CocostrokerI picked up one of the 15" acer predators with a 1070 (and a boat load of ram for some reason) in it for $1500 USD through Costco a couple months back. I was using the Asus G75vw before (still great for cpu based tasks). I'm not sure if they're still selling the model since they don't do a lot of PC sales normally, but doesn't hurt to check
CocostrokerI'll give you my brief rundown then:
Asus G75vw 2012 (if replaced with the newer full-size ROG): Very complicated to travel with, but excellent thermals and usually available with more standard ssd/hdd drive bays given the larger footprint.
Acer15 gtx1070: There are 2 m.2 slots, 1 standard drive bay(with extra padding?!), and 2 empty ram slots accessible via 1 screw panel in the middle. DVD drive inlcuded (can swap for included fan). Fits well in my backpack (large-ish swiss army bag) and is a tad heavy (lighter than big ROGs). Bonus: powers my 144hz monitor comfortably on high settings and behaves well as a travelling desktop replacement.
The MSI stealth laptops are MUCH easier to transport and fit maybe a little better in a work environment. I change locations roughly 8 times a year (for extended periods of time), so the larger laptop was a good trade-off between increased mobility vs better thermals+slightly better/more reliable performance. There are a LOT of good options now with the gtx10 series being so powerful. Hope my perspective helps you or anyone else looking into this tricky market! It's not easy to decide on these machines!!!
TaigiryThis is great. I love the perspective you put into the machines. When I travel it's about a week or two at a time and then back to home. So I feel that is enough time to get a more powerful laptop. Especially since when I travel it's on a plane where I have access to charging outlets readily.
Taigiryyou are comparing a 2012 laptop to a 2016/17 laptop. There has been huge jump on technology, specially on the gpu area in the latest nvidia with pascal. I have an asus g73sw and msi gs73vr. I use both, but it's easier to use the msi for traveling. I hated carrying my g73sw.
KedgeIf you noticed, I did my best to make it very clear that I was comparing the 2012 version and only brought it up in terms of how much I enjoyed it, how long it has lasted me (implied given i went 4 years with no complaints and still try to use it), and the physical size of it is nearly identical to the new generation of the full-size ROG with gtx 10 series GPUs. We're basically the same customer here since you still use your asus g73sw. They're built very well, but few bags fit them properly.
Sorry if I made it seem like I was comparing my g75vw specs to my predator. Wasn't my intention
TaigiryGaming laptops have divide in two different options: The ones with mobility in mind and the ones with desktop replacement in mind.
Some people dont travel a lot, so a desktop replacement benefit them. At this area, i would consider laptops with water cooling, but they are super expensive atm.
Some people now have the option to carry a slimmer versioon of a desktop. Pascal allows for gpu to almost reach the counter part (desktop). Also, you can use external gpu on some of the slim models. Gpu used to be the biggest issue on a laptop as cpu hardly improved in the lastest generation.
The MSI stealth laptops are MUCH easier to transport and fit maybe a little better in a work environment. I change locations roughly 8 times a year (for extended periods of time), so the larger laptop was a good trade-off between increased mobility vs better thermals+slightly better/more reliable performance. There are a LOT of good options now with the gtx10 series being so powerful. Hope my perspective helps you or anyone else looking into this tricky market! It's not easy to decide on these machines!!!
Some people dont travel a lot, so a desktop replacement benefit them. At this area, i would consider laptops with water cooling, but they are super expensive atm.
Some people now have the option to carry a slimmer versioon of a desktop. Pascal allows for gpu to almost reach the counter part (desktop). Also, you can use external gpu on some of the slim models. Gpu used to be the biggest issue on a laptop as cpu hardly improved in the lastest generation.