Question:
Advice on choosing new laptop.
Hey everybody
I've been lurking around the forums trying to get some suggestions on buying a laptop for a while now. I thought i might be able to get some direct input if i made my own thread. I've never purchased a laptop for myself before and honestly i dont know that much about laptops
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
Up to $1300
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
d. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen
15"
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Gaming mostly(Hl2, CS:Source, WoW, etc.), Movies, Music, It must have wireless internet (I think its hard to get a notebook these days without wireless though.)
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
I already have a desktop which i dont use much anymore but it can still play the latest games. I'm not technically looking for a desktop replacement but I would like the laptop to be powerful enough to play todays games, but still be portable enough to bring with me to my girlfriends house or friends house on a regular basis.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Yes; HL2, CS:Source, CS, WoW, and probably some older games, but i usually try newer games
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
I can get Acer computers through work at pretty good prices so that would be a plus. I dont really have a problem with any computer brands.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Battery life isn't THAT crucial to me, but i'd like to try and get somewhere around 3 hours
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
I guess not. As long as there's enough pictures of the notebook that i can get a feel for it
9) What country are you buying this in?
USA
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Widescreen
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Standard
a. XGA -1024x768 - Large and easy to read text + graphics icons, but you fit less stuff on the screen.
b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA.
c. UXGA - 1600x1200 - Very small text and graphics icons, you can fit lots of stuff on the screen.
Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
f. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Wider viewing version of UXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
d. 1280x800 looked pretty good on the acer 5672 that i looked at today
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Doesn't matter
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Not really no.
14) How long do you want this laptop to last?
As long as possible. I'll probably use it until it dies lol.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
I would like at least 80GB of space. But more is better
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
At least a DVD-CD/RW drive is necessary
Like i said up top, I can get Acer laptops at pretty good prices. I'm really interested in the AS5672WLMi (LXATD05014) with the X1600 128MB DDR. I was wondering if the 128MB version is going to suffer a lot in performance compared to one with more memory? And will this model laptop play the most recent games fairly well? I'm open to suggestions. And like i said i would like to be able to bring my laptop with me to my girlfriends or to my friends house to play games pretty often. I baby my expensive electronics so even if it's not a real durable computer i don't mind.
I'm open to suggestions and i eagerly await any input from you guys.
Elliott
Answer:
Re: Advice on choosing new laptop.
the x1600 should do fine, even with 128. you should also check out the asus s96j (powernotebooks.com, geared2play.com, gentechpc.com). but know that these notebooks are on backorder, so it will take you awhile before you actually get the notebooks.
Answer:
Re: Advice on choosing new laptop.
I took a look at the s96j from powernotebooks. A similarly configured s96j would be pushing the limit of my budget. The processor is slightly faster, would the graphics card be that much better with the 96j rather than the 5672?
Also i was curious if the Turion 64 could even put up a fight against the Duo processors in benchmarks or gaming?
Answer:
Re: Advice on choosing new laptop.
the turion64 is a good cpu, but it doesn't perform nearly as well in games. plus, some games (e.g. fear, oblivion) seem to be optimized for multithreading, so the core duo would perform better.
Answer:
Re: Advice on choosing new laptop.
I noticed there's an acer Travelmate (TM4404WLMi p/n: LX.T7806.091) that's an Turion 64 1.8Ghz with an x700. How would something like this compare to the duo with the x1600? or would it compare at all?
Edit: Also, ive been reading a lot of bad stuffa bout acer's ePower software and etc. It makes me wonder about getting one of their laptops. I was hoping to hear from someone who hasn't had problems with acer's bloatware.
Answer:
Re: Advice on choosing new laptop.
the x1600 is about 40% better than the x700. the turion again will not beat out the core duo.
Answer:
Re: Advice on choosing new laptop.
Hey elian, the Acer AS5672WLMi that you looked at has an ATI Mobility Radeon x1600 in it? I was thinking about purchasing this from newegg until I read this post. I did a little research and found that some online vendors, like PCMall , seem to be selling the Acer with the x1600 video card. I heard that this model would be coming out in June but I wasn't sure if this was just rumor, or if this model was coming to the United States.
After reading your post I have found that you live in the USA and are able to get the Acer AS5672WLMi with an x1600 video card through work. How much will it cost you, and do you know what vendor will be selling this laptop to your company?
Also, just to make sure, an x1600 is better and faster than a x1400 right? Thanks!
Answer:
Re: Advice on choosing new laptop.
yes, an x1600 is faster than the x1400. you can find it at pcconnection.com and buy.com. zoomzipfly.com should probably have it soon as well.
Answer:
Re: Advice on choosing new laptop.
From what Ive heard and read, the AS5672 with the 128mb x1600 had some dissapointing scores in 3dmarks and wasnt nearly as fast as the true 256mb model. Ill look for some sites with this info. Still, I think it would get the job done. The asus is also a good buy and has the 256mb x1600.
Answer:
Re: Advice on choosing new laptop.
I've kinda searched a little, but i haven't really been able to find any benchmarks for the 5672 with the x1600. If anyone has anything that would be nice