Looking for a laptop in the $1,000 range.

[newbs]

Hello,

First of all thanks for clicking on this thread because I need your help. Several weeks ago my netbook died. This means I'm a Senior CS major without a computer. I recently moved out of my parents house into a nice little appartment with my girlfriend and work part time while going to school to support myself, so I'm super poor. My father said he'd buy me a new laptop in the $1,000 budget range.

He's in Anchorage right now and he was looking at some laptops at Best Buy, but they all have UMA integrated graphics. I need a decent GPU not some integrated crap card.

I want something that I can run games on and compile code.

I would appreciate your suggestions.

Thanks! :)

[Amy Pond]

[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152258[/url]

Yep.

[editline]17th October 2011[/editline]

Or

[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834246132[/url]

[Electroholic]

Looking at the Newegg laptop page:
[URL]http://www.newegg.ca/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=32&name=Laptops-Notebooks[/URL]
I can see a lot that look decent.

Also, it depends on what kind of games you want to play. The 2nd Gen i7 has pretty good on-board graphics so you might not need a dedicated.

Personally, I don't buy anything with a spin drive any more so I just got a Macbook and dual booted windows.

Any specific brand your looking for?

[newbs]

[QUOTE=thisBrad;32833911]Looking at the Newegg laptop page:
[URL]http://www.newegg.ca/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=32&name=Laptops-Notebooks[/URL]
I can see a lot that look decent.

Also, it depends on what kind of games you want to play. The 2nd Gen i7 has pretty good on-board graphics so you might not need a dedicated.

Personally, I don't buy anything with a spin drive any more so I just got a Macbook and dual booted windows.

Any specific brand your looking for?[/QUOTE]

Well, I'm a hardcore gamer so I want to play new games with "teh super HD graphx" (pardon my l33tspeak). For example, I would rather play Skyrim on the laptop than my 360 when it comes out.

I've never had a Mac before. My dad was talking about a Macbook air (which is like $2,000). Would something like that even be worth it or is it more of an size/aesthetics thing as opposed to performance?

I do not want a Toshiba. I have had two Toshiba laptops die within a 1-2 year span. :( My parents have had bad experience with Samsung as well (power issues + overheating).

[Electroholic]

[QUOTE=newbs;32834108]Well, I'm a hardcore gamer so I want to play new games with "teh super HD graphx" (pardon my l33tspeak). For example, I would rather play Skyrim on the laptop than my 360 when it comes out.

I've never had a Mac before. My dad was talking about a Macbook air (which is like $2,000). Would something like that even be worth it or is it more of an size/aesthetics thing as opposed to performance?

I do not want a Toshiba. I have had two Toshiba laptops die within a 1-2 year span. :( My parents have had bad experience with Samsung as well (power issues + overheating).[/QUOTE]

Personally, I bought the Macbook Air because it was the thinnest thing I could find and I wanted portability for school. It can run League of Legends although it is quite sloppy :v:. For gaming though, I wouldn't recommend a Mac. I've been starting to use OnLive recently for the higher end games which work great (but they don't have the best selection).

Anyway, my brand of choice for laptops have always been Gateway, but I just looked at their site and it looks like they have changed a lot since I've bought from them (they have shit selection now). I would say my next choice would be MSI then Asus.

Edit: Yeah I also think Toshiba's are shit. I also know a lot of people who have had one die on them.

Also, have you checked out Sager Gaming laptops? [URL="http://www.sagernotebook.com/index.php?page=category_browse&selected_cat=10"]http://www.sagernotebook.com/index.php?page=category_browse&selected_cat=10[/URL]

But this laptop looks pretty impressive:
[url]http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152264[/url]

[newbs]

[QUOTE=Ridz0r;32833810][url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152258[/url]

[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=thisBrad;32835407]

But this laptop looks pretty impressive:
[url]http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152264[/url][/QUOTE]

So I'm looking at these two. The top one has 8gb RAM as opposed to 6gb, an I7 processor as opposed to I5,1080p as opposed to 720p. Neither of them have BD drives, but I do have a PS3.

The price difference is $200.

Can anyone suggest something better. Is the more expensive one worth the extra cash?

[Electroholic]

I would say yes it is worth the extra cash. Personally I'm an HD freak so I would probably spend $200 just because its 1080p compared to the 720p. However the i7 has 4 cores instead of 2 which would be a huge performance boost.

But yeah, I'm not much into the laptop market, but there may be something even better our there :rolleyes:

[newbs]

[QUOTE=thisBrad;32839832]I would say yes it is worth the extra cash. Personally I'm an HD freak so I would probably spend $200 just because its 1080p compared to the 720p. However the i7 has 4 cores instead of 2 which would be a huge performance boost.

