I'm looking into buying a new laptop this summer but I've got a few questions I need answered prior to buying it. Please take a look at my questions at the bottom.
1_What is your budget?
$2,000
2_What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
15.6" - 16.4"
3_What screen resolution do you want?
1920x1080
4_Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
Something small enough to move inbetween places but powerful enough for gaming.
5_How much battery life do you need?
2+ hours, but I'll sacrifice battery for performance and value
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'd like to be able to play somthing like Crysis at mid-high without noticing any lag. I'm not too worried about Ultra obviously.
7_What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo / Video editing,watching movies, Etc.)
Photo Editing and Video Editing
8_How much storage (H.D.D Capacity) do you need?
minimum 500GB (7200RPM) might go with 1TB, but I'm not sure how slow 1TB acts at (5400RPM)
9_If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
www.xoticpc.com, www.ibuypower.com, www.cyberpowerpc.com
I'm open to whichever site I can get the best deal from
10_How long do you want to keep your laptop?
3+ years
11_What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
Bluray R/W
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.
I'm open to what ever I can get the best deal on
13_What country do you live in?
USA
14_Please tell us any additional information if needed.
Additional desires
RAM: 8GB-12GB
Networking: Blue Tooth, Built in Modem, WiFi
External ports: Min. 2 USB, 1 USB2.0; HDMI
1) Is the difference between the classes of processor enough to justify paying the difference? Also why is it that some laptops and some sites have such varrying prices on upgrading the CPU? The diffence in price between the 720QM and 820QM seems to be radically different for each laptop I look at (I've seen differences of around $150 - $350!)?
i5-540M
i7-620M (+$80)
i7-720QM (+$50)
i7-820QM (+$300)
2) Are there times when you can get too excesive on CPU, RAM, or GPU because the other components won't support the full potential of the other components?
For example, my current laptop usually runs out of RAM well before the CPU is even near 70%.
3) What video cards should I be looking for? I'd like something that I'll be able to play new games as they come out with over medium settings with no lag.
4) When given the option for upgraded thermal paste, is it worth it? I've seen some upgrades around $20 - $50. Is this really going to matter in the overall reliability or performance of the computer?
5) Are there any market trends or new features coming out that might cause prices to drop over the next couple of months?
6) Is it a good idea to skimp on RAM and upgrade it on your own later?
1_What is your budget?
$2,000
2_What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
15.6" - 16.4"
3_What screen resolution do you want?
1920x1080
4_Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
Something small enough to move inbetween places but powerful enough for gaming.
5_How much battery life do you need?
2+ hours, but I'll sacrifice battery for performance and value
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'd like to be able to play somthing like Crysis at mid-high without noticing any lag. I'm not too worried about Ultra obviously.
7_What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo / Video editing,watching movies, Etc.)
Photo Editing and Video Editing
8_How much storage (H.D.D Capacity) do you need?
minimum 500GB (7200RPM) might go with 1TB, but I'm not sure how slow 1TB acts at (5400RPM)
9_If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
www.xoticpc.com, www.ibuypower.com, www.cyberpowerpc.com
I'm open to whichever site I can get the best deal from
10_How long do you want to keep your laptop?
3+ years
11_What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
Bluray R/W
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.
I'm open to what ever I can get the best deal on
13_What country do you live in?
USA
14_Please tell us any additional information if needed.
Additional desires
RAM: 8GB-12GB
Networking: Blue Tooth, Built in Modem, WiFi
External ports: Min. 2 USB, 1 USB2.0; HDMI
1) Is the difference between the classes of processor enough to justify paying the difference? Also why is it that some laptops and some sites have such varrying prices on upgrading the CPU? The diffence in price between the 720QM and 820QM seems to be radically different for each laptop I look at (I've seen differences of around $150 - $350!)?
i5-540M
i7-620M (+$80)
i7-720QM (+$50)
i7-820QM (+$300)
2) Are there times when you can get too excesive on CPU, RAM, or GPU because the other components won't support the full potential of the other components?
For example, my current laptop usually runs out of RAM well before the CPU is even near 70%.
3) What video cards should I be looking for? I'd like something that I'll be able to play new games as they come out with over medium settings with no lag.
4) When given the option for upgraded thermal paste, is it worth it? I've seen some upgrades around $20 - $50. Is this really going to matter in the overall reliability or performance of the computer?
5) Are there any market trends or new features coming out that might cause prices to drop over the next couple of months?
6) Is it a good idea to skimp on RAM and upgrade it on your own later?