Looking for a gaming laptop

[zentrility]

So, I am looking for a gaming laptop under my short budget. >.< I would buy a desktop, but unfortunately, I have divorced parents and I getting a desktop would be sort of lame because I don't want to have to lug it back and forth.

1. What is your budget?
-Somwhere under $1,000 USD(After S&H) If not possible, $1,200 USD

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
-Size doesn't really matter to me.

3. What screen resolution do you want?
-1280x800 or higher
4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
-Either or, just as long as it doesn't weigh like 8 lbs.

5. How much battery life do you need?
-I will probably keep it tethered to the wall so this doesn't matter.

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 really want to play Guild Wars 2 when it is release
-I also want to play RIFT.
-Both of which I want to play at HIGH or MEDIUM/High settings.

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo / Video editing,watching movies, Etc.)
-Type papers(oppenoffice), transfer photos.

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
-I could probably survive with anything under 300GB HDD Space.

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
-http/www.xoticpc.com/
-www.alienware.com
www.bestbuy.com

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
-I would want to keep it for at least 4-7 years.
-I want to be able to play games that are released in 2013.(MMORPGS)
-I will probably only play MMORPGS like Lineage II, AIKA, Guild Wars 2, etc....

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
-Any opical drive that can burn music, install games from discs, and read pictures and music from CD's.

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.
-ASUS(I hear good things about their cooling)
-Alienware
-msi
-Not sure what else....

13. What country do you live in?
-Unites States of America

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed.
-I want the Optical Drive to not be external.
-Please let me know if the laptop is going to get HOT or not. I don't mind warmth, but if the laptop is spitting out hot ait constantly, then I don't want it.
-Being able to upgrade the hardware inside the laptop would be a plus, but not needed.

Thanks and I hope to see some great responses. And if you can, you may just post the specs I would need and I could search myself if you can't find a laptop within my standards.

 

[Maziar]

Have a look at Sager NP8130
http/www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8130-clevo-p151hm1-p-2973.html
It's one of the best notebooks you can find in your price range.

 

[zentrility]

Do you happen to know how well the cooling is on this laptop? If anyone knows, let me know.

 

[Maziar]

It's great.Sager gaming laptops have always had a decent cooling solution.

 

[zentrility]

Okay. I'll keep this in laptop in mind! Thanks! but should I pay extra for the IC Cooling thingy?
And how about the dead pixel warranty?
I just noticed, it doesn't already come with the Windows 7? It costs extra to get that?

 

[Maziar]

I don't think its worth to pay more for IC cooling.
As for dead pixel,well it's worth it but not for $100 more because you most likely won't have any dead pixels.
And no,it doesn't come with a pre-installed OS so you have to buy it from them or install it separately(if you have a copy)

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Here's the same laptop from another source:

http/www.pro-star.com/index.cfm?mainpage=productdetail&model=P151HM

 

[zentrility]

How about the Sager NP5160 / Clevo W150HN? Would this suffice? It's cheaper too.

 

[Maziar]

It has GT 540M which is significantly slower than GTX 460M.

 

[zentrility]

It has GT 540M which is significantly slower than GTX 460M.

How significant? I'm all new to this stuff and if it's just a tad slower, I would rather save my money. Please collaborate. Thanks. =)

 

[Maziar]

GT 540M
http/www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-540M.41715.0.html
GTX 460M
http/www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-460M.33612.0.html
Overall,460M is around 30-50% faster(depending on the game)

 

[WindowsTeam_Kevin]

There are 2 laptops that come to mind that I think would be great for you. The ASUS U43JC Bamboo ($999) and the Sony Vaio EC ($1200).

The ASUS is great with a i-5 processor. It has NVIDIA® Optimus technology helps save battery life and enhance performance. SuperSpeed USB 3.0 delivers a data transfer rate 10 times faster than USB 2.0. It also has blu-ray on top of that. Here are some specs:
Screen
14" WXGA (1366x768) HD
Processor
2.4 GHz Intel® Core™ i5-450M Processor
RAM
4 GB DRAM 1066 MHz
Storage
500 GB HDD 5400 RPM
Operating system
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Optical drive
Blu-ray R, CD R/W, DVD R/W

The other is the Sony Vaio EC for $1200. Measuring 17.3" for an expansive workspace, this VAIO® EC Series laptop is ideal for movies, casual gaming, or work. ATI Mobility Radeon™ dedicated graphics, built-in Blu-ray Disc™ technology, and 1 GB of VRAM on select models ensure outstanding picture quality and sound for your digital photos and high-definition movies. Definitely, a monster of a machine that should do everything you need it to. It also has blu-ray. Here are some more details:

Screen
17.3" (1920x1080) HD
Processor
2.53 GHz Intel® Core™ i5-460M
RAM
4 GB DDR3 1000 MHz
Storage
500 GB HDD 7200 RPM
Operating system
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Optical drive
Blu-ray R, CD R/W, DVD R/W

What do you think of these? Good luck on your search for a new laptop!

