Finley said:
@Pace
You actually sacrifice quite a lot in terms of performance with the Zephyrus models.
The Blade maintains strong performance. The Zephyrus does tend to be underpowered for its specs.
@Marley
Right, the G16 with a 4090 doesn’t make much sense. The 4080 is a better fit for its capabilities.
@Pace
Paying 100% more for only 10% more performance isn’t a good deal. Consider the MSI Raider for $2,000.
Take a look at this tier list review by Jarrod. After reviewing what interests you, check out his full reviews linked in the video description. I went with an 18" and chose what I believe is the best. More expensive isn’t always better.
I highly recommend the Legion series. Also, consider the brand’s customer support in your area when making a decision. Lenovo’s support is generally good, and the Legion series is excellent.
I just listed my beloved 2024 G16 with an RTX 4090. It’s the best all-around laptop I’ve owned in terms of quality.
Ren said:
I just listed my beloved 2024 G16 with an RTX 4090. It’s the best all-around laptop I’ve owned in terms of quality.
How much are you asking for it?
Ren said:
I just listed my beloved 2024 G16 with an RTX 4090. It’s the best all-around laptop I’ve owned in terms of quality.
How much are you asking for it?
$2,675. Open to offers.
Lenovo and ASUS are usually the go-to brands for high-quality laptops.
Definitely go with Legion or ROG for the best build quality and reliability.
I just got an Acer Helios 16 from Acer’s eBay store. It’s certified refurbished and feels like new, costing about $1600 plus tax for a 13900HX and 4080 model. You may need to manually adjust the CPU voltage as the latest BIOS doesn’t limit it to 1.4V.
@Bran
I bought the same laptop from them. It’s the cheapest 4080 laptop I found. The build quality is ‘good enough’, though I’ve heard that the liquid metal applications can be inconsistent. The idle temps are a bit high, but it hasn’t affected performance under load. I wasn’t able to access the hidden BIOS settings to tweak further, but my games aren’t CPU bound, and the GPU seems fine under load conditions. I also upgraded the RAM because the base 16GB was insufficient. Though the 13900HX supposedly doesn’t support large memory kits at 5600MT/s, my 96GB kit runs at 5200MT/s without issue.
@Jamie
Check out this post to access advanced BIOS settings and adjust the power plans for different uses. I’ve created a regular use and a gaming power plan that significantly reduce power consumption. The cooling pad helps a lot with managing temps.
@Bran
Thanks for the tip! I’ll try that when I get home.
@Bran
Is Acer finally allowing undervolting?
Winslow said:
@Bran
Is Acer finally allowing undervolting?
You can set a maximum voltage, but there’s no option to remove undervolt protection yet.
Legion and Zephyrus consistently offer the best in terms of reliability and build quality among high-performance brands.
I’ve thoroughly researched this during Black Friday sales. All these brands have great build quality. I settled on the Dell AW X16, although I must note that the newer ultra processors from Intel tend to run hot. Regardless of your choice, ensure you get a warranty plan from a US-based brand with local service centers, especially given the potential for incoming tariffs. Asus’s service capacity in the US is less known, Lenovo is closely tied to China, leaving you with Dell, HP, and Razer. Acer might also be worth considering due to their competitive pricing on eBay for refurbished models. Remember to consider GPU wattage and consider undervolting the CPU or opting for an AMD/RTX combination for potentially better performance, though you may encounter driver or BIOS issues.
I would recommend going for a Legion.
Consider getting a desktop for home use and a more affordable laptop for mobility. You won’t regret having two dedicated devices.