New Laptop, help me out!

Alright guys, I'm lookin for a new laptop, and I'm planning on going ALL OUT on this one, I have up to $5,000 set aside for this thing.

I'm looking for one of the best gaming laptops/performance laptops out there, and something that will last me for years to come. I mean, if I'm going all out on this thing, I'm hoping it will last me for a long time, and by a long time I mean a long time still being able to run fast and play the newest games at top notch graphics.

Some specs I'm looking for Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM or more, preferrably an nVidia card with either duo 512mb cards or a single 768mb card, a high capacity HD with speed hopefully of 7000, and broadband card compatible. My problem is I don't know which brand to choose! Don't even think about dell, their service sucks and the durability of their laptops is horrible, believe me, I'm a victim.

I'm a big gamer, but I also use a laptop to do a lot of my online work when I'm on the move, so speed is key.

Any suggestions? Cost efficient would be nice too )

Probably an ASUS if you wanna game. Had I that cash to spend, I'd go all out on a ThinkPad tablet, though.

ALIENWARE!!!!!!!!!




expensive... but if you can afford... its the one... CANNOT be topped by any other laptop... the end....



i dont wanna see anyone complaining about the price....

I thought ASUS' were better built. I'll defer to true gamers on this, though. ;)

yea man..... alienware all the way... very much so into gaming...

worth the pretty penny



i havent heard anything of ASUS... what is it?

boo alienware

[quote3e75605471="zdub08"]boo alienware[/quote3e75605471]

Soo, if you boo alienware, what DO you recommend?

[quote65367277e1="Iz"][quote65367277e1="zdub08"]boo alienware[/quote65367277e1]

Soo, if you boo alienware, what DO you recommend?[/quote65367277e1]


well said... if you got the cash.... use it on some quality wares rite?

[quotece2d50b52a="chrome89k"][quotece2d50b52a="Iz"][quotece2d50b52a="zdub08"]boo alienware[/quotece2d50b52a]

Soo, if you boo alienware, what DO you recommend?[/quotece2d50b52a]


well said... if you got the cash.... use it on some quality wares rite?[/quotece2d50b52a]

No no no, I'm not bashing him at all, I'm just asking what he recommends if he doesn't recommend alienware. I like alienware, I do chrome, but I want to see everyones opinion first, especially because the alienware laptops don't come with the 8000 series nvidia cards...which are the only ones that can run DirectX10...which will allow my laptop to run top notch games for years...

As I was speaking to Iz about this, Alienware is a top machine, however, your mostly paying for the name.

And as he noted, most FPS games will be designed for the new DirectX 10 supported in Vista. However, the video card must be DX10 compatible.

2GB RAM is really the minimum now for high-end gaming. Today's motherboards are equip to handle up to 16GB of RAM. And I'm not talking about server boards ... those can handle up to 64GB++ RAM. In the past year the price/GB has dropped sooo much. I just bought 1GB stick the other day for $40 from BestBuy. Now if BestBuy is selling that cheap ... and they markup everything ... you can easility find it online for even cheaper.
Vista is recommended to have 2GB, and I can only suggest having at least 3-4GB for future gaming. Many notebooks come with a 4GB option.

All in all ... to offer a rebuttal to chrome; with Alienware, you're paying at least $500+ just on the name. I just configured a custom Vigorgaming system for $3100 that offers 4GB RAM, nVidia 8700 512MB DX10 compatible, Core Duo 2.4GHz ... plus tons more addons and Vista Ultimate, for at least $1,000 cheaper than a standard Alienware machine.
That definitely says something about the company.

Honestly, Alienware is an overpriced Dell, and reliability has always been in question with them. I would never spend the money on an Alienware. They are a mass produced machine with a boutique PC price. I would consider an ASUS laptop better than an Alienware. Actually I would buy a high-end Toshiba over an Alienware.

And if you're liseriousli about gaming, you shouldn't even be considering a laptop. The most powerful gaming laptop you could buy, which would cost every bit of, if not more than, your budget, will still pale next to a desktop equipped for less than half the price. Plus you'll have to deal with the weight, heat, lousy battery life, and lack of upgradability on top of it. If gaming and mobility are both equally important to you, buy an inexpensive laptop for mobile work but leave the gaming at home on a desktop (or at least in a more portable desktop configuration, but SFF cases have their limitations as well). You could buy/build both for less money that you'd spend on a so-called "gaming" laptop that wouldn't game as well or be as flexible.

