Advice on a laptop for PWI

RfIcopter - Harshlands
RfIcopter - Harshlands Posts: 11 Arc User
edited November 2010 in Support Desk
OK sorry for the repost but my last post did not work very well. I was unable to edit it.

I have a good desktop at the minute and I am able to run PWI on the highest graphical settings.
I am looking for a laptop between
Post edited by RfIcopter - Harshlands on

Comments

  • darthpanda16
    darthpanda16 Posts: 9,471 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Try to not use special characters in your text, the forums will take it off.

    What is your budget?
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  • RfIcopter - Harshlands
    RfIcopter - Harshlands Posts: 11 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    My budget is 100 to 300 pounds. I am looking to buy a decent second hand one. I have found one on ebay : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Acer-Aspire-5920-5A3G25MI-15-4-1-86-GHz-Laptop-PC_W0QQitemZ180591438586QQcategoryZ177QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp5197.m7QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D5164310696669092018#ht_1751wt_1139 it has an intel integrated X3100 card. What do you think?

    PS I dont mind settling for good old Windows XP.
  • darthpanda16
    darthpanda16 Posts: 9,471 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    I think that laptop is heavily overpriced for what it is, and may be a little bit scammy IMHO.

    Let's see... 300 pounds equals $473.319 USD according to XE.com just now.

    So that gives you some room to shop around.

    If it comes with Windows 7, that would rock. 3GB or more. Video RAM should be at least 256MB-1GB (512-768MB can work well too) and you will want a dedicated ATI or nVidia video chipset if you can.

    For a CPU, a Pentium 4, Core, or i3 level or higher from Intel or AMD will help. Stay away from Celerons, Pentium Ms, and AMD equivalents.

    HDD of 250GB is the bare minimum nowadays on disk drives, and you'll probably find higher gigabytes.

    Newegg, Tigerdirect, CDW, ZipZoomFly, Amazon and more are doing huge sales this week for the USA Thanksgiving holiday, maybe you can score a sweet NEW laptop for your budget =)

    If you have anymore questions, let us know! b:victory
    Do you need help learning about patching the game, installing it, changing antivirus/firewall settings, changing network settings, learn how to use a computer, keeping your PC maintained and more?
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  • RfIcopter - Harshlands
    RfIcopter - Harshlands Posts: 11 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    I have found two possibilities:

    A Dell XPS http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DELL-STUDIO-XPS-1430-13-BLUETOOTH-WEBCAM-64-BIT-250-GB-/220699136714?pt=UK_Computing_Laptops_EH&hash=item3362b192ca#ht_3081wt_1139

    and an HP http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HP-NW8440-Laptop-2ghz-Core-Duo-4gb-RAM-ATi-Fire-GL-/270668476121?pt=UK_Computing_Laptops_EH&hash=item3f05192ed9#ht_500wt_1156

    The HP would be brilliant for my budget.

    I have the Windows 7 disc so I wouldn't mind buying XP or Vista as long as I could put Windows 7 on it from my disc.
  • ZeroMagus - Dreamweaver
    ZeroMagus - Dreamweaver Posts: 77 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Intel is a better chip than AMD for a laptop because AMD overheats a bit more than Intel chips & laptops have more overheating issues due to smaller spaces.

    There is no substitute for dedicated vid cards in the laptop if it doesn't have one don't get it.

    Plz for no reason buy the HP dv9730 or any HP laptop for that matter. thats what i am on.
    I have a non dedicated NVidia & it is ****.
    Also the 9000 series Hp laptops have all had major issues. I had to replace mine 4x before i got one that lasted 3-4 weeks b:angry
    Low - med is a max or perfomance suffers greatly on any game, sadly even on older win 95 games *this is called HP's gaming & entertainment laptop* & it doesn't even really play games.

    WARNING, avoid anything labeled "Media Accelerator" in place of vid card. This is a nice way of saying absolutely no vid card, yet it still sounds cool.

    You might also look into getting a Fan-base for your laptop, depending on the brand you get they can greatly reduce temps & provide multiple angles for laptop position.
    *for instance, the Hp dv9730 sitting flat on a desk running "Oblivion" will overheat the Vid Card & shutdown/crash the laptop after about 10-20 minutes of gameplay with no extra cooling.

    I hate Sony but they have some nice laptops for gaming.

    If you truly want a good laptop for gaming, custom build one or look into an Alienware or a XPS for 2 of the most common beefy-gfx laptops, but they are really pricey.

    The Key attributes much like panda suggested, shop for:
    Intel cpu - dual, quad-core or better
    3+ Gb Ram
    dedicated vidcard

    keep those 3 in mind & pretty much any laptop brand will get you by.

