New Gaming Laptop :X

[Bunny™]

Hola<3
I need a laptop soon. The sooner I get it, the faster I can be active on rG.
And since mine is going to be gone tomorrow,
my dad asked me to show him some online once I picked out a few
for choice.

Why is my laptop going to be gone?
http://www.ragedgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4364


I need:
-Something that runs TF2, MW2, L4D2, L4D and etc.
-Great great graphics. I am a huge fan of amazing graphics.
-Price doesn't really matter just something reasonable for its price.
-A laptop where I can choose colors or designs.
-Bright Red, Sultry Blue, Envy Green, or Luscious Violet.
-Little cute designs would be nice, but its the way it runs games and stuff that matters.
-Windows 7.. I have it already so no need to worry about that.

Im crazy girly so whatever you think is fine is okay(:
And if its a plain black laptop Im cool with it.

Thanks for all the help guys!
I'll try my best to search for something good.
But idk anything about computers/laptops.. So yar.
I'll see what I can get. I'll post it too so I can see if they are fine?

Ciao ciao<3
-Bunnbunn

[Spyder]

I'm a big fan of Dell. I worked for Dell for not quite a year, and I have an XPS M1530 I love.

I'd check out the Studio XPS 16:

http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/laptop-studio-xps-16/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-studio-xps-16&s=dhs&cs=19

I'd start at the $1399 model and then personalize it. You can get it in red.

[zyxe]

what's your price range? that's a HUGE factor in any PC/laptop purchase.

[xXCaptainNemoXx]

I like HP laptops. I just bought one for my little brother for college and it was not only a really good deal but it's a pretty powerful machine also.

Try this one: http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_can_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=notebooks&a1=Category&v1=High+performance&series_name=dv8tqe_series&jumpid=in_R329_prodexp/hhoslp/psg/notebooks/High_performance/dv8tqe_series

If you decide to go with a HP computer, let me know before you buy it. I usually get emailed discounts.

Specs:
OS: Windows 7
Processor: Intel Core i7-720 QM Quad Core (1.6 GHz L3 Cache)
Memory: 4GB DDR3 (2 Dimm)
Hard Drive: 500GB 7200RPM
Graphics Card: 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 230M
Price: $1,2499.99

Also try checking Buy.com (http://buy.com) for refurbished laptops, usually you can get them at really good deals. And even though it says refurbished, no one has ever used them. They are usually left overs from the previous generation model that manufactures (HP, Dell, etc.) try to get rid of.

[Bunny™]

what's your price range? that's a HUGE factor in any PC/laptop purchase.

Anything really!
I don't mind since my dad is going to buy it for me.
Just anything with good graphics and all that :X
Im sorry Im not a computer knowledgeable person!

[Lesbian Ranger]

Laptops is one thing that I will give dell, but if you want color customization go with Alienware (The gaming division of Dell) They offer good computers for okay-ish prices, but there is a lot you can customize with it, One thing I WILL suggest is that you get the biggest screen you can (I LOVE 18+ inch screens on laptops)

[Glenn_Beck]

If you want a great gaming laptop built by a company with a good reputation that focuses only on gaming go to www.ibuypower.com

I doubt you will be able to find any fun colors, i think they mostly go for the sleek metallic black look. But you will get a great price on a laptop designed specifically for Gaming...which means PROPER COOLING.

The biggest gripe you will have with Dell/HP (i currently have an HP laptop and its great except for this) is the cooling and design of the case is so bad for airflow, leads to the laptop fan getting worn out very quickly within a year and a half in most cases. Just be careful in your research and try to find something with great reviews regarding cooling/air flow.

[Shel]

Dunno why you want looks for a laptop, but okay..
If you want the laptop to look good, and play games, you're gonna pay 200$ more on average.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11534224&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|84|56670|78129&N=4033838&Mo=50&pos=1&No=10&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=78129&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC10590-Cat56670&topnav=
that's a good laptop for its price, but if you're looking for a coloured computer, the Dell Studio XPS 16 is pretty much the same laptop(with a worse graphics card(DX 11 vs DX 10.1, smaller screen, and 140GB less) for $1339 from dell.com

so yeah, go with that asus, if you want color be prepared to get a worse computer for more money.

[Bad ConNecTioN]

Bunny, couple things we should know.

Do you plan on using this on the go? Are you hoping to use it in class, in a car, at starbucks, etc?
If you go with a large screen, much of this will be impossible. I can tell you right now with absolute authority...you are not going to want to move a super-sized laptop, much less crack one open in a public place.
With a gaming laptop in the 18" category, your looking at 13lbs+ and a 1hr battery life. That makes it good for absolutely nothing other than sitting on a desk making noise.

