A list of best laptop deals around the internet.

For the budget conscious and practical gamer, having a powerful gaming laptop need not cost an arm and leg they would normally do.  For sure, while some of the better gaming laptops can easily be had above the $2,000 price point, with many exceeding $3,000 when new, some of the best deals in town for a gaming laptop are made possible through significant retail discounts slapped on powerful laptops at or above the $2,000 MSRP giving them superb values for the budget conscious.  Admittedly, these are mostly slow moving laptops that get prgressively discounted to make room for newer models. A few refurbished laptops can also provide bargain prices that deliver practical value of your money among budget conscious gamers.

The best time to buy

Shopping peaks that fall on holidays are generally the worst time to do any shopping.  But even then, some bargains can be had for discounted laptops especially when there are newer models being offered, or you could have better specs on newer models at the same price points of their preceding models.   Better yet, some of the best deals can be had if you can have the patience to wait it out until after the holidays when most shops launch some clearance sale.  For sure, laptop technology improves to supersede models 12-18 months down the road.   And the largest discounts are often reserved for older models. Just don’t wait too long for the item to be obsolete.

Better features or lower price points

Having the best deal means you get the highest value for your money in whatever laptop you buy.  That can mean more bang for the buck,  or less buck for the same thing.   Newer models for the laptops with the same screen size and CPU tend to be slightly more expensive than their predecessor but this margin is often bloated because older model gets significant discounts.   In addition, due to better economies of scale, larger data storage capacities that may appear more expensive will actually be cheaper based on megabytes to the dollar.  There are several things the wise shopper needs to considering when aiming for the best deals available.

Used, refurbished or new

Used or pre-owned laptops just a few months old (not more 6-8 months used) are sold at huge discounts, often no less than 20% to 30% of their MSRP.  While you could end up with a good deal, be aware that there are some risks to getting one, unless it comes from reputable shop that is known to recondition used laptops and can provide some limited warranties.

There are also refurbished units that restore a used laptop to new or enhanced conditions, so much so that some could almost approach the prices of new ones.  Some have higher RAM, a second HDD or new batteries.  You just have to communicate with the seller to check out if the refurbished item is worth the trouble.  Pictures of the actual item helps, but if you can visit the seller to physically check on the item, that would provide you with more confidence in buying the used or refurbished laptop. Nothing really beats getting something new. Not only is the factory-resh scent of the electronics being unwrapped from its box becomes an exciting experience in itself, but you also get the needed warranties that go with it.

The choice of store

If you plan to do your shopping in Hong Kong where some of the latest electronic gadgets get on sale earlier than in western countries, you may be able to haggle for a lower price in several computer shops.  You can’t haggle when shopping online and sites like eBay, while offering some of the lowest prices for a given merchandise, often end up higher because of the nature of bidding. But one thing you can do online is conduct comparative window shopping and there are simply hundreds of online computer shops to compare prices, though admittedly, just a handful are reliable enough to get your purchases delivered to your doorsteps.  If the difference in prices is just a few dollars, it often pays to patronize one you can trust and just pay a higher cost as a premium for a headache-free shopping.

Recommended gaming laptops with the best deals and values

It’s often just a matter of browsing through the pages of online computer shops and doing a little comparative shopping online.  Based on current prices at Amazon, here are few of our recommendations on brand new but discounted gaming laptops that offer the best value deals so far.

A great value for the price product, a laptop with the same specs cost more than $2000 plus.

Samsung Series 7 Gamer NP700G7C-S02US

At just $1,613.30 discounted from its $1,899.99 MSRP, this Series 7 Gamer from Samsung offers one of the best value for a quad core gaming laptop . Its graphics engine is a high end NVidia GeForce GTX 675M with its own 2GB DDR5 video RAM>  You can play just about all the sophisticated games in the market at high game settings using its default full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution on a 17.3-inch LED backlit screen.  Under the hood is an awesome Intel quad core i7-3630QM clocked at 2.4GHz and a 16GB DDR3 system RAM (4GB in 4 DIMM slots, expandable to 32GB when replacing all modules each to 8GB).  Another great value at its price point is the generous 1.5TB SATA hybrid drive with 8GB Express Cache that acts like a solid state drive. It comes with Blu-ray read-only drive that also serves as a DVD/Cd writer combo drive housed in a 2-inch body weight 8.4 lbs, check our indepth review of samsung series 7 with comparisons and benchmarks.

One of the best laptop deals out there, packed with one of the fastest single GPU Card with rich features that any gamers dreamed about.

MSI GT60 0NE-403US;9S7-16F311-403

Discounted just $50.11 to $1,849.88, this MSI GT60 model is remarkable for its powerful NVidia GeForce GTX 680M graphics engine, considered one of the fastest single card graphics cards in the market today, allowing you to play nearly all the sophisticated RPG and FSP games at high to ultra game settings.  It even has its own 5GB GDDR5 video RAM. If you can get by with its 15.6 Full HD LED backlit screen that has more gaming muscle than the Samsung series 7 gamer described above, then this MSI is your better option,   It is similarly powered by a 3^rd generation Intel quad core i7-3630QM with 12GB DDR3 system RAM expandable to 32GB. It comes with a 750TB SATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm and a Blu-ray burner that acts your multi-format optical drive. It has a second drive bay to house an optional solid state drive which is a must for serious gamers.

Probably the best valued laptop, I7 and with dual 650 sli? come on, y500 blows any laptops at this price range.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 i7

Discounted from a list price of $1,249.99 to less than $1,199.99 (some sites offer it at $1,164.99), this Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 is one of the best values for a muscled gaming laptop even with its original price. Sporting a 15.6-inch full HD (1920 x 1080) LED backlit display, it is powered by 3rd generation Intel Core i7-3630QM dual core engine with a 6 MB L3 cache clocked at 2.4 GHz and comes with a 16GB DDR3 system RAM (8GB x 2 DIMM banks upgradeable to 32GB with 16GB module replacing each RAM module).  The DirectX 11-enabled GeForce GT 650M graphics card based on the GK107 chip belongs to the upper midrange Kepler generation of graphics engines in the GT 600M series and is its top of the line mode when configured in SLI dual mode making it 10% more powerful than the single card GTX 670MX when tested under the 3DMark 11 benchmark test. Data storage is served generously by a 1TB SATA hard drive complimented by a 16GB solid state drive, check our indepth review of lenovo y500 with comparisons, charts and benchmarks.

Roaming around the same price as Y500, Toshiba Qosmio X875 –Q7190 packs a punch with i7 and nvidia 670.

Toshiba Qosmio X875 –Q7190

This Qosmio model is now enjoying a $1,289.99 price tag discounted from its near $1,479.99 MSRP when launched last year.  Finished in diamond-textured aluminum body and black widow styling, it sports a 17.3” LED-backlit full HD (1920 x 1080 resolution) display, a 1TB (dual 500 GB) SATA drive running at 7200 rpm and an 8x SuperMulti DCD/CD combo optical drives.  Under the hood is a 3rd generation Intel quad core i7-3630QM with 6MB L3 cache and clocked at 2.4 GHz that can be boosted to 3.4GHz with Turbo Boost.  It is supported by a 12GB DDR3 system RAM running at 1600 MHz and upgradable to 32 GB.  All these get housed in a chassis with a surprisingly slim 1.7-inch profile at a surprisingly light 7.5 lbs. What makes this a great deal at its current price is its muscled Nvidia GeForce GTX 670M graphics engine that has its own 3GB GDDR5 video memory.  While less muscled than the GTX 675M, its GPU belongs to the same high end family of GTX 600M graphics card series allowing it play most of the demanding games in medium to high game settings. It has enough juice to run the latest Crysis 3 at 30fps in medium game setting and Alan Wake plays at 48fps in medium setting while Hitman: Absolution plays at 33fps in high setting, check our indepth review of toshiba qosmio x875 with comparisons and benchmarks.

This an amazing laptop that brings the performance of a desktop gaming PC to a compact notebook

ASUS Republic of Gamers G75VW-AH71 or AS71 ( 8G vs 16GB RAM)

Discounted from its MSRP of $1,599.99 to just $1,249.99., this Asus Republic of Gamers G75VW-AS71 has full HD resolution of  1920 x 768 on its 17.3-inch LED backlit screen driven by a muscled upper midrange class NVidia GeForce GTX 660M with its own 2GB DDR5 video RAM.   You can easily play the 2013 release of Crysis 3 at medium setting, Tomb Raider at high setting and the highly demanding Ghost Recon: Future Soldier seamlessly at low game settings.  Powered by the Intel quad core i7-3610QM clocked at 2.4GHz and supported by 8GB system RAM (expandable to 16GB), It comes with a 750GB 7200 rpm  SATA hard drive and an optical dual-layer DVD writer housed in a slim body less than an inch thick and weighing a respectable 8.7 lbs – lighter than many similarly muscled gaming laptops. It comes bundled with a 64-bit Windows 8 Home Premium edition OS, check our indepth review of Asus ROG g75vw with charts, comparisons and benchmarks.

You can’t go wrong with this laptop, its like ferrari italia of gaming laptops, beauty that packs a punch.

MSI GE70 0ND-213US;9S7-175611-213

Priced at just $1,199, this MSI GE70 model rivals Asus ROG above with the same 17.3-inch Full-HD LED backlit display and powered by an Intel quad core i7-36030QM clocked at 2.4GHZ with 8GB DDR3 system RAM expandable to 16GB.   Its graphics engine uses the same NVidia GeForce GTX 660M with its own 2GB DDR5 video RAM that serve no differently as a competent middle-of-the-road gaming laptop at an affordable price.  You get a 750GB SATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm and a dual-layer SuperMulti optical drive, all housed in a slim body that is even lighter at 6 lbs. It also comes pre-installed with a 64-bit Window 8 Premium Home edition.

