Reddit mentions of ASUS ROG Zephyrus Thin & Light Gaming Laptop, 15.6” Full HD 120Hz, Intel Core i7-7700HQ Processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Max Q, 16GB DDR4, 512GB PCIe SSD, Windows 10 Professional – GX501VI-XS74

was just about to post this. the laptop has some pretty great qualities and was looking around at prices on amazon. Made me cringe when I saw that picture.

Edit: A lot of people are wondering what laptop it is so here's a link to the laptop

Yup, the Gigabyte Aero 15 is a solid option. You can also consider the Aero 14 if you need more portability.

Even higher than that, you can consider an Asus Zephyrus for just under $3000. It uses a Max-Q GPU which throttles itself back a bit so that the laptop doesn't overheat (otherwise it wouldn't be possible for it to be this thin with a GTX 1080). It still gets better performance than a GTX 1070 though.

Also maybe consider the Asus Zenbook UX550 - but it only has a GTX 1050 Ti.

Having done several projects in both image classification and NLP, I can offer some advice:

In long term, owning a GPU is cheaper because there is little cost over time.
For short-term projects renting GPUs (e.g. AWS) is cheaper because there's no upfront cost.

I personally own 2 GTX 1080s with 8GB VRAM each.

For some of the bigger models you will need 6-8GB of VRAM, you can get 12 if you have money for a TITAN.
Much less will severely limit your work in my experience, since Batch Sizes below 8/16 become a lot less stable.

Renting Compute Power

If you have a short project, or are just getting into it, AWS (or Google Cloud) can be a useful resource, but managing VMs is an overhead you have to consider. I have no first-hand experience with AWS/GC (I heard drivers are a pain), but i've worked with MS Azure in the past.
Working with VMs is okay, but you have a little more immediate feedback loops when working on a local machine using jupyter or something similar.
Also, for me working with pay-per-time instances is unnerving because I know my money is ticking down somewhere in the background and it hinders me from experimenting some more. Your mileage may vary.

Building a Desktop Machine

This is the route I personally went with. I have a Desktop machine at home, that I can boot (Wake-on-Lan with RasPi) and control (Jupyter/RDP) remotely from my laptop, or just use directly when I'm at home.
One of the benefits is not having to transfer/synchronize Code and Data between different devices, along with others mentioned before.
Just about any good "Gaming" PC will do very well for Deep learning applications, provided you have a CUDA-capable (i.e. Nvidia) GPU.
The downside to this approach are as follows:

1. You have to build/conceptualize it yourself. The folks at /r/buildapc and /r/buildapcforme can be helpful, and if you don't know what you're doing you can buy a pre-built system. I heard NZXT's gaming-focused Prebuilt service is pretty cheap compared to the current market.
   
2. The current PC hardware market is bad for building a PC right now because a) GPUs are expensive due to Cryptocurrency miners. b) RAM is expensive due to industry shortages.
   
   Also some notes for building a system:
   
   

• Make sure you have enough RAM, or fast storage for your Datasets. If you can fit your Data into ram, slow hard drives are fine, but if you need to load data continuously, invest in a good (ideally NVME/Optane) SSD or your I/O might take up 90% of training time.
  
• If going with a multi GPU setup, or planning to add a second GPU later, make sure your Power supply can handle it. Rule of thumb: 300W for the system +250W per GPU should be more than enough. on a related note, make sure you have enough PCIE lanes for the GPUs (+ some for storage)
  
• "Gaming" branded GPUs are good as well. Doesn't need to be a Founders Edition or Titan (because they are usually more expensive)
  
  

  Using a Laptop
  

  This is an option some people choose, It's not my preferred one.
  Basically you have to choose between two options:
  
  

• small, portable, long battery life, but very bad performance due to none or low-end GPU. Examples: Asus, Acer
  
• bulky, heavy, short battery life. ~80% performance of a desktop system with similar parts (mainly for cooling reasons). Needs a power cord at all times. Basically a Desktop you can carry around. Usually very expensive. Examples: Gigabyte Laptop with 2 GTX 1070, Asus Version with 1 GTX 1080
  
  
  
  Edit: This is my first gold, wow! So this is what it feels like. Many thanks to the generous stranger!

