Choose a Laptop for me!

[ChamiMinds]

Ok so I am going to get a new laptop that will replace the crappy one I was sold just recently. I finally got that squared away and now I need another one. Idealy I'd love to have it before I go on a trip leaving Aug 26th. I know it is cutting it close and may not happen. But I'll try. I know the things I need for the game to run and of course to make it run great! Though when I get into the websites to pick anbd choose I end up getting confused with all the numbers and blah.
So my request is for someone to go to http://alienware.com/Product_Pages/notebook_all_gaming.aspx and go through the process and tell me which one I should get and which thing to pick! I'm willing to spend a good amount of money but can not go over $3000 even then it's a lot. So naturally the best price the better but I am willing to spend the money on a good computer.
No offense but I don't want suggestions I have plenty writen down but I need like someone to tell me which circle to click. hehe I know make fun but I know I need help! Please?

ChamiMinds

[J. M. Pescado]

Meh. Those all look weak. Where's the carbon-fiber and tungsten plating, and the arm straps? My lappy could crush any of those easily under its allegedly portable, 42 pound fist.

[Jelenedra]

Save your money and get a desktop. The amount of money you're willing to spend on a lapton will get you a PC that is twice as good. =p

[Nova]

I spend a lot of time drooling at laptop sites, so trust me when I say that the following configuration will play your game well above normal expectations.  You'll also have a few fanboys lusting after your system.  If it was me, to cut the cost I'd get the minimal ram and upgrade myself.  Also, I am pretty sure you aren't going to receive this computer before the date you listed.  If you want to make sure you get one before then, you might have to bite the bullet and buy a preconfigured one at a retail store.  Not many options for gamers on those unfortunately.  If you end up going retail, here is a good system to look for:  Toshiba Satellite P105-S9312 17"   The hard drive sucks but can easily be replaced. 

As for using your money to buy a kickass desktop, I say bah to that.  These days you can get a laptop that runs circles around a desktop and the mobility is worth the extra money in itself.  Good luck in your quest.     (I'm oh so jealous!)

(click the following options below and leave the others as they are..unless you want extra battery/backpack/more than 1 yr warranty/etc...)

Aurora™ m9700

AMD Turion™ 64 Mobile ML40 2.2GHz 800MHz FSB 1MB L2 Cache
Genuine Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2 
17" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD with Clearview Technology 
2GB Dual Channel DDR SO-DIMM at 400MHz - 2 x 1024MB 
80GB Serial ATA 1.5Gb/s 7,200 RPM w/ NCQ & 8MB Cache 
24x10x24 CD-RW / 8X DVD Combo w/Software MPEG2 Decoder 
256MB NVidia® GeForce™ Go 7900 GS 
Internal 802.11b/g WiFi Card 

Second choice:

Area-51® m5750

Same options as above but choose the Intel® Core™ Duo Processor T2600 2.16GHz 2MB Cache 667MHz FSB 

[ChamiMinds]

Save your money and get a desktop. The amount of money you're willing to spend on a lapton will get you a PC that is twice as good. =p

Thanks but I really want a laptop and I know that there are good Laoptops out there that can handle what I want it to. It's all about portability for me. I go on a lot of trips and need to take my puter with me so desktops are not an option for me. (o:

I spend a lot of time drooling at laptop sites, so trust me when I say that the following configuration will play your game well above normal expectations.  You'll also have a few fanboys lusting after your system.  If it was me, to cut the cost I'd get the minimal ram and upgrade myself.  Also, I am pretty sure you aren't going to receive this computer before the date you listed.  If you want to make sure you get one before then, you might have to bite the bullet and buy a preconfigured one at a retail store.  Not many options for gamers on those unfortunately.  If you end up going retail, here is a good system to look for:  Toshiba Satellite P105-S9312 17"   The hard drive sucks but can easily be replaced. 

As for using your money to buy a kickass desktop, I say bah to that.  These days you can get a laptop that runs circles around a desktop and the mobility is worth the extra money in itself.  Good luck in your quest.     (I'm oh so jealous!)

(click the following options below and leave the others as they are..unless you want extra battery/backpack/more than 1 yr warranty/etc...)

Aurora™ m9700

AMD Turion™ 64 Mobile ML40 2.2GHz 800MHz FSB 1MB L2 Cache
Genuine Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2 
17" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD with Clearview Technology 
2GB Dual Channel DDR SO-DIMM at 400MHz - 2 x 1024MB 
80GB Serial ATA 1.5Gb/s 7,200 RPM w/ NCQ & 8MB Cache 
24x10x24 CD-RW / 8X DVD Combo w/Software MPEG2 Decoder 
256MB NVidia® GeForce™ Go 7900 GS 
Internal 802.11b/g WiFi Card 

Second choice:

Area-51® m5750

Same options as above but choose the Intel® Core™ Duo Processor T2600 2.16GHz 2MB Cache 667MHz FSB 

Nova! Thank you sooo much that helped a great deal! I'll look into both of those. I understand the jealousy thing. I'm constantly in that state but possibly I'll be able to be less so with this new system!

