Budget 90k+ Need advice on first premium laptop

yp714

yp714

Novice
Hi all, I am a newbie to the world of premium/gaming laptops. Have used a run of the mill dell inspiron laptop (i5/4GB/2GB graphics) and have played some games like the old assassin's creed/NFS games before. I am considering a laptop under 1.2-1.3L for an upgrade now.
My requirements are:
1. Able to run CAD software like Fusion360/Solidworks, some Photoshop work, web development etc. properly
2. Able to handle some ML/DL stuff
3. Casual gaming, should be able to run latest titles with good graphics (I want to try driving/racing games like Project Cars, Forza, latest assassin's creed, etc.)
4. Plan to keep this for 3-4 years at least
5. Should have good service support here in India
6. I want to purchase this in this or next month

Till now I have looked at a few options. Dell doesn't seem to have anything good, HP has Pavilion Gaming but the 60Hz screen at that price makes little sense. Omen 15 series seems overpriced for decent specs, and I have read a lot of horror stories about MSI's service in India. No idea about Lenovo/Asus/Acer. Also, everything always seems to be out of stock everywhere:confused:.

Having a lot of confusion (maybe because I am new to all this). Will be grateful for some good advice and buying suggestions. Thank you.
 
Thanks for the suggestions,
I also have shortlisted a few, could you please let me know what you think of these:

1. HP Pavilion Gaming - 16-a0030tx : 256 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD/1660Ti/10th gen i7/16GB ram/60Hz - ₹1.1L
2. HP Pavilion Gaming - 16-a00024tx: 256 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD/1650Ti/10th gen i7/16GB ram/60Hz - ₹99k
3. HP Omen - 15-ek0018tx: 1TB SSD/1650Ti/10th gen i7/8GB ram/60Hz - ₹1L
4. HP Omen - 15-ek0019tx: 1TB SSD/1650Ti/10th gen i7/16GB ram/144Hz - ₹1.19L
5. MSI GL65 Leopard 10SEK-465IN: 256 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD/RTX2060/10th gen i7/16GB ram/144Hz - ₹1.19L --> (Getting 1.09L in sale)

I thought that since the gaming will be casual only, 60Hz screen would be an ok compromise, considering the lesser cost. Would've gone ahead and got the first option, but it is always out of stock. MSI I'm still not very sure of, as I want to keep this for 3-4 years at least.
 
Maybe add the Legion 5Pi in there as well if you can grab it for a good price. I think you're right about the 60hz part, just that the higher refresh screens are also sometimes better in overall display quality.
 
Amien said:
Maybe add the Legion 5Pi in there as well if you can grab it for a good price. I think you're right about the 60hz part, just that the higher refresh screens are also sometimes better in overall display quality.
Click to expand...
I would disagree though. The high refresh screens have terrible colour gamut and accuracy which gamers don't seem to mind. However, if you are going to do some Photoshop work on it, I would suggest that you get one with at least 99% sRGB.
 
t3chg33k said:
I would disagree though. The high refresh screens have terrible colour gamut and accuracy which gamers don't seem to mind. However, if you are going to do some Photoshop work on it, I would suggest that you get one with at least 99% sRGB.
Click to expand...
I did say sometimes. If you look at entry level gaming laptops like the HP Pavilion, the high refresh screen panels have much better quality compared to the base 60hz variants. There are 60hz panels that are garbage and 120/144hz screens that have a wide colour gamut so those don't always stack up the same.

Lastly, a colour-accurate display in this range will require some bad compromises. Its possible to get pretty close though, for which I'd recommend something like the MSI Creator.
 
Any reason to overlook Acer Predator Helios 300.Core i5 version going for 90k before 2750 card discount and Core i7 for 1L before 6750 card discount. Both have 16GB RAM, 144hz panel, and 2060 along with 1TB HDD and 256GB SSD.
Specs look great compared to other laptops you have listed in the same price bracket. You'll have to see reviews online if these have some issues, but on paper they seem better than competitors.
 
rdst_1 said:
Any reason to overlook Acer Predator Helios 300.Core i5 version going for 90k before 2750 card discount and Core i7 for 1L before 6750 card discount. Both have 16GB RAM, 144hz panel, and 2060 along with 1TB HDD and 256GB SSD.
Specs look great compared to other laptops you have listed in the same price bracket. You'll have to see reviews online if these have some issues, but on paper they seem better than competitors.
Click to expand...
Thanks, will look for some reviews. Main worry for me is the build quality and reliability (if it will last for 3-4 years, along with good service support) Have had no experience with Acer before.
 
Amien said:
I did say sometimes. If you look at entry level gaming laptops like the HP Pavilion, the high refresh screen panels have much better quality compared to the base 60hz variants. There are 60hz panels that are garbage and 120/144hz screens that have a wide colour gamut so those don't always stack up the same.

