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Open Forum => Off-Topic => Topic started by: Ironica on February 11, 2012, 06:57:17 PM
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My bonus is coming up so I have been looking at different laptops again. I do not know much about hardware and am realizing that every time I search :p. So I need some help in getting the best one I can afford. The catch is, I can only afford 1G (might go up a couple of hundred depending on the size of my bonus). I know the first instinct might be to tell me to just get a desktop but unfortunately, we don't have much room in our house for a desk. Also not that even though I would like a gaming laptop, I do realize that I will not be playing the newest games with it and that's fine. I usually play games that are a few years old (games like LOTR:BFME 1 & 2, NWN, City Of Heroes, Portal (would love to get Portal 2 after I get my laptop), etc.) I don't mind if the games aren't on the top uber settings but would like it to run at least a little under it. All help is welcomed (with what to look for or the actual laptops).
God Bless
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Slightly above the price you said. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230214)
Little below your price range. slightly smaller screen. upradable memory (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215266)
Costs more than the last one, better video card but less RAM. still upgradeable to the same amount though. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215261)
start there and let me know if you need more help.
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The only thing that I know what to look at is the ghz. I'm noticing that nwn2 is out but o well. So besides that, what other components should I look at (and how do I know the difference between video cards and their quality)? I do like the middle price of the three ( price wise and better processing speed).
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The processor for the most part isn't going to be a problem any system you buy new is going to have a processor in it good enough to handle modern games, but if 2 laptops are of similar price and have the same specs otherwise obviously go with the better processor. For gaming your limiting factors are mostly going to be your ram and your video card. Anything less thant 4 GB of ram isn't going to do you much good, 6-8 recommended but if it only has 4 check to see if it's upgradeable since you can get Ram relatively cheap if thats the only issue. The most important part of any gaming system is going to be your video card, and it's on card ram. It HAS to have a dedicated card, no on board or integrated. 1 GB of ram minimum. the Radeon 6800 series or better or the Nvidia 900 series (i think) are your best bets, if you find a model you like just post it here and we'll let you know what we can.
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I recently bought a laptop, and I found these sites to be REALLY helpful for comparing processors (http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html) and graphics cards. (http://www.notebookcheck.net/Comparison-of-Laptop-Graphics-Cards.130.0.html)
For instance, of the laptops suggested above, I found the following info:
Price Graphics Card Rank Processor Rank
Laptop 1 $1200 #23 (Class 1) #28 (Great)
Laptop 2 $ 780 #49 (Class 2) #24 (Great)
Laptop 3 $ 830 #49 (Class 2) #24 (Great)
That is a BIG difference in graphics cards, and so I don't think options 2 or 3 are probably what you're looking for. And option 1 is too expensive. So I'd keep looking.
For example I found:
Price Graphics Card Rank Processor Rank Note
Laptop 4 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230174) $ 965 #23 (Class 1) #28 (Great) This is refurbished
Laptop 5 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+17.3%22+Qosmio+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+640GB+Hard+Drive+-+Red+Horizon/3529339.p?id=1218410281047&skuId=3529339) $1070 #23 (Class 1) #52 (Good) This is sold out online
Laptop 6 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+17.3%22+Qosmio+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+640GB+Hard+Drive+-+Red+Horizon/4684257.p?id=1218508070824&skuId=4684257) $1080 #23 (Class 1) #48 (Good) This is my favorite option
That last one really looks like a great deal for a gaming laptop. It has 6Gb of RAM, and even has a 17in screen (which is AWESOME).
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Laptop 6 does look great but after taxes, is about 200 over budget. If I get a nice bonus, I probably could get it.
My question, though, is why is laptop 6 only a good rating while laptop 3 is a great rating yet?
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Yeah I'm unsure on that as well. Laptop 3 has a 2.2 ghz i7 6 is a 2.5 ghz i5. the i5 is a little faster but i7 > i5
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My biggest note of advice is to find some sort of sale. There's this place called microcenter (I don't know if it's a chain or not) that luckily had a 1-day $600 off sale for one laptop, which was the one i bought that was originally prices at $1400 i think, so I got it for $800
Except for a hard drive issue within the past month, it's treated me wonderfully well. Maybe you should look into Vaios, mine is a vpc something model.
