Laptop Consideration (for gaming and school)

[animestan]

Thread Repurposed

First off, I'd like to thank all of you that posted in this thread. But after a long night of consideration, I'm thinking of scrapping the idea of a "light gaming" laptop since I already have a desktop that handles everything fairly well (w/ a GTS 250).

If anyone has suggestions for my new preference, your input will be greatly appreciated.

1) What is your budget?
$500 CAD/USA

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen (Smaller is okay)

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
I can buy it online or in store, as long as it ships to Canada

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

a. Like: ASUS (Mainly for their 1 year accidental warranty)

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?
No

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
[B]general[B]

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
Both

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?
Yes, lower end

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?
4+

15) When are you buying this laptop?
Before September

16) How long do you want this laptop to last?
2+ Years

17) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 640GB? Do you want a SSD drive?
No SSD, prefer 300GB and up

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
DVD only

Thanks for your input.

[Axkingz]

Out of those three i would choose number 1. Rather have 2GB more ram than an i7 in that case.

Personally i find 15.6" too big to carry around for school. I got a 13.3" which i find to be the perfect size.

[abula]

I would go with i7 over the i5, but either config is very close.

[Gazebo]

First one

[animestan]

I guess its really split between i5 + 2GB of Ram or i7.

So I'm guessing that people would rather have an i5 with more ram over an i7?

Another member posed a concern over the resolution (1366x768) being low for a 15.6" laptop, especially if I want to have multiple windows open and that I should opt for something with 1920x1080 (but staying within my budget).

Anyone else care to comment on this type of resolution and processors?

[animestan]

Would this one be a good one to add on the list?
HP Pavilion DV6-6155CA
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...-34157945-L08C
Price: $720.00
CPU: Intel Core i5 2410M(2.30GHz)
RAM: 6GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM
GPU: AMD Radeon HD 6490M
HDD: 640 GB (??? RPM)
Screen: 15.6"
Res: 1366x768

[anticupidon]

Originally Posted by Axkingz

Out of those three i would choose number 1. Rather have 2GB more ram than an i7 in that case.

Personally i find 15.6" too big to carry around for school. I got a 13.3" which i find to be the perfect size.

the more and more i repair laptops this size it just feels right
the more i hate/admire 13.3 Macs

[Scorch666]

You could save a bob or two and go for a MSI FX600 Blu ray, if its in the old coloney of course.

[animestan]

Ya, but I can't find it being sold anywhere and the specs are a little low for what I'm looking for.

[Scorch666]

Originally Posted by animestan

Ya, but I can't find it being sold anywhere and the specs are a little low for what I'm looking for.

OK thats cool.
Then i suggest 1.) Newegg.ca - ASUS A53 Series A53SV-XN1 Notebook Intel Core i5 2410M(2.30GHz) 15.6" 6GB Memory DDR3 1333 750GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M
ASUS A53 Series A53SV-XN1
Price: $750.00
CPU: Intel Core i5 2410M(2.30GHz)
RAM: 6GB Memory DDR3 1333
GPU: Nvidia GT 540M
HDD: 750 GB (7200 RPM)
Screen: 15.6"
Res: 1366x768.

Good luck.

[Decane]

I would go with number 3. I can't understand why anyone would want to go with 2GB more RAM (from 4GB, which is already quite respectable considering that you're not going for an ultra-high end gaming notebook here), over a quad-core Sandy Bridge i7. I have an XPS 17 with an i7-2630QM, 4GB DDR3, and a GT 555M and this thing flies in most games which aren't ultra GPU-intensive, e.g. HL2: Episode 2, etc.

Something to keep in mind if you want a high-resolution screen (e.g. 1920x1080) is that the GPU power needed to drive those pixels is also proportionately higher. Thus, I would not go with such a screen unless I were sure that I would be able to afford a suitably powerful GPU as well.

[Scorch666]

Originally Posted by Decane

I would go with number 3. I can't understand why anyone would want to go with 2GB more RAM (from 4GB, which is already quite respectable considering that you're not going for an ultra-high end gaming notebook here), over a quad-core Sandy Bridge i7. I have an XPS 17 with an i7-2630QM, 4GB DDR3, and a GT 555M and this thing flies in most games which aren't ultra GPU-intensive, e.g. HL2: Episode 2, etc.

Something to keep in mind if you want a high-resolution screen (e.g. 1920x1080) is that the GPU power needed to drive those pixels is also proportionately higher. Thus, I would not go with such a screen unless I were sure that I would be able to afford a suitably powerful GPU as well.