Just my $0.02...

Worth a lot more than that. ;)

HP is coming out with a new laptop for gaming...
http//forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=146105

That'd also be a much better place to find someone who can tell you what to look for. Also, I'd say stay away from Alienware (and voodoo). You pay for name, not performance, you can get shit loads better and pay less..

[quote442eb6bd02="Zanpaktou"]HP is coming out with a new laptop for gaming...
http//forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=146105[/quote442eb6bd02]
That's a helluva notebook, but a well-tuned $2000 desktop would still blow it away in gaming performance. I just can't see paying nearly $5K for a laptop with the express purpose of gaming, especially one so humongous, heavy, and no doubt short on battery life. And 64-bit Vista? Good luck getting many games to run. 64-bit operating systems are still not ready for (consumer) prime-time, let alone gaming. ;)

[quote4ce6e61844="dmorris68"]Honestly, Alienware is an overpriced Dell, and reliability has always been in question with them. I would never spend the money on an Alienware. They are a mass produced machine with a boutique PC price. I would consider an ASUS laptop better than an Alienware. Actually I would buy a high-end Toshiba over an Alienware.

And if you're liseriousli about gaming, you shouldn't even be considering a laptop. The most powerful gaming laptop you could buy, which would cost every bit of, if not more than, your budget, will still pale next to a desktop equipped for less than half the price. Plus you'll have to deal with the weight, heat, lousy battery life, and lack of upgradability on top of it. If gaming and mobility are both equally important to you, buy an inexpensive laptop for mobile work but leave the gaming at home on a desktop (or at least in a more portable desktop configuration, but SFF cases have their limitations as well). You could buy/build both for less money that you'd spend on a so-called "gaming" laptop that wouldn't game as well or be as flexible.

Just my $0.02...[/quote4ce6e61844]



a proud alienware user.... yes your right... its overpriced, and i definitely payed for the name....

BUT

when questing reliability .... i disagree.... i've had my desktop for more than 3 years now and laptop for about 1 1/2.... no problems, runs as quick as day 1, havent had to reformat the computer at all yet. in comparison to dells, toshiba's, (havent seen aSUS's) my computer far supercedes

when considering a laptop.... building your own computer is a bit finicky.... it's just me that i havent seen many people building a laptop gaming machine... BUT if you want something close to a powerhouse laptop gaming machine.... alienware does compete with any other high performance hardwares....

IZ wants the computer for college.... desktops are out of the question.... he's looking for i'm guessing a laptop only.... gaming, with laptops.... limits the choice range quite a bit.... but im still going to stick with thumbs up alienware

Thanks for the input guys.

Let me clear my story up a little bit more here. I'm going away to college next year, and a laptop will be important for my classes, as well as being able to play games on it when I'm not in class. I have a great desktop that I'm talking to you right now at home, I've had it for 2 years and of course it still plays games at top notch, even with the 1 GB RAM that was top notch a few years back.

Now I will be using this laptop for a lot of mobility, between classes, and doing work on it, I also plan on using a mobile broadband card to have internet access all around. What I hated with my old laptops though, was they were designed for solely work purposes. They have every micrsoft office product known to man on them, and get cluttered with work files. Thing is, when I am away from my desktop, on a trip, at my friends house, I'd like to play my games on them...and not at directx7 lowest graphics either lagging like no other. I might just bring my desktop to college with me, I'm not quite sure if I'm doing that yet, but if I don't, my laptop is going to be my only way of gaming...and I can't buy a new desktop, because then I have no working laptop to use.

So weight, heat, and battery life do come into play here, I hope I cleared that up with that. Maybe when I said I'm looking for the BEST gaming notebooks out there, I went a little overboard...but the reason I said that is because I don't want to spend a lot on this thing for work AND gaming...just to find out it works GREAT for mobility and work purposes, but a year later...the gaming sucks on it. You know what I mean?


