Question:
Gaming and CAD Notebook
1) What is your budget?
1800 before taxes (includes warranties and the like)
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
- 3D mechanical designs (SolidWorks, Mechanical Desktop and AutoCAD)
- Word processing (files will be massive)
- Various simulations (ADINA, LabView)
- Computing and calculations (MathLab, Maple, Mathcad, C, C++)
- Games (see further down)
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
I'll be carrying it around but everywhere I go I have access to outlets. Weight isn't a big issue for me since I live close to everything.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Guild Wars, Oblivion, FPS in general. I want to be ready for the next generation games but don't need to run any of my games on super high quality details.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
no e-machines, gateway, HP or Toshiba
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Doesn't really matter, I have access to outlets pretty much anywhere I go
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No but the online store must be extremely reliable. Pics are appreciated obviously
9) What country are you buying this in?
from Canada
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
no preference. I'm assuming the laptops will have TV out too.
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
no preference in particular
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
no preference in particular
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Yes, I dont want fancy or flashy weird thingies on my laptop. Slick and professional is important to me because I may have to use it for work.
14) How long do you want this laptop to last?
at least 2 years
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
80GB seems fine to me. I'm assuming from what I need the harddrive should at least be 7200 rpm
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
enough to burn CDs and DVDs once in a while
==========
I've seen many horror stories of people buying laptops and them going nuts for no reason (pointer disappearing, shutting down for no reason, etc...) Reliability is a huge factor for me.
What I've had my eye on lately is the Dell Inspiron 6400. The final price for the system is 1898CAN$ which is 98$ over my max (don't mind working a few more hours):
- Intel® Core™ Duo processor T2500 (2MB Cache/2GHz/667MHz FSB)
- 15.4 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen SXGA+ Display with TrueLife™
- 1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz (is the speed fast enough ?)
- 80GB 7200rpm Hard Drive (are their HD's reliable)
- 256MB ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X1400 HyperMemory™
- 1 Yr Return to Depot Service with 1 Yr Complete Care and 1 Yr Tech Support (I really don't know which warranties are good and which aren't... is a laptop warranty the same as extra insurance on a rental car :p ?
Anyways I've read things about the AMD 64 bit processor and I'm not quite sure what to think of it. Obviously I'll take your advices if you guys recommend it.
Thanks in advance for your help guys
Answer:
Re: Gaming and CAD Notebook
perhaps you should check out the asus z96j/s96j when it is available in canada (milestonepc.com). also, the acer 5672 is going to be revamped with the x1600. you can check it out at ncix.com.
Answer:
Re: Gaming and CAD Notebook
reading some of the threads, i heard that the x1400 ~ x600. Consider getting a laptop with a x700. SOrry i dont know any laptops to recommand because Im not really knowlegdable :(
Answer:
Re: Gaming and CAD Notebook
Interesting, and can anyone help me out with warranties and guarantees ? What should I be looking for ? Is it even worth the buy considering these machines are engineered to last at least 3 years (time after which there's no service anyways)
Answer:
Re: Gaming and CAD Notebook
The turion processor is a 64 bit processor, a nice guide to what this means can be found in the hardware section as well as what that means as to performance. Recently the core duo was released, soon to be followed by the 64 bit core duo 2 dual core processors and the already released dual core 64 bit turion x2 processors. The x2 has only shown up on a few systems currently but I expect that number to increase. The same for the core duo 2 processor when it is released I imagine.
For warranties I would say to get a warranty that lasts as long as you want the laptop, so saying you want the laptop to last you for two years then get a 2 year warranty etc. This way whatever time you originally had the life of the laptop to be its covered and whatever time after that the laptop lasts is an added bonus:) . Others may disagree but its what I personally do.
Also a good plus are companies that will take your laptop back if there are problems (either returning it outright or repairing the defect). This site has a pretty good database of reviews and forums to draw resources. Customer service is obviously going to be a big factor for you, so I'd say stop by the forums for each manufacturer listed under this forum and check them out to see what people first of all think of the overall build quality of the laptop (how the laptop comes to them originally) as well as any info you can find on customer service experiences people share.
As for guarantees, there are usually TONS, and I really can't help you out there sorry.
Finally, as for whether or not getting a laptop is worth it or not its your call. A laptop's primary goal is mobility, so if you picture yourself even ocassionally taking your computer to somewhere off your desk consider one, if not dont as you'd be better off getting a solid desktop at a cheaper price. Laptops are expensive machines no doubt and can't usually be upgraded down the line, but making a good decision on which one to buy through research and probing makes all the difference between having a great machine which will last out its life and a nice looking paper weight :)
To start you out, I'd suggest taking a look at the Asus/MSI forums. Both Asus and MSI have notebooks which use the radeon x1600 gpu, which is much more superior to the x1400 in terms of graphics performance and MSI offers a notebook with both the x1600 and a turion while asus can offer you nicely paired gpu's and core duo processors. Most people will tell you they greatly enjoy owning a product by either and plus they're ODM's to some of the best boutique brands out there. Also check out the Acer, more specifically the 5672, it seems to meet some if not all of your needs.
Hope this helped
Answer:
Re: Gaming and CAD Notebook
Awesome,
One last question... Right now we're in May and I'm expecting that the prices are going to jack up come August when it'll be back to school season. So should I consider buying now or wait till the end of June or July in case the prices drop right before the season ?
This is the first time I'm buying a laptop so I don't know if this is actually a factor to consider
Answer:
Re: Gaming and CAD Notebook
actually, the prices of the core duo just dropped a few days ago. prices may actually drop in august if they release the core duo 2 then....
Answer:
Re: Gaming and CAD Notebook
Another notebook to add to your list would be the Compal HEL80 - 15.4", Go7600, Core Duo. It should be released soon.
The Asus S96J is a great machine too, I agree. I'm not sure of the pricing on the Compal at the moment, but the S96J is as good as it gets right now from a price/performance standpoint.