Buying a laptop for UNi Created 16 years ago2007-08-06 15:46:00 UTC by the Arcan

i'm looking to buying a laptop for University. As far as studies goes i'll probably only use it for writing essays in word. However i'd also like to have good enough specs to play games like half life 2 or Oblivion.

since some people seem very savvy in buying good stuff i thought maybe you could help me out. I would like to keep the price relativly low (hopefully <1500). So i'm not asking for the newest and best notebook on the market, just one thats good enough for the above and that also has a high satisfactory rating. Upgradeability is a big +. Anyone have any ideas?

thanks

Upgradeability in laptops? You kidding? The most you'll ever be upgrading is the RAM.

What kind of size are you looking for though? I personally think those 17 inch monsters are flat out ridiculous, and I even find 15.4 inchers a bit too big, but that's just my opinion. If it's just going to be sitting in one place on your desk all day though, I guess it might not matter how big or heavy it is.

Sorry, but what currency are we talking about?

As for upgradeability (sp?) - now days the possibilities are much better - you can easily change RAM, HD, and optical - as well as being able to change the lcd panel for a higher quality one, etc.

By todays standards... games such as HL2 aren't classed as state-of-the-art - despite its sexiness (sp?) even now! however, OTOH, Oblivion will destroy any laptop and most desktops that you throw at it. Laptops aren't build for gaming - its just that some manufactures such as Evesham attempt to stick a more powerful card it in.

Trust me when I say its not worth spending a lot more to be able to play newer / games at higher quality. These 'tops have dreadful battery life, are loud, very hot and inefficient. Its not worth it.

I agree that 17"ers are a bit extreme for laptops - they become heavy, bulky and worse on the battery. I wouldn't go bigger than 15" / 15.4" - the equivalent. Also, this lower res. will help with fps in newer games.

Okay, you're right, optical drives and I suppose hard drives in some cases are easily replaced, but I'd say a new screen is a bit pushing it.

Fair 'nuff... but its do-able! I can just see it now.... a PCWorld AD on TV for a top spec laptop screen upgrade....

"...So just rip apart your laptop and.... oh s**t - find it doesn't fit! So.... ermmm, Buy one today!"

EDIT: Man I talk crap when I'm tired!

I'm going to the Art Institute of Boston, and they want me to get a mac, which I love anyways. I'm going to get a 15" Macbook Pro and just run Bootcamp so I can play HL2 on it. It will run it much better than my crappy Dell, plus that will allow me to try my hand at mapping source. My Dell can't handle it, but the duel-core pentium chip should do it nicely.

Although the MBP is fast and has very good battery life, a non-mac with similar specs goes for hundreds less.

I hope you're using OS X almost all the time, because buying a Mac just for boot camp is a waste of money.

I'm buying the mac for the mac. I'm installing windows as well, because I can't live without HL.

My Dell can't handle it, but the duel-core pentium chip should do it nicely.

You say it like a more economically priced modern Dell laptop wouldn't beat the shit out of that Macbook for gaming. Not that I like Dells or anything, but your comparison just sucks, because your Dell is invariably dated, and probably wasn't even in the same price range as an Apple when you bought it.

Anyway, it doesn't matter, because Macs are just completely out of his price range. The only gaming-capable laptop Apple makes is the Macbook Pro, and it starts at a whopping 2000 dollars (U.S.), so it's out of the question.

$2000?

EDIT: The one with 256MB of GDDR3 is $2500. I got my Dell Inspiron 1520 with comparable specs for $1300 less. (CPU slower by 400MHz, faster 7200RPM HD, GPU has DDR2 VRAM, resolution is lower but even 1280x800 is too high, etc).

Back on topic: laptop don't upgrade easily. Some manufacturers solder parts in for some reason, BIOS updates are needed, there's only an PC Card/ ExpressCard slot, etc. As for upgradable GPUs, there's a few laptops that use Nvidia's MXM spec., but they start at $2000 and the system doesn't really work (cards never come out, cards made in tiny quantities, cards require type III, etc). For something below 1500USD, you'll have to accept the limitations of typical laptops.

well i was actually asking for specefic laptops not about whether to buy a mac or a windows one. i dont want a mac.

