Thinking About Getting New Laptop

[Omega83]

Hi guys. My birthday is next month, and I am floating around the idea/thought about getting a new gaming laptop. My current one is starting to show it's age, and I feel that I am unable to play newer, more demanding games such as Borderlands 4. I have had my current laptop for about 4-5 years, and it has held up fairly well, even though it's price at the time of purchase was close to $4k. I have purchased majority of my laptops from Xotic PC. Here are the specs of my laptop:

- Windows 11 64-bit OS
- AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX @ 3.30 GHz
- Nvidia RTX 3080 with 16GB VRAM
- 2560*1440 Native Res (Non 4k screen)
- 64GB System RAM
- 2x 4TB SSDs

What is a good price range to look for, and what should I look for in a gaming laptop? I really don't want to spend another $4k, and price range I am hoping for is around 1-2k, or less if possible. Thoughts and help greatly appreciated

 

[Frag Maniac]

I read Lenovo has a new prototype of what they call a Legion Pro "Rollable" Laptop. It is a high end model with RTX 5090 and the screen can be adjusted from 16" to 24" with a push of a button. Since they call it "rollable", and the screen is fairly thick for a latest gen laptop, I assume it uses one of those flex screen super thin OLEDs like the LG OLED TV that has it's screen hidden in a box, then rolls upwards out of it when in use.

Again, these are just a concept at this point, and if they do hit the market, they will no doubt be very expensive. Lenovo however is known for packing a lot of features into laptops at prices lower than most competitors, so there might still be hope for those who aren't ultra wealthy.

The Legion Pro Rollable is mentioned at the :55 mark.

 

[Omega83]

Hi again guys. I am looking at possible Laptop choices, and I saw an HP Omen 16 2k on Best Buy's site for a little over $1k. The Specs look reasonable, but when it comes to PC gaming, how much System RAM is recommended? It comes with 16GB DDR5, and can max out at 32GB. Thoughts and help appreciated

 

[Frag Maniac]

Most avid gamers playing current games are either on or are transitioning from 16 GB RAM to 32 GB, so that is spot on. You'd get a more detailed assessment by listing the thing's full spec though.

If you are referring to this model...

https://www.bestbuy.com/product/hp-omen-16-2k-144hz-gaming-laptop-intel-core-ultra-7-255h-w-ai-boost-2025-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-5060-1tb-ssd-shadow-black/JJGH2YRCT5/sku/6633213

...it may be hard to make use of it's 144Hz refresh (via 144 FPS) in a lot of current games with a 5060, but it's res is not high, so that will account for a lot. It's a bit of a stretch to call it "2K" res, as the actual 1920x1200 res is a bit under that. You'll no doubt get thin black borders along the top and bottom of the screen as shown in the above product page with the LoL screenshot. That's because the 16:10 aspect ratio is not supported by many (if any) games anymore.

It depends what games you want to play and what you're OK with. If this is to be a combo gaming PC and mobile workstation though, you WOULD have the benefit of it being able to display side by side documents, which is why many like that res for work. One thing I would definitely check before you buy this laptop is whether HP provides adequate game drivers for the mobile 5060 in this product. HP Omen in desktops are used a lot by gamers who want affordable desktop PCs though, so I wouldn't be surprised if they do.

Just checked HP's support page for that product and they DO show an Nvidia Graphics driver for it. So it seems HP is at least diligent in working with Nvidia to make sure their Omen laptops work with their drivers. Not all laptops do, and when you see something like this it tells me HP may even be doing driver testing with these products.

 

[Omega83]

Most avid gamers playing current games are either on or are transitioning from 16 GB RAM to 32 GB, so that is spot on. You'd get a more detailed assessment by listing the thing's full spec though.