And I've been looking into HPs, I do love that company lately. wink

[quoteff2a59ac95="chrome89k"]a proud alienware user.... yes your right... its overpriced, and i definitely payed for the name....

BUT

when questing reliability .... i disagree.... i've had my desktop for more than 3 years now and laptop for about 1 1/2.... no problems, runs as quick as day 1, havent had to reformat the computer at all yet. in comparison to dells, toshiba's, (havent seen aSUS's) my computer far supercedes [/quoteff2a59ac95]
It's good that you're satisfied, and I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find others who are satifisfied -- most people who overspend really want to be satisfied with their purchase, and unless something just totally falls apart, they will justify their purchase to the grave. But the truth of the matter is there's nothing special or even custom about Alienware machines aside from their cases. They are mass-product, cookie-cutter machines. Their laptops innards are made by Clevo, a Taiwanese laptops OEM who makes laptops for Sager, HP, Fujitsu, and several others. Alienware just snaps a case around them. And their poor customer service & support and reliability is well-known and documented issue if you do some research.

http//www.consumeraffairs.com/computers/alienware.html
http//www.badsoftware.com/alienwaresucks
http//www.my3cents.com/search.cgi?criteria=Alienware
http//www.complaints.com/directory/2004/december/14/29.htm

That's just a small sampling of the Alienware complaints found via Google. There are entire websites dedicated to bashing Alienware. Granted some predate their acquisition by Dell, but a lot of folks would consider that going from bad to worse -- Dell isn't exactly revered for their consumer support either. So if someone asks my opinion, I'd have to steer them clear. I'd even suggest they go with Dell's own laptops before a Dell Alienware. But caveat emptor and all that...

[quoteff2a59ac95="chrome89k"]when considering a laptop.... building your own computer is a bit finicky.... it's just me that i havent seen many people building a laptop gaming machine... BUT if you want something close to a powerhouse laptop gaming machine.... alienware does compete with any other high performance hardwares.... [/quoteff2a59ac95]
I would again respectfully disagree. Alienware rarely if ever distances themselves from their competition, because they really can't -- as I said, they are quite ordinary, and not signficantly better than ANY of their competition in terms of components. Their entire market existence is due to being one of the early "boutique" makers who customized their systems just enough to gain an edge over mass-produced machines. However many years ago they sold out to mainstream vendors like BestBuy and became just another ordinary PC in a pretty case. Then after being bought by Dell a year or two ago, they're just another Dell. They seldom perform in the top tier of comparable systems. In fact I've seen Dell's own XPS gaming systems beat them in comparison.

[quoteff2a59ac95="chrome89k"]IZ wants the computer for college.... desktops are out of the question.... he's looking for i'm guessing a laptop only.... gaming, with laptops.... limits the choice range quite a bit.... but im still going to stick with thumbs up alienware[/quoteff2a59ac95]
Why are desktops out of the question, especially if gaming is important? Again, he could spend $5K and have a laptop plus a gaming desktop that is better than any laptop you could buy for that price. To me, that's common sense and a much more practical application of funds, but if he's completely married to the notion of a high-end laptop, I can recommend several over an Alienware.

[quote9c568a4b94="Iz"]...I don't want to spend a lot on this thing for work AND gaming...just to find out it works GREAT for mobility and work purposes, but a year later...the gaming sucks on it. You know what I mean?[/quote9c568a4b94]
I know exactly what you mean, and that's why I'm warning you off of a gaming laptop. That is EXACTLY what will happen, and I dare say not even a year later. The thing about desktops is that you can extend their life by years with a video card upgrade, or a mobo/CPU upgrade, at just a few hundred bucks at a time (at most). It would take years to sink $5K total into a nice gaming desktop, yet in just one shot you could sink $5K into a laptop that (a) won't perform as well, and (b) will be obsolete for gaming, with no real option for upgrade, within a year. Spend another $4K-$5K if you want to keep up.

Seriously, give some thought to at least a SFF gaming desktop combined with a laptop for classwork and such. I think you'll find yourself much happier long-term. Laptops have a much longer useful life when relegated to surfing, office work, graphics, etc.