I suggest one of those huge PC makers like Dell or HP. They'll offer fast enough parts in a laptop to max out HL2, just look for the 8600GT. The tech support is crap, but you can fix your own computer Stuff like Acer or mom & pop shops will be above $1500.

Right Arcan, but you never answered our question. What size?

Also, I'm gonna have to recommend Acer. I know that's what I'd get, and I've heard some spectacular things about the quality of their hardware. Pay no mind to Dave, his opinions suck 100 percent of the time, and I assure you that he's got no idea what he's talking about.

I doubt there's any "HL2 on max" capable Acer laptops for under $1500.

I bet it comes close though. Newegg.com usually has some deals

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220163

Hmm, I don't know what a 8600GS is like, but this would be a fast Vista system after a RAM and maybe hard disk upgrade.

Arcan lives in South Africa, amirite? Newegg is out of the question.

WHAT CURRENCY?!?!?!

Come on Arcan, help us a little here. You just want us to tell you which laptop to buy or what? I'm assuming you have some idea of what you want.

Oblivion runs fine on my MacBook Pro, and that's only got an X1600 onboard. But yeah, if you're looking at price, I wouldn't go for an Apple. Go for an Apple if you want OS X and Windows, not as a powerhouse solution.

Booo Apple.
If there's a problem with it you can't fix it yourself. I dont like that.

Edit: Dont mind this post

Tetsu0: Lucky they don't get many problems!

Aside from that, if something fucks up on your laptop, what possible repairs could you possibly carry out on it? Not like the parts in 'em are commercially avaliable for anybody to use. Besides, once the warranty is finished on a Mac, you can do whatever you want, like any warranty.

sorry, i was sleeping the last couple of hours. i live in the US so i meant $1500 (USD). I'll be studying in the UK though so an "english" laptop would be alright aswell.

a huge screen isn't necessary so 15.4' would suffice.

hm...
lets see....

it wouldnt need a dvd drive or a humongous hd since i have both an external dvd drive and hd. both are hooked up via USB as is my mouse. How many usb ports does a normal laptop have nowadays? the one david linked seems to have 4 ports.

I also have a headset so microphone would not be an essential part nor would a webcam be though the one (webcam) i currently have is also a USB one =.

It would be nice if the keyboard would have media functions (basic ones are fine [play,pause, stop, fastfoward, rewind)

i've never tried vista and people seem to be on complete opposites sides on that issue. i'm willing to give it a try though.

the one dave linked looks nice though the speakers seem very close to one another.
I admit i'm not to big on whats what so i dont understand whether the laptop has 256Mb Ram or 1Gb.
whats the difference between video ram and memory?

thanks for all the help and good will

I think, that an MSI notebook would be the best choice for you. I don't own a laptop myself, but I'm looking forward to buying one in the next few weeks. I've been looking around, what kind of specs laptops have, and which are reliable, and came to the conclusion, that MSIs have the best price for their performance, and are reliable. They almost always have 1Gb of RAM and have a middle-class (so useable) videocard.

Acers are only good, if you have like 800 bucks for a laptop. The acers, that are more expensive, suck balls compared to the laptops from other manufacturers.

The laptops from Dell, ASUS and Sony are also reliable, but they just cost too much IMO. The new, cheaper Dells have nice Core 2 Duo processors, but a piece of shit graphics chip (Intel Extreme 950) - with that, you can't even run HL with decent FPS rate. For the same price, MSIs have better overall performance - maybe not with ultra leading-edge CPUs, but with 1Gb of RAM and GeForce 7600-Class videocards.

