Best laptop for web design student?

[Bloo]

I've been searching for a new laptop to get me through college, but I consider myself a noob when it comes to computer specs and such, so I thought I'd post here and see what you people have to say :) I'll be majoring in web design, so it should be able to handle Adobe CS4 software. And I expect I'll be playing some games on it too, so keeping that in mind as well. Here are the details, any help/opinions are greatly appreciated.

General Questions

1) What is your budget? $1500

2) What size notebook would you prefer? 17"+ preferred, but I'd settle with less if necessary.

3) What country are you buying this in? USA

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

5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook? Web design, graphic design, video editing, etc etc. Will be using Adobe CS4 and other related software. Will also be gaming, so it should be able to play games such as sims 3 and warcraft decently.

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk? Will probably stay on my desk most of the time. Not really worried about mobility.

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games? Sims3, Warcraft, possibly more in the future

8) How many hours of battery life do you need? Not important, will usually be plugged in.

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person? As long as the seller is reliable, I don't mind.

10) What OS do you prefer? No preference.

Screen Specifics

11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? No preference

12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non glossy screen? No preference

Build Quality and Design

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

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last? Within the next 3 months. The sooner the better. Hoping it will last at least 3-4 years to get me through college.

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you want; I'd like at least around 250GB-320GB to start, but will probably upgrade or buy an external later on as more is needed, so not really important.

16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, CD/DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive? CDRW/DVD-ROM or CD/DVD burner. Blu-Ray isn't important.

17) What speed CPU/Processor would you like? Dual core or Quad Core CPU? Prefer Quad, but will settle for dual core to fit my budget. I think a speed at around 2.5 would be sufficient.

Also, a firewire port is a necessity. I think most laptops have them now anyways, but just to be sure. :)

[Anewbus]

Hi Bloo,

You’ve come to the right place in regards to your concerns about reliable sellers, longevity of the notebook, quality to get you through 3 to 4 years plus much more.

Go to Reseller Ratings.com to see the reviews about XoticPC. They are not fake reviews because Reseller Ratings is a third party.
XoticPC has the best customer service you will find anywhere otherwise none of us would be here in the forums helping out. They also have the best warranties and the highest quality machines or we would not have bought ours here.

Ok, for your budget I think you will find the following 15.4-inch model much more to your liking and you’ll get more bang for your buck.

This is just a bit over your budget, but well worth it. Any equivalent 17 inch model will run you $2000 + easy.
This unit has the most powerful GPU in its class, which will come in real handy for Graphic arts and of course it will play almost any game you throw at it on high settings, including the ones you mentioned easily. I did a base config here.

This will be everything you need and then some and not only do you get a “real” FULL version OFFICIAL disc of the OS you choose along with a drivers disc, but right now they are giving out coupons for Windows 7 upgrade.

Sager NP8662 (Built on Clevo M860TU) Custom Gaming Laptop (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2564%7B76%7D768%7B187 %7D1757%7B94%7D1074%7B92%7D2422%7B88%7D1925%7B194% 7D2594%7B186%7D1532%7B93%7D2431%7B193%7D657%7B112% 7D656%7B98%7D1295%7B96%7D2434%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7 D696%7B117%7D705%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D2426%7B169%7D 1449%7B119%7D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7 D689%7B106%7D%20)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® P8700 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.53GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- nVidia GeForce GTX 260M 1,024MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable)
- No External Graphics Card
- No Video Adapter
- ~ 4,096MB DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (Requires Vista 64-Bit to utilize 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)
- No Back Up Hard Drive
- No Floppy Drive
- 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
- No Network Accessory
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- No TV Tuner
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- No Car Adapter
- No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- No External Keyboard or Mouse
- No Notebook Cooler
- ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) + Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Upgrade Coupon w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- No Office Software
- No Software Bundle
- 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Based Toll Free Telephone Tech Support (Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)

TOTAL = $1541.33 with cash discount
For about $50 more you can bump the CPU to 2.66GHz

Feel free to ask more questions if you like or need.

[Dramacydal]

Go for gateway !! I JUST BOUGHT IT... ITS AMAZING
AND PRICE IS JUST $1100.. CHECK THIS LINK
http://www.gateway.com/systems/product/529668231.php

[DRY_ICE]

Well, thanks for advertising other computers on xotic... classy. Anyway, Bloo came here because of the quality of product, support, and performance xotic laptops offer. On paper that gateway is decent for the price yeah, but I bet the support and quality would be much lower than what xotic offers. Also, the 8662 does kick the little gateway pup in the ribs and dances on her limp body. The 8662 comes with a better GPU and higher rated standard CPU. Bloo you're looking to do some editing etc... you'll want a decent CPU. 2.26 is alright... but wouldn't 2.53, 2.66, or even 2.8 be ever better... not to mention you get 3 years vs 1 year warranty as well!

Bottom line, if you want top notch support, quality, and performance I'd say go with the Sager or atleast something else xotic offers (The generally only carry the best). Having had poor experiences with big name companies like gateway in the past has shown me to go where you can trust people. Xotic and Sager are both great companies in my mind, so the choice is yours.

[Bloo]

Thanks for your opinions! :) After reading the posts here and looking around the forums a bit, the NP8662 seems quite impressive. I was wondering though, how would getting a 2.66GHz duo compare to getting the 2.0GHz quad? Would it be worth the extra $110, or would I not notice much difference?

Also, does this laptop tend to get hot easily? Would it be a good idea to invest in a cooler?

