TOP 5 uncompromising gaming laptops with a 17-inch display

Asus usually "finishes" its gaming laptops by releasing different models with different video adapters. In terms of equipment, the new ROG Strix has become one of the rare gaming models based on AMD hardware. The heart of the laptop is the top-end eight-core Ryzen 7 with 16 MB of L3 cache and a maximum frequency of 3.7 GHz. In terms of performance in games, it shows figures approximately at the level of the top six-core latest generation from Intel.

ROG Strix uses an interesting Radeon RX 580 video adapter as the head of games, which shows similar results with the GTX 1060 when using DirectX 11, but pulls ahead when switching to DirectX 12. At the same time, it has a bottleneck in the form of 4 GB of video memory (GTX 1060 6 GB), which may backfire in a couple of years. For gaming blockbusters of 2019 like Mortal Kombat 11, 4 GB is no longer a luxury, but a necessary minimum. But the memory package is quite standard - 16 GB DDR4 and a bunch of HDD and SSD for 1256.

Apparently, thanks to the use of hardware from AMD, the price of the laptop managed to be kept at a level slightly above $1000. Given the gaming capabilities of the laptop, this is a very attractive price. For comparison, assemblies with the same powerful hardware cost around $ 1500 - 2000.

I am also glad that the savings did not affect the build quality of the case and materials. The upper part of the cover is formed by a thin sheet of black aluminium, on which the emblem of the ROG gaming series flaunts with decorative stripes that are highlighted during operation. In general, the appearance of a laptop is difficult to assess from a position of good or bad. This is a typical gaming laptop with an aggressive design, a thick body, a backlit keyboard and an abundance of decorative inserts.

Perhaps the most important thing to prepare for when buying a ROG Strix GL702ZC is a decent level of noise when the system boots. In the browsing mode, it is almost inaudible, but when you start demanding games, it makes a lot of noise. On the other hand, the cooling system works really efficiently, with the same success preventing the body and internals from heating up. If it's not enough, then in the ROG Gaming Center you can raise the fan speed to a maximum of 5300 rpm. Then the case will practically not heat up, but it will be better to play in the company of full-fledged acoustics or headphones.

The G3 line of gaming laptops is positioned by Dell as a more affordable alternative to the Alienware line. Unlike 100% gaming models, the G3 has a discreet design, which mainly stands out due to the backlit keyboard with a dedicated WASD block and textured plastic inner cover. In general, in terms of visual sensations, it is much closer to a Dell business laptop than to the usual gaming machines.

But once you look under the hood, the real power opens up: the latest generation 6-core (12 threads) Core i7 works in conjunction with 16 GB of RAM and a 2256 GB HDD + SSD disk array. This model will definitely not have problems with a reserve of RAM or storage of a large collection of games.

For gaming performance, a special laptop version of the GTX 1060 video adapter is responsible, which is characterized by a reduced size, high energy efficiency and performance almost at the level of a standard GTX 1060. With 6 GB of memory, it will easily handle any even the most demanding game of 2019 on maximum graphics settings.

True, if it is properly loaded with demanding toys like Far Cry 5 or Project CARS 2, the cooling system is bad - it makes a lot of noise, and the case heats up 55 - 57 degrees. This does not interfere with playing (especially since there is no throttling), but for a gaming laptop it would be possible to make a better cooling system. But we have what we have, so it’s better to immediately buy a cooling pad in a pair with a laptop. Another reason for embarrassment is the soiled plastic cover, which instantly collects prints.

Otherwise, this is a very interesting model with a bright and contrasting 17-inch display, a modern set of ports (there are USB-C and Thunderbolt), a comfortable gaming keyboard and a standard battery that can withstand up to 6 hours of surfing the net or watching videos.

Gaming laptops have changed a lot in recent years. They have become more productive, compact and light, have acquired G-Sync support, RGB backlighting and powerful cooling systems. One of these representatives of the "new school" is the Predator Helios 300.

Assembled from metal and plastic, the laptop leaves the impression of an expensive, stylish and conscientious thing. The gaming breed of the model can be traced in every detail, from the standard backlighting of the keyboard and the catchy radiator grille to the oblique cuts of the monitor and the aggressive lid with the Predator logo. Perhaps if there was a robot in the Transformers movie series that turns into a laptop, then it would look like that.

The filling of the Predator Helios 300 matches the appearance and includes a six-core Intel Core i7 8750H processor (frequency 4.1 GHz) with multi-threading support, a high-performance NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 video chip with 6 GB of video memory, 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD drive. Given the ever-growing volumes of game packs, a standard bundle of SSD for the system and HDD for storing games would be somewhat more convenient. However, the possible problem of lack of space is easily solved by installing another SSD in the M.2 connector. All in all, this is one of the most powerful laptop hardware combinations on the market and it will be extremely difficult to make it slow down.

