Build Advice Powerful Non-Gamer looking Laptop - Please Advise/Suggest

Hey guys,

I'm after a "simple" advice.
I'm going abroad for work for a few months, so I can't bring my high end PC with me ( I know I shouldn't be using it for work, but I can't stand slow laptops at all, and I like to play after work to relax). My boss agreed to buy me a new laptop and told me anything I want as long as it is not silly.

So I am looking for a high end laptop under £2500 (updated from £2000 to £2500) that doesn't look childing with RBG and would sit confidently at a business meeting.

I have 3 main criteria:
- to be Brand new for tax purposes, warranty etc, it will be a company property.
- to run DOTA2 at high or max settings with ~120fps or more.
- to have a good screen, above 1080p preferably touch, but not necessary.

Other specs are not so important, as I will always have an external monitor while working, mouse, keyboard etc..

-CPU - should be the new generation
-GPU - as long as it covers the DOTA2 requirement, I'll be OK.
-RAM - Minimum 16GB, preferably 32 or above.
-SSD - minimum 1tb, as I will have to sync the company server with my laptop so I can work on Sharepoint files whilst offline.

Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I am currently looking at some Dell XPSs as they look classy, but since I am a desktop guy I don't know the laptop market at all.

I Don't even know what the latest naming scheme for Intel and AMD CPUs is.... It used to be unnecessarily complicated and confusing, hopefully they've moved away from it...

 

Pretty much most good iGPUs will do that these days, if DOTA 2 is your main requirement. So it's all about what screen you want and what res and the size and weight of the thing you want to carry.

 

There are two Ryzen AI chips, the strix point AI and the Strix Halo AI Max

The AI HX370 for example come with radeon 890M GPU will do 120+ fps @1440p in Dota2, it only has 16 graphics units
The AI Max come with Radeon 8050/8060s GPU will smash DOTA, has 32/40 graphics units, what makes these far stronger than normal iGPUs is that rather than use system DDR5 it has unified RAM that is fast LPDDR5X memory with a wide 256-bit interface, more akin to discrete GPU.

on the intel side the iGPU on the 155H is not so hot, CPU is fine, fortunately the XPS has discrete GPU more than upto task. There is a stronger Intel iGPU chip the ultra 258v with arc140 that do good things, the newer intel CPUs are the ultra 7/9 2xx.

But really with your budget I'd be looking for something with a discrete 4070/4080/4090/5070/5080/5090, these are hungry buggers and require chunky cooling so likely be heavy. Anything rocking this kind of hardware will have a more than appropriate CPU to back it up. Its probably hard to get a 5080+ prices have seemingly ballooned but for the task you are after anything 4050/5050 up will do or as mentioned the AI MAX.

Take a look at some of the things in here

Best gaming ultrabook (thin-and-light gaming laptop) in 2025

 

If you will always have an external monitor what about a small form factor PC?

 

Well, I should have been more specific, I will not have the monitor during "in person meetings", so It will have to be a laptop form factor

Thanks, will review the suggested options. I would have thought that anything below 4070 would struggle for DOTA2 at max settings at 120fps+, but perhaps I am wrong.

That is interesting, I had a look at framework and really like the idea of the repairability, although they are not particularly exciting. Does the base model comes with enough ports for 2 extra monitors and peripherals? I can get a separate dock 2nd hand off ebay, that's not an issue.

Screen size should be anything over 14 inches, as I am a big guy and 13-14 inches looks silly in my hands trying to type on it... Weight is not an issue i think.

 

Or get a display with passthrough to another display.

 

There will be frame dips out of triple digits I'd image but DOTA is not a taxing game, though it is fair to say I have not tried it in some time perhaps they have updated it, I have both the 890M and 8060S for iGPUs I'll see if I can set up a timedemo or something, I also have a 4090M which I don't think you'll get in budget.

I was going to suggest a HP Zbook Ultra G1a workstation as if you qualify for cashback you'll get a fully loaded for ~1700 (well I say fully loaded, but not quite, only 64Gb and 1Tb.) but its 14"

With display port you can run extended multi monitors off of one display port with an MST splitter assuming you don't want to buy a full dock, saving your ports.

