Please help me break the laptop stalemate.

[Ziin429]

I will try and keep this short. I have spent hours trying to decide what to get and have narrowed it down to 3 laptops. I filled out the questions incase I am missing something or there is a better option. I have listed them below the questions. Thank you for your time.



General Questions

1) What is your budget? Up to $2,000

2) What size notebook would you prefer? C or D

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.

United States

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like? Looking at ASUS or Sager. Im really unfamiliar with most laptop brands.

5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook? 90% Gaming (WAR, COD4), 5% Movies (BR and DVD), 5% School

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

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games? Warhammer Online, COD 4, Mostly MMO's.

8) How many hours of battery life do you need? I really am not concerned since it will be plugged in most of the time.

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person? Prefer to buy online.

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc. I use Vista 64 Home premium on my desktop and have been pleased. I read many hate Vista for gaming.

Screen Specifics

11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen? Widescreen

12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? (more details below) From what I have read many gamers prefer WSXGA+ because it allows for the gfx processor to use higher settings. I am ok with either WSXGA+ or WUXGA. I want a 17" either way.

Standard
a. XGA -1024x768 - Large and easy to read text + graphics icons, but you fit less stuff on the screen.
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
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) Glossy

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? I care more about the engines under the hood than the appearance.

15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last? This week and 3 to 4 years.

Notebook Components

16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB? Around 320 GB

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

Option #1


Sager NP5793 Custom Sager Notebook (Built on Clevo M570RU-U / M571RU-U) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2276{76}1495{187}1757 {94}1074{92}2297{88}2417{186}734{93}1931{193}657{1 12}2325{98}2494{96}2434{168}1453{116}1416{117}705{ 120}703{110}2426{169}1449{119}1678{100}734{164}144 1{107}691{106}1696{121}694{108}710{109}711{170}159 1{173}1175{167}1452{103}1889{113}1413{111}1414{69} 2546)
- 17" WUXGA "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Screen (1920x1200)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® T9300 45nm "Penryn" Core™2 Duo 2.5GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 800MHz FSB
- nVidia GeForce 9800M GTS 512MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable)
- None Standard
- ~ 4,096MB DDR2 667 PC2 5300 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
- None Standard
- NP579x Silver Frame Trim Color
- ~ 2X Blue-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
- ~ 320GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- None Standard
- Built in 1.3Megapixel Camera
- None Standard
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Targus XL Backpack (Fits up to 17")
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- None Standard
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- None Standard
- None Standard
- ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- None Standard
- None Standard
- 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Based Toll Free Telephone Tech Support
(Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)

Option #2


Sager NP5797 Custom Notebook (Built on Clevo M570ETU) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2540{76}1883{187}1757 {94}1074{92}2421{88}1088{186}734{93}2431{193}657{1 12}2325{98}1295{96}2434{168}1453{116}1416{117}705{ 120}703{110}2426{169}1449{119}1898{100}734{164}144 1{107}689{106}1696{121}694{108}710{109}711{170}159 1{173}1175{167}1452{103}686{113}1413{111}1414{69}7 14)
- 17" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® P8400 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.26GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- nVidia Quadro FX2700M 512MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable)
- None Standard
- ~ 4,096MB DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
- None Standard
- NP579x Silver Frame Trim Color
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 320GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- None Standard
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- None Standard
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- None Standard
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- None Standard
- None Standard
- None Standard - Drivers & Utility Software Only
- None Standard
- None Standard
- 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Based Toll Free Telephone Tech Support
(Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)

Option #3

ASUS G71G -- A2 (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2497{161}2388{76}1296 {187}1757{94}1903{92}2451{88}1090{186}734{93}1991{ 112}656{98}1797{96}2461{97}2461{168}1453{116}1416{ 117}1915{120}703{110}1747{169}1449{119}1898{100}73 4{164}1441{107}1879{106}1696{121}694{108}710{109}7 11{170}1492{173}1880{167}1452{103}1514{113}1413{11 1}1414{69}2536)
- FREE !! UPS GROUND SHIPPING + Instant $70 OFF & ASUS $100 Mail in Rebate
(Use Coupon Code "freeship" in Checkout for Free Shipping)
- 17" WUXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1200)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- ASUS Zero Bright Dot (ZBD) Pixel Guarantee
- -Intel® T9400 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.53GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 35 watt - ASUS Default Processor
- nVidia GeForce 9800M GS 512MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10
- None Standard
- - 6,144MB DDR2 800MHz (3 SODIMMs) Dual Channel Memory
- Standard Finish
- - 2X Blue-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
- - 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
- - 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Internal 8-in-1 Card Reader: MMC/SD/Mini-SD/XD/Memory Stick/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Built-in 802.11 Wireless A/B/G/N
- None Standard
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- None Standard
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Asus G Series Matching Backpack made by Targus
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- None Standard
- None Standard
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Asus G Series Matching Logitech Mouse
- None Standard
- ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's - ENS
- None Standard
- None Standard
- FREE!! 3 Year ASUS GLOBAL Warranty,(From ASUS) 24/7 DOMESTIC Technical Support, 1 Year Accidental Damage Coverage & 2-Way Overnight Shipping for Warranty (2 Year Global, 1 Year North American Warranty) Register with ASUS for Free 3 Year Promo $1,996.00

