Question:
Final Questions
Okay, so I've narrowed it down.
I've already filled out the FAQ to get me this far - I need a laptop for the next 3-4 years for some moderate gaming (not much crazy FPS's, but lots of other stuff - RTS, RPG, etc.) at about 1500-1700 and 15.4-17" range.
I've narrowed it down to the Compal HEL80 (T2400, 100gb 5400RPM, and 2gb ram shipped) or Sager 5750 for about $70 dollars more (T2300E [upgrade to Merom core later], 80gb 5400 RPM, and 1gb shipped [another 1gb later]), both from powernotebooks.com with 3 year warranties, either powerpro or sager. They'd work out to about 1550-1600 for the HEL80 and 1650-1730 for the Sager.
I know they're both very solid, well-made, and good laptops but I have one question about the graphics (and I know they're roughly equivalent GPU's - this is strictly "will RAM affect performance that much?") - does the x1600's 128 ded but 512 through hypermemory help it more than just 256 dedicated? If yes or if they're just the same then I think out of those two I'd probably go with the Sager.
Then I went looking at Dell EPP (my father qualifies, he's tech support for a county's K-12 system) and right now you can get a 1705 for 35% off plus EPP and I ended up with one with a T2400, 2gb ram, the 7900GS, 80gb 7200RPM, dvd burner, AND 3 year warranty for 1700!
I'm not counterculture or anything, but I mean - it's a DELL! Are they as well-made as the other two? Is the 7900 GS really going to help that much in 3 years anyway? And powernotebooks.com was so helpful, I had a great email conversation with Ron.
I think it's almost a moral quandary for me and this borders on a rant - but any advice someone could give would help.
Answer:
Re: Final Questions
I'd suggest the Compal HEL80. It will have better build quality and will run cooler versus the Sager, in addition to having a nicer matte display and a fingerprint reader.
The Go7600 in the Compal will also be faster than the 128MB X1600 in the Sager. HyperMemory does not help performance.
A Dell will not be built nearly as well as a Sager/Compal. Good value options. If you can afford better, it is worth it to get a superior notebook.
The HEL80 gets great 3.5-4 hour life as well.
Answer:
Re: Final Questions
Thanks Chaz - I was worried there for a minute, I can't stand the way those Dells look. Glad to hear my concerns about Dell quality weren't off though.
So that 128 mb of graphics ram really makes that much of a difference, huh? Okay. Also, the Compal's build is really nicer than the Sager's? I have to say, it honestly looked gorgeous from those pictures - but looks can be deceiving.
Answer:
Re: Final Questions
So that 128 mb of graphics ram really makes that much of a difference, huh? Okay. Also, the Compal's build is really nicer than the Sager's? I have to say, it honestly looked gorgeous from those pictures - but looks can be deceiving.
Yes, the extra 128MB of graphics memory makes a big difference, especially for the latest games. Not saying the 128MB X1600 can't play games fine; it can, and well, but not at the same level as a 256MB card.
I have a Sager right now; my 5320 has near identical build to the 5750. And at the moment, I happen to have a Compal HEL80 for review. Trust me, it's better. It also looks nicer and runs very cool. Look for my review next week.
Answer:
Re: Final Questions
Okay. Thanks a ton, Chaz! You've really helped me to end up picking the better notebook, I think.
It's really too bad then, that the 5750 isn't built quite as well - the full-size keyboard and look was quite attractive, but c'est la vie, as it were. Sorry about the plethora of questions - I just wanted to be sure to get it right. It's nice to have a place like this I can come to and ask for help and get actual helpful answers :D
Answer:
Re: Final Questions
Don't get me wrong - the Sager's quality is very good, the Compal simply steps it up a notch or two. A full-size keyboard is nice but only worth so much.
Answer:
Re: Final Questions
Yeah - plus it'll have to last my freshman and sophomore years at college, so a 15.4 (and 2.5lbs less! huerk!) will be good. :D