Please help me choose

[HyoBo]

Hello comp. experts,

I am currently looking for a laptop to buy, but since there are too many considerations to take account of, I would like to use some help from you guys.

1. I am a extreme Dell user, but for one time in my life would like to get out of Dell zone. I was looking at Sager and Asus laptops, but since I'm really bad at getting out of my comfort zone, please give me a reason or two why I should ditch Dell and go for Sager/Asus. Is the building quality better for Sager/Asus? Like, what are the good things about Sager/Asus and what are the bad things about them?

2. I would like to play some games (not a whole lot, but I want to at least run COD: Modern Warfare 2 smoothly in very best quality), so I decided to get a decent GPU. The one I'm considering now is ATI Radeon HD 4650.

My question is this: How superior is 1GB GDDR3 over 512mb GDDR3? Is it worth of my money to upgrade to GDDR3?

3. In the meantime, I did some customizing on my own:


Sager NP2098 Custom Laptop (Built on the Compal KHLB2)
- 15.6" HD 16:9 WXGA Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy LED Screen (1366x768)
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® T9600 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.8GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 35 watt
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- ATI HD4650 512MB PCI-Express GDDR3
- ~ 4,096MB DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (Requires Vista 64-Bit to utilize Full 4GB)
- Standard Finish
- ~ 250GB 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
- Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell)
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- No Operating System Standard - Drivers & Utility Software Only
- 1 Year Parts & Labor, Lifetime Sager Toll Free Tech Support

$ 1064.00

FORCE KHLB2 (Built on the Compal KHLB2)
- 15.6" HD 16:9 WXGA Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy LED Screen (1366x768)
- -Intel® T9600 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.8GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 35 watt
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- ATI HD4650 512MB PCI-Express GDDR3
- - 4,096MB (2 SODIMMS) DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to utilize 4GB+) (Corsair, Kingston or Crucial)
- Standard Finish
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- - 250GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5100 802.11 a/g/n
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- 1 Year Complete Care Warranty - 1 Year Parts with 2nd Day Shipping, 24/7 Telephone Tech Support & Lifetime Labor Warranty

$ 1070.00



Any criticism towards my customizing will be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Anewbus]

I can give you a number of reasons why you should ditch Dell. I’ll list some:

1) Build quality = Sager for instance has superior build quality to anything Dell/Alienware puts out. Nothing flimsy. Also Sager is “user upgrade friendly” (Does not void warranty under XoticPC) Asus also has good build quality, but not as customizable or user upgrade friendly. They do offer nice packages though and usually the OS.
2) Cost of Sager or Asus is less expensive than Dell/Alienware and has more bang for buck.
3) Standard Warranty with XoticPC is superior to anything Dell has. With Dell you get one year “limited” parts and labor. Xotic averages 3 years labor / 1 year parts standard.
4) Tech support = 24/7 LIFETIME DOMESTIC FREE Tech support with systems through XoticPC. (Dell = 1 year limited tech support from India). The choice here is clear = Lifetime Free Domestic tech support with Xotic or 1 year limited tech support from Dell which means you get some guy in India whose vocabulary consist entirely of “Reboot” and “Winpconfig” Dell charges for any more than 1 year support.
5) Customer service = There is no comparison to XoticPC! Their service is personable and top shelf all the way and does not stop after you get your machine! At Dell your just a number and the minute they have your money, that’s it, they don’t care anymore.

Almost any system Xotic sells will handle the games you want to play.

1GB over 512mb? 1GB offers better frame rate, better buffering etc. COD 1 and COD 2 will play fine in 512mb, but I would go with a 1GB GPU for Modern Warfare if you want to play at high settings.

Let us know what your budget is at least (preferably answer the questionnaire) and maybe folks here can come up with more for you to choose from and max value for dollar.