The only piece of advice I can offer other than that is to not get anything Toshiba Satellite a665 related. within 2 days it crashed repeatedly after 5 seconds of turning it on, do not recommend that one.
Most laptops nowadays are capable of performing well enough for most games, which ones do you have in mind?
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My question, though, is why is laptop 6 only a good rating while laptop 3 is a great rating yet?
Laptop 3 had a "great" processor rating because it is the #24 best mobile processor available right now. Laptop 6's processor is currently ranked #48, which is still "good", but still a significant difference.
Laptop 3 has a 2.2 ghz i7 6 is a 2.5 ghz i5. the i5 is a little faster but i7 > i5
I used to think that all you had to do with processors was look at the gHz, and pick the biggest number. I also used to think that i7>i5>i3 was always true. I also used to think that quad-core>dual-core>single-core was always true. However, after researching for a while, I've discovered that it is actually a lot more complicated than that.
That is why I use the comparison websites that I recommended above. They have experts look at all the benchmarks and rank the processors. Thus I can quickly see a list of how the processors stack up.
To pick an extreme example of the surprises that I have found:
An i3-2370M (#64) is actually a much better processor than an i7-620UM (#222) or even an i7-2617M (#98)
Similarly, a duel-core Core 2 Duo T9900 (#59) is a much better processor than a VIA nano quad-core L4700 (#303) or even a Core 2 Quad Q9000 (#97)
Here's a couple more good options that are a less expensive (refurbished).
Price Graphics Card Rank Processor Rank
Laptop 7 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230111) $870 #26 (Class 1) #28 (Great)
Laptop 8 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230174) $965 #21 (Class 1) #28 (Great)
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An i3-2370M (#64) is actually a much better processor than an i7-620UM (#222) or even an i7-2617M (#98)
Well yeah but in that case it's because the i3 processor is second gen (sandy bridge technology) were as the i7s are first generation i cores. But the i5 and i7 listed about are both 2nd generation and there really isn't a big enough difference in GHz to me to overcome that comparable i7s are better than comparable i5s. I'm not saying I disagree with you, I disagree with their rankings.
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Well yeah but in that case it's because the i3 processor is second gen (sandy bridge technology) were as the i7s are first generation i cores. But the i5 and i7 listed about are both 2nd generation
Yes, that is exactly the kind of complication that I'm talking about.
comparable i7s are better than comparable i5s.
I agree with you. The problem though is that people who don't look at anything besides the "i7" or the "i5" can't really tell whether they are "comparable" versions or not.
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Most laptops nowadays are capable of performing well enough for most games, which ones do you have in mind?
For the most part, the games I will be playing are:
City Of Heroes
Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle Earth (mostly 1 but sometimes 2)
Heroes Of Might And Magic 5 (might get six if my laptop can handle it).
NWN 2 (won't miss it that much if I can't play it)
The Star Wars first person shooter (can't remember the name)
Minesweeper
I will probably never play Elder Scroll (or the latest top graphics game out there) so I don't have to worry about having teh uber computer to play it (and as mentioned before, don't mind toning down the graphics some as long as I don't have to tone them down too much).
Hope that helps.
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Yeah I'm unsure on that as well. Laptop 3 has a 2.2 ghz i7 6 is a 2.5 ghz i5. the i5 is a little faster but i7 > i5
I Love how this Makes no sense to me....
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I just bought an Asus G74SX-BBK9.
It has yet to ship, but when it does, I'll let you all know how it runs. It's a beast of a machine though, I'm sure I'll be happy with it.
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I just bought an Asus G74SX-BBK9.
It has yet to ship, but when it does, I'll let you all know how it runs. It's a beast of a machine though, I'm sure I'll be happy with it.
I have a G60JX. The only thing you have to worry about is the only problem I've had with my Asus gaming laptop, for some reason Asus laptops seem to have a relatively high rate of USB port failure. 3 of my 4 ports dont work at all, and the 4th has power but no data. Hold on to your receipt, it is something they fix under warranty IF you can get then to honor it. I'm currently fighting with them over the warranty, online it says its a 2 year warranty but they claim its expire 1 year 7 months after i bought the laptop.
