Since all three lists I consulted for the "best gaming laptops of 2018" mentioned the MSI GS65 Stealth Thin, I decided I should take a look at it before making my decision between my top two choices (the Alienware 15 and the MSI GT63 Titan 047).
I had initially discarded the GS65 from consideration because of its use of NVidia's "Max-Q" branding, which is intended to be positive, but actually labels laptops that are too thin to effectively deal with the heat produced by an over-powered video card. That is, they are lap-burners, not lap-tops.
But to be fair, let's take a look at the specs:
- Display: 15-inch FHD 144Hz IPS
- CPU: Intel eighth-gen i7
- GPU: NVidia 1070 Max-Q
- RAM: 16g
- Storage: 512g SSD, no HDD
- Price: $2000
This meets or beats most of my requirements -- Good CPU, RAM, and Display (once I decided I was okay with an FHD with a high-refresh-rate), and a better GPU than I really need.
But I have two issues with this design: First, there is no spare storage. 512g is more than enough for just running Ubuntu (and might suffice for an exclusive Windows user), but I know I would have issues trying to split it between Ubuntu and Windows.
Second, it is branded Max-Q, which I see as a big negative. And don't just take my word for it that Max-Q has heat issues: LaptopMag says the keyboard got up to 101*F after 15 minutes gaming, and CNet's own review said the Esc and W keys, wrist rest, and touchpad all got uncomfortably hot within an hour.
Oh, and it's $2000, which is intended to be the top of my budget for a computer that actually meets my requirements. So... no.
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