Reddit reviews MSI VR Ready GS43VR Phantom Pro-006 14" Ultra Portable Gaming Laptop GTX 1060 i7-6700HQ 16GB 128GB M.2 SATA + 1TB Windows 10

I'm gonna go against the hive mind here and suggest a gaming laptop. I've dealt with transporting a desktop back and forth when I went to boarding school, and it was pain when it was only once every few months.

If you split it up and build two then you'd get two $600 PC's compared to what you could otherwise build.

Laptops are getting great these days, grab a laptop with a 1060 and Thunderbolt. Buy the laptop, if you need more power later an eGPU enclosure is always an option for upgrade without replacing the entire laptop. It will be much more than 4 years before the 7700/6700HQ become dated for gaming. This one falls into your budget nicely, https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GS43VR-Phantom-Pro-006-i7-6700HQ/dp/B01IO9Y30G

(Disclaimer: I do own this one for college/work, so I'm probably a bit biased towards it, but it's a steal at $1050)

ITX is always an option, but you're already paying the "ITX tax" of more expensive components with less features (mobo, storage space, airflow) just for size. If you're already giving up many perks of a desktop for portability, then a laptop might be a good idea. Especially when modern laptops have desktop equivalent graphics cards and external GPUs are an option. Just my two cents.

Edit: If OP or anyone is considering the laptop I posted, but is unsure about the seller, I'll say that I bought mine refurbished from Tegra Tech Store on Amazon as well for the exact same price. It came very well packaged, I was really impressed with the packaging, and even had a free mousepad included. It did have an issue where the ethernet port didn't work, but I've since sent it in for RMA, and since they're a certified refurbisher you get an MSI warranty for 180-days. (Although when I registered it, it actually said it was 1 year, +3 more months for registering it with MSI)

I feel like you didn't even try to look I literally went to google and did a search for " 14" laptop with 1070 " This was the first item on the list

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GS43VR-Phantom-Pro-006-i7-6700HQ/dp/B01IO9Y30G

I guess you can wait for bf, since it isnt far from now. 1500 should get you a pretty decent gaming laptop with the gtx 1060. I recommend the Asus GL series. The one with the 1060 should be around 1300 if I'm not mistaken. It's a slim 15 inch laptop that should be able to run everything you've listed at a very good fps on the highest settings(native 1080p).

If you want something smaller in size for portability, look at the msi 14 inch laptop .

Some of these laptops are already on sale.

Asus GL502 w/ 1060 gtx

MSI GS43VR

Damaged packaging (buy used/like new from amazon) but unopened and still comes with manufacturers warranty. For 1240 it can't be beat.

• 6700HQ
  
• 16gb ram
  
• 128gb ssd
  
• 1tb hdd
  
• gtx 1060 6gb
  
• 14 inches
  
• 3.75 lbs
  
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B01IO9Y30G/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1484227608&sr=8-1&keywords=gs43vr&condition=used

I recommend you go for more power than the Zenbook. If you are really looking for a desktop replacement, then I recommend a machine with a quad core i5 or i7 processor, 8 GB or more RAM, an SSD and at this moment , a GTX 1060 graphics card with that budget. This MSI VR Ready GS43VR Phantom Pro-006 14" Ultra Portable Gaming Laptop would be a great pick. It is not only super powerful, but is also super portable. It will run the games you have listed on max settings and will do a great job running photoshop.

For that budget, this seems to be your best choice:
https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GS43VR-Phantom-Pro-006-i7-6700HQ/dp/B01IO9Y30G%3Fpsc%3D1%26SubscriptionId%3DAKIAJQYFXGBZ6MDO67HQ%26tag%3Dshopineer-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB01IO9Y30G.
The stealth isn't a gaming laptop; it's an ultra book with strong egpu support.

From experience:

Savostore's shipping only service. Here's how it works.

You create an account at Savostore, and accounts on the US-based shipping services with the following details:

(a). Your names, linked debit cards and associated billing address(es).

