|
My old laptop decided to retire last night. I had it on, turned it off after reading my email, took a nap--and woke an hour later to the smell of burning electronics. After 3.5 years (6 months outside of warranty), it decided to self destruct. While I'm wondering if I should contact the company or not, I'm looking towards the future. Old rig specs: Intel T7200 4GB DDR2 320GB HDD ATI Mobility X1600 I'm looking at this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16834220751 It's going to be used primarily for office use, but it needs to be able to support 720P video well for both viewing and editing. I think it should work out alright, but I'm uncertain of how the new ones stack up to the one I had.
|
| # ? Oct 31, 2010 04:17 |
|
|
|
| # ? May 25, 2013 01:58 |
|
|
greasyhands posted:Save the extra money and get the ul30vt, it's a very nice machine and you'll be glad you spent the extra over the $600 competition. I had decided that I was going to buy the UL30vt this weekend, and put it off since it didn't matter if I ordered up until tomorrow morning since it would get here the same time. Oh god was I wrong, the price on the UL30vt went up $77 since yesterday. gently caress that.
|
| # ? Oct 31, 2010 18:28 |
|
|
After a good deal of researching I'm leaning toward the Samsung R540-11 for my desktop replacement. But I can't help wondering whether there is a comparable 15" in the $1000 or less range that has a better GPU than the ATI 545v (ranked at 115 on the benchmarks at notebook.com)). And it bothers me that I'm paying extra for a Blue Ray drive that I could really do without. Also, anybody have anything good/bad to say about Samsung models? Suspect Device fucked around with this message at Oct 31, 2010 around 22:28 |
| # ? Oct 31, 2010 22:02 |
|
|
I'm using a Samsung R710 right now, and rather like it. Really nice screen, quick enough. Plastic is a little thin on the wrist-rests.
|
| # ? Nov 1, 2010 05:06 |
|
|
I’m looking for a pure gaming laptop now that my 17" MBP is beginning to show its age and is slowly being replaced by the 13" Air for all tasks but gaming and photoshop. From all the reviews and advice I’ve read so far it seems like the G73 is the way to go. I don’t want to drop huge cash on my tertiary laptop so Alienware or Clevo are not an option. What are the chances of a G74 with the much faster 480M being announced within the next 2-3 months? Also, would it be unrealistic to expect the next generation of gaming laptops to sport 120 Hz panels? eames fucked around with this message at Nov 1, 2010 around 10:55 |
| # ? Nov 1, 2010 10:50 |
|
|
Suspect Device posted:After a good deal of researching I'm leaning toward the Samsung R540-11 for my desktop replacement. But I can't help wondering whether there is a comparable 15" in the $1000 or less range that has a better GPU than the ATI 545v (ranked at 115 on the benchmarks at notebook.com)). And it bothers me that I'm paying extra for a Blue Ray drive that I could really do without. I have a Samsung R700, really nice looking machine but had a few problems with it. The battery seems to overload the powersupply and make it flick on and off, had to replace it last year and now I don't have the battery in. Also the GPU went belly up, I think its the nvidia chip fault that is plaguing lots of others so when I return to the UK I'm going to get it checked. Plus the CD drive failed as well. It's been a bit of a lemon really but for the first two years it was awesome. The past year its been awful.
|
| # ? Nov 1, 2010 14:06 |
|
|
A friend is looking for a laptop in the $600 range. In the sea of i3 equipped Asus, Acers and Gateways, which would be the best model?
|
| # ? Nov 1, 2010 23:11 |
|
|
I ended up purchasing a Dell Vostro 3400 with these specs: i3 370m 2.4 3gb 1066 7200rpm 250gb drive Since I really will never do anything graphics intensive with it I feel I ended up getting the best value at $580 (with free next business day delivery too!). I'll definitely give a trip report on this thing.
|
| # ? Nov 1, 2010 23:12 |
|
|
Edward IV posted:The XPS 14 has either a NVIDIA GeForce GT 420M or 425M graphics card. The GT 425M is roughly as powerful as the Radeon HD 5650 found in the HP Envy 14, Acer 4820TG, and Lenovo Y460 with the GT 420M being noticeably slower. They also bring 3D over the HDMI 1.4a port and DirectX 11. Still looking into this, I went to Fry's to see what laptops they offer. The only 14" laptop they had that had any power to it was the http://www.gateway.com/systems/product/529668784.php Gateway ID49C13u. Is this laptop worth looking into more, or should I for sure stick to one of the ones mentioned above?
