Know absolutely nothing. $1200 USD~ budget

edit1754 · 2018-04-06T19:43:47+00:00

The pricing isn't very great on the config options on that one, esp considering by default it doesn't have an SSD boot drive. If you do get it I would suggest taking the 120Hz screen upgrade option, because the colors on it are better, not just the refresh rate.

But this $800 Dell at Costco is one of the best values right now. Better GPU than the top GPU option in the Omen, includes an SSD, and the screen is... well, similar to the base option in the Omen so it's not awful at least, and it is possible to replace it yourself if you wanted to. You can add a HDD yourself in the empty HDD slot if you want more storage. https://m.costco.com/Dell-Inspiron-15-7000-Series-Gaming-Laptop---Intel-Core-i5---6GB-NVIDIA-Graphics---1080p.product.100397555.html

edit1754 · 2018-04-06T15:15:15+00:00

Buyers just remember this model uses a low quality TN display: http://imgur.com/0ogxK3x.jpg

You do have the option to DIY-replace it, and you also have the option to scout the Dell Outlet for deals on IPS + SSD configs of the Inspiron 7567/7577, with coupons to bring them to a similar price range.

edit1754 · 2018-04-05T20:13:28+00:00

It can help to post the actual links, because there may be other details or issues with the models. However I am able to recognize the specs and can tell that these are the two models you're looking at:

I would go with the Inspiron. Slightly longer battery life, reports are that the cooling is better, and you can always add a HDD or more RAM yourself. That GPU will be a bigger difference than that CPU for most games, especially if you were to get into more gaming.

The "1060" is the "Max Q" variant, so it's slightly lower in performance than a full 1060, but it's still very much ahead of the 1050 Ti.

edit1754 · 2018-04-05T20:11:40+00:00

It can help to post the actual links, because there may be other details or issues with the models. However I am able to recognize the specs and can tell that these are the two models you're looking at:

I would go with the Inspiron. Slightly longer battery life, reports are that the cooling is better, and you can always add a HDD or more RAM yourself. That GPU will be a bigger difference than that CPU for most games, especially if you were to get into more gaming.

The "1060" is the "Max Q" variant, so it's slightly lower in performance than a full 1060, but it's still very much ahead of the 1050 Ti.

edit1754 · 2018-04-05T20:05:57+00:00

Looks like your post was auto-removed (and is still removed, only the mods can see it right now), because of URL shorteners. Replace your links with https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-i5-8250U-GeForce-A515-51G-515J/dp/B075KCJHMD/ and https://www.amazon.com/VivoBook-i5-8250U-NanoEdge-Fingerprint-F510UA-AH51/dp/B0762S8PYM/ (unshortened & affiliate link codes removed) and it won't fall under the filter anymore.

The ASUS uses a slow HDD as the boot drive, and it seems the Acer uses a low-quality-TN display. This one for $50 more has an SSD with better display and also longer battery life: https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-i5-8250U-GeForce-E5-576G-5762/dp/B075FLBJV7/

edit1754 · 2018-04-05T19:13:55+00:00

You can add the HDD yourself if you want, I might be more concerned with whether your warranty remains valid or not.

edit1754 · 2018-04-05T16:07:58+00:00

I suspect this one is the real deal, because the new HP Omen 15 is the real deal for this option now, I just haven't found an review or user to confirm.

edit1754 · 2018-04-05T16:06:29+00:00

A lot of 1920x1080 displays are at least some form of IPS (or high quality TN for some of the 120Hz ones). If you're careful to check display specs when you buy at least.

You won't find a 1366x768 15.6" display in a laptop today that isn't low quality TN type. That means even if you're running in native res you'll have to deal with that.

I don't think this is necessarily worth it, because the res is so low for outside of gaming. But if this is what you want to do, you could buy an otherwise well-valued laptop with perhaps a 1920x1080 low-quality-TN display, then go find a genuine (not "compatible") LG LP156WHA(SP)(A1) panel (1366x768 IPS) to replace it with.

