Question:
which notebook (games/internet)
I play a lot of games like half-life 2 and Age of Empires and was thinking one day how it would be great if I could take them along with me. I just built a new gaming desktop and I am not expecting to get nearly as good of performance on a notebook but I would like the games to run decently.
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
$800-100$ may be able to go over but not by much
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
Don't really care, I would think notebooks would get more expensive the smaller/bigger they get so something in the middle like 15"
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Previously mentioned games, dvd's, mobile internet, and I would like to dual boot linux if possible.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
It will be comming with me almost everywhere I go, weight I would not consider an issue mainly because I'll carry it no matter what.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Half-Life, 2 WoW, Age of Empires, Counter-Strike source.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
No preferences, open to anything that is built well and will last.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
2-3 hours on light stuff more like 1.5 hours on heavy games and junk.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Not at all
9) What country are you buying this in?
United states
Screen Specifics
10) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
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.
WXGA+ = Widescreen eXtended Graphics Array+; 1440x900; This resolution is offered on 17" widescreen notebooks and is comparable to WXGA in terms of text and icon size versus available screen real estate. Popular for movie viewing due to support for widescreen.
Whatever is cheaper :)
11) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Whatever is cheaper, don't really know the differences
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?
two years at least
Notebook Components
14) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
Bottom 60GB preferably like 80-100GB
15) Do you need a DVD, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-R drive?
CD/DVD RW and DVD drive
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Again, I am just wanting to be able to play my games at reasonable resolutions and a good FPS.
I have been looking at the gateway MX7527 but its out of my price range. I really like it if only it was cheaper.
I am not afraid to build my own if i could find a case or a barebones notebook somewhere if it will save me money
Answer:
Re: which notebook (games/internet)
acer aspire 5670
its 999 now i think, its got a radeon x1400, 15.4", 100gb hdd, 1gb ram, CD/DVD RW and DVD drive
Answer:
Re: which notebook (games/internet)
also the dell e1505 would fit this price, though i think the acer has more bang for the buck in this price range.
Answer:
Re: which notebook (games/internet)
is acer a good brand? I don't want something thats going to fall apart after 6 months or give me a lot of trouble. I have never heard of that brand.
EDIT: i was looking around, where did you see it for 999? everywhere i looked it was 1300 :(
Answer:
Re: which notebook (games/internet)
acer is similar in build quality to dell. i believe they sell acer at bestbuy.
Answer:
Re: which notebook (games/internet)
Well they did the acer ferrari but overall I'd go with a dell before I did an acer quality and service will be better.
Answer:
Re: which notebook (games/internet)
acer is similar in build quality to dell. i believe they sell acer at bestbuy.
I'll agree with that - Acer and Dell have similar quality. In this situation, given your budget, I'd vote for the Dell E1505. You can see our review here:
You can't go wrong with the E1505 for the price. Be sure to use the coupons - using the $300 off $999+ coupon, you can get decent specifications, including an 80GB HDD, 1GB of RAM, Radeon X1400 graphics and a Core Duo processor. In your price range, you aren't going to get a better graphics card than the X1400. It's not a bad card; midrange, can handle most games at medium or better settings. Half-Life 2 you'll be able to run at max., that is an easy game to handle.
Answer:
Re: which notebook (games/internet)
unfortunately, i think this round of coupons may have expired. a lot of people have used them, and have had problems. i tested it myself, and it did not work. anyway, for $1000, you actually get more features on the 5672 (more hd space, bt, webcam, and dvi out).
Answer:
Re: which notebook (games/internet)
Where can i get these mentioned coupons, and what are they good for?
Answer:
Re: which notebook (games/internet)
there is a tab at the top of the page labeled dell coupons.