    HP: has went to ****, cheapest possible everything, short lifespan - too gimmicky- newer models are "hella" insane if you try to replace the cooling fan yourself, because it is the last part to come out, due to newer HP's having a top to bottom tear down rather than the common bottom-up scenario.

    Sony: better resilience & lifespan than HP

    Toshiba: not always the best HD & Disk drives, but the overall resilience & lifespan is generally unmatched. - most models are very tough & last nearly forever in comparison

    Acer: I prefer Acer over Sony as long as it is a somewhat newer model like around 4-5 yrs old & up & meets the above 3 attributes, preferably having around or near 15 inch monitor.
    I honestly have no real exp with Acer as far as lifespan & resilience though.

    Hope some of this was helpful & best wishes finding a nice & affordable laptop b:victory
  • Deora - Lost City
    Deora - Lost City Posts: 1,086 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    ZeroMagus - Dreamweaver wrote: »
    Intel is a better chip than AMD for a laptop because AMD overheats a bit more than Intel chips & laptops have more overheating issues due to smaller spaces.

    Absolute and utter lies

    I have been using AMD CPU's exclusively since the late 90s and they really are many many times better then all the people I've had to fix computers for that are using Intel

    AMD chips are also significantly cheaper and way easier to overclock, that is yet another reason why I love them...

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115724 This is slightly over what you said you wanted to pay for it (approx 350 British Pounds)

    See if you can find a similar specs one at a local computer store for probably cheaper, I know Newegg is usually a bit more on the expensive side when it comes to laptops but it would do you well
  • ZeroMagus - Dreamweaver
    ZeroMagus - Dreamweaver Posts: 77 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Deora, sorry if you misinterpreted what i said that you quoted me on..

    I'm not intending to say that Intel is better than AMD as far as speed or anything like that.

    All I'm saying & its pretty common knowledge among *Techs* & your average joe, that AMD processors get hotter than Intel chips.

    Thus the reason I used the word "Better" only for the purpose of laptop gaming & common laptop overheating issues.
  • Deora - Lost City
    Deora - Lost City Posts: 1,086 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    ZeroMagus - Dreamweaver wrote: »
    Deora, sorry if you misinterpreted what i said that you quoted me on..

    I'm not intending to say that Intel is better than AMD as far as speed or anything like that.

    All I'm saying & its pretty common knowledge among *Techs* & your average joe, that AMD processors get hotter than Intel chips.

    Thus the reason I used the word "Better" only for the purpose of laptop gaming & common laptop overheating issues.

    They run a few degrees warmer and have significantly higher temperature limitations

    I've done a few CPU heat stress tests and Intel always gave out first while AMD just kept on going

    Overheating isn't an issue when the CPU is built to take the heat
  • ZeroMagus - Dreamweaver
    ZeroMagus - Dreamweaver Posts: 77 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    ROFL HP craptops are not made for the heat 7 mine is AMD.
    Love the Extra bang with AMD =)
  • darthpanda16
    darthpanda16 Posts: 9,471 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    @RfIcopter Why do you keep going to eBay for a used PC? eBay is great for parts and things you don't care too much about, but you get no to next to no warranty, it could be preinstalled with spyware/malware, or they could straight up scam you out of your money for laptops that are worth 50% less of what they are charging (or worth far less). I personally do not trust eBay for anything other then buying some collectibles, and parts for things I may not find elsewhere online.

    I am not too picky among AMD vs. Intel CPUs, as long as you do your homework on each CPU to see what issues have been reported on it. AMD you will get more bang for your buck, but the Intel will often outlast the AMD. (ah, I miss overclocking the Cyrix 486 CPUs, oops showing my age perhaps)

    However, Intel video chipsets are TERRIBLE. I hate doing tech support on their video chipsets.

    At least AMD with their APUs (CPU and GPUs combined) are getting it right thanks to the ATI tech. ATI/AMD video chipsets and visuals can be really awesome, but their drivers stink.

    nVidia hardware is hot or miss, mostly hit, but their drivers are full of win most of the time.

    Check out some local computer shops if you are trying to avoid high shippng costs, or look for online retailers that ship from close to where you are.

    I agree that many HP products are shiny fail things. Sony can make sweet hardware, but again they fail in support and drivers. If you are adept enough to get drivers for their gear and such, then they can b good.

    I personally love ASUS gear for price vs. features for the last 2 years in laptops.

    Shop around more online and give us more links! b:victory
    Do you need help learning about patching the game, installing it, changing antivirus/firewall settings, changing network settings, learn how to use a computer, keeping your PC maintained and more?
    Visit our BRAND NEW Knowledge Base & Support Website! - Tech Support Flowchart - Panda Caught on Camera

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