Question:
hi help me buy my first laptop
hi, im looking for a decent gaming laptop for around 1500 or less. my main comp is a very powerful gaming desktop but i share it with my bro so i dont plan on playing the newest games on the laptop bc i know that will be the better rig either way. but like i said i do share this with my bro so i guess the laptop is more of a backup for school work and stuff but i would still like to be able to play some of my favorite games on it if possible ie, Morrowind, Sims 2, counter-strike , bf1942 and wh40k. so yea i guess im not looking for bruttaly powerful machine but it would be nice to be able to at least play something, even on a lower res if i have to.
i was looking at an custom HP DV5000 w/
AMD Turion(TM) 64 ML-40 (2.2GHz/1MB L2 Cache)
128MB ATI RADEON(R) XPRESS 200M w/Hypermemory(TM)
1.0GB DDR SDRAM (2x512MB)
80 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
this came out to be $1,268.99 which i found reasonable
i just found the Gateway MX7525 on circuitcity.com. i very much like the specs and everyone who reviewed on the website gave it excellent scores but i would trust the ppl who post here more lol. for 1399 and 100 rebate, im leaning towards this one. oh and thats also a bundle, including case and mouse. the only problem is they done have it in stock and i was hoping to get this soon.
anyway, thank u for any feedback in advance. should i be going in a diff direction or does the Gateway seem like something i should get. o and ive had several gateway desktops in the past so i am aware that they can have problems sumtimes.
anyways ill do this template thingy anyway.
1) What is your budget?
$1500 can go higher but would prefer not to
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
school work, gaming
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
mostly at home. but might want to take to school for classes or programming, im a comp enginerring major
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
morrowind, cs, wh40k, bf 1942, anything else i can
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
nope
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
will mostly have at home so, not a lot
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
nah
9) What country are you buying this in?
US
Screen Specifics
10) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
a. XGA = eXtended Graphics Array; 1024x768; This resolution will give you the largest viewable text and images while offering the least amount of screen real estate.
d. WXGA = Widescreen eXtended Graphics Array; 1280x768 or 1280x800; This resolution offers the same as XGA except that there is more horizontal real estate; 1280 versus 1024. Popular for movie viewing due to support for widescreen.
11) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
umm ive nvr had a laptop b4 so im not sure but i have an astigmatism so the glossy might kill my eyes. doesnt really matter though i can always just wear my glasses :p
Build Quality and Design
12) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
nah but it would be cool lol
13) How long do you want this laptop to last?
possibly through college
Notebook Components
14) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
80 to 100
15) Do you need a DVD, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-R drive?
nope
again thx for any feedback
Answer:
Re: hi help me buy my first laptop
erggg i just reread the Gateway MX7525 specs and it does not show a wireless lan?!? am i going crazy or does it not have one?
Answer:
Re: hi help me buy my first laptop
dv5000T is what you want:
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/sh...computer_store
Operating System Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home Edition with SP2
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) Duo processor T2400 (1.83 GHz)
Display 15.4" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800)
Graphics Card 128MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7400
Memory 512MB DDR2 SDRAM (1x512MB)
Hard Drive 80 GB 5400 RPM Serial ATA Hard Drive
Primary CD/DVD Drive DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive
Networking Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
Primary Battery 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Then just buy a 1gb stick of DDR2 533 from newegg for about $75 and it'll own :D
Answer:
Re: hi help me buy my first laptop
ok couple questions then. i know the nvidia graphics card makes it the better choice for gaming. my desktop has dual pentium 4 3.0 processors and ive had this comp for quite some time so i dont remember what its like having a single processor. are the dual 1.83 processors going to be that much faster than the athlon 64 2.6 gHz processor? also, i can gut and rebuild a desktop but i cant even imagine how to put a stick of ram in a laptop. i think i would even be afraid of opening it...
Answer:
Re: hi help me buy my first laptop
ok couple questions then. i know the nvidia graphics card makes it the better choice for gaming. my desktop has dual pentium 4 3.0 processors and ive had this comp for quite some time so i dont remember what its like having a single processor. are the dual 1.83 processors going to be that much faster than the athlon 64 2.6 gHz processor? also, i can gut and rebuild a desktop but i cant even imagine how to put a stick of ram in a laptop. i think i would even be afraid of opening it...
l don't have an answer for the first question, but the laptop ram thing is easy as pie. Theres a panel with 1 or 2 screws on the bottom that you unscrew, then you just pop the ram in the slot like on the desktop and screw the panel back on. Thats it.
Answer:
Re: hi help me buy my first laptop
o sry i forgot my other question, whats the difference between the widescreen and the brightview widescreen? i use a CRT monitor and ive never really like LCD so i dont think i would really like the super glossy look...if thats the difference
Answer:
Re: hi help me buy my first laptop
Glossy screens(BrightView) are coated. They make colors sharper and more vibrant, but do produce more glare. For regular office use, I think the matte screen is fine, but if you are going to use it for DVDs or photos, I think the glossy is worth considering. You should check some out of each before you buy.
Answer:
Re: hi help me buy my first laptop
k thx. so what do u guys think would be the better choice, the gateway with the athlon 64 2.6 ghz processor or an hp with the dual 1.83 processors?
or should i get dual 2.0 processors? im willing to shell out the extra hundred bucks if it would improve performance
Answer:
Re: hi help me buy my first laptop
The HP is about a pound lighter than the gateway. The Core Duos are very fast and run cool.
Answer:
Re: hi help me buy my first laptop
If you want something with a good matte screen and a more powerful GPU, try the Quanta KN1-PM.