Question:
Barebone Powerhouse...
General Questions
1) What is your budget?$1700
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
17"
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
School work, gaming, CD ripping/burning, other multimedia stuff
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Both, but size or weight is not an issue.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Rainbow Six 3, Swat 4, a few emulators. May look into newer games if the computer can handle it.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
MSI sounds good. Other manufacturers welcome...
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
2+
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Online is fine
9) What country are you buying this in?
USA
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?Wide
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.
WSXGA+
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Glossy
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Looks shouldn't be ugly, but if it works, it works.
14) How long do you want this laptop to last?
At least 4 years
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
80GB+
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
DVD-RW
Must have AMD processor and numpad. You see, I really narrowed it down to the MS-1042 and the MS-1036. The 1036 has Turion, X700 256MB, and other stuff. I'm not sure if I should wait for the 1042, which has MXM, Turion X2, and more. I have no idea if I can afford it, nor do I know when it will come out (all I know is Q3 2006). If CoffeeShark or unleaded could give a release date, then I just might wait. Also, do you think I can push a Turion MT-40 2.2GHz to 2.4GHz without power consumption and cooling concerns? Arctic Silver 5 will be used. How long will the X700 last? The 1036, I can build for $1357. Who knows how much the 1042 will cost, but I'm sure it will be more. Is MXM and Turion X2 worth the wait and money? Thank you very much.
Answer:
Re: Barebone Powerhouse...
Well, there are no other 17" AMD notebooks you'll find in that price range. . . even if you bumped it up to over $2k, the only other choice you would have is the Clevo D900K (Sager NP9750).
The MSI-1036 looks like your only choice at this point, but I'd definitely inquire about the MSI-1042.