1d ago

Gaming Laptop Recs?

Hi all, my son is 11 and a gamer. He does a lot of Roblox (yeah, I know) but also has gaming interests outside of Roblox. He is getting into more robust games. He also likes to record and make YouTube videos of his gaming.

He had a Razer Blade 15 and it crapped out after a year (RMA says motherboard). I had the extended warranty and they are giving me a cash settlement (check) for what I paid for the computer because Razer apparently said they cannot replace the part as it’s not available anymore.

So, did I just have bad luck with the Blade and should I go for another in the Blade series OR go with a different gaming laptop replacement?

I’m researching on my own, but also looking for recommendations from people that have knowledge in this area.

Thank you!

Edit 1: Yes, it should be a laptop. My child likes to switch environments and space is also an issue. Eventually we will consider a desktop, but I am looking for laptop suggestions.

41 comments

I'll second the framework if you're keen on a new device, but second hand AMD thinkpads are probably flooding the market (they usually are, but 5000 series CPUs are well capable for roblox) and combine it with an eGPU and a monitor for heavier lifting. It'll get them used to the desktop paradigm, alongside a school capable durable, repairable laptop with reasonable weight and battery life, and you'll have a video card to get started on that desktop later. Worth considering...
I highly recommend Lenovo. They make laptops that are sturdy, upgradable, and some even support Linux. Right now I have the Legion Slim 5 and I liked it so much I got one for my daughter.
If I were in the market for a laptop today, the only brand I currently seriously consider worth a hoot is Framework. They may not offer the “top of the line” GPUs but they are supremely repairable and actually upgradable, so they make for a better long-term investment than most.
The razers are really bad this year and I recommend avoiding them completely. Here's an exhaustive list that just came out six days ago: https://youtu.be/KhfqhCxqpQ8
Generally, I recommend a desktop if he isn't moving it around that much. They're upgradable usually, which saves money over rebuying a laptop with new screens, keyboards, power supplies, etc each time.
But if he is moving it around, the Asus TUF laptops, particularly last years models, are pretty decent on the whole. Budget, but solid gaming laptops. Decent specs when I bought mine a few years ago.
My first question when I read this is: does it need to be a laptop?
You will be severely limited in performance, and you will pay at least double the price compared to a desktop pc
- Yeah, for now. I’m aware of the pricing and all of that but he likes to move around a lot (sensory kid). Eventually I’ll update him to a desktop.
I have an HP Omen with Nvidia GPU. Even with Linux it's works great! It has dual RAM slots, 2 nvme slots and the WiFi card is also changeable. The fans are loud, though.
HP Omen or Victus are good options.
But if I were to buy a new laptop, I would buy something that's fully compatible with Linux and FOSS.
Someone suggested Framework, that's good. Or if you are in Europe, check out Tuxedo as well.
One thing I would like to advice with laptop GPUs that same GPU model does not mean same performance. Get TDP numbers and if possible clock speeds. When I was buying the one I have, some rtx 3060 models had only 80 watt of TDP. Mine has 100 watts of TDP. So, my rtx 3060 performs better than most rtx 3060 laptops out there.
- Good to know. Thank you! I’m in the US, just for reference.
If it's a Razer, it was probably pretty expensive. Is a Framework (https://frame.work/) in the budget? If so, he'll have a great work machine capable of gaming, and upgradeable too.
Another option is a lower-spec laptop supplemented with a GeForce Now subscription for demanding games. If you have a decent internet connection, the service actually works really well - far better than earlier services which tried to sell gaming on the cloud. You can try it for a day for $4 (or $8, for the top-tier hardware) to see how you go with it on your home connection.
- It’s expensive, but I also got it on a sale probably because it was an older model.
  I’m not familiar with Framework. What is customer service like and warranty on parts/units?
  
  Framework are standouts in customer service and warranty; I recommend them because their ethos is repairability and re-use. They design their products for maximum interoperability of parts - so for example of you got one of the original laptops, you could upgrade the internals to new framework parts and buy (or build, or 3d-print) an enclosure for the original parts that still work, and turn it into a file server or whatever. You won't run into this situation you have now, where you can't get a part a few years later because the company themselves can't get one. And, it's all open source, so you can build and modify as you like... and equally if not more importantly, so can everyone else. Robust ecosystems are nice to have!
My only advice is avoid Dell.
Laptops in general I feel are a bad idea but yeah.
- Dude, I’m not getting a Dell! 😉
  
  That includes Alienware btw
For what it's worth; your Razer issues were likely not a random thing. Razer has a rough history of bad quality control and even worse customer support. The one thing they're still good at is marketing. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KhfqhCxqpQ8
I've also heard good things about the frameworks laptops, but I've not personally used any of them. At least with a frameworks laptop you can do upgrades later, rather than having to buy a completely new device whenever a part breaks or you have it for longer than three years. Easily available battery replacements alone make that a good deal.
- Well damn. That’s was a great watch.
  My son’s laptop worked for a year. Just a couple of weeks ago, he started to get the screen going black but you could hear the sounds. A restart would fix it. Then one day it didn’t. I thought maybe it was a dust issue causing overheating and the screen to shut off so I opened it up and blew out dust with compressed air, but it honestly wasn’t bad at all. So I pulled it into a different monitor and it would show up on that monitor, but the one on the device didn’t work so I thought maybe it was driver issues. I updated drivers, I updated Windows, then did a restart. Same thing.
  After that, I tried to boot it into safe mode and then it just wouldn’t start up windows at all. Even plugged into a different monitor, I didn’t see the BIOS appear and the light would slowly flash white or green (can’t remember), but it would never get anywhere. Razer support made me prove it over a video call with several tech levels and then they told me I needed to go with my Razer Care.
  Been a week and today they called me to say that they couldn’t replace my part so they settled and were cutting me a check for the price of my laptop. Now here I am and I am probably considering a Lenovo Legion or ASUS ROG now.
  My hope is that this lasts my son long enough that he would rather have a desktop and that will give me the go ahead to just rebuild my old desktop with all new everything. 😂
  I’m in the middle of a master’s program and career switch so I’m not keen on spending more than I have to.
  
