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Sub-$2000 Gaming/Video Laptop...

L

libdoggy

n00b
Joined
Dec 29, 2006
Messages
37
Been scouring the posts here all afternoon as well as checking out various review sites and I'm still confused.

I'm looking for a laptop for some video/photo/web design work when I occasionally travel as well as gaming. My budget is 2k or less.

I'd prefer a laptop that is not massive or exceptionally clunky and I'd also like to find one with widescreen as well.

I think I'm looking at something with the Intel duo and the nvidia geforce go graphics but I'm open to suggestions.

Any suggestions to toss my way on this?
 
How much gaming do you plan on?

I just ordered a system, and, I found that the Dell Latitude D620 w/ Nvidia Quadro NVS 110m (eqiv to Geforce Go 7300) and 2ghz merom was a nice sweet spot at ~$1500 (that's w/ 3 years of completecare too). 14" widescreen, magnesium case. E1505 is pretty nice for the price as well, but, no gaming potential on that one
 
I just got (3 hours ago) my dell xps m1210 and I LOVE it. Core2duo, 2 gigs of ram, 7400 vid card......it rips through everything I've installed and the thing I'm happiest about the most is the full size keyboard.

Plus, the thing is small as hell. Ultraportable. I paid right around $1500 but I bought the 2 gigs seperately (it was cheaper) and paid about $200. I'm going to sell the 2 X 512 sticks to recoup some of the cost so it will probably work out to be a little over $1600

Also, I get the home premium vista upgrade.
 
Timbowens said:
I just got (3 hours ago) my dell xps m1210 and I LOVE it. Core2duo, 2 gigs of ram, 7400 vid card......it rips through everything I've installed and the thing I'm happiest about the most is the full size keyboard.

Plus, the thing is small as hell. Ultraportable. I paid right around $1500 but I bought the 2 gigs seperately (it was cheaper) and paid about $200. I'm going to sell the 2 X 512 sticks to recoup some of the cost so it will probably work out to be a little over $1600

Also, I get the home premium vista upgrade.
Click to expand...

That looks like a decent setup. However, due to past experience I really HATE Dell and don't want to give them any more business.
 
What screen size and resolution are you looking for?

Since you travel and like to game, i'd suggest the 14 inch a8js by asus.

It has a core 2 duo processor, and a nvidia 7700go video card, however, it only gets around 2.75 hours under normal use.

here's a list of asus resellers

And if you want to get a 15.4 inch notebook the asus g1 is a fine choice, and comes standard with 2 gigs of ram, it sells for $1800.

Timbowens said:
I just got (3 hours ago) my dell xps m1210 and I LOVE it. Core2duo, 2 gigs of ram, 7400 vid card......it rips through everything I've installed and the thing I'm happiest about the most is the full size keyboard.

Plus, the thing is small as hell. Ultraportable. I paid right around $1500 but I bought the 2 gigs seperately (it was cheaper) and paid about $200. I'm going to sell the 2 X 512 sticks to recoup some of the cost so it will probably work out to be a little over $1600

Also, I get the home premium vista upgrade.
Click to expand...
i might keep one stick, incase you have to send it back to dell for repairs

I read one post here where a guy said dell was pretty stubborn about fixing his laptop since he used 3rd party ram. Dell said the problem was the 3rd party ram...
 
The a8js does look like a pretty good option, thanks for the suggestion. Any others?
 
Right now newegg has the Asus AJ8P's which have a 2GHZ Core 2, 1GB ram, 120GB HD, and an X1700 256MB card for 1250$, much below the the Asus with the 7700. :)
 
Vengance_01 said:
Right now newegg has the Asus AJ8P's which have a 2GHZ Core 2, 1GB ram, 120GB HD, and an X1700 256MB card for 1250$, much below the the Asus with the 7700. :)
Click to expand...
yeah but the OP wanted nvidia (presumably for better linux support? and not because of fanboi loyalty)
 
Vengance_01 said:
Right now newegg has the Asus AJ8P's which have a 2GHZ Core 2, 1GB ram, 120GB HD, and an X1700 256MB card for 1250$, much below the the Asus with the 7700. :)
Click to expand...

Just looked for that one to check it out but couldn't find it. Got a direct link?
 
ASUS G1-AK008M Intel Core 2 Duo T7200(2.00GHz) 15.4" Wide SXGA+ 2GB 160GB DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce Go 7700 NoteBook - Retail

vs.

