Deciding On a Laptop - Hardware & Software

Hey. As the Title suggests, I'm deciding on a new laptop. I've been looking at Dells, mainly the Studio 15 and the XPS 16. I'm leaning toward the 15 just because its cheaper. This laptop is mainly intended for internet browsing, high school work, with the occasional gaming thrown in. However, most of these games would be modern. I've customized a Studio 15 on dell's site, specs are as follows: Dell Studio 15 Intel Core i7-720qm quad core @ 1.6ghz(2.8ghz turbo, 6 mb cache) ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570(512 Mb Vram) 4 gb DDR3 Ram @ 1066 mhz 500 gb SATA Hard drive (7200 rpm) Windows 7 Home (64 bit) 15.6" 1080p LED screen $1134 Is this setup good? I could also get a Intel Core i5-520m dual core @ 2.4ghz(2.93ghz turbo, 3mb cache) for around $25 dollars more. Which would be better for gaming/processing power? Also open to alternative laptops under a budget of around $1300. [B]just not Alienware or Lenovo/IBM or Toshiba.[/B] Bad experiences with the last 2, and I think the first is just overpriced. Thanks for any and All help

Wait for the Alienware M11x, seems like a good deal at under $1000 and plays Crysis on high. Good battery life too.

Again, not getting alienware because: 1. Only 11" screen. I was looking @ the other two choices for their bigger screens 2. Alienware are overpriced. I could spec a top level XPS 16 for at least $500 less than a m15x and have almost exact same specs. Anybody else?

[QUOTE=benjgvps;19997803]Wait for the Alienware M11x, seems like a good deal at under $1000 and plays Crysis on high. Good battery life too.[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=875978[/url]

[QUOTE=Rocketracer4;20002787]2. Alienware are overpriced. I could spec a top level XPS 16 for at least $500 less than a m15x and have almost exact same specs.[/QUOTE] the price of the 11" one are pretty good for the price

[QUOTE=reapaninja;20004860]the price of the 11" one are pretty good for the price[/QUOTE] I totally agree, its a pretty low price for crysis on high

[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834114796&cm_re=360m-_-34-114-796-_-Product[/url] But with the whole 360m's are the same as 240's can't really see if it's worth it or not.

Once again, I'm not going to be using this for gaming very much. Playing Crysis on high doesn't make a bit of difference to me, because I don't have any problems playing a game on medium. I was going to use this mainly for schoolwork with movies watching and occasionally gaming. any game I do run will probably not be very graphically intensive, and the Studio/XPS both have atleast at 15.6" screen, while the Alienware only has an 11" screen. I don't really care if its cheap for a 11" gaming netbook, because I don't want a gaming notebook, a netbook, or a 11" screen. The alienware is a combination of those 3. Is anyone inclined to give me advice on the 2 builds I have, or alternatives that are [B] not Alienware, Lenovo, or Toshiba[/B]?

Dont get a dell simple as i reccomend asus [editline]12:19AM[/editline] posting from an EEE right now

What do you have against lenovo? They make some of the most reliable laptops in the business. I know the most reliable is debatable but they are very high up.

have a look at their range, take your pick, post what country you are in then i will post the linky [editline]12:22AM[/editline] fucking ninjas :argh: but i agree with him why hate lenovo?

Just fucking get the fucking Alienware. It's cheaper and you don't have to fucking pay over a fucking thousand dollars for all that high end shit you're not going to fucking use on that Dell. Plus, you can game, and do whatever the fuck you need to do for school on it. It fits your needs already. It has a smaller screen but you can still do a lot of stuff on it.

[QUOTE=Rocketracer4;20012387]Once again, I'm not going to be using this for gaming very much. Playing Crysis on high doesn't make a bit of difference to me, because I don't have any problems playing a game on medium. I was going to use this mainly for schoolwork with movies watching and occasionally gaming. any game I do run will probably not be very graphically intensive, and the Studio/XPS both have atleast at 15.6" screen, while the Alienware only has an 11" screen. I don't really care if its cheap for a 11" gaming netbook, because I don't want a gaming notebook, a netbook, or a 11" screen. The alienware is a combination of those 3. Is anyone inclined to give me advice on the 2 builds I have, or alternatives that are [B] not Alienware, Lenovo, or Toshiba[/B]?[/QUOTE] so you are getting an i7 for paper pushing work,and lenovo is out of the question? and a 4670? Coo story bro get an ipad or 1201n/ any asus UL80 or UL50/UL30

2 very good products. I know 1 is a brand you don't like but every company no matter how good they are send defective stuff sometimes. [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834127032[/url] [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834114796[/url]

this is the first and probably the last time im going to say this, but [B][HIGHLIGHT]GET THE GODDAMN ALIENWARE[/HIGHLIGHT][/B] in the long run you will find the size suprisingly useful and the battery wont splodie, unlike the dell

[QUOTE='[EG] Pepper;20014035']this is the first and probably the last time im going to say this, but [B][HIGHLIGHT]GET THE GODDAMN ALIENWARE[/HIGHLIGHT][/B] in the long run you will find the size suprisingly useful and it wont splodie, unlike the dell[/QUOTE] [/thread]

If you aren't a heavy gamer then go with a core 2 duo, a reasonable mobility GPU and a 15.6" screen. Should save you a bit and cater to your needs. DO NOT get the Alienware, the 11" screen will make you scream till three in the morning about how small it is.