That's another $0.02, so now you have $0.04 from me. ;)

[quote2bd3776b31="dmorris68"][quote2bd3776b31="Iz"]...I don't want to spend a lot on this thing for work AND gaming...just to find out it works GREAT for mobility and work purposes, but a year later...the gaming sucks on it. You know what I mean?[/quote2bd3776b31]
I know exactly what you mean, and that's why I'm warning you off of a gaming laptop. That is EXACTLY what will happen, and I dare say not even a year later. The thing about desktops is that you can extend their life by years with a video card upgrade, or a mobo/CPU upgrade, at just a few hundred bucks at a time (at most). It would take years to sink $5K total into a nice gaming desktop, yet in just one shot you could sink $5K into a laptop that (a) won't perform as well, and (b) will be obsolete for gaming, with no real option for upgrade, within a year. Spend another $4K-$5K if you want to keep up.

Seriously, give some thought to at least a SFF gaming desktop combined with a laptop for classwork and such. I think you'll find yourself much happier long-term. Laptops have a much longer useful life when relegated to surfing, office work, graphics, etc.

That's another $0.02, so now you have $0.04 from me. ;)[/quote2bd3776b31]

andddd...$.04 = +2 kma for you? I think so wink

Ok so now if that's the case, I would rather go for a fast mobile laptop I could use for broadband card surfing, work purposes, but also be able to play the top games on the market today at high graphics...and in a few years still have that capability, just not being able to play them at top notch...maybe high, or med, but still being able to play them without lag.

Is that possible and worth it?

I sorta skipped most the thread after my post, sorry, btu I saw that you want it for college. I jst got an HP dv9500t which should be decent with most games for a while. But I wouldnt recommend it for colelge (even though I got it for college). Try and stay away from 17"+ notebooks, stick with 15.2" for mobility and then go from there. Once again,
http//forum.notebookreview.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16 <--- best place you can go to ask about what laptop you should get.

Its a whole section of the form devoted to asking what notebook you should get given your price range and a short srvey you can take and post... Those are the true true experts, people who have multiple notebooks and are wise on all sorts of brands...

Ah thanks zan, I looked through that, it helped a lot )

Chrome found this ASUS for me though...seems flawless http//cgi.ebay.com/Asus-G1S-A1-15-4-inch-Core-2-Duo-2-2GHz-2GB-160GB-DVDRW_W0QQitemZ180145194836QQihZ008QQcategoryZ114205QQcmdZViewItem

What do you guys think? Flawless in everything except for the RAM. But the RAM has a capacity of 4 gigs, and once ASUS gets their site back up, I could probably go customize this thing for 3-4 gigs...only 6.8lbs too...input?

You don't need to go to ASUS to get a RAM upgrade, it will take standard laptop SODIMM's I'm sure.

And unless you're installing a 64-bit OS and running some really memory-intensive applications, you won't gain any benefit to speak of from 3-4GB of RAM. In fact 32-bit Windows won't even recognize over about 3GB (anywhere from 2.5GB to 3.5GB depending on the system and the I/O allocations made). That much RAM is simply NOT a good investment for a 32-bit desktop operating system, especially when you have to toss out the 2GB that comes with it and buy all 4GB at once (assuming 2 memory slots which is standard for most laptops).

It really takes a server configuration and/or 64-bit OS to benefit from that much RAM, and it always amazes me that people buy that much RAM thinking it will help them in gaming or other ordinary desktop work. Most applications you would run on a desktop, to include games, would never use it.

[quotef9d4b924d8="Iz"]Ah thanks zan, I looked through that, it helped a lot )

Chrome found this ASUS for me though...seems flawless http//cgi.ebay.com/Asus-G1S-A1-15-4-inch-Core-2-Duo-2-2GHz-2GB-160GB-DVDRW_W0QQitemZ180145194836QQihZ008QQcategoryZ114205QQcmdZViewItem

What do you guys think? Flawless in everything except for the RAM. But the RAM has a capacity of 4 gigs, and once ASUS gets their site back up, I could probably go customize this thing for 3-4 gigs...only 6.8lbs too...input?[/quotef9d4b924d8]
I have the G1S and it is absolutely fabulous. You can only configure the way you want it on this website...which is extremely reputable

http//1toppc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=GPS&Product_Code=G1S-A1

4GB really isn't worth it unless you get 64-bit Windows which I highly don't recommend. I got my laptop with a 7200RPM drive, Vista Ultimate, and 3GB RAM. I got my laptop in a short time too, and they call you to confirm your order.