ASUS G2P-7R001M Intel Core 2 Duo T7200(2.00GHz) 17.1" Wide XGA+ 2GB 160GB DVD Super Multi ATI Mobility Radeon X1700 NoteBook - Retail


the first one is $1800, second one is $1850. they are identical except for the video card, Go 7700 or X1700, and the ati card comes with a 17" screen instead of a 15.4". i think i'll get the second one...unless the nvidia card is better...
 
spy2520 said:
the first one is $1800, second one is $1850. they are identical except for the video card, Go 7700 or X1700, and the ati card comes with a 17" screen instead of a 15.4". i think i'll get the second one...unless the nvidia card is better...
Click to expand...
no the cards are equal competitors in terms of gaming

if you wanted to get a 17 inch laptop for less than $1800, the dell e1705 with coupon would be your best bet, it has the 7900gs which is ~50% faster than the 7700/x1700. the 7900gs also overclocks nicely with the bios mod
 
well will it have a core2 T7200 and 2gb ram and a 160gb hard drive like these? how much is the coupon, i've been looking on dell alot and it seems component-for-component that HP is way cheaper than dell for the same stuff.

edit: the dell looks like its ~$2200 with the same stuff and a 7900, so if the coupon is like $200-300 then i'd say thats a bad ass deal...
 
enter this when you are ready to check out

8JVC1R9N6V8VC9

20% off the e1705 when you spend more than 1k
 
This is what i have *just got it and i love it more then anything!*

1000492mn9.jpg


1000490vl7.jpg


laptopok0.png


Their main page http://eurocom.com/

The link to my lappy http://web.eurocom.com/EC/ec_model_config1(1,175,0)
This laptop cost me ~$2600 but im sure there are cheaper options for other laptops, also they have about 20 laptops to choose from. :)

EDIT i hope that i didnt kill the topic :(
 
Thatas a sweet notebook, but out of OP range. Gateway has a nicely spec 17" notebook with a T7400, 2GB ram and a 160GB HD, with the 7900GS for 1800-1900 at the egg. :)
 
actually, you could get the model (the one with the pics in this thread) for under 2k, but it's a 17 inch laptop, and the OP wanted to stay away from big laptops

you can pick one up with a 7800gtx, wxga screen (i know that's bad, but it keeps the price below 2k), 1gig ram, 60gig hdd @ 7200rpm, wireless + bluetooth, t5600 processor for $1940 before tax and shipping

www.rjtech.com
 
tickle_me_emo said:
actually, you could get the model (the one with the pics in this thread) for under 2k, but it's a 17 inch laptop, and the OP wanted to stay away from big laptops

you can pick one up with a 7800gtx, wxga screen (i know that's bad, but it keeps the price below 2k), 1gig ram, 60gig hdd @ 7200rpm, wireless + bluetooth, t5600 processor for $1940 before tax and shipping

www.rjtech.com
Click to expand...

He's right, you can get the Clevo M570U-A from www.rjtech.com with a fully loaded configuration for less than $2000.

The Clevo M570U-A is probably the best bang for the buck gaming notebook with the budget of $1800-2000.

It totally owns the Dell's 7900 GS in comparison (7900GS has 4 pipes less and lower clock)
 
gophn said:
He's right, you can get the Clevo M570U-A from www.rjtech.com with a fully loaded configuration for less than $2000.
Click to expand...
I don't think rjtech labels it as the m570u-a, they just lumped it in with the m570u. They do give you the GPU options of the x1600, and 7 series gtx models, along with 3 screen choices.
 
Gaming and mobility are pretty much opposite goals. pick one.
M1210 if you want lightweight easy to carry around. M1720/e1705 if you would rather game. e1505 if you cant pick. but its really not a good compromise.
 
GLSauron said:
Gaming and mobility are pretty much opposite goals.
Click to expand...
actually the a8js and a8jp are a pretty damn good balance between gaming and mobility (14 inches and ~3 hour battery life with tweaks), they are priced competitively as well

the e1505 is a joke when considering the a8jp @ newegg for $1300
 
I would definatly get the Sony Vaio S series or SZ series

i have a s series. i get 4+ hours on battery surfing and such. is a 1.7ghz. has a geforce 6200 go. not the most powerful card but its decent. This should be cheap since the sz series replaced it. also has dvd burner. wireless. etc. shoudl cost you under a grand

the sz series has a dual video card. dedicated nvidia for when you are plugged in and integrated when on battery for extended battey life. this has dvd burner. wirless. fingerprint scanner. built in webcam etc. runs like 1800

both are widescreen. 13.3 inch screens. honestly the nicest looking screen i have seen on a laptop. check them out

you can get quite a deal at sonystyle.com under the clearence section
 
gophn said:
The Clevo M570U-A is probably the best bang for the buck gaming notebook with the budget of $1800-2000.
Click to expand...
Umm...really? The barebones by itself is 1600. Thats without CPU, HDD, memory, wireless, etc.

The 7900GS in the e1705 might not be the MOST powerful mobile GPU available, but the chassis is pretty damn cheap. $2k gets you a fully loaded gaming machine, able to handle almost anything you throw at it at high resolutions.
 
GLSauron said:
Umm...really? The barebones by itself is 1600. Thats without CPU, HDD, memory, wireless, etc.