|
| # ? Nov 1, 2010 23:31 |
|
|
My unibody MacBook just got stolen. I'm looking for something with the same form factor, but I'm indifferent to OSX for cost reasons. What's really important is the multi-touch trackpad (two finger scrolling). I've heard about the HP Envy 14, but I read that the trackpad isn't very good. Any suggestions?
|
| # ? Nov 1, 2010 23:58 |
|
|
Chainclaw posted:Still looking into this, I went to Fry's to see what laptops they offer. The only 14" laptop they had that had any power to it was the http://www.gateway.com/systems/product/529668784.php Gateway ID49C13u. Is this laptop worth looking into more, or should I for sure stick to one of the ones mentioned above? The GeForce GT 330M in the Gateway is marginally more powerful than the GT 420M. However, it still doesn't compare to the Radeon HD 5650 or the GT 425M. There also seems to be talk at least for the desktop version that performance could be improved with driver optimizations so the small lead the GT 330M currently has could be closed or surpassed. Also, the GT 330M only has DirectX 10.1 and won't output a 3D video signal not that they're super important features but it's something you should be aware of. I personally would get one of the ATI-powered machines and not deal with all this uncertainty, even if that means having to manually switch between the integrated and discrete graphics. I was somewhat hesitant on the manual switching after seeing it done on my brother's HP Envy 14 and seeing the screen flicker and become blank for a few seconds. At the very least, though, the laptop will automatically switch to integrated graphics when you switch from AC to battery power so you can't accidentally burn up power using the discrete graphics. It's really up to you what kind of switching you want and if you want to pick the laptop up locally or buy it online. Had Dell offered the XPS 14 with the GT 425M with a dual-core Core i5 processor, I'd recommend it if you really wanted the automatic switching and/or to buy from Dell.
|
| # ? Nov 2, 2010 01:45 |
|
|
Edward IV posted:The GeForce GT 330M in the Gateway is marginally more powerful than the GT 420M. However, it still doesn't compare to the Radeon HD 5650 or the GT 425M. There also seems to be talk at least for the desktop version that performance could be improved with driver optimizations so the small lead the GT 330M currently has could be closed or surpassed. Also, the GT 330M only has DirectX 10.1 and won't output a 3D video signal not that they're super important features but it's something you should be aware of. Thanks for your help, this is great info. I definitely want Direct X 11 support, not for gaming directly, but to fiddle with it for development purposes. I'm trying to organize a weekly game developer side project night, where I get a bunch of people together once a week at a coffee shop and we work on personal projects together, and show each other what we've done in that week. The problem is none of us have laptops, and somehow I got put in charge of doing the research to find the best laptop option for the group. HP Envy 14 seems like the front runner right now, I'm going to do a bit more research and present it to the group.
|
| # ? Nov 2, 2010 15:13 |
|
|
I really need a new laptop, after dealing with the lovely Dell that I've had for three years. I'd like to spend under $500, and as long as it can be online and play videos without freezing up every ten minutes (like the one I have now likes to do), I'll be content. I'm considering getting a Toshiba Satellite C650D. Any suggestions/warnings on this idea?
|
| # ? Nov 2, 2010 17:03 |
|
|
My wife needs a new laptop. She does very minor occasional illustrator/GIMP/photoshop work but mostly she wants it to do internet stuff. She'd like it to be light and have a decent battery life and I get the feeling she wants a 13 +/- 1 inch screen. I was looking at this Lenovo U460 laptop but I feel like maybe the i3 processor is driving up the price unnecessarily. Any suggestions for her?
