Question:
$1000 laptop, what to get?
I am buying a laptop for college and I want to limit the price to $1000. I configured a Dell Inspiron with core duo 2400, 1 gig ram, radeon X1400 128mb, and small HD for $970.
I will be studying engineering of some kind and want the ability to run demanding programs/games. I also multi-task so more ram= better.
If anyone has a better option then post it. I want 1g ram minimum, and decent graphics. The dell I configured had a really small hard drive (60g) so boosting that might be nice, although I will probably get a large external drive (250g/7200RPM with enclosure for $80 at tigerdirect.com).
Thanks guys.
EDIT: FAQ
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General Questions
1) What is your budget?
-$1000
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
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
-Everything from word processing/web browsing to memory/grahpics intensive programs
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
-Both, needs to be moveable
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
-Not a lot of gaming, but I want the ability to play anything
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
-I go by the merits of the machine
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
-Nothing huge here, but enough to watch a movie on a plane at least
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
-I would at least like some screen shots. I like em pretty.
9) What country are you buying this in?
-US
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
-Either, widescreen is cool though
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.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
-Not sure, glair is bad though
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
-Yes. I like the silver dells and HP's. I don't really like lenovos, but I am more concerned about performance/cost than looks
14) How long do you want this laptop to last?
-It would be nice to make it through college with it (4 years)
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
-60+ but I will probably get a cheap external so this is not so important
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
-DVD player/CD burner or DVD burner
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Answer:
Re: $1000 laptop, what to get?
um......the dell is cheap as you say...........
how about the HP dv5000t? or the dv8000t?
maybe you could fill out the FAQ so we get a better idea of what you want
Answer:
Re: $1000 laptop, what to get?
at $1000 the Dell is the best you are going to find. $1000 with Asus or similar brand is the lowest end machine that they most likely offer.
Answer:
Re: $1000 laptop, what to get?
Maybe get a base config for the D620/820 with the T2300 and dedicated gpu then just upgrade one piece ata time. It sounds like you need a laptop that will be used alot and the Latitude series have much better build quality.
Answer:
Re: $1000 laptop, what to get?
Alright I put together a latitude D520 for $986
T2300 667
xp home
1g ram 667mhertz
15"
60g 7200RPM
24x CD-RW/DVD
It doesn't even say what it has for graphics or give the option to change. The D620 was significantly more expensive for the same options, is there a reason for the price difference that I don't see?
Answer:
Re: $1000 laptop, what to get?
fyi, you won't really be able to play anything with the x1400 or the nvidia card in the d620. they will struggle in the latest games like oblivion. however, the x1400/7600go are pretty much your best bets for this price range.
Answer:
Re: $1000 laptop, what to get?
I'm a little reluctant to recommend something over your stated budget, but you might want to look at this ($1070, tax depends on where you live):
Answer:
Re: $1000 laptop, what to get?
Alright, heres an HP dv5000t for $975
T2300E
15.4" widescreen
GeForce Go 7400 128mb
1gig ram 533mgh
60gig 5400RPM SATA HD
DVD/CD-RW
It's good and it's HP. Let me know if theres something better.
Answer:
Re: $1000 laptop, what to get?
Brief follow-up. The Acer 5672 probably has about the best GPU (x1600) you're going to find in the thousand dollar range, and I think HP and Dell mean sales tax in most states, whereas newegg.com might only charge sales tax in CA, though I'm not sure.
Answer:
Re: $1000 laptop, what to get?
Another great notebook would be the Asus S96j. If you can afford the extra $99 you can get it from powernotebooks.com. If not, you could simply buy the barebones from a place like geared2play.com then put in all the parts yourself. You could get it for under 1k if you did it this way.