Edited to say: I am drooling over the Toshiba. Hehe. It's on the top of my list.

[dizzy]

Two words: bad keyboards. 

Laptops suck.

[ChamiMinds]

Two words: bad keyboards. 

Laptops suck.

Awh you obviously haven't gotten used to it. I now perfer laptop keyboards because they are smaller and more compact. Course I can only type with one hand so that could be why I perfer smaller keyboards. 

[Nova]

No problem at all.   

The Toshiba is a good deal for the money and an added bonus is that the keyboard is FULL.  I think they may have slighted a few keys but for the most part it's as close to a regular keyboard as they come.  Plus, the number pad is located on the side.  I really wish my Dell had that option because I miss the easy access for changing speeds in the game. 

Good luck with your choice!

[Paperbladder]

I've gone to various sites to compare Laptop prices, and I tried to aim at this configuration at each one.

Intel Core Duo T2600 at 2.16Ghz
2GB of RAM 633Mhz
Microsoft Windows Media Center Edition
17" screen
256MB Graphics Card
120GB 5,400rpm SATA (I personally would rather have capacity than speed)
Wireless Card

Using these specifications, I compared Alienware, HP, Apple, Gateway, Dell, and Toshiba computers.  I'll list them from cheapest to most expensive and any stats that differ from what's listed.

HP Pavillion 8000t
Price: $1824.99
Screen Resolution: 1440x900
Video Card: Geforce 7600 256MB
Deviations:RAM Speed not specified, assumed to be 533mhz.
Comments: I personally own a dv5000t, which is the 15.4 inch version of this.  However, it was on the verge of the Core Duo introduction so I got stuck with a Core Solo and I got a GMA 950 instead of Geforce.  Back on topic, even though there's an option to choose a larger resolution, I opted for the model with the brighter screen.  The RAM speed isn't listed, and I assume that it'll be the lowest.

Toshiba Satellite P100
Price: $1874.25
Screen Resolution: 1680x1050
Video Card: Geforce 7600 256MB
Deviations: No Media Center Edition.
Comments: Slightly more expensive than HP, and would probably be more expensive if it wasn't for this "Back to School" deal.  It seems to be about $2,500 normally.  It surprises me that they don't even have Media Center Edition as an option, and wireless doesn't come standard.

Gateway NX860X
Price: $2,049.99
Screen Resolution: 1680x1050
Video Card: Geforce 7600 128MB
Deviations: HDD only goes to 100GB, No Media Center Edition.
Comments: I've heard some good things about Gateway computers, but I didn't expect them to be more expensive than HP.  I'm surprised the HDD size can only get up to 100GB, the other upgrades just increase the speed.  They also don't have Media Center Edition with this thing.

Alienware Area-51 m5750
Price: $2,529.00
Screen Resolution: 1920x1200
Video Card: Radeon X1800 256MB
Deviations: None
Comments: This is obviously a gaming PC, and the price reflects that.  It's also got a card that no other manufacturer that I checked has, the X1800.  The resolution on this thing is huge, there will be massive stretching of pixels if the game doesn't support widescreen such as SMAC, Starcraft, TS1, and DOS games.  Overall, this would probably be a good Desktop Replacement assuming you're willing to pay the price.

Dell XPS M1710
Price: $2735.00
Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1200
Video Card: Geforce 7900 GS 256MB
Deviations: None
Comments: I'm surprised this costs more than the Alienware.  In addition, the screen resolution of the monitor isn't listed so you might not get the resolution you wanted.  An upgrade to 4GB is available, and so is upgrading the card to have 512MB of capacity.  I'd probably just get the Alienware instead.

Apple MacBook Pro 17"
Price: $3,099.00
Screen Resolution: 1680 x 1050
Video Card: Radeon X1600 256MB
Deviations: Mac OS X instead of Windows.
Comments: Apple has the most expensive laptop, somehow I don't find that very surprising.  Anyway, these things can run both Windows and Mac OSX with either Bootcamp(Free) or Parallels($80).  However, you're going to need to buy a copy of Windows XP for that.  Still, it's a nice looking laptop that supposedly doubles as a grill.

HP's the cheapest, Apple's the most expensive, but the best one for gaming is probably the Alienware.  You could get an excellent desktop for the prices they're asking for these, but desktops lack mobility and have a lot more cables.

[dizzy]

No, you don't get it. It isn't the number of keys that makes it bad. It's the *quality* of the device itself. If you are a serious typist, a laptop keyboard will last you about a month, tops.

[Nova]

Dell XPS M1710
Screen Resolution: Not Listed (!)

I'ts 1920 x 1200.  I use 1280 x 1024 on my XPS because the max resolution makes it impossible for my old eyes to read the small print on the screen.  As for the price of the XPS system, I think it's a bit too much.  However, they do have a nice Inspiron E1705 that is comparable at a much lower price.  This is especially true if you can snag a 35% off Inspiron notebook coupon code.  XPS systems rarely have discounts and the only reason I bought mine is because I get a nice, shiny discount through the military exchange.

