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[Sleix]

I'm looking for a gaming laptop that can run most modern games on high / medium settings, mostly for planetside 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., DayZ and Overgrowth
Preferably I want it under 500GBP if at all possible, but my cap is around 600 - 700 GBP
I wanted a laptop instead of a desktop mainly because the PC I currently own is a home computer for me and my family and it's just not powerful enough to run games that require lots of graphical power, I want my games to look decent and run smoothly. I don't want another PC because I don't have room for a second one and as I said before, my family also use my current one, and I don't think they'd appreciate me getting rid of it...
I've been looking at this laptop - http://www.simplyacer.com/Acer_Aspire_5755G_1201803.html
Is that powerful enough for what I want? I don't want a high end machine, just one that can run most games on medium and sometimes high graphics.
Any help would be appreciated!   
[EDIT] I also forgot to add, I'd like a built in mic in the laptop if at all possible =/

[TheProphet]

That's almost identical to the specs of my laptop, except that has a different graphics card. (Mine's a 540M). Games run smoothly, but I've usually put everything to low. (A habit from my previous laptop, where I had to do that to ensure a smooth experience). I'm not sure whether I could put things to a higher graphics level, but I favour performance over graphics so it doesn't bother me.
As for Planetside 2, I've got everything on low and it runs smoothly for the most part. There is framedrop in most of the larger fights, but that's to be expected.

[pisskop]

Id got for processing power over graphic capabilities, I do so now anyhow.  Most of the games I play are either so old they are abandonware or rougelikes.  My hardcore gaming days are over, have been since Halo2.  Last game I competitively played was Left-4-Dead.  Consider this my ptw.

[Facekillz058]

How much is 500 Euros compared to U.S Dollars?
If you have the equivilant of $1000, a Lenovo Thinkpad runs most games quite well.

[pisskop]

I think $700 USD is a genereous comparison...

[Tellemurius]

the 540m is pretty much weak for hardcore gaming and the ones you picked will chew that out.

with what you need im going to throw this on http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/sony-vaio-sve1512w1esi-cek-15-5-laptop-silver-17056567-pdt.html
of all things its a VAIO but the graphics are suitable for mid level or you can get this
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/sony-vaio-sve1512w1esi-cek-15-5-laptop-silver-17056567-pdt.html
50 pounds more but its higher quality and stronger graphics.

[JackOSpades]

Buy the best gaming laptop then tape £500 on top of it. 

sorry couldn't help myself.

[Sleix]

Thanks for all the help guys, I appreciate it   
Good news, I might actually be able to save up for an alienware, not definite yet, but it's an option 
Do alienwares do what they're hyped up so much to do? Or is it just a regular gaming laptop with some fancy lights slapped on it.

[Tellemurius]

Thanks for all the help guys, I appreciate it   
Good news, I might actually be able to save up for an alienware, not definite yet, but it's an option 
Do alienwares do what they're hyped up so much to do? Or is it just a regular gaming laptop with some fancy lights slapped on it.

DO NOT BUY ALIENWARE
overpriced to hell for crappy hardware

[Facekillz058]

Thanks for all the help guys, I appreciate it   
Good news, I might actually be able to save up for an alienware, not definite yet, but it's an option 
Do alienwares do what they're hyped up so much to do? Or is it just a regular gaming laptop with some fancy lights slapped on it.

DO NOT BUY ALIENWARE
overpriced to hell for crappy hardware

This. You are not buying a gaming computer.
You are buying a 'gaming' name!

[Zyxl]

Instead of buying a laptop, which is almost always terrible price/performance compared to a desktop and especially if you won't be taking advantage of it being mobile that much, I'd recommend just telling us what you can about the hardware you have and we could recommend a few upgrade parts for probably 150-300$. Most importantly: What PCI-e slots are on your motherboard and how powerful is your power supply? Tell us the processor model as well.

If you must get a laptop, I would recommend an AMD fusion setup. They're usually cheaper than the 'equivalent' Intel+Dedicated setup. You have a choice of Llano (Stars aka Phenom II architecture shrunk to 32 nm) and Trinity (New 32 nm architecture) and both are designated the "A-series". I can tell you the dedicated graphics is no slouch, and when the crossfire works with the dedicated, it works well. Don't get anything weaker than the 77xxM for the dedicated.

Check the relative strength and benchmarks of dedicated laptop cards at notebookcheck.net
notanedit: oh right, and if you're going to save up 1000+ USD then look at OEM laptops like Sager.

[Sleix]

Instead of buying a laptop, which is almost always terrible price/performance compared to a desktop and especially if you won't be taking advantage of it being mobile that much, I'd recommend just telling us what you can about the hardware you have and we could recommend a few upgrade parts for probably 150-300$. Most importantly: What PCI-e slots are on your motherboard and how powerful is your power supply? Tell us the processor model as well.

If you must get a laptop, I would recommend an AMD fusion setup. They're usually cheaper than the 'equivalent' Intel+Dedicated setup. You have a choice of Llano (Stars aka Phenom II architecture shrunk to 32 nm) and Trinity (New 32 nm architecture) and both are designated the "A-series". I can tell you the dedicated graphics is no slouch, and when the crossfire works with the dedicated, it works well. Don't get anything weaker than the 77xxM for the dedicated.

Check the relative strength and benchmarks of dedicated laptop cards at notebookcheck.net
notanedit: oh right, and if you're going to save up 1000+ USD then look at OEM laptops like Sager.

The current Desktop I own is a pre-built piece of crap, the graphics card slot is too small to hold most graphics cards and I don't have enough power supply to power a graphics card better than the one I already own. there's not really much I can upgrade, I'd have to build a whole new PC...
I'll tell you what I can about the one I own though.

Manufacturer: HP pavilion slimline
Processor: Pentium (R) dual core CPU  E5300  2.60GHz
RAM: 4 gigs of RAM
Graphics Card: NVIDIA Geforce 210

If there's anything else you'd like to know just ask me.

[Zyxl]

Google says if you have a Geforce 210 card in there, it's a PCI-e 2.0 x16 slot which will take up to the ATI 6xxx (good luck finding one) or Geforce 5xx (a 560 is pretty good). Good luck fitting a bigger card in a slimline case, and yeah you would need a better PSU. The real crux of that computer though is the E5300 processor. Not much you can do with a 775 socket unless you can find an old Q6600 or something on Ebay, and that is assuming the firmware isn't locked to only accept crappier CPUs (it probably is, but you'd have to find the documentation for your mobo).

OK I take it back, there isn't much you can do with your old setup. However, a new desktop will almost always be a better deal than a new laptop, especially if you build it yourself.

===

Anyway, some other OEM manufacturers to look at: ASUS, Clevo, Compal... there's more I can't remember, but if you buy Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo, Sony, Apple, etc you are just buying through a middle-man. Some of the OEM's you can order from will even offer the same upgrade options/services as the re-brander.

Another good money-saver for laptops is to buy refurbished. Most returns for expensive electronic gizmos (laptops, tablets, etc) aren't even for actual defects. Refurbished computers are a safer buy than most people think.

Lastly, wait for stupidly outrageous sales, IE Cyber-monday etc. Lots of websites to track sales, coupons, etc for laptops specifically IE dealnews.

Also: Whoops, not the 77xx, I mean the 67xx. I'm not sure if any of the fusion setups use the 7xxx series yet. Though I have no doubt you could find a nice IvyBridge+Nvidia for cheaper than an AMD fusion setup with a sale.

[Tellemurius]

they do for the 7650 and the 7750