Conclusion

Spotting the best deals for a gaming laptop requires constant monitoring of what online computer shops offer as prices tend to be liquid especially as new models start getting introduced for a specific laptop manufacturer.  Some of the prices in the laptops mentioned above have nowhere to go but farther down over the next few months, but getting the best deal is also relative in time.  You don’t want a bargain price for a laptop that’s quite old (more than 18 months old in the market) unless you really don’t mind missing out on the newer features.  A good guide would be to check on the prices of new laptops after around 6 – 9 months after having been released for off-season shopping as well as during post-holidays.  Just be sure you know what it takes for a laptop to be considered as a gaming laptop.  With just about all laptops powered by dual and quad core engines, what differentiates a gaming laptop is its use of the more powerful graphics cards.  The laptops discussed above should give you an idea on what those graphics cards are for a truly satisfying gaming laptop.

Getting the largest screen real estate for a laptop means no less than 17 inches (though there are 18-inch laptops out there).  The larger the screen, the higher the price tag and if combined with a graphics engine that can delight serious gamers, such a laptop would no doubt be top-of-the-line.  They can well replace your desktop gaming workstation or at least serve as your back-up or portable gaming computer in case you have to take extended trips or be on a holiday.

A $2,000 – $2,500 price range easily becomes the starting point when looking for the best value 17-inch gaming laptop.  Having said that, the progressive obsolescence of computers can send some of the more expensive models on the accelerated inventory movement list with significant discounts for those that are 6-12 months.  Over time, discounts could pile up to bring them lower than their MSRP often hovering in the $3,000 price point. This can provide honest value for the  budget-conscious but uncompromising gamer.  What exactly should one look for in the best 17-iunch gaming laptop your budget can buy?  Consider the following:

• Full HD display.  This means 1920 x 1080 resolution, not 1600 x 900 which may be good enough in casual gaming but certainly not when you want to enjoy the full HD benefits offered by sophisticated RPG and FDP gamers released over the last two years.
• IPS Display.  LED backlighting is fairly common to virtually all laptops in the market over the last two years. What is not common is the use of In-Plane Switching LCD or IPS display that is used by iPhone.  Most are using the standard TN (Twisted Nematic) type which are cheaper and have evolved to have excellent contrast ratios and response times. The advantages of an IPS screen are better color saturation,  better color accuracy and consistency across a wider viewing angle, but at 15% higher energy footprint.  An IPS will serve multimedia displays like watching HD movies when you have a few friends on the sides watching the laptop.  But for gamers who are always seat straight glued in front of the screen, this may not matter much.  With all things equal, a laptop with an IPS display will certainly cost a few dollars more.
• Quad Core CPU.  While the CPU has less profound influence on the performance of games for a given graphic card, and that few games in the market are optimized for quad core computing, this is recommended for future proofing your investment in gaming laptops.  Regardless of which quad core CPU is used, a large L3 cache is also recommended, typically 6-8 MB.
• Solid State Drive (SSD).  Serious gamers who have seen how fast their games launch and in loading new textures from screen to screen or in entering new gaming levels when using SSD will never go back to not having one.  This is a must for a gaming laptop to further enhance its gaming performance.
• The graphics card.  More than anything, the GPU determines how good a gaming laptop is. The best gaming laptops use Class 1 graphics card from either NVidia GeForce, NVidia Quadro or from AMD Radeon.  With their own video RAM these graphics cards can smoothly process the complex textures  and vector images to play virtually all the sophisticated RPG and FSP games released over the last 2 years at Full HD resolution and at high to ultra game settings.    Our minimum threshold for a laptop to be considered for casual gaming is the Intel HD Graphics 4000 which can scale up to 4600 but both remain in the Class 3 category.  For purposes of choosing the best gaming laptop, we only considered Class 1 GPUs with ranks 1-20 as shown in the Table 1which lists only a snapshot of the first 40 or so powerful graphics cards among the 60 first rate GPUs in the Class 1 category that are sure to delight most serious gamers.  Lower than the NVidia GeForce GTX 660M in rank will cause some games like SimCity(2013),  Crysis 3 (2013), Hitman: Absolution (2012), and Max Payne 3 (2012) to  not play even below  game settings. We would have preferred to recommend laptops using only the top 6 GPUs but only a few laptops use them while some graphics cards in the top 1-6 ranks are still upcoming and not available in gaming laptops as of this writing.

Table 1: Highest ranking graphics cards in the Class 1 category.

Some of the best 17 inch gaming laptops to consider

If budget is not a problem, top-of-the line 17-inch laptops are a natural choice among serious gamers.  But it pays to know that even among the cream of the crop, some are still better than other when playing the latest RPG and FSP games.  It can be difficult to know what your best option is at any price range without having an idea of what a reference gaming laptop is or the last word in a 17-inch laptop that exhibits the best gaming prowess pound for pound, regardless of the price tag. Here are our recommended 17-inch gaming laptops we have tested and are certain to delight even the most demanding gamers out there.

LOL! All I can say that it’s a beast laptop, perfect for 3d renderers, designers and etc.

Dell Precision M6700 17.3″ i7-3920XM

Easily one of the more expensive gaming laptops in the market at $3,849, this Dell Precision M6700 is powered by the top-of-the-line  Intel quad core i7-3920XM with 8MB L3 Cache and clocked at 2.9GHz that can be dynamically boosted to 3.8 GHz using Turbo Boost technology. Only a quad core desktop can provide better performance.  It comes with a 32GB DDR 3 system RAM (8GB x 4 banks) running at 1600MHz.  Its 17.3-inch LED backlit full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution IPS screen is driven by the high end DirectX 11.1 enabled  NVidia Quadro K5000M  with 4GB GDDR4 video RAM and comes between the NVidia GTX 680M and the GTX 675M in performance. It can play all recent RPG and FSP games seamlessly at their highest game settings with the exception of Crysis 3 (2013), Hitman: Absolution, Tomb Raider (2013), Far Cry (2012) and Assassin’s Creed III (2012) at their ultra game settings.  It comes with a 1TB SATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm complimented by a 256 GB mSATA solid state drive. Multimedia is served with a read-only Blu-ray optical drive that serves as a SuperMulti DVD/CD writer/reader combo. It comes with the 64-bit Windows 7 Professional pre-installed.

Beauty and speed at its finest. MSI GT70 is a class on itself, the laptop is optimize with for

 MSI GT70 0NE-609US;9S7-176215-609

Priced at $2,799.99, this MSI GT70 ONE-690US model sports a 17.3-inch LED backlit display with full HD resolution (1920 x 1080).  It runs on the 3^rd generation Intel quad core i7-3630QM with 6MB L3 cache clocked at 2.4 GHz and integrated with the Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU which is used for low graphics demands through its Optimus switching technology.  It has a 16GB SO-DIMM DDR3 system RAM specified at 1600MHz (upgradable to 32BG).  It comes with a 750GB SATA drive running at 7200 rpm plus a 256GB SSD (a couple of 128GB SSD)configured in Super RAID 0.  It also has a Blu-ray optical disc writer/reader.  Making it a reference gaming laptop is its NVidia GeForce GTX 680M one of the most powerful discrete GPUs in the market, with 4GB GDDR5 to play virtually all the demanding games at high to ultra game settings at full HD resolution.  With a relatively lighter 8.6 lb on a thicker body profile, this MSI GT70 model comes pre-installed with a 64-bit Windows 8 OS

Named the king of Gaming Laptops – Alienware came to 2013 with style, Introducing their latest top of the line Mx17 packed with super specs like alienware always does.

Dell Alienware M17x R4 AM17xR4-CTO

The 2013 iteration of its now-famous m17x flagship laptop is the Dell Alienware M17x R4 AM17xR4-CTO which  costs $3,200.  Housed in stealth black and soft touch body finish, it offers desktop-grade computing muscle that leverages on its tradition of being one of the most popular gaming laptops in the world.  It  is powered by a 3rd generation Intel quad core i7-3940XM with 6MB L3 cache and clocked at 3.0GHz that can reach 3.9GHz with Turbo boost technology. It is supported by a 32GB DDR3 system RAM running at 1600MHz and using 4 DIMM banks of 8GB each.  This m17xR4 specimen drives its stunning HD 1920 x 1080 resolution 17.3-inch LED-backlit LCD display with a high end Nvidia GeForce GTX 675M graphics engine.  It belongs in the family of GTX 600M series graphic cards for laptops. With a 2GB GDDR5 video RAM, it can play Crysis 3 and Tomb Raider just recently released at high game settings that maximizes the laptop’s high definition display. It has a 1TB 5400 rpm SATA hard drive and a 256GB SSD, as well as an 8x SuperMulti optical drive housed in a less-than 10-lb body that is typical of most powerful gaming laptops. It is pre-installed with a 64-bit Windows 8 Premium Home edition OS.

Warning! for those best price for performance and best deal seekers, this ones the laptop for you.. Packed with super octane speed and power this laptops packs a punch for a cheap price.

ASUS Republic of Gamer G75VW-DH72-CA

At $1,712.79, this unit appears to be the 2013 iteration for the popular ASUS G75VW-DS72 that is similarly configured.  No less as heavy as other muscled gaming laptops, this 9.9 lb G75VX-DH72-CA  laptop is just 1.3-inch thick and is powered by the Intel quad core  i7 3630QM CPU clocked at 2.4GHz.     It is supported by a 16GB DDR3 SDRAM running at 1600MHz.  Its 17.3-inch full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution LED backlit display is powered by the Class 1 NVidia GeForce GTX 670MX considered one of the fastest single chip GPU with its own 3GB GDDR5 video RAM that can fully maximizes a 64-bit Windows  8 OS pre-installed with the unit.  It has a modest  500GB 7200 rpm SATA hard drive and 256GB SSD along with a Blu-ray DVD Combo optical drive.

If your lookin for a cheap but powerful laptop, and willing to pick speed in expense of the looks and design for a cheaper price, then this might be the laptop fit for you.