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Interesting, I'll be sure to keep an eye on that - I don't actually use all that many USB devices even when gaming so I'm not super worried about it.
I have a USB mouse, USB headphones, and depending on how the keyboard feels I might have to break out a USB keyboard as well. But that's about it.
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I just bought an Asus G74SX-BBK9.
It has yet to ship, but when it does, I'll let you all know how it runs. It's a beast of a machine though, I'm sure I'll be happy with it.
I have a G60JX. The only thing you have to worry about is the only problem I've had with my Asus gaming laptop, for some reason Asus laptops seem to have a relatively high rate of USB port failure. 3 of my 4 ports dont work at all, and the 4th has power but no data. Hold on to your receipt, it is something they fix under warranty IF you can get then to honor it. I'm currently fighting with them over the warranty, online it says its a 2 year warranty but they claim its expire 1 year 7 months after i bought the laptop.
that's terrible did you try re-installing the drivers?!
or is it a mechanical issue
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I believe the newer models come with built in bluetooth so if they do break you can just get a bluetooth mouse/keyboard
It's a mechanical issue. the computer doesn't even recognize the ports are there anymore. I've reinstalled the drivers dozens of times and it doesn't change a thing.
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Received my bonus today (whoohoo :D). I was looking at #6 on the professor's list but they don't have it anymore. Now I'm interested in number five. Before I place my order in a couple of days, anyone else has a suggestion that might be a better buy?
My possible future laptop (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+17.3%22+Qosmio+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+640GB+Hard+Drive+-+Red+Horizon/3529339.p?id=1218410281047&skuId=3529339)
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Double Posting!!!
Anyways, I'm trying to knock down the price while still being able to play the games I want. Here's a couple that I saw during my break.
Option 2 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+14%22+Laptop+-+8GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-+Aluminum+Platinum/4566459.p?skuId=4566459&id=1218492325284#tabbed-customerreviews)
(I didn't see anywhere about a dedicated video card).
Option 3 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Acer+-+17.3%22+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-+Black/4776272.p?id=1218525518957&skuId=4776272)
(It does have a dedicated video card but slower processor)
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Option 3 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Acer+-+17.3%22+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-+Black/4776272.p?id=1218525518957&skuId=4776272)
(It does have a dedicated video card but slower processor)
This one. .2 GHZ is not worth an extra hundred dollars especially when it has a bigger hard drive, better video card, and it's not even really faster when you get down to it. The base speed of this ones processor is .2 less that the other, but it's turbo boost speed is .1 higher. All of this to me means definitely this one.
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Your new "option #2" seems to have the HD3000 graphics chip in it which is NOT dedicated and is WAY worse than what we've been looking at so far.
Your new "option #3" has a graphics chip ranked #34 (which is not quite as good as the Laptop 6 that I suggested, but is still in Class 1, and should be good for you). It also has a processor ranked #24 (which is actually a good bit better than the one in Laptop 6).
Your new "option #3" is an Acer, which I ready some scary stories about terrible customer service, vs Laptop 6 being a Toshiba. However, it is also almost $200 cheaper, and really I think you gotta go with price and just hope you never need their tech support :)
Given the choice, I think your "option #3" is the way to go. You'll save a lot of money, you'll get an awesome processor, you'll still get a great graphics chip, you'll still get the 17in monitor. I think you'll be really happy with it.
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I'm not set on anything as of yet (I'm trying my best to find one under 926). What do you think is the best manufactor to look at?
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I basically have 3 tiers that I put laptop brands into. Lenovo, Sony, and Toshiba are in the top tier. Asus, HP, and Dell are in the middle tier. Acer, Gateway, and Others are in the bottom tier. However, unlike processors and graphics cards which are pretty easy to quantify, brand quality is something that is very subjective. I wouldn't worry much about it really, and I think the comparison below makes the choice pretty clear.