But yeah, I'm not much into the laptop market, but there may be something even better our there :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

haha yeah well this is way better than when I first started looking.

Thank you so much for your advice!

[Electroholic]

Also that $999 laptop is on sale its normally 1,299.99 so it's not a bad deal :wink:

but yeah good luck xD

[newbs]

[QUOTE=thisBrad;32839888]Also that $999 laptop is on sale its normally 1,299.99 so it's not a bad deal :wink:

but yeah good luck xD[/QUOTE]

Thanks! I just got off the phone with my dad and he said he'd buy it. I sent him the link to look over the specs and I'll order it in a couple days (I never ever impulse buy). No matter what I'm purchasing I always spend at least two full days mulling it over.

[CertainAffinity]

[QUOTE=Ridz0r;32833810][url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152258[/url][/QUOTE]
540m?

Awful for what the OP is looking for.

Also, OP, I doubt you're going to find anything around $1,000 that's going to run newly-released games in "teh super HD graphx".

[URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230030"]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230030[/URL] - maybe not "supar graffix", but still recommendable for its price.

[url="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230102R"]Better, but out of stock.[/url]

[ADT]

Stop recommending gaming laptops, for god's sake. They're not worth the money at all, especially in a long run.

[editline]18th October 2011[/editline]

[QUOTE=CertainAffinity;32840893]540m?

Awful for what the OP is looking for.[/QUOTE]

Are you kidding me?

[Amy Pond]

[QUOTE=ADT;32841377]Stop recommending gaming laptops, for god's sake. They're not worth the money at all, especially in a long run.
[/QUOTE]He asked for a gaming laptop....

[Chubbs]

[QUOTE=thisBrad;32839832]I would say yes it is worth the extra cash. Personally I'm an HD freak so I would probably spend $200 just because its 1080p compared to the 720p. However the i7 has 4 cores instead of 2 which would be a huge performance boost.

But yeah, I'm not much into the laptop market, but there may be something even better our there :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

i5's have 4 cores mate. i3's have two.

[Doritos_Man]

[QUOTE=Chubbs;32844663]i5's have 4 cores mate. i3's have two.[/QUOTE]

The mobile i5's are dual cores

[ADT]

[QUOTE=Ridz0r;32843663]He asked for a gaming laptop....[/QUOTE]

That's still a misinformed and stupid choice

[editline]18th October 2011[/editline]

If you want to play games with enhanced graphics, desktops are largely superior for less expensive than a "gaming" laptop.

[Amy Pond]

[QUOTE=ADT;32846178]That's still a misinformed and stupid choice

[editline]18th October 2011[/editline]

If you want to play games with enhanced graphics, desktops are largely superior for less expensive than a "gaming" laptop.[/QUOTE]Yes but, he probably enjoys the mobility.

[Snuffy]

[QUOTE=ADT;32846178]That's still a misinformed and stupid choice

[editline]18th October 2011[/editline]

If you want to play games with enhanced graphics, desktops are largely superior for less expensive than a "gaming" laptop.[/QUOTE]

I didn't buy a gaming laptop for the games. I bought a gaming laptop because I wanted something mobile that wouldnt' be horrendously obsolete in three years. The games are just a bonus.

[newbs]

I just want a good laptop with the best performance for what I'm paying and still be able to run the latest games on mid settings.

[Darkebrz]

[QUOTE=Snuffy;32847018]I didn't buy a gaming laptop for the games. I bought a gaming laptop because I wanted something mobile that wouldnt' be horrendously obsolete in three years. The games are just a bonus.[/QUOTE]

Are the horrendous battery life and heavy weight also bonuses?

[Snuffy]

[QUOTE=CertainAffinity;32840893]540m?

Awful for what the OP is looking for.

Also, OP, I doubt you're going to find anything around $1,000 that's going to run newly-released games in "teh super HD graphx".

[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230030[/URL] - maybe not "supar graffix", but still recommendable for its price.

[URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230102R"]Better, but out of stock.[/URL][/QUOTE]

I would recommend this one instead, although it seems to be out of stock at the moment.

[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230027[/URL]

It's pretty much the same as the first machine but with less ram and a smaller hard drive. For the price of most other models you could buy this and a larger hard drive and possibly a nice SSD.

I have this model, and I use if for the same tasks as the OP. (Code compiling, games), and I can't say I've ever felt a need for eight gigs of RAM. Want, maybe, but never a need. I'm really just looking for an excuse to open it up and poke around inside.

