Question:
I'm Stumped/Confused/Out My Depth.....
I'll start with the FAQ c&p questions I got here....
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
Around £550. I know it's not alot, but I like to get bang for my buck.
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Photoshop, macromedia stuff, playing graphical games, and using it over a Wireless network.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Mostly leaving it on a desk, portability isn't my prime concern.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Final Fantasy XI, Half Life 2, The Sims 2, and similar stuff.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
I'm leaning towards brands like Toshiba, Acer, or Asus.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Around average, 2 hours probably.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
I don't mind.
9) What country are you buying this in?
The UK.
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Widescreen.
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Widescreen
15.4" screen would do me fine, I'm not fussy about the screen.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
It's around the middle in importance. I wouldn't like to own a garish hunk of plastic.
14) How long do you want this laptop to last?
At least 2 years, I like to make my hardware last me.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
At least 40Gb, but 120Gb would be overkill for one user.
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
DVD-RW drive, something that'll burn as much common formats as poss.
I'm looking at ones like these, but for the games I like to play once in a while, a shared graphics option is pretty much out the question. This ATI Xpress 200M looks like a good compromise, but dedicated memory would be the way to go.
Advent 7096
http://www.currys.co.uk:80/martprd/s...865&tabIndex=1
Toshiba M60-216
http://uk.computers.toshiba-europe.c...DUCT_ID=113323
Toshiba A100-549
http://www.currys.co.uk:80/martprd/s...&category_oid=
Basically, I want a laptop with 1GB of memory. Most laptops at this price range are Celeron, but I'm worried that won't supply me the power I need. There's Sempron in there, which I hear makes your battery go further. Thanks for your input, I need second opinions.
Answer:
Re: I'm Stumped/Confused/Out My Depth.....
The best bang for buck I have heard of in the UK is the Zepto laptops. It is slightly out of the price range you listed, but for that price I doubt you will find a gaming capable laptop. This is a great deal;
http://uk.zepto.com/Default.aspx?pag...kid=O6P2jpCGK2
The middle of the road configuration would be your best bet in my opinion. The 7600go with 512mb dedicated video ram will be able to play pretty much anything you can throw at it when coupled with a Core Duo processor.
Answer:
Re: I'm Stumped/Confused/Out My Depth.....
Theres no way you are going to get a decent gaming laptop for £550.
Either up the budget to around £750 or get a non-gaming laptop.
Answer:
Re: I'm Stumped/Confused/Out My Depth.....
You're going to have to make a compromise in your requirements in order to get what you want; if you could cut the gaming, that would open your choices.
I'd take a look at the Dell E1505, it has a Core Duo processor and 15.4" widescreen. It is also available with a Radeon X1400 graphics card, see if you can get that and stay within your budget.
Look into an Acer as well, they have a great lineup in the UK.
Once again, you're probably going to have to cut something from your requirements in order to get what you want.
Answer:
Re: I'm Stumped/Confused/Out My Depth.....
What d'you all think of this one then? Had my eye on it for quite a while....
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=91195
Answer:
Re: I'm Stumped/Confused/Out My Depth.....
Looks like an okay notebook. For the money, I suppose it is good, but I would look into the Dell E1505.
The Mobile Sempron 3000+ is a budget processor, and the X600 isn't that fast of a card but certainly much better than integrated.
Answer:
Re: I'm Stumped/Confused/Out My Depth.....
I'm trying to find the UK-equivilent of that one, but no joy...
Looks to be too expensive, but then again, you get what you pay for, right?