Price Graphics Card Rank Processor Rank Brand Screen
Laptop 6 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+17.3%22+Qosmio+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+640GB+Hard+Drive+-+Red+Horizon/4684257.p?id=1218508070824&skuId=4684257) $1080 #23 (Class 1) #48 (Good) Toshiba 17 in
Option 3 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Acer+-+17.3%22+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-+Black/4776272.p?id=1218525518957&skuId=4776272) $ 900 #34 (Class 1) #24 (Great) Acer 17 in
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I basically have 3 tiers that I put laptop brands into. Lenovo, Sony, and Toshiba are in the top tier. Asus, HP, and Dell are in the middle tier. Acer, Gateway, and Others are in the bottom tier. However, unlike processors and graphics cards which are pretty easy to quantify, brand quality is something that is very subjective. I wouldn't worry much about it really, and I think the comparison below makes the choice pretty clear.
Price Graphics Card Rank Processor Rank Brand Screen
Laptop 6 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+17.3%22+Qosmio+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+640GB+Hard+Drive+-+Red+Horizon/4684257.p?id=1218508070824&skuId=4684257) $1080 #23 (Class 1) #48 (Good) Toshiba 17 in
Option 3 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Acer+-+17.3%22+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-+Black/4776272.p?id=1218525518957&skuId=4776272) $ 900 #34 (Class 1) #24 (Great) Acer 17 in
So besides the brand name, the Acer laptop seems like a better choice for me than the Toshiba one (especially since the Toshiba one is not available anymore through that link ;)). Since I'm not planning on playing any games that requires uber graphics, the 200 I would save seems worth it. Do they have that bad of a history of breaking?
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Do they [Acer] have that bad of a history of breaking?
If you do some reading on the BestBuy or Amazon or NewEgg website reviews, you get a picture that Acer has really upset some customers with their poor customer service. However, the squeaky wheels are the ones that make all the noise. I'm sure there are thousands of people who have bought Acers and haven't had any problems with them.
In my mind, it's kinda like buying a refurbished machine. Sure there's a higher chance of getting a dud, but there's still a good chance that you get a computer that you'll be really happy with. And you save a LOT of money by taking that risk.
I did find one review of this computer that you're looking at on Amazon. (http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-AS7750G-9810-17-3-Inch-Laptop/product-reviews/B006SOO2AQ/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1) It wasn't flattering.
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I'm not quite sure about Lenovo being top tier, but I'm pretty sure any reputable computer geek can confirm that Toshiba and especially Sony are top-tier manufacturers, using excellent materials with solid build quality.
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Going to try Sony custom out (especially since they have the no interest financing option). Here's my first try (still trying to keep it somewhat low):
Intel® Core™ i5-2450M processor (2.50GHz / 3.10GHz with Turbo Boost) (45; 43)
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit
15.5" LED backlit display (1366 x 768)
AMD Radeon™ HD 6630M (1GB) hybrid graphics with Intel® Wireless Display technology (Class 2)
640GB (7200rpm) hard drive
6GB (4GB x1 + 2GB x1) DDR3-SDRAM-1333
CD/DVD player / burner
Standard lithium-ion battery (5300mAh)
The price is 1070 before tax. I know that the video card is not class one but considering that:
1) It's Sony so at least I'm buying from a reliable company
2) I'm not planning on having any newer games on ultra high graphics mode
3) It's either that or the standard one they have.
Am I getting closer to my goal? I have to stay under $1000 so that my wife and I can go to a bed and breakfast for our five year anniversary at the end of this month (whoohoo ;D). If I go through Sony, I can get a better (from my basic knowledge point of view :P) laptop while still being able to go on our trip (we have had the no interest deals before and we always pay them off before the interest kicks in).
Whatcha think?
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Going to try Sony custom out
Intel® Core™ i5-2450M processor #45
AMD Radeon™ HD 6630M #66 (mid class 2)
15.5" display
price is $1070
This is probably a fine computer, but you said at the beginning that you were going for a GAMING computer, and this is NOT very good for that. For a GAMING computer, the graphics card is critical, and you do NOT want to drop down to class 2, especially quite a bit down into it. At the same time, you are looking at a smaller screen (15" isn't bad, but it is compared to the 17" that you were looking at before). And you are now looking at spending almost $200 more money than you would've on the Acer. I admit that Sony is better, but not THAT MUCH better.