The 7900GS in the e1705 might not be the MOST powerful mobile GPU available, but the chassis is pretty damn cheap. $2k gets you a fully loaded gaming machine, able to handle almost anything you throw at it at high resolutions.
Click to expand...
um, that dell is the best bang for the buck @$1600ish w/ coupon (and the 7900gs can't handle fear/oblivion/prey/etc... at 1920x1200)

that clevo is the best bang for the buck @1900ish, it's an even better deal if you're able to buy used parts

actually the best deals are at the outlet, but finding a real steal is pretty hard, and might take a month of searching
 
tickle_me_emo said:
um, that dell is the best bang for the buck @$1600ish w/ coupon (and the 7900gs can't handle fear/oblivion/prey/etc... at 1920x1200)
that clevo is the best bang for the buck @1900ish, it's an even better deal if you're able to buy used parts
actually the best deals are at the outlet, but finding a real steal is pretty hard, and might take a month of searching
Click to expand...
I still dont see how youd expect to build a computer with specs to support that 7950GTX for under $400. CPU, mem, HDD are going to cost more. Not to mention jumping to the WUXGA screen, wireless with BT, etc. All things Im expecting from the e1705 at $2k after coupon.
 
GLSauron said:
I still dont see how youd expect to build a computer with specs to support that 7950GTX for under $400. CPU, mem, HDD are going to cost more. Not to mention jumping to the WUXGA screen, wireless with BT, etc. All things Im expecting from the e1705 at $2k after coupon.
Click to expand...
eh, who said 7950gtx?

do you bother to read posts?

Gophn and I both are refering to getting the clevo m570u with the 7800gtx and wxga screen. If you can accept that resolution then it's a mighty fine deal for ~$1900. It offers a better chassis and arguably better support. Did you configure it on rjtech's site?

And what the hell are you buying with the dell that makes it cost $2k after the coupon? Software? The t7600? 667mhz ram? 200gig hdd? I'm only configuring stuff with good price/preformance.
 
i just pretty much maxed out the dell and after the coupon it still comes in just under $2000. only thing spared was the 200gig harddrive since its only 4200rpm...looking more toward the 100gb 7200rpm drive...
 
T7400,
XP Pro w/upgrade to Vista Business,
UXGA screen,
2GB 667MHz ram,
100gb 7200rpm drive,
Go 7900GS 256mb,
SB Audigy HD,
9 cell battery,
Draft-N card,
internal bluetooth,

thats pretty much all you can get, more than most people would get. and it comes to $2344, if the discount is 20%, that means $468.80 off, that means $1875.20 before any shipping or applicable taxes...

as a matter of fact i think i'll start writing the check now...how long is this coupon good for?


EDIT:alright what am i missing, when i add it to the cart it changes to $2700? i cant see whats jacking it up so high lol...its kinda funny now that i think about it...are those prices for the Dell preferred account?

either way the laptop comes out to $2175 which isnt too far a stretch from the original budget, and if the processor is swapped for a T7200 it will be just at $2000, and ground shipping is free so thats kind of a bottom-line price...
 
tickle_me_emo said:
Gophn and I both are refering to getting the clevo m570u with the 7800gtx and wxga screen. If you can accept that resolution then it's a mighty fine deal for ~$1900. It offers a better chassis and arguably better support. Did you configure it on rjtech's site?

And what the hell are you buying with the dell that makes it cost $2k after the coupon? Software? The t7600? 667mhz ram? 200gig hdd? I'm only configuring stuff with good price/preformance.
Click to expand...
Well if Im going to get a gaming laptop Im going to get the best chassis I can can. Including the support hardware. And seriously, WXGA? My 14" has a higher res...
Heres the e1705 config I keep mentioning. The memory and HDD are cheaper after the 20% coupon if I just get the dell ones. I do realize if I went newegg Id have stuff to sell though.
 
1280x800 is a joke IMO, honestly whenever i see a laptop with that resolution I feel sorry for the owner

i consider it unusable! :D

don't take my word for it though..use powerstrip and set up 1280x800 then try some of the other resolutions (use a capable monitor though)
 
you won't notice a preformance difference between 553mhz ram and 667mhz ram

@GLSauron, thanks for the pdf pic.


also there's an education discount, but i was having a hard time trying to get it to stack with the generic coupon

if you do decide on the e1705 you might want to save a bit for some extra parts for it, so you can get rid of the fugly white bumpers, and possibly the keyboard and lid
 
That Barebone for Clevo is pretty damn nice. the 7800GTX= 7900GS. Also Clevo's cooling is better than Dell's imo. Either way you will be happy with either. Just make sure you O/C either GPU as there is quite a bit of headroom in each.
 
Vengance_01 said:
That Barebone for Clevo is pretty damn nice. the 7800GTX= 7900GS. Also Clevo's cooling is better than Dell's imo. Either way you will be happy with either. Just make sure you O/C either GPU as there is quite a bit of headroom in each.
Click to expand...

that laptop is the same "case" as mine and cooling is great but the fan is loud with running a game IMO but its worth it.
 
Vengance_01 said:
That Barebone for Clevo is pretty damn nice. the 7800GTX= 7900GS. Also Clevo's cooling is better than Dell's imo. Either way you will be happy with either. Just make sure you O/C either GPU as there is quite a bit of headroom in each.
Click to expand...
i've heard both of the cooling solutions suck, a lot of people use cooling pads for both

a guy over at www.killernotebooks.com re-makes the heatsinks for the clevo models and adds a bunch more copper in the laptops and they run 5C-10C cooler (he charges $600 more than the average price and only offers a 1 year warranty, though he does allow you do moderately o/c your gpu and not void the warranty)

just saying... but the rest of your post is right on
 
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