General and Gaming Laptop [in that order of importance]

[laesperanzapaz]

General Questions

1) What is your budget?
$1000-ish

2) What size notebook would you prefer?a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
d. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen
3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.CANADA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like? No

5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook? Internet, some photoshop/video editing. Some gaming.

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk? Mostly on desk.

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games? RedAlert3, Starcraft2, TF2, Sinos of Solar Empire, Bioshock, CoD4, BF 2141 at Medium or better settings at 50 frames/sec or better

Crysis at Medium at 30 fps. Or better.

8) How many hours of battery life do you need? 1.5 hours

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person? it's ok.

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.

XP, but of course thats not possible without paying more upfront. Oh microsoft....

THus, VIsta 32 bit. Btw, are there still 64bit compatibility problems?

Screen Specifics

11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?

12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? (more details below)
Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
f. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Wider viewing version of UXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.

13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non glossy screen? (Read below on differences) Whatever's cheaper.

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? no

15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last? Now. Should last 2+years.

Notebook Components

16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB? 200-300GB. 7200 rpm preferred.

17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive? Yes, CD/DVD R/W. Btw, whats the difference between DVD+RW or DVD-RW? Soooo confusing mate.



Now i want to mention that I already picked out the following... [zoom in if it's hard to read]

Sager NP2096 Custom Laptop (Built on the Compal JHL90) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2409%7B76%7D788%7B187 %7D1757%7B94%7D1074%7B92%7D2421%7B88%7D2410%7B186% 7D734%7B93%7D2044%7B193%7D657%7B112%7D656%7B98%7D1 295%7B96%7D2039%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7D1416%7B117%7D 890%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D2486%7B169%7D1449%7B119%7D 1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7D1539%7B106%7 D1688%7B121%7D1532%7B108%7D710%7B109%7D711%7B170%7 D1591%7B173%7D1175%7B167%7D1452%7B103%7D686%7B113% 7D14)
- Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Internal 3-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS)
- None Standard
- None Standard
- ~ 200GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- Standard Finish
- None Standard
- ~ 4,096MB DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
- None Standard
- 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 9600M GT DDR2 DX10
- ~Intel® P8400 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.26GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- 15.4" WXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1280x800)
- None Standard
- 1 Year Parts & Labor, Lifetime Sager Toll Free Tech Support
- None Standard
- None Standard - Drivers & Utility Software Only
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- None Standard
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell)
- Carying Case Optional (Select if desired)
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- None Standard
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- None Standard
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5100 802.11 a/g/n

It's at an unbelievable price at $1200 ish. But here is my concern: you notice I live in canada [vancouver, to be exact]. Does Sager or Xotic have offices at Canada? If not, how is the tech service for Canada? How much is the shipping fee for Canada, not including GST/PST taxes? And how long does it take to ship to Vancouver Canada? Finally, how do you pay if your Canadian Credit Card or Bank account is in Canadian dollars??


Furthermore, I notice there is no option for the OS. Does this mean the laptop won't come with OS pre-installed? Because that's a deal breaker.


Oh and lastly: is there any better laptop out there that fits my needs as described above? A Strong cpu comes first, then the GPU is secondly important [Radeon 3xxx or Geforce 8xxx or 9xxx]. And THANKYOU for your assistancein advance.

[Rancit]

It's at an unbelievable price at $1200 ish. But here is my concern: you notice I live in canada [vancouver, to be exact]. Does Sager or Xotic have offices at Canada? If not, how is the tech service for Canada? How much is the shipping fee for Canada, not including GST/PST taxes? And how long does it take to ship to Vancouver Canada? Finally, how do you pay if your Canadian Credit Card or Bank account is in Canadian dollars??


Furthermore, I notice there is no option for the OS. Does this mean the laptop won't come with OS pre-installed? Because that's a deal breaker.First off, unless you know someone in Seattle you can ship to then bring it back over the border you will be paying an extra $110 for shipping, which will take around 1-3 days (express so you do not pay extra fees for border). Then you will have to pay taxes (PST and GST) on that sub-total (shipping is taxes too). There are no offices in Canada, the closest to you is Cali I think? You can pay with any option Xotic allows, it will be exchanged into US dollars with the current exchange rate.