[numbermonkey]

Hey Ziin

I too flip-flopped on the question of Matte vs Gloss. Take a walk into an Apple store and look at the gloss screens on the Macbooks. In the right lighting conditions (ie, not so bright and diffuse), gloss screens can look much more vibrant than matte. However, anytime you're using it in bright light, the gloss screen will just reflect everything around you. Now, some people can tune out this reflected world and concentrate on the virtual but for others its a real distraction. YMMV in this regard.

Just thought this may help in breaking the stalemate.

NM

[robamb2002]

IMHO, if you are not going for the 9800GTX in the NP5797 then its not worth the extra money... I would stick with the NP5793 or the ASUS G71G-A2, though the NP5793 does have the better graphics card(in most cases this is the major bottleneck for gaming), the ASUS has a better CPU/Memory/Hard drive capacity/and the warrenty on the ASUS is a huge plus! as long as you are doing MMO and not expecting too much in the way of First Person Shooters, then the ASUS seems like the better choice, to me at least :)

Happy Lappy Hunting! :)

let us all know if you have any questions, we are all happy to put in our two cents... let us re-live our buying experience through you :p

[PSRT]

Welcome Ziin!

I've read over your choices, and I just wanted to give you my opinion. If you're looking for a bang-for-the-buck gaming notebook, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better deal than the 5793. Of course, I'm biased, considering I just ordered one and all, but my choice was based solely on what I felt would get me the best value while at the same time providing optimal gaming performance.

First of all, the 9800M GTS, while by no means a top-of-the-line card, performs admirably on almost all games out there. I can play the majority of titles I own maxed and at native resolution (in my case, 1680 x 1050). That being said, the higher resolution you selected would hinder gaming performance somewhat on newer titles thanks to the restrictions of only 512MB of VRAM. I personally would recommend the lower-res screen, which still looks incredibly crisp and clear while gaming.

Secondly, as Anewbus pointed out, while the 5793 does not have as good a processor as the ASUS, it is really a negligible difference. When gaming, the GPU is normally the bottleneck, making the processor, while obviously important, not quite as high-priority as the GPU. That being said, a 2.5GHz Core 2 Duo in a notebook is nothing to scoff at. My 5793 has a 2.4GHz C2D, and I've had absolutely no problem with any programs I've run, be it games or Photoshop. Even if you're strapped for cash and elect to downgrade to the 2.1GHz C2D, the bigger-picture effects on gaming performance would be negligible at worst.

And regarding Vista...My machine is running Vista Home Premium x64, and I've experienced no problems so far running games of any kind. Granted, I tend not to play in DX10 so that might affect things, but aside from that I don't even notice the difference. Furthermore, 64 bit video driver problems are largely a thing of the past, and stability in Vista has been greatly improved upon with SP1.

That's all I've got for now. Good luck, and if you have any more questions, do not hesitate to post them here, or send me a PM.

Ryan

[Anewbus]

Hi PSRT, just a little correction here: I didn't point out the CPU etc thing, that was Roamb and it's a really good point.:)

I'm actually posting my humble opinion below.

[Anewbus]

Hi Ziin,

If I could offer MHO, I tend to agree with Roamb on this mostly. While the NP5793 has a superior GPU to the Asus as Roamb pointed out you do have to consider that the 5793 only comes with a Matte screen. The rule of thumb I generally use is if you’re under low to standard lighting and not directly under florescent in the extreme then you’ll want to go with Glossy. (Glossy offers better contrast, sharpness, etc.) However, if your mostly under direct florescent lighting or sunlight or bright light, then Matte is the way you want to go as under these conditions Glossy will reflect everything back to you.
If you are ok with a Matte screen in your particular situation then this would be the machine to go with if you want to go after the GPU.
However, as Roamb also pointed out the Asus offers a higher CPU, more memory if you want (although in my opinion 4GB would be enough if you had to cut somewhere), the Blue Ray drive you said you would like to have, two HDDs and a great warranty.
One other thing to consider with the Asus is whether or not you really need two internal HDDs. If yes, then I would think that the Asus would be a really good choice.

