So close! Just a few more opinions. [Archive]

lopro

03-17-2009, 09:59 PM

I have been everywhere! Dell, Apple, HP, MSI, Sager, Asus who knows what else I considered. I am hunting for a laptop that can replace my Dell e1505. I have found myself here and from what I have read I am in good hands. So what do ya say, can you help me?

Here is my little rundown.

1) What is your budget? $0 - $1600ish

2) What size notebook would you prefer? c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen

3) What country are you buying this in? USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like? Not big on Lenovo but pretty open. I just would like something that isn't too bulky if possible. Hard to gauge thickness through images.

5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook? web design/development, light gaming, movies

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
- Fairly mobile, typically in controlled light environment and/or desk.

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games? Light gaming. Example would be Empire Earth

8) How many hours of battery life do you need? As many as I can get really.

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Yeah, as long as I can get dimensions.

10) What OS do you prefer? (more details below)
-Windows XP Pro SP3
-Windows Vista Home Premium 32-Bit or 64-Bit
-Windows Vista Ultimate 32-Bit or 64-Bit

Once again, pretty open
Screen Specifics

11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? (more details below)
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.

It's the only resolution I like at this point.

12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non glossy screen?
- Glossy works for me

Build Quality and Design

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Yeah but I'm trying to let function follow form nowadays.

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
- I want to order this week or next. Should last a good 2 - 3

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you want; 160GB is mine. I use an external for storage

16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, CD/DVD Burner

17) What speed CPU/Processor would you like? Dual core

I have been drawn to the NP2096, NP7680, Force 3551, Lenovo T500, Apple Macbook Pro. I love a good value laptop, quality laptop which is why I have stumbled over here to xoticpc. Look forward to see what you guys have to say, I've seen some good comments come out of here.

Anewbus

03-18-2009, 03:11 PM

Powerpack is right as far as he goes and you do seem to be geared more towards business, but Dells are too shoddy in my opinion and you can forget about tech support. Lenovos are fantastic for business, robust keyboards and all, but limited customization. They also aren't known for the ability to play movies and games, but I have never tried that with them. (The GPUs just don't seem to be geared to it from what I can see). They can also get expensive. I found this out when I was looking. I called them because I could get a discount with my company, but they didn't have any laptop that met my needs.
You may find that what you want will cost at least $1200 anyway. So with that in mind here are some possible choices for you:

By the way, you have found Notebook nirvana.:D
You have indeed come to the right place. Most of us here on the forums with the exception of “The Justins” are customers. We were so amazed by the service and product we received that we wanted to help with other folks looking for high quality custom lappys.

In my opinion the NP7680 has only a fair GPU at best and I think you would experience too much of a bottleneck with that one depending on your use. So I didn’t do a config sample for it.

Here are some other choices. These are just my opinion for what it’s worth. You can go in and tweak anything you like in the customize screens.

This first one will “kick the Llama’s ass”.:D:laugh:
I know it’s close to your max budget figure, but it has a nice new powerful GPU. As Powerpack said though, it might be a bit overkill for your needs. I wanted to show it anyway.
This one is becoming all the rage in the 15.4” category.
The 2.4GHz will be plenty for your needs.
I configured this for Vista as it is a little less in cost than XP.
I upgraded the RAM to 4GB since the OS offers 32bit or 64bit. (32bit will recognize up to 3GB and 64bit will recognize up to 8GB I think).
I also went with the 7200rpm 250GB HDD – better file access speed and such. Also none of the machines have anything less than a 250GB HDD.
It is in Pre-order mode presently, so keep that in mind with when you want your notebook.

Sager NP8662 (Built on Clevo M860TU) Pre Order ETA Early April (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2564%7B76%7D768%7B187 %7D1757%7B94%7D1074%7B92%7D2422%7B88%7D1925%7B186% 7D734%7B93%7D2431%7B193%7D657%7B112%7D656%7B98%7D1 295%7B96%7D2039%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7D1416%7B117%7D 705%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D2426%7B169%7D1449%7B119%7D 1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7D689%7B106%7D 1696%7B121%7D%20)
- 15.4" 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 GTX 260M 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)
- Standard Finish
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 250GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300)
- 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)
7 lbs 1-2 hour batt life dimensions 14.3"Wx10.6"Dx1.95"H

TOTAL = $1512.23 with cash discount

Second machine:
Now we start coming down in price a bit, but still high quality.
This one has a good GPU as well that should perform well for you.
I upgraded the screen to 1680X1050 (the perfect resolution)
I also upgraded the CPU as the standard one you would find underpowered in some cases.:)
Configured for Vista again, but at 32bit version hence 3GB of RAM
I also upgraded the HDD to 7200rpm
This machine comes with XoticPC’s best warranty.