Clevo P170EM

At a mere $1,688, this laptop has to be the most affordable gaming laptop. It 17.3-inch full HD resolution LED-backlit screen is driven by one of the  most powerful single card GPU – the AMD Radeon 7970M with its own 2GB GDDR5 video RAM, about the equal of the GeForce GTX 680M..  With the exception of Crysis 3 (2013), and Assassin’s Creed III (2012) that won’t play at ultra game setting, and a low fps in Sleeping Dogs (2012), and Guild Wars 2 (2012) at those settings, the HD 7970M lets you play just about all the sophisticated RPG and FSP games in the market today at high to ultra game settings. Its CPU is a 3^rd generation Intel quad core i7-3610QM with 6MB L3 Cache and clocked at 2.3GHz up to 3.3 GHz from its Turbo Boost technology and supported by a 16 GB DDR3 system RAM (4GB on each of the 4 banks) running at 1600 MHz.  It comes with a 1TB SATA drives running at 7200 rpm.  While there is no SSD, it is equipped with a Blu-ray ROM that serves as a multiformat optical drive, all housed in a brushed metal onyx finish body with lighted keyboards, an 1.8-inch profile, and weighing 8.6 lbs.

The name says it all “ENVY” its a sleek good looking laptop packed with strong specs like quadcore i7 and 7850 gpu, its a perfect replacement for your usual gaming computer.

HP Envy 17-3270NR

At $1,389.00, discounted from its $1,449.99 MSRP, this HP Envy can be considered one of the best 17-inch gaming laptops if gamers value the HP brand more than anything. It is powered by the Intel quad core i7-3610QM Processor with 8MB cache and clocked at 2.3GHz.  It comes with an 8 GB SDRAM that can be upgraded to 16 GB, a 750GB hard drive running at 7200rpm and a SuperMulti optical DVD/CD writer on a body with lighted keyboard, a 1/3-inch profile and a lightweight 7.4 lbs. Its 17.3-inch LED backlit screen gets a full HD resolution (1920 x 1080) and is driven by the AMD Radeon HD 7850 M graphics card that qualifies this laptop as one of the most competent gaming laptops in the market. It is pre-installed with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Conclusion

The best gaming laptops need to use no less than any of the first 20 Class 1 graphics engines available from NVidia or AMD.  They can be configured wither as single cards or in SLI or Crossfire mode from two or more cards working together.  With an effort to consider only the most affordable  quad core 17-inch full HD laptops, there are several in the market and the specimens listed above are currently recommended, though we know there are more powerful 17-inchers but at prices that can close your bank account. They can serve as reference for your next gaming laptop purchase or to help guide you in your selection of laptops below these price points.  If you find a laptop costing more, be sure it deserves to cost more, otherwise, you could be getting an overpriced one with nothing to show other than some fuzzy brand prestige.

Many of the best value laptops that marry high performance with affordability can be found in below the $1,000 price point.

Some of the best value laptops can be found just under $1,000.  Considered mid-priced falling between the cheap entry level laptops in the $300 -$500 price range and the high end models in the $1800 – $2200 price range, they offer enough power to meet the most demanding multimedia and gaming titles on the market today while keeping the price down to affordable levels.  While targeted at the middle class consumers, these laptops are suited to those who  don’t mind saving up and pending a few more dollars above the budget range for a truly satisfying multimedia and gaming experience for hours on end.

Full high definition between 1920 x 1080 and 1600 x 900 resolutions are common in this price range as well as 1TB SATA drives and a host of other features like quad core processor and dedicated graphics processors that use midrange series from Nvidia GeForce and AMD Radeon with their own video RAM.  8 GB RAM is also common that allows 64-bit Window 7 or Windows 8 and many use dual channel architectures to max out hardware performance.

Some of the best Gaming laptops under $1,000

The fact that it can play the recently released Crysis 3 in medium setting and Dead Space 3 in high setting speaks volumes of how well it can play other high end games released in 2012.

Acer Aspire V3-771G-9809

At $949, the Acer Aspire V3-771G-9809 has a widescreen LED-backlit 17.3-inch display with high definition 1600 x 900 resolutions and a 5400 rpm 1 TB SATA drive that is standard in laptops at this price point.  But what makes it worth the price lies under the hood.  It is powered by a 3^rd generation quad core Intel Core i7-3632QM clocked at 2.2 GHz that can reach 3.2 GHZ with its Turbo Boost. Enabling it to play most of the demanding games is its DirectX 11 enabled Nvidia GeForce GT 650M which is near top of the GT 600M series.  The fact that it can play the recently released Crysis 3 in medium setting and Dead Space 3 in high setting speaks volumes of how well it can play other high end games released in 2012.

A 3rd generation Intel Core i7-3630QM at 2.4GHz powers the laptop with an 8GB DDR3 memory on two SODIMM sockets to maximize its dual memory channel performance.

Asus N56VJ-DH71

Just $9 cheaper is the Asus N56VJ-DH71 which has a smaller but more gorgeous 15.6-inch display with full HD resolution at 1920 x 1080, giving it a higher pixel density than similar resolutions at a higher screen size.  With a slim 1.2 inch profile on a 5lb body, this Aspire model is among the lightest and thinnest and comes with a 1 TB SATA drive running at 5,400 rpm typical in its class.  A 3^rd generation Intel Core i7-3630QM at 2.4GHz powers the laptop with an 8GB DDR3 memory on two SODIMM sockets to maximize its dual memory channel performance. Its Nvidia GT 645M with its own 2GB of video memory may be 10% less powerful than the GT 650M, but it certainly gets most if not all the demanding games running at medium to high settings.

A more muscled than the rest of the group, Priced at $989, you can play just about all the highly demanding RPG and FPS games at high to ultra settings.

Lenovo Ideapad Y580

Amore muscled high end NVidia GeForce GTX 660M with its own 2GB video RAM powers the graphics of the Lenovo Ideapad Y580 to make it one of the more popular  gaming laptops on the market today. With a 3^rd generation Intel Core i7 quad core clocked at 2.3GHz and supported by an 8GB DDR3 RAM under the hood, this Lenovo offers elegant portability on the side with its 1.4-inch profile on a slightly heavier 6.6lb body that sports a gorgeous 15.6-inch LED backlit display with 1366 x 768 resolution.  Priced at $989, you can play just about all the highly demanding RPG and FSP games at medium to high setting. Ideapad Y580 is part of our Top 8 Gaming Laptop picks, Click here for more detailed review of Lenovo Y580.

The Lenovo Ideapad Y500 offers a stunning full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution on a 15.6-inch screen driven by a powerful GPU in the NVidia dual SLI GeForce GT 650M with a fast 2GB GDDR5 video RAM.

Lenovo Ideapad Y500 (EDITORS CHOICE)

Costing slightly less at $999 but more abled, the Lenovo Ideapad Y500 offers a stunning full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution on a 15.6-inch screen driven by a powerful GPU in the NVidia dual SLI GeForce GT 650M with a fast 2GB GDDR5 video RAM.  While a single GT 650M is mid-range among laptop graphics cards, having two puts it at par with many single high end graphic cards and is certainly more able than the high end single card GTX 660M.  Powered by a 3^rd generation Intel Core i7 quad core engine  that boost up 3.3ghz with 8GB DDR3 system RAM, this Ideapad has 1TB SATA drive running at 5400rpm with standard optical drive on a slightly heavier 6.5lb body. It would be difficult to find a similarly powered laptop at this price.  ABSOLUTELY(NO DOUBT!) THE BEST LAPTOP UNDER 1000 and this ones my personal favorite! – Read our full In depth review of Lenovo Ideapad Y500 plus benchmarks and comparisons.

Priced at at $849.72 can be considered a great value for one of the better brands in gaming laptops in the market.

MSI C Series CX61 0NF-258US 

Last but not least is the  MSI C Series CX61 0NF-258US  which at $849.72 can be considered a great value for one of the better brands in gaming laptops in the market.  Weighing only 5.3 lbs, this MSI model comes with a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 display and a 750GB SATA hard drive. Bundled with Windows 8, it is powered by a 3^rd generation quad core Intel Core i7-3630QM  clocked at 2.4 GHz with a 6GB system RAM. Its graphics engine is midrange Nvidia GeForce GT 645M with its own 2 GB video RAM and DirectX 11 support that gives this model enough muscle to play virtually all of the most demanding games in the market today in medium to high settings.

To learn more, check out our review pages on the models mentioned above.  Expect our recommendations to change over time as newer models come on line with advances in computing technology.

Just like at any price point, there are good and not-so-good laptops. Finding a gaming laptop at the sub-$500 point can be a real challenge. But guided by our threshold GPU, here are few great value laptops at this price point that can satisfy a casual gamer.

Despite discouragements from time to time by hardcore gamers, it is possible to acquire a wallet friendly gaming computer. There are some great value mobile computers which you can obtain for under $500.  They may not be able to fully serve the demanding needs of sophisticated RPG and FSP games released over the last two years, but a few gaming laptops under $500 can still provide enough muscle to play many of them at their lowest game settings.

What you should consider.

Being aware of what you need is very essential if you are to satisfy your gaming need. Your desktop gaming computer defines what games you play and having a laptop can be a back-up or alternative gaming station that you can bring with you on a camping trip or a visit to your friend.  If you want an exact duplicate, nothing less than a high end gaming laptop will do.  But if you just do casual gaming while on the road, are budget-constrained, or don’t mind using the lowest game setting for your favorite game, a more affordable laptop like those in the sub-$500 range will do.

Having said that, there is not a perfect machine in existence.  Various laptops even in the same price point  have different features and it is not unlikely that one has a feature the other does not have.  This is just how the brands spread the appeal of their products to as wide a market as possible for a given demographics. Do you want the largest laptop screen for your money?  The most powerful CPU and GPU?  The largest hard disk capacity? The largest RAM?  The longest battery life?  Or the lightest and slimmest?  You can’t have all of these unless you’re prepared to go into the $2000 plus price points.  You will have to juggle them towards a compromised mix that will give you the gaming experience under $500.

