Solved! Need a new laptop... Build away.

alexoldshane

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Mar 13, 2009
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1. What is your budget?
MAX is 1400. Price isn't too big a deal. I'm pretty sure I can find what I need below that price.

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
Size, anywhere from a 14-17" would be fine.

3. What screen resolution do you want?
Currently, my desktop runs a 1920x1200 I think it is, and that is pretty nice.

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
I currently have a beast of a desktop. However, not able to take it with me when I'm on vacation or my job pulls me out of the area. So, definitely need something to substitute almost.

5. How much battery life do you need?
I'm honestly not sure. For some reason, every one of my friends has their laptop connected to an outlet supply 24/7. I'm not even sure that's a good idea, or how the tech community looks upon that. But for flights, or where battery is only power available, I suppose 4 hours would be reasonable. Not too certain how long average is anyways.

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)?
WoW is nice. Not mandatory. And I usually play with Low/Medium. But just for performance incase something big occurs, theres no chance it'll lag.

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, Etc.)
I have a 2TB external harddrive in which I store all my movies, tv shows, and backup copies of my personally owned xbox 360 games. I do occasionally burn the movies and games. So, software isn't a big deal to come by. I've got a set already and can get onto the laptop. But having a nice burner would be nice as well. Though, I always burn at lowest speed anyways just for as near perfect burns as possible. Not to mention, most of my burning would be done at my desktop, except for long periods of time I'm out of the country, which doesn't happen very often. Maybe once a year.

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
As I stated above, I've already got a 2TB external harddrive. So, this isn't too big an issue. Plus, I'm not big on filling up my harddrive on an actual machine.

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

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
Probably good long while. Somewhere in the area of 5years+.

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
DVDWriter at least. Like I said, I like to be able to burn my movies/backupgames. Something that would be able to write a DL dvd when necessary.

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 don't have any real preference. My wife has a sager that I bought for her last christmas, which is nice. But it doesn't mean much to me.

13. What country do you live in?
United States
 
Solution
The Dell XPS 15z Core i5 Ultra-Slim Laptop seems like a good option. It is relatively light at 5.54lbs for a 15.6" laptop and it starts at $999.99. It comes with a 1366x768 screen standard, but can be upgraded to a 1920x1080 resolution screen for an extra $100. However, in my opinion, that is a bit high on such a small screen. I think I would prefer 1600x900 resolution on a 15.6" screen, but that is not offered as an option. The best thing to do is to go to a computer store to check out any 15.6" laptops with 1920x1080 to find out if it is comfortable for you to use. I would guess it would cause some eye strain for me.

Weight is a concern if you are going to be carrying it around with you all the time when you travel around. However...

ravi12

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Aug 12, 2011
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Mine is Lenovo U350

Technical Detail:
• 1.3GHz Intel Pentium Processor
• 3GB 204 Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM Memory
• 250GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM); 802.11 b/g
• 13.3" 1366x768 LED Display (16:9); Intel GMA 4500M Graphics
• Windows 7 Home Premium
Product Detail:
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 12.9 x 1 inches ; 3.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0032ALW6G
• Item model number: 2963-4GU
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #4,240 in Computers & Accessories
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 1, 2010
 

alexoldshane

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Mar 13, 2009
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so... anyone? the above answers aren't really... helpful exactly. 1st one was okay. but, no real input on why it's good, what could be better, etc.

insightful answers are appreciated.
 
The Dell XPS 15z Core i5 Ultra-Slim Laptop seems like a good option. It is relatively light at 5.54lbs for a 15.6" laptop and it starts at $999.99. It comes with a 1366x768 screen standard, but can be upgraded to a 1920x1080 resolution screen for an extra $100. However, in my opinion, that is a bit high on such a small screen. I think I would prefer 1600x900 resolution on a 15.6" screen, but that is not offered as an option. The best thing to do is to go to a computer store to check out any 15.6" laptops with 1920x1080 to find out if it is comfortable for you to use. I would guess it would cause some eye strain for me.

Weight is a concern if you are going to be carrying it around with you all the time when you travel around. However, if you are only going to be using it on a plane or in a hotel room, then weight is not as much of a concern, but it does add to the total weight of your luggage.

Gaming wise, you will get decent performance with a nVidia GT 525. It good enough for most games at low settings and low resolutions. It may be able to handle some games at medium settings. However, playing games on a 1920x1080 resolution with the GT 525 might be asking a bit too much even for a game like WoW (just a guess, I don't play WoW). You can always lower the resolution though.

Whether or not it will last 5+ years is debatable. For gaming purposes, the nVidia will probably only provide adequate performance for a few years if you are looking to the latest and greatest. But since it seems WoW is the only game you play it should not be a big deal. Overall, the laptop can last you many years as long as you take care of it. My IBM ThinkPad T40 from 2003 still works today.
 
Solution

alexoldshane

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Mar 13, 2009
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Quick update, really looking for a 15-16", 7200rpm 500-750gig harddrive with 4-6gigs ram and a dedicated graphics card. Probably a mid-range i5 or equivalent. Can't seem to find anything that doesn't either cost a stupid amount of money, or just... doesn't fit that set up. Every vendor is trying to sell 5400 for some reason, and that is being a deal breaker. Plus add in warranty cost and decent processor... /help