Question:
Higher End Laptop | Req. Quick Response
Hello & thanks in advance,
I'm new to these forums & I haven't personally bought a system in about 5 years so I've lost track of all of the new technology. So please bear with me & hold my hand if you use any acronyms. I am purchasing for the holidays so a quick response (& more importantly ship time) is appreciated. I want to try to get it delivered before the 22nd, but I NEED it delivered before the 28th. This is a gift system that I want to be dam* slick.
Basically in my mind I've narrowed myself down to a WidowPC (they deliver 1 day after they ship & can build from 3-10 days). Because besides the quick lead time, they make a high-end laptop that weighs less than 10lbs. I am really leaning away from the Dell XPS m1710, due to gaudy looks and I'm weary of Dell laptops (though the price efficiency looks phenomenal). But seeing as my budget allows for excess this is a non-issue.
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You can see my formalized wants follow below, but in short: I want a high-end, low maintenance laptop that will last me for atleast 2.5 yrs.
Currently I am looking at the WidowPC Sting 919 and the Sting 517D. From what I read the Intel Duo Core is top of the line (I assume that means surpassing the AMD Turion)? Is a dual Nvidia 7800 GTX 256 SLi setup better than a 7950 GTX 512? And since SLi is a new technology to laptops and software in general, does that mean there may be cutting-edge/bleeding-edge issues (i.e. hardware failures, software incompatibility, etc). I am leaning towards the 919 because it keeps it's "light" 8.3lbs while including a 20" screen. EDIT: Incorrect info; typo on reseller's site. Yet these are very thin & overheating means quicker hardware failure. What I want to know is if you had mid-to-high $4k to spend on a WidowPC gaming machine how would you configure it?
Also, the person will be traveling & spending most of their time outside of the US, what factors do I need to worry about for the power? Do I need to call the Mfr. and ask if their power supply is also a converter, or is it standard for them to carry different types of power supplies in case they have to ship overseas?
At the same time, I'm listing the general answers because there are probably options in other brands that I am missing. Please help, all input (especially expedient) is welcomed & appreciated!
General Questions
1) What is your budget? $4,300 to maximum if it's "worth it" $5,300
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? Gaming and maybe work :)
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk? Taking it along different places
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games? World of Warcraft & more gfx intenstive games, but not really FPS
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like? Am leaning towards a WidowPC, explanation above
7) How many hours of battery life do you need? Hopefully if running just a DVD it lasts for atleast the movie?? Think plane flights...
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person? Don't mind at all
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in? California, USA
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen? Don't know adv/disadv's, I assume most PC games now support widescreen
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.
No preference/idea
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Preferably low glare, matte
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Yes, nothing that looks like it'll give you an epileptic fit
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
2.5 yrs minimum
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 160GB?
100GB minimum
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
Yes DVD, write to CD, and optionally write to DVD
Cheers,
Ungenious
Answer:
Re: Higher End Laptop | Req. Quick Response
i think the SLI issue will be from the games you will be playing, if they are played efficiently if played in SLI versus non-SLI.
just max-out the RAM to 4GB... or see if there will be better and faster cards out there for gaming then max the RAM out again... by the way, intels i think are much better than AMDs... my guess
Answer:
Re: Higher End Laptop | Req. Quick Response
Maxing out the RAM from 2GB to 4GB sounds inefficient? I read on a different site that 4GB of RAM will only be used w/ a 64bit Processor using a 64bit O/S. I know that there are people using the Windows 64bit, but last I heard there is no real software supporting it. Also, I don't know the details on Vista (64bit OS?) but I expect major bugs to be squashed for it in the next 1.5 yrs.
Yes that was part of my question, is it to the point now where most games support SLI (in a non-buggy fashion). As I was playing BF2 with my SLI desktop system and it was having odd issues.
Thanks,
Ungenious
Answer:
Re: Higher End Laptop | Req. Quick Response
Woow, i think for gaming laptop with 2GB system RAM would be enough at least for now. Probably if you want to do gaming on 24+ wide monitor+maxed detail, 2GB wont suffice.
Answer:
Re: Higher End Laptop | Req. Quick Response
I would opt for the 517D, otherwise known as the Sager NP5760 or Clevo M570U. The 919 I believe is the Clevo M590KE.