The excellent 17-inch IPS display with “warm” factory color calibration completes the picture. It is also worth praising the comfortable full-size keyboard with a soft key travel, soft red backlighting and highlighting the WASD block. The only thing is that in the process of operation at first you will have to get used to the heap arrangement of the keys. In the heat of battle, instead of the desired arrow, you can accidentally poke a NUM block, and instead of Backspace, press Home.

A slight inconvenience can be caused by the fact that out of the box the laptop comes without an operating system. Rather, it has Linux installed on it, but this platform is convenient for work, but not for games. And when buying a laptop for almost $ 2000, the last thing you want to do is reinstall the OS.

The HP OMEN X 17-ap000 was specifically designed for the most demanding gamers, enthusiasts and esports players. This is evidenced by its flashy appearance, and its 100% gaming hardware. The case with sharp aggressive lines is made of aluminium and fairly durable plastic. The most striking feature, giving it a futuristic look, is the screen cover with a geometrically correct pattern and heat sinks in the form of a pair of sports car turbines. Adds originality and an unusual hinge system that connects the screen and the case.

The laptop relies on a seventh-generation eight-thread Core i7 chip (max frequency 3.9 GHz), which is complemented by 16 GB of RAM and a bunch of fast NVMe SSD and HDD for a total of 1256 GB. The top video accelerator NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 with 8 GB of GDDR5 video memory completes the picture. It is worth noting that this is not quite the usual balance for a gaming model, most competitors in this price segment have more powerful processors, and the video chip is usually limited to the energy-hungry version of the GTX 1060 with 6 GB. Theoretically, the OMEN layout looks more interesting, as gaming requirements for video cards are growing much faster than those for CPUs.

The Omen's 17-inch IPS display has a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and a near-perfect frame rate of 120Hz. In general, the display leaves a pleasant impression, and the main complaint about it is the bias towards blue tints, which makes the picture seem too cold. However, this can be corrected in the screen calibration settings.

The gaming breed is evident in everything else. First, the Omen boasts a pair of excellent Bang & Olufsen speakers that sound loud, clear, and rich, and also support sound pumping with HP Audio Boost. Secondly, the laptop is equipped with an interesting set of Omen Command Center gaming software, which allows you to customize the RGB backlighting of the keyboard and create macros for keyboard shortcuts in the games you need. Moreover, for each game, you can make your own key templates and backlight, which will automatically turn on when you start the game. Also worth noting is the presence of fast charging, USB-C and Thunderbolt support.

What about disadvantages? It is only one, but quite significant: this gaming monster clad in aluminium weighs 4.5 kg. This is a lot even by the standards of overall 17-inch laptops. Therefore, mobility here is rather conditional, it will be convenient to carry it only in a backpack. And the case thickness of 36 mm does not do him credit.

Under reviews of gaming laptops, you can almost always read something along the lines of “the desktop is still better and more powerful.” And while in most cases these claims are justified, this certainly does not apply to the MSI GE63 Raider, the most powerful gaming laptop in the MSI lineup and generally one of the most sophisticated on the market.

First, the universal coolness of the GE63 Raider lies in the maximum equipment. Here you have an extremely comfortable SteelSeries keyboard, MSI Mystic Light Sync backlight synchronization system, excellent built-in acoustics from Dynaudio, and even a built-in sound card with a high-quality DAC. Add here the proprietary Killer Shield ping smoothing system, which will help you play online with an unstable network connection.

It is also worth noting a set of proprietary software for overclocking laptop hardware, setting keyboard backlighting and creating macros in specific games. For a complete set, only Thunderbolt support (but there is USB-C) and fast charging are not enough.

The GE63 Raider hardware matches everything else: a six-core Core i7 8750H with a maximum frequency of 4.1 GHz, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, a bunch of high-speed HDDs and SSDs with a total capacity of 1128 GB, and one of the most powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 mobile video cards with 8 GB of video memory. This is the real maximum for a laptop and there is nothing else to say here.

There are two downsides to all this wealth. The first is the price of more than 2 thousand dollars, which is high even by the standards of gaming laptops. The second disadvantage is the lack of pre-installed Windows for this particular modification. If desired, one could note a TN + film type screen, which is usually installed in inexpensive laptops, but in this particular case, the screen shows itself great. If you do not look into the passport characteristics, then it is difficult to distinguish it from the standard IPS even in viewing angles.