Talk Me Down.. Which Laptop Should I REALLY Buy

[ishmaeldb]

:eek:
General Questions

1) What is your budget?1000-1500

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" 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?

Not Familiar enough to know

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

Will be using it for writing, networking, gaming, music,

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

It will probably be on my desk most of the time although I am not adverse to taking it places.

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

I will be playing EVE Online, World of Warcraft, but I might like to try some of the other cool games that are out there but not much of a FPS fan.

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

My laptop batteries have always been so unreliable that I tend to always plug in the laptop.

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

Can be an issue. I want very solid keys, a good typing experience and a comfortable hand position. Some of the pictures are difficult to tell what the laptop looks like close up and they don't convey the texture or solidity of the build.

10) What OS do you prefer? (more details below)
-Windows 7 64
-Linux

What I really am interested in is having immediate access to web, mail, etc. I have seen these buttons on computers at BB. (I think, maybe erroneously, that all the machines there have substandard components in them)

I am interested in running Linux on one drive and Windows on another for the occasional gaming.

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

I imagine they all look fairly good

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

I am concerned about eyestrain and too much glare, but not a deal breaker.

Build Quality and Design

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

Yes, but I tend toward understated designs. I gravitate towards things that are unique.

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

This is what has kept me out of the market so long. I know that as soon as I buy something it will be completely obsolete. There will be I12 processors and they come up with something else that will change everything.

In other words I want it to last a long time, perhaps be upgradeable, and I want it to be very reliable.

Notebook Components

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

I always want more, but I don't know if I need the max. 250?

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

Do I need an optical drive to reload OS, or programs that I might buy at the store. I don't know if I am going to burn cd's anymore.

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

I want the i7. But I don't know what I really need. I want the games I mentioned to run smoothly and in good detail.(EVE, WOW- MMORPG) I don't want to be left in the dust. But am I going overkill-- I automatically think, i7 and dual GPU's, DDR3, Solid State Drives. (Actually two smaller solid state drives -- one for each OS might be something that someone needs to talk me out of.) I was all set to go to BB and get a Sony Vaio for 1200 and I read a review about how it had a 5400rpm drive on it and the reviewer said that he would change it because it slowed every thing down. So I immediately think Solid State, then I read another review where the guy says that its a new technology and the SSD don't like to be written over again and again, and they need lots of free space to utilize the speed so I don't know how much space is really usable.


==========

[powerpack]

You so do not need a i7? You have no need. What are you looking at. What do you really want or need? I will look tomorrow.

[ishmaeldb]

Powerpack,

See--- that is the common sense response I need from someone not trying to sell me something.

I have been looking at stuff from the big box stores, but would rather not support them. Looking for something well constructed.

I want the fast on-- quick boot up, and I am not a real gamer but would like to have a serviceable computer for some games.

[Anewbus]

Hi Ishmaeldb,

Powerpack is right, no “need” for i7 for what you will be doing. However, a lot of the systems here come with i7 as standard equipment so depending on what you pick you could wind up with i7 by default. Smoothness of games and what have you relies more on the GPU and RAM than almost anything else. The CPU has little impact, that’s why nobody can tell the difference between a 2.6GHz and a 2.8Ghz CPU, at least not by human standards. You also mentioned some other components that I don’t think you will need.
1) SSD – not worth it unless your one of the top gamers in the world and you do it for a living or unless your running the entire network of SETI or something. I think you get my point, a 7200rpm HDD will do fine.
2) Dual GPUs – This technology is a uneccessary expense as it is right now. Having dual GPUs will not give you a very noticeable performance boost. In fact, in a lot of cases, it can be problematic. A good, decent, single GPU with plenty of on-board memory will be more than enough.

