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[ChairmanPoo]

I want a laptop with the following

- Procesor: i5 or better

- Size: between 11" and 14"

- Graphics card: Something "decent". AKA: no intel HD graphics shit.


Is there *anything* fullfilling these criteria in the market? So far I'm seeing uber i7 processor ligthweight stuff, but ALL OF THEM with Intel Graphics 4400 (aka poo).

[gimlet]

Yea, you just have to search a bit.  I tried google searches for windows laptop 14" amd graphics and got some hits, like the HP Zbook 14.  NICE specs - i7, 16G ram,  AMD FirePro M4100 graphic , but sit down before you look at the price ($1400 for that config), there are more and less powerful options.  And that's more of a biz oriented graphics chip, I dunno how great it would be at games - search out some benchmarks.  Here's one of the reviews I looked at from that search: http://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/hp-zbook-14

Search strategy - once you have a couple of models with discrete graphics, look for comparison reviews, that will usually list a couple of comparable models.

Search strategy 2 - look at performance charts of the current top mobile graphics chips, and add keywords like "14" laptop", that should score you models that use that chip. Work your way down the list of chips top to bottom, that should get you a bunch of models.

Search strategy 3 - try terms like  '14" gaming laptop', that has a bunch of decent results, like this article about lenovo Y40 that has a few comparable models: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2459973/lenovo-y40-review-an-understated-14-inch-gaming-laptop-for-less-than-1000.html  (I presume you want this for gaming)  Or about halfway down the search results for me was an article about "Best Gaming Laptop 2014", that has some 13 and 14" models.  Look through those results, try similar terms...

[nenjin]

Well, here's Newegg with your criteria, minus a dedicated video card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006740%20600004341%20600004343%20600003988%20600029658&IsNodeId=1

The pickings are rather slim and most of them are refurbished. You kinda need to break into gaming laptops if you want something better than onboard graphics.

[Sensei]

I have an older laptop of Lenovo's Y series, I've been pretty happy with it. Not a bad place to start looking if you can afford it. All of these have processors capable of actual games. My 660M GPU runs current games at moderate-to-high settings at 1366x768, I'm sure some of those newer cards can get good framerates at 1080p. Be sure to look up benchmarks, and don't conflate them with desktop cards of the same name (EG a GTX 660M isn't remotely similar to a regular GTX 660).

[i2amroy]

Older MacBooks would do the trick, if you were willing to buy secondhand and would put up with a mac. The current ones all have high end intel cards instead of amd's though.

[ChairmanPoo]

Hmmm... I've been looking into it and am considering an alienware 13.... even though they charge EU residents a 20% extra.

[Ancalagon_TB]

this is the computer I'm using - it's nothing super special, but for me it was a near ideal compromise:

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/acer-aspire-v7-1161958/review#articleContent

[Thief^]

this is the computer I'm using - it's nothing super special, but for me it was a near ideal compromise:

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/acer-aspire-v7-1161958/review#articleContent

I'm not sure I'd agree with their conclusion of "tows the line between Ultrabook and gaming laptop". Unless they mean "not good enough to be called a gaming laptop". It's just barely more graphically capable than intel's integrated graphics.

ChaimanPoo: The Alienware 13 is a little beast, but you might be able to find that level of performance cheaper elsewhere. The "Alienware" name adds significantly to the price.

[Phmcw]

I have this : A Gigabyte P34G, the model with the I7 and nvidia 760 and a 14 inch full hd screen.

I added an SSD and some ram  myself it's less expensive than taking them in option, and paid 1050€ in total. My screen hinge broke, but no one else reported the same problem, and I fixed it (with screws and steel plates, now it's strudy as hell).

The P34K V3 would work for you too. 

Edit : I just noticed that now there is a P34G v2 with a 860 instead of a 760.

[ChairmanPoo]

I went for the alienware 13 + amplifier after all. After 2016, inclusive, I suspect I'll have a quite nomadic lifestyle (if all goes well I'll move to the UK), so if this rig works, and if alienware keeps making laptops compatible with the amplifier, I'm set for a long while.


BTW: in case someone else had this problem: if you install an nvidia card in the amplifier, you need to update the laptop's nvidia drivers in order to get it into working order. With the ones that come out of the factory is not enough.

[nenjin]

They almost never are. Even when buying a video card for a destkop, you might as well take the CD that ships with it and use it as a coaster, it's guaranteed to be out of date.