If you were going to go for a computer with a graphics card in that range, you could go with this 17in laptop (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+17.3%22+Satellite+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-+Platinum/4684478.p?id=1218508072052&skuId=4684478) or this 15in laptop, (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+15.6%22+Satellite+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-+Platinum/4756239.p?id=1218521114209&skuId=4756239) which both have much better processors, (http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Core-i7-2670QM-Notebook-Processor.60135.0.html) and cost $100 less money than that Sony.
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The whole idea of top tier manufactures is farce, every manufacturer has budget models that will suck and have problems because they're cheap. This is were brands like Acer get their bad name. Sony by comparison does not sell a true budget model so they have a good name. Any laptop in the price range your looking for will be about the same regardless of manufacturer
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Prof U:
The downside to the two computers that you listed are that they are solder out.
I did check the next module up and the graphics card is still a class 2 (though close to the top of the class 2 list). I can only go over 1k if there is a no interest plan that I can get. So far it looks like I could either gamble with a cheaper laptop or not expect to have good graphics. Grrr
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How important is a dedicated compared to discrete? This hp configure looks nice to me but the down side is that it is not a dedicated card.
Your dv6tqe series
Color dark umber
Operating system Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Processor 2nd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2670QM (2.2 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz (rank 17)
Graphics card 2GB AMD Radeon(TM) HD 7690M GDDR5 Discrete Graphics(TM) [HDMI, VGA] (class 1)
Memory FREE UPGRADE to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
Hard drive 750GB 7200 rpm Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Office software Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel(R) only, No PowerPoint(R)/Outlook(R)
Security software No additional security software
Primary battery 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Display 15.6" High Definition HP LED Brightview (1366x768)
Primary optical drive FREE UPGRADE to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
Personalization HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader
Networking 802.11b/g/n WLAN
Keyboard Standard Keyboard with numeric keypad
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How important is a dedicated compared to discrete?
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2670QM
2GB AMD Radeon(TM) HD 7690M GDDR5 Discrete Graphics(TM) [HDMI, VGA] (class 1)
Display 15.6"
I've heard that discrete is NOT as good as dedicated. However, my guess is that since that graphics card is still listed in Class 1 (and is the #32 overall best on the list (http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html)), that it will still be great.
The processor there is great, and HP is decent brand-wise. I'm not as big a fan of the 15in screen, but I'm spoiled with my 17in Toshiba that I'm really loving. Overall, that looks like a great choice for what you're looking for assuming that the prices is right :)
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It will cost $1152 pre tax but they do have a no interest financing option.
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Price Graphics Card Rank Processor Rank Brand Screen
Option 3 $ 900 #34 (Class 1) #24 (Great) Acer 17 in
New idea $1152 #32 (Class 1) #24 (Great) HP 15 in
Why are you paying $250 more dollars for basically the same computer (and a smaller screen) just because it is an HP? Is the brand really that important to you?
The whole idea of top tier manufactures is farce
I wouldn't go as far as lp, but I agree with him that it's not nearly as important as $250
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Price Graphics Card Rank Processor Rank Brand Screen
Option 3 $ 900 #34 (Class 1) #24 (Great) Acer 17 in
New idea $1152 #32 (Class 1) #24 (Great) HP 15 in
Why are you paying $250 more dollars for basically the same computer (and a smaller screen) just because it is an HP? Is the brand really that important to you?
The whole idea of top tier manufactures is farce
I wouldn't go as far as lp, but I agree with him that it's not nearly as important as $250
1) The computers I looked at earlier are sold out
2) I am also looking for no interest deals to be able to pay more
If you find a better one on a site that does offer no interest financing, I'm all ears.
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1) The computers I looked at earlier are sold out
2) I am also looking for no interest deals to be able to pay more
1) But if there was a deal that good before, there will be again. Wait for it. Then buy it quick before it sells out again.
2) There's no reason to pay more with a no interest deal if you can get an equal machine for less.
