Question:
Budget Gamer/General Purpose Laptop
Here's a challenge: I want a budget gamer laptop. see my specs below:
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General Questions
1) What is your budget?
$800-1000
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
Preference is a 15.4" widescreen, will accept a 15" 4:3 screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
General student activity: Word Processing, internet, occassional streaming audio (originate, not just listening), some games/MMOs, watching movies
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Mostly mobile.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
yes, main games will be MMOs like WoW, City of Heroes, and Second Life. Occassionally older CRPGS like KOTOR or Baldur's Gate.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
No -- I'll buy whatever is cheapest
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
at least 2, but the more, the better. not every lecture is in a spot where there is an outlet. Gaming will be Outlet only!
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No, I'm fine with online purchase.
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in?
USA
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Wide Screen preferred
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.
1280x800 is fine. 1440x900 would probably be pushing eyestrain.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
No preference
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
No.
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
1-2 years.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 160GB?
60-100 GB is fine
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
Yes. DVD/CDRW at minimum. DVD Burner a plus.
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Answer:
Re: Budget Gamer/General Purpose Laptop
The HP dv6000t is a great fit for your needs; very multimedia-centric, and it has an optional dedicated video card for games. You should be able to get a nice configuration for under $1,000; post whatever configuration you are looking at here so we can help out more.
dv6000t review:
Customize:
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/sh...dv6000t_series
You can see the dv6000 series in person at Best Buy.
Another machine to look at is the Dell E1505, although it doesn't have the design nor quality of the HP and is not as good of a choice in my opinion.
Answer:
Re: Budget Gamer/General Purpose Laptop
The HP dv6000t is a great fit for your needs; very multimedia-centric, and it has an optional dedicated video card for games. You should be able to get a nice configuration for under $1,000; post whatever configuration you are looking at here so we can help out more.
dv6000t review:
Customize:
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/sh...dv6000t_series
You can see the dv6000 series in person at Best Buy.
Another machine to look at is the Dell E1505, although it doesn't have the design nor quality of the HP and is not as good of a choice in my opinion.
Here's the specs on the HP: (I might cut back on the CPU a little, or see what the AMD version looks like)
Scroll down to see your customized pc order below.
price $1,112.99 *
instant savings − $100.00
mail-in rebate − $50.00
price after rebate $962.99
you saved 13.5%
as low as $30/mo+
Apply now. Get up to 6 months no payments.
Estimated factory ship date:
January 19, 2007
Accessories and add-ons are in stock and ship immediately.
Need assistance? Call 1-866-288-7519
Click "edit" to modify your customized pc order.
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Operating System FREE Upgrade to Genuine Windows XP Media Center!!
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Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo T5200(1.60GHz/2MB L2Cache)
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Display 15.4" WXGA Widescreen (1280x800)
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Graphics Card 256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7400
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Personalization HP Imprint Finish + Microphone
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Memory 1024MB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
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Hard Drive FREE Upgrade from 40GB 5400 RPM to 80GB 5400 RPM
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Primary CD/DVD Drive DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive
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Networking Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
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TV & Entertainment Experience No TV Tuner w/remote control
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Primary Battery 12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
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Productivity Software Microsoft(R) Works/Money
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Dell Here:
PROCESSOR Intel? Core? 2 Duo T7200 (2.00GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 667MHz FSB) edit
OPERATING SYSTEM & TV-TUNERS Genuine Windows? XP Media Center Edition 2005 edit
UPGRADE TO WINDOWS VISTA Express Upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium from XP Media Center Edition edit
LCD PANEL 15.4 inch Wide Screen XGA Display with TrueLife? edit
MEMORY 1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm edit
HARD DRIVE 80GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive edit
OPTICAL DRIVE 24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive edit
VIDEO CARD 256MB ATI MOBILITY? RADEON? X1400 HyperMemory? edit
SOUND OPTIONS Integrated Audio edit
My Accessories
BATTERY OPTIONS 85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery edit
WIRELESS CARDS Dell Wireless 1390b/g (54Mbps) edit
My Software
PRODUCTIVITY No productivity suite- Includes Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD edit
ANTI-VIRUS & SECURITY No Security Subscription edit
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I skip things like the antivirus and stuff because I get a free university copy of Norton AntiVirus Corporate edition, along with other freebies.
Answer:
Re: Budget Gamer/General Purpose Laptop
Bump.
What is better for my needs: a Core 2 Duo with 1 GB RAM or a Core Solo with 2 GB RAM?
Answer:
Re: Budget Gamer/General Purpose Laptop
Definitely the Core 2 Duo with 1 gb ram, you really don't need 2 seeing as you aren't playing bleeding edge games. Your config looks pretty good for you're needs... and I think HP has better quality than Dell.. so I'd say go with the HP.