Kevin
Windows Outreach Team

 

[zentrility]

There are 2 laptops that come to mind that I think would be great for you. The ASUS U43JC Bamboo ($999) and the Sony Vaio EC ($1200).

The ASUS is great with a i-5 processor. It has NVIDIA® Optimus technology helps save battery life and enhance performance. SuperSpeed USB 3.0 delivers a data transfer rate 10 times faster than USB 2.0. It also has blu-ray on top of that. Here are some specs:
Screen
14" WXGA (1366x768) HD
Processor
2.4 GHz Intel® Core™ i5-450M Processor
RAM
4 GB DRAM 1066 MHz
Storage
500 GB HDD 5400 RPM
Operating system
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Optical drive
Blu-ray R, CD R/W, DVD R/W

The other is the Sony Vaio EC for $1200. Measuring 17.3" for an expansive workspace, this VAIO® EC Series laptop is ideal for movies, casual gaming, or work. ATI Mobility Radeon™ dedicated graphics, built-in Blu-ray Disc™ technology, and 1 GB of VRAM on select models ensure outstanding picture quality and sound for your digital photos and high-definition movies. Definitely, a monster of a machine that should do everything you need it to. It also has blu-ray. Here are some more details:

Screen
17.3" (1920x1080) HD
Processor
2.53 GHz Intel® Core™ i5-460M
RAM
4 GB DDR3 1000 MHz
Storage
500 GB HDD 7200 RPM
Operating system
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Optical drive
Blu-ray R, CD R/W, DVD R/W

What do you think of these? Good luck on your search for a new laptop!

Kevin
Windows Outreach Team

Thanks for the suggestions. However, the Sony Vaio laptop is a bit more than what I want to spend after tax + S&H. How well does the first laptop ventilate the hot heat? I don't mind warmth, but I don't want a hot laptop that's going to hurt or make me sweat. D: Thanks for reading. =)

 

[Maziar]

If NP8130 is out of your price range,then go with NP5160 instead.

 

[zentrility]

If NP8130 is out of your price range,then go with NP5160 instead.

I'm pretty sure this will be what I'll end up with. But it all depends how much money I have Mid February.

 

[zentrility]

If NP8130 is out of your price range,then go with NP5160 instead.

The only thing is... that laptop isn't even ready for shipping yet. A support team member and I were having a conversation through e-mail and he told me that it will not be ready until April. So although this is a good choice, I'd prefer to have a laptop I can buy before the end of this month. So, any more suggestions? =)

 

[Maziar]

Yep,it's delayed due to Intel recall of Sandy bridge CPUs/MB's/Notebooks etc. Don't you want to wait for it to come out? (it'll be out at the mid-end of April I think)

 

[WindowsTeam_Kevin]

The Bamboo design on the notebook represents strength and is a superior heat resistance. This product is so well made that the fan sound is minimal, barely to be heard, usually because the laptop doesn't get hot enough to use.

However, I have heard that its left side-vent heats up a bit when running heavy applications.

Kevin
Windows Outreach Team

 

[zentrility]

Yep,it's delayed due to Intel recall of Sandy bridge CPUs/MB's/Notebooks etc. Don't you want to wait for it to come out? (it'll be out at the mid-end of April I think)

To be honest, my friend is going to buy my current laptop for 300$ sometime this month. I don't want to go without having a laptop to use. Yes, I do want to wait. I just wont allow myself to. So far, I have gone like 4 months without being able to play MMORPGS. I think this is the longest I have ever gone. And I'm ready to start playing again but I can't because my laptop isn't made for gaming. Bad gfx.... >.<

@WindowsTeam, The bottom of the laptop does not heat up right?

 

[Maziar]

So you're open to the current Core i notebook options ?