[HyoBo]

I can give you a number of reasons why you should ditch Dell. I’ll list some:

1) Build quality = Sager for instance has superior build quality to anything Dell/Alienware puts out. Nothing flimsy. Also Sager is “user upgrade friendly” (Does not void warranty under XoticPC) Asus also has good build quality, but not as customizable or user upgrade friendly. They do offer nice packages though and usually the OS.
2) Cost of Sager or Asus is less expensive than Dell/Alienware and has more bang for buck.
3) Standard Warranty with XoticPC is superior to anything Dell has. With Dell you get one year “limited” parts and labor. Xotic averages 3 years labor / 1 year parts standard.
4) Tech support = 24/7 LIFETIME DOMESTIC FREE Tech support with systems through XoticPC. (Dell = 1 year limited tech support from India). The choice here is clear = Lifetime Free Domestic tech support with Xotic or 1 year limited tech support from Dell which means you get some guy in India whose vocabulary consist entirely of “Reboot” and “Winpconfig” Dell charges for any more than 1 year support.
5) Customer service = There is no comparison to XoticPC! Their service is personable and top shelf all the way and does not stop after you get your machine! At Dell your just a number and the minute they have your money, that’s it, they don’t care anymore.

Almost any system Xotic sells will handle the games you want to play.

1GB over 512mb? 1GB offers better frame rate, better buffering etc. COD 1 and COD 2 will play fine in 512mb, but I would go with a 1GB GPU for Modern Warfare if you want to play at high settings.

Let us know what your budget is at least (preferably answer the questionnaire) and maybe folks here can come up with more for you to choose from and max value for dollar.




1) What is your budget? Around $1000 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) What country are you buying this in? United States 4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like? Sager or Asus are what I prefer 5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook? I want to at least run COD: Modern Warfare 2 6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk? I'll be carrying around school, but that's about it. Very light traveling. 7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games? COD: Modern Warfare 2 (MUST) Starcraft 2 if possible, but no need to sweat for S2. 8) How many hours of battery life do you need? A solid 3 - 4 hours should be ideal... 9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person? That's what I've been doing with Dell... so... sure. 10) What OS do you prefer? (more details below) I have my own copy of W7 x64 through MSDN. 11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? (more details below) This does not matter; the better is better I guess. 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. 12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non glossy screen? Again, the better is good....? Build Quality and Design 13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? Well I can make it stylish on my own (like putting Yellow Jacket--school symbol--on the top of whatnots), so not particularly on the purchase. 14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last? I need the laptop ASAP and will carry it for at least 2 ~ 3 years. 15) How much hard drive space do you want; 80GB, 160GB, 250GB, 320GB, 500GB, 1TB, or 1.5TB? 250GB 7200rpm is the bottom line. 16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, CD/DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive? I don't use it much so...not really. 17) What speed CPU/Processor would you like? Dual core or Quad Core CPU? On this I would need help choosing; I was looking at Core 2 Duo 2.66Mhz with 3MB cache, but more bang for a buck is better for me I guess.
1) What is your budget? Around $1000 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) What country are you buying this in? United States 4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like? Sager or Asus are what I prefer 5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook? I want to at least run COD: Modern Warfare 2 6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk? I'll be carrying around school, but that's about it. Very light traveling. 7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games? COD: Modern Warfare 2 (MUST) Starcraft 2 if possible, but no need to sweat for S2. 8) How many hours of battery life do you need? A solid 3 - 4 hours should be ideal... 9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person? That's what I've been doing with Dell... so... sure. 10) What OS do you prefer? (more details below) I have my own copy of W7 x64 through MSDN. 11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? (more details below) This does not matter; the better is better I guess. 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. 12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non glossy screen? Again, the better is good....? Build Quality and Design 13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? Well I can make it stylish on my own (like putting Yellow Jacket--school symbol--on the top of whatnots), so not particularly on the purchase. 14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last? I need the laptop ASAP and will carry it for at least 2 ~ 3 years. 15) How much hard drive space do you want; 80GB, 160GB, 250GB, 320GB, 500GB, 1TB, or 1.5TB? 250GB 7200rpm is the bottom line. 16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, CD/DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive? I don't use it much so...not really. 17) What speed CPU/Processor would you like? Dual core or Quad Core CPU? On this I would need help choosing; I was looking at Core 2 Duo 2.66Mhz with 3MB cache, but more bang for a buck is better for me I guess.

[Ramrod]

I would also recommend a 1GB GPU. In addition I would say a HDD in the kind of Laptop you want should have at least a 320GB HDD running at 7200. You'll appriciate the extra space. Your PC slows down the closer to full the HDD gets so at least a 320 will keep it running for a little while clsoe to the same speed as when you pulled it out of the box.

[powerpack]

I like both posts in general.

My comment to the original question is you get more for less. The Sager's offer the absolute best in performance. But that is not your price point? Not a problem still more for less. That system you are looking at (both) is made by "Compal". They are the second or third largest maker of notebooks in the world. When you buy a DeLL or HP or Acer or Gateway or so many others you might be buying a Compal? So concerns? Why.

I am not at my best ODM's make most brands you know do not. If you want charts an more post back. As I will give more info.

I think Compal is #2 in the world.

Alright on the GPU. I disagree with the two above posts in some ways. While of course I would like the option of more VRAM if not offered I would not stress. Why? OK you will run at a low resolution and you are limited by a 128bit bus? Neither stress the 512MB VRAM. From all my reading (I do read sometimes) 512MB kinda does well up to WUXGA problems start after. So frame rates above on external could be a problem. But at native? No way 1GB on a 128bus no help.

I don't think more VRAM would help. Of course 1GB w/256bus and GDDR3 is nice do't worry.

I have 1GB DDR2 128bit bus it saturates.

Buy one of those two and you will be happy.

[HyoBo]

Thank you guys, I appreciate all the comments.

I'll go ahead and answer all the questionaires so you guys will have an easy time helping me out ;)


General Questions

1) What is your budget?

$ 1000 ~ 1400

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) What country are you buying this in?

United States

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

Anything that's better than Dell

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

A little for Gaming + most for programming and stuff.

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

I'll walk around my campus with this, but no heavy traveling.

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

COD: Modern Warfare 2!!!!!!!
Starcraft 2 maybe...
Diablo 3 if I can?

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

A solid 3 - 4 hours will do :)

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

Yes

10) What OS do you prefer? (more details below)

I have my own copy of Windows 7 x64

11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? (more details below)

Don't really matter

12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non glossy screen?

Glossy but don't really matter either

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

Not really

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

A solid 3 - 4 years?

15) How much hard drive space do you want; 80GB, 160GB, 250GB, 320GB, 500GB, 1TB, or 1.5TB?

I'll go ahead and get 250GB 7200rpm but 320 if I can fit in the budget

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

Not really... I rarely use them

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

Whatever my price says.



So by summarizing my wants, I would like a laptop that I can play some games with. I am a computer science major, so I would do some coding + play with some graphics and stuff, but nothing major at this point.

I was looking at Sager NP8662 because everyone says it's hard to beat that price + performance... but I was wondering if I would need 6MB cache right now. Would it have a lot of difference if I choose 3MB cache over 6MB cache in processors?

Any helps would be appreciated. Thank you very much :)

[Anewbus]

I like both posts in general.

My comment to the original question is you get more for less. The Sager's offer the absolute best in performance. But that is not your price point? Not a problem still more for less. That system you are looking at (both) is made by "Compal". They are the second or third largest maker of notebooks in the world. When you buy a DeLL or HP or Acer or Gateway or so many others you might be buying a Compal? So concerns? Why.

I am not at my best ODM's make most brands you know do not. If you want charts an more post back. As I will give more info.

I think Compal is #2 in the world.

Alright on the GPU. I disagree with the two above posts in some ways. While of course I would like the option of more VRAM if not offered I would not stress. Why? OK you will run at a low resolution and you are limited by a 128bit bus? Neither stress the 512MB VRAM. From all my reading (I do read sometimes) 512MB kinda does well up to WUXGA problems start after. So frame rates above on external could be a problem. But at native? No way 1GB on a 128bus no help.

