Hi,

• Budget: 2,000ish.
  
• More Specific Use: Gaming. I'll be playing mostly light games like WoW, Overwatch, Starcraft 2, Path of Exile, Everquest, League of Legends... sometimes at the same time, and sometimes streaming. Might try out a few newer ones like Ashes of Singularity & Civ 6 --- been almost two years since I had a gaming computer.
  
• Planned Time Until Purchase: Looking at a 4-6 month period until I purchase a laptop unless I get a bonus from work.
  
• Need OS?: Yes, but this'll probably come with the laptop.
  
• Any Specific, Preferred Components?: Yes: I am a videophile. The display must be at least 120 Hz, IPS-like, with G-Sync, and at least 15.6"! I've done some research and https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834234833&cm_re=GL503VS-DH74-_-34-234-833-_-Product looks like a handsome specimen. I think I'd prefer 17.3" laptop though -- but not sure. I don't think the difference from 15.6" to 17.3" is anywhere near as extreme as 14" to 15.6". Working on my work laptop, which is 14", it is difficult to use with such a small screen. I also think I'd like a GTX 1070 because I'd like to get a system strong enough to play the games I with maxed-out settings with as high of a FPS as I can... I think a GTX 1060TI could dominate most of those games, but I don't know if it would push the FPS 100+ with all the settings at ultra. I do believe a GTX 1080 would just be overkill, though. Maybe even a Max Q GTX 1070 - for added portability - would be nice. I very much dislike the Zephyrus design where the keyboard is right in the front - freaky!
  
• I do not plan on overclocking this laptop. The games do not require it, and I don't want to deal with the extra heat and fan noise.
  

Have to run for now, will come on and edit this later. Thanks! Posted this to get additional perspectives & opinions.

Can anyone find any laptops that are: IPS 1080P G-Sync with 100 Hz, i7 7700, and GTX 1060 (6 GB)? Basically like the link in my first post, but GTX 1060 and maybe cheaper?

Like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MS14CQH/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile but 120 Hz

This post was edited by Interesting on Nov 28 2017 12:06pm

I found it.. pretty much exactly what I was looking for:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/d/asus-rog-strix-gl703vm-uh74-scar-edition-17-gaming-laptop/91hwx2s8kbk8?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

Took awhile being at work and also only being able to look on my phone for it.

This post was edited by Interesting on Nov 28 2017 02:54pm

When you have to answer your own questions...

I feel ya bro

Doesn’t bother me. I just know I’m not the authority on gaming laptops, and some people on this forum know way more about it than me. Other opinions are always appreciated.

After doing lots of research over the last week, I’ve decided several things:

I’d like, at the least, a GTX 1070 with 120Hz through XOTIC or another 3rd party that can put better thermal pasting on the CPU & GPU as well as calibrate the monitor and upgrade the WiFi card. I’ve also decided on a 15.6” screen size.

So far, I’ve only really found two laptops that apply and aren’t past the realm of reason (i.e. Aorus): https://www.amazon.com/Strix-G-SYNC-Gaming-Laptop-i7-7700HQ/dp/B01NALTGWN?th=1&psc=1 and also https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B076RB85NV/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1512927805&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=strix+scar&dpPl=1&dpID=51b53NovhrL&ref=plSrch. Both of those options have G-Sync, too, which is a great bonus. Most of the non-G-Sync models are similarly priced, so why not get it? The custom-build-order costs with the calibration, etc., comes to $2000 & $1830 respectively. It’d be cool if by the time I purchase, which may be 4-6 months to save up that much, the prices drop.

GTX 1060 machines don’t seem like they’d be able to consistently push out FPS in the 100+ region without occasionally dropping to much lower FPS with maxed out settings. The benchmarks I’ve viewed show around 100+ average in most of the games I’d enjoy playing, but the reviews were of desktop-class processors and video cards. The hardware in these laptops operates at maybe a 15-25% loss (like the mobile 7700HQ) and don’t include the opportunity to overclock unless I wanted to spend significantly more. Plus I’d definitely like to up the AA, lighting, shadows, draw distance, and render scales in WoW and Overwatch. Plus, I’d like to be able to take on Ashes of Singularity, Civ 6, and upcoming games like Quake Champions. A 1070 would be better for that. If I wanted a 60Hz display, a 1060 would be more than fine.

I’m buying a laptop for my wife who, at most, will play WoW and games like the Sims. I’m thinking of a 7700HQ / 1050 Ti with 60 Hz for that.. probably looking at $800. I haven’t spent too much time looking into those systems. I don’t think I’ll be going for G-Sync or anything like that for her laptop.

I mean most people probably didn't answer cause 4-6 month period

That’s fine.

The new updated schedule is 1-2 months now. Instead of saving up for both laptops at once, I plan to just buy mine first and see if my wife even wants to play WoW Classic with me. I’ll have about $1500ish in a couple weeks, and about $2000 by end of January.

I’m definitely looking for 120Hz & G-Sync. I think that combination will be stunning.

This laptop: https://www.amazon.com/Strix-GL503VS-Gaming-Laptop-G-SYNC/dp/B076RB85NV is very intriguing, but I have my worries. For one, its response time is 9ms, so the monitor actually refreshes frames at 7ms, which is quicker than it’s response time... wouldn’t that create crazy ghosting and motion blur?

There is this laptop: https://www.amazon.com/GL703VM-Gaming-Laptop-i7-7700HQ-Keyboard/dp/B076D95R1P but I am unconvinced. The screen is 120Hz and has nice 5ms response time, but it has no G-Sync. Further, it has a 1060, so more games will be way closer to 60 FPS than actually 120 FPS. This laptop is 17.3” though, which is nice, and has really good reviews (Dave2D loved it) for its color, too. Plus, it is cheaper... $1550.

There’s this laptop: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06X1BGVTV/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1513371725&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=asus+strix+120hz+g-sync&dpPl=1&dpID=41CfdpESZDL&ref=plSrch but I can’t find anything about it. It looks like a refresher of the series, so all references to it are typically the models that came out a year ago. The laptop does have 120Hz, G-Sync, and a 1070 in 17.3” form. It’s also reasonably priced.

How do you guys feel about places like Xotic? Would it be worthwhile to order from there and have them put Arctic Silver on CPU & GPU and calibrate the display? Maybe upgrade the wireless?

Another laptop option I’ve thought of is an Alienware R4 17.3” laptop. There’s one for $1800 that has a 120hz, G-Sync, 2560 x 1440 panel with 4ms response time and 170PPI, but it only has a 1060. It’d be a lot more for the 1070. The 1060 couldn’t run too many newer games at QHD above 60 FPS, but it’d be nice to have for older games and the like.. plus the build quality seems like it’d be better... and none of that annoying ass WASD red key stuff.

Id go with Asus msi or gigabyte

No alienware

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07582BGJG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_SbDnAb4YEJ3G9

This post was edited by WhoBut_WBMason on Dec 16 2017 08:04pm