it's your wonga, do as you will. What you need to keep in mind, though, is that a machine designed for gaming and a machine designed for graphic design are usually fairly different. My Alienware could still render HD graphics in top games long after it started to get outmatched on the market when it came to handling multiple tasks, boot speed, even streaming video, etc. Have a look around at top of the line models for graphic designers and see how the specs compare, see where they excel where gaming laptops often don't. Also consider that even a 15.6 alienware laptop is very heavy. Is your girlfriend going to want to lug that around when she's working? Mrs. Finners doesn't even like picking mine up let alone having it on her lap (steady on.) If you want a machine for high end gaming that'll be your MAIN gaming platform over the Xbox, that you'll use 90% more than her and only fiddle around with Photoshop occasionally? Probably worth it. If you want a machine that will just play football manager and a few other mid range games and mostly it'll be a joint design studio? I doubt you'd get many recommending you go Alienware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samilktray Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 That laptop is not aesthatically pleasing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnegan Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 Oh just a couple more things. The point above about Pascal is right. Don't spend over a thousand on an alienware now. I bought my m15x just before they took it off the shelves and released their new model with new graphics cards. Nightmare. It was out of date before it shipped almost! 1.6k is quite expensive, I've just bought a 2k machine from meshcomputers (who also do finance options if that's why you're shopping on Very, don't buy off some crap catalogue and pay tones of interest) which is a LOT more than £400 more powerful than what you just linked. Twice the memory, latest gpu, etc. Second thing - you know how I said my alienware was ****ing massive and heavy? That's a 15. A 17 is ENORMOUS. You're probably going to want a desk for it anyway. If you don't want to fall out with your missus, I'd try and find a 17" gaming laptop in a shop and make sure she knows what sort of size you're talking in advance. It'll weigh a tonne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beliall Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 Avoid Alienware, you pay for the badge. You can find a capable laptop for less money. And as Finnegan has said, it will be huge and heavy. Not exactly easily portable. But I'm a desktop man, so am biased and will never recommend a laptop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnegan Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 I just want to counter that and say that, regards Alienware, if a gaming laptop is what you want they DO usually build some of the best on the market. PC master race snobs who like to build their own rigs will always point out that they could get you the same spec cheaper but they're shackled to their desk. I really like laptops and I don't know many people who have DIY'd a gaming one. Gaming laptops are nearly always an expensive luxury and Alienware have excellent build quality, all the support Dell can lend behind them and they pack them with the best gear on the market. Would I recommend an alienware desktop? No. Do it yourself. Would I recommend an alienware laptop? Definitely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beliall Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 5 minutes ago, Finnegan said: I just want to counter that and say that, regards Alienware, if a gaming laptop is what you want they DO usually build some of the best on the market. PC master race snobs who like to build their own rigs will always point out that they could get you the same spec cheaper but they're shackled to their desk. I really like laptops and I don't know many people who have DIY'd a gaming one. Gaming laptops are nearly always an expensive luxury and Alienware have excellent build quality, all the support Dell can lend behind them and they pack them with the best gear on the market. Would I recommend an alienware desktop? No. Do it yourself. Would I recommend an alienware laptop? Definitely. Fair point well made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashley Posted 10 November 2016 Author Share Posted 10 November 2016 Come on the guys point me in the right direction, we looked at Macbook pros as her office is all Apple, however soon as you're with Apple you're tied with them aren't you? Has to be all their products or add ons which I don't like. I'll use the laptop for football manager mainly sometimes Roller coaster tycoon(its addictive) when my sister comes around but mainly it will be for the misses for graphics etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnegan Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 In that case, definitely don't go with Alienware or any gaming PC. Graphics work =/= graphics capability when it comes to computers, if that makes sense. A gaming machine doesn't really need to multitask like a working one. I'm no expert on graphic design, I'd google it extensively if I was you, Ash. It was my understanding that macbooks used to be about the industry standard however I believe windows/microsoft have caught up drastically. I'd try and find some graphic designers and see what they use. Buying that laptop you liked to play transport tycoon and football manager plus Photoshop would be like getting a lambo to do the school run. Both more expensive and less practical than other options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnegan Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 http://teradatariver.com/1054/best-laptops-for-graphic-design/ http://www.sysprobs.com/10-best-laptops-for-graphic-design-top-laptops-for-designers Anything on those lists is going to run football manager as design machines are going to be about processing power and shit loads of memory, same as FM. My alienware chewed through Bioshock Infinite in ultra for a laugh but struggled with FM on large databases because it lacked a bit in memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beliall Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 Sidebar. So if I slam some more RAM in my PC I can run a larger database, more leagues