17 inch and lightweight, thin, portable isn't going to happen any time soon. The 17 inch class is pretty much reserved for massive desktop replacement laptops, where you really wish you had a desktop that you could put in your carry on and travel with, but have no intention of actually using it in your lap.

The 15.6 inch size has several laptops that are thin and portable with 1060+ and i7 HQ.

Here's the Asus ROG zephyrus, https://www.amazon.com/Zephyrus-Full-HD-Ultra-portable-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B071XDXLPG/ref=pd_sbs_147_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B071XDXLPG&pd_rd_r=R00W9DQT6S3HVE0HP4TX&pd_rd_w=gHNmB&pd_rd_wg=jA2qm&psc=1&refRID=R00W9DQT6S3HVE0HP4TX

MacBook pro sized, gtx1080, etc.

However cooling will be an issue in most of these laptops. I think there's some that have non standard layouts (keyboard at bottom, touch pad on top, flip flopped) that have decent cooling.

Used by ASUS on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/GX501VI-XS74-Zephyrus-Full-HD-Ultra-portable-Gaming/dp/B071XDXLPG


excaliberpc uses the same scene from the screenshot but with a different, slightly better filter on it: https://www.excaliberpc.com/658848/asus-rog-zephyrus-gx501vi-xs74-15.6.html


newegg uses OP’s blurry one: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834234653

I would recommend this ASUS ROG Zephyrus GX501 because it comes with everything you need, i7 quad core CPU which is one of the best in the market and great for your usage, 16GB of ram for smooth multitasking, Good SSD storage of 512GB for faster boot up and loading, Full HD 120Hz IPS screen which is a must have for this price range, high build quality, short battery life as you would expect from a machine with all these specs it has a regular battery runtime of two hours, very good heat management, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPU that should be able to handle any game on high to ultra settings with very good FPs, and it is within your budget.

For an alternative laptop with better battery but weaker GPU I would recommend this [Eluktronics Pro-X](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0QV49X/?th=1/?tag=bkadamos_alltest-20
) because it comes with everything you need, i7 quad core CPU which is one of the best in the market and great for your usage, 32GB of ram for smooth multitasking, Good SSD storage of 512GB for faster boot up and loading, Full HD IPS screen with G-Sync technology which is a must have for this price range, high build quality, good battery life, very good heat management, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 GPU that should be able to handle any game on high to ultra settings with very good FPs, and it is within your budget.

If your going to spend that much on a laptop go for something like this

https://www.amazon.com/Zephyrus-Full-HD-Ultra-portable-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B071XDXLPG

It's 1080 card is more than enough to handle Skyrim SE. It may be a bit heavy compared the other laptop mentioned but it's by far a better rig

1. There are laptops with the keyboard on the edge: https://www.amazon.com/Zephyrus-Full-HD-Ultra-portable-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B071XDXLPG
   
2. As the other guy said, where would you put the trackpad? On the link I showed you above, both the keyboard and trackpad is smaller than what they could have if they were placed in the traditional spots.
   
3. The palm rests are actually better AFAIK. People actually buy wrist rests for desktop keyboards so they have something below the keyboard. https://www.lifewire.com/best-keyboard-wrist-rests-4172684 The issue you are saying probably is when the wrist rest on your laptop is too small.

My beloved ASUS Zephyrus ROG GX501

I would suggest the ASUS ROG Zephyrus GX501 Ultra-Portable

• Display: 15.6” Full-HD 120Hz
  
• Processor: Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  
• Graphics: GTX 1080
  
• Storage: 512GB PCIe SSD
  
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
  
• Weight: 4.9 lbs
  
• Battery life: 3+ hrs
  
  This laptop comes with the Max-Q design. This makes this laptop thin, light and powerful. Being a Max Q product the GTX 1080 graphics card clocks slower than other GTX 1080 graphics cards. In terms of power it falls between the GTX 1070 and regular GTX 1080 graphics cards. This trade off reduces heat, fan noise and power consumption
  

Source: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B071XDXLPG

https://www.amazon.ca/Zephyrus-Full-HD-Ultra-portable-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B071XDXLPG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527734387&sr=8-1&keywords=zephyrus+gx501

It says 3 used from 2300.

