Question:
$1500-$2000 Gaming Laptop? Performance & Portability; am I asking for too much?
Hey, i recently came into need of a new laptop; the old one I have is a Compal CL56 which as been great, it was a centrino M 1.8 dothan w/ 1gb, ati radeon card 128mb vid. etc.
I want to take a step up, make sure I get better screen this time (ie. at a 45 degree angle, the screen still looks alright, no inversion of colour), but I wanna make sure the battery can last at least 3 hours, be able to be a gaming laptop too. Please help me out! thanks!
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
$1500-$2000 CAD = $1300 - $1800 USD
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
gaming:), using it for 3 hour lectures (so has to stay for that long)... portability (I wanna be able to watch stuff on my comp for about 2.5 hours before it craps out.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
yes
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
lets say doom 3.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
not really.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
3 hours:)
2.5 hours if im watching a movie.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
no problem with that.
9) What country are you buying this in?
Canada hopefully, but i will consider US
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
no preference. maybe widescreen if u must ask?
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Standard
preferably:
b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA.
Widescreen
preferably:
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
OR
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA,
good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
non glossy might be a little more preferable, but doesnt matter, if I can watch movies comfortably at a 45 degree angle.
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
nope, generally its alright. Dont want something that looks awful of course.
14) How long do you want this laptop to last?
definitely at least 2.5 years.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
60+ my main concern is that I want a 7000+ rpm HD
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
DVD-CD/RW is fine.
thank u everyone!
Answer:
Re: $1500-$2000 Gaming Laptop? Performance & Portability; am I asking for too much?
you should take a look at the hp nc8430. it is lighter than most notebooks, and comes with a matte screen. you could also consider the asus s96j or compal hel80 at milestonepc.com.
Answer:
Re: $1500-$2000 Gaming Laptop? Performance & Portability; am I asking for too much?
Ive been looking at those actually, im concerned about the asus battery life though? Ill look into the HP
Answer:
Re: $1500-$2000 Gaming Laptop? Performance & Portability; am I asking for too much?
the asus does have an extended battery to give you some more battery life. have you taken a look at the s96j review?
Answer:
Re: $1500-$2000 Gaming Laptop? Performance & Portability; am I asking for too much?
I second the HPNC8430. This is in HP's business line of notebooks and would be a great choice for both performance and portability. See it here:
http://www.hp.ca/products/static/not...8430/index.php
Good luck and happy computing!
Answer:
Re: $1500-$2000 Gaming Laptop? Performance & Portability; am I asking for too much?
The HP nc8430 will have slightly sturdier build than the Asus, but it will cost more.
Answer:
Re: $1500-$2000 Gaming Laptop? Performance & Portability; am I asking for too much?
Since you seem to have had nice experiences with Compal.. they will be releasing a 14" wxga model with an Nvidia Go 7600. 5.2 lbs roughly.. pretty portable and have your performance needs met. No idea on what battery it'll come with..but i reckon if its 6 cells, no more than 3 hours..but it may come with a 9 cell as standard. However vertical viewing angles on 14" widescreens in general aren't too great. horizontal is okay.
Answer:
Re: $1500-$2000 Gaming Laptop? Performance & Portability; am I asking for too much?
THanks for the advice so far; im looking into the HP one, but it seems about 300$ more expensive than all the rest?
btw, where do you buy these computers? Its hard to find a setup that perfectly what you want, so I ususally look for computer site that let u customize... (ie. some sites dont mention anything about a battery uprgrade for the asus)
Answer:
Re: $1500-$2000 Gaming Laptop? Performance & Portability; am I asking for too much?
if you're in canada, you are stuck with milestonepc.com as your canadian retailer. some u.s. retailers are willing to ship. i have heard that discountlaptops.com and maybe powernotebooks.com will be willing. the hp is more expensive mostly b/c of the better durability and better battery life. i have heard of one guy getting 7 hours on low usage (but this is very extreme). on average, they seem to get 4 hours.
Answer:
Re: $1500-$2000 Gaming Laptop? Performance & Portability; am I asking for too much?
milestonepc.com seems to be offering a section to "choose" your own components in the laptop.... but im question if when you biuld the laptop, are all those components actually integratable? 'cause when you select the cart it shows each item individually, and id hate to buy a comp and not have boughten components that actually work together.
I am interested in asus/compal/hp... the new compal edition has a 14 inc screen, and id like to stick with 15+inch screens though, so the HEL 80 is more suited to my size...
actually, the HP is REALLY looking up to me. I think the only thing that I might have wanted is a 7200RPM rather than 5200RPM HD.
is there a big difference? I find I Run movies a lot off my HD, and donwload a lot of stuff at the same time.