Question:
Budget Gaming Laptop - Best Choice
Hello everyone, I'll start off with the answers to the FAQ.
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General Questions
1) What is your budget?
$1,000-$1,500 (+/- $150)
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
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 browsing the internet, reading e-mails, ect. ect. Gaming is the most important priority here. If it can handle the latest games, I expect it won't have too much trouble with Word or IE explorer.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Both. That said, I don't expect to move it around a great deal, so a 17" laptop would probably be okay. What I'm really looking for here is graphics power above all else. Although, I wasn't originally looking for a desktop replacement, but when I saw the incredible deal on Dell's E1705 I decided to include that size range as well.
(Note - One thing I do hope to do with this laptop is take it to LAN parties. So again, we go back to the 3D performance I guess.)
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Yes! It is vital that it be able to handle games like Oblivion and also, when it comes out, Supreme Commander. Like I said, graphics capability is extremely important here.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Normally I'd say Dell or any name brand, but that changed when I saw the incredible deal on the E1705 (20% off). So no, no real preferences here.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
I would like to have up to 3 hours of battery life, but even 2.5 would probably be okay.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Not really.
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Widescreen is preferable. My desktop uses a 19" WXGA+ widescreen and I've really come to like widescreen monitors.
11) What screen resolutions would you prefer?
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.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
No real preference here, as I've never owned a laptop so I haven't used a glossy screen before. I'm pleased with my desktop's matte screen though, so either will probably be fine.
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
As long as its not pink with flowers all over it, I'll probably be fine.
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
I would prefer it to last for 2-3 years, but I'm buying a budget gaming laptop here so thats probably not very likely. I guess beggers can't be choosers.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 160GB?
It must be at least 80 gigabytes. Also, I don't mind 5400 rpm drives, especially not if they save me money that can be spent of graphics or RAM.
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
Yes, an optical drive would be nice. A CD burner/DVD combo drive would be fine. I don't really require DVD burning capability.
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Okay, now that thats over...
I've actually been looking at two laptops so far. The Asus A8JS and the Dell E1705. These two laptops are in totally different size ranges, but as I mentioned above, that doesn't really matter too much to me. So far, I just can't decide between the two laptops. They both have positives and negatives and I'm stumped here.
Asus A8JS - $1,599
C2D 7200 2GHz, 1gig 667Mhz Ram, Go7700 512Mb, 100gig hd
Positive
-Small size makes it very portable
-WXGA+ resolution (Same as my desktop)
-Go7700 is apparently the most powerful graphics card on laptops under 17"
-Reviews indicate it is a good, reliable, and powerful laptop
-Looks good
Negative
-Small size means smaller screen
-Price is at the upper limit of what I can afford and comes with only 1 gig of RAM standard
-No bluetooth (No wireless mouse/keyboard without annoying USB adaptor)
-Go7700, though powerful, might(?) not be as powerful as the Go7900GS
Inspiron E1705 - $1,505 (With code that expires today!)
C2D 7200 2GHz, 2gig 667Mhz Ram, Go7900GS 256Mb, 80gig hd
Positive
-Has a large screen
-WXGA+ resolution (Same as my desktop)
-Go7900 GS is extremely powerful, and can also be overclocked to increase performance further
-2 gigabytes of RAM
-Bluetooth (Wireless mice/keyboards)
-Cheaper than A8JS
Negative
-Large screen means decreased mobility
-Somewhat ugly (White bumper things)
-Some reviews say it is lower quality than the A8JS
-20% off deal ends today. Without that I will only be able to afford 1 gig of RAM.
So, thats it then. What do you recommend? This is my first time buying a laptop, and though I've built dozens of desktops, I don't really know very much about how laptop components compare to desktop components. Please, end this stalemate and convince me that one is absolutly better than the other, because I can easily see myself being quite happy with either of them.
(Note-I realized later in this post that the 20% off bonus from Dell ends today, and without that I can only buy 1 gig of ram which would probably affect how it compares with the A8Js.)
Thanks in advance for the help everyone.
Answer:
Re: Budget Gaming Laptop - Best Choice
Depends almost entirely on what size you want. The A8JS will be more portable, and the 7700 is still a very fast card. That's what I'd get if I were in the market now, and hadn't recently bought this machine (which is still stupid fast).
The 17" is ungainly, but the 7900 is very, very fast. So if you don't mind the size, go for the Dell. Plenty of happy Dell owners on the forums here. But if you want more portability (key for me), you won't be disappointed with the A8JS, and it's still going to be pretty darn quick at games. I run FEAR very well at medium details, and the 7700 is faster.
Answer:
Re: Budget Gaming Laptop - Best Choice
If you are going to be gaming, get the Dell. If portability is an issue, go for the Asus...it is also very powerful, as far as gaming is concerned.