Actually, I've been looking for a model around 200000 HUF (1000 dollars), in that category, my model of choice is: MSI L735X-050HU (AMD Turion 1,6 Ghz, 1Gb RAM, GeForce Go 7600 256 MB, 100Gb HDD). If you have 1500 dollars for it: MSI L745X-075HU. (which HAS Core 2 Duo processor AND a GeForce 7600 Go 256 MB, which you can't say from the Dells in this category.)

Lucky they don't get many problems!

I knew 6 people who had macs while i was in college, 4 of them sent out their computers to apple to get problems fixed.
So in my experience with them, i dont like em.
and the only one i used froze so bad the power button wouldn't work.

Yeah, my friend also has a macbook, and couldn't turn it on one day, even with fully charged battery, and with the power cable plugged in...the macbook was only 7 months old...

From what i've heard:

2GB of system memory is now the new baseline for a fast Vista experience. 512MB is the minimum spec, but it's like running XP with 128MB. 1GB is alright for basic stuff, but gaming won't be as fast.

Video memory is a whole other thing. Laptops get a bit complicated here. There's integrated (rubbish) and actual graphics chips. The integrated usually don't have any VRAM, so they use some of the system memory. A while ago, dedicated cards had their own VRAM, usually 64MB, 128MB, or 256MB. Today, even powerful dedicated graphics chip with their own VRAM use system memory. My 8600GT mobile used 1 out of my 2GB of system memory until I turned off this "feature." I believe AMD calls this "HyperMemory," while nVIDIA calls this "Turbocache." Avoid it.

Masta Killa: My $1200 Dell has a 8600GT mobile.

Masta Killa, i googled the two laptops you named but i only got hits from either danish or Scandinavian sites (not quite sure which). Is there perhaps an english code for those notebooks?

Dell XPS laptops are pretty sweet, but then again the one i had is another $900 + your Budget

Dell XPS is disgusting. There's a huge ass "XPS OMGLOL" logo on the sides and it has flashing lights for an "extreme gaming experience." I'm surprised they didn't claim the trackpad had 2000dpi.

I dont have the flashy one. I have the M1210 Which is like an inspiron only it has a black back.
I didnt even opt for the built in mic or webcam

Whoa, I only looked at the hungarian models, and as I took a look at MSI's site, and a few other sites, the model numbers are completely fucking different - or in Hungary they sell older models ,or I dunno...well all I can say, take a look at the above mentioned site (newegg.com), there are models, that have similar specs, as the ones I mentioned.

Dave, even on the XPS models that DO have lights, they're easily turned off. And they don't flash, you numbskull.

Tetsu0, the M1210 was replaced with the M1330, which reportedly has a slower graphics card than the M1210 (a 8400M GS.) Plus, it's really expensive.

Masta Killa, MSI's offerings look seriously underpowered even compared to Dell's. Geforce Go 7600? 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo? That's not exactly bang for your buck there.

Tetsu0, the M1210 was replaced with the M1330, which reportedly has a slower graphics card than the M1210 (a 8400M GS.) Plus, it's really expensive.

I, Therefore, Win. But it's still a dell.
Just keep shopping around until you can find the best deal, and let the community know before making a decision.

The M1330 is like a Macbook:

• Really thin
• GPU isn't too good
• LED screen
• Expensive

If they offered one with a 8700M GT, they could change the name to M1337.

That'd actually get a lot of attention from customers.

Dave, the 8700M GT isn't even available yet, but what makes you think it'd ever appear in the M1330 if they can't even fit an 8600M GT in there?

...

But yeah, that would be really nice, and almost make it worthwhile.

I'm personally fed up with trying to find a gaming-worthy laptop on the cheap. I tried it once when I was looking for laptops for myself, but I just gave up.

