Question:
Avid Gamer/Photo Editor needs laptop for University
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
A) Im looking around the $1500 Canadian range.
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
A) Thin and Light would be great! But I'm willing to sacrifice size for higher performance.
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
A) About half will be random word processing, etc. The other half will be gaming.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
A) I will be taking it to school and random trips when I have them. For the most part though, it'll be sitting in my room.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
A) I will be playing games, such as World of warcraft/Everquest 2, and Call of Duty 2/Prey.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
A) I can't justify getting a Dell or an Acer, HP and Compaq are ok...Everything else is fair game.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
A) I would prefer a 4 hour battery life, but 2 is the minimum.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
A) I don't mind as long as its a Canadian shipper, I hate the border.
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in?
A) Canada
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
A) Both are OK.
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Standard
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
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.
A) For both standard and Widescreen, anything but the regular XGA.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
A) Glossy preferably, but I can live with a matte.
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
A) They are to a point. Performance and quality rank ALOT higher
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
A) In the near future...If something is comming out worth waiting for in the next year, I'll wait.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
A) At least 80G
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
A) DVD-CD/RW
Answer:
Re: Avid Gamer/Photo Editor needs laptop for University
MilestonePC.com and customize your own Z96J from Asus..quality parts and fair pricing.
This is how I'd config mine.
Asus Z96J Barebones
1Gig stick of 667Mhz OCZ/Corsair
Core Duo T2500
80GB 8MB Hitachi SATA 7200RPM
Intel WiFi Card
+ 2 year warranty extension
ends up costing $1813CAD but thats the price you pay for 1680x1050. Honestly, there isn't anything that's going to be quality...and cheaper...So at the price range your asking and the screen specs you want with the size...you won't find it in anything other than a Dell(but they are horrible).
you wont be seeing WUXGA - 1920x1200 from anything < 17" and even 1680x1050 is a rarity.
Answer:
Re: Avid Gamer/Photo Editor needs laptop for University
The Asus Z96J is a great fit here, I don't think anything else fits as well. Compal HEL80 is a possible alternative, along with the HP nc8430 (although the latter is probably above your budget).
Answer:
Re: Avid Gamer/Photo Editor needs laptop for University
Thanks for the info guys. Asus is a brand I never expected to see thrive in laptops, but I was wrong. After alot of researching and reading posts, Asus seems to be one of the best laptop brands available.
Thanks again for all the info.
Answer:
Re: Avid Gamer/Photo Editor needs laptop for University
W3J... it's a little over your budget and the screen resolution is WXGA... but you won't find a higher res screen in a 14" anyways. Check out the link in my sig