 

14 inch is not the end of the world, it's only a few hours a week on meetings, the rest will be at home on the big screens. I'll have a look at that model too.

I can get a decent 2nd hand dock at my own expense, that's not a problem as my boss has already spent a fortune on me for my home setup, with an Embody Chair, 32'' QDOLED monitor, Secretlab Magnus Desk and several other personal PC upgrades on his expense. Now adding a laptop is a bonus so I can splash on a dock of my own.

 

Seems I vastly over estimated... Perhaps I never maxed it before, Doh, just been playing on my 890M with it cranked and ~80fps is all she wrote at 2560x1600, being a little handheld it has quite a capped power budget, doesn't have the cooling of a workstation/gaming orientated laptop but most other chips should manage, even low end discrete.

Obviously you want the best you can get your hands on, quite a few in budget with 5070/5070Ti on overclockers but it's deciding whether you can live with them, I tend to favor small light things, a 3.6kg gamer laptop like the MSI Vector 17 HX, not for me

Lenovo 5 Gen 10 might fit the bill?

 

At 1.38kg the ASUS Proart PX13 range looks to be good and just within budget. £1900 with a Ryzen AI HX 370 and a 4070 to boot. 3K screen too.

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/133...b-lpddr5x-2tb-ssd-8gb-geforce-rtx-4070-usb-40

Seems well reviewed too: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-...o-AMD-Zen-5-and-RTX-4070-laptop.868429.0.html

 

That looks a decent unit but it'll have a tdp capped 4070 in that size so not the performance you might expect from 4070, probably similar to the old z13.

You'd want to get the unleashed 4070 in a bigger chassis like the MSI where it'll have double the tdp, buying laptops to game on is a minefield.

tdp capped 4070 vs 8060S iGPU

 

Didn't realise AMDs latest and greatest igpu was so darn good! I was impressed enough by the 780m in my mini pc

 

I've configured this at Framework, how do you think it will cope?

Thanks for the suggestion @Gareth Halfacree

 

If I am reading that right, it won't cope very well, you have not added on the 7700S GPU. Also 1x16Gb, halves the memory bandwidth for the system and therefore the iGPU, general rule with iGPU usage is too have more RAM as the iGPU does not have its own VRAM pool.

the iGPU in the 7940 is the 780M, a gen behind my 890M but in a better chassis with more TDP allowance it might be a shade faster, it still won't be doing 120+ fps though. The 7700S might get you there but again it is last gen and 128 bit mem, so not the greatest thing.

example, more charts at Review: Asus’ ROG Flow Z13 tablet takes the asterisk off integrated GPUs - Ars Technica

 

That is very helpful reply, thanks. So if anything I want to be able to play at ~120 fps from the get go.

I can get rid of all but 2 USB-C ports but that still won't fit within budget with the Gpu add-on.

Also the RAM situation makes sense as you explain it.

I will look elsewhere. Looking at slightly heavier laptops now, that hopefully won't look too gamery. Alienware have some models within budget, I'll do some more research.

 

Most RGB can be turned off on the laptops, so they look fine generally, I think most companies understand that people are also buying these for science engineering reasons too, not just gamer.

Not sure if there are limitations where you can buy but there are a few 5070Ti and a couple of 5080 that would come in under budget with code but its not the type of place a business would buy.

In gamer spec 5070Ti is 140w with 12Gb VRAM. 5080 is 175w with 16GB VRAM, plenty of grunt for anything you throw at it (baring in mind its mobile, in desktop world the 5080 is 400w so clearly another kettle of fish ) Clearly those laptop PSUs are going to chunky along with their cooling solutions as its going to support a couple of hundred watts

Laptops | GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | GeForce RTX 5080 | GeForce RTX 5090 | Technology & Gaming | Very

 

Razerblade 14 with a DBrand skin slapped on the lid? Not sure on the current thoughts around these but seem to be well thought of generally, if a little overpriced.

https://www.razer.com/gb-en/gaming-laptops/razer-blade-14/RZ09-05305WS3-R3W1