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Hello, I'm going to be studying abroad in Japan starting September for about a year, and I'm faced with a tough decision: buy a gaming laptop, or build a small formfactor PC? My budget would be around $1,000-$1,500 (preferably $1,000) either way. The games I would be playing are SC2, D3, GW2, and BF3 (assuming these get released before I come back).
I've pretty familiar with computers, I've built one 5 years ago, but it's way too big to bring with me and I'll probably sell it for building this computer.
If I went the SFF route, I would use the Silverstone SG07B. It's one of the smallest cases I could find that could still fit a decent sized gfx card, and going onto a plane, size is important. Going with this case would mean I'd use a mini-ITX mobo, and as far as I know, there arent any out there that let you overclock, so I probably wont need an i5-2500K. Some things I wouldn't need would be an OS, keyboard, mouse, sound system, etc, just building the computer. I'm having a hard time deciding on whether to take a monitor with me, or buy one over there, and either sell it before I get back, or ship it back to my house (depending on which I do, I would have to factor this into the cost). My plan for a SFF would be:
-Case: Silverstone SG07B
-CPU: I5-2500k (or whatever the non OC version is to save a few bucks)
-RAM: 8 gigs
-Mobo: havent really decided, but there isn't a lot of choice here anyway
-GFX: ATI HD 6950 (not set in stone, could be something else)
If I went the laptop route, well I'm not too familiar with gaming laptops. For the same performance, I would probably have to pay more, which would be over budget which means to stay in budget, I would be getting something underpowered. However, with a laptop I would have more portability, such as being able to bring this on possible field trips or taking it to class or what have you.
Another problem is what happens when I get back. I was planning to upgrade my regular tower, but with this trip, I have to alter what I was going to build. If I bought a laptop, I would be justified in building another system (Fullsize computer with Ivybridge), but if I went with a formfactor computer, it would seem rather wasteful to build another computer that would probably be only marginally better. Even if I did build a fullsize system, I would still be stuck with 2 desktop computers for all intents and purposes. If I went the formfactor route I wouldn't have a laptop to bring to class once I got back since I recently sold my netbook. Another option, if I chose to go the SFF route would be to leave room for upgradability, such as getting an i5-2500k, considering SLI, etc., but I'd have to get a new mobo and case of course.
Which way would you recommend I go?
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It depends what is more important to you, Portability or Performance. A laptop at the same price will def have subpar performance with the games you mentioned esp BF3.
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I would go with the 1.5k laptop :p and possibly consider getting a monitor while im there.
21' widescreens are pretty cheap or whatever u get wont cost too much to freight back to the states once your done
So you wont run games on Ultra settings for 1 year but still run games good and you end up with a decent laptop for other acitivities for few years
when you are back go ahead with the "super build"..
gl =]
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Depends on a few things. How much you want to game while over there, how much portability matters and how much you are willing to spend. Going with the i5-2550k + 6950 will mean you need to get a new case, PSU and motherboard when you get back. This will set you back another $150-$250 depending on what you want. However you can get a fair chunk of that back by selling the SG07B and the M-ITX motherboard on ebay/craigslist/whatever. The overall cost will be something around $1000 including windows. (I would advise using XP or a less legit version of windows on the M-ITX build as OEM versions are tied to the motherboard you are using. Use the proper license when you switch out for the full build)
If you buy a laptop for the same price it will be a lot more portable but a lot worse at game. A LOT worse.
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id go with the build simply for the excuse to make it myself.
also i bought a gaming laptop once, never again
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The monitor is the rub. For intermittent traveling (as in moving every couple months or so) SFF is awesome but the monitor can be a pain in the ass. Tough to pack, tough to fit, etc. If you can buy a monitor where you're going and sell it when you leave, it will work out better.
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Getting a laptop would be so much more useful in my opinion.
Having a laptop is just good in general for all sorts of needs.
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^^^^zotac makes good tiny mobos, I have one for my HTPC and it works great. they were also a sponsor of a sc tourney if i remember correctly.
I personnaly would go laptop though... you wouldnt be able to play on super high settings but you could still get decent settings enough to play atleast and its not a huge pain to travel with. also has multiple uses
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my question would be, would the performance a laptop offers, while less than that of a SFF, give adequate performance? If I can play at low settings with decent framerates, that would be good enough for me. That zotac mobo does look good, if I went SFF I would definitely get that, not in any rush to make a decision though, and with computex and the announcement of new optimus gfx, new laptops will be coming out, so it would be tough to choose one now. I'm kinda leaning towards a laptop simply because of the portability and because I still want to build a system when I get back home, really just concerned with the money I need to pay and how much performance I'll get from it.
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If you can afford to shell out a little more $, both. You can then go ahead and buy the cheapest and lightest laptop/netbook you can find and use it for your mobile computing needs.
Gaming laptops are HEAVY. You will regret carrying one to lectures.
Go ahead with a gaming laptop if only you want a desktop replacement and would only be carrying it around on a infrequent basis/go to lan parties.
I also find a backpack-style carrying bag to be a lot more comfortable than a handheld/shoulder strap.
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I'm not sure how bad traveling by plane with a stationary computer is. If it's not too bad, I would go with the stationary gaming computer and a really cheap laptop for studying. Perhaps you don't need one, but I wouldn't manage without a laptop while studying.
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seems like either way I go, laptop or SFF, I wont be bringing either to class due to gaming laptops weighing a ton. I guess getting a SFF and a smaller lighter laptop for classes would be a good compromise, but then theres the issue of the monitor. Should I take one with me, or buy one there? Also, does anyone have any experience with taking a computer (not laptop) on planes?
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I'd go for the SFF and netbook for class.
I guess you have to evaluate how much you will actually use the laptop when you get back. If you don't see yourself using it on a regular basis, than the SFF will be a better buy in terms of performance for the dollar.
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Sounds like thats what I should do, can anyone recommend a good netbook/lightweight laptop that can still play sc2 (even at lowest settings). Also, what should I do about a monitor, would you recommend I take one with me?
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I'd say go with a laptop.
It's a lot more easy and SFF computers are usually kinda shitty anyway. You don't want to be running games with such a tight case, potential overheating problems etc.
You can always just buy a mouse and keyboard when ur over there, and even a screen, and plug them into your laptop at home. Then when you wanna take it sumwhere, you just unplug everything.
Seems way more awesomesauce to me 
also, you can get laptops that can run those games that aren't big, bulky "Gaming" laptops. There's plenty of 15-inchers with decent gfx cards in them.
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The airflow on the case I'm going to get is quite good, and for the same price, the SFF would be better than a laptop. Also, in order to get the performance I need to play the higher end games I'm interested in such as GW2 and BF3, I would probably need one of those bulky gaming laptops
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i am also going to japan for the study abroad purpose and i have a laptop whom i want to take with me because its necessary for me and also useful and thanks you share this post with us
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I built a mitx pc and it's a beast. If I wanted I could easily fit it in my hand luggage(cooler master 130 elite). With the rest of the money get a screen a tablet for school. When you get back upgrade the gpu and you're set. Laptops get too hot when gaming and performance for money is no where near that of a pc. I've had two gaming laptops I don't want to ever own one again.
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EPT