If you are referring to this model...

https://www.bestbuy.com/product/hp-omen-16-2k-144hz-gaming-laptop-intel-core-ultra-7-255h-w-ai-boost-2025-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-5060-1tb-ssd-shadow-black/JJGH2YRCT5/sku/6633213

...it may be hard to make use of it's 144Hz refresh (via 144 FPS) in a lot of current games with a 5060, but it's res is not high, so that will account for a lot. It's a bit of a stretch to call it "2K" res, as the actual 1920x1200 res is a bit under that. You'll no doubt get thin black borders along the top and bottom of the screen as shown in the above product page with the LoL screenshot. That's because the 16:10 aspect ratio is not supported by many (if any) games anymore.

It depends what games you want to play and what you're OK with. If this is to be a combo gaming PC and mobile workstation though, you WOULD have the benefit of it being able to display side by side documents, which is why many like that res for work. One thing I would definitely check before you buy this laptop is whether HP provides adequate game drivers for the mobile 5060 in this product. HP Omen in desktops are used a lot by gamers who want affordable desktop PCs though, so I wouldn't be surprised if they do.

Just checked HP's support page for that product and they DO show an Nvidia Graphics driver for it. So it seems HP is at least diligent in working with Nvidia to make sure their Omen laptops work with their drivers. Not all laptops do, and when you see something like this it tells me HP may even be doing driver testing with these products.

Yeah, that laptop was the one I was referring to. Should I still go with that one? Also, I found this laptop on Walmart's site: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lenovo-L...US/18297511292?classType=REGULAR&from=/search

Is that a good laptop? I did a google search, and the Lenovo Legion has a higher Screen Resolution than the HP Omen on Best Buy site. The Lenovo Legion has 2560*1600 Resolution with 16:10 Aspect Ratio, but smaller actual screen size... Further thoughts and help appreciated

 

[Omega83]

Hi again guys. Is that Lenovo Legion I linked to on Walmart's site a good laptop? I did a google search, and the Lenovo Legion has a higher Screen Resolution than the HP Omen on Best Buy site. The Lenovo Legion has 2560*1600 Resolution with 16:10 Aspect Ratio, but smaller actual screen size... Further thoughts and help appreciated

 

[Colif]

Legion has a better CPU, its 20 cores as opposed to 16
Omen - https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...-24m-cache-up-to-5-10-ghz/specifications.html
Legion - https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...-30m-cache-up-to-5-20-ghz/specifications.html
same ram amount
same GPU
Same storage

I don't know much about laptops but if you happy with a smaller display size. it does have a better CPU

Not sure if this is same model:

 

[Omega83]

Thanks for the info guys! Should I be concerned about the aspect ratio? I was told that games no longer support 16:10, and the Lenovo Legion I linked to on Walmart's site has that aspect ratio, even though it has a larger 2560*1660 resolution compared to the HP Omen. Further thoughts and help appreciated

 

[Frag Maniac]

You need to be more forthcoming with answers OP. Again, what games will you be playing mostly, and are you OK with 1080p gaming, or do you want to bump up to 1440p?

From what I've read so far, the Lenovo uses a bit better cooling, but both have CPUs that are known for running cool. The Lenovo's HX vs H CPU as mentioned is a fair bit more powerful, but that will likely only help in games that are more CPU bound, which comes back to what kind of games you play. Most games rely more on the GPU than CPU.

Honestly, the Lenovo SHOULD perform better since it costs a fair bit more and is smaller. There are other things to consider though, like battery life. IMO it's not wise to game on battery power, but even if you only do work or school work on battery, it still helps to have good battery run time. For that matter you've yet to even answer if it's just for gaming, or dual purpose?

Here's a pretty comprehensive video that details a LOT about the HP Omen laptops, and compares it to other brands at the end, particularly the Lenovo you mentioned. His take is the Omen is better bought at a sale price.

The reality is, since both of these laptops use the same GPU, in most games (if you play current/recent ones), you will likely be playing at 1080p if you want to use good settings. Note as well that the HP has just an LED lit IPS screen, and the Lenovo uses a self lit OLED, which would no doubt have much lower input latency and blur than the IPS.

That said, I would MUCH rather buy from Best Buy than Walmart, especially with electronic products.