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So I just found out that Newegg.com also has financing (Best Buy has a no interest credit card but I don't want another credit card). So, Here's one from that site:
Newegg 1
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230142) Video: Class 1 Processor: #24
It is your covenant 17" screen as well as a high Class one card. Though it does run about 1500 after taxes, the 12 months no interest plan will put off the bulk of it until we get our major tax return in a couple of months.
Here's another one
Newegg 2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834158220) Video: Class 1 Processor: #24
Of course, if for some odd reason I don't qualify (I have never been rejected), It'll be back to the drawing board again :P.
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If you get the Asus, which is a MUCH better laptop overall, do yourself a favor and get the extended warranty with it
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I agree that the Asus is the better option there, and it should be an AWESOME computer for what you want. My only hesitation is that you are up into a whole other price range now, and we haven't really looked around at that price range to see what else is out there.
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I agree that the Asus is the better option there, and it should be an AWESOME computer for what you want. My only hesitation is that you are up into a whole other price range now, and we haven't really looked around at that price range to see what else is out there.
Since your only hesitation is that we haven't been looking at that price range (and since I have to use a no interest payment plan to buy at this price range), I think I'll go with the Asus (since both Sony and HP websites probably won't have laptops like this one for the price that it is). If you find a better laptop around this price (and it has the no interest plan), let me know (will not purchase it until the end of the weekend).
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OK, here's what I found on NewEgg at a variety of prices:
Price Graphics Card Rank Processor Rank Brand Note
NewEgg 1 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215245) $ 700 #59 (mid-Class 2) #50 (Good) Acer Lots of positive reviews
NewEgg 2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834246324) $ 800 #30 (low-Class 1) #24 (Great) Lenovo only 15in screen
NewEgg 3 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215267) $ 900 #59 (mid-Class 2) #24 (Great) Acer 1 TB hard drive
NewEgg 4 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834214593) $ 950 #55 (mid-Class 2) #24 (Great) Toshiba Better brand
NewEgg 5 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834214604) $1050 #21 (mid-Class 1) #46 (Good) Toshiba Better graphics card
NewEgg 6 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834214492) $1350 #21 (mid-Class 1) #24 (Great) Toshiba 1 TB hard drive
Based on these findings, I think that it would be good to ask yourself if you really need the high-end gaming specs, because you could get the 1st one for basically half the price of the last one.
As for the top end, I like the NewEgg 6 better than the Asus you were looking at. They have the same processor, the same graphics card, and the same price, but the Toshiba hard drive is twice as big. The Asus has a bit more RAM (12MB vs. 8MB), but I also like the Toshiba brand more than Asus.
If it were me personally, I think I'd go with NewEgg 2. It has the processor AND graphics card you want, is a great brand, and you save $500 by dropping the screen size 2 inches. Unless someone else has a good reason not to buy that one, I'd recommend getting it before it sells out :)
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12 GB of ram vs. 8 GB of ram is not a "little" better.... and although the graphics card is the same model it is NOT the same card. The Asus card has 3 GB of VRAM the Toshiba is only 1.5 which is a MAJOR difference. The Asus also has a higher resolution monitor which is better for gaming.
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12 GB of ram vs. 8 GB of ram is not a "little" better.... and although the graphics card is the same model it is NOT the same card. The Asus card has 3 GB of VRAM the Toshiba is only 1.5 which is a MAJOR difference. The Asus also has a higher resolution monitor which is better for gaming.
I think 8GB of RAM is plenty really, but you do make some good points overall. What is your opinion of the $1350 Asus 17in compared to the $800 Lenovo 15in?
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Well, I tested the eligibility for the payments and got rejected. Figures. So, I got another month or two before we get our tax refund. The limit will be 2k once that comes in so time to focus on different set (still want to keep it under $1600 pre tax so that I have room for any accessories I need (e.g. carry case)). Of course, not maxing out is always nice :)
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I think 8GB of RAM is plenty really, but you do make some good points overall. What is your opinion of the $1350 Asus 17in compared to the $800 Lenovo 15in?
The Asus is far better it's just a question of if he wants to shell out the extra cash, there's nothing wrong with the Lenovo.