(b). Your shipping address, which will be Savostore's shipping address listed on the shipping only page. See the syntax to use (and the US-based number, needed for delivery on certain consignments above a certain value, dependent on the method of shipping and handling selected by the seller).

When you order for items on the shipping service used (Amazon, ebay, newegg, etc), they will issue (a) tracking number(s) for your item(s) that you'll then need to input on Savostore's shipping only tab (when logged in). For items with a shared tracking number, add them as a single entry. Multiple items with different tracking numbers MUST be added separately.

As soon as Savostore receives your item, you'll be notified and they'll issue an invoice when they ship. Take note of the estimate calculator offered here and use that as a guideline on what to expect in terms of charges.

And now, a few notes on this method:

The reason I recommend this service (shipping only) is simple: It skips Savostore's steep fees on buy and ship.

I'll provide an example to back this up: I ordered an MSI GS43VR 6RE Phantom Pro 006 which was worth about $1400 (in early 2017). They charged me an extra ~$500+ in shipping and handling fees, so wound up paying about 200k for something worth about 150k.

The next order was for a more powerful Clevo P751DM2-G (branded as the Origin Eon 15-X), covered for by the employer. The hardware was worth about ~$2500. Using the shipping only method, all I paid out of pocket was about 13,000 for the shipping.

Since then, I've always used shipping only. And this method makes a few assumptions:

1. Your debit card must be accepted by the online shopping service in use. In Kenya, this is trivial. Ensure that you've provided the correct billing address (separate from your shipping address). If you have concerns on what this is, ask your bank. They'll issue you one.
   
   
2. Beware of conversion rates. Highlighting the case of Amazon: They'll always offer you the conversion rate relative to your local currency. And their rate is only marginally steeper than the CBK's and your bank's exchange rate, so double check before hitting "check out".
   
   Now, there's a way to overcome the challenge posed in (2) above:
   
   (a). Get a domiciliary account. A domiciliary account is a type of current account that allows you to fund it with foreign currencies  such as dollars, Pounds or Euros and also enables you to do foreign transactions on that account. You can use this account to transfer money to another country or receive dollars, pounds or euros from another country.  Furthermore, a domiciliary account is just like a current account that is used for the purpose of transactions of business. It is not intended for saving of money, but rather it is supposed to help you carry out your business transactions using foreign currencies.
   
   This clause assumes that you're in a position to maintain its' recurring costs and that your source of income can fund it. It's an excellent option if you're an expatriate that's paid in the expected currency (USD, for example) and has an issued debit card linked to it and the online shopping service. That way, you'll never suffer the currency conversion penalty, save for the monthly banking fees ($12 USD with SCB Bank kenya, for example).
   
   (b). With the linked card: Keep it safe, and use it for nothing else. Use its' billing address, separate from the shipping service on the merchant website you intend to use. Use the domiciliary account for the purpose its' intended for, ie foreign currency transactions AND NOTHING ELSE.
   
   And with linking associated debit cards with online merchants: If they ask for further information regarding the verification of your details, provide them. Skipping this step will only make things much harder for you. On Amazon, for instance, this takes a mere three days. So wait and follow their instructions.
   
   Hope that clears this for you.

I would recommend either this The Razer Blade because it comes with the new 1060 GPU which can handle newer games on high settings with high FPS, and it is very light weight for a gaming laptop at 4.16 lbs, you can spend a little more and get the 512 GB version, and you get more than enough ram for smooth multi tasking (16 GB), Good SSD storage (256GB) for faster booting and and overall performance, with high build quality and a thunderbird 3 which is a huge plus for future proofing.

Or like Orangematz mentioned this GS43VR for similar specs, size, but with smaller SSD, lighter at 3.75 lbs but not as high quality as the razer.

with that budget you could get a great future proof laptop like this powerful MSI Computer GS43VR Phantom Pro-006. it possesses a great Intel Core i7-6700HQ Quad Core Processor, Full HD Non Reflection 1920x1080 screen res, NVIDIA's Latest GeForce GTX 1060 6G GDDR5 gpu, 128GB M.2 SATA SSD + 1TB hdd storage and a Steel Series Backlit keyboard it weighs just 3.8 pounds.