Here's another video testing 15 games on the Lenovo. Note the res used is 1080p, and the FPS MUCH lower than the Hz.

 

[Omega83]

You need to be more forthcoming with answers OP. Again, what games will you be playing mostly, and are you OK with 1080p gaming, or do you want to bump up to 1440p?

From what I've read so far, the Lenovo uses a bit better cooling, but both have CPUs that are known for running cool. The Lenovo's HX vs H CPU as mentioned is a fair bit more powerful, but that will likely only help in games that are more CPU bound, which comes back to what kind of games you play. Most games rely more on the GPU than CPU.

Honestly, the Lenovo SHOULD perform better since it costs a fair bit more and is smaller. There are other things to consider though, like battery life. IMO it's not wise to game on battery power, but even if you only do work or school work on battery, it still helps to have good battery run time. For that matter you've yet to even answer if it's just for gaming, or dual purpose?

Here's a pretty comprehensive video that details a LOT about the HP Omen laptops, and compares it to other brands at the end, particularly the Lenovo you mentioned. His take is the Omen is better bought at a sale price.

The reality is, since both of these laptops use the same GPU, in most games (if you play current/recent ones), you will likely be playing at 1080p if you want to use good settings.

Thank you so much for the thoughts and info! I would primarily be using my new laptop for gaming, and am ok with 1080p gaming. When it comes to gameplay for me, I prefer game performance over graphic quality. I just want to be able to run games somewhat decently. Also, I always have my laptop plugged in while gaming. Again, thank you so much for your help!

Update: If I go with the Lenovo Legion 5i, does it support 4TB NVMe SSDs? I would put one of my 4TB SSDs into the new laptop.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Thank you so much for the thoughts and info! I would primarily be using my new laptop for gaming, and am ok with 1080p gaming. When it comes to gameplay for me, I prefer game performance over graphic quality. I just want to be able to run games somewhat decently. Also, I always have my laptop plugged in while gaming. Again, thank you so much for your help!

In that case, if you're willing to spend $1200, I'd say the Lenovo is the better laptop, if you're OK with a 15" vs 16" screen. Seems Walmart has the best price. Just make sure you test it out thoroughly within the return/refund period if you buy from Walmart. Most consumer electronics bought at Walmart have a 30 day vs their normal 90 return window. Just MAKE SURE and check with them exactly what return window you get with laptops before buying, and keep all packaging.

 

[Omega83]

In that case, if you're willing to spend $1200, I'd say the Lenovo is the better laptop, if you're OK with a 15" vs 16" screen. Seems Walmart has the best price. Just make sure you test it out thoroughly within the return/refund period if you buy from Walmart. Most consumer electronics bought at Walmart have a 30 day vs their normal 90 return window. Just MAKE SURE and check with them exactly what return window you get with laptops before buying, and keep all packaging.

Do you know if the Gigabyte Aero X16 is a good gaming laptop? I am willing to spend a little bit more, and it is also through Best Buy, which you prefer buying electronics from. In general, I am leaning towards purchasing through Best Buy due to their Geek Squad Tech Support. My only concern is that the spare SSD slot in the Gigabyte Aero didn't have an included screw, as mentioned in a Best Buy review for said laptop. Help appreciated

 

[Frag Maniac]

Honestly, any of these places that have lowest prices can have issues, even Geek Squad service sometimes. I mostly just compare them on worse case scenarios, like if you have to return something for a refund, and Walmart can be hard to work with on stuff like that.

I replaced a HDD in a neighbor's Dell laptop once, and even spent a fair bit of time recovering all the data I could from the old drive. I'd never even worked on a laptop before mind you. Now a days it's even easier to do because there are many videos on YouTube of how to disassemble and reassemble popular brand/models of laptops. On his I only had to take off the bottom plate via screws, some require using little pry tools, but mostly on things like the screen.