Lastly, a colour-accurate display in this range will require some bad compromises. Its possible to get pretty close though, for which I'd recommend something like the MSI Creator.
Click to expand...
Yes, it varies significantly by the model. 144 Hz display like that on the Helios 300 (since it is mentioned here) has 72% NTSC and 90% sRGB. Note that these displays don't even meet the normal colour gamut. Even standalone 144 Hz monitors from Dell with true 8-bit panels barely make it to 108% sRGB.

I know that in their gaming laptops (GL or GF series) MSI kind of fooled consumers by listing "close to 100% sRGB" as a spec and only included it in the 60 Hz panel and a really poor panel (45% NTSC) in their 144 Hz variant. Their Creator series goes up to 100% DCI-P3 for the most expensive models, so probably those would be better.

Thing is most gaming laptops with high refresh screen will not be great for editing, so there is a compromise to be made in terms of cost and features at this price range. Hence, I think the Helios 300 might still be okay for occasional Photoshop work but not for something that you would publish as colour-accurate on the web. But then it is a great budget gaming laptop, so if gaming is going to be done more often than editing, then go for it.
 
Thank you all for the helpful advice. After a lot of consideration and waiting for products to come in stock, I finally ordered a HP Omen 15 ek0020tx. Had to stretch the budget a little bit, but I got all I would possibly need in a laptop. The specs are as follows:
i7 10750H
16 GB ram (2x8 GB), expandable to 32 GB
1660ti (6 GB GDDR6)
1 TB SSD, upgradable to 2 GB
144Hz panel, 300 nits, 72% NTSC
Waiting for the delivery now!:)
 
Still waiting for the delivery...
HP sent it through Bluedart and it seems they are holding it at a warehouse since the past 3 days stating "network delays". They have missed the expected delivery date. Trying to get things sorted now.
 
yp714 said:
Still waiting for the delivery...
HP sent it through Bluedart and it seems they are holding it at a warehouse since the past 3 days stating "network delays". They have missed the expected delivery date. Trying to get things sorted now.
Click to expand...
Standard problem when ordering from first party sellers. They have a long way to go when it comes to matching the fulfilment speeds of big e-com.
 
Amien said:
Standard problem when ordering from first party sellers. They have a long way to go when it comes to matching the fulfilment speeds of big e-com.
Click to expand...
True that.

Received it finally. I'm actually really surprised at how compact and well designed this laptop is, given that it is a gaming series and the power that it has.
Haven't tried many things yet, but the whole package and form factor seems really well thought out.
 
yp714 said:
True that.

Received it finally. I'm actually really surprised at how compact and well designed this laptop is, given that it is a gaming series and the power that it has.
Haven't tried many things yet, but the whole package and form factor seems really well thought out.
Click to expand...
Nice! Its a great laptop, congratulations :)
 
So I tried Euro Truck Simulator 2 on ultra settings on the laptop, the temperatures shown by Omen command center were as follows:
GPU: ~76 °C
CPU (i7 10th gen): ~87-93 °C
I am a bit concerned about the CPU temperature, is sustained 90 °C ok/healthy for the i7 10th gen?

Tried raising the laptop a bit by placing 2 carrom coins below, that reduced the temperature by a few degrees.
 
yp714 said:
So I tried Euro Truck Simulator 2 on ultra settings on the laptop, the temperatures shown by Omen command center were as follows:
GPU: ~76 °C
CPU (i7 10th gen): ~87-93 °C
I am a bit concerned about the CPU temperature, is sustained 90 °C ok/healthy for the i7 10th gen?

Tried raising the laptop a bit by placing 2 carrom coins below, that reduced the temperature by a few degrees.
Click to expand...
Use Maximum core frequency in advance power settings to restrict the CPU frequency to 2- 2.4 GHz when gaming. Also find the compatible Intel XTU to apply -0.1V offset to core and iGPU.
It should do the trick.
 
MATHReX said:
Use Maximum core frequency in advance power settings to restrict the CPU frequency to 2- 2.4 GHz when gaming. Also find the compatible Intel XTU to apply -0.1V offset to core and iGPU.
It should do the trick.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestion.
I actually used a very low tech solution (Thick carrom coins on the 4 corners below the laptop:sweatsmile:). Immediately got >10 degrees drop.
Also got a good ventilated stand now. The laptop has fans on the bottom and seems like they weren't getting enough air on the tabletop.
 
yp714 said:
Thanks for the suggestion.
I actually used a very low tech solution (Thick carrom coins on the 4 corners below the laptop:sweatsmile:). Immediately got >10 degrees drop.
Also got a good ventilated stand now. The laptop has fans on the bottom and seems like they weren't getting enough air on the tabletop.
Click to expand...
Well, that's an adequate solution but purchasing a cooling pad will be worth it. :)
Enjoy the powerhouse!
 
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