Today’s dual and quad core engines can play all the games released to date with the higher clock speeds doing a better job than others.  Unfortunately, for most practical purposes, manufacturers of general use laptops leave out the graphics engine or GPU since it is not as important as the CPU in most computing tasks.  It is the GPU that distinguishes gaming laptops from the rest. In fact, the most expensive top of the line or flagship laptop from any consumer computer maker is almost always a gaming laptop.  That’s because apart from video editing, the most resource-intensive consumer application for a computer comes from games. Not just any game, but games like Battlefield 3, Crysis 3 Metro 2033, Alan Wake or Max Payne 3.

A screen which is 15” should serve you well but a 17” would be better. Just be aware that prices go up with the screen size with all things equal.  Nearly all laptop screens sport a widescreen (16:9)  aspect ratio and high definition starting at 1366 x 768 to full 1920 x 1080, with 1600 x 900 as the most common among 17-inch screens. Also be aware that your laptop’s gaming muscle will also depend on the resolution.

Indeed the limiting factor for a laptop to be a gaming laptop is GPU.  They provide the computational processing muscle that renders the polygonal shapes and colors that paint the images frame by frame on your monitor.  The higher the screen resolution, the more computing demands are placed on the GPU.  A good GPU should at least be able to paint at around 30 frames per second (fps) so that no image judder or puttering can get you to miss the action and fail in your scoring.

It is unlikely you will find midrange GPU cards under $500.  Our threshold is the Intel HD Graphics 4000 which is quite common at this price point and lower but still has enough juice to satisfy a casual gamer who don’t mind using a lower game setting for some of the more demanding games released since 2011/2012.

Hard disk storage is another area to consider.  Solid state drives are great for a diminished weight and slimmer body but you rarely will find them at this price point.  A 500GB capacity is quite common in the SATA standard, followed by 750 GB drives.  In addition, there is now an increasing trend to forego with optical drives but gamers who download games or use USB drives shouldn’t worry.

Just like at any price point, there are good and not-so-good laptops. Finding a gaming laptop at the sub-$500 point can be a real challenge.  But guided by our threshold GPU, here are few great value laptops at this price point that can satisfy a casual gamer.

Bang For The Buck – Gaming Laptops Under 500 Reviews 2013

At $478.31, the HP Pavilion G7-2238nr sports a large 17.3” LED-backlit display with 1600 x 900 resolution that makes for a superlative HD video watching experience.

HP Pavilion G7-2238nr

At $478.31, the HP Pavilion G7-2238nr sports a large 17.3” LED-backlit display with 1600 x 900 resolution that makes for a superlative HD video watching experience. Powered by the AMD Dual core A6-4400M clocked at 2.7 GHz and supported by a 4 GB DDR RAM, this laptop comes with its own separate AMD Radeon HD 7520G graphic engine which is about 11% faster than the Intel HD Graphics 4000 – our minimum threshold to be considered a gaming laptop.  It provides above average gaming abilities for some of the sophisticated FPS games and RPGs on the market at low to medium setting while some like Fifa 12/13, Diablo 3 and Counter Strike: Go can be played in their highest game settings..

Best recommended for the casual gamer who don’t mind playing some of the most demanding games released in 2011-12 in medium game settings

HP Pavilion G7-2220us

Discounted to $489.99 from its $549.99 regular price, the HP Pavilion G7-2220us sports a 17.3-inch LED-backlit LCD display driven by a discrete AMD Radeon HD 7520 GPU with its own 2GB graphic memory. Best recommended for the casual gamer who don’t mind playing some of the most demanding games released in 2010-12 in low to medium game settings, this pavilion is powered by the AMD dual core A6-4400M clocked at 2.7GHz and a system RAM of 4 GB DDR3. It comes with a 500GB SATA drive and DVD writer/readers housed in a 6.6-lb body.

Bang for the buck midrange gaming laptop – probably best laptop under 500

Acer Aspire V3-551-8469

Slightly more able than the Pavilion G7-222us is the Acer Aspire V3-551-8469 thanks to a 10% beefier AMD Radeon HD 7640G graphics engine with its own 512MB video RAM that drives its 15.6-inch LED backlit screen with 1366 x 768 HD resolution. Despite a cheaper $439.91, it is powered by a more muscled AMD quad core A8-4500M clocked at 1.9GHz and a 4GB SDRAM.  It is likewise recommended for casual PC gamers who don’t mind playing RPG and FSP games released 2010 onwards at low to medium game settings that will not maximize its HD screen resolution. Read our in depth review on Acer Aspire V3-551-8469 best gaming laptop under 500.

Powered by a 3rd generation dual core i5-3210M clocked at 2.5GHz with 4GB DDR3 system RAM.

Asus A55A-AH51

At a cent less than $500,the Asus A55A-AH51 has been heavily discounted from its $689.99 suggested retail price and can be considered a good value for a slim 1-incvh thick laptop, weighing just 5.8 lbs and powered by a 3^rd generation dual core i5-310M clocked at 2.5GHz with 4GB DDR3 system RAM.  Its 15/6-inch LED backlit display with 1366 x68 resolution is powered by an integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000, the minimum threshold to be considered a gaming laptop for 2013.

Lightweight and uncomplicated – even your 90 year old grandma can use this laptop at ease.

Dell Inspiron 15 i15RV-10000BLK

At $469 (others at $425, new),  this Dell Inspiron runs on a 3^rd generation dual core Intel Core i5-3337U with a 3 Mb L3 cache and clocked at 1.8HGz that can be boosted up to 2.7 GHZ   It comes with a 4 GB DDR3 system RAM while its 15.6-inch LED backlit screen has 1366 x 768 HD resolution driven by the Intel HD Graphics 4000 integrated with the Ivy Bridge CPU.  This is our minimum GPU to qualify a laptop for casual gamers, enabling it to play many of the most demanding RPG and FSP games released in 2011/12 at low settings while a few can be played at medium settings. .  Some games like Eder Scrolls V, Allan Wake, Hitman: Absolution and Assassin’s Creed III, however, will not play, while games like Fifa 13 can be played at high game settings. There’s a 500 GB SATA drive running at 5400 rpm and an 8x DVD writer optical drive and housed in superb texture matte black finish on a body.  It comes bundled with Windows 8, 32-bit OS.

It comes with AMD quadcore processor, with much faster HDD clock and Windows 8 OS. Its designed for speed and performance, with a great price!

HP Pavilion g6-2278DX

HP’s G-series covers an entire range of laptops that can satisfy casual gamers and even enable serious gamers to play some of the demanding games at low to medium game setting while away from their gaming workstations at home.  The G6 line  sports a 15.6 inch BrightView HD screen at 1366 x 768 resolution and this particular model is powered by the AMD quad core A8-4500 CPU with a 4GB DDR3 system RAM.  At a wallet-friendly price of $479.95, the HP Pavilion G6-2278DX uses the AMD Radeon HD 7640G discrete-class GPU which is more muscled than the Intel HD Graphics 4000. While it may be challenged to play Elder Scrolls V even at low game settings, laptops with the HD 7640G GPU can play many other sophisticated RPG and FSP games released in 2012 at low to medium game settings. The G6-2268DX comes with a 640GB SATA hard drive and a multi-format DVD/CD writer optical drive. It is preinstalled with Windows 8 and a one-year WebRoot SecureAnywhere internet security software licensed for 3 PCs.

Much quicker than other laptops on this price range, you could run multiple programs simultaneously and could kick some decent fps on modern games on medium settings.

HP Pavilion g7-2243us

Powered by an AMD quad core A8-4500M clocked at 1.9GHz that can be accelerated to 2.8 GHZ, with a 4 MB L2 cache and supported by a 6GB DDR3 SDRAM,  this $488.99 gaming laptop sports a 17.3-inch BrightView HD display with 1600 x 900 HD resolution and driven by a competent discrete-class  AMD Radeon HD 7640G graphics engine which is 20% faster than our minimum Intel HD Graphics 4000.  This gives it enough gaming muscle to play may of the demanding games released in 2012 at low to medium game settings, with the exception of  a handful of games such as Elder Scrolls V, Hitman: Absolution, and Assassin’s Creed III.  This Pavilion comes with 500GB SATA hard disk running at 5400 rpm,.  It does not have an optical drives but comes bundled with Windows 8.

One of the bestsellers on this price range, it packs with quadcore cpu clocked at 3.2ghz, with 8gb of ddr3 ram + 7660g GPU, clearly this laptop is made for gaming. It has 15.6″ laptop screen, separate numeric keypad, and is light and compact enough for traveling. Toshiba satellite s855d is one of my picks for this price range.

Toshiba Satellite S855D-S5148

With an MSRP of $639 now discounted to $499, you can get a high performance laptop sporting a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 HD resolution LED-backlit screen with a gaming muscle powered by the AMD Radeon HD 7660G.  This GPU is the top-of-the-line  card in the Trinity line of APUs integrated with the A10 series and is significantly more powerful (about 30% faster) than the Intel Graphics 4000 which is our minimum GPU for a gaming laptop.  It can play just about all the most demanding RPG and FSP gams at low to medium settings with just a few like Hitman: Absolution, Secret World, Max Payne 3, and Assassin’s Creed III that will not play.  Its CPU  is the AMD quad core A10-4600M with 8 GB DIMM RAM and a generous 1 TB SATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm.  It comes with a SuperMulti optical drive that supports 11 formats and all these are housed in a superbly crafted ice blue brushed aluminum body that is only 1.3-inches thick and weighing just 5.5 lbs. It comes bundled with Windows  8.

Maybe the best looking laptop on this price range, perfect for everyday users.