You assume correctly about the notebooks you can find at BB. The big brands use the cheapest parts to make more money. There is also a software issue called Bloatware which is designed to slow down the system to “barely usable” and it is not easy to get rid of. So combine a 5400rpm HDD, cheap slow RAM and mediocre GPU with the bloatware and you get something one notch above doorstop.
Also the big brands sold at BB and such are often not upgradable, but more importantly, you have to take what they have, no custom build options. All that for the same amount of money you could pay for a custom system.
(I do want to point out that BB does carry ASUS, this does not make ASUS bad. There are only maybe 2 or 3 major manufactures that build notebooks. All these companies from ASUS and ACER to HP to Dell to Sager and Sony and Toshiba get their machines from these manufactures. The difference lies in the parts used to maximize profit and how the brands want to sell the machines. Most just want to make them as cheap as possible, offer very little to nothing in “upgrades” and throw them on store shelves where they can mark them up 4000%. They will also sell them in their own on-line stores at a 5000% mark up. Asus however, got smart and decided to let custom resellers such as XoticPC offer their systems as well with better custom parts for a bit smaller profit on those, but they still make money and the consumer gets a better machine for what they would have paid at a BB or something. Also resellers like XoticPC have control over what software goes on a system and the customer gets to choose the OS and such.
That’s only one of the big things that attracted me to XoticPC was the fact they don’t load the machines with bloatware. Also, unlike the big names on the store shelves, the customer gets a full version, licensed disc of the OS and not a back-up copy stored in some hidden spot on the HDD (which does you no good should something go wrong) or a dumb “recovery disc” version.

As for your concern about the feel of the keyboards. Laptop keyboards are weird especially to those of us who are used to full size keyboards, (I still have a hard time typing on mine). I don’t know of any ergonomic designs for notebooks, however since you stated that it will be on your desk most of the time, you can get a regular (USB) keyboard of your choice and plug that in. (That’s what I do myself).

All that said and taking into account your budget and needs here are some units to look at and play around with the configs:

This one is more towards the top of your budget, but you get everything but the kitchen sink plus free shipping right now!
I upgraded the thermal compound as ASUS machines tend to run rather hot. For $89 more you can get a 3 year US warranty if you choose. That would bring the total to $1525 though.

ASUS G51JX-A1 (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2724%7B161%7D1411%7B7 6%7D1680%7B94%7D1903%7B92%7D2678%7B187%7D2646%7B88 %7D2275%7B194%7D2594%7B186%7D1532%7B93%7D2725%7B11 2%7D656%7B98%7D1907%7B96%7D2723%7B168%7D1453%7B116 %7D696%7B117%7D1915%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D1747%7B169 %7D1449%7B119%7D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B10 7%7D1879%7B%20)
- !! FREE !! UPS GROUND SHIPPING (Use Coupon Code FREESHIP in Checkout - US Only)
- 15.6" WUXGA FHD "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Glossy Screen (1920x1080)
- ASUS Zero Bright Dot (ZBD) 30 Day Pixel Guarantee
- - Intel® Core™ i7-720QM, 1.60-2.80GHz, (45nm, 6MB L3 cache) - Standard
- IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU (Cools better than all Compounds)
- nVidia GeForce GTS 360M 1,024MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX10
- No External Graphics Card
- No Video Adapter
- 6,144MB (6GB) DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (2GBx3)
- Standard Finish
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software-
- - 500GB 7200RPM 8MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) - Default
- 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 - Stock Wireless Card
- 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
- None Standard*
- No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- No Fingerprint Reader
- Asus G Series Razor Gaming Mouse
- No Notebook Cooler
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit with System Recovery DVD
- No Office Software
- No Software Bundle
- 2 Year ASUS GLOBAL Warranty, 24/7 Support, 1 Year Accidental Coverage & 2-Way Pre-Paid Air Shipping for Repairs (N.A. Accidental Requires Registration w/ ASUS)
- No Xotic PC Gear
TOTAL = $1438.74 with cash discount


This is a new unit that comes with an i5, however I don’t see the difference between i5 and i7.
Comes with an ATI GPU which is supposed to be nice as well. ATI had some issues, but they are heading towards the pedestal they used to be on once again I understand.

MSI GX640-098US - PRE ORDER (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2766%7B76%7D1743%7B94 %7D1074%7B92%7D2348%7B88%7D1671%7B194%7D2594%7B186 %7D1532%7B93%7D2710%7B112%7D656%7B98%7D1907%7B96%7 D2723%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7D696%7B117%7D707%7B120%7 D703%7B110%7D1981%7B169%7D1449%7B119%7D1898%7B100% 7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7D2259%7B106%7D1688%7B121 %7D694%7B10%20)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- -Intel® Core™ i5-430M, 2.26-2.53GHz, (3MB L3 cache) - Standard
- ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD5850 1024MB PCI-Express GDDR3 DX11
- No External Graphics Card
- No Video Adapter
- 4,096MB (4GB) DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory
- Standard Finish
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software-
- - 500GB 7200RPM 8MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) - Default
- 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® Ultimate N 802.11 a/g/n
- No Network Accessory
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- No TV Tuner
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- MSI Matching Backpack
- Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell)
- No Car Adapter
- None Standard*
- No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- No Fingerprint Reader
- No External Keyboard or Mouse
- No Notebook Cooler
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit with System Recovery DVD
- No Office Software
- No Software Bundle
- 3 Year MSI US Parts & Labor 1 Year Global Warranty w/ Lifetime Tech Support + 1 Year Accidental Damage Warranty
- No Xotic PC Gear
TOTAL $1219.63 with cash discount


Here’s a similar ASUS to the MSI above, but has a different native screen resolution. I went ahead and added the 3-year warranty as well just to show.

