Solved! Please help me--laptop for college

[sunnyangel37]

Hello, thank you for taking the time to view my thread. I will be going to college this fall, and I desperately need a sexy powerhouse to bring to classes and game with in my dorm. I will be taking notes on it in classes, and thus it needs to have a killer battery for those tasks because classes are super long. When I game it will be plugged into the adapter, so no need to worry about battery then. Please note that although I do desire a powerhouse, it also needs to be cosmetically pleasing to the eye.

Thank you for looking at my thread once again. I really appreciate it! :]

1. What is your budget?
1,500 --willing to go slightly over if need be just not over 2000!

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
min 15 inch, max 17 inch

3. What screen resolution do you want?
No preference

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
I need a very portable desktop replacement

5. How much battery life do you need?
at least 4-6 hours for taking notes in classes.

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)?
Combat arms (high), Left 4 Dead 2 (Medium-High), Amnesia (Medium-High), Portal 2 (Medium-High), Minecraft, and any new games that might tickle my fancy in the future

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo / Video editing,watching movies, Etc.)
I would like to use Photo Shop, watch movies, save numerous PowerPoint, excel, word documents, and also use programs like Skype, MSN, and Ventrillo simultaneously. I would also be browsing the web while using the messengers, as well even playing games like OMGPOP.

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
At least 320 GB

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
Newegg, Amazon, it doesn't really matter as long as they are trust worthy :] --No Ebay though!

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
I will be using this lap top for college, so at least 4-5 years.

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
I would prefer Bluray writer and reader, but it really doesn't matter.

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 will not buy a dell, or anything assoicated with it. That sadly includes Alienware now because dell bought them. I have only ever experienced hell when dealing with technical support with the company. With my laptop--don't even get me started, and with my Inspiron 530s desktop being sold a faulty hard drive...It has been rough roads. I will never purchase anything from them ever again. Also i would love to stay away from Macs as they are uber expensive and I can not run the applications I need on them. Anyone else is open to be suggested.


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

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed.

I would prefer a full keyboard "gamer" style. That includes the 789 456 123 key pad thingy. I would love it to be back-lit and chickletish.

I would buy an extra battery, but i still need a killer battery life

I would love for bluetooth capabilites

At least 4gb of memory

Dedicated graphics card

HDMI port is required

802.11 b/g/n Wireless Lan or better that includes b/g/n

Prefer Intel Core i7 but Intel Core i5 is fine, or anything better

Good placement of USB

I am not a she-hulk, so it needs to be light weight, sexy and stylish, but also packs a lot of power under the hood :]

I know I am asking of a lot, and I really appreciate you taking time to help me out.

 

[WR2]

Hello sunnyangel37;

With everything on your wishlist except backlit keyboard and 4-6 hours of battery life: Sager Sager NP8130 $1300

CPU: Intel Core i7 2630QM Sandy Bridge quad core
Display: 15.6" FHD Glossy (1920x1080)
GPU: GTX 460M
RAM: 8GB MB DDR3 1333MHz
HDD: 500GB 7200RPM SATA
Wireless: Built In "N" WIFI & Bluetooth
Optional Blu-Ray ROM / DVD burner combo drive
Sager NP8130 Video Review

 

[WR2]

OK, so it misses the mark on light weight, sexy and stylish too.

To take care of the long battery life, lightweight and style needs, for note taking, etc...
ASUS Eee PC 1215P 12" Netbook $380
Intel Atom N550(1.50GHz) dual core CPU 1GB RAM 250GB HDD 12.1" 1366x768 LCD w/ Intel GMA 3150 graphics.

 

[WR2]

You probably realize it might be worth considering:
Spend $1000 on a "real" gaming desktop and $500-600 on a mid-range laptop like a Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3820T 13" Notebook $530
Intel Core i3 380M(2.53GHz) CPU 4GB RAM 500GB 13.3" 1366x768 LCD w/ Intel HD Graphics

 

[sunnyangel37]

You probably realize it might be worth considering:
Spend $1000 on a "real" gaming desktop and $500-600 on a mid-range laptop like a Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3820T 13" Notebook $530
Intel Core i3 380M(2.53GHz) CPU 4GB RAM 500GB 13.3" 1366x768 LCD w/ Intel HD Graphics

Thank you for looking at my thread. Yeah, that would be my best route, but my problem is dorm rooms are tiny. Plus i do not want to lug a desktop to campus, and then a notebook/net book as well. I need something to be both. Yeah I realize you can't get the best gaming with a laptop, especially if you want to have a battery to still exist. But i need battery that will last when taking notes, and at least medium gaming capabilities. Which to be honest, I know is hard to find. That is why I came to these forums for help.

 

[WR2]

Think you might have room for a mini-ITX gaming system (toaster size) with a 19"-21.5" LCD monitor in the dorm room?

 

[sunnyangel37]

Think you might have room for a mini-ITX gaming system (toaster size) with a 19"-21.5" LCD monitor in the dorm room?

I probably would, but once again. I just want a laptop. It would be easier for me, and my potential roommate.

 

[WR2]

Some middle ground - where you mobility meets gaming performance might be something like a Sager NP5160 ~$800 4-6hr battery life
CPU: Intel Core i5-2520M 2.5Ghz dual core Sandy Bridge CPU
Display: 15.4" HD Glossy (1366x768)
GPU: Nvidia GT 540M w/ Optimus
RAM: 4GB
HDD: 320GB 7200RPM
CD: DVD±R/RW
plus configuration options like