Sony VAIO E Series SVE1513TCXW

At just a cent below $500, this Sony VAIO E series SVE 1513TCXW sports a 15-5 inch 1366 x 768 resolution LED backlit display driven by the Intel HD Graphics 4000 integrated with the CPU, the minimum graphics engine that we can consider for a gaming laptop.  Under the hood, this VAIO is powered by an Intel Pentium 2020M dual core clocked at 2.4 GHz and supported by a 4GB DDR3 system RAM.  It comes with a modest 320GB SATA Drive running at 5400 rpm and is bundled with a consumer edition of Windows 8 OS.  Its most appealing point is the 1-inch profile when closed and a 5.9-lb backpack-friendly weight and should satisfy casual gamers.

More durable – packed with 3rd Gen i3 and 4gb ddr3 ram its a lil stronger than your average 400 dollar laptop.

Acer Aspire E1-571-6811

At $479.99 (refurbished at $359.99), this Aspire model can be considered the more expensive Intel-powered sibling of the AMD-powered V3-551-8469 mentioned above.  But rather than use a quad care, the E1-571-6811 is powered by a 2^nd generation Intel dual core i3-2328M clocked at 2.2 GHz with the same 4 GB SDRAM.  It shares the same features such as the 15.6-inch LED backlit display with 1366 x 768 HD resolution and the same superb glossy black body housing a 500 GB SATA drive running at 5400 rpm and an 8x DVD optical drive. This one, however, has a lighter 5.4 lbs compared to 5.7 lbs in the V3, while the graphics engine has been scaled a notch down from the discrete class AMD Radeon 7640G in the V3 to the Intel HD Graphics 4000 in the E1-571  making it less muscled to play the most demanding games released in 2012/11. Nevertheless, it still qualifies as a gaming laptop under the $500 price point.

The cheapest in the pack priced at around 360 – it packs power and style perfect for everyday needs.

Asus K55N-DS81

At a list price of $499 and now discounted to $379, this Asus K55N has to be the most affordable gaming laptop with a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 LED backlit screen powered by a muscled AMD Radeon HD 7640G graphics engine integrated into the Trinity A8 series and is 20%-24%  faster than the Intel HD Graphics 4000.  Other laptops that cost more or even going beyond the $500 price point can’t touch it.  This same laptop had been featured in laptops below $400 and also recommended for college students. Under the hood is an AMD quad core A8-4500M CPU clocked at 1.9 GHz and supported by a 4GB DDR3 system RAM.  Data storage is served by a 500GB SATA drives running at 5400 rpm and is bundled with a 32-bit Windows 8. An added bonus is its 1.3-inch profile on a lightweight 5.3-lb body.

Consumer ratings may be subjective but they provide a reasonably reliable assessment of the products they actually use. Here we present some of the highest rated gaming laptops in the market today.

Consumers themselves are divided on the issue on which reviews they would put their faith on in choosing the gaming laptops they have en come across in their shortlist. A good many will prefer professional reviews backed by sophisticated and presumably objective benchmark tests.  The rest, a possibly half of consumers, prefer real-world experience behind the reviews made by fellow consumers. We use both perspectives.

Benchmark lab tests vs real world experience

Benchmarking tests may not reflect real world situation on a how a laptop is used, but they provide a basic repeatable and standardized way of measuring simulated performance that can always be challenged in other lab tests for a second opinion in arriving at an objective assessment of a laptop’s value for its price.  On the other hand, while consumer reviews lean more on the subjective side, no one can dispute the experience of consumers with a particular brand or model. Each will have his or her own perception and in a capitalist society, getting an average of their ratings represent a more democratic way of judging how one brand performs against another in real world applications.

Hence, while we use benchmark tests of various graphic cards to arrive at how we judge the gaming ability of the many laptops we review, we cannot overlook how consumers assess the overall performance of these same laptops based on their experience and value perceptions.  The five star rating is used, similar to what Amazon has and we present some laptops with some highest consumer rating received – from 4 to 5 stars.

Here we present you our Top 5 best rated gaming laptops of 2013

Toshiba Satellite S875D-S7239

The coolest looking among the group packs power with Quad-Core A10-4600M accelerated processor and 6GB of ram.

With a rating of 4.3 stars, this Toshiba Satellite S875D-S7239 provides one of the best values for a laptop in the sub-$700 price point.  It is now heavily discounted at just half of its list price at $655.49.  Under the hood is a muscular quad core AMD A10-4600M accelerated processor clocked at 2.3GHz and supported by 6GB SO-DIMM system RAM. What makes this an excellent gaming laptop is its high performance AMD Radeon HD 7660G integrated with the A10 processor to drive a gorgeous 17.3-inch LED-backlit screen with 1600 x 900 HD resolution Just 2% slower than the discrete HD 7670M used by the Aspire V3-551G-8454, this laptop can play nearly all the demanding games at low to medium settings while many games like Diablo 3, F1 2012, Torchlight2, Dishonored and the recently released Dead Space 3 can be played smoothly in high game settings.

Toshiba Qosmio X875-Q7390

The Toshiba Qosmio x875 offers great value on a gaming laptop at its discounted price. It provides high end gaming with 3D abilities while sporting a slim 1.7″ profile on a 7.5lb body that is light for a gaming laptop…

With a rating of 4.8 stars, the Toshiba Qosmio X875 blends multimedia versatility with the gaming prowess that has surely delighted serious gamers who enjoy HD movies on the side Discounted to $1,717.05 from its near-$2,000 price point, this Toshiba laptop a gorgeous 17.3” LED-backlit LCD screen with 1920 x 1080 resolution, a 1TB hybrid SATA drive running at 5400 rpm with 8GB SSD. Powered by a 3rd generation Intel quad core i7-3630QM clocked at 3.4 GHz with a 16GB DDR3 system RAM, its gaming muscle comes from a dedicated NVidia GeForce GTX 670M graphics engine supported by a 3GB GDDR5 that can play the latest Crysis 3 at a smooth 30fps in medium game setting and all the 2012 releases at medium at high settings. Check out our indepth review of toshiba qosmio x875

Razer Blade (Win 8) RZ09-00830500-R3U1

The latest Razer Blade gaming laptop continues the Razer tradition of targeting the serious gamer, but this time, with a powerful laptop housed in slim and lightweight body.

The latest Razer Blade RZ09-00830500-R3U1 wins a rating a 4.6 stars with is superb 17.3-inch LED backlit screen in full 1920 x 1080 resolution, a 3^rd generation Intel quad core i7-3632Q clocked at 2,2GHz and with 8GB dual channel DDR3 running at 1600MHz.  Housed in a relatively light 6.6lb body with 0,88 inch profile, this Razer could well be the slimmest and lightest gaming laptop on the market.  Its GTX 660M graphics card with a 2GB GDDR3 video RAM provides high end gaming muscle that can play most of the sophisticated 2012 titles in high games settings with just a few like Max Payne 3 and Metro 2033 best played on medium settings, and Ghost Recon: future Soldier in low game setting.  But it comes with a steep price at $2,499 which is the price range serious gamers expect a capable gaming laptop to be in. Check out our indepth review of Razer Blade

Samsung Series 7 Gamer NP700G7C-S01US

The Samsung Series 7 Gamer occupies the brand’s flagship laptops aimed at serous PC gamers. With heavyweight features that rival some of the best built desktop gaming computers, this quad core Series 7 Gamer NP700G7C-S01US uses the fastest single chip GTX 675M (as of March 2012) to play just about all the demanding games your throw in at medium to high game setting.

Rated with 4.3 stars, the Samsung Series 7 Gamer NP700G7C-S01US is a sub-$2000 gaming laptop that sports a 17.3-inch LED backlit screen with full HD 1080p resolution. It is powered by a 2.3 GHz 3^rd generation Intel quad core i7-3610QM processor with 16 GB DDR3 systems RAM.  It gaming prowess is supplied by an upper midrange GTX 675M graphics card in the high end GTX 600M series and is considered the fastest single chip GPU as of March 2012.  It comes with its own 2GB GDDR3 video RAM. You get to play the latest Crysis 3 seamlessly in high game setting and the highly demanding Ghost Recon: Future Soldier in medium setting. Check out our indepth review of samsung series 7 gamer

Asus N76VZ-DS71

The Asus N76VZ notebook provide as peerless gaming and a multimedia experience at its price point. It has the computing muscle and the features that could get you away from your desktop for a long time and not miss it.

Rated 4.5 stars, the ASUS N76VZ-DS71sports an impressive 17.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen in full HD (1920 x 1080) and powered by a 3^rd generation Intel quad core i7-3610QM clocked at 2.3GHz and supported by an 8GB DDR3 system RAM. Considered a mid-priced laptop with a refurbished price of $1,034.99, this Asus has both the graphics muscle of Nvidia GT 650M with its own 2GB video RAM to play Diablo III at 92fps, Dirt Slowdown at 44fps and Batman: Arkham at 42 fps set at full HD resolution.  However, while games like Anno 2070 and Metro 2033 are playable, they already border on the notebook’s limits that can tax performance at their high settings. Check out our indepth review of asus n76vz ds71

Conclusion

Consumer rating based on real-world experience in using their gaming laptops provide the best assessment of what we can reasonably expect form the laptops they have reviewed.  This is not to downplay professional reviews whose higher level of objectivity offers a measurable and repeatable way to differentiate performance marks of each laptop from another. Some consumers prefer one or the other but both have their place in guiding us make a more informed choice in our buying decisions. Here are a few of the gaming laptops that have received 4-5 star ratings with at least 10 or more customers who have lived and used the laptops they reviewed.

Samsung has the leading market on smart phones, android devices and tabs. Their laptops doesn’t have the buzz that s4′s and galaxy tabs has, but it has the same quality, speed and specs for the right price that we all love from samsung products.

