Question:
Help me find a laptop that lasts
Hi guys. This is my first post.
I didn't fill out the FAQ because my mind is basically set. There is only one last question.
I am looking for a very reliable laptop that will last 4-5 years. I will pay for my laptop with bursary money. I probably can't afford to upgrade in the next few years, which means the machine must physically survive 4-5 years of heavy use; it should have few or zero reliability issues (don't want to spend all my study time fixing up the computer); it also should retain reasonable amount of of technological usability (able to smoothly run at least 75% of up-to-date mainstream softwares and utilize technologies like Blue-Ray/HD DVD by the end of the 5 years).
Here is the question: should I go for ATI X1400 level graphic cards or ATI X1600 level graphic cards?
If the answer is ATI x1400, then I'll go for a thinkpad. I am only a occasional gamer, and my school work is not graphic intensive (unless I decide to major in GIS). This card is more than enough for my current uses. I am just worried about future proofing. If the answer is x1600, then I will go for a Asus, since I heard a lot of good things about it. But, I am kinda of worried that only Asus lovers post here.
Pity I can't wait for Vista and Santa Rosa platform.:rolleyes:
Thanks for the help.
Answer:
Re: Help me find a laptop that lasts
Being a GIS student as well, a dedicated GPU shouldn't really be required, though, of course a 7400/x1400 is always a plus.
The size is also a factor, a 14" should do well, so a customized Compal HGL30, W3j/A8jm fully loaded should last you, well, until you're finish :) BluRay/HDDVD is hard to say, it will be quite expensive, it may not be worth upgrading anytime soon. The device is expensive enough, think about the media!
I'd say the A8jm with a 21" LCD would be awesome :)
Answer:
Re: Help me find a laptop that lasts
The x1400 will do for the typical occasional gamer, and a faster chip will actually result in more heat. More heat shortens the length of microchips, causes more fan noise, and often can even be physically uncomfortable. Thinkpads are generally very well engineered, through and through.
You might not be able to upgrade anything to an internal blueray drive that's out right now, but if anything will it's going to be from a brand with fairly standard bays across their lines. That would be Lenovo, HP, and I imagine Toshiba and Dell, maybe Gateway too. I'm not as familiar with those last three. Anything should be able to take a USB or ESATA (via cardbus/express card) blueray drive. You might have pretty decent luck with a barebones Asus.
If you haven't noticed, there are a ton of old 4-5 year old Thinkpads for sale on Ebay and from places like Retrobox. There's a reason, they last, feeling as solid after five years as on day one.
Answer:
Re: Help me find a laptop that lasts
I think both Thinkpad and Asus have modular optical drive bays
Answer:
Re: Help me find a laptop that lasts
That doesn't mean the interfaces won't be reworked by the time Blueray hits.
Answer:
Re: Help me find a laptop that lasts
x1400 is definitely good enough for now, but what about hte next 5 years?
Answer:
Re: Help me find a laptop that lasts
Nothing will play new games for 5 years. The x1400 will probably last you 1 to 1.5, the x1600 probably 2 to 3, but that's with low settings. With DX10 just around the corner this is even more true.
Either will stretch out the lifespan of your machine by making graphical interfaces smoother. The x1600 will offer little to no benefit in this area. It also will do little good with 2D graphics. For 3D, sure, but not as much as a FireGL or Quadro would do.
Answer:
Re: Help me find a laptop that lasts
Games are not really a concern. but what if something requires a spec that is higher than vista Aero's requirement (which is ok for x1400) comes up. I've seen the post about x1600 is required to play some HD content.
Answer:
Re: Help me find a laptop that lasts
I don't know about HD content.
I wouldn't expect an interface from Microsoft with graphics requirements beyond an x1400 within 5 years. If we see anything it's going to be a refresh which makes Vista what it was supposed to be, something like the Windows XP refresh of Win2k. But WinXP was primarily a graphical improvement, most of what's been dropped from Vista has been under the hood. Maybe we'll see a new skin and a couple enhancements to the rendering, but I doubt we'll see anything huge. Not so soon after Aero.
Answer:
Re: Help me find a laptop that lasts
Here is a link about the HD video question.
What I am really trying to say is sometimes I find old entry level graphic cards really hinders some applications that come up in the future in the future. I have a 3-year old desktop that has a graphic card approximately equivelent to x1400 at the time. Now it can't even run Google earth or NASA WorldWind.
If x1400 is ok, there are only two things stopping me from going for a Thinkpas. Z61m might be too heavy, and Asus has higher spec at a lower price.