Is this a good laptop choice?

[Computer Confused]

Hello all this is my first post. I have been roaming around for a little while and I just seem to be getting more confused. I have found a laptop that seems like it will fit my needs pretty well. It will mainly be used for web browsing and gaming. I am currently using a three year old Dell and it is just too slow. The only concern I have right now with this laptop is the 8600GT card in it. I haven't found any good reviews for it. If it is so bad why are so many laptops coming with them? Any help that all of you can give me is greatly appreciated.

ASUS C90 S-S

1. Display : 15.4 inch WSXGA+ (1680x1050) Glossy LCD w/ 2.0MP Webcam
2. Processor : 2.40GHz Intel Conroe/Core2 Duo-E6600 w/4MB L2 Cache-1066FSB (+$40.00)
3. Thermal Paste : High Density Artic Silver 5 CPU Cooling Thermal Compound Paste (+$20.00)
4. Video Card : NVIDIA 8600M GT w/ 512MB DDR2 VRAM, MXM II V2.0 (+$55.00)
5. Memory : 1.0GB DDR2-667 Corsair Memory (1x1.0GB-Single Channel) (+$15.00)
6. Hard Drive : 80GB 5,400 rpm SATA/150 HDD
7. DVD-RW Drive : Dual Layer Super Multi DVD-RW/CD-RW Drive w/Software
8. Wireless LAN : Built-in Intel Wireless-N 4965 802.11AGN LAN (+$45.00)
9. Main Battery : Smart Li-ion Battery: 6-Cell

I am going to add a 2 gig stick of ram to this it is cheaper to by it seperate. I am also going to run XP until Vista gets a little more straightened out.

Thanks in advance.

CC

 

[lostandwandering]

So many laptops come with them because there isn't much in DX10 terms that is better. There is the 8700mGT, but I have yet to actually see a laptop with one. I have a few questions for you though. How much are you willing to spend? How much is that laptop? Are you sold on the 15.4'' screen?

Three problems I have with that laptop/ your config. 1) Desktop CPU. That laptop is using an E6600 which is a desktop chip not a mobile chip. Yes the laptop is certified to use that chip, but it may cause heat issues. 2) 6-cell battery. You are using a powerful laptop on a tiny battery. If you want any time away from an outlet, you need an 8 or 9 cell battery. 3) Slow HDD. If your desktop uses a 7200rpm HDD, you will hate your laptop with a 5400rpm drive.

I agree with your choice of XP over Vista. I did the same and I am happy. I also think I agree with the RAM. I know of a few companies that are fare with memory upgrades but not many are. Get back to me on that.

 

[Computer Confused]

I was looking at around $1500 max. That is right about the price of that laptop. The 15" screen isn't that big of a deal. I read all the info I could find and they said that heat is not an issue due to the built in cooling and you can overclock the E6600 to 2.9ghz without problems. I am not worried about the battery life as any traveling I do I don't use it much at all on the move just when I get where I am going. I never have my laptop now on for more than 30 or 40 minutes on battery. I don't currently own a desk top and I am not positive what my HDD runs at but it is 3 years old. I have looked all over and this seems to be a pretty decent deal but that is why I am here because I don't know very much about the computer world.

Since the original post I was talking to someone who said that you can change the settings of the 8600GT card to make it more like a GTS

The desktop processor is actually a big selling point for me don't know why for sure but it is.

Thanks for the help.

CC

 

[lostandwandering]

If the price is around 1500, I would say it is a good deal. If you play a lot of games that load maps constantly you will want the 7200rpm drive. Other than that, I have nothing else to really add. If you like it go for it.

 

[Computer Confused]

I have been looking around for different video cards but can't seem to find notebook cards. Will this be something that I can ubgrade down the road? Also would it be worth $55 to upgrade from the 256mb vid card to the 512mb card. I will go for the 7200rpm drive since it also seems to be the norm.

Thanks Again

CC

 

[lostandwandering]

The card is most likely upgradeable, but laptop cards aren't sold like desktop chips so you have to go through the manufacturer to do it. Yeah, it may be a worthwhile upgrade.