need suggestions for a new laptop-gaming

P

Pierce

n00b
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Messages
22
I'm looking to buy a laptop that can be used to run games very smoothly and effectively at high settings, surf the net with no lag/pause (good ram?) and a big HD. 17" is about how big i'd like it, and I'm not too sure what the differences between brands are, but I'd like a good one. Long battery life would be a plus, as well as wifi (which I'm sure all laptops have now?).

So, in summary I want a laptop that has the following features:

1) Very good graphics card/whatever else is used to run games very well, as this is the main reason I'd like to get a new computer.
2) Big HD
3) Good Ram (?)
4) 17"
5) I'll be downloading a lot of torrents, so whatever would help that...heh...
6) Wifi

My price range is about $1200, but if there is an amazing laptop that's $1300 or I'm saving a lot on a REALLY good laptop then please don't hesitate to post. I live in Canada and as you can see I am not good with computers at all, so I'm putting complete trust in you guys.
 
Best you're going to find currently at that price with "very good graphics" is an Asus G51, but it's only a 15.6"

there is a 17" Acer TravelMate, It has a decent 9600GT graphics, but a mediocre cpu, and only 250gb hdd.

I'm being lazy and only looking at newegg.ca sorry, but Asus G51 is going to be your best option and I think others will agree.
 
Ryle said:
Best you're going to find currently at that price with "very good graphics" is an Asus G51, but it's only a 15.6"

there is a 17" Acer TravelMate, It has a decent 9600GT graphics, but a mediocre cpu, and only 250gb hdd.

I'm being lazy and only looking at newegg.ca sorry, but Asus G51 is going to be your best option and I think others will agree.
Click to expand...

How big of an upgrade could I get if I had $1500?
15.6" is probably alright. I just don't want to have to replace this laptop I'm going to get within 2 years.
 
I would look at ebay and see if you can get a Dell XPS M1710 M1730 or Alienware M97xx series. For your budget your better off getting something used to get more bang for the buck. Example is I sold my XPS M1710 Core 2 Duo T7700, 4GB DDR2, 320GB hdd, and 7950GTX a year ago for $1,000 and brand new that was $3600 including the dell 4 year warranty (of which it still had 2 years). It wasn't a DX10 machine, but I could run TF2 and CS:S on battery at max settings getting about 40FPS, hell it DID run crysis. So Just food for thought, $1500 can buy you a kinda middle of the road current gen gaming laptop, or a kick ass gently used 6 month - 1 year old system.
 
For <17" laptops, The G60, or Gateway FX laptops from bestbuy are the best bang for the buck.
G60
Gateway

If you had $1500 and wanted 17", this is a quad core from newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220669

But this G72 from bestbuy will fit well within your initial budget:
G72

EDIT: It seems like the bestbuy links aren't working for some reason. Just go to bestbuy.com -> Computers -> Laptops -> Gaming, should be able to find the laptops I mentioned.
 
Would buying an Alienware model off of ebay or the site itself be the best choice?
 
Intel_Hydralisk said:
Bad?

The newegg G72 I linked has the same specs for less price. In general Alienware is going to be overpriced.
Click to expand...

Ah alright, none of your links were working.
If alienware is going to be overpriced there's a good chance I'll go with the one you linked if it meets what my needs are. Thanks.

e: Just saw your edit, heh.
e2: Ah, no wonder I couldn't find it, the link you gave me was to the american site. My price-range is roughly $1200 Canadian, and the Canadian site doesn't have options like that >.<.
 
Pierce said:
e2: Ah, no wonder I couldn't find it, the link you gave me was to the american site. My price-range is roughly $1200 Canadian, and the Canadian site doesn't have options like that >.<.
Click to expand...

Well... I don't know how bestbuy operates in Canada, but recently their ~$1000 gaming laptops can't be beat in terms of bang for the buck.

In general, if gaming is what you want to focus on the GPU is going to be the biggest factor. Despite the new Core i7, i5, i3 processors coming out for laptops, none of them really make a difference in laptop gaming (and the price difference is rather large). That said, a Core2Duo P8700 should be just fine for gaming.

For GPU's, just look for anything along the lines of a GTX 260M or better (although better is a large price bump). Anything lower and it's either outdated or suspect. Be aware of nvidia's renaming scheme (GTS 360M is a crappy 9800M GT). Someone linked notebookcheck.net earlier. I would definitely double check specs against that site.
 
Intel_Hydralisk said:
Well... I don't know how bestbuy operates in Canada, but recently their ~$1000 gaming laptops can't be beat in terms of bang for the buck.

In general, if gaming is what you want to focus on the GPU is going to be the biggest factor. Despite the new Core i7, i5, i3 processors coming out for laptops, none of them really make a difference in laptop gaming (and the price difference is rather large). That said, a Core2Duo P8700 should be just fine for gaming.

For GPU's, just look for anything along the lines of a GTX 260M or better (although better is a large price bump). Anything lower and it's either outdated or suspect. Be aware of nvidia's renaming scheme (GTS 360M is a crappy 9800M GT). Someone linked notebookcheck.net earlier. I would definitely double check specs against that site.
Click to expand...

I took a look and it seems like Bestbuy.com won't ship to places other than the U.S., and the computer that you linked is not available in Canada. Bummer.
 
Dell XPS M1730 rules!!!!

Get one off the Dell outlet. Some of them have the 8800GTX SLI or 9800GTX SLI.

Try this 15% off coupon expires 1/20 at the outlet
 
solaris54 said:
Dell XPS M1730 rules!!!!

Get one off the Dell outlet. Some of them have the 8800GTX SLI or 9800GTX SLI.

Try this 15% off coupon expires 1/20 at the outlet
Click to expand...

On the dell Canada site it's showing that they only have the Alienware M17x. It shows that I can see the specs for the M1730, but I can't add it to my cart or even see prices. (I can find it on the US site though... ugh...)

I am getting pretty aggravated that I can't find a decent computer for a decent price in Canada...
 
conscript said:
It's a great gaming laptop for a 16" screen, primarily because it runs at a resolution normally suited for 13" laptops or smaller.

Still with your budget, it seems to fit right there...though for me, the last place i want to skimp is resolution.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I already decided on the other laptop (17" for about...1200 i think it was) if I do go to the states. Unfortunately, they don't deliver, so I'm looking for something to get from a store in Canada - like CanadaDirect.ca, Newegg.ca, Tigerdirect.ca, etc.

Thank you though.
 
Pierce said:
How does this computer compare:
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=027943&cid=NBK.300.726
Based on the specs that I'd want? I found it on CanadaComputers.com. There are a few more laptops listed here: http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProdList&cmd=pl&id=NBK.300.726
But I'm not sure how these match up to gaming laptops and if they suit my needs.
Click to expand...
You would be better off with a GTX260m in previous laptops mentioned as it is a better gpu than a 5730m.

While the i7 in this one is nice the GPU plays a bigger part in a gaming laptop.
 
I am not sure if you are being realistic, or perhaps I am misunderstanding you. I don't think you are going to find a 16-17" 900-1080p with the power to push that resolution on demanding games for $1k.

There may be new models coming out before too long, but I am just not seeing it. I would also not suggest skimping and buying a 720p laptop, especially at 16-17". That would, imo, look terrible.

If you have the option, I would suggest just building a desktop as they are much cheaper and MUCH more powerful for the money.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top