That said though I would like to draw your attention to a sudden change I noticed on the 5797. It’s the CPU. You had chosen the P8400 2.26GHz, as that was the standard. Well, from what I can see, that has now been upgraded. Now the P8600 2.40GHz is what comes standard. Granted, you would have to go with the DVD/CD drive to keep the price down, but 99% of software and such is on DVD/CD and the future for Blue Ray is starting to look a little grim anyway, especially as far as any aspirations for software is concerned.
If I may take a liberty here and show you this config for the 5797 and see what you think.
It’s about $100 over your stated budget, but it would be the ultimate machine for you. The CPU is very close to what you would get with the Asus and the video card is superior. Really the only difference to the Asus is the warranty and the amount of RAM offered. (Like I said though, 4GB is enough to do the job).
Granted the warranty is not quite as good as the standard one for the Asus, but I think you’ll be ok. I would have loved to have included the full 3-year warranty from Xotic on this, but it would throw you way far over your budget. You can also consider that parts are not all that expensive (MB and Screen excluded), it’s labor that can get nasty.

Sager NP5797 Custom Notebook (Built on Clevo M570ETU) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2540%7B76%7D1883%7B18 7%7D1757%7B94%7D1074%7B92%7D2422%7B88%7D2419%7B186 %7D734%7B93%7D2431%7B193%7D657%7B112%7D2325%7B98%7 D1295%7B96%7D2434%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7D1416%7B117% 7D705%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D2426%7B169%7D1449%7B119% 7D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7D689%7B106% 7D1696%7B12%20)
- 17" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® P8600 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.40GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- nVidia GeForce 9800M GTX 1,024MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable)
- ~ 4,096MB DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
- NP579x Silver Frame Trim Color
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 320GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Based Toll Free Telephone Tech Support
(Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)

TOTAL = $2094.23 with cash discount


One other note, take a look at the specs on my little lappy below and know that I can play FPS such as MoH and CoD with nearly everything at full whack and I suffer no frame rate issues or anything. If I can do that on mine, now imagine what you could do with pretty much any of these machines you listed.

I hope all of us helped you narrow it down a bit more.

[PSRT]

Hi PSRT, just a little correction here: I didn't point out the CPU etc thing, that was Roamb and it's a really good point.:)

I'm actually posting my humble opinion below.

My fault, Anewbus. I'll remember to read next time :)

[Ziin429]

I posted in both of my posts hoping all that helped me could read it. I have been nothing but pleased and excited about my purchase. I posted it below since it was not in this post originally. The support has been awsome and the speed at which the buying process went was top notch. The pc plays all of my games at near desktop performance. I am so glad I spent the extra money and purchased the 17" glossy with the nice Nvidia card.

1xSager NP5797 Custom Notebook (Built on Clevo M570ETU)
- Display: 17" WUXGA "Glare Type" Super Cl
- Arctic Silver: Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Dead Pixel Policy: Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- Processor: ~Intel® P9500 45nm "Montevina" C
- Video Card: nVidia GeForce 9800M GTX 1,024MB
- External Monitor Video Adapter: None Standard
- Ram: ~ 4,096MB DDR3 1066MHz Dual Chan
- Intel® Robson Turbo Memory: 2GB Intel® Robson Turbo Memory I
- Exterior Finish: NP579x Silver Frame Trim
- Optical Drive: ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +
- Primary Hard Drive: ~ 320GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 3
- External Hard Drive (Back Up): None Standard
- Floppy Drive: None Standard
- Memory Card Reader: Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/
- Bluetooth: Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Wireless Network: Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 530
- Wireless Network Accessories: None Standard
- Camera: Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- TV Tuner: None Standard
- Sound Card: Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audi
- Case: Targus XL Backpack (Fits up to 1
- Battery: Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- Car Adapter: None Standard
- Spare AC Adapter: None Standard
- Port Replicator / Dock / Hub's: None Standard
- Fingerprint Reader: Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- Mouse / Keyboard Accessories: None Standard
- Notebook Cooler: None Standard
- Operating System: ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-B
- "Medialess" Microsoft Office Sof: None Standard
- Software Bundle (Not Installed): None Standard
- Warranty: 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warra