|
| # ? Nov 2, 2010 18:57 |
|
|
OK, I've been doing a fair amount of research and found what seems to be a good deal on a gaming laptop for anyone interested. It's a refurb and the resolution isnt the absolute best but its freaking powerful and the price was right. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...eon%20hd%205870 Looks like it's out of stock for now for anyone interested its the ASUS G73JH-RBBX05 blackshreds fucked around with this message at Nov 3, 2010 around 04:55 |
| # ? Nov 3, 2010 04:52 |
|
|
blackshreds posted:OK, I've been doing a fair amount of research and found what seems to be a good deal on a gaming laptop for anyone interested. It's a refurb and the resolution isnt the absolute best but its freaking powerful and the price was right. These sold at best buy IIRC for like $1199 when they were new. I don't know if I would trust a refurb but if it comes with a full warranty then it is a lot of computer for the price. The 1600x900 resolution isn't actually that bad of a thing, it'll help the 5870 in that get better frame rates down the road.
|
| # ? Nov 3, 2010 13:17 |
|
|
You only get 90 days with Asus or Samsung refurbs which makes them feel a little sketchy.
|
| # ? Nov 3, 2010 17:49 |
|
|
What's the difference between the HP ENVY 14-1110NR and HP ENVY 14-1160SE? One is $150 more than the other, but the specs look identical. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...7-433-_-Product http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...7-432-_-Product
|
| # ? Nov 3, 2010 18:23 |
|
|
Chainclaw posted:What's the difference between the HP ENVY 14-1110NR and HP ENVY 14-1160SE? One is $150 more than the other, but the specs look identical. The ENVY 14-1160SE is the Beats edition which is basically the same laptop except with a black Beats branded lid, a red backlit keyboard, and Monster Beats solo headphones. Actually, HP recently stopped carrying the headphones due to "supply constraints" (Engadget's air quotes, not mine) and have dropped the price. The new price is actually the same as what Newegg is listing so the ones on Newegg probably don't have the headphones either.
|
| # ? Nov 3, 2010 18:55 |
|
|
rscott posted:These sold at best buy IIRC for like $1199 when they were new. I don't know if I would trust a refurb but if it comes with a full warranty then it is a lot of computer for the price. The 1600x900 resolution isn't actually that bad of a thing, it'll help the 5870 in that get better frame rates down the road. Ya Best Buy has a G73 at $1,200. I think it is the newest model from asus and it comes with a 4g chip (wtf?). I got a chance to play with one yesterday. The thing is dead.sexy. and I can't wait to get mine.
|
| # ? Nov 3, 2010 18:57 |
|
|
I've been tasked with buying two laptops for my mom and my niece, but both have to be under $350. There actually was some good deals that I've found during back to school, but now that they have finally given me the money they are all gone. My question is, out of these two machines what would you get, or do you know of a deal that's better? I rather not deal with refurbished unless it has something longer than a 90 day warranty, and no netbooks as neither like the small keyboard. I'll start with the one I like. http://www.microcenter.com/single_p...duct_id=0339703 AMD V Series V120 2GB DDR3 RAM 250GB 5,400RPM Hard Drive 15.6" Widescreen TruBrite Display Labelflash SuperMulti DVD Drive Memory Card Reader ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4250 10/100 Network 802.11b/g/n Wireless Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) http://www.microcenter.com/single_p...duct_id=0335165 Intel® Celeron® 900 2GB DDR3-RAM 160GB 5,400RPM Hard Drive 15.6" HD Widescreen WXGA High-Brightness LCD Display 8x DVD-SuperMulti Double-Layer Drive 5-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M 10/100 Network 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) Bottom of the barrel I know, but I really cant get neither to budge from that $350.
|
| # ? Nov 4, 2010 01:27 |
|
|
So my old dell inspiron laptop just fried and I'm looking to buy a replacement. I'm looking for something in the $600-800 range. For the most part I won't be doing anything too intensive, but I'd like to be able to run Starcraft 2 and source games on medium settings. I would also be using it for some audio editing in Ableton Live. Is this even feasible within that price range? I was looking at this: http://www.amazon.com/UL30Vt-X1-Lig...y/dp/B002XZLURC Any recommendations/thoughts on the ASUS UL30?
|
| # ? Nov 4, 2010 05:37 |
|
|
Ryokurin posted:I've been tasked with buying two laptops for my mom and my niece, but both have to be under $350. There actually was some good deals that I've found during back to school, but now that they have finally given me the money they are all gone. You're asking for our opinion on the differences between two dog turds. Really, they suck. You should just tell them to not buy a laptop until they can spend another $100 bucks for a dual-core machine.