ASUS N61JQ-A1 - BACK ORDER (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2734%7B161%7D1411%7B7 6%7D1866%7B94%7D1903%7B92%7D2678%7B187%7D2646%7B88 %7D1865%7B194%7D2594%7B186%7D1532%7B93%7D2710%7B11 2%7D656%7B98%7D1907%7B96%7D2723%7B168%7D1453%7B116 %7D696%7B117%7D1915%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D1729%7B169 %7D1449%7B119%7D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B10 7%7D1539%7B%20)
- !! FREE !! UPS GROUND SHIPPING (Use Coupon Code FREESHIP in Checkout - US Only)
- 16" HD WXGA LED 16:9 "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1366x768)
- ASUS Zero Bright Dot (ZBD) 30 Day Pixel Guarantee
- - Intel® Core™ i7-720QM, 1.60-2.80GHz, (45nm, 6MB L3 cache) - Standard
- IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU (Cools better than all Compounds)
- ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD5730 1024MB PCI-Express GDDR3
- No External Graphics Card
- No Video Adapter
- 4,096MB (4GB) DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory
- Standard Finish
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software-
- - 500GB 7200RPM 8MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) - Default
- 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 Intel® PRO/Wireless 5100 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 (6-Cell)
- No Car Adapter
- None Standard*
- No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- No External Keyboard or Mouse
- No Notebook Cooler
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit with System Recovery DVD
- No Office Software
- No Software Bundle
- 3 Year ASUS U.S. Warranty, 24/7 Support, 1 Year Accidental Coverage & 2-Way Pre-Paid Air Shipping for Repairs (N.A. Accidental Requires Registration w/ ASUS)
- No Xotic PC Gear
TOTAL = $1272.95 with cash discount


Moving down into the non-i7 category:

ASUS N61VG-A2 (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2695%7B161%7D1411%7B7 6%7D1866%7B94%7D1903%7B92%7D2346%7B187%7D2646%7B88 %7D2452%7B194%7D2594%7B186%7D1532%7B93%7D2017%7B11 2%7D656%7B98%7D1907%7B96%7D2461%7B168%7D1453%7B116 %7D696%7B117%7D1915%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D1729%7B169 %7D1449%7B119%7D1678%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B10 7%7D689%7B1%20)
- !! FREE !! UPS GROUND SHIPPING (Use Coupon Code FREESHIP in Checkout - US Only)
- 16" HD WXGA LED 16:9 "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1366x768)
- ASUS Zero Bright Dot (ZBD) 30 Day Pixel Guarantee
- -Intel® P8700 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.53GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt - ENS
- IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU (Cools better than all Compounds)
- nVidia GeForce GT 220M 1,024MB PCI-Express GDDR2 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 DVDRW Drive w/ Software-
- - 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
- 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 Intel® PRO/Wireless 5100 802.11 a/g/n-
- No Network Accessory
- Built in 1.3Megapixel Camera
- No TV Tuner
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell)
- No Car Adapter
- None Standard*
- No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- No Fingerprint Reader
- Asus USB Optical Mouse
- No Notebook Cooler
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit with System Recovery DVD
- No Office Software
- No Software Bundle
- 3 Year ASUS U.S. Warranty, 24/7 Support, 1 Year Accidental Coverage & 2-Way Pre-Paid Air Shipping for Repairs (N.A. Accidental Requires Registration w/ ASUS)
- No Xotic PC Gear
TOTAL = $1208.00 with cash discount



