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Zachary
07-10-2008, 07:32 PM
I have done endless amounts of research and I really can't decide. I need help.
General Questions

1) What is your budget?
1400$ No more than that
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

C or D I don't care if it's that heavy.
3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.
USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Nope Whatever works
5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
I really want to be able to game and no it does not need to be at the highest settings but it needs to be able to play games at a good FPS
6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Desk most likely
7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Yes, shooters, diablo 3 when that comes out.
8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
I'd like to have 2.5 Hours of battery life even though it'll be plugged in most of the time but if I go on a trip I want to be able to take it with me.
9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Not at all
10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
I'm really an XP person but if the laptop can run Vista well I'm okay with it.
Screen Specifics

11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Whatever is good for gaming ?
12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? (more details below)Standard
a. XGA -1024x768 - Large and easy to read text + graphics icons, but you fit less stuff on the screen.
b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA.
c. UXGA - 1600x1200 - Very small text and graphics icons, you can fit lots of stuff on the screen.

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.

Honestly I'm no expert on this stuff but it sounds like I want standard screen resolution but widescreen is fine too?
13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non glossy screen? (Read below on differences)
Build Quality and Design
I'll be in my room using it most of the time but if I could take it outside that would be awesome too.
14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
If it was stylish that would be sweet but looks don't matter to me if it affects the price greatly.
15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
I'd love for it to last 4-5 years.
Notebook Components

16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB?
250GB
17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
Yes DVD Burner

Thanks for any help and I know this is the XOTIC PC forums but if there is another place that suits my needs more please feel free to point me that way and I won't hesitate to buy from XOTIC next time around.

Justin_W@XoticPC
07-11-2008, 10:24 AM
Below is the laptop configuration i would recommend for you with a budget of $1,400. I had chosen vista as this system can handle it, but if you prefer XP you can choose that instead of vista :)

SAGER NP2092 Custom Laptop (Built on Compal JFL92) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2347%7B76%7D650%7B187 %7D1757%7B94%7D1074%7B92%7D2393%7B88%7D1088%7B186% 7D734%7B93%7D1931%7B193%7D657%7B112%7D656%7B98%7D1 295%7B96%7D2397%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7D1416%7B117%7D 707%7B120%7D2352%7B110%7D1729%7B169%7D1449%7B119%7 D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7D1539%7B106% 7D1688%7B108%7D710%7B121%7D1532%7B109%7D711%7B170% 7D1591%7B173%7D1175%7B103%7D1889%7B113%7D1413%7B11 1%7D1414%7B69%7D1513)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050) 2092
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® T9300 45nm "Penryn" Core™2 Duo 2.5GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 800MHz FSB - 2092
- 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 8600GT DX10
- ~ 4,096MB DDR2 667 PC2 5300 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
- Standard Finish
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 320GB 5400RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 8MB Cache) - 2092
- Internal 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO)
- Receive FREE Internal Bluetooth (Limted Time Offer)
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 4965 802.11 a/g/n
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Carying Case Optional (Select if desired)
- Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell)
- Full Range Auto Switching AC Adapter - Included
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- 1 Year Parts & Labor, Lifetime Sager Toll Free Tech Support

Sub-Total: $1,364.00

Zachary
07-11-2008, 03:21 PM
What is the difference between 32 bit and 64 bit Vista? Will it make a huge difference? Also what about the Asus M50SV? With the 60 dollar rebate it comes out to less money then that and an even better graphics card. Also I like the 1 year accidental damage thing. Is 3 GB of RAM good enough ?

Justin_W@XoticPC
07-11-2008, 03:35 PM
The 64 bit version will allow you to recognize all 4gb of memory. That is the biggest difference between 32 and 64 bit. For most average users 3GB memory would be plenty sufficient.

The only reason i didn't recommend the M50SV-A1 is because the Asus M50SV-A1 has been sold out. Any new orders will be transferred over to the new M50V Model.

If you won't be needing the laptop right away we will be adding a lot of new laptop models to our website the week of July 14th.

Zachary
07-11-2008, 08:32 PM
Oooh! That's fine now I'm excited. But will that Asus(M50SV) laptop return or no? Also is there any way to get the specs on the new M50V laptop I haven't had any luck with google.

Zachary
07-11-2008, 08:43 PM
Oooh! That's fine now I'm excited. But will that Asus(M50SV) laptop return or no? Also is there any way to get the specs on the new M50V laptop I haven't had any luck with google.

EDIT: Well now I've figured it out but I don't want that express gate business just want a normal laptop.

Zachary
07-15-2008, 12:37 AM
Uch I know not to triple post but one was an accident and well now I need help again. The old Asus model (M50SV) was exactly what I was looking for while the newer model (M50VM) is a bit over my price range. You see I like the 2.5Ghz Processor in the M50SV but in order to get in on the new montevina platform I need to get the B1 instead of the SV A1. Now you see the B1 is a beautiful machine with the better graphics card than the SV and more memory than I had planned then the SV but since I can only use one coupoun at a time FREESHIP or cashrebate I'm at a draw. If I could use them both I would be at a crip 1353 but one without the other leaves me at 1400. A huge difference which leaves me broken. I really don't know what to do.

Mazeura
07-19-2008, 12:52 AM
You should still go with the NP2096, though get the P9500 Montevina core. Also you don't need 4gigs, 2gigs will be more than enough for what you'll be doing. If you adamant about having more than 2 gigs, you'll have to change the HD from the 320gig 5400RPM 8MB cache to the 250GB 5400RPM 8MB cache, which will save you 30$. Though you'll have to stay with the standard resolution to stay under 1400$.

As for the Asus:
The ASUS M50VM-B1 is priced at 1399$, so you should be fine with the free shipping.
And the M50VM-A1 you could get that, because there shouldn't be much of a difference between 2.26GHz and 2.53GHz processor, and it comes standard with the P8400, which will improve battery life.
The M51SN-C1 could also work.
- !! FREE !! UPS GROUND SHIPPING (Use Coupon Code FREESHIP in Checkout)
- 15.4" WXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1280x800)
- ASUS Zero Bright Dot (ZBD) Pixel Guarantee
- -Intel® T9300 45nm "Penryn" Core™2 Duo 2.5GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 800MHz FSB
- 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 9500M GS DX10
- - 3,072MB (2 SODIMMS) DDR2 667MHz Memory - Asus Default Memory
- Standard Finish
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- 250GB SATA 150 5400RPM Asus Default Hard Drive
- Internal 8-in-1 Card Reader: MMC/SD/Mini-SD/XD/Memory Stick/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo
- Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 4965 802.11 a/g/n
- Built in 1.3Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell)
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- Asus USB Optical Mouse
- ~Windows Vista Home Premium 32-Bit w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's - ENS
- 2 Year ASUS GLOBAL Warranty, 24/7 Tech Support, 1 Year Accidental Damage Coverage & 2-Way Pre-Paid Overnight Shipping for Repairs
Price: 1364$

The new Montevina core provides better performance over the old Penryn, Merom, Merom-2M cores (while somehow using up less power... >.>" )