Question:
gaming laptop for under $1300 (plus tax)
Hi all,
do you guys have any suggestions on the best gaming laptop i can get for 1300 or less (plus tax)? I just got a bunch of awesome games for christmas (see below) and have been a fan of americas army for a long time.
thanks
1) What size notebook would you prefer?
size doesnt really matter to me, but if making the laptop smaller or larger makes it cheaper, im all for it
2) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
just some internet browsing and the once in a while word file for school, but other than that mostly gaming
3) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
just on my desk
4) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
world of warcraft, half life 2, doom 3, and america's army
5) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
i have a strong preference
6) How many hours of battery life do you need?
not that much really, but an hour at least, nothing abysmal :)
7) What is your budget?
$1300 plus tax
maybe a little over.....
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
yes, if there is a viable return policy
9) What country are you buying this in?
USA
Screen Specifics
10) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
the best for my budget, but performance first for me:)
11) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
either ones are fine, but not if they cost extra
Build Quality and Design
12) Are the notebook’s looks and stylishness important to you?
nope
13) How long do you want this laptop to last?
until college in about 2 years, thats when ill be able to get a desktop, which will be able to get more with a similar budget
Notebook Components
14) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
not a biggie for me, i have a couple of extra external drives to keep files on if i ever run out of space
15) Do you need a DVD, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-R drive?
i only play dvd's so, dvd drive is sufficient:)
also, i found this deal on Costco, but will it be sufficient for my gaming needs? though it has an amd turion processor at ml 37 , 1gb ddr2, and 100gb hd, it also has only 4200rpm on the hd and only 200m 128mb radeon graphics....:(
Answer:
Re: gaming laptop for under $1300 (plus tax)
The Compaq V4000t would make a great 15.4" gaming notebook - the ATI X700 will handle all of those games quite well. The Dell I9300 would make a better 17" gaming notebook, but the Nvidia GeForce 6800 Go is still out of stock as far as I know. In addition, you'd need to use coupons to bring down the price.
Answer:
Re: gaming laptop for under $1300 (plus tax)
Hi there, thanks for compoleting our FAQ. :)
The best quality gaming-capable notebook you could get in that range is the MSI-1029:
Turion MT 64 processor, 128MB X700, very powerful combo. The only downside is that the notebook only gets about 2.5 hours of battery life.
A cheaper option would be the Compaq V4000t as posted, or the dv4000 [same laptop, different case ;)]. Customize on www.HPShopping.com
With your laptop, be sure to get a 5400RPM hard drive, that will ensure good performance. If you upgrade the memory yourself aftermarket [easy to do] from a place such as www.Newegg.com, you can save some cash.
Answer:
Re: gaming laptop for under $1300 (plus tax)
just a quick question: can the msi1029, compaq v4000t, and hp dv4000 all use ddr2 ram, just want to make sure since my friend keeps drilling in on me to get it...
is it also possible to get an msi 1029 with a ML - xx turion?
thanks a lot for your help :D
Answer:
Re: gaming laptop for under $1300 (plus tax)
The MS-1029 only supports Turion MT processors. It also only supports DDR1 SODIMMS at 333/400MHz which is by NO means a downside relative to current DDR2 SODIMMS on account of the higher latencies and timings of the latter.
Answer:
Re: gaming laptop for under $1300 (plus tax)
You don't want a Turion ML - the MT offer the same performance and run cooler.
The V4000T/DV4000 use DDR2, MSI uses DDR as posted.
Answer:
Re: gaming laptop for under $1300 (plus tax)
I'm have to agree that the 1029 is the best budget gaming system. I can play Doom 3 with no problems at all, BF2 on med settings at 800x600 full draw distance and I get at least 40fps, usually 50-60.
I disagree with the battery life. I get about 2h 40m watching dvd movies using WinDVD on agressive battery saving mode. I have managed to squeeze 3h 14m before standby surfing the net using wifi. This seems pretty average for notebooks of this type, especially in this price range. Some get more, but with optional extra/larger batteries.
Answer:
Re: gaming laptop for under $1300 (plus tax)
http://www.londondrugs.com/Cultures/...7&ProductTab=1
If you're living in Canada and don't mind spending a little more, this laptop is the one to get. The GeForce Go 6600 is no longer considered mid/high-end like it was half a year ago, but especially considering the low price of the M60-BK3 ($1599 plus tax), it's hard to beat. Best of luck finding it in-stock though. ;)
Answer:
Re: gaming laptop for under $1300 (plus tax)
thanks to all of you for your input:D
Answer:
Re: gaming laptop for under $1300 (plus tax)
How about the Compaq V4000T? Best budget gaming-capable notebook, won't get better performance in any other notebook at that price point. ;)