They actually have a lower price than on Newegg. You CANNOT buy this laptop directly from USA.ASUS.com.

Enjoy. )

I haven't had a problem with my G1S, it's awesome, it does get hot, but just make sure you're wearing clothes if you put it on your lap. The screen is nice, big-ass resolution, secondary mini-LCD screen displaying the time is awesome...I only paid $2,300 total for this thing (you don't pay tax on this website)...I practically play Counter-Strike Source at max settings, same for F.E.A.R. Oh, and it's really light. It was lighter than my 2-year old Dell laptop which was a business-type laptop. It's .1 pounds lighter. P And the wireless card is crazy-fast. I download things easily at 800KB/s, and I'm using 802.11g, not 802.11n...just imagine if I was using 802.11n. ;)

Three of my friends already purchased this laptop, and they love it. (I recommended it to them, and they're using it for college, as am I, as we all start college at the end of August or early September.

[quoteacd9187a54="dmorris68"]
It really takes a server configuration and/or 64-bit OS to benefit from that much RAM, and it always amazes me that people buy that much RAM thinking it will help them in gaming or other ordinary desktop work. Most applications you would run on a desktop, to include games, would never use it.[/quoteacd9187a54]

Can you explain to me what a 64-bit OS is? That's one thing I'm NOT very familiar with in computer specs. And you're recommending I don't get that for my laptop?

[quoteacd9187a54="TFOAF"][quoteacd9187a54="Iz"]Ah thanks zan, I looked through that, it helped a lot )

Chrome found this ASUS for me though...seems flawless http//cgi.ebay.com/Asus-G1S-A1-15-4-inch-Core-2-Duo-2-2GHz-2GB-160GB-DVDRW_W0QQitemZ180145194836QQihZ008QQcategoryZ114205QQcmdZViewItem

What do you guys think? Flawless in everything except for the RAM. But the RAM has a capacity of 4 gigs, and once ASUS gets their site back up, I could probably go customize this thing for 3-4 gigs...only 6.8lbs too...input?[/quoteacd9187a54]
I have the G1S and it is absolutely fabulous. You can only configure the way you want it on this website...which is extremely reputable

http//1toppc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=GPS&Product_Code=G1S-A1

4GB really isn't worth it unless you get 64-bit Windows which I highly don't recommend. I got my laptop with a 7200RPM drive, Vista Ultimate, and 3GB RAM. I got my laptop in a short time too, and they call you to confirm your order.

They actually have a lower price than on Newegg. You CANNOT buy this laptop directly from USA.ASUS.com.

Enjoy. )

I haven't had a problem with my G1S, it's awesome, it does get hot, but just make sure you're wearing clothes if you put it on your lap. The screen is nice, big-ass resolution, secondary mini-LCD screen displaying the time is awesome...I only paid $2,300 total for this thing (you don't pay tax on this website)...I practically play Counter-Strike Source at max settings, same for F.E.A.R. Oh, and it's really light. It was lighter than my 2-year old Dell laptop which was a business-type laptop. It's .1 pounds lighter. P And the wireless card is crazy-fast. I download things easily at 800KB/s, and I'm using 802.11g, not 802.11n...just imagine if I was using 802.11n. ;)

Three of my friends already purchased this laptop, and they love it. (I recommended it to them, and they're using it for college, as am I, as we all start college at the end of August or early September.[/quoteacd9187a54]

I think I have just found my laptop D , Thanks TFOAF, +kma

[quoted46530a7b4="TFOAF"]Three of my friends already purchased this laptop, and they love it. (I recommended it to them, and they're using it for college, as am I, as we all start college at the end of August or early September.[/quoted46530a7b4]

I want KMA from them too. ;)