As the OP has stated thats its needed for school, and research the 6gig will come in handy + an i5 is no slouch by any strech. Bigger and faster HDD is good too.

And i think 1366x768 is the sweet spot for mobile gaming.

[animestan]

First off, I'd like to thank all of you that posted in this thread. But after a long night of consideration, I'm thinking of scrapping the idea of a "light gaming" laptop since I already have a desktop that handles everything fairly well (w/ a GTS 250).

So a quick question, do you think I should still go for a laptop that has the GPU GTS 540M even though my desktop is equipped with a GTS 250? Because if I did get something with the 540M, would that defeat the purpose of my desktop?
(So I'm thinking gaming on desktop, and school-work on laptop)

If anyone has suggestions for my new preference, your input will be greatly appreciated.

[stone-eye]

With any laptop its always best to get the most you can afford as you basically cant upgrade laptops in the future. So yes id go for a discrete video card as then you have a backup in case your desktop ever went down and a mobile gaming laptop for if you feel like doing anything while out and about.

[zipper]

Originally Posted by animestan

So a quick question, do you think I should still go for a laptop that has the GPU GTS 540M even though my desktop is equipped with a GTS 250? Because if I did get something with the 540M, would that defeat the purpose of my desktop?

Nope, your GTS 250 beats your laptop by a clear margin; 3DMark Vantage P GPU result about 6500 vs. 3500.

[animestan]

Ya, money is an issue as university is going to cost a lot.

Alrighty, so it seems like the laptops won't beat out my desktop so I guess I'll just go with a lower spec laptop then.

Again, suggestions are welcome.

[stone-eye]

Well if you're not getting a powerhouse laptop why not go for a netbook for portability? For large amounts of work the screen might get annoying but you have your desktop for that, for the odd bit here and there and size/weight a netbook would probably be preferable and alot cheaper.

If you went with something like the HP DM1-z or Asus 1215b/1215n you'd have some oomph for low level gaming and HD videos too. I use my DM1 all the time and its a nice little machine and good battery life.

[animestan]

Ya, the size is an issue as I want a large enough screen and I also need a keyboard with a numberpad because I think I'm going to do a fair amount of accounting.

[animestan]

Any more suggestions?

[MAD-OGRE]

I picked up the MSI FX620DX for $700.00 not to long ago, it has enough power for all my needs, and plays my games @ the native rez with most settings med/high.

The only down side I see is I wish they had used DDR5 over DDR3 on the GPU memory.

[animestan]

Originally Posted by MAD-OGRE

I picked up the MSI FX620DX for $700.00 not to long ago, it has enough power for all my needs, and plays my games @ the native rez with most settings med/high.

The only down side I see is I wish they had used DDR5 over DDR3 on the GPU memory.

I was considering that one (along with 2 Asus ones) before I figured out that I had no need for a laptop like that. (See my previous thread).

That's a thing about Nvidia GPUs =/.

[animestan]

How's this.
http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/ca...Keyword=343076
* 2.3GHz AMD Quad-Core A6-3400 processor; 4MB L2 Cache
* 4GB system memory; Expandable to 8GB
* 500GB hard disk drive
* 15.6" LCD display
* Windows 7 Home Premium
* 1GB AMD Radeon HD 6650 Graphics
* Built-in Altec Lansing speakers
* Connectivity options include Gigabit Ethernet LAN and Wireless LAN 802.11b/g/n
* Ports include 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0 and 1 x HDMI
* Mocha finish
* Dimensions: 1.4"(H) x 15.12"(W) x 10.12"(D)
* Weight: 5.72 lbs
* 1-Year limited warranty
For $550.

Or

http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/ca...Keyword=330205
* 2.93GHz Intel Core i5-480M processor
* 4GB system memory
* 640GB SATA hard disk drive
* 15.6" HD Acer CineCrystal LED-backlit TFT LCD
* Windows 7 Home Premium
* 8X DVD-Super Multi Double-Layer Drive
* Intel HD Graphics
* Built-in Mono Speaker
* Acer Crystal Eye high-definition webcam with built in microphone
* Connectivity options include Gigabit Ethernet LAN and Wireless LAN 802.11b/g/n
* Ports include 3 x USB 2.0 and HDMI
* Bilingual Keyboard with Multi-gesture touchpad pointing device
* Black finish
* Up to 3.5 hours battery life
* Dimensions: 0.9" /1.33"(H) x 15.0"(W) x 9.9"(D)
* Weight: 5.7 lb.
* 1-Year limited warranty
For $400

[tyRant.594]

go with the A6. You will get better battery life and a more capable machine. Plus quadcore and the gfx card is nice for sure.