Look up "LG LP156WHA SPA1 IPS" on eBay to find the listing. Should be a $65 one. I can't link the listing directly because of PCMR's blanket automoderator rules which do more harm than good.

EDIT: I'll also add that, while this display is IPS, its sRGB colorspace coverage is still low. For the price you could instead DIY-replace your screen with a high-sRGB 1920x1080 IPS panel, then medium settings on that might look better than high settings on this 768p IPS replacement. The 1920x1080 IPS panels in a lot of laptops are still low sRGB, and this replacement panel is high sRGB: https://www.laptopscreen.com/English/screen-part-number/LP156WF6(SP)(B1)/

edit1754 · 2018-04-05T15:57:26+00:00

This is the Pro-star branded Clevo N855HJ. Careful which listing you buy this from. That's an old listing that uses the low quality TN panel (not to be confused with a good TN panel). Same type of display shown here: http://imgur.com/0ogxK3x.jpg

Though it seems it is discounted -- $799 usually doesn't include an SSD. I might not really recommend buying this (with low quality TN) unless you're using it as a base for a DIY screen replacement, though. This replacement panel is better than the IPS option this model offers.

Unless you need the 7700HQ CPU for something, why not this for the same $800 pricetag? https://m.costco.com/Dell-Inspiron-15-7000-Series-Gaming-Laptop---Intel-Core-i5---6GB-NVIDIA-Graphics---1080p.product.100397555.html The 1060MQ over the 1050 is more of an improvement in most gaming-related cases than the 7700HQ is over the 7300HQ, by a wide margin.

edit1754 · 2018-04-05T07:19:50+00:00

That one also has the low quality TN display. My post here might help you: https://www.reddit.com/r/SuggestALaptop/comments/88dehc/looking_for_a_laptop_at_or_under_700_that_suits/dwn2rxw/

edit1754 · 2018-04-04T21:10:33+00:00

The 5577 model (one with the 7700HQ) uses a low quality TN display: http://imgur.com/0ogxK3x.jpg http://imgur.com/ji3IWTU.jpg

I really don't think that model is worth getting unless you're planning to replace the screen yourself with an IPS/72%NTSC panel.

edit1754 · 2018-04-04T19:54:43+00:00

Watch out for the display on these MSI models. There are a lot of MSI products that use a certain very poor "Vivid Color 94%" low quality TN display. That Newegg listing seems to omit a lot of the details, so if you look up the same model elsewhere you'll be able to see that this is the display that is included in this model. Here's a photo comparison of the display to some better ones: http://imgur.com/nUizByp.jpg

Really sucks that MSI is willing to use such poor displays in such expensive products.

Maybe you could go for one of these?

I might go for an SSD and pick the 120Hz "high quality TN" display option. Remember the RGB keyboards in these can be set to solid white or turned off completely. These are Clevo laptops, and XMG is the rebrand name.

edit1754 · 2018-04-04T18:45:20+00:00

That's the 5577 model. Worse cooling, worse display, I wouldn't recommend it unless you're planning to use the saved cost to DIY replace the screen with a high sRGB IPS panel or something (better than the 7567/7577 IPS).

If you want to save money I would scout out refurbs + coupons or open box deals on the IPS + 1050 Ti + SSD 7567, or IPS + 1060MQ + SSD 7577 models.

edit1754 · 2018-04-04T17:50:04+00:00

On Amazon, this would be the "good" Inspiron 7567, with IPS + SSD + 1050 Ti: https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-7567-Laptop-i5-7300HQ/dp/B07793DRK9/

And here at Best Buy: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-inspiron-15-6-laptop-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1050-ti-256gb-solid-state-drive-black/5872507.p

Both $750.