[Anewbus]

Thanks for your opinions! :) After reading the posts here and looking around the forums a bit, the NP8662 seems quite impressive. I was wondering though, how would getting a 2.66GHz duo compare to getting the 2.0GHz quad? Would it be worth the extra $110, or would I not notice much difference?

Also, does this laptop tend to get hot easily? Would it be a good idea to invest in a cooler?

Save the $110 for now. There are not currently any programs or games that use the abilities of the Quad and it looks like it will be a good year before we see any such programs.
Yes, use the money you would have used on the Quad and invest in a cooler for sure. A lot of the lappies Xotic sells run on the hot side due to the power they have. I would recommend something like a Zalman.

[DrewB]

Save the $110 for now. There are not currently any programs or games that use the abilities of the Quad and it looks like it will be a good year before we see any such programs.
Yes, use the money you would have used on the Quad and invest in a cooler for sure. A lot of the lappies Xotic sells run on the hot side due to the power they have. I would recommend something like a Zalman.

Oh how wrong you are :p

3dsmax, maya, gta4, crysis...

Well, that's 4 right there! I'm sure there are more out there, but for now, I think he would be better off saving the $110 and getting the dual core processor, like you said. :)

[fault]

I have the 8662, the exact one Anewbus described, only with XP SP3. Its a great machine, really really good

[Anewbus]

Oh how wrong you are :p

3dsmax, maya, gta4, crysis...

Well, that's 4 right there! I'm sure there are more out there, but for now, I think he would be better off saving the $110 and getting the dual core processor, like you said. :)

Thanks for that info. Being a rather casual gamer myself I was not aware. I'm not familar with game requirements in detail. Of course they didn't come out with the Quads for nothing.:)

[powerpack]

NP8662 is nice but if you like Quad must look at ASUS G51VX-A1.

[DRY_ICE]

If you want to wait 1+ years to play...

[JeffsAsus]

I owned one of those Gateway 7805u's, The spec's at first seem good for the price and it plays games pretty decent. However the build quality is unbelievably poor, it ran hotter than anything I've ever seen (even on a notebook cooler) and the fans constantly are cycling on and off to the point of being extremely annoying. After a week of light use it started developing a faint burning smell. It went to back to Best Buy... lesson learned for me, "you get what you pay for" My new Sager is a night and day difference.

[Bloo]

Ah, well now I'm kinda stuck between getting the Sager NP8662 and the ASUS G51VX-A1. I'm looking at the following options:

Sager NP8662
15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
Standard Dead Pixel Policy
~Intel® P8800 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.66GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
nVidia GeForce GTX 260M 1,024MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10
No External Graphics Card
~ 4,096MB DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS)
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)
No Back Up Hard Drive
No Floppy Drive
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
No Network Accessory
Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
No TV Tuner
Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
Basic Black Business Case - Included
Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
No Car Adapter
No AC Adapter
No Dock/Hub/Adapter
Integrated Fingerprint Reader
No External Keyboard or Mouse
No Notebook Cooler
~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) + Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Upgrade Coupon w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
No Office Software
No Software Bundle
3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Based Toll Free Telephone Tech Support (Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)
Total w/ cash discount: $1594.68

ASUS G51VX-A1
!! FREE !! UPS GROUND SHIPPING
15.6" WUXGA FHD "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1080)
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU (?)
ASUS Zero Bright Dot (ZBD) 30 Day Pixel Guarantee
-Intel® Q9000 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Quad 2.0GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB - Default
nVidia GeForce GTX 260M 1,024MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10
No External Graphics Card
No Video Adapter
4,096MB (4GB) DDR2 800MHz Dual Channel Memory (2x2GB) - Default (Vista 64-Bit required to use 4GB+)
Standard Finish
- Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X Light Scribe DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) - Primary HD
- 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) - Secondary HD
No Back Up Hard Drive
No Floppy Drive
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
No Network Accessory
Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
No TV Tuner
Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
Asus G Series Matching Backpack made by Targus
Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell)
No Car Adapter
No AC Adapter
No Dock/Hub/Adapter
No Fingerprint Reader
Asus G Series Matching Logitech Mouse
No Notebook Cooler
-Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit + Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Coupon w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's - Standard
No Office Software
No Software Bundle
2 Year ASUS GLOBAL Warranty, 24/7 Support, 1 Year Accidental Coverage & 2-Way Pre-Paid Overnight Shipping for Repairs (N.A. Accidental Requires Registration w/ ASUS)
Total w/ cash discount: $1633.48


So basically, it looks like about $40 more for the ASUS with twice the HD capacity, a slightly larger screen, numeric pad on the keyboard, 2.0GHz quad processor, and a few other small perks. My major concerns are whether the 2.0 Quad is better, worse, or about equal compared to the 2.66 Duo on the Sager. Also, I'd be getting both with 4GB RAM, but will the DDR3 on the Sager make a difference compared to the DDR2 on the ASUS? Also, I couldnt tell by the pictures in the gallery if there was a firewire port on the ASUS; does anyone know?

Also, can anyone tell me if the turbo and arctic silver are worth getting?

Thanks if anyone can offer their opinions! :)

[powerpack]

Hey it is a tuff choice. I think the Q9100 will work fine, maybe on some the the P8800 will do a little better. But really is the GPU for gaming. Also consider the Asus has 2 years parts and labor vs Sager 1 year parts and labor + 2 more years labor. The Asus has 1 year accidental damage.

DDR2 800Mhz vs DDR3 1066Mhz less than 5% bandwidth difference so no it will not make a difference.

Artic silver not a bad idea but not necessary.

Turbo, do not get! Not worth it failed technology.

Edit: Yes it has fire wire. Also has built in OC utility should maybe get you to 2.3Ghz on the CPU maybe higher.