Iubaris
05-08-2010, 12:58 AM
Hi there! I'm new to buying laptops and I'm not really a computer hardware expert, so I have a few questions about it. First, the survey:
General Questions
1) What is your budget? Around $1000-1300 including customization
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? USA
4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like? Not really
5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook? Gaming, typical college activities
6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk? I'll take it around but wouldn't be using it on the move.
7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games? My most important criteria is that it will be able to run Starcraft 2. Past that I don't really care.
8) How many hours of battery life do you need? Preferably at least 2.
9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person? I don't mind.
10) What OS do you prefer? (more details below)
-Windows 7 preferred
Screen Specifics
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? (more details below) I'm not too concerned with resolution
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non glossy screen?
Either is good
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? Reasonably important. I'd prefer not to have it look like a gaming laptop (in other words, not the MSI GX640)
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last? Buying in the next month or so. Ideally it would last as long as possible - 4+ years
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 80GB, 160GB, 250GB, 320GB, 500GB, 1TB, or 1.5TB? 250GB at the minimum. I don't think I need a lot of space.
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, CD/DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive? Standard DVD R/W is fine.
17) What speed CPU/Processor would you like? Dual core or Quad Core CPU?
Not sure, something reasonable fast without being too expensive.
So mainly, I was looking at a couple choices:
Asus K72JR (http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-k72jra1-p-2754.html) and Sager NP2180 (http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np2180-built-compal-nblb2-custom-laptop-p-2776.html)
I've been trying to find reviews or mass problems with either model without much luck. Is there anything I should be aware of before I buy one of them?
As far as I can tell the Sager has a better GPU card... I'm guessing the difference isn't all that huge, but I don't really know. I know Starcraft 2 hasn't been released yet, but would either laptop probably run it pretty well?
Also, I'm not really familiar with Sager- are their laptops usually pretty reliable? Good customer service and all that?
I'm open to other suggestions, too, of course. Thanks!
General Questions
1) What is your budget? Around $1000-1300 including customization
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? USA
4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like? Not really
5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook? Gaming, typical college activities
6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk? I'll take it around but wouldn't be using it on the move.
7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games? My most important criteria is that it will be able to run Starcraft 2. Past that I don't really care.
8) How many hours of battery life do you need? Preferably at least 2.
9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person? I don't mind.
10) What OS do you prefer? (more details below)
-Windows 7 preferred
Screen Specifics
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? (more details below) I'm not too concerned with resolution
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non glossy screen?
Either is good
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? Reasonably important. I'd prefer not to have it look like a gaming laptop (in other words, not the MSI GX640)
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last? Buying in the next month or so. Ideally it would last as long as possible - 4+ years
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 80GB, 160GB, 250GB, 320GB, 500GB, 1TB, or 1.5TB? 250GB at the minimum. I don't think I need a lot of space.
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, CD/DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive? Standard DVD R/W is fine.
17) What speed CPU/Processor would you like? Dual core or Quad Core CPU?
Not sure, something reasonable fast without being too expensive.
So mainly, I was looking at a couple choices:
Asus K72JR (http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-k72jra1-p-2754.html) and Sager NP2180 (http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np2180-built-compal-nblb2-custom-laptop-p-2776.html)
I've been trying to find reviews or mass problems with either model without much luck. Is there anything I should be aware of before I buy one of them?
As far as I can tell the Sager has a better GPU card... I'm guessing the difference isn't all that huge, but I don't really know. I know Starcraft 2 hasn't been released yet, but would either laptop probably run it pretty well?
Also, I'm not really familiar with Sager- are their laptops usually pretty reliable? Good customer service and all that?
I'm open to other suggestions, too, of course. Thanks!