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[BigD145]

The most important factor is the GPU, followed by the CPU, followed by knowing that all "gaming" laptops are overpriced trash. You want a latest-generation i3 (6098-6320) or i5 (6400-6600) with a Nvidia 10 series (1050, 1060, 1070, 1080) GPU. Even if you must use a laptop (a desktop will cost %20-%40 less in a similar hardware configuration, and you generally get a better keyboard, mouse, and display), do not get one labeled as a "gaming" model - that is industry code for "designed to separate ignorant people from their money".

Take this advice to heart; I learned the hard way that "gaming" laptops are horrible. $1200 for a laptop that caught fire twice, and nearly exploded from its battery. The motherboard died within the first year. Replacing the melted chargers cost $100 each, along with the ready-to-blow battery.

That's a company issue and not so much a "gaming laptop" issue. Their design team sucks. I'm guessing Alienware/Dell or some knockoff brand that's mostly unheard of.

[heydude6]

I've got an i5 processor and an nvidia graphics card. The laptop cost £600, and runs everything perfectly fine.

What's your definition of "perfectly fine", and what's your definition of "everything"

[TD1]

Minecraft, GTA, Witcher III, Civ VI - all work at high, if not highest, quality.

And I guess everything is that it plays every game I've asked it to without a hitch, together with movies/word processing and whatever other random stuff I want to do on it.

[heydude6]

Would you happen to know what specific graphics card you had, cause that's probably what's making the difference. I just can't understand how you can run those games on a 600$ computer.

[BigD145]

Would you happen to know what specific graphics card you had, cause that's probably what's making the difference. I just can't understand how you can run those games on a 600$ computer.

600 pound was more like $900 although now it's closer to 750.

[TD1]

NVIDIA GeForce 840M.

I'm not a particularly tech savvy person, but googling it shows it's medium quality. If medium quality gets such good results, I'd like to see high end...

((Also, my previous laptop of five years played Minecraft. It had no graphics card. Laggy as all get out here and there, and same with Civ V, but they did play workably. My more tech savvy friends said that was a miracle.))

[Lord Shonus]

Laptops usually have lower resolution screens, although 1920x1080 (Full HD, or 1K) is becoming more common. This makes the graphics card work much easier. High end GPUs are mostly needed to get high FPS on 2K and 4K resolutions.

[kilakan]

Also, it is a very serious case of what you think playable is.  I'm a bit of a tech-snob now after building my own high end tower and couldn't imagine playing games at the 10-15 fps I used to play them at.  But 900$ should realistically get you a decent computer provided it's from a reliable source, and as Lord Shonus mentions, having a lower resolution will make a massive difference.

[BigD145]

$900 will get you a 960M right now.

[Parsely]

Also, it is a very serious case of what you think playable is.  I'm a bit of a tech-snob now after building my own high end tower and couldn't imagine playing games at the 10-15 fps I used to play them at.  But 900$ should realistically get you a decent computer provided it's from a reliable source, and as Lord Shonus mentions, having a lower resolution will make a massive difference.

I actually find some of the old RTS I used to play almost unplayable at a higher FPS. A lot of them (like CnC Generals) don't have game speed settings. It's a completely different feel from what I remember of the games and I can't get used to it.

[Gamerlord]

Um, found one that looks right to me, the second one down up to scratch?
http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/products/quickship/au/en/studio_notebook?c=au&l=en&s=dfo

[wierd]

Also, it is a very serious case of what you think playable is.  I'm a bit of a tech-snob now after building my own high end tower and couldn't imagine playing games at the 10-15 fps I used to play them at.  But 900$ should realistically get you a decent computer provided it's from a reliable source, and as Lord Shonus mentions, having a lower resolution will make a massive difference.

I actually find some of the old RTS I used to play almost unplayable at a higher FPS. A lot of them (like CnC Generals) don't have game speed settings. It's a completely different feel from what I remember of the games and I can't get used to it.

Dosbox lets you control the virtual CPU speed with a keyboard combo. CTRL+F11/F12, IIRC.  Just adjust it until it feels right. Most of those westwood RTSs were dos based. Only the newer ones were windows based.

[Lord Shonus]

Um, found one that looks right to me, the second one down up to scratch?
http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/products/quickship/au/en/studio_notebook?c=au&l=en&s=dfo

The laptop in question will give you good performance. It is also ludicrously overpriced, even ignoring the fact that only an idiot buys an i7 (which has marginally higher clock speed and useless-for gaming "fake" CPU cores) for gaming. If you have a compelling need to waste money, consider giving it to somebody instead.

This will give you nigh-identical gaming performance for a little over half the cost. This one, essentially identical but without the "gaming" label, is even cheaper.

[Thief^]

Laptops usually have lower resolution screens, although 1920x1080 (Full HD, or 1K) is becoming more common. This makes the graphics card work much easier. High end GPUs are mostly needed to get high FPS on 2K and 4K resolutions.

You've made a little mistake here. 1080p is 2k, not 1k. "k" measurements are horizontal. When you say 2k I think you're thinking of "quad HD", aka 2560x1440, which doesn't actually have a "k" rating - it sometimes gets called 3k but 2.5k would be more accurate.

As for gaming laptops, it's a pity there aren't really any AMD ones about at the moment (they tend to be cheaper than Intel + nVidia ones) because everyone is offloading stock ready for AMD's new chips next year.

[Gamerlord]

If that one is overpriced, how about these two?
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-view-details.html?adId=1132495391
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-view-details.html?adId=1132208846