|
| # ? Nov 4, 2010 06:20 |
|
|
link50 posted:So my old dell inspiron laptop just fried and I'm looking to buy a replacement. I'm looking for something in the $600-800 range. For the most part I won't be doing anything too intensive, but I'd like to be able to run Starcraft 2 and source games on medium settings. I would also be using it for some audio editing in Ableton Live. Is this even feasible within that price range? I was looking at this: You cannot play SC2 on medium with a G210m and a 1.3GHz C2D; even then at Low the CPU may not be fast enough. To play it on Medium smoothly you will need a 5650m class GPU with an i3/i5. You might want to check out the Acer 3820TG.
|
| # ? Nov 4, 2010 07:10 |
|
|
link50 posted:So my old dell inspiron laptop just fried and I'm looking to buy a replacement. I'm looking for something in the $600-800 range. For the most part I won't be doing anything too intensive, but I'd like to be able to run Starcraft 2 and source games on medium settings. I would also be using it for some audio editing in Ableton Live. Is this even feasible within that price range? I was looking at this: If you don't mind a little bit bigger laptop there are also a few 17.3" Acer's that will do all of that and then some. http://www.amazon.com/Acer-AS7741G-...88881409&sr=1-6 and http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-A...88881409&sr=1-5 for example. I actually picked up the first one and it's been great so far. I haven't run starcraft on it yet, but I was running civ5 and metro2033 with settings on high or nearly high without issue. There are a few more models of that laptop on amazon too if you want something slightly different.
|
| # ? Nov 4, 2010 14:40 |
|
|
Ok I'm looking at the Toshiba A665-S6092. Aside from the crap 1366 x 768 resolution, at $949 it seems like a dream come true. 16" Screen CPU Type: Intel Core i7 CPU Speed: Quad Core 740QM(1.73GHz) CPU Support: 2.93 GHz with Turbo Boost Technology, 6MB Cache Chipset:Intel HM5 GPU: GT 420M, optimus technology Hard Drive: SATA 5400 w/640gb I'm using it for games and other multimedia stuff. Questions: See any problems here? Does anybody know a better 15" or 16" for gaming in the $1000 range? Also, any idea if this thing is going to overheat or make a shitload of noise? If you have a Toshiba Satellite, has it served u well? Suspect Device fucked around with this message at Nov 4, 2010 around 18:44 |
| # ? Nov 4, 2010 18:37 |
|
|
Suspect Device posted:Ok I'm looking at the Toshiba A665-S6092. Aside from the crap 1366 x 768 resolution, at $949 it seems like a dream come true. Toshiba laptops are pretty decent, although a lot of the big ones still have very average keyboards. The only problem with the high-end A665s for gaming is the fact that you can buy a Toshiba Qosimo X505 or a ASUS G51 for $1000, and they're both better (for gaming).
|
| # ? Nov 4, 2010 18:46 |
|
|
GT420 is going to pretty slow for gaming and honestly getting a quad core in a laptop is a waste of money. You're better off looking for something with an i5 and a better GPU, you'll get better battery life, performance in all but a couple of games (civ 5 is the only one that comes to mind) will be better, and you'll probably be able to find something with a better screen. I don't know if MSI has refreshed the GX640, but those were pretty cheap and had great gaming performance compared to other laptops in its price range.
|
| # ? Nov 4, 2010 20:03 |
|
|
rscott posted:GT420 is going to pretty slow for gaming and honestly getting a quad core in a laptop is a waste of money. You're better off looking for something with an i5 and a better GPU, you'll get better battery life, performance in all but a couple of games (civ 5 is the only one that comes to mind) will be better, and you'll probably be able to find something with a better screen. I don't know if MSI has refreshed the GX640, but those were pretty cheap and had great gaming performance compared to other laptops in its price range. Thanks for the recommendation. This laptop looks amazing except for a couple things. According to notebookcheck's review the fan is always loud, even when the system is not under stress, and it generates a massive amount of heat. I gotta use my laptop in a tiny, quiet room with poor ventilation and I think it might drive me insane.
|
| # ? Nov 4, 2010 22:14 |
|
|
So i'm starting a new job soon and they want me to choose a laptop. I do a lot of design work with the Adobe Creative suite, so something fast with a big screen would be great. I've spent the last 2 years working on a Macbook Pro, which was pretty good, but i'm sick of Macs now. I was thinking of an HP Envy 17 or an ASUS G73. Any other suggestions or thoughts?
