Since the OP got his/her computer, maybe I can hijack and ask about the computer I'm looking to buy? Please?

It's an MSI GE60K:

Intel i5-3223M (2.6 GHz)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M (2 GB DDR5)
4 GB RAM
750 GB HDD (7200 rpm)
Anti-glare 15.6" screen
Windows 7 Ultimate OS

Price is about £660, but I'd get the tourist VAT refund. Am I stupid to buy that?

I'm jealous you were able to find laptops running Windows 7, that seems almost impossible here now :( Trying to use Windows 8....ugh. Its doable, but it doesn't make any sense! :(

I see he is posting from Thailand. As I recently bought a laptop in Thailand too, the way it goes in there is that the OS choices they give you with your computer at the moment are:

- "DOS" (apparently meaning some Linux installation; no extra charge)

- Windows 7 (pirated version, cheap extra charge)

- Windows 8 (genuine; costs much more than the other options (I think OEM license was like 3000 THB = little under 100 USD), but this is a cheaper cut-down "single language version" for developing markets like Thailand where piracy is rampant, so when you select the OS system language during the first run of Win8, you can't change the language afterwards, like you normally can with "normal" Windows versions. Luckily I picked English from the list at the beginning, as I first didn't realize there was such a language restriction.)

I opted for the genuine Windows 8, but then I got a pretty good deal (around 18000 THB IIRC) on a HP Ultrabook that was their last one and they wanted to get rid of, and it happened to have Windows 8 already by default. It has Intel i5 and NVidia Geforce GT 630M, and I am surprised how well it runs games. Even The Witcher 2 seems to be fully playable on it, as long as you play with medium graphical settings in 1280x720 resolution and such. It doesn't have an internal DVD-RW drive though, but that just helps to make it smaller and lighter, and I don't really feel it needs one either. I'll buy an external USB DVD-RW if I ever feel it needs one.

Here's a great page, when looking at GPUs on laptops. You can chose the game you want to look at, the GPU you're considering, and even compare multiple ones that you have the option to buy.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Computer-Games-on-Laptop-Graphic-Cards.13849.0.html

Simply check the boxes next to the GPU you have options for, highlight the games you want to see specs on, then click "restrict". They have both The Witcher 2, and Skyrim as games on there.

Beyond that, I can say that I"ve been really satisfied with the Lenovo computers I purchased. I recently got a 410p (which is more than you want to spend by $200), and it works phenomenally. It's 14"so it's very portable, has 1600x900 resolution, 750m graphics card, 1tb HDD, 8gb ram, brand new i7 haswell processor, backlit keyboard, etc as well as a really neat feature... the Ultrabay- an easily removable drive bay that you can swap out the disk drive and add a second video card, extra HDD drive, etc (you have to buy those bay inserts separately, though). It was worth the $780 I paid- great "budget gaming laptop" with all the little things I wanted. I also got a G-series Lenovo for my 9 year old and he's able to play lots of games with the HD4000 graphics built into the Intel chip (obviously, he isn't playing skyrim or witcher... mostly minecraft, Garry's mod, etc).

From my experiences at work (I do IT/tech support), the i5 series would be great for you, along with a dedicated card that meets the quality you want (check that site!!!). Since the new Haswell processors came out (4th gen), you can spend less by getting a 3rd gen. Maybe you'll find a laptop in the price-range, or decide to save up more fpr a better dedicated card.

Those are just my personal thoughts- take 'em or leave 'em :)

Windows 7 is indeed hard to find and I've looked all over for a genuine copy, which is partly how I ended up deciding to buy this particular computer. The OS is genuine in this case, which puts huge value on the purchase for me.

Also, I'm not a 'he'... =P

is it a hassle to format and go back to widows 7, if the computer has windows 8 installed

Depends how PC savvy you are, and the manufacturer. I have heard some people have had the BIOS brick their computer when trying to load Windows 7. I have a hard time believing that could happen unless you are flashing the BIOS. You will probably have to go into the BIOS and turn of the secure boot option to load Windows 7. It's usually easier for most people to just run Start8 or one of the similar hacks to get a Windows 8 to behave more like Windows 7.


As long as you like it, that's all that matters. However, with your next purchase I would suggest a Solid State Drive (SSD). They are getting cheaper in price, are still quite pricey, but are well worth the expense.

I've drunk the Apple koolaid, but it cost twice your projected budget. And I don't think my Intel HD 4000 card can handle Skyrim.

Skyrim is playable with a Intel HD 4000. My laptop has this and Skyrim runs at around 30 fps.

thanks for this. I'm looking into buying a gaming laptop as well and you've pointed me n the right direction. how well does it handle The Witcher 2

On a similar system but with a slower NVidia Geforce 630M, if you are ready to play it in medium details, and maybe a bit lower resolution (like 1280x720), and don't expect 60 fps, it is playable. I was delighted, as I was expecting TW2 to run like ass on it or even fail to run, even on low settings.

So as 740M is faster than 630M, it should run quite well, as long as you are not expecting to run it in very high resolutions and ultra settings.

In a nutshell - if you have to ask the question, then yes it is... ;)

I have the Witcher 2 here on GOG.com. My laptop should be here tomorrow. I plan on spending some time testing out games.

I'll let you know.

I think an old lapto based on a GTX 460 with at least 8 gb of ram should be more than enough. If you can still find any, it should be under 600

appreciated man, I'll look into it. not looking for crazy performance.
its just that I've gotten t the point where my laptop is useless when it comes to gaming. im getting lag playing half life.
thanks, makes my wallet happy.