The South Korean manufacturing giant Samsung may be better known as the maker of the popular Galaxy range of smartphones and tablets, but it has long been making laptops to the delight of consumers looking for a wider, if not better, set of choices for their mobile computing needs. It is among the few laptop makers with a range of products dedicated to serious gamers. The three specimens reviewed here provide clear evidence of the innovation and purposive product specification that have endeared the brand to serious gamers on the go.

The 2011 CES showcased Samsung’s Ultrabooks and the following year, its latest models trumpeted touchscreens on its Ultrabooks courtesy of Windows 8.  Samsung’s flagship Series 9 Ultrabooks  fuses both touchscreen technology in its Galaxy Tab line with the versatility and power of a regular laptop.  Unfortunately, its Ultrabook line for 2012-2013 is not designed with the serious gamer in mind but more for the young executives who like their laptops trendy, slim and lightweight,  However, several models like the Series 9 NP900X4C-A07US Premium Ultrabook priced at $1,490.43 uses the Intel HD Graphics 4000 that offers respectable gameplay for many demanding game at low settings.   But at this price point, Samsung has better options for serious gamers.

A list of popular Samsung Laptops plus Reviews

If your looking for the best performance to price ratio laptops, this will come close to top 3 overall. Armed with 3rd Gen i7 processor with HD 77XX a decent mid-high range GPU.

Samsung Series 3 NP350V5C-T01US

Coming down to $699.99 from its $899.99 price when it launched last October 2012,  the titan silver Samsung Series 3 NP350V5C-T01US is one of the more competent gaming laptops in the market at this price point.  Powered by a 2.3 GHz 3^rd generation Intel Core i7 and with 6GB DDR3 RAM, its graphics is powered by a separate AMD Radeon HD 7730, a mid-range GPU with its own 2GB video RAM that  can play most of the 2012  RPG and FSP games seamlessly at medium to high game settings. The laptop  has a 15.6”  with a 1366 x 768 HD resolution that has become standard for most laptops.

The Samsung Series 7 Gamer occupies the brand’s flagship laptops aimed at serous PC gamers. With heavyweight features that rival some of the best built desktop gaming computers, this quad core Series 7 Gamer NP700G7C-S01US uses the fastest single chip GTX 675M (as of March 2012) to play just about all the demanding games your throw in at medium to high game setting.

Samsung Series 7 Gamer NP700G7C-S02US

The Samsung Series 7 Gamer NP700G7C-S02US, as the name clearly indicates, is optimized for serious gamers and its  $1,499.99 price tag is well worth it. Powered by a 3^rd generation Intel Core i7 quad-core processor clocked at 2.4 GHz and with a 16GB DDR 3 RAM,, this Series 7 uses what is considered the fastest single-chip GPU among laptop graphics as of March 2012 – the Nvidia GeForce GTX 675M with its own 2GB GDDR5 video RAM.  The beauty of  17.3-inch LED backlit full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution can be realized for virtually all the most  demanding games in 2012 at their high to highest settings.  The recently released Crysis 3 has no problems even at high game setting. In addition, its 1.5TB SATA drive, Dolby stereo speakers with a sub-woofer,  and 8-cell li-ion battery are housed in a 2-inch casing that weighs a rather hefty 8.4lbs.  That’s a heavyweight alright in all aspects.  The Samsung Series 7 Gamer is part of our top 8 best gaming laptops or you could check our in-depth review of The Samsung Series 7 Gamer NP700G7C-S02US.

Slightly Cheaper Compared to other Series 7 gaming laptops, the NP700G7C-T01US is pack with beautiful design and you can’t go wrong with 3rd gen i7 plus 2GIG 7870 GPU!

 Samsung Series 7 Gamer NP700G7C-T01US

A bit less expensive at $1,245.99 is the Samsung Series 7 Gamer NP700G7C-T01US sporting a more youthful yellow body.  It has the same 17.3-inch LED Backlit screen and shares the same CPU and other features except for a smaller 8 GB DDR3 system RAM and the graphics card.  It uses the AMD Radeon HD 7870M instead but the same the same 2GB video RAM.  Just 16% slower than the GTX 675M,  it also plays just about all the 2012 games at high to the highest game settings.  Crysis 3 plays no less seamlessly at high settings.

Stylish laptop for professionals, the screen boast a fine and crisp 17.3 with 1920 x 1080 pixels and 1080p display – great value for your money.

 Samsung Series 7 NP700Z7C-S03US

At $1,599.99, the Samsung Series 7 NP700Z7C-S03US has a gorgeous 17.3-iunch LED backlit display with 1920 x 1080 true HD resolution driven by the NVidia GeForce GT 650M, a midrange GPU near the top of the GeForce GT 600M series, enabling it to run nearly all sophisticated games released lately in medium to high game setting.  It runs on the quad care Intel i7-3615QM clocked at 2.3 GHz with 8 GB DDR 3 system RAM.  Just 1-inch thick on a 6.6-lb body,  this series 7 specimen comes with a 750 GB SATA drive running at 7200 RPM and supported by an 8GB Solid State Dive built into the motherboard that acts like a cache memory that makes it almost twice as fast in booting up and launching apps.

Light, fast, solid build, sleek stylish, comfortable back-lit keyboard and a good value for money. If your in the market for portable, light and yet powerful laptops, this ones for you.

Samsung Series 7 NP700Z3A-S06US

Considered an entry level mid-class gaming laptop, the Samsung Series 7 NP700Z3A-S06US is a 14-inch laptop with a 1TB HDD that comes with an 8 GB solid state drive that acts like a cache to speed up booting and launching of apps. This accounts for its $1,049.99 price discounted 4% from its SRP and a 1-inch profiles weighing only 4.6 lbs.  (Pre-owned units fetch around $730 and refurbished ones at $850.)  Under the hood is a 2^nd generation Intel dual core i5-2450M clo0cked at 2.45 GHz wi9th 8GB DDR3 system RAM that optimizes the 64-bit Windows 7 Premium edition that comes bundled with it.  What makes it qualify as a gaming laptop is its AMD Radeon HD 6490M GPU which is 12% faster and more capable than our threshold Intel HD Graphics 4000 and can play nearly all sophisticated games released over the last 3 years at low to medium game settings.

Conclusion

As people say, you get what you pay for.  A gaming workstation on the desktop or your laptop cannot really be as satisfying as it can without investing on the right hardware to play the games as they should be played m without compromises. The prices on the Samsung Series 7 Gamer line show unmistakable  proof of this and anything lower will yield a compromised gaming performance as seen in the Series 3.

Old gaming laptops that are now heavily discounted offer some of the best value to the dollar considering that they are often sold at cost or at lost in what we consider as “barebone” gaming laptops.

In our quest to look for the most affordable gaming laptops, we started to look around if there was such a thing as a barebone gaming laptop.   That would be like asking if there was a barebone Rolls Royce.   As every serious gamer knows, a gaming laptop is the Rolls Royce of the mobile computing world.  But in the same way we were challenged to find reasonably muscled laptops at or below the $500 price point, we now embark on a quest to find very basic laptops that can play even the most demanding games of 2010-2011 at the lowest game settings that won’t need the bells and whistles to make them a rewarding multimedia center, despite the fact that any laptop that can play such games can also play HD movies on the side.

What you should consider

Given the profile of many casual gamers who can settle with low game settings and download games or play games online, it’s perfectly possible for a barebone gaming laptop to have no optical drive and there are actually several models that have taken this out to conserve a lighter weight.  But these are often done in stylish expensive high enders.  In addition, we checked if there are laptops with a lower screen resolution than the 1366 x 768 that is quite common these days. Unfortunately, there are none, at least none that matches our gaming standard.

Lastly, in our quest to go barebone, we didn’t overlook the many refurbished, second-hand or used, and heavily discounted laptops that now go from 12% to 30% off from their regular list prices.  Some laptops in the $1000+ regular list prices are now in the $400 to $800 price points, either discounted as old inventory or being peddled as second hand.  They are clearly more muscled than any brand new laptops at this same discounted price points.

Indeed, if the casual gamer can get by playing games released in 2010-2011 in low game settings, why not just buy a deeply discounted or used 12-18 month old laptop that can already play them in medium settings but priced lower than most brand new laptops that can only play them at low game setting? In the absence of a barebone Rolls, Royce, we consider deeply discounted, and used laptops to be in the barebone category. They are usually priced at cost or at a loss and can reflect the true “barebone” manufacturing cost of these laptops.  Here are some you may want to consider

Barebones Gaming Laptops

HP Pavilion dv7 7115nr

Games like Diablo 3 and Counter Strike: Go can be played at their highest game settings while some like Elder Scrolls V will sputter at 28fps.

This model had a list price of $660.33 but can now be purchased at $551.99 which puts it among the best value gaming laptops at this price point. Bundled with a 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium edition,  the  HP Pavilion dv7-7115nr sports 17.3-inch display with 1600 x 900 resolution and is powered by a 1.9GHz AMD Quad-Core A8-4500M  accelerated processor with a 4MB L2 cache and a dual module 8GB DDR3 SDRAM.  What makes this a capable gaming device is its AMD Radeon HD 7640G Discrete-Class graphics that has a 4GB video RAM making it more powerful than any laptop with an Intel HD Graphics 4000. It can play most of the demanding games in 2012 in low to medium settings.  Games like Diablo 3 and Counter Strike: Go can be played at their highest game settings while some like Elder Scrolls V will sputter at 28fps and highly demanding games like Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings and Risen 2: Dark Waters will not play at all.

HP Pavilion dv6-7010us (Used)

Powered by the same AMD quad core A8-4500M processor clocked at 1.9GHz with 6GB SDRAM

Powered by the same AMD quad core A8-4500M processor clocked at 1.9GHz with 6GB SDRAM,, the HP Pavilion dv6-7010us is a $749.99 value that now retails at $449 used but in near mint condition.  Sporting a smaller 15.6” screen with 1366 x 768 HD resolution and bundled with a 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium edition, this 5.7-lb laptop uses the same AMD Radeon HD 7640G with its own 3GB video RAM to make it more muscled than any laptop with the Intel HD Graphics 4000 for the casual gamer.

HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition Laptop (Used)

An $899 value that can now be had for half that much at $435 as a used laptop, the HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition.

An $899 value that can now be had for half that much at $435 as a used laptop, the HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition sports a 15.6″ LED-backlit screen with 1366 x 768 resolution and is powered by a 2^nd generation Intel Core i7-2630QM clocked at 2.0 GHz and supported by a 6GB DDR3 system RAM expandable to 8GB.  It graphics engine is a discrete AMD Radeon HD 6490M which is 12% more powerful than the Intel HD Graphics 4000 and even comes with its own 1GB GDDR5 video RAM. It is equally muscled as the HD 7640M graphic card used in the Pavilion dv6-7010us and the dv7 7115nr.

Acer Aspire V3-551G-8454

Acer aptly labeled this a gaming notebook which, at a discounted price of $596.99 to $623.45 from its $799.99 regular list price, can be considered the best value laptop for the serious gamer.

Acer aptly labeled this a gaming notebook which, at a discounted price of $614.99 to $623.45 from its $799.99 regular list price, can be considered the best value laptop for the serious gamer.  Powered by an AMD A8-4500M quad core clocked at 1.9GHZ and supported by a 4GB SDRAM DDR3, its 15.6-inch LED backlit 1366 x 768 display is driven by a Crossfire dual AMD Radeon HD 7670M with its own 1GB video RAM.  On its own, a single HD7670M is a midrange GPU that can play some of the most demanding games like Battlefield 3, Max Payne 3, Eder Scrolls V and Anno 2070 seamlessly in medium game settings and can drive up to 5 displays simultaneously with its Eyefinity support. It is often seen in laptops costing more than this.  But using a Crossfire dual configuration, even Battlefield 3 can now be played fluidly in high game setting.

Toshiba Satellite S875D-S7239

The coolest looking among the group packs power with Quad-Core A10-4600M accelerated processor and 6GB of ram.

Few gaming laptops that can delight a serious gamer can be found in the sub-$1000 price and this Toshiba Satellite S875D-S7239 is selling at just half of its list price at $655.49.  Powered by an AMD A10-4600M quad core accelerated CPU clocked at 2.3GHz and with 6GB SO-DIMM system RAM, this Satellite sports a gorgeous 17.3-inch LED-backlit screen with 1600 x 900 HD resolution that is powered by the high performance AMD Radeon HD 7660G integrated with the A10 processor and sharing with the system RAM.  It approaches the performance of the discrete HD 7670M used by the Aspire V3-551G-8454 by a mere 2% in performance benchmarks.

Conclusion

Gaming laptops 12-18 months old are now heavily discounted while some that are pre-owned or used but with excellent working conditions have significantly reduced prices.  They offer  the best value to the dollar considering that they are often sold at cost or at a lost in what we consider as “barebone” gaming laptops whose features are topnotch during their time but which we can get today at prices equivalent to non-gaming laptops.   They would be priced like barebone gaming laptops, except that there are no such things as barebone laptops on the market today. That would like looking for a barebone Rolls-Royce.

Gaming laptops at the $400 price point can be a real challenge to find as most graphics card sport less than the Intel HD 4000, but here are three just slightly above $400 and well worth the price.

Looking for really dirt cheap laptop is not a problem as there are many that go for less than $300 when new, but none of them are gaming laptops.  If you are looking to play the most demanding RPG and FSP games of 2009 even at the lowest game settings, laptops in the price range simply can’t do the job with their APUs mostly integrated with Intel HD Graphic 300 GPU.

It has been our observation that laptops using the Intel HD Graphics 4000 are the starting point for a gaming laptop.  Even then, many of the games released in 2011 and earlier will play but only at the lowest possible game settings and graphics card resolution.  Battlefield 3, however will not play .Crysis 3 released this year will not play, neither will earlier games like Hitman: Absolution, Assassin’s Creed III, Max Payne 3, Dishonored and Elder Scrolls V.

Having said that, we look at laptops just around the $400 price point and found a few models that sport the Intel HD Graphics 4000 at the very least.  They should be able to satisfy the most budget conscious casual gamers and those who don’t mind playing 2011 games at their lower settings.  Here are three good value specimens we found:

Some of the best laptops under or around $400

The Acer Aspire V3-551-8469 is an entry level gaming notebook recommended for gamers on a strict budget and who don’t mind playing the most demanding games released in 2011 at low to medium graphics settings.

Acer Aspire V3-551-8469

The Acer Aspire V3-551-8469 retails for just $439.91 with free shipping at Amazon and what’s amazing about it is the quad core engine and a separate GPU one can expect only from laptops at a high higher price point.  Under the hood is a 1.9 GHz AMD A8-4500M with a 4GB SDRAM and a distinct AMD Radeon HD 7640G graphics engines with its own 512 MB video RAM.   Modest by gaming laptop standards with their own GPU and video RAM, this Acer certainly packs 20% more muscle than any with integrated HD Graphics 4000.  Sophisticated games will remain a challenge but at least most of them will play smoothly at low game settings.   In addition, this Acer comes with a 15.6-inch LED-backlit display with a 1366 x 768 resolution , a 500GB SATA drive running at 5,400 rpm, an 8x multilayer optical drive all house and a 1,3 megapixel HF webcam with Dolby speakers all housed in light 5.74 body.  It also gets bundled with the Windows 8 and a 6-cell; Lithium Ion battery that can power you up for 5 hours. check our in depth review of acer aspire v3 551

More durable – packed with 3rd Gen i3 and 4gb ddr3 ram its a lil stronger than your average 400 dollar laptop.

Acer Aspire E1-571-6811

The Acer Aspire E1-571-6811 is priced around $10 cheaper and is powered by a 2^nd generation Intel Core i3-2328M with a 3MB L3 Cache and clocked at 2.5GHz.  It is inteegrate4d with the Intel HG Graphics 4000 with a 128 MB dedicated video RAM while its system RAM is a single module 4GB DDR3.  It spots the same 15.5-inch LED-backlit display with 1366 x 768 resolution, 500GB DATA drive running at 5,400 rpm, an 8x multi-layer optical drive, 1.3 megapixel HD webcam and a 6-cell lithium-ion battery that gets you going up to 4.5 hours before the next charge.  It weight slightly lighter at 5.3 lbs.

Best recommended for the casual gamer who don’t mind playing some of the most demanding games released in 2011-12 in medium game settings

HP Pavilion G7-2220us

At a slightly higher price, gaming gets a bit better with the $458.99 HP Pavilion G7-2220us powered by 2.7GHz AMD dual core A6-4400M and a 4GB DDR3 system RAM.  Its dedicated Radeon HD 7520G graphics engine enjoys a dedicated 2GB video RAM.  It sports a higher than average 17.3-inch LED-backlit display with a high definition 1600 x 900 resolution.  You get a 500 SATA hard drive running 5,400 rpm, a multilayer DVD burner, an HD webcam, Dolby audio, and a 6-cell Lithium ion battery can last 3 hours and 15 mins on a single charge.  Bundled with Windows 8, this HP is just 1.22 inches thick and weighs about 6.6 lbs.

The cheapest in the pack priced at around 360 – it packs power and style perfect for everyday needs.

Asus K55N-DS81

At a comfortable price of $369, this Asus sports a standard 15.6 inch LED backlit screen with 1366 x 768 HD screen and powered by the  A-Series AMD quad core A8-4500M clocked at 1.9 GHz with 4GB  DDR 3 system RAM and comes bundled with a 64-bit Windows  8.  The Asus K55N is built solidly using premium aluminum chassis and with only a 1.3-inch thick profile, it weighs a back-pack friendly 5.4 lbs  despite housing a 500 GB SATA drive that runs at 540 rpm and an optical DVD drive.  The graphics card is a respectable AMD Radeon HD 7640G which is roughly 20% more muscled than the HD Graphics 4000 which is the minimum GPU to qualify as a gaming laptop for casual gamers. It won’t play Battlefield 3, Torchlight 2, Risen 2: Dark Waters or Dishonored,  but it can play Sleeping Dogs, Anno 2070, Elder Scrolls V at low to medium game settings, while Counter Strike: Go and Fifa 12 can be played at high game settings..

Its not a secret that im a big fan of lenovo laptops – the value for the money and the support coming with it, this ones one of their premier mid range laptops.

 Lenovo G580

With a list price of $449 now discounted to just $365 ( some at $399), the Lenovo G580 is at the bottom of what can be considered a casual gamer’s laptop powered by an Intel Pentium Dual core B980 processor clocked at 2.4 GHz with  4GB DDR3 system RAM and an integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU that can play several sophisticated games at low game settings..  It offers a standards 15.6-inch LED backlit display with 1366 x 768 HD resolution, an optical drive and a basic 320 GB SATA hard drive. With a 1.35-inch profile and weighing 5.6 lbs, this Lenovo comes bundled with Windows 8 and boasts of a battery life of 5 hours.

Conclusion

Unless you are looking for slightly used or refurbished laptops with decent gaming capability, there are just a few notable laptops  below $400 that can be considered decently muscled enough to serve as gaming laptop even for casual gamers.  Don’t expect the most demanding RPG and FSP games of recent releases to be played seamlessly at medium to high game settings which is what the integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 or equivalent can’t do.  At best, some can play at low to medium game settings while requiring  you to go down the a notch in resolution setting. Some models had enjoyed some discounts to fall below the $400 price point, though. The other three specimens are close enough with the most expensive at $458.99.

A motherboard is the heart and soul of any PC, whether dekstop or laptop. Now is the time to upgrade to play recent and forthcoming games for 2013.