As for keyboards on laptops kicking the bucket after a month, I've yet to have such a thing happen (I've used laptops since 1995).  Of course, I'm not a novelist or anything but I do use a computer everyday.  Guess I've just had good luck.   

[J. M. Pescado]

No, you don't get it. It isn't the number of keys that makes it bad. It's the *quality* of the device itself. If you are a serious typist, a laptop keyboard will last you about a month, tops.

Your laptop keyboard must suck, then.

[ChamiMinds]

I've gone to various sites to compare Laptop prices, and I tried to aim at this configuration at each one.

Intel Core Duo T2600 at 2.16Ghz
2GB of RAM 633Mhz
Microsoft Windows Media Center Edition
17" screen
256MB Graphics Card
120GB 5,400rpm SATA (I personally would rather have capacity than speed)
Wireless Card

Using these specifications, I compared Alienware, HP, Apple, Gateway, Dell, and Toshiba computers.  I'll list them from cheapest to most expensive and any stats that differ from what's listed.

Wow Thank you very much Mister Paper! That was very cool of you to do for me. I'll take what both you and Nova have suggested and go from there!

No, you don't get it. It isn't the number of keys that makes it bad. It's the *quality* of the device itself. If you are a serious typist, a laptop keyboard will last you about a month, tops.

Your laptop keyboard must suck, then.

I was going to say something along those lines as JM did but probably nicer. I don't know what you consider serious typist but I am a writer so I type A LOT and never seem to have my keyboard go crap on me. After about 6 months or so I need to clean it really good but that's about it. ::shrugs::

[dizzy]

A serious typist uses two hands. 

I've had three different laptops and the keyboards *always* go bad within six months. Maybe I'm just lucky that way. 

[J. M. Pescado]

I've had three different laptops and the keyboards *always* go bad within six months. Maybe I'm just lucky that way. 

Then you need to pry up all the keys and remove all the bits of Dizzy that have lodged themselves in the springs and internal workings, and clean all the keys out with kerosene.

[ChamiMinds]

A serious typist uses two hands. 

I've had three different laptops and the keyboards *always* go bad within six months. Maybe I'm just lucky that way. 

Touche! ::grins:: Although technically I do use two hands just my "bad" one which is the left one handles the shift tab and cntrl keys while my right one handles all the rest.
Dang you are one lucky person when it comes to Laptop keyboards then there Dizzy! I admire you for such. 

[ChamiMinds]

In case anyone is wondering what I got: Toshiba Satellite P105-S9312 17" Widescreen Notebook PC (Intel Core Duo Processor T2500E, 2048 MB RAM, 200 GB Hard Drive, DVD SuperMulti Drive)

Found it on amazon for a decent price and since I was spending so much I got a deal on one day shipping so it'll get here before I go on my trip which is good because I need it! heh. So thanks again to Nova and Mister Paper for all the help they gave me it was huge!

ChamiMinds

[Mizz Rose Bud]

Now we (read : I) just want to know about game performance 

Rose

[Lady_Z]

No, you don't get it. It isn't the number of keys that makes it bad. It's the *quality* of the device itself. If you are a serious typist, a laptop keyboard will last you about a month, tops.

I live in an RV and we are a 2 laptop couple.  The HP is 3 yrs old, my Dell XPS Gen 2 is 1 yr old.  We both play very high graphics games a LOT..and I am a writer, type pretty fast.  We also play online games, hammering out chat messages and using the arrow keys to move. 

Yes I have replaced the Dell laptop keyboard after a year...but it cost only $17, it was delivered to me within 4 days and I had it installed in 15 minutes.  This Dell is highly upgradeable. 
Not so with the HP laptop, but the keyboard is tough. 

A lot of people summarily dismiss laptops as viable desktop replacements.  I wouldn't have anything else BUT a laptop.  If I move into a house I will have a laptop. 

The total portability of a laptop is important as I use Libraries while traveling to get Internet.

 

[dizzy]

Well, I had an HP Pavillion laptop, and its keyboard went bad after only six months. I only ever used it about an hour a week and half the keys stopped working. That was the worst keyboard, anyway. It had the soft, mushy keys that seemed like they were apologizing for not being good enough to crank out words at speeds above 5 WPM when I typed on it. I'll take a *loud* obnoxious keyboard over that kind any day. 

[Nova]

I don't think you'll regret your new purchase.  That laptop is decked out and well above standard specs.  You will be able to do anything with it, and for the Sims it will rock.  The Amazon deal is the best out there, so good on ya.   Have fun!

[Ellatrue]

I've never had problems with the keyboard on my acer... other more important things maybe, but never the keyboard.

[ChamiMinds]

Now we (read : I) just want to know about game performance 

Rose

Rose as soon as I get it and start playing I will let you know. I'm very excited to test it out!

I don't think you'll regret your new purchase.  That laptop is decked out and well above standard specs.  You will be able to do anything with it, and for the Sims it will rock.  The Amazon deal is the best out there, so good on ya.   Have fun!

Again I thank you Nova for those reassuring words. I always get a bit nervous about such a big purchase especially just after having a bad experience. Eeeh! haha ok I'll stop now.