Question:
$1000 Laptop for Number-Crunching and Light Gaming
Thanks in Advance for the help!
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
About $1000. I might consider getting something refurbished if I feel like I can trust it. Recommended sites/vendors are welcome.
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
I'll be analyzing dissertation data using some interview analysis software. I'll also be playing some games like City of Heroes and Neverwinter Nights 2 (I know, but sometimes I need a break from the data)
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
I will be taking it to the library and also taking it along if I have to travel. That's why I would rather go with the 15.4" widescreen.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
See above - City of Heroes and NWN2. No online twitchfests.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Not really, but I want it to be reliable. I also hope to keep it upgraded as time goes on, so I don't want something super-proprietary (aka Sony).
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
About average - That should be 3-4, right?
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
I don't mind buying online.
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?
Widescreen
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Widescreen
Any resolution is okay, to fit in my budget.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
I really don't know. Glossy seems more common.
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Not particularly, but I do want to reduce bulk.
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
I'd like to buy it around Christmas (I have some money coming in for it) and I usually keep my computers for a while - 3-4 years. I also usually upgrade it as time goes on, with more memory and new video cards and such.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 160GB?
At least 80
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
Yes, I would like a DVD-RW
Like I said above, I don't mind upgrading it gradually if that's what it takes to come in under my initial price. This will be my first laptop (I've had and upgraded desktops before, and I have a Tablet PC) so I haven't worked on one previously. If I'm insane to consider upgrades later instead of getting them now, let me know.
Answer:
Re: $1000 Laptop for Number-Crunching and Light Gaming
For your budget, how about the Dell Inspiron E1505? Its not too ugly, not pretty either, and cheap. You can configure it to suit your needs, and it hasn't had many complaints here at NBR Forums, so you should be on all accounts safe to buy the E1505.
Or...you can go slightly more expensive for the better build quality and designed HP Pavilion dv6000t.
Answer:
Re: $1000 Laptop for Number-Crunching and Light Gaming
I've been looking around and considering the Dell 1505 (still kind of overpriced even with my EPP discount), the Toshiba Satellite A105, and the HP dv6000t. Of course, they are all customizable as well as available in stores in various configurations, so here is my real question - if I can't get a computer that is top of the line in every area, what are the crucial areas that are worth the extra cash?
Everything I'm looking at is an Intel Core2 Duo, but will I kick myself in a couple of years for settling for a 1.6 GHz processor instead of 1.8 or 2.0?
Will I wish I'd shelled out for a 100GB hard drive instead of the 80GB one, when Windows Vista comes out? Will I really notice if it's 4200 RPM instead of 5400?
Will it be so much of a pain to upgrade my RAM later that I'll hate myself for getting 1GB instead of 2?
Do standalone video cards or 12-cell batteries cost so much that it's stupid to buy them later when I could get them with the computer? Is the available nVidia card (GeForce Go 7400) good, or will I just have to replace it later anyway?
Right now, the leading contender is a DV6000t custom-built through Costco.com, a savings warehouse akin to Sam's Club.
Intel Core2 Duo T7200, 2.0 GHz ($87 less for 1.83 GHz)
2 GB RAM (expandable to 4)
80 GB HD ($48 more for 100 GB)
15.4" WXGA Brightview Widescreen
8x Combination CD/DVD+-RW
Intel PRO Wireless
12 Cell Battery
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator ($48 more for 256 nVidia GeForce Go 7400)
HP Imprint
TOTAL (after $50 rebate) - $1171
Any advice like "For god's sake, get the lower speed processor and use the money you save to get the nVidia card and larger hard drive" (or vice versa!) would be very appreciated.
(Oh, and if it helps, my current desktop is a P4 2.0 GHz Sony Vaio from 2002. I upgraded it to 1 GB of RAM and added an nVidia GeForce4 Ti 4600, but it doesn't have a PCI Express slot, so there's only so much it can do. I know that any new laptop will blow it away, so I'm not worried about how it will look now, but how well it will hold up down the road with the introduction of Vista and such.)
Answer:
Re: $1000 Laptop for Number-Crunching and Light Gaming
Don't forget the 20% off coupon on this site!
Firstly, however, NWN2 is a very demanding game, AND it doesn't look all that great. The X1400 will be fine, but an x1600 will be needed to have a trouble-free, smoother experience. City of Heores will be fine, as you won't get a physx card on notebooks.
Vista will be beautiful with everything enabled (except dx10) on the x1400. All of your worries lies in games.
I would recommend the dv6000t over the e1505. It's just.... better.
Answer:
Re: $1000 Laptop for Number-Crunching and Light Gaming
About average - That should be 3-4, right?
The average is probably closer to 3, although a laptop with 4 hours of battery life is not hard to find.
Does it have to be widescreen? I would strongly recommend taking a look at the ThinkPad R-series:
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/c...B4B3178B3B6554
You're not going to get better quality than that for $1k, and it has the best keyboard available on any notebook. A nice configuration can be had for $1k too.
Answer:
Re: $1000 Laptop for Number-Crunching and Light Gaming
On your configuration from costco.com, it was the Intel GMA GPU which will have an extremely hard time, if at all, running any graphics intensive games, so make sure you upgrade to the 7400.
Answer:
Price Leap
Unfortunately, the more you shop, the more you learn, and the more you learn, the more you want... this is about $500 higher than I had previously considered my price ceiling, but with the discounts from my university's Dell EPP program, I think it might be worth it. I'd appreciate advice from y'all about whether this would be a good decision.
Inspiron E1705
Core2 Duo 2.0GHz (4 MB L2 Cache 667 MHz)
17" UXGA w/ TrueLife
XP Media Center Ed. (free Vista upgrade)
1 GB RAM (533 MHz) - intend to upgrade in a year or so, maybe?
256 MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 GS
Integrated SoundBlaster Audigy HD Software Ed.
160GB 5400 RPM SATA Hard Drive
Integrated network card and Intel PRO Wireless
Bluetooth
30 Day Dell On-Call (part of package required for discount)
3 yr warranty/on-site service (also part of package)
3 yr virus/firewall/spyware protection (ditto)
I can get this for $1708 including tax and shipping.
Good call? Should I go for it?
Answer:
Re: $1000 Laptop for Number-Crunching and Light Gaming
A 17" is nowhere near mobile for alot of people, are you sure you are willing to accept that size?
If so, then go for it, nothing will beat the 7900GS for a while.
Answer:
Re: $1000 Laptop for Number-Crunching and Light Gaming
$1708, did you look at the 25% off deal going on?
Answer:
Re: $1000 Laptop for Number-Crunching and Light Gaming
I worried about the mobility too, but the e1705 doesn't really seem to be that much bigger. I looked at them in the store and compared the stats online. Of course, you can't really pick one up at the store to test the weight difference, but 2 pounds doesn't seem like all that much.
e1705 = 15" x 11" x 1.6" -- 8.2 lb
e1505 = 14" x 10.45" x 1.4 -- 6.18 lb
I may be really naive to think that I won't mind 2 extra pounds when it's time to drag the thing through the airport. It just seems like it's worthwhile for the features and to be sure that this will replace my current desktop for several years to come.
Is there any (reasonably priced, in the vicinity of $1500) 15.4" computer with a graphics card better than a GeForce Go 7400 or an ATI x1400? If I could even find one with a GeForce Go 7600 I'd probably be happy.