Question:
Gaming Notebook ~1600
1) What is your budget?
~1600, can go over for good reasons
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen
4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
No real dislike, but I've heard the Gateways have gotten junky, see below.
5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
School/office work, gaming
6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Mobile
7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Games: SupCom, STALKER, Oblivion
8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Not really an issue, prefer at least 80 minutes
9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Online
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Wide
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
f. WUXGA - 1920x1200
This is a given, I want a screen of the same resolution as my 2405 so that I can hook this up when I get home and not mess around with settings.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
No real preference
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Yes, I'd prefer it not be an aesthetic eyesore.
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Buying within the next two weeks, want it to last a couple of years.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 200GB?
Minimum 80, use external for rest.
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
DVD-RW a must. Not wanting to play around with file transfer for backup.
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So the basic question is that there was another thread just recently wanting a gaming laptop for near the same price and everyone seems to recommend either one of the 7900GS/17" mainstays, the Dell E1705 or the Gateway NX860XL. However I was also looking at the Alienware m5790 with a similar package and I'm simply wondering which looks like the best overall deal. As it stands, the loadout I'm putting together on the Alienware ends up at 1550 with 1gb/C2D 2.0/80 gig HDD/DVDR,WUXGA, which weighs in 150 dollars cheaper than the Gateway for having an x1800 vs 7900GS and less ram on the AW.
Frankly, I just know I've heard a lot of junk about Gateway lately, whereas most people associate the Alienware with quality albeit at a price. Pricewise, I see this as relatively clean costwise considering the minor bells and whistles of the Alienware. I'm also not too concerned about 'only' having a gig of ram for the next year or so because the only games I have that really like 2 gigs are badly coded anyway (looking at you, BF2). Also, I'm liking the idea of popping in a second hard drive into the AW later on.
My questions are really:
1) Is my general dislike of Gateway/like of Alienware justified, and would general build quality factor in at all?
2) Is the 7900GS that much faster than a x1800 to justify the Gateway or Dell?
3) At the current cost is the AW a decent deal; the review on NF right now is pretty positive overall, wondering about other impressions.
4) Does anyone know about the timings on these RAMs...buying 2 gigs ram on the gateway won't mean much if it's bottom of the barrel ram.
Any help would be appreciated, I'm a desktop guy and the concept of the unupgradeable is scary to me, but I need a notebook so it looks like I'm stuck not building this one myself =)
Answer:
Re: Gaming Notebook ~1600
1. to each his own....but if you read up in the alienware forums, you would notice that alienware also has its share of complaints.
2. the 7900gs is a good bit faster....i would suggest taking a look at the 3dmark06 scores in the reviews for these notebooks to get a better idea. i don't know if it would be worth the price difference....are you applying the dell coupon codes?
3. n/a
4. there really isn't much difference between the ddr2 ram modules for notebooks. hell, even the difference in fsb doesn't seem to matter. any ram will do you fine, as long as it is compatible.
Answer:
Re: Gaming Notebook ~1600
1) Yes somewhat, Alienware has more issues and poor support than you'd imagine though.
2) Yes
3) No review on the nx860xl so i can't compare (someone review it!)
4) RAM in laptops is pretty much the same, its more about how much you have. 533 vs 667 doesn't make any difference. 2gb is well worth it though for Vista.
I still recommend the nx860xl.
Answer:
Re: Gaming Notebook ~1600
For the most power for that price your only option is a Dell E1705 with a 7900GS.
Or you can opt for the 7700/X1700 series cards.
Answer:
Re: Gaming Notebook ~1600
I think the alienware 9750 is awesome
But the other ones are terrible
Answer:
Re: Gaming Notebook ~1600
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...X0DER&v=glance
Answer:
Re: Gaming Notebook ~1600
Thanks for all your helpful (and fast) replies. I followed a different link within Dell's website and then applied the coupon from here at NF and found that the E1705 is in fact the best deal, with my optimal machine coming in at 1496 ish with the -450 coupon and no shipping costs made it a no brainer over the Alienware. Final config is:
2.0 ghz/4mb cache C2D T7200
2 gb 533 mhz ram
160 gb 5400rpm HDD
7900GS
WUXGA screen
The real kicker over the Alienware is when I stopped and thought, "who the hell needs 7.1 sound on a laptop?"
Again, thanks for all the help.