ASUS K61IC-A2 (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2703%7B161%7D1411%7B7 6%7D1866%7B94%7D1903%7B92%7D2346%7B187%7D2646%7B88 %7D2452%7B194%7D2594%7B186%7D1532%7B93%7D2017%7B11 2%7D656%7B98%7D2291%7B96%7D1970%7B168%7D1453%7B116 %7D696%7B117%7D1478%7B120%7D702%7B110%7D1747%7B169 %7D1449%7B119%7D1678%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B10 7%7D1539%7B%20)
- !! FREE !! UPS GROUND SHIPPING (Use Coupon Code FREESHIP in Checkout - US Only)
- 16" HD WXGA LED 16:9 "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1366x768)
- ASUS Zero Bright Dot (ZBD) 30 Day Pixel Guarantee
- -Intel® P8700 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.53GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt - ENS
- IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU (Cools better than all Compounds)
- nVidia GeForce GT 220M 1,024MB PCI-Express GDDR2 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
- - 4X Blu-Ray Reader / 8X DVDRW/CDRW Super Multi Combo Drive - Standard
- - 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) - Standard
- No Back Up Hard Drive
- No Floppy Drive
- Internal 5-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO/ xD-P)
- None Standard--
- Built-in 802.11 Wireless A/B/G/N - Stock Wireless Card
- No Network Accessory
- Built in 1.3Megapixel Camera
- No TV Tuner
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- No Carrying Case
- Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell)
- No Car Adapter
- None Standard*
- No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- No External Keyboard or Mouse
- No Notebook Cooler
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit with System Recovery DVD
- No Office Software
- No Software Bundle
- 3 Year ASUS U.S. Warranty, 24/7 Support, 1 Year Accidental Coverage & 2-Way Pre-Paid Air Shipping for Repairs (N.A. Accidental Requires Registration w/ ASUS)
- No Xotic PC Gear
TOTAL = $1059.66 with cash discount

[ishmaeldb]

Thanks Anewbus,

You and Powerpack have given me some excellent choices to look at. Is a cooling compound something needed to ensure the safety and functionality of the computer? I noticed some of the models had good speakers, thats something to consider also.

Thanks
Ishmaeldb

[Anewbus]

Thanks Anewbus,

You and Powerpack have given me some excellent choices to look at. Is a cooling compound something needed to ensure the safety and functionality of the computer? I noticed some of the models had good speakers, thats something to consider also.

Thanks
Ishmaeldb

Your welcome.:)
Thermal compound is a important component for cooling, especially considering tight space of a notebook. For ASUS it is wise to go with the IC diamond compound as it does a slightly better job than the stock or Artic for ASUS models. "Slightly" in the cooling world is a big thing.
SPEAKERS - Ok, notebooks are not known for quality sound so I would not put too much read into "good speakers". Your best results would be external speakers or headphones if you like. If you have a stereo system or Home Theater system you can hook it up to the notebook if your a nut like me.:-/:D

[ishmaeldb]

Does anyone run any linux with partitions? Is that a bad idea? curious.

[Anewbus]

Does anyone run any linux with partitions? Is that a bad idea? curious.

I don't know linux (although I'd love to get awat from windows, but that would mean losing all my software programs).
I think Powerpack may be able to shed light on this question. (Judging by his avatar at least, but if I recall correctly I think he uses linux at least at times)?

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Does anyone run any linux with partitions? Is that a bad idea? curious.

Your choice of OS will have no bearing on partioning other that making sure you have enough space in one partition for the entire
OS (and related updates, sub-programs, etc). Partitions aren't really necessary as long as you don't screw up your data with a virus, trojan, etc. Even if you did partition but put all of your files in one area that gets attacked or
wiped, you are still screwed. The only bright side
is that you might keep some good sectors.

[Gizmo]

there have been some issues with the boot selector for ubunto and win 7 x64, but a proper install and use of the linux boot selector tool can fix it.

[ishmaeldb]

Thanks Gizmo,
UntilMoraleImproves -- that sounds like an awful scenario-- is that for all OS or just Linux?

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Well, let's face it, most attacks are focused on the Windows OS b/c it is the most widely used but just the same, you never know what is out there and what could happen. A partition is a way of segregating data. It is kind of like a quarantine. If something goes wrong (aside from a hardware failure which only good, separate backups protect against) the data on the bad partition can get fried or otherwise
compromised. This rings true for ANY OS. My general rule is to keep the OS and program files on one partition and my sensitive data (irreplaceable or not for public eyes) on a separate partition with a regular backup to an outside hardrive, flash drive (depending on size) or virtual drive (web based backup). That way, if something does go horribly wrong, I've taken steps proactively to mitigate the damage. It doesn't matter if I'm running Linux, Windows, Mac OS or whatever. I hope this helps.