I love the mobility of my lappy but i'd rather a desktop.
Double the power at almost half the cost.
Plus a sweet looking case and all the upgrades you can shake a stick at for at least 2-3 years

My computer will always suck since I don't buy a new graphics card every year. It might as well be small and not a heater.

srry: Ok, so I fail on the american market, it seems, that I don't really know what specs the american dells have, but in my country, MSI is clearly the better choice. (Maybe Dells are hellotta expensive in Hungary) The models from dell, that I can get my hands on here, mostly have useless Intel Extreme GPUs, the only one - from the 6400 series - that has a Radeon X1400, and has a price of 280000 HUF (so ~1400$) has only 512MB of RAM. There are two MSIs in that class. The first one has 1Gb of RAM, X1600 GPU, and a Turion 64 2.0 Ghz for ~1070$. The second one has 1 Gb of RAM, GeForce 7600 Go GPU and a Turion 64 1.8 for ~1250$. And according to this, a GeForce 7600 Go isn't as crap, as you say it is.

As for the processor: 1.8 Ghz Core 2 Duo or Turion 64 - well, where I live the fastest CPU you can get are Core 2 Duos running at 3.0 Ghz, or Quad Core CPUs running at 2.4 Ghz. Now, we're talking about middle class laptops here, not some gaming beasts. In the middle class, I think a 1.8 Ghz Turion or Core 2 Duo combined with GeForce 7600 Go or Radeon X1600 works just fine.

And once again, sorry for my n00bness on the american market.

GeForce Go 7600s and Radeon X1600s are too slow to run Oblivion and Half-Life 2 well.

Well, I don't know about Oblivion, but I think it can handle HL2 no problem. Yes, the laptop GPUs are slower, than the ones in the desktop machines, but come on, X1600 or GF 7600? I have an old Radeon 9550, and even that old junk can run HL2 on high detail settings and 1024*768 with average 40 FPS. Maybe they'll have some slow-downs in high resolutions, and HDR turned on, but generally it'll run smooth.

I'd say pretty much anything can handle HL2 - but its a completely different story with Oblivion. Laptops + Oblivion = NO

The X1600 isn't a bad card - i've put it into a few earlier budget builds and it seems to hold out quite well - trying games like FEAR really showed them off. But as I said, it depends on the resolution. The larger the monitor, the more powerful card you're gonna need.

If you get a card just good enough to run HL2 on alright settings, it doesn't leave room for newer games. I got a 8600GT mobile because I can run HL2 at 1280x800, 8xAA/16xAF, high texture/models, full reflections, full shaders, etc with a framerate of ~100. This thing will allow me to play Crysis & UT3

I'm not into RPGs, so I've never tried Oblivion.

Hah... Crysis. Yeah... sure :

HAHAHA! Crysis! On an 8600m GT! Haha! Sure, maybe at 20 FPS on the lowest settings...

Arcan, I'm wondering, do you really NEED a laptop? I mean, are you going to be carrying this thing around with you, or do you just want one because it seems like everyone else is getting them when they go off to uni? You haven't really mentioned anything about requiring portability, so it just makes me question your motives behind the purchase.

If this is really just going to be sitting in one place all the time like a desktop, it would make this search a lot easier because I wouldn't have to rule out huge 17 inchers, which are usually the laptops that have decent graphics cards.

Doesn't your government help you with technological wares purchases? MAybe you should inform yourself. Here in Portugal, the government, thanks to a M$/HP/PT Gov't deal is selling laptops to high schoolers for really low prices. Furthermore, they give you a discount on Internets.

If your gov't doesn't, come live here
No, srsly, what srry said. You'd spend a lot less money and would get better quality if you get a desktop PC. Of course, no open space/cafeteria studying and no STYLE ++ bonus...

Uh... no, our government doesn't do that here. Some companies offer student discounts, but that's the extent of it.

I actually just found out about the Asus C90S, and it looks incredible. It's supposedly the fastest 15.4" notebook available (in terms of gaming), and I configured it for just under $1500. The thing is though, it's not really being sold by major retailers, so I found this place, which apparently either ships all the parts that you select to you, or puts it together for free. That's what I'd get.

I'm relying on discounts for software through my school. Most programs they sell at like 25% of the cost, because they buy licenses in bulk from the companies.