The problem is the 1060 is way way way better than the 900 series cards available in most thinner laptops.

The MSI GS43 is the closest thing but its at the top of your budget:
https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GS43VR-Phantom-Pro-006-i7-6700HQ/dp/B01IO9Y30G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473907038&sr=8-1&keywords=gs43

For perspective a GTX 1060 is around 2.5 times faster than a 960m, which is huuuuuuge.

laptopRequest welcome I agree with orangematz. Would you be interrested in the SI VR Ready GS43VR Phantom Pro-006 14inch. It comes with a powerful Intel Core i7-6700HQ Quad Core Processor which can deal with all the programs and softwares you have listed above also the NVIDIA's Latest GeForce GTX 1060 6G GDDR5 awesome graphics to play all the the games you want and any future games that come to your mind of playing. 16gb DDR4 ram speaking of lighter as you mentioned 3.8lbs is great to carry around not too heavy :-). The storage is great as well 128GB M.2 SATA plus 1TB (7200rpm). Overall a wonderfull laptop to get.

Ahh. Good luck over there. I would say don't forget about a ssd. That makes a huge difference. This is not really on sale but if you are impatient like me this thing is pretty good. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IO9Y30G/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=laptop0f65-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01IO9Y30G&linkId=a572af2770630aa344a8420564a28718

What's your weight limit? I'm currently using this laptop:

https://www.amazon.com/Eluktronics-P650RP6-Premium-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B01LYOTO9B/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1479493344&sr=8-4&keywords=eluktronics+p650rp6,

but with a GTX 1070 version and it is great, reasonably thin and has a great value (mine is exactly 1499 USD

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N3OS2YX/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The aforementioned laptop (first one) has a dedicated GTX 1060 that will fulfill your gaming requirements (the ones that you indicated)

alternative, msi has a 14 inch 1060 laptop for under your price range:

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GS43VR-Phantom-Pro-006-i7-6700HQ/dp/B01IO9Y30G/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1479493504&sr=1-2&keywords=gigabyte+aero

This one is rocking a older 970M but will still play those games at those settings that you want, but has a nicer display and is thin and light:

https://www.amazon.com/Aorus-X3-PLUS-V5-CF2-i7-6700HQ/dp/B01B962FTM/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1479493531&sr=1-3&keywords=gigabyte+aero

I did come across 2 notebooks similar to the AW13. One by MSI (Cheaper slightly better specced) and the other by Aorus (Better specced and slighly cheaper). I don't have any experience with these brands, their build quality, heating/throttling issues, and customer service. Though they make me wander about the value/price I am paying for the AW13:

• MSI for about 1399USD and 1550USD (shipped): GS43VR PHANTOM PRO
  
• Another one that was evenly priced was by Aorus for about 1899USD and (2200USD shipped) Aorus 13.9" X3 Plus v6-PC3K4D. Comes with an I7 6820HK

You could also look into the MSI GS43 for $1400 which weighs in at 3.8 pounds. It's a 14.0'' that is pretty light but powerful with a quad core i7-6700HQ processor, 16gb of ram, 1TB HDD + 128GB SSD, and a GTX 1060 graphics card. Similarly to the Auros, you'd be able to play all the games you listed flawlessly, and even more demanding ones if you desire in the future. I expect the battery life to be mediocre though.