Well, I tested the eligibility for the payments and got rejected. Figures. So, I got another month or two before we get our tax refund. The limit will be 2k once that comes in so time to focus on different set (still want to keep it under $1600 pre tax so that I have room for any accessories I need (e.g. carry case)). Of course, not maxing out is always nice :)
At this point I really need to ask if you are SURE you want a gaming laptop. The fact of the matter is there is no such thing as battery life for a gaming laptop, you will be tied to an outlet when gaming for the most part and even when doing light work you will find the battery life gets frustrating. Combine that with the fact that at your price point you could get the Lenovo laptop that is decent at gaming AND build a top of the line gaming desktop
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Some reasons I would like a laptop:
1) I will not be confined to one spot in the house (considering that the only spots are either the living room or the garage
2) a lot easier to take to other places when I need it (about once a month I wish I had my computer with me to help out with what I'm doing)
3) (also the biggest reason). Our 4x2 house has gotten rather small when we were blessed with our three kids. Now the only place where a regular computer can stay all year is in the garage (which means I would have to isolate myself from everyone just to play). Though I know that I will need a mouse for most games, at least I have a lot more options on where I am while at the same time being with my family.
As it is obvious by my previous posts, I don't know much about buying a laptop. I somewhat still have the mentality that the higher the price, the better the machine. Thank you all for your patience with me.
Pro U: I haven't had a chance to check out your latest list yet. Thanks for all your research you've done for me. I should get to the list tonight.
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Put it in the garage and buy a really nice 4-way-walky-talky with the money you save. Boom, not isolated.
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The Asus is far better
OK, at this point either you're exaggerating or you know a lot more about this than I do. I'm guessing the latter, so can you please explain how the Asus is "far better" so that I can increase my understanding.
This is what I see when looking at the two:
Price Graphics Card Rank Processor Rank Screen RAM V-mem
Lenovo (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834246324) $ 800 #34 (low-Class 1) #24 (w/6MB cache) 15.6 in 6GB 1GB
Asus (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230142) $1350 #21 (mid-Class 1) #24 (w/6MB cache) 17.3 in 12GB 3GB
Hard Drive Wireless Ports Battery
Lenovo 500GB (5400) Bluetooth 2.1 2 USB3, 1USB2, 1USB/sata 6-cell
Asus 500GB (7200) Bluetooth 3.0 1 USB3, 3USB2 8-cell
To me, the difference in graphics cards isn't much considering they are withing 7 ranks, and both in Class 1. The screen size is a big deal to me, but not to most people. There is a big difference in RAM, but 6GB will be plenty for a while, and RAM is cheap and easy to upgrade even for noobs. I don't know anything about Video-memory (maybe this is what you think is a big deal), and I know that the 7200 Hard Drives are faster, but is that such a big deal? Is Bluetooth 3.0 really significantly better than Bluetooth 2.1? The ports on the Lenovo actually seem better since there are more of the better USB3 ports, and there is the ability to work with sata. And I know an 8-cell battery is slightly better than a 6-cell, but as you mentioned, the laptop will be plugged in anyway, so it really doesn't matter does it?
So is one of these things way more significant than I think, or are you saying that it is a "far better" laptop because all of those little things add up to a lot in your book? Do they add up to paying an extra $550?
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6 GB of memory is fine for most people, so a gaming laptop that you don't want to be replacing anytime soon it's just average. Video memory is VERY important, it can make or break a lot of modern gaming experiences. There aren't even that many devices that USE Usb 3.0 so having more than one of them really isn't that beneficial and I can tell you that of all my computers that have an external E-Sata port (all of them) I have used it exactly zero times as most devices that run on E-sata also require a power cable which is pretty hard to come by one that isn't part of your internal power supply, and if your using your internal power supply you already took your computer apart no need for an external E-Sata port. 8 cell battery provides a 33% increase in battery life so he might actually be able to use the laptop as a laptop for basic tasks like internet word processing etc. when your referring to hard drive speeds, the faster they are the faster it can transfer data and thus the faster the system will run overall. On a faster hard drive literally every single thing loads faster, file transfers are faster. It's the reason nerds like me are willing to pay 100 dollars for a 64 GB hard drive. Arbitrary rankings are a good start but they really prove nothing and don't take everything in to account, such as Video Ram. The motherboard in the Asus also has a more advanced and faster chipset (that's something that you'd have to do a lot more research to find). When I rank computers I don't take huge price increases in to account for exactly this reason. The Asus is far superior to the Lenovo, but that's exactly as it should be considering the difference in price. Rather the extra benefits of the Asus is worth $550 is up to the person actually buying the computer to decide. Personally $1400 for a laptop is too much for me no matter what, I'd rather build a desktop and get a laptop I can actually use as a laptop. But Ironica is already willing to spend up to 2k on the thing so $1400 may be nothing to him.