My dad has a Studio 17 and it runs very well. It's got a decent C2D and an HD3650m in it so it can play most games, even HD movies. The 1080p display on the Studio 15 though would be very small and hard to see, and run your battery down like a bitch. I'd say to get the Studio XPS 16 with a 9-cell battery for better battery life. As said before, you'd get the best experience with the Alienware netbook. And it'll play HD movies if you've got a 1080p monitor lying around. For what it is, it's definitely not overpriced. I would indulge in Alienwares offer, they don't do it often.

[QUOTE=Split3ndz;20014521]If you aren't a heavy gamer then go with a core 2 duo, a reasonable mobility GPU and a 15.6" screen. Should save you a bit and cater to your needs. DO NOT get the Alienware, the 11" screen will make you scream till three in the morning about how small it is.[/QUOTE] How bad are your eyes. Cause find a 11 in screen very comfortable. Also if he has that big of a problem he hooks it up to a monitor when he is at his desk.

Actually, 1280x720 should run fine on an 11.6" display. A little crisp, but that's good. Just raise the DPI and it'll look perfect.

[QUOTE=Split3ndz;20014521]If you aren't a heavy gamer then go with a core 2 duo, a reasonable mobility GPU and a 15.6" screen. Should save you a bit and cater to your needs. DO NOT get the Alienware, the 11" screen will make you scream till three in the morning about how small it is.[/QUOTE] are you the sort of person that needs a 22" screen set to 800 x 600? cos im having no problems on this 10" screen

When you buy an alienware, you are paying a lot of money for the brand and the look basically, but they arent that overpriced, compared to macbooks and such.

[QUOTE=gol4z03;20016248]When you buy an alienware, you are paying a lot of money for the brand and the look basically, but they arent that overpriced, compared to macbooks and such.[/QUOTE] That Alienware laptop made me change my mind about that company, seems like a solid product offering 6.5 hours of battery life normally, without the games, then having about 3.5 hours of gaming when you DO want to play video games on battery. It's the best bang for your buck in your case. Rather than buying the Dell, you may be able to get the Alienware and a cheap 19" monitor.

i suggest ibuypower. A friend of mine has one and he recommends getting one. Good custom build laptops and pc's. lots of component options. PM perfumly for more details about it. This is what i suggest for a 1300 dollar budget. that way you have room to customize it a little. [url]http://www.ibuypower.com/Store/Configurators.aspx?mid=417[/url]

1. I don't like lenovo because I currently have a T61. in the past 6 months, I've had to send it in for a replacement gpu twice, and I just sent it in today for a overheating problem again. I got the laptop back 4 days ago, and it overheated and stopped turning on in 3 hours. Mine is not an outrunner. my cousin has the exact same thing, and he has almost the same problems. both of our t61's are about 2 and a half years old, and he's sent his in 4 times. My trust in lenovo's robustness is shot. 2.Toshiba I may consider... I have had a bad 3 years with one of their tablet model's from 2006 to 2008... I don't think I ever went a month without getting some sort of repairwork done on it... 3.The alienware is a possibility, I just prefer a high resolution, large screen laptop, which is why I was looking at the xps 16 at first. and to whoever said i wanted an i7 for paperpushing? I do pretty cpu intensive stuff on my system. and since i can get a i7 for 30 bucks cheaper than an i5, why wouldn't I?

[QUOTE=Rocketracer4;20019101]1. I don't like lenovo because I currently have a T61. in the past 6 months, I've had to send it in for a replacement gpu twice, and I just sent it in today for a overheating problem again. I got the laptop back 4 days ago, and it overheated and stopped turning on in 3 hours. Mine is not an outrunner. my cousin has the exact same thing, and he has almost the same problems. both of our t61's are about 2 and a half years old, and he's sent his in 4 times. My trust in lenovo's robustness is shot. 2.Toshiba I may consider... I have had a bad 3 years with one of their tablet model's from 2006 to 2008... I don't think I ever went a month without getting some sort of repairwork done on it... 3.The alienware is a possibility, I just prefer a high resolution, large screen laptop, which is why I was looking at the xps 16 at first. and to whoever said i wanted an i7 for paperpushing? I do pretty cpu intensive stuff on my system. and since i can get a i7 for 30 bucks cheaper than an i5, why wouldn't I?[/QUOTE] 1. Must be a faulty model, lenovo is known for their long enduring business notebooks. 2. Toshiba have a pretty bad name when it comes to quality, but their upper end stuff is okay. 3. Go with what you need.

I have a 17.5 inch 2.3 single core Toshiba satellite :/

i'm with john on the ul80/50