Answer:
Re: Budget Gaming Laptop - Best Choice
best gaming laptops for under $1500
dell e1705 discounted with coupon and epp discount
and overclocked 7900gs with the bios mod
or
the clevo m570a-u @ rjtech configured with a 7800gtx
can buy it here
you'll most likely have to get minimum specs on all the other options, or you can get it barebones and build it yourself
it's pretty hard to get a gaming laptop for under $1500, but it is possible if you make some cutbacks
Answer:
Re: Budget Gaming Laptop - Best Choice
If you are going to be gaming, get the Dell. If portability is an issue, go for the Asus...it is also very powerful, as far as gaming is concerned.
Amen.
best gaming laptops for under $1500
dell e1705 discounted with coupon and epp discount
and overclocked 7900gs with the bios mod
or
the clevo m570a-u @ rjtech configured with a 7800gtx
can buy it here
you'll most likely have to get minimum specs on all the other options, or you can get it barebones and build it yourself
it's pretty hard to get a gaming laptop for under $1500, but it is possible if you make some cutbacks
Amen.
You can also try Dell's Outlet. The chance of finding a good configuration for under $1500 is high there.
Answer:
Re: Budget Gaming Laptop - Best Choice
Go for the ASUS,
I wouldnt go for a Dell refurb or used notebook.
Answer:
Re: Budget Gaming Laptop - Best Choice
Thanks for the replies everyone. I've taken a look at RJTech m570u-a and it seems to have fairly good specs. It also looks great, better than the A8Js or especially the Dell. The best price for a fully configured system was about 1,550 for a C2D T5500 1.66Ghz, 1gig DDR667, 7800GTX 256mb, 80gig hd, bluetooth. This is within my price range, but I'm also looking into the possibility of buying the components and installing them seperatly to save money.
Two questions though, how does the 7800GTX compare to the Go7900 GS on the Dell? If it is supperior, by how much? Also, how hard is it to build a notebook and does RJTech include everything like the hardrive mounting brackets and CPU heatsink? As I mentioned earlier, I've built numerous desktops, but never a laptop. Still...., it might be fun. I love tinkering with computer components.
Again, thanks for your help people. I appreciate it.
Answer:
Re: Budget Gaming Laptop - Best Choice
Either choice will be fine with Oblivion and gaming. Go with your gut instinct, and really consider how much you plan on moving the notebook around.
Answer:
Re: Budget Gaming Laptop - Best Choice
Thanks for the replies everyone. I've taken a look at RJTech m570u-a and it seems to have fairly good specs. It also looks great, better than the A8Js or especially the Dell. The best price for a fully configured system was about 1,550 for a C2D T5500 1.66Ghz, 1gig DDR667, 7800GTX 256mb, 80gig hd, bluetooth. This is within my price range, but I'm also looking into the possibility of buying the components and installing them seperatly to save money.
Two questions though, how does the 7800GTX compare to the Go7900 GS on the Dell? If it is supperior, by how much? Also, how hard is it to build a notebook and does RJTech include everything like the hardrive mounting brackets and CPU heatsink? As I mentioned earlier, I've built numerous desktops, but never a laptop. Still...., it might be fun. I love tinkering with computer components.
Again, thanks for your help people. I appreciate it.
Nice choice, Clevo M570U is arguably the best 17" gaming notebook on the market. Especially with those specs for less than $2000 its definitely "bang for the buck"
Answer:
Re: Budget Gaming Laptop - Best Choice
Well, trying to buy the parts from NewEgg saved me a whole 50 dollars not including the extra shiping I would undoubtably incur, so I probably will stick to a system built by RJTech if I go that route.
So, rather than making things better by helping me narrow the selection, you people have made my decision more difficult by giving me other options to think about. :) Heh. In reality though, I think I'm going to go ahead and remove the A8Js from the list because I just don't need a lot of portability. Plus, I kind of want bluetooth so I don't have to carry around an annoying USB adapter.
So my options now are
M570U-A --- C2D T5500 1.66Ghz, 1gig DDR667, Go7800GTX, 80gig hd
E1705 ------ C2D T7200 2.00GHz, 1gig DDR667, Go7900GS, 80gig hd
The Dell has a faster processor with a larger cache, but I believe that the 7800GTX is signifigantly faster than the Go7900GS. They both have the same amount of ram and the same hard drive, so it really comes down to which is more important. The graphics card or the processor? What are the screens like on these two laptops? Are the screens fairly high quality? That could very well be the deciding factor here.
Also, I'm still open to other laptops if they are roughly as powerful and cost as much or less than these two.
(Edit - Is the Go7800GTX faster than the Go7900GS? I've seen some people online say its not, and others that it is? And if it is faster, can it match a Go7900GS that has been overclocked?)