  Yeah, gamers nexus is usually worth the watch, for sure. My favorite part was the terrible software being a requirement to make certain hardware features work.
  Good luck with your search.
I would recommend something a little cheaper, perhaps an ASUS laptop. They have some solid ones, and you won’t pay the premium for the Razer branding.
- Yeah. Can't vouch for ASRock or TUF but I've never had issues with RoG.
What about a steam deck?
- Potentially. We have Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, PS5, my desktop, and he wants the laptop to take to other houses and play on occasion as well.
  
  The Deck might be a good fit.
  I say this as someone who doesn't own a Steam Deck, but do understand their utility. I do own a gaming laptop, however, and believe the pros are balanced by the cons. Depending on what factors matter more will impact your choice.
  Steam Decks aren't going to be able to play the latest and greatest games in good quality, but then neither will most gaming laptops. The laptop may still perform better than the Deck, but it doesn't quite have that "play literally wherever" utility that the Deck does.
  The thing I often joked about with my gaming laptop is that it's not really a laptop, it's a desktop with a laptop form factor. But I do mean that seriously—if I tried to play games with it on my lap, I would literally burn my legs. And because it runs so hot, I have to keep it on a separate cooling pad to help regulate its temperature over longer play sessions. It also can't go more than an hour on battery without dying. All that means that it's honestly a pain to move, because I need to bring the laptop plus cooling pad and power cables for both.
  And all that being said, gaming laptops today are really cheapening out on build quality. I had to RMA my first laptop from MSI because it melted the thin membrane below the keyboard and keys started sticking. All the manufacturers are cutting corners these days, so it's hard to find a gaming laptop where the expectation is that it still works after 5 years.
  If the kid still needs a computer for schoolwork and such, a gaming laptop would be the easy choice, and just make sure he's handling it with care when taking it to friends' houses. But if you're looking for longevity, I might recommend avoiding some of the "gamer" brands and look more at "professional" laptops that have decent hardware and are built a bit more durably, albeit at a premium price point. But if it's just a dedicated portable gaming machine he needs, I'd opt for Steam Deck or similar.
I adore Asus's ROG lineup. Their cooling blows the Razers (and to be blunt, Frameworks) out of the water, and if you're in the US, you can often find them for deep discounts at Best Buy, specifically. Repairability is reasonable.
I also adore by old Razer Phone, but I'd never buy a laptop from them, heh...
I just wish they had a AMD Strix Halo laptop bigger than a tablet... But almost no one has these, yet.
- I’ve seen ROG mentioned, but I’ve also seen people say that they feel cheaply built and there are mobo issues? Is that your experience?
  
  Not at all. My 2020 G14 is still kicking, and from what I've seen in the ROG-linux community, their construction has only gotten better, with even beefier heatsinks crammed in, more shared heatpipes between the sides and liquid metal TIM. Look up their teardowns on notebookcheck; they're crazy.
  I dunno about mobo issues. Our Asus laptops had no problems, but I haven't used them for desktop in a long time.
  Best to check on individual models before pulling the trigger, of course. I know there was some bad history with the Intel ones specifically.
A bit pricey and possibly overkill, but I can recommend Lenovo Legion. Bought one for myself last year, and I'm really satisfied with it.
- That’s one I’ve been looking at. My wife had a Lenovo Thinkpad for work and hated it which is all that’s making me hesitate. However, she’s not a tech nerd and a thinkpad is a totally different beast than the Legion series.
  Thoughts on the Legion Pro 5 (AMD), 5i (Intel), or 7i (Intel)? If I were to choose, I’d probably lean toward the 5 for the AMD over the Intels.
  
  Thinkpads are workhorses, but come in many flavors and can be burdened by decisions they make like buying the cheapest models or loading it up with security software.
  I manage Lenovo thinkpads and like them. I bought a legion slim 7i and like it.
  If I were to do it over I’d make sure that I was getting the latest cpu. While it’s plenty fast for my needs the intel cpu I bought was lesser to the amd at the time. The most recent intel CPUs are about equal in performance to amd but are more efficient. The amd CPUs have better multithreading performance but are not as efficient.
  
  The reason AMD rules the gaming world when it comes to CPU is the large L3 cache of their X3D line of cpus.
  That large L3 cache isn't found when looking at their mobile cpu offerings on Lenovo Legion, f.e. amd ryzen ai 7 350 comes with 16MB cache compared to Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 255HX with 30MB.
  Depending on budget I would be more interesting in ensuring I get at least 12GB VRAM on the GPU than caring about AMD or Intel on the CPU side.

41 comments