MSI GS43VR: https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GS43VR-Phantom-Pro-006-i7-6700HQ/dp/B01IO9Y30G

Gigabyte Aero 14 1060: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N45HGL5/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1481449298&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=gigabyte+aero+14&dpPl=1&dpID=31zM82FuKBL&ref=plSrch a little expensive

Gigabyte Aero 14 970M: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0195XZW64/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1481485011&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=gigabyte%2Baero%2B14&dpPl=1&dpID=41Ovz6CgUzL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

Wow dude, that's so generous of you. I think like most people in this thread, I'm also in need of a laptop that has some juice in it as well as being reasonably light weight, so pick this one:
https://www.msi.com/Laptop/GS43VR-6RE-Phantom-Pro.html#hero-overview

Thank you, and congratulations. May you get lucky again and do more giveaways :D

Edit: No price listed on original website but I found these ($1499):
https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GS43VR-Phantom-Pro-006-i7-6700HQ/dp/B01IO9Y30G

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834154297

MSI VR Ready GS43VR Phantom Pro-006

This laptop is 14", but still has a lot of power under the hood.

Intel Core i7 6700HQ 2.6GHz quad core with hyper-threading
16GB RAM
GTX 1060 graphics, in the event your video software supports CUDA, or just to run those 2 big monitors
2 video outputs; HDMI and mini DP
1TB HDD to store your video and 128GB SSD for your OS
It's light: 3.75 lbs

Unfortunately, no docking station. I think that might be difficult to find. The MSI should suit your needs, but will require a few more cords.

How much video editing you do will dictate how much processor power you need. If you do it a lot, especially with high resolution video (1080p or higher), I would go with a laptop with an "HQ" processor, such as the Core i7 6700HQ. The "HQ" designates this as an actual quad core, versus the "U" designation, which means dual core, and low power. If you only work with video occasionally, or at lower resolutions, you could probably get away with a "U" processor.

Any laptops I have seen with docking stations seem to be well above your price range; they are either high end workstation or gaming laptops (at least the ones with an "HQ" processor).

Here is my latest thought process. For simplicity, I've narrowed my search to Amazon's offerings, mostly because it's the best place I can be pretty certain I'll receive the laptop in good time from, but I'm open to external suggestions.

Requirements:
12-16gb 2400 MHz DDR4
1 TB Mechanical HDD
128 GB SSD
GTX1060 or better
17.3"
shipping by the end of next week

Considerations:

$1,549

>all specs meet minimum requirements. (Note 12 GB RAM)

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GT72VR-Dominator-032-Hardcore-i7-6700HQ/dp/B01IO9YBM6/

$1,599

>upsell to 256 GB SSD, all other specs meet minimum requirements.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IO9Y9MI/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl

$1,999

>upsell to GTX 1070, all other specs meet minimum requirements.

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GT72VR-Dominator-Pro-015-i7-6700HQ/dp/B01IO9Y35G

Considerations (with compromises):

$1,699

>compromise on size to 15.6", RAM clock speed to 2133 MHz

>upsell to GTX 1070, 256 GB SSD, all other specs meet minimum requirements.

https://www.amazon.com/GL502VS-DB71-Full%C2%ADHD-Gaming-i7%C2%AD6700HQ-Windows/dp/B01K1INYD0

$1,499

>compromise on size to 14"

>all other specs meet minimum requirements

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GS43VR-Phantom-Pro-006-i7-6700HQ/dp/B01IO9Y30G

So if I'm just willing to drop my notion of size requirement, I can get a 1060 for $1500 (base models can come cheaper, but require too many compromises), and the cheapest I can get a 1070 for is $1700, but I need to compromize on size and RAM clk speed.

Cheapest I can satisfy all wants and dreams for is $2000, but it's not at a particularly good efficiency (most 2k laptops come with more than 128gb ssd).

With a budget of $2000 you arent going to have the slightest problem finding an i7 with a 960m at least.

Heres the lowest model id recommend you with your budget. This is gonna play thing on medium-high 30-50's FPS ASUS K501UW-AB78 15.6-inch Full-HD Gaming Laptop (Intel Core i7, GTX 960M, 8GB DDR4, 512GB SSD) Glacier Grey


And heres mid range for your price
This is personally the one id buy if i had $2000. This will handle everything perfectly well on high-ultra, and leave you some money for software, etc
MSI VR Ready GS43VR Phantom Pro-006 14" Ultra Portable Gaming Laptop GTX 1060 i7-6700HQ 16GB 128GB M.2 SATA + 1TB Windows 10