FORCE 3551 (Built on MSI-1651) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2462%7B76%7D2006%7B18 7%7D1757%7B94%7D1074%7B92%7D2446%7B88%7D2463%7B186 %7D734%7B93%7D2459%7B193%7D657%7B112%7D2476%7B98%7 D1799%7B96%7D1803%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7D1416%7B117% 7D707%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D2426%7B169%7D1449%7B119% 7D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7D1539%7B106 %7D1691%7B1%20)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Screen (1680x1050)
(Black Brushed Aluminum Default Exterior)
- 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 9600M GT 512MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10
- ~3,072MB (Corsair, Kingston, Major Brand) DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMs) Memory~
- Standard Finish (WXGA - Plastic Matte Black with Silver Trim ~ WSXGA+ - Black Brushed Aluminum
NO DELAY for Custom Color Options
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- - 250GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
- Internal 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO)
- 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
- Carrying Case Optional (Select if desired)
- Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell)
- -Windows Vista Home Premium 32-Bit w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- 3 Year Complete Care Full Parts / Labor Warranty - Next Business Day Shipping both ways - Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll-Free Telephone Tech Support
6.2 lbs 2-3 hour batt life Dimensions 14.11"W x 9.7"D x 1.4"H

TOTAL = $1331.81 with cash discount

Third:
I configured this one for XP, upgraded the RAM to 3GB
Since the base config doesn’t cost much I went and cranked up the CPU several notches.
I also put the screen to 1680x1050
I also chose the 7200rpm HDD
This machine also comes standard with the best warranty.

FORCE 3310 (Built on COMPAL JHL90) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2455%7B76%7D1743%7B18 7%7D1757%7B94%7D1074%7B92%7D2448%7B88%7D2410%7B186 %7D734%7B93%7D2458%7B193%7D657%7B112%7D656%7B98%7D 1799%7B96%7D1803%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7D1416%7B117%7 D890%7B120%7D702%7B110%7D2486%7B169%7D1449%7B119%7 D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7D1539%7B106% 7D1688%7B12%20)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- -Intel® T9550 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.66GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 35 watt
- nVidia GeForce 9600M GT 512MB PCI-Express DDR2 DX10
- - 3,072MB (Corsair, Kingston, Major Brand) DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMs) Memory~
- Standard Finish
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- - 250GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
- Internal 3-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS)
- None Standard
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5100 802.11 a/g/n
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Carrying Case Optional (Select if desired)
- Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell)
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- -Windows XP Pro SP3 w/ Drivers, Utilities CD
- 3 Year Complete Care Full Parts / Labor Warranty - Next Business Day Shipping both ways - Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll-Free Telephone Tech Support
6.5 lbs 2-3 hour batt life Dimensions 14.11"W x 10.2"D x 1.54"H

TOTAL = $1346.36 with cash discount

This one is pretty much the same as the Force3310 except it comes with 4GB RAM and a 320GB 7200rpm HDD.
I upgraded the CPU and configured for Vista 64bit.
The only thing is the warranties are mostly through Sager which is alright, but if through Xotic you have an advocate.
I chose the 1 year covered by Xotic

Sager NP2096 Custom Laptop (Built on the Compal JHL90) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2409%7B76%7D647%7B187 %7D1757%7B94%7D1074%7B92%7D2423%7B88%7D2410%7B186% 7D734%7B93%7D2044%7B193%7D657%7B112%7D656%7B98%7D1 295%7B96%7D2434%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%20)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® T9550 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.66GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 35 watt
- nVidia GeForce 9600M GT 512MB PCI-Express DDR2 DX10
- ~ 4,096MB DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
- Standard Finish
- ~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 3-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5100 802.11 a/g/n
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Carrying Case Optional (Select if desired)
- Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell)
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- 1 Year Parts & Labor, Lifetime XOTIC PC 24/7 Toll Free Telephone Tech Support
weight batt life and dimensions same as above

TOTAL = $1215.41 with cash discount

Have fun and play around till you get something you like.
Let us know if you have anymore questions.
By the way, I have tested the tech support nine ways to Sunday and it is good.