I don't think more VRAM would help. Of course 1GB w/256bus and GDDR3 is nice do't worry.

I have 1GB DDR2 128bit bus it saturates.

Buy one of those two and you will be happy.

My thoughts: Yes, of course ODMs such as Compal make notebooks for other "brands" such as Dell and the like, but it's what's inside and chassis used that make the difference. Example, go handle a Dell/Alienware and the first thing you may note is the flimsy lid and somewhat loose hinge system. Next, the "big names" are only interested in huge profits and don't care what they sell the customer. So to do that they cut every corner they can which means instructing the ODM to use the cheapest parts possible and still give the illusion of performance so they can claim it. Ever notice the warranties from places like Dell and other big names verses Xotic's? Notice how the big names offer an average of one year "limited" warrany with the option of up to 3 years of the same "limited warranty" for a fee? The lack of quality in the build is the reason. It's almost an admission of lack of confidence in their own product. Where as Xotic warranties are complete and they also offer paid shipping both ways, who of the big names does that? That's partly why I bought from Xotic because the warranty says something about product quality.
Xotic doesn't cut corners either, when they tell the ODM to put in an Nvidia card they get an Nvidia card and not some knockoff. Places like Dell just tell the ODM to use whatever is the cheapest and then charge the customer as if they were getting the higher quailty part. The rule is that it takes obscene profits as opposed to reasonable profits, to make a company as big as Dell and then they get so big that they don't care about their customers anymore because they were already in that mindset.
All this is why Xotic sticks out so much when people run across them, they are so different than what we are used to. I'm glad I found them and I hope Xotic is with us forever!

[Joseph@XoticPC]

Good morning and welcome to XoticPC forums!

By extending your budget from 1k-1400 you open yourself up to the Force 3551. To be honest COD modern warfare 2 at max or near max settings probably wont happen with an ATI 4650. What I would recommend even over the np8662 is the Force 3551. There are a couple of reasons for this. The GPU is very close to the performance of the GTX260 and will handle your games and at the high settings that you want. This model is less heavy, gets about 30% more battery life. (9 cell battery for 30 dollars is a no brainer) This model also has the ability to use the best quad core available, the qx9300. Combined with the turbo feature(15-20% auto over clock button) this computer has it actually out performs the np8662.

Here is the link to the model : http://www.xoticpc.com/force-3551-built-msi1651id2-gt628-p-2596.html

Below is my configuration recommendation for your uses:


(http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2596%7B76%7D647%7B94% 7D1074%7B92%7D2446%7B187%7D1757%7B88%7D2463%7B194% 7D2594%7B186%7D1532%7B93%7D2507%7B193%7D657%7B112% 7D656%7B98%7D1907%7B96%7D2461%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7 D696%7B117%7D707%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D1095%7B169%7D 1449%7B119%7D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7 D1539%7B106%7D2008%7B195%7D698%7B121%7D694%7B108%7 D710%7B109%7D711%7B170%7D1492%7B173%7D1175%7B167%7 D1452%7B103%7D686%7B113%7D1413%7B111%7D1414%7B69%7 D2536) FORCE 3551 (Built on MSI-1651-ID2 / GT628) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2596%7B76%7D647%7B94% 7D1074%7B92%7D2446%7B187%7D1757%7B88%7D2463%7B194% 7D2594%7B186%7D1532%7B93%7D2507%7B193%7D657%7B112% 7D656%7B98%7D1907%7B96%7D2461%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7 D696%7B117%7D707%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D1095%7B169%7D 1449%7B119%7D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7 D1539%7B106%7D2008%7B195%7D698%7B121%7D694%7B108%7 D710%7B109%7D711%7B170%7D1492%7B173%7D1175%7B167%7 D1452%7B103%7D686%7B113%7D1413%7B111%7D1414%7B69%7 D2536)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- -Intel® P8700 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.53GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- nVidia GeForce GTS 160M 1024MB PCI-Express GDDR3 DX10
- No External Graphics Card
- No Video Adapter
- - 4,096MB (2 SODIMMS) DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to utilize 4GB+) (Corsair, Kingston or Crucial)
- None Standard--
- Standard Finish
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- - 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
- No Back Up Hard Drive
- No Floppy Drive
- 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
- No Network Accessory
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- No TV Tuner
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- No Carrying Case
- Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell) -
- NO Spare Battery
- No Car Adapter
- None Standard*
- No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- No Fingerprint Reader
- No External Keyboard or Mouse
- No Notebook Cooler
- No Operating System Standard - Drivers & Utility Software Only
- No Office Software
- No Software Bundle
- 1 Year Complete Care Warranty - 1 Year Parts with 2nd Day Shipping, 24/7 Telephone Tech Support & Lifetime Labor Warranty $1,303.00 http://www.xoticpc.com/images/pixel_trans.gif Sub-Total: $1,303.00