etc in FM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beliall Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 2 minutes ago, Finnegan said: http://teradatariver.com/1054/best-laptops-for-graphic-design/ http://www.sysprobs.com/10-best-laptops-for-graphic-design-top-laptops-for-designers Anything on those lists is going to run football manager as design machines are going to be about processing power and shit loads of memory, same as FM. My alienware chewed through Bioshock Infinite in ultra for a laugh but struggled with FM on large databases because it lacked a bit in memory. EDIT, quoted the wrong post, couldn't figure out how to replace the quote like you could in the previous forum build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFoxForYou Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 Alienware is kind of a joke in "knowledgeable" computing circles. You pay over the odds for the brand and the flashy LEDs more than what is actually in the thing, similar thing with Apple, its fashion. People buy these things when they don't know what they are doing and don't particularly care about finding out, they want plug and play and for it to be simple and easy to use. I guess that is fair enough but personally I would make more of an effort to get better for less if you are spending significant money. I can't give you a model name and just say go buy that but you have said that the laptop will mostly be used for graphic design etc, that indicates to me that you are going to need processing power and memory. Look at the components in the laptops and go for ones with good CPUs (processors) and a decent hard drive (1TB would be fine) and a decent amount of RAM. I'm not sure if laptops come with SSDs at all (hard drive with no moving parts, works faster) but I think one of those might be useful to you as well. The games you have listed are not particularly taxing graphics wise, I wouldn't bother buying a gaming laptop. GPUs (graphics cards) are the most expensive components out there and it will be a waste of your money. I'd start researching the components you will be using most for "bang for your buck" and find a laptop with those. That's what I would do but I do understand it can be a lot of faff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samilktray Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 I do a lot of photo editing and play football manager occasionally (and it runs fine) on my 2015 MacBook Pro, and it also looks bloody lovely. Thats all I can about my experiences with the MacBook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnegan Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 2 minutes ago, Beliall said: Sidebar. So if I slam some more RAM in my PC I can run a larger database, more leagues etc in FM? Up to a point but you still need a decent processor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beliall Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 4 minutes ago, Finnegan said: Up to a point but you still need a decent processor. I have an i7, thinks thats good enough, but its 4790, getting on a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFoxForYou Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 1 hour ago, Ashley said: Does it definitely have to be a laptop? You generally get much better specs for your money with a desktop. I would agree with this, I think you would be better off with a desktop, you generally need to compromise more with a laptop due to the natural limitation of its size. Just to extrapolate, you need multi tasking ability. A hard drive is mostly for long term storage of files etc, RAM is memory for multiple processes, your computer dips into its RAM when it needs to multitask processes and then stops using it when you close your processes, it doesn't replace your processor however. You will need RAM for running your programs and hard drives for storing all the work. A 1TB hard drive is enough and fairly cheap, more might be over kill and you can buy cheap USB externaI hard drives for storage too. I always used to go by 8GB RAM is plenty but since I last built a computer that might be outdated, you don't need 30GB though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 Also maybe worth considering: the screen resolution on that laptop is only 1920x1080, surely a graphic designer would want more than that? Any sort of complicated page layout and you'll be having to zoom in and out constantly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnegan Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 Man says he wants a laptop. PCMR tell him to get a desktop. Oh the internet. I've sat on plenty of trains and watched professional artists and photographers working away on their laptops. It's not exactly like being mobile and doing graphic design is some sort of unheard of phenomena. There are plenty of laptops out there that do what you want to do, Ash. Like I said, google around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripeyfox Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 https://www.reddit.com/r/SuggestALaptop/ Put your info here. They have a form to fill in with your budget, country and use etc and then get recommendations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 My 2 cents: been quite pleased with my Dell laptop that I picked up about 6 months ago. Solid build, good screen. Battery last for ages. I can usually go a full day of work without running the battery down. Touchpad a bit tetchy at times, but I've adjusted to it for the most part. Decent for most graphic design work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbtcity Posted 10 November 2016 Share Posted 10 November 2016 5 hours ago, Samilktray said: I do a lot of photo editing and play football manager occasionally (and it runs fine) on my 2015 MacBook Pro, and it also looks bloody lovely. Thats all I can about my experiences with the MacBook Seconded ^^ I've had a fair few half decent laptops over the years but none I've loved half as much as my MacBook Pro, ticks all the boxes for what you're after plus runs beautifully, the only slight downside is the fan kicks in regularly whilst playing fm,kind of wished I'd jumped over to the mac years ago though as I always felt my windows laptops felt really clunky after a few months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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