If you’re a serious gamer who want only the best for your gaming desktops, it may be time to consider upgrading what had served them well over the last 12-18 months.   Your kid brother can thank you for a hand-me-down gaming station while you move on to higher gaming challenges.  Whether upgrading or building a new gaming PC, there’s no better place to start than with choosing the right motherboard that can give you the right options for a truly rewarding gaming desktop, and possibly future-poof your gaming for another 2-3 years..

Reasons to get the right motherboard

A motherboard is the heart and soul of your PC. It tells you how much system RAM you can have, what CPU you can put in, how many graphics cards you can use, what type of hard drives and how many you can use, how many peripheral; devices it can hooked to, and what data connections it can support, just to mention some.  It makes sense to invest on one that not only meets your current needs reliably but do so at the longest time possible until your next upgrade. There are two things that are certain about your PC: it will break down sooner or later, and you will need to upgrade it.

More importantly, the right motherboard choice will answer your question: “What can I do with my PC.  A simple word processing, spreadsheet or internet surfing will not demand the most versatile motherboard. And even low-enders can provide a reasonably satisfying multimedia experience with a good graphics card.  But gaming is entirely another.  You need at least a middle-of-the-road motherboard, and many serious gamers invest on the best motherboard  they can afford.

Your current motherboard may not be able to support the latest generation of  Intel and AMD processors and graphics cards and consequently fail to get the most satisfying experience from recent and forthcoming game releases.  For instance, the third generation Ivy Bridge Core processors will need a new motherboard if your current one does not support the previous Sandy Bridge processor family.  If you need multiple graphics cards, or if you need SSD drives or USB 3.0 support, it is unlikely that mid-priced motherboards released 3 years ago and which you thought were cool enough to buy at a bargain 18 months ago would have them.

Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H for Intel

This ATX motherboard has Socket 1155 for Intel’s 3^rd generation dual and quad core processors for a real bargain at $195.76 at Amazon.  It features a Z77 chipset that supports multiple video cards in CrossFireX and quad-SLI configuration for the finest gaming performance at the highest frame rates.. It comes with the Creative X-F1 Xtreme Fidelity audio on board, and four USB 3.0 ports and two USB 2 ports on the front panel..  It also has five SATA ports with one disabled if you use its mSATA connection to a Solid State Drive.  It also has a lone eSATA port at the back, along with video connections for HDMI, VGA, DVI and Display Port, allowing you to drive four monitors at the same time with its internal GPU.

Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 for AMD

Supporting the latest AMD AM3+ FX/AM3 Phenom II line of multicore processors, the AMD990FX+SB950 chipset in this ATX motherboard with dual BIOS  is an outstanding value at a wallet–friendly $159.91.  It offers four DDR3 slots for up to 32GB RAM on a dual channel architecture.  It come with 4 PCIe expansion slots that can support a 2-way CrossFireX or SLI graphics configuration running at x16 bandwidth for exquisite graphics performance. It has six SATA 3 ports for up to 3 TB each that can be configured for RAID 0.1, 5 and 10.

Asus P9X79 Deluxe

Future proofing your gaming PC can be illusive but some motherboards are better at it than others.  On an extended ATX form factor designed for a midtower case, the $395.17 Asus P9X79 Deluxe features Intel’s X79 Express chipset with an immense LGA 2011 socket that can support Intel’s six-core Sandy Bridge processor such as the i7-3960X.  It has eight DIMM slots that can house up to 64GB 1,600 MHz DDR 3 systems RAM in a quad-channel architecture.  There are two PCIe 3.0 x16, two PCIe 3.0 x8  and two PCIe 2.0 x1 expansion slots that can support AMD quad GPU CrossFireX and 3-way Nvidia SLI graphic card arrangement for the best in gaming graphics.

Conclusion

These three are just a small snapshot of some of the best motherboards available.  While some were released more than a year ago, their potential for a high end gaming station remains unchallenged to this day and will likely be so in the next 2-3 years.  Future reviews will include new iterations as they get released.

With the size and weight advantage of netbooks, even its relatively low computing power can allow the casual gamer to enjoy classic older games while on the road.

Netbooks are not designed with a gamer in mind. In none of the specimens we’ve seen is the graphic card muscled enough to have the equivalent of an Intel HD Graphic 4000 at the very least as this GPU defines our threshold graphics engine to qualify as a gaming device for 2013. Almost all of them use integrated GPUs that are no more muscled than an Intel HG Graphics 2500 and are therefore incapable of playing sophisticated games released even 2-3 years ago. Netbooks generally have the power of desktop PCs released 5-6 years ago and it is not surprising that they can play games released 5-6 years ago.

In short, if you want to play sophisticated games while on the road , stay clear of netbooks. You would be better off with a low-end gaming laptop with an Intel Graphics HD 4000 GPU. For instance, the $499 price of the HP Pavilion DMw-43120nr netbook with 11.6-inch display and powered by a Radeon 7340 for its graphics will not hold a candle to a $454 HP Pavilion g7-2238nr whose graphics engines enjoys a more muscled Radeon HD 7520G that can play demanding games even at low to medium setting. It even has a gorgeous 17.3-inch display to boot
But while, the market for netbooks are not gamers, even casual gamers can enjoy several classic games on the netbook if doing nothing else while on the road. Apart from Farmville, CitiVille, Zynga Poker and other Facebook games online, the early highly rated Diablo I and II can be played, along with StarCraft 1and 2, Sims 3, Fifa II, Portal 1 and 2, Half Life 2, KOTOR, Trackmania Nations Forever, Grand Theft Auto 3/Vice City, Warcarft 3, Final Fantasy VII and Age of Empires, to mention some of the better known classics.

Some High End Netbooks for Casual Gamers

Dell Alienware AM11X-2894CSB is the ideal on the go gaming laptop – it packs power and small that you can fit it anywhere PLUS it looks great!

Dell Alienware AM11X-2894CSB

If you are determined to find one that can decently play even those 2012 RPG and FSP games at low to medium setting, consider the Dell Alienware AM11X-2894CSB. At $609.99 for a second hand unit ($800 when new), it sports a standard 11.6-inch display with 1366 x 768 resolution and is powered by a 1.3 GHz 1st generation Intel Core 2 Duo. Its GPU is the NVidia GeForce GT335M which is about 4% more muscled than the Intel HD Graphics 4000, this should give you enough power to play many of the 2012 games at low game settings.

Packed with i7 – 3610qm with 650 1GB video card, the m14x r2 is the ideal compact laptop with excellent build.

Dell Alienware M14x R2 AM14XR2-6111BK

A newly launched model is the Dell Alienware M14x R2 AM14XR2-6111BK powered by a 3rd generation Intel Core i7-3610QM clocked at 2,5 GHZ that can jump up to 3.0 GHZ with turboboost. A 8GB DDR system RAM and a more powerful Nvidia GeForce GT 650M with its on 2 GB DDR5. Demanding games from 2011 such as Battlefield 3 becomes playable in medium to high settings. But this one is larger than a netbook with a 14-inch 1366 x 768 screen which puts it hallway between a netbook and a laptop. Just save up for its $1,149.99 price tag which beats out several sub-$1000 laptops that have more gaming power.

Well we all know chromebook launch is a success, with built in google products plus with chrome OS, this must be one of the best everyday laptops, fit for everyday entertainment and could play some games.

Acer C7 C710-2847 Chromebook

As PC makers slowly move from netbooks into Chromebooks running the Chrome OS from Google, we can’t help notice that Chromebooks have basically the same footprint as netbooks – 11.6-inch displays and 3lb weights. The market may not realize it, but Chromebooks appear to be a repositioning of netbooks. Consider the new Acer C7 C710-2847 Chromebook which at a mere $235, is powered by the Intel dual core B847 clocked at 1.1GHz with 2GB DDR3 system RAM. What makes this a standout is its Intel Graphics 4000 which should give the casual gamer more choices in playing recently released RPG and FSP games.

Fast and Stylish – Perfect for everyday professionals. Packed with 3rd Gen Core i5 and Windows 8.

Samsung Series 3 NP300E5C-A08US

Casual gaming can easily be satisfied with laptops equipped with the Intel HD Graphics 4000 for its graphics engine. The Samsung Series 3 NP300E5C-A08US priced at a discounted $549.99 is one such laptop that has a 15.6-inch LED backlit display with a typical 1366 x 768 HD resolution and powered by a 2.5 GHz clocked 2^nd generation Intel dual core i5-321OM with a basic 4 GB DDR3 system RAM expandable to 8 GB. It comes with a standard 500 GB SATA hard drive and an 8x SuperMulti optical drive.

The Asus A55VD-AH71 sports a 15.5-inch LED backlist display with 1366 x 768 resolution driven by the NVidia GT 610M GPU, With Blazing fast 3rd gen core i7 you cant go wrong with this netbook.

Asus A55VD-AH71

Laptop with graphics cards rated at around 5% less muscled than the Intel HD Graphics 4000 may be considered for casual gaming.  The Asus A55VD-AH71 sports a 15.5-inch LED backlist display with 1366 x 768 resolution driven by the NVidia GT 610M GPU which is rated 3% lower than our gaming threshold GPU.  This means most ROPG and FSP games released over the last two can play at low same settings while some like the 2011 Elder Scrolls V will hardly play without skipping a beat or two.  Crysis 2 and Battlefield 3 will not play at all while some like FIFA 12 and the 2010 Call of Duty Black Ops can play at high game settings.  Only an inch thick and weighing 5.8 lbs, it is powered by the Intel quad core i7-3610OM clocked at 2.7 GHz with 8GB DDR3 system RAM and is bundled with Windows 8.

Conclusions

Putting all the gaming muscle in netbook borders on the miraculous but there are a few in the upscale price points that have succeeded to go beyond the gaming abilities of netbooks. But with laptops already entering the price points , size and weight range of netbooks (i.e., VivoBooks, Chromebooks, Ultrabooks), you can expect newer models to arrive that have more in common with gaming laptops without breaking your bank account.