[quote6fc7f13426="Iz"][quote6fc7f13426="dmorris68"]
It really takes a server configuration and/or 64-bit OS to benefit from that much RAM, and it always amazes me that people buy that much RAM thinking it will help them in gaming or other ordinary desktop work. Most applications you would run on a desktop, to include games, would never use it.[/quote6fc7f13426]

Can you explain to me what a 64-bit OS is? That's one thing I'm NOT very familiar with in computer specs. And you're recommending I don't get that for my laptop?[/quote6fc7f13426]
Windows XP and Vista comes in 32-bit and 64-bit flavors. A 32-bit OS can address a maximum of 4,294,967,296 bytes of memory, i.e. 4GB. However a portion of that address space is reserved for system use, including (among other things) memory mapped I/O, which are "windows" into your various hardware components. That's why your OS or applications will never see the whole 4GB. Windows won't even report that much memory installed, instead showing a value somewhere between 2.5-3.5GB, which varies by system. Not only that, but the vast majority of applications are not designed to even take advantage of that much memory in the first place, and will just ignore it.

There is an address extension "hack" available which allows addressing more than 4GB on a 32-bit system, but it's very slow and ill-suited to desktop use -- some 32-bit servers will enable it though as servers generally benefit much more from tons of RAM than they do from CPU cycles.

A 64-bit OS can address 4TB (that's [i6fc7f13426]terabytes[/i6fc7f13426], or 4096GB) of RAM, so the memory limit is no longer a practical issue. However, 99% of consumer (and most business) applications are programmed for 32-bit operating systems, and even though 64-bit versions of Windows will run many 32-bit applications through a sort of emulation, the 32-bit app itself can still only recognize a max of 4GB. Plus, there are many compatibility issues between 32-bit software and 64-bit OS's, 32-bit performance is typically slower on a 64-bit platform, and device driver development lags WAY behind in the 64-bit arena. You will no doubt run into all sorts of annoying issues here and there as you try to use different 32-bit software and other hardware on a 64-bit version of Windows -- it will not be as "plug & play" as you are accustomed to.

As far as consumer desktop use is concerned, it's still a 32-bit world. 64-bit OS's are most useful in servers and hefty workstations, not desktops or laptops. I consider myself a pretty hefty power user who routinely pushes PC's much more than average users, and I have a bunch of PC's including 3 servers at home. All of my machines still run 32-bit OS's (Windows and Linux) with no more than 2GB RAM each.

this is why the gentelman has 300+ kma folks.

[quotee68c5d900f="justinag06"]this is why the gentelman has 300+ kma folks.[/quotee68c5d900f]

VERY true, hahaha.

Thanks a lot for the info dmorris, it really helped )

So now I believe I've picked out my laptop...my next two steps are deciding if I should get it now, or closer to christmas time...and whether or not I should get a mobile broadband card.

Any advice on broadband cards?

[quotecdf996f6a8="Iz"][quotecdf996f6a8="justinag06"]this is why the gentelman has 300+ kma folks.[/quotecdf996f6a8]

VERY true, hahaha.

Thanks a lot for the info dmorris, it really helped )

So now I believe I've picked out my laptop...my next two steps are deciding if I should get it now, or closer to christmas time...and whether or not I should get a mobile broadband card.

Any advice on broadband cards?[/quotecdf996f6a8]
You mean a wireless card, or like one of those T-Mobile/AT&T cards?

[quote14b9494e46="TFOAF"][quote14b9494e46="Iz"][quote14b9494e46="justinag06"]this is why the gentelman has 300+ kma folks.[/quote14b9494e46]

VERY true, hahaha.

Thanks a lot for the info dmorris, it really helped )

So now I believe I've picked out my laptop...my next two steps are deciding if I should get it now, or closer to christmas time...and whether or not I should get a mobile broadband card.

Any advice on broadband cards?[/quote14b9494e46]
You mean a wireless card, or like one of those T-Mobile/AT&T cards?[/quote14b9494e46]

I mean one of those T-Mobile/AT&T cards. The ones that allow you to connect to the internet from all over. The ASUS comes with a built in Wifi I believe

Alienware is owned by dell so forget that. Also, if you are going for gaming performance, why not get a desktop. It will be cheaper and faster.

^ He's not getting a Dell or Alienware, lol.