As to your question about the 6mb of l2 cache or not...if it is in your budget i personally would splurge for it. If it isn't in your budget then I wouldn't worry about it too much. You will be able to OC this model to over 3ghz with the CPU that i chose for you. For the uses that you mentioned I think it would be a fine choice.


Please let me know what other questions you have. Feel free to email me at Joseph@xoticpc.com.


Thanks,

Joseph L

[Anewbus]

My humble submission::)

When purchasing a notebook it’s good to keep in mind that you want to buy for both now and a little into future. (There is no such thing as absolute future-proof in any electronics arena)
You won’t find a notebook that can give you 3 to 4 hours of solid battery life…unless you don’t turn it on maybe.
Battery life depends on what your doing. If your just surfing the web or typing in your word processor then you will get at least close to the maximum battery life listed for your unit. However if you’re gaming or watching a movie or multi-tasking up the waazoo then don’t expect max battery life. Example: playing a game such as COD at max resolution with everything on requiring constant file swapping on the HDD.

Here are some suggested machines and configs that fall within your budget and desires:

This one has the new i7 proc. It is on Pre-order though and I don’t know the ETA.


FORCE 1656 (Built on the MSI-1656) - PRE ORDER (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2661%7B76%7D647%7B94% 7D1074%7B92%7D2668%7B187%7D1757%7B88%7D1649%7B194% 7D2594%7B186%7D1532%7B93%7D2587%7B112%7D656%7B98%7 D1907%7B96%7D2461%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7D696%7B117%7 D707%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D738%7B169%7D1449%7B119%7D 1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7D1539%7B106%7 D1691%7B195%20)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- Intel® Core™ i7-720QM, 1.60-2.80GHz, (45nm, 6MB L3 cache)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- nVidia GeForce GTS 250M 1024MB PCI-Express GDDR3 DX10
- No External Graphics Card
- No Video Adapter
- ~ 4,096MB DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (Requires Vista 64-Bit to utilize Full 4GB)
- Standard Finish
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- - 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
- No Back Up Hard Drive
- No Floppy Drive
- Internal 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- None Standard-
- No Network Accessory
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- No TV Tuner
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- No Carrying Case
- Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell)
- NO Spare Battery
- No Car Adapter
- None Standard*
- No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- No Fingerprint Reader
- No External Keyboard or Mouse
- No Notebook Cooler
- No Operating System Standard - Drivers & Utility Software Only
- No Office Software
- No Software Bundle
- 1 Year Complete Care Warranty - 1 Year Parts with 2nd Day Shipping, 24/7 Telephone Tech Support & Lifetime Labor Warranty
TOTAL = $1342.48 with cash discount



This one is hard not to recommend. A very solid unit at a great price point. (I’d take one of these given the chance).
Sager NP8662 (Built on Clevo M860TU) Custom Gaming Laptop (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2564%7B76%7D769%7B94% 7D1074%7B92%7D2513%7B187%7D1757%7B88%7D1925%7B194% 7D2594%7B186%7D1532%7B93%7D1648%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) - 8662
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® P8700 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.53GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt ~
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- nVidia GeForce GTX 260M 1,024MB PCI-Express GDDR3 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) - Special!
- None Standard--
- 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
- None Standard*
- No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- No External Keyboard or Mouse
- No Notebook Cooler
- No Operating System Standard - Drivers & Utility Software Only
- 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)
Includes FREE Shipping Both Ways for Warranty Repairs
TOTAL =$1357.03 with cash discount



On this one I was able to add the Xotic 3-year Complete Warranty and stay within your budget.