I don't really like SLI, because it forces you to use a Turion processor. This one, though allows you to use a dual-core Turion and that's nice.
Still, the 517D is really a nice system and is much, much more portable than a 20.1" monster. Unless you're in love with the WidowPC black lid and spider logo, save yourself a lot of money and order it from a reputable reseller . You'll get the same machine that looks great with a brushed aluminum lid for much less.
Oh yeah, 4 GB of RAM is overkill. You'll end up spending an extra $2K on RAM alone that way. 2 GB is more than enough right now.
Answer:
Re: Higher End Laptop | Req. Quick Response
Thanks for the quick response.
I just noticed that the specs on the 517 are reading the exact same as the 919 on the WidowPC site... typo?
15.6" x 11.5" x 1.8"
8.3lbs
Is this right? I didn't do the math, but I checked a crappy screen size to dimensions calculator on the net. It says that a 20" screen should be 16" x 12" and a 17" screen should be 14" x 11"...
If the dimensions and weight are the same anyways, but just screen size is increased then portability is the same.
How much premium am I paying for the spider decal?
Thanks,
Ungenious
Answer:
Re: Higher End Laptop | Req. Quick Response
The dimensions are wrong. Take a look at the link I gave you above. You can check the actual manufacturer's specs/dimensions on both systems.
If I remember correctly, you're paying about $800 for the black logo paint job.
Answer:
Re: Higher End Laptop | Req. Quick Response
Ok, I am taking your advice & seriously considering purchasing the 517D/NP5760/M570U laptop.
Please tell me if you think I've chosen the wrong laptop for my needs!
WidowPC: besides an $800 spider, I am also paying for their claim of 3-10 day until shipping and their next day delivery to California.
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R&J Tech say 2-day shipping though it doesn't give approx time until ship from order time.
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Sager is also cheaper & I've seen their name fly over the forums, but has worse life-time reseller rating than R&J, and gives no ship date. Also has an F rating by the BBB.
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ISTNC has build to ship estimate of 5-7 days, and offers FedEx Priority Overnight, which is better than WidowPC & w/ a pricetag of about 1k less.
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PowerNotebooks has excellent feedback from users & BBB, but no shipping info. But has that No Dead Pixel Guarantee which sounds nice!
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I am leaning towards ISTNC now due to quick time to ship + ship time, but now I have a different problem...
I want it to be better if I still have ~$1,000 to spend. I could add another SATA HDD, but I had problems with SATA on my desktop & am wondering if there will be similar issues. But that's just HDD space and still leaves cash to burn; I'm wondering how to maximize my performance for my budget & needs. There is no 4GB RAM upgrade from ISTNC.
Is this the best I can get for a laptop that weighs less than 10lbs & costs less than $5,000?? I need to make a purchase really by today or tomorrow to ensure that it arrives on time. Unfortunately, only getting feedback from 1 person really so far. Clearly he is a very knowledgeable person, but I'm still weary as this is not a trivial decision.
Thanks!
Ungenious
Answer:
Re: Higher End Laptop | Req. Quick Response
If youre sure about the machine youre getting, the clevo 570 or sager 5670
And the factor is just who you are dealing with.
I recomend exoticpc.com, powernotebooks.com, or pctorque.com, or istnc.com and I recomend sending your configuration questions to one of them as they are experts in that machine and its parts and have the time to answer your questions quickly.
I dont recomend buying it directly from sager.
IF youre going to get the sli 590k ok as far as I know you can only get it from widowpc.com unless you import it. No matter what anyone says that is the most powerful laptop in the world so if that is really what you want send them an email.
Most of us get an upset tummy about spending the extra 2k to get an sli card but were not in your situation.
Answer:
Re: Higher End Laptop | Req. Quick Response
For your budget,
I would definitely recommend the Clevo M570U with 4 gigs of DDR2....
you will be able to take full advantage of that memory when Vista is released.
The SLI Clevo M590KE is probably the best gaming notebook... PERIOD. However it lacks:
- WUXGA screen (1900x1200) which you might want when you can upgrade the a HD-DVD/Blu-Ray drive for the notebook.
- Turion X2 is still not as powerful as a low-end Core (2) Duo.
Glad that my Clevo Guide has helped to show the differences between resellers. I was thinking of doing it for Asus and Compal too.... we'll see though.