Need a laptop to play WoW for under $1,000

[barks]

Hello all. I promised my girlfriend I would buy a laptop before the end of the year so I wasnt always in my office on the desktop. Well, time is running out. I am tired of buying from Dell and the like. I also here nothing but good reviews about Xoticpc. I have filled out the questionairre. Thank you for your time.

1) What is your budget? Between 700-1,000, closer to 700 is good.

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

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.

I live in Portland and would like to buy from Xoticpc.


4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

I dont like Dell, Toshiba, Gateway or any other large manufacturer that puts tons of crap on the computer before I buy it.

5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?

This computer will be strictly used to play World of Warcraft.

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

I will be using this primarily in my lap or on the couch for prolonged periods of time. My girlfriend is tired of my going to my office to play, so I told her I would look into a laptop.

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games? Y

Yes, WoW only.

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

No preference, I anticipate it running on a/c 90% of the time.

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?

I have no problem buying online.

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

No preference.

Screen Specifics

11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?

Widescreen I guess

12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? (more details below)
Standard
b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA.
c. UXGA - 1600x1200 - Very small text and graphics icons, you can fit lots of stuff on the screen.

Widescreen
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)

No preference here either.


Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

Somewhat, backlit LCD is prety sweet. Not willing to pay more for it though.

15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?

1-2 years

Notebook Components

16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB?

40GB is fine.

17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?

DVD drive only

[powerpack]

I must ask what are you playing WoW on now? I think peoples current config should be a question on the form as those who are playing a game on a PIII with 8MB GPU and say, "well it is OK" gives the rest of us a baseline to recommend.

That said I don't game much but I do not think WoW is very demanding, I could be wrong. Do not tell me your office PC is not dual core? If it is you will be blown away by what is out now.

OK 15.4 is the size you want. Smaller and larger cost more or offer different options. You would like to stay under $1000? Not a problem on this site I have found two very good options.

Sager 2096 and Asus N50-A1B. They both have decent GPU's that are comparable to high end GPU's from a few years ago. I think it is fair to say better than the 7800GTX which for a time was the best and expensive.

Go to the main page for Xotic chose notebook by screen size. Both of these are under $1,000. OS might cost $100. Have a look if you can stretch your budget more choices.

I also think WoW might be playable with an IGP. If so just walk into Best Buy and look at the $500 to $600 models with PDC or AMD CPU's.

The Asus from Xotic has a better GPU than the Sager.

Good Luck!

[barks]

Thanks for your quick response. I wasnt sure if everyone was out shopping rather than IN shopping so to speak.

I don't really require 15.4, anything between 14-17 will suit my needs I believe.

My desktop is duo core, I think 1.8ghz. I cant be sure of the model (i think GTX), but I know the nvidia video card it came with has at least 256mb dedicated memory.

I will take a look at the two models you have mentioned.

Could you expand on why Asus is better than Sager for my intent? Is Asus always going to be better, or just better of the two you recommended?

Thanks again.

[powerpack]

I was only saying for you the 15.4 might be best. I have a 14 and you pay a little premium and the GPU options are less, 17 have issues on the other end. I think 15.4 is best unless you have a need I don't know?

The Asus has a better GPU which I am not sure matters as your needs are not demanding. The Asus 9650m GT is better than the 9600m GS on the Sager. I must say between the two the Asus is the better choice. Of course I have an Asus but only for 3 weeks so you can still trust me.

I think you may be able to go to a Best Buy per se and buy a cheaper system that will work. But buying here is going to get you a better system and if any trouble you can call and speak with a person who has a clue. Also here both are dedicated GPU's.

[barks]

That makes sense. I figured a smaller screen would be cheaper, but what do I know.

Can I ask your opinion on Sager 7630? http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np7630-built-clevo-m760s-p-2538.html

This may sound weird, but I am determined to purchase from Xoticpc. I was in Best Buy earlier today, I really have a distaste for computers loaded with stuff I dont need and customer support in the Phillipines.

[powerpack]

Honestly it might work very well for you. I noticed the price is lower than the two I suggested. And of course the more expensive ones I suggested are better but you have found a much less expensive option. I think that would play WoW but as I said I am not a gamer so if I am wrong someone correct me.

I must point out I followed your link and it said NP7630 in the header. It said 17" but when I looked further it is a 15.4? I like better as a 15.4 than 17. I think it would work for the needs you have stated and you are buying a product from a reputable company so I think you are making a good choice. Financially only you know where you stand.

If you gave me your checkbook you would have a NP9262 and be short $4000. But you would have a killer system.

If you like what you found I would be comfortable with ODM and XoticPC. I am sure 9300m will play WoW so you should be good.

If you are happy with the desktop at the office and how it plays. If you tell me the specs I could tell you more about what to expect performance wise.