1000 dollar laptop for work and gaming

[kresso]

1. What is your budget?

Around $1000 but it's flexible

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?

Don't care

3. What screen resolution do you want?

Don't care but more is probably better

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?

Desktop replacement

5. How much battery life do you need?

At least 1 hour and a half (hopefully like 2.5 hours if I can turn off cores or underclock it)

6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low,Medium or High)?

I would like to play Oblivion and Halflife at max settings. Would also like to do this if possible while hooked up to an external screen. I also play other random games and would like to be able to play at least Crysis at medium. I say the more graphics card the better.

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo / Video editing,watching movies, Etc.)

Handbreak, and ROOT and c++ programs. I need to do computational intensive stuff. Not under huge time constraints but faster is better. Not certain if faster dual core or slower quad is better in this regard.

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?

Whatever, but probably 320 or more. I will dual boot Ubuntu and Windows 7.

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.

Probably newegg, but where ever. I need to buy something that doesn't charge me tax because I am getting reimbursed, also I live in Indiana.

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?

3 years more of PHd (hopefully)

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?

Doesn't matter, but i would prefer that is can read Blueray, but again, not essential.

12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons.

Well, I need to laptop to look semi reasonable. Nothing to fancy so it doen't look like I bought some weird gaming laptop since my University is paying.

13. What country do you live in?

USA

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed.

So my University if buying me a laptop and I can spend around 1000 dollars (I can probably go to 1100 as well). My primary function will be running the program ROOT was well as c++ programs. I know a laptop isn't the best computer for that, but I travel at times and need to bring my computer with me. So, in addition to my university functions I would like the laptop to be able to game. These are the two I am looking at.

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152231
MSI GX660-260US NoteBook Intel Core i5 460M(2.53GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 500GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870

or
http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220821
ASUS G Series G73JH-RBBX05 NoteBook Intel Core i7 720QM(1.60GHz) 17.3" 6GB Memory DDR3 1066 500GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870

I am a little worried about the 1.6 GHz on the i7 because my c++ programs are not multi threaded. Also do you know if I can disable cores to save battery life on either of these?
Also if there are other recommendations I would love to hear them. Thanks!!

PS can I hook up two monitors to either of these?

 

[dalauder]

If it's someone else's money--get the Sager. $170 out of pocket is a ridiculous steal and much better than forfeiting $150 by going under $1000 on the HP. The GTX 460M is a big upgrade.

At $170 out of pocket, I'd go ahead and put $200 more down on an SSD--just so that it's totally awesome (and since you're a student, Windows is free or cheap). That way you don't have to reinstall stuff if you upgrade down the road.

 

[kresso]

Best answer selected by kresso.

 

[LavenderLuxe25]

I know someone who has the alienware for 1 year and it was used for business purposes, this is located at the company I work for..a business partner. The company has gone out of business in January and they are now selling their equipment.
Would you be interested? Or I bought the DELL XPS M1530 from this sale and got a great price-it just needs to be reinstalled. I dont know the first thing about installing HW or SW
Please contact me so we may discuss..btw I am originally from Indiana!