[QUOTE=Darkebrz;32847059]Are the horrendous battery life and heavy weight also bonuses?[/QUOTE]

It's more of a desktop replacement. Lugging around a proper desktop between home and college is a pain, so I got this. Battery life isn't a big deal when one isn't playing games (especially since it's pretty much always plugged in), and as long as one has a decent backpack weight isn't a big deal either.

[newbs]

@Snuffy

I noticed the GPU's were different. The one you mention has a NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-460M as opposed to a NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-540M. Is that a better card?

Also, how many USB ports does it have? I only see 1xUSB 3.0 port listed.

The one you mention's HDD is 7200rpm as opposed to 5400rpm, so that's an improvement and like you said I could get a nice SSD. I don't use a lot of HDD space so 500GB is more than enough (I have several externals too).

Oh, this is the one I was comparing it too.

[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152258[/url]

[Fate]

GTX 460M is better.

[newbs]

Hmmmm, I wish it wasn't out of stock. It sounds like a way better investment (and cheaper too). :(

There was like a 30 page long thread on slickdeals about it lol.

[Snuffy]

[QUOTE=newbs;32848140]@Snuffy

I noticed the GPU's were different. The one you mention has a NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-460M as opposed to a NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-540M. Is that a better card?

Also, how many USB ports does it have? I only see 1xUSB 3.0 port listed.

[/QUOTE]

1. The 460m is by far a better card.

2. 3 USB 2.0 ports and 1 USB 3.0.

[ADT]

[QUOTE=newbs;32848140]@Snuffy

I noticed the GPU's were different. The one you mention has a NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-460M as opposed to a NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-540M. Is that a better card?

Also, how many USB ports does it have? I only see 1xUSB 3.0 port listed.

The one you mention's HDD is 7200rpm as opposed to 5400rpm, so that's an improvement and like you said I could get a nice SSD. I don't use a lot of HDD space so 500GB is more than enough (I have several externals too).

Oh, this is the one I was comparing it too.

[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152258[/url][/QUOTE]

If you're just taking in account pure performance between these two cards, the GTX460M is obviously more powerful. But its purpose is mainly for 1080p gaming (if you're willing to take an "17 and lose then more mobility because of its size/weight), while a GT540M can run everything fine on 720p

I have a GT540M and it runs every game (even Metro 2033 on Dx9/Mid settings/1366x768) pretty good.

[K3inMitl3id]

[url]http://www.compsource.com/ttechnote.asp?part_no=G53SXXR1&vid=46&src=F[/url]

Asus G53sx-Xr1 15.6" Led Notebook - Intel Core I7 I7-2630qm 2 Ghz - Black - 1920 X 1080 Full Hd Display - 8 Gb Ram - 640 Gb Hdd - Dvd-Writer - [b]Nvidia Geforce Gtx 560m Graphics Card[/b] - Bluetooth - Webcam - Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium - Hdmi

560M > 460M, 540M, 550M, 555M, whatever M that's in a sub-1000 or 1000 dollar laptop

This thing is pretty future-proof too.

$1,033.00 + free shipping

[ADT]

[QUOTE=Snuffy;32847018]I didn't buy a gaming laptop for the games. I bought a gaming laptop because I wanted something mobile that wouldnt' be horrendously obsolete in three years. The games are just a bonus.[/QUOTE]

It will be obsolete soon, like any laptop, except you just spend more money on it.

Also excepting a laptop not being obsolete over 3 years is damn stupid

-Damn automerge-

[K3inMitl3id]

Um, why did you rate me dumb? I'm dying to know why.

[newbs]

[QUOTE=K3inMitl3id;32849905][url]http://www.compsource.com/ttechnote.asp?part_no=G53SXXR1&vid=46&src=F[/url]

Asus G53sx-Xr1 15.6" Led Notebook - Intel Core I7 I7-2630qm 2 Ghz - Black - 1920 X 1080 Full Hd Display - 8 Gb Ram - 640 Gb Hdd - Dvd-Writer - [b]Nvidia Geforce Gtx 560m Graphics Card[/b] - Bluetooth - Webcam - Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium - Hdmi

560M > 460M, 540M, 550M, 555M, whatever M that's in a sub-1000 or 1000 dollar laptop

This thing is pretty future-proof too.

$1,033.00 + free shipping[/QUOTE]

This is now my first choice besides the $800 one that's out of stock.

ADT is rating you dumb because he's a shit poster. I come in here asking for advice on a good deal for a laptop that I'm getting for free and all he does is blab about the desktop master race.