|
| # ? Nov 4, 2010 22:15 |
|
|
Are you actually going to use it around other people you work with? If so I'd just buy a Lenovo W series. Make them get you the one with dual displays 
|
| # ? Nov 4, 2010 22:31 |
|
|
Faceless Clock posted:Are you actually going to use it around other people you work with? Not sure if i've seen any Lenovos for sale here in Sweden... Are the HP Envy and ASUS G73 really that ugly in real life? The specs look great on the HP. Maybe I could get a custom case haha.
|
| # ? Nov 4, 2010 22:47 |
|
|
Ok, lets assume that I want a gigantic desktop replacement for use as a moderate gaming machine and a portable movie theater around the house for my kids, and I don't care at all about battery life or weight.... how does this one look for the money? Is that graphic card and screen resolution decent? Is it going to run horribly hot? Do Toshibas suck? I don't care that it is butt-ugly, but I love the backlit keyboard. Can I save a couple hundred bucks and still get something equivalent with a 17" screen? http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...EG&A=details&Q= I'm having trouble pulling the trigger. Assuage my fears please.
|
| # ? Nov 5, 2010 00:00 |
|
|
Disco De Soto posted:
I don't think the Envy looks ugly. It's rather distinctive, but not ugly. Sort of like how it's easy to notice the MBP sitting on a desk.
|
| # ? Nov 5, 2010 00:58 |
|
|
Dmar posted:I don't think the Envy looks ugly. It's rather distinctive, but not ugly. Sort of like how it's easy to notice the MBP sitting on a desk. The G73...special. It says a lot about the person using it, I think.
|
| # ? Nov 5, 2010 03:04 |
|
|
Definitely enjoying my new work Vostro 3400. Good: Core i3 370m is very quick. 7200rpm drive makes a difference. The machine runs very cool. Minimal bloatware. Nice classy aluminum skin on the lid and metal sides. Nice plastics used throughout. Bad: lovely touch buttons for volume. 14.0" screen looks somewhat small in its housing (seems like they could have fit 14.5" in there). 1366x768 looks bad at 14" when you also have a 12" at the same res. Screen isn't glossy (low glare, good viewing angles) but it also isn't glossy (in ideal conditions isn't as good for watching video). Screen is very thin and the back side of it isn't particularly tough. Overall, great machine for $600 shipped (48hrs after order it arrived).
|
| # ? Nov 5, 2010 05:41 |
|
|
I found a laptop for sale in my local Futureshop has a 5470 which if I recall is the high end of the mid range cards so it should be decent for gaming right? I'm mostly looking at laptops with dedicated video cards as my initial filtering, I'm not sure if I'm missing some other bottleneck though.
|
| # ? Nov 5, 2010 10:19 |
|
|
Raenir Salazar posted:I found a laptop for sale in my local Futureshop has a 5470 which if I recall is the high end of the mid range cards so it should be decent for gaming right? 5470 is only low-end. In fact the next gen Zacate/Sandy Bridge CPUs are going to be just as fast with their integrated GPUs alone. I won't call something that struggles playing SC2 on medium as a decent gaming GPU. freeforumuser fucked around with this message at Nov 5, 2010 around 12:03 |
| # ? Nov 5, 2010 12:01 |
|
|
Aha, I got confused by the 70, dang. I guess for a gaming laptop I'm going to need to keep an eye out then for the ASUS G70 series then (until I'm done browsing this thread for recomendations anyways). But basically say I have only around 500-800 to spend, and I want to be able to play CoH, EVE-Online or Starcraft 2 is this possible to find or is it going to be 900+ guaranteed?
|
| # ? Nov 5, 2010 12:07 |
|
|
|
| # ? May 25, 2013 01:58 |
|
|
Raenir Salazar posted:Aha, I got confused by the 70, dang. I guess for a gaming laptop I'm going to need to keep an eye out then for the ASUS G70 series then (until I'm done browsing this thread for recomendations anyways). http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16834214043 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16834115863 These are relatively cheap (depending if you are looking for 15.6 or 17").
|
| # ? Nov 5, 2010 12:16 |
|