Meanwhile https://www.amazon.com/Zephyrus-Full-HD-Ultra-portable-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B071XDXLPG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526300740&sr=8-1&keywords=gtx+1080ti+laptop

It looks like my under $3000 options are:

• ASUS ROG Zephyrus ($2,578): i7-7700, GTX 1080 8GB with Max-Q design, 1080p, 120Hz, 16GB
  
• Sager NP9877 ($2,899): i7-8700K, GTX 1080 8GB, 1440p, 120Hz, 16GB
  
• Acer Predator Triton 700 ($2,780): i7-7700, GTX 1080 8GB with Max-W design, 1080p, 120Hz, 16GB
  
• MSI GT73VR Titan Pro-865 ($2,699): i7-7700, GTX 1080 8GB, 1080p, 120Hz, 32GB
  
  Under $2000 options are:
  
  
• ASUS ROG STRIX GL702VI ($1,899): i7-7700, GTX 1080 8GB, 1080p, 120Hz, 16GB
  
• HP OMEN X ($2,300) technically not under $2,000 but close enough i7-7820, GTX 1080 8GB, 1080p, 120Hz, 16GB
  
  
  I'm leaning towards either the Zephyrus or Sager for the under $3000 and the ROG STRIX for the under $2,000. My gut is telling me to go with the ROG Strix. Any final thoughts before I pull the trigger?

Why not get this Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-703D laptop ? It has the gtx 1080 graphics card ,a massive 32GB RAM, fast 512GB SSD + 1TB HDD and the extremely powerful i7-7820HK processor. In addition , this laptop has a very good IPS display and GSYNC technology, good build quality and decent heat management...This system would be perfect for gaming as well as SOLIDWORKS and video editing..

If you really have to go for a thinner laptop, this ASUS ROG Zephyrus GX501 would be nice, but it is not a 17.3 inches laptop :(

The Acer predator is available on Amazon Prime, so you get it within 3-max 5 days.

I've also been suggested/ looking options:

(1) https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-P55Wv7-KL3-Notebook-Kabylake-i7-7700HQ/dp/B073SHKV88/ref=pd_day0_147_3?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=KQT5TWT9P10ZQVVJSSJF&th=1

(2) https://www.amazon.com/Zephyrus-Full-HD-Ultra-portable-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B071XDXLPG/ref=pd_sim_147_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3GMCST5F2BTE01K0NJX7

Id reccomend this cause ya know max q and it doesnt feel like lugging a desktop around https://www.amazon.com/Zephyrus-Full-HD-Ultra-portable-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B071XDXLPG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1499646692&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+zephyrus

> https://www.amazon.com/Zephyrus-Full-HD-Ultra-portable-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B071XDXLPG

Thanks for the tip! I was hoping to have it flip back like a zen/yoga style and am not sure the ASUS rig does that? Many times, on plane flights there just isn't as much room on the tray tables and stuff

Msi makes good products. They're one of the top brands up there with asus. Don't know about Lenovo. I still prefer asus over msi though. If you can come up with the cash, this one would be awesome. If you need to stick to the $1500 range, this one would be excellent. Only downside I see on that one is the 75hz refresh rate. Go browse through the asus rog lineup and find something you like that you can afford.

I'm sorry this isn't helpful, but ASUS today announced a gaming laptop that does something similar in the opposite direction for cooling purposes. Kinda neat. https://www.amazon.com/GX501VI-XS74-Zephyrus-Full-HD-Ultra-portable-Gaming/dp/B071XDXLPG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498499046&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+zephyrus