If you aren't inclined toward that kind of thing, for instance have never built your own PC, let alone upgraded RAM, etc on a Laptop, you may want to see if you can get an extended warranty at Best Buy, or just have them install SSD or RAM upgrades down the road. Unlikely you will need the latter on the Aero X16, as it comes with 32GB RAM. IMO if you are careful and can at least manage to unscrew/screw some screws and unplug/plug any parts you want to replace/upgrade, I wouldn't worry about it.

Here's Josh's take on the Aero X16, basically he thinks it leads all others in it's class on bang for buck, but is lacking content creation ability, which is one of the things it's meant to do. The screen and keyboard are also a bit flexy, and the keys a bit mushy feeling. It also uses an IPS screen that is a bit inaccurate on some colors (green).

I have to ask though, if you're buying a laptop mainly for gaming, and you always game plugged in, why are you looking only at laptops? You can always get more bang for buck with a desktop, especially IF you already have a monitor or TV you can use with it.

The Aero X16 is pretty easy to open for cleaning dust out, upgrading SSD, etc, which is a huge plus IMO. Since it's a light weight and flexy laptop though I would make sure you never drop it.

 

[Omega83]

Honestly, any of these places that have lowest prices can have issues, even Geek Squad service sometimes. I mostly just compare them on worse case scenarios, like if you have to return something for a refund, and Walmart can be hard to work with on stuff like that.

I replaced a HDD in a neighbor's Dell laptop once, and even spent a fair bit of time recovering all the data I could from the old drive. I'd never even worked on a laptop before mind you. Now a days it's even easier to do because there are many videos on YouTube of how to disassemble and reassemble popular brand/models of laptops. On his I only had to take off the bottom plate via screws, some require using little pry tools, but mostly on things like the screen.

If you aren't inclined toward that kind of thing, for instance have never built your own PC, let alone upgraded RAM, etc on a Laptop, you may want to see if you can get an extended warranty at Best Buy, or just have them install SSD or RAM upgrades. Unlikely you will need the latter on the Aero X16, as it comes with 32GB RAM.

Here's Josh's take on the Aero X16, basically he thinks it leads all others in it's class on bang for buck, but is lacking content creation ability, which is one of the things it's meant to do. The screen and keyboard are also a bit flexy, and the keys a bit mushy feeling. It also uses an IPS screen that is a bit inaccurate on some colors (green).

I have to ask though, if you're buying a laptop mainly for gaming, and you always game plugged in, why are you looking only at laptops? You can always get more bang for buck with a desktop, especially IF you already have a monitor or TV you can use with it.

Hi again. And again, thank you so much for info and thoughts. I have some experience replacing/upgrading RAM and SSDs, have done it in a laptop or 2 previously, as well as replacing the SSD in my PS5 (I know that is not the same as upgrading/replacing computer components). When I was in my Community College back in 2001, I specialized in PC Tech and LAN Tech, but that was long ago, and technology has changed/gotten better since. As far as computers go, I like laptops for the portability, as I am not always home at my Apartment. I go between my Apartment, and my Parent's place quite often.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Hi again. And again, thank you so much for info and thoughts. I have some experience replacing/upgrading RAM and SSDs, have done it in a laptop or 2 previously, as well as replacing the SSD in my PS5 (I know that is not the same as upgrading/replacing computer components). When I was in my Community College back in 2001, I specialized in PC Tech and LAN Tech, but that was long ago, and technology has changed/gotten better since. As far as computers go, I like laptops for the portability, as I am not always home at my Apartment. I go between my Apartment, and my Parent's place quite often.

If that's the case, I doubt you'd have any trouble upgrading or replacing anything that can be in a laptop like the Aero X16. As you can see in the video I posted above, the RAM and SSDs are very easy to access. Also, PC parts in general have only gotten more plug n play over the years, largely due to MB BIOSes that are much more advanced and easy to use.

The only thing about this Aero X16, is like Josh said, you may want cables with right angle plugs if you plan to game with a mouse. All you really need though honestly is a right angle adapter, and that's only if you like having the mouse at the same distance from you as the keyboard. If you want to be able to play as many games as possible, including the most popular current titles, the Aero X16 would definitely handle them better than the other two.

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