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I will not be playing the newest games with it and that's fine. I usually play games that are a few years old (games like LOTR:BFME 1 & 2, NWN, City Of Heroes, Portal (would love to get Portal 2 after I get my laptop), etc.) I don't mind if the games aren't on the top uber settings
For the most part, the games I will be playing are:
City Of Heroes
Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle Earth (mostly 1 but sometimes 2)
Heroes Of Might And Magic 5 (might get six if my laptop can handle it).
NWN 2 (won't miss it that much if I can't play it)
The Star Wars first person shooter (can't remember the name)
Minesweeper
I will probably never play Elder Scroll (or the latest top graphics game out there)
OK, I was just looking back at this stuff from early in the thread, and I think I'm convinced that your best bet is to buy the Lenovo that we've been talking about. I really think it will meet all the needs that you are talking about here. I also think that it will save you a TON of money, and that by the time games have advanced to the point that you won't be able to really play them anymore (ie. 5 yrs) that you'll be able to buy a new laptop at that point for another $800 which will be way better than the Asus you are looking at now. Another thing to think about is how bad it will be if one of your 3 kids breaks the thing while you're playing games around them in the living room :)
for some reason Asus laptops seem to have a relatively high rate of USB port failure.
Speaking of Asus, here's another reason to go with the Lenovo :)
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I've since done more research and they mostly fixed that problem their USB failure rate is down to about .5% (which is about the same amount of chance any part failure has in any computer) So that's no longer an issue. He may only be playing older games now but that doesn't mean he's never going to be playing new games. In the end it's up to him, with his budget set the way it is (2K) I recommend taking the Asus. End even despite the fact that the USB ports on my Asus laptop have failed i'm still EXTREMELY satisfied with it, and mine was one of the lower end gaming models.
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i'm still EXTREMELY satisfied with it, and mine was one of the lower end gaming models.
The fact that you're "extremely satisfied" with one of the lower end gaming models reinforces the idea that I think he will be too. I still think the Lenovo is the way to go.
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Lower end of the republic of gamers series doesn't make it a lower end gaming machine. That's like saying lower ferraris are the same as a Honda civic
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I have to vouch for lp here, he really does know what he's talking about.
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I have to vouch for lp here, he really does know what he's talking about.
No argument from me there. I can tell that lp knows his stuff. It just seems to me that this is really a question of priorities at this point, and my reading of Ironica's posts is leading me to conclude that with his priorities that the HUGELY less expensive laptop that is ALMOST as good in all areas is the better way to go.
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It really isn't almost as good but that's not the point. Now I don't evaluate people's priorities very often but it seems to me if someone is looking to drop 2k on something it's a fairly high priority to them....
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it seems to me if someone is looking to drop 2k on something it's a fairly high priority to them....
I get the 2k thing, and you may be right. I'm just thinking this is an example of a guy who walks into a car dealership to replace his family car, and the salesman first takes him to the sports car sitting in the show room. It's awesome and suddenly the guy is now thinking of dropping a lot more money than he originally was. But that doesn't mean that he should.
Ironica originally was looking for a computer under $900 that he could play his games on. Since then he's learned a lot about computers, and has also gotten a paycheck or two. But when it all comes down to it, the Lenovo is a GREAT laptop for under $900 and I think he'd be really happy with it.
Edit: Nevermind, the Lenovo was TOO good of a deal. It's already sold out now.