Entertainment Laptop Suggestions

[ahefner33]

1) What is your budget?
$1500 or less


2) What size notebook would you prefer?
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
d. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen

3) What country are you buying this in?
US


4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
None


5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Gaming, movie playback/streaming, basic use (browsing, email,...)


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


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

Red Alert, Bad Company 2 (most FPS games), strategy, RPG (new and old)


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

Not a big concern. Will have power outlet available majority of the time


9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No


10) What OS do you prefer? (more details below) Win 7 64 Bit - For upgradable RAM

Screen Specifics

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

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?
Choice: Glossy if I have to choose. Doesn't really matter


Build Quality and Design

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
No


14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Between Feb. 2010 and April 2010


Notebook Components

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

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

CD/DVD Burner, CDRW/DVD-ROM

Blu-Ray if it falls within the budget



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

Not really sure what works out to be the highest performing. I would say whatever gives the computer its best performance while staying within budget.

:notworthy

Edit: If there is a suggestion for a comp that is a little more than $1500 then feel free to mention it.

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Check out the ASUS G73JH. Right now there are four models, the A1, A2, X1 and X3. Great prices for an awesome rig!

[ahefner33]

cool thanks. Yeah, I had actually saw your signature earlier and checked out the A-2. Where do I find the X-1, X-2?

[ahefner33]

cool thanks. Yeah, I had actually saw your signature earlier and checked out the A-2. Where do I find the X-1, X-2?

Ah ok.. I found them elsewhere. But I see no difference in specs but hdd just being 500GB instead of 1TB. Is that it or something I'm missing?

:notworthy

[Halaster]

Newegg actually has both the X1 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220695&cm_re=G73JH-_-34-220-695-_-Product) and A2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220704) units in stock.
The A2 unit there though is $50 more, but wont require a 1-2 month wait.

[ahefner33]

Newegg actually has both the X1 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220695&cm_re=G73JH-_-34-220-695-_-Product) and A2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220704) units in stock.
The A2 unit there though is $50 more, but wont require a 1-2 month wait.

Hey. Yeah I saw that. Is that what the wait is if you order here? 1-2 months?

[Anewbus]

Hi Ahefner33,

You can't go wrong with this one: Here’s the Asus G51JX-A1 as it comes except I upgraded the thermal compound as ASUS tends to run fairly hot, so an ounce of prevention (literally in this case) is …you know the saying.

I think this model while towards the max of your budget is worth it. If you look at the specs you can see that you get everything but BR and a little touch of future proofing which in PC world should be next month.:laugh: *tongue firmly planted in cheek*
This is also has 1920X1080 native resolution.
If you feel you need to, you can upgrade the Warranty from ASUS GLOBAL 2-years to ASUS US 3-years for $89.00 more, which would bring you to about $1527.00
You also get FREE LIFETIME 24/7 DOMESTIC tech support which you would not get with Newegg.


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




Also, in case you weren’t aware you can hook up this notebook easily to a flat screen LCD or Plasma if you have one. That way you won’t be longing for an 18-inch notebook a week later.

[UntilMoraleImproves]

I was a little pissed when I confirmed that NewEgg does in fact have A2s shipping right now. I would switch if someone from Xotic told me it would get me a laptop sooner. I already have two BR players in the house. The one in the A1 is just a nice addition.

[Anewbus]

I was a little pissed when I confirmed that NewEgg does in fact have A2s shipping right now. I would switch if someone from Xotic told me it would get me a laptop sooner. I already have two BR players in the house. The one in the A1 is just a nice addition.

I tend to look at it this way: Sometimes good things come to those who wait a little bit. I believe Newegg is higher priced a bit. Plus who would you call if something goes wrong in shipping or if it arrives broken or what have you from Newegg? At least you can call the good folks at XoticPC in such an event.
Personally, like I did when I got my first notebook here at Xotic, I had the manufacture send it to XoticPC and then Xotic ship to me. Gratned I was having it skinned, but even if I was I still would have done so to facilitate having XoticPC put it through their QC ensuring things are ok. Sure it added days to waiting, but will worth it as I have had my notebook for a year and a half or less I think and have not had any issues. Just my take on it, your mileage may vary.:)

[Halaster]

Ayep, the great support here and custom skinning is the one thing keeping me from ordering it at Newegg right now. :)

Though if it is not going to arrive till the end of March or start of April I may have to cancel skinning or get it from Newegg after all since I need it for work.

[UntilMoraleImproves]

I'm waiting to see what happens with the March 4th date. If I'm not moved to Phase 2 by then, I might have to reconsider as well. I'm surprised that a warehouse like NewEgg is getting so many of them compared to Xotic. Unless, of course, Xotic has a huge pile of pre-orders that are clogging up the lines.

As for the X1 and X3, it is just a couple of small changes to the HDD configs. It looks like models w/o Blu-Ray are going to be the ones getting to consumers first.

[ahefner33]

I'm waiting to see what happens with the March 4th date. If I'm not moved to Phase 2 by then, I might have to reconsider as well. I'm surprised that a warehouse like NewEgg is getting so many of them compared to Xotic. Unless, of course, Xotic has a huge pile of pre-orders that are clogging up the lines.

As for the X1 and X3, it is just a couple of small changes to the HDD configs. It looks like models w/o Blu-Ray are going to be the ones getting to consumers first.

They don't have the A2 at the moment actually (Newegg). They had a ETA of 2-15-10 but they took it off the page and when I talked to a rep. they said that because its so high in demand that they won't know when more will be out and that using the auto notify is the best way to know. But said even then that it will be hard to get one.

[ahefner33]

And now they have upped the price to 1699.00 for the A2 (was 1599.00) before putting it back out to order. :rolleyes: