What would be a good recent or upcoming laptop I could purchase for use in game develop. I mostly like to program, but in the future I want to deal with things like 3D graphics and animation. There are a lot of debates as to whether windows/linux/mac is the best development environment. I pretty much only ever used windows, but if there is something better out there I can easily cope to and learn it. Personally I want a laptop with really good build quality that won't easily overheat or get damaged. As for a price point, it doesn't really matter. Thanks to anyone that can offer me any help or suggestions.

With a laptop, you are paying more money for a weaker machine. Laptops are designed for portability first, performance second.

If you already understand that, good! Most people don't seem to understand that it's not merely a choice between Desktop X and Laptop Y, but that you're sacrificing power for portability. If you want real power and portability, you have to shell out double or triple the cost - cost that could've been re-invested in a more powerful desktop or a second monitor.

Portability is nice, but make sure you understand the tradeoff, because you don't get it for free - you pay for it by ending up with a weaker machine.

You might want to explicitly list out your priorities, and figure out how near the top or bottom 'portability' falls into that list.

For example:

• "I want a laptop" -> Laptop
• "with really good build quality" -> Desktop (assuming you meant "build speed"/compile-time)
• "that won't easily overheat" -> Desktop
• "or get damaged" -> Desktop

And I'd add in:

• "permits later performances upgrades" -> Desktop (if you want to upgrade your videocard later)
• "longer total lifetime" -> Desktop (lasts you 6+ years easily, verses laptop ~2-4 years average)
• "capable of supporting alot of harddrives" -> Desktop (important if, by "animation" you meant video-editing)
• "more screen real-estate" -> Desktop (important for any kind of work. You can plug in a second monitor to a laptop... not quite the same thing though)
• "I want to lay on a couch while working" -> Laptop (not to be underestimated!)
• "I need to bring my work to many different locations" -> Laptop

You said, "I want a laptop"

I answer: How much are you willing to sacrifice in other areas to gain portability?

</biased_desktop_user>

With a laptop, you are paying more money for a weaker machine. Laptops are designed for portability first, performance second.

If you already understand that, good! Most people don't seem to understand that it's not merely a choice between Desktop X and Laptop Y, but that you're sacrificing power for portability. If you want real power and portability, you have to shell out double or triple the cost - cost that could've been re-invested in a more powerful desktop or a second monitor.

Portability is nice, but make sure you understand the tradeoff, because you don't get it for free - you pay for it by ending up with a weaker machine.

You might want to explicitly list out your priorities, and figure out how near the top or bottom 'portability' falls into that list.

For example:

• "I want a laptop" -> Laptop
• "with really good build quality" -> Desktop (assuming you meant "build speed"/compile-time)
• "that won't easily overheat" -> Desktop
• "or get damaged" -> Desktop

And I'd add in:

• "permits later performances upgrades" -> Desktop (if you want to upgrade your videocard later)
• "longer total lifetime" -> Desktop (lasts you 6+ years easily, verses laptop ~2-4 years average)
• "capable of supporting alot of harddrives" -> Desktop (important if, by "animation" you meant video-editing)
• "more screen real-estate" -> Desktop (important for any kind of work. You can plug in a second monitor to a laptop... not quite the same thing though)
• "I want to lay on a couch while working" -> Laptop (not to be underestimated!)
• "I need to bring my work to many different locations" -> Laptop

You said, "I want a laptop"

I answer: How much are you willing to sacrifice in other areas to gain portability?

</biased_desktop_user>

I fully understand where you are coming from and thanks for this comment because the only reason I wanted a laptop was solely for that ONE bullet point you mentioned, "I want to lay on a couch while working". I already own a desktop with two monitors. So I thought I might as well have a laptop, but I overlooked one very important reason for even having a desktop computer, which you also mentioned, "permits later performance upgrades". Although it would be godly to be able to start programming right as I wake up without having to leave my bed, maybe the money would be best spent on upgrades for my existing desktop setup. Especially after realizing a desktop suits most/more of my needs other than, of course, programming in my bed.

The cost / performance ratio has shifted, as 10x more laptops or all in one desktops ( which are essentially laptops ) are sold, so economy of scale works in your favour.
You certainly have to make sacrafices but nowhere what it used to be.

Really outside of hitting 60fps at 1080p+ in the latest AAA games, many desktop builds are stupendously overkill for most game devs.

I already own a desktop with two monitors. So I thought I might as well have a laptop,

I use a 15" MBP retina. At home I hook it up to a 27" display at work I connect it to a 5k display. Macs are supposed to be more expensive than PCS but I've found that since making the switch it has cost me less. My previous MBP lasted me for 5 years whilst my desktop would last me the same but due to the amount of upgrades or repairs I used to continually do to keep a cutting edge PC desktop it ended up costing easily double that of a MBP.

Why are all "professional" / "corporate" marketed laptops dual-core processors? And expensive as hell for crappier hardware? Something like Asus Zenbook which is marketed more as a "gaming" laptop is both cheaper and outperforms many "professional" laptops...