A couple years ago me and my sister bought my Dad a loaded Sager. 17" screen, fast core 2, fastest graphics at the time, etc etc. Turned out to be a total bust. Its heavy (13lbs), has a short battery life (huge battery btw), and can get pretty damn loud when running 3d apps.
He never really liked taking it anywhere, and eventually it was relegated to sitting in the kitchen as an internet PC. This was a $2700 laptop....now its parked on a desk.

Gaming laptops sound great on paper, but most owners soon realize the inherent conflict of interest associated with such devices. Gaming features remove mobility from laptops. Big processors, big graphics cards, and big screens all suck power and add weight. This wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the mini tornadoes that come to life as soon as you hit the power button (big fans and heatsinks needed to cool everything). While some people can eventually adapt to this, I can guarantee the lady drinking her venti low fat caramel mochiato at the next table will take issue.


Now if you plan on parking this on a desk, then I suggest you purchase a desktop instead. It will be faster, cheaper, and quieter...not to mention easily upgradable as time moves on.


All that said, there is a balance that can be achieved. Enough gaming features to satisfy those late night frag sessions, but with enough mobility to be functional as a laptop when required.
May I present to you the Alienware M11x
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/alienware-m11x?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn

Fast enough to play modern titles, has an 8hr+ battery life, and only weighs 4.5lbs. Its not terribly expensive either.

[Spyder]

I didn't know Dell bought Alienware. I was wondering how long it would take them to get bought out.

[zyxe]

this is the "newer" version of the laptop i have, with an nVidia mobile 260, which is a great card. it still has a core 2 duo but that's fine for gaming. my laptop, which has an nVidia 9800 GTS mobile, which still plays TF2 and Crysis and ME2 on very respectable settings, all that with a 1920x1200 resolution. i believe it has a lower resolution, which should speed things up even better.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5270805&Sku=G180-17007&cm_re=Homepage-_-Spot%2001-_-CatId_17_G180-17007

here is another nice albeit smaller lappy:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220688

toshiba's have some nice specs, but they are FUGLY.

just do some searches at newegg and tigerdirect (even best buy has some good ones). sort by price, about $1000 to $1600 and you'll get some nice stuff. just make sure the vid card is decent.

i recommend that, whatever laptop you end up with, you get a laptop cooler. it will extend the life of your laptop. i actually like this one, and actually enjoy it as a base to my laptop regardless of the cooling features (which, btw, cools my laptop by about 20C during gaming):

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4348114&CatId=3486

it comes in both black and silver. it tilts your laptop up a little and makes it a lot more comfortable to type on.

[Bad ConNecTioN]

I didn't know Dell bought Alienware. I was wondering how long it would take them to get bought out.

Been this way for about two years now. Sadly the alienware desktops are pretty much Dell XPS offerings with a new skin. It feels like they lost a bit of their edge after being bought out. I am not sure what this did to their service and support departments either. I know Alienware had great service before....not sure if Dell moved it all to India or not.

The laptops on the other hand have improved since the switch. More integrated alienware specific features, etc. The old laptops had great hardware, but all alienware really did was change the color and add a decal. The new laptops actually look like alienware specific products....even if they are stuffed with dell internals :p.

If I was interested in an alienware, I would simply get a Dell XPS and save some money. Not as cool looking, but works just the same.

[Maniv]

I've never had any luck with Dell, i've bought 3 laptops from them and have had nothing but problems, which resulted in either a return or resale to someone else after i fixed it. So, i stay away from them, as well as the "wal mart brand" laptops like HP and Compaq.

I've owned multiple Toshibas however and have always had great results with them. Best Buy sales them as well as the ASUS i have now, and i love it as well.

Here are some links, and usually (unless its an online only item) the great thing about Best Buy, you can go pick it up, dont have to wait on them to ship it to you!

ASUS i'd suggest: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+Laptop+with+Intel%26%23174%3B+Core%26%23153%3B+i7 +Processor+-+Black/9743709.p?id=1218165770106&skuId=9743709
Toshiba i'd suggest: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+Qosmio+Laptop+with+Intel%26%23174%3B+Core%26%2315 3%3B+i5+Processor+-+Omega+Black/9716111.p?id=1218158634282&skuId=9716111

Both of these are desktop replacement style laptops. Not meant for "on the go" really, they can if needed, but typically have a reduced battery life, like an hour on "high performance mode".
I like the bigger screens, because afterall, you're playing games on it. Both of these also have a feature that i love, an actual numpad on the right hand side of the keyboard, its not "integrated" with the rest of the keys, its its own entity.

Goodluck on the laptop though! Hope to see ya ingame by the time i get back!

