Solved! Laptop for Homework/Gaming

[halosman]

1. What is your budget?
$1500
2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
Something between 13-15 inches
3. What screen resolution do you want?
doesn't matter
4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
Portable, I already have a desktop
5. How much battery life do you need?
2-3 hours should be enough
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 want to be able to play Wow, Starcraft II, Dragon Age Origins all on Medium - High
7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo / Video editing,watching movies, Etc.)
Use PSPICE and Xilinx ISE for homework
8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
Not really an issue
9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
I really like xoticpc, there's always newegg too.
10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
A couple of years.

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
Don't really need one
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've had good experiences with dell before.

13. What country do you live in?
United states.

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed.
I've been researching this for a month or so now, and I've looked at the m11x, gx660, xps 15, HP envy 14. I'm having a bit of trouble choosing between them, but I'm also open to other suggestions.

Thanks for you help.

 

[Maziar]

MSI GX660 is a decent choice
http/www.xoticpc.com/msi-gx660053us-gaming-laptop-p-2850.html

 

[IsabellaWinTeam]

1. What is your budget?
$1500
2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
Something between 13-15 inches
3. What screen resolution do you want?
doesn't matter
4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
Portable, I already have a desktop
5. How much battery life do you need?
2-3 hours should be enough
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 want to be able to play Wow, Starcraft II, Dragon Age Origins all on Medium - High
7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo / Video editing,watching movies, Etc.)
Use PSPICE and Xilinx ISE for homework
8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
Not really an issue
9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
I really like xoticpc, there's always newegg too.
10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
A couple of years.

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
Don't really need one
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've had good experiences with dell before.

13. What country do you live in?
United states.

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed.
I've been researching this for a month or so now, and I've looked at the m11x, gx660, xps 15, HP envy 14. I'm having a bit of trouble choosing between them, but I'm also open to other suggestions.

Thanks for you help.

Hi there,

What about the m15x? It has a larger screen than the m11x and has an optical drive. It's another great option to consider and is still within your budget. It will be heavier than the M11x, but may be a better choice for extended computer use.

What do you think?

Cheers,
Isabella
MSFT Windows Outreach Team

 

[Klosteral]

Do not overlook the ASUS G51 or G53 laptops (also available from Xotic PC). I am personally considering one of them (probably the G51) for exactly the same criteria as you.

 

[Maziar]

GX660 is better than G51.G53 has pretty much the same specs as GX660 but has less battery life.

 

[raza715]

Get GX660 for best price/perf ratio in b/w 1k-1.5k$ range

 

[Klosteral]

I am in australia which means I pay a lot more for my stuff (due to import duties and layered GST)
ASUS G51 $1600-1999
ASUS G53 $1799-$2200
MSI GX660R $2259
Hence, I find the ASUS Tek stuff to be better value for my money.

 

[CsG_kieran_2]

if you can sacrifice screen size then get an m11x with the core i5 and high end graphics
*no optical drive* looks cool though..

 

[Klosteral]

11" is tiny! I am currently typing on a 13" macbook (*sigh* I know, thats why I am buyin a proper laptop) and I think it would be too small for gaming. Also, almost all games come on DVD and you may decide to watch DVDs on your laptop.

Apparently there is a difference between the GX660 and GX660R which I would like to examine. As I said, I am considering an ASUS laptop for $1800 but if I can find a GX660 within AUS for under that (and still have the ATI 5870M) I would be interested.

 

[halosman]

Sorry for responding 4 days late, I forgot about this thread =S

I just noticed that I accidentally typed gx660 instead of gx640 🙁

I already have a desktop, so I want a laptop that's at least moderately portable. This means that while the ASUS and Alienware computers are awesome performers, they aren't really what I'm looking for. I'm really looking for a performance laptop that won't kill me if I lug it around three days a week.

 

[Maziar]

So why don't you consider GX660?

 

[halosman]

Because its 8 lbs O_O

 

[Maziar]

Then go with GX640,it's the lightest gaming laptop with 5850M.

 

[Klosteral]

I already have a desktop, so I want a laptop that's at least moderately portable. This means that while the ASUS and Alienware computers are awesome performers, they aren't really what I'm looking for. I'm really looking for a performance laptop that won't kill me if I lug it around three days a week.

You, my friend, are in exactly the same boat (Im on a boat xD)
but seriously
I already have a relatively powerful desktop which I am going to upgrade with whatever funds I have left after buying my laptop.
I am looking at something like these:

HP Envy @ $1299AUD
i7-820QM
ATI 5830M
8GB DDR3
640GB SATA
1920x1080 HD 15.6" LED
2.35KG

N61 @ $1259AU
i7-720M
640GB SATA
4GB DDR3
ATI 5730M
16" LED
2.95KG

GX740 @ $1199AU
i5-430M
500GB SATA
4GB DDR3
ATI 5870M
17.3"LCD
3.37KG

It is really up to you, but don't spend too much on a laptop. To a point, laptops increase with cost as they do with performance. After that, they increase in value exponentially with minor performance boosts.

I would recommend buying one of these laptops and spending the additional cash is your budget to make your desktop PC more beast for your gaming at home.