Looking at some laptops, have a budget and want some opinions please.

[PJ64]

Hey guys. I know this is my first post and I admit I am a complete noob with a lot of this stuff. I am just looking for a quick solid answer because I need to get a laptop quick as mine just took a dump.

Anyway, I am stuck with a $700 spending limit right now, I kinda got screwed cause my laptop took a hit from a lightning strike a couple days ago and I need to find something to replace it pretty quick here.

I found 3 that I think will be fairly decent for what I use it for but wanted some solid opinions so I didn't buy the wrong one.

I've found these (below) which I think are the 3 best. I HAVE to have at least the 17.3" monitor because I do a LOT of CAD work and the bigger screen really helps. I also do some light gaming (iRacing.com, BF3) So I was looking for the best video card possible for the money.

Memory is an easy upgrade so I can deal with a 4gig machine as long as it's able to be upgraded to 8 or 12.

Anyway thanks for your time and if anyone has any suggestions on machines other than the 3 I have posted it would be greatly appreciated!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834215245

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...038&CatId=4938

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...030&CatId=4938

[PJ64]

Anyone please?

[scatman839]

Well, they're all pretty much the same that you listed, but http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...030&CatId=4938 that one has a better gpu, so that for a start, it's a fairly decent gpu, look at notebookcheck for benchmarks.

I would check ebay for manufacturer refurbished laptops, you get some good deals on otherwise new laptops, and save hundreds compared to new, so you can get yourself a much better spec one for your money.

[PJ64]

I will check that Thank You

[PJ64]

After a bit of searching on ebay, I had no real luck finding anything other than used machines. I don't mind refurb or new but used I just can't bring myself to. I think I will just get the Acer you said was best unless you have another suggestion?

Thanks

[scatman839]

I don't know because I'm not american, so I don't know american sites past ebay, best bet, look at notebookcheck, select a gpu above the 7670 and try a search.

Check out review websites for laptops, a laptop is more than just the sum of it's parts unless you always use it as a pc.

[PJ64]

If I absolutely stretch my budget to the max and leave myself without a paycheck this week, I could go for $850... which would bring me into these...

Would any of these be leaps and bounds better than what I had already listed?

THANKS MAN!

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...451&CatId=4938

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...196&CatId=4938

[PJ64]

according to notebookcheck that gpu on the asus seems a little behind the AMD Radeon HD 7670M if i am looking at this right

[scatman839]

you are looking at it right, both are worse gpu wise, it's just the addition of an i7

have a look here, they're going to give more advice
http://forum.notebookreview.com/


found this one on ebay, a touch better than the ones you listed so far, quad core i7 and a 550m, used, but a 99.9% positive feedback seller with thousands of sales, it's also an auction, so you might get it for however much you want to bid, goes new on ebay for $900, few hours left if you read this in time

a couple other choices in this search

[PJ64]

Missed it but you say the 550M is better gpu? I've found a few others but thought the 550m was not better. what others are going to be better than the 7670m?

im scared of used because who knows if the guy that owned it had been searching child porn or something, yanno? I don't have a windows 7 disc to wipe the machine fresh...

Thanks for your help!

[scatman839]

Check the 550m on notebookcheck, they have a whole bunch of benchmarks from games, you can compare results with the 7670m, some of it may be down to a better cpu though.

I'm just looking at the list on the right hand side of notebookcheck and picking one above it, the 550m is just a reasonably popular one right now. If you don't have a win7 disc then you could borrow or download one, my newest laptop didn't come with a win7 disc but with a serial on the bottom, I downloaded a copy and used that serial and it recognised it as legitimate.

Here's a similar choice from the amd side, a 6770m which competes with the 555m (which I couldn't find in any laptops in your price range), got an i7 quad core and a bunch of other nice stuff, a few reviews on it here, again lightly used (seller lists light scratches on the case), but from a trustworthy seller.

Used or not is up to you, but i've bought a bunch of used stuff pcs before and it has been fine, an ebay seller who has built up a large reputation base would not want to jeopardise it by something as insane as reselling a computer with what you said your found (they would report it to the police), they will always format and reinstall windows before selling, no one wants a laptop with someone else's data on it.

[mercedees]

i'm a new user and all but aren't both those cards pretty much crap? I checked benchmarks and we're talking class 3 cards... on brand new machines... that sell for "cheap" so this can't be good... I know you said you weren't interested in a used machine but I have a gateway laptop i purchased new 2-3 yrs ago for about $1500. It's the p7805u fx. It's an INSANELY good laptop and plays every single game i ever put on it, atleast 15+ titles. Latest games I've ran were Mass Effect 3 cranked, Need for speed: the run at medium, the latest batman game, arkham city or w/e, again cranked, heroes of newerth cranked... older games that this machine just blows through, world of warcraft, mw2, black ops, crysis 1 and 2, and the list just goes on.

All i'm saying is that, if you spend money on a used machine that was previously sold at a high dollar MSRP, you could really be getting an AMAZING deal. You just have to find one with a good enough graphics card to take on all your favorite current and planned future games.