With the Sager laptops, you do not have to buy an OS with it, which is amazing if you already have an OS you can install yourself. You do have the option to have them install an OS for you though, but you have to pay for that OS. The good thing about having them install the OS for you is that Xotic tests your laptop before shipping, and installs all the drivers and such.

I am currently ordering the NP2096 and upgraded the HD to 320gb 5400RPM, and the sub-total on that is $1133 (with the shipping, and student discounts), but then once i receive the laptop, I will be changed the GST and PST, both around 7% I think (I live in Victoria, going to BCIT this September).

For your Harddrive I suggest you look at this (http://www.xoticpcforums.com/showthread.php?t=950), it explains the downsides of getting a 7200RPM for a laptop, AKA: Heat and battery life. In the end their performance is about the same, except the 5400RPM drive is cheaper!! Which I think would be good for you considering your budget.


Oh and lastly: is there any better laptop out there that fits my needs as described above? A Strong cpu comes first, then the GPU is secondly important [Radeon 3xxx or Geforce 8xxx or 9xxx]. And THANKYOU for your assistancein advance.

This laptop is the best laptop for your price range, the ASUS forces you to buy an OS too. The 9600GT M will be able to play your games no problem, and the Montevina is actually a pretty new CPU from Intel, it came out around July 14th, the one you are considering is great on battery life, and should not pressure your fans very much, it only uses 25 watts and 2.26GHz is great. (The setup in my sig owns my PT4 3.2GHz, 8400GS 256mb low profile video card, and 2GB 533MHz RAM). But like I said earlier, you did great picking this laptop, it has the best bang for your buck value, with great performance to boot, the price is even cheaper than www.sagernotebooks.com

I suggest you wait for another opinion, but I highly suggest the Sager NP2096.

[Rancit]

I was just looking over the ASUS M51SN-C1 and with the specs you chose for your NP2096, the ASUS comes around over $1200 without shipping, you get a nice warranty (2 Year ASUS GLOBAL Warranty, 24/7 Tech Support, 1 Year Accidental Damage Coverage & 2-Way Pre-Paid Overnight Shipping for Repairs) but have to pay for the OS. The Sager comes with life time toll-free tech support, and a 1 year warranty with the default set-up.

[laesperanzapaz]

Well i dont' have a spare OS lying around, so I obviously need the WIndows Vista 32bit. Where is teh option for Xotic installing it for me? I cant find it.

Also, I'm reading various places and the answer to the 5400 vs 7200 rpm debate seems to go both ways. Hmm i dont know...

[Rancit]

Well i dont' have a spare OS lying around, so I obviously need the WIndows Vista 32bit. Where is teh option for Xotic installing it for me? I cant find it.

Also, I'm reading various places and the answer to the 5400 vs 7200 rpm debate seems to go both ways. Hmm i dont know...


You might want to check out http://www.winxpu.info/ I have a lot of friends who are using this, I will be putting it on my laptop once I get it. There are other methods to get an OS if you really can not afford it either...Read my PM.

[laesperanzapaz]

Oh no I can afford Windows. In fact, I am WANTING to buy XP32bit or Vista 32bit . I just can't find the option for buying the OS on Xotic for NP2096

edit: LOL I ARE AN IDIOT

i just found the OS option....thanks anyways.

[laesperanzapaz]

Oh ok two questions:

" - ~ 200GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)"

Where is the company name of the HDD? I need it so that I can find if 7200rpm performance is actually there, since it depends on brand and model.

ALso:

" - ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's"

DOes this mean that the CD will allow me to change between 32 and 64 bit as I wish? I notice there is no "32bit vista only" Option. And I actually want vista, since all three other computers in my home is XP :0

[Rancit]

Oh ok two questions:

" - ~ 200GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)"

Where is the company name of the HDD? I need it so that I can find if 7200rpm performance is actually there, since it depends on brand and model.

ALso:

" - ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's"

DOes this mean that the CD will allow me to change between 32 and 64 bit as I wish? I notice there is no "32bit vista only" Option. And I actually want vista, since all three other computers in my home is XP :0


1) You would have to contact Xotic PC about this one, the brand is always changing. Maybe someone on the forums might know.

2) You are paying for Windows Vista Home Premium, not 32 or 64 bit, you are able to use that CD key for either one, so if you end up not liking 64 bit, you can always revert back to 32 bit.

I know your not an idiot, those are just nice direct download sites :D