[b00ts]

+1 to Maniv... My Dell E1705 is pretty much imploding... maybe just a bad model but I'm never touching a Dell again. I'm also in the market, and it's pretty much come down to either a macbook Pro (gasp!) or an Asus.

Heed BadCon's advice... think long and hard (hehehe) about what you'll use it for along with the trade offs. I can tell you that hauling around a 17" brick everywhere with me as I moved around campus wasn't the most fun thing... especially when the battery life was only about an hour and change.

Good on you for asking... remember that this will probably have to last you awhile (I mean makes sense right?) My Dell worked great for about 2.5-3 years... then just kinda crapped out. Good luck with your purchase!

[Colecago]

I've hated Dell ever since I bought one in 2003. It was supposed to be a gaming/multimedia machine and it would constantly underclock itself to 900mhz from 3.0ghz usually 3-5 seconds every 15 seconds. I got new laptops with the same problem, danced around with dell for like a year, turned them into the better business bureau, worked with them again as they had been ignoring me up til that, and had them tell me it was not meant to be a gaming/multimedia machine, even though I went to their site and they still advertised it as one. I eventually gave up.

As for HP, my friend had one that had heat issues, and I recently got on off of Craigslist that the wireless card died on. Apparently its a known issue with this motherboard because heat was killing the pci-express wireless card and so they extended the warranty a year... without telling the people that bought the laptop. They can fix it for me though, for $250. Also it doesn't come back from sleep ever if it goes into it.

I'd go with a Toshiba, we got one for my fiancee and it has been working no problems for about 2 years. Good specs, good laptop, and good price, it was from Newegg.

[Bad ConNecTioN]

Some decent stuff for a decent price listed so far. But since bunny never really established a price point, I might as well list some super premium stuff for her to look at...

All models shown at PCtorque, but you can find Sager and Clevo stuff lots of places. Prices are variable, so look around.

Item #1 - Sager 8120: GTX 285's in SLI, Core i7, raided hard drives, 18.4" screen (full 1080p res). Simply a beast. It can be as pricey as you want it to be. BTW, fastest 18" laptop on the planet.
http://www.pctorque.com/sager-8120-gaming-computers.php (for sale at various places)

Item #2 - Sager 8760: Despite the model name this one is actually smaller and cheaper then the above. 17" screen, single GTX 285 or Radeon 5870m, Core i7, raided harddrives, etc etc. Starts at $1400.
http://www.pctorque.com/sager-8760-gaming-computers.php

Item #3 - Sager 8690: 15" version of the above. Priced about the same, and weighs a couple pounds less. This is what I recommend if you need something even remotely portable.
http://www.pctorque.com/sager-8690-gaming-computers.php


Item #4 - Sager NP 9280: This is for the insane. The person who needs the most powerful "mobile" solution on the planet. Core i7 (desktop processor...not the wimpy mobile chip), raided hard drives, GTX 285, etc etc. Prices start around $2300. Even with the 12 cell battery, its essentially a UPS when its not plugged in. You'll be lucky to get over 30 minutes on the thing in performance mode.
http://www.pctorque.com/sager-8690-gaming-computers.php


Sager makes great stuff. They are a a premium bare-bones supplier, and typically utilize chassis's from Clevo (fantastic stuff). My father has an M570TU, and its great...though this is the laptop in the story I described a little farther back. Nice machine...just not mobile. They don't make the laptop anymore from the looks of it, though it still plays games wonderfully.
http://www.clevo.com.tw/en/products/prodinfo.asp?productid=83

[Mogadishu]

Alienware Mx11 and customize it. Their soooooooo SEXY and beasty.

[Fantaa<3]

Good luck finding the perfect laptop Bunny!

[Bunny™]

Thank you everyone!
I looked at all of the links and information. I tried to understand what all this stuff meant.
I failed miserably. But HAY I tried(:
Btw, 4 of those links like failed and said they were "sold out"
Im liking those laptops Bad Con although, there like 12 lbs or something!

I take my laptop everywhere! I like portable. I asked my
brother about the gaming laptop thinking he wouldn't bother to help me.
He said the alien ware is perfect for me cause I fit those standards or somthing.

I think Im going to present these laptops to mah daddy and see.
Im leaning for dat Alienware tho. Seems fine.

Oh and btw, I was going to build a computer but thats not till
the end of summer till I move. So yar Im gonna wait till then
Thank you guys again for everything.

-Bunny

[Stanlee]

http://www.digitalstormonline.com/

Seems like they have some great PC's

[Bad ConNecTioN]

You'll be happy with the M11x bunny. Its a good machine and is nice and portable. It should run modern titles just fine. Your dad will like it too, as its not terribly expensive for what you get.