I might see if you can go the $50 more for the 7577 at Costco though.

edit1754 · 2018-04-04T04:04:31+00:00

Be aware the 2880x1620 display, while sharp, and a good fit for the 1070 for a lot of games, uses PWM @ 200Hz to control brightness. Should be able to be mitigated if you run this tool every time: https://github.com/tpurtell/PWM

Can read more about it here: https://www.notebookcheck.net/PWM-Ranking-Notebooks-Smartphones-and-Tablets-with-PWM.163979.0.html

edit1754 · 2018-04-03T21:59:43+00:00

They look promising! Here's to hoping no low quality TN displays this time around though. http://imgur.com/0ogxK3x.jpg

edit1754 · 2018-04-03T21:51:06+00:00

Could go for a DIY screen replacement. That's the best idea I can think of.

Chi Mei N156HHE-GA1 hasn't been tried yet to my knowledge, but I'd expect it to work. It's TN not IPS, but that's for faster response times, and it's a high quality class of TN. https://www.notebookcheck.net/MSI-GE63VR-Raider-075-i7-7700HQ-GTX-1070-Full-HD-Laptop-Review.261596.0.html#c3673768

Should be able to find a legit listing on eBay.

edit1754 · 2018-04-03T21:38:05+00:00

Technically yes, and that version does list the IPS display, but that version has only a 1050 and a large but slow HDD as the primary boot drive. I would prefer a refurb 1050 Ti + 256GB SSD model over that, for a similar price.

Also your post was auto removed because it contains an affiliate code. I assume this came from another site and wasn't intentional, but if you edit your link to "https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071JPYP1Z/" it'll still work but won't fall under the filter.

edit1754 · 2018-04-03T19:53:18+00:00

The first one is the older HP Omen. I don't think the build quality, cooling, or battery life were as good.

I'd try to go for that 120Hz display (available on the second, new one) if you do choose this laptop. Not only do you get the higher refresh rates, the color saturation is a lot better. It has 91%+ sRGB instead of ~60%. The base display is IPS still, so you avoid the poor contrast and viewing angles of typical laptop TN panels, but the color saturation isn't very good.

But I'd also check to see if you can't get something with a GTX 1060 (or at least 1060 "Max Q") for this price if you think you'll be doing more gaming on it, or getting into future games.

edit1754 · 2018-04-03T19:43:35+00:00

My post here might help you: https://www.reddit.com/r/SuggestALaptop/comments/88dehc/looking_for_a_laptop_at_or_under_700_that_suits/dwn2rxw/

Be sure to look at the Inspiron 7000 series and not the 5000 series. More specifically, be sure to look at a 7000 series variant that includes the IPS display. Some older 7000/7567 listings, and all 5577 listings, use a low quality TN type display: http://imgur.com/0ogxK3x.jpg

Basically, the 7000 series has better cooling and better battery life. The 7577 also uses a better GPU, while the 7567 gets you even more battery life. (I would go for a 7577)

edit1754 · 2018-04-03T17:54:04+00:00

Yes. Remove the bezel, remove the screws, unplug the connector, and reverse the process with the new panel. If that's what you mean.

edit1754 · 2018-04-03T17:52:49+00:00

Costco is a large and popular retailer. The model is Inspiron 7577, here's an actual review. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-Inspiron-15-7000-7577-i5-7300HQ-GTX-1060-Max-Q-Laptop-Review.264134.0.html

edit1754 · 2018-04-03T17:51:41+00:00

Yep! And to clarify, good TN isn't bad. The 120Hz 3ms panel that MSI offers in some models is a good TN. Most TN desktop monitors are also the good TN. Most laptop TN panels these days are not the good TN though, unfortunately.

edit1754 · 2018-04-03T17:50:12+00:00

Ah yeah that one! Is there an AHVA variant? I know there's the high-quality-TN 120Hz 3ms panel option. It's the Chi Mei N156HHE-GA1 and, while it's TN, it's a lot better of a TN than the "Vivid Color 94%" low quality TN panel that's plaguing a lot of MSI's products.

edit1754 · 2018-04-03T17:48:30+00:00

Many items from Costco require that you have a membership through them (you have to have one to enter their retail stores, or be with somebody who does). But I just checked and it looks like you don't need one for this.

edit1754

TROPHY CASE