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Which is Best? Purchasing laptop...need advice


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#1
hayzee

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Ok, I'm looking at purchasing a laptop, the top of my price range is about $1,250. I would the computer to have fair gaming power, enough to run games like oblivion fairly well. I found two that I like...which is better?

Dell, Inspiron E1705
XP media Center
Intel Core Duo Processor T2300, 1.66GHz, 667Mhz FSB
1gb dual channel DDR@ SDRAM, 533MHz memory
80 GB 5400RPM Hard Drive
256mb ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 Hyper Memory
24X CD Burner/DVD combo drive
Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card, 54Mbps
17in wd scrn XGA+ display

HP Pavilion dv8000t
XP home edition
Intel Core Duo Processor T2300, 1.66GHz, 667Mhz FSB
1gb DDR2 SDRAM (2 512 cards)
80 GB 5400 RPM SATA Hard drive
256mb Nvidia GeForce Go 7400
DVD+/-RW/R CD-RW Combo w/Double Layer
Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG w/BT
17in WXGA+ Bright View Widescreen
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#2
Dockboy

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Hey,

If you're lookg to play Oblivion on a laptop, you're going to need to spend more than $1,250. Oblivion would be best left for a desktop. Yes there are laptops out there that will do it, but you need to spend the bucks to get them. And I wouldn't recommend XP Media Centre for a gaming machine.

A high-end Acer is what I would recommend. Acer pumps out some of the best laptops right now, I never seem to have problems when I'm dealing with them.

If you're looking for a gaming machine, build yourself a nice desktop with room to upgrade in the future. You should reserve your laptop for quick business or mobile entertainment like music, movies, and less resource intensive games.

However, this is my personal opinion, and I don't know everything. Wait a little while longer for some more posts to see if anyone else has some ideas. You might catch a break.

Cheers:)

Edited by Dockboy, 18 April 2006 - 02:27 PM.

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#3
dsenette

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i agree with everything dockboy said...laptops are not for gaming...they're just not made for it...if you want to do some high level graphix intensive gaming you need to do it on a desktop..
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#4
SuperSam

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Though alienware laptops are designed for gaming: http://alienware.com
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#5
hayzee

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i agree with everything dockboy said...laptops are not for gaming...they're just not made for it...if you want to do some high level graphix intensive gaming you need to do it on a desktop..



The thing is that I need the mobility of a laptop for other things, besides gaming. If I wanted a gaming desktop, I'd upgrade my current pc. I'm fine with lowering settings and whatnot...just so long as the games run smoothly.


I checked out the alienware laptops...the only one remotely in my price range would be the area 51 mm5100...
the only diffs with the pcs I've looked at would be:
processor: Intel® Celeron® M 370 1.5GHz 1MB L2 Cache 400MHZ FSB
Video: 256MB NVidia® GeForce™ Go MXM 6600
screen: Alienware® m5500 15.4" WideXGA
....Is that really any better? The screen is smaller...not sure about the video card or the processor, but isn't it a bit slower?

Edited by hayzee, 18 April 2006 - 03:45 PM.

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#6
hayzee

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And I wouldn't recommend XP Media Centre for a gaming machine.


why not?
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#7
Dockboy

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Hey,

You get charged out the wazoo for alienware, and you pay for the name more or less. If you look at some Acer systems, in your price range, and it does what you want it to do, then I would suggest doing that. Bang for your buck, good system, does what you need it to do.

And WinXP MCE is built more for a networking database of media file throughout your home, for better managing media to play in different areas in your house from a centralized location. XP Home or Pro will do what you need.

Cheers:)
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#8
hayzee

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Where can you buy Acers in the U.S.? I don't think I've really heard of them before....
And just to be clear, even though media center is built more for networking, it won't 'hurt' to have it, will it? I mean, it doesn't 'bring down' the system...In one of the laptops I was looking at, the 'upgrade' to media center is free...thats why I ask...
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#9
SuperSam

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http://www.ebuyer.com/ Acer make the computers for ferrari.

I have a 2 year old acer travelmate 2200, I have had the RAM upgraded to 1gb, and had a 100gb hdd installed, but I can still play stuff like Counter Strike: Source on it. Though it is a sort of desktop replacement laptop...

Hey,

You get charged out the wazoo for alienware, and you pay for the name more or less. If you look at some Acer systems, in your price range, and it does what you want it to do, then I would suggest doing that. Bang for your buck, good system, does what you need it to do.

And WinXP MCE is built more for a networking database of media file throughout your home, for better managing media to play in different areas in your house from a centralized location. XP Home or Pro will do what you need.

Cheers:)


In addition, Windows XP Media Center edition is just Windows XP Professional with the media center software installed! I have a flippin' AMD Athlon XP 1800+ @ 1.6ghz, 1gb DDR266, GeForce FX5200 /w 256MB + 40GB ATA/100 that plays CS Source at around 45FPS stress test with XP MCE, and wierdly before on XP Pro they were 40fps... I'm not saying MCE is better for gaming but there is no difference.

Edited by SuperSam, 18 April 2006 - 04:19 PM.

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#10
Dockboy

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My bad...I had some bad information on MCE. Thanks for the update mate.

Cheers:)
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#11
hayzee

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I checked out the acer link...says their no longer selling to the US, lol. But I also did a bit more research on the ATI card in the dell laptop...seems like it works pretty well for people. I read a couple of things saying it was equivalent to around a X600 and a X700....any truth to that? How do you think the mobility X1400 will handle graphic heavy games? Again, I'm fine with low settings...just so long as the fps is decent...
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#12
Dockboy

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Hi,

Graphics heavy games, settings down, on a laptop. The only thing that comes to mind when I hear that is that it will need to be plugged in to an adapter for power because those games will suck the life out of your battery. Even if you turn the settings down, you video card, CPU, RAM and HDD are all still going strong, and that drains those batteries quick.

In terms of the x1400, I think you have a good chance with it. Looks like a decent card that will do what you want. Keep an eye open for other cards too though.

You should be able to find an Acer dealer in the US. Check tigerdirect.com
I know the deal out the Acers along with all the Ferrari stuff too, hehe.

Cheers:)
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#13
JourneyMan

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Look for something with an AMD Turon processor, they are much better than Centrino in my experiance.
My old old old Athlon in my 5 year old Compaq cranked out Halo pretty well, even though I didn't meet minumum specs...
but my 2 year old HP with the latest greatest Pentium M could bearly handle BF1942....
The ATI vid cards were fin in the specs, but the stupid pentium would never run at the correct speeds.
[bleep] centrino

I'm telling ya, if you try gaming on a laptop you'll be disapointed....
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