FORCE 3551 (Built on MSI-1651-ID2 / GT628) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2596%7B76%7D647%7B94% 7D1074%7B92%7D2446%7B187%7D1757%7B88%7D2463%7B194% 7D2594%7B186%7D1532%7B93%7D2507%7B193%7D657%7B112% 7D656%7B98%7D1907%7B96%7D2461%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7 D696%7B117%7D707%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D738%7B169%7D1 449%7B119%7D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7D 1539%7B106%7D%20)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- -Intel® P8700 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.53GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- nVidia GeForce GTS 160M 1024MB PCI-Express GDDR3 DX10
- No External Graphics Card
- No Video Adapter
- - 4,096MB (2 SODIMMS) DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to utilize 4GB+) (Corsair, Kingston or Crucial)
- None Standard--
- Standard Finish
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- - 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
- No Back Up Hard Drive
- No Floppy Drive
- Internal 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- None Standard-
- No Network Accessory
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- No TV Tuner
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- No Carrying Case
- Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell)
- NO Spare Battery
- No Car Adapter
- None Standard*
- No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- No Fingerprint Reader
- No External Keyboard or Mouse
- No Notebook Cooler
- No Operating System Standard - Drivers & Utility Software Only
- No Office Software
- No Software Bundle
- 3 Year Complete Care Warranty - 3 Year Parts with Next Day Shipping, 24/7 Telephone Tech Support & Lifetime Labor Warranty
TOTAL= $1360.91 with cash discount



In my humble opinion, while any of these three will make you very happy, my personal choice even though I like them all for various reasons, would be for the Force 3551 because I could squeeze the upgraded warranty on it, but I also like the 8662 for the GPU and other reasons. However, I did not know the Force 3551 could outperform the 8662!

[NasGhost]

For the record, I would like to point out that the 1GB vs 512mb argument is moot without the actual GPUs in question.

For example, there is a 1GB GT 220 and a 512mb HD 4850. Several people in this thread have said that the 1GB would be the better option, which is not the case. The HD 4850 is far superior, and the only way the GT 220 could even come close is if the HD 4850 become vram limited, and even then, im not sure the GT 220 could match the HD 4850.

That said, Vram is one of the last things you should worry about. The first thing you know look at is the actual branding of the card. That will in general ( if you understand the reference manufacturers nomenclature ) tell you how it will perform.

[powerpack]

I only pointed out the ODM situation to build confidence for the buyer. If I came across as "go buy a DeLL"? Not my intent. I just meant these are the best machines you can buy. I stand by my comments on VRAM. Oh and I also think the Force 3551 is the best performance/value offered in class. Dealing with Xotic is a major plus. Others have said so I won't.

Anew come on you know me? I don't speak bad of the worlds best notebook retailer? I love them also. Don't make Justin pick which son he likes better. He likes us both.

[Anewbus]

I only pointed out the ODM situation to build confidence for the buyer. If I came across as "go buy a DeLL"? Not my intent. I just meant these are the best machines you can buy. I stand by my comments on VRAM. Oh and I also think the Force 3551 is the best performance/value offered in class. Dealing with Xotic is a major plus. Others have said so I won't.

Anew come on you know me? I don't speak bad of the worlds best notebook retailer? I love them also. Don't make Justin pick which son he likes better. He likes us both.

I know that Power.:) I thought I was just adding to what you said. Where did you get that I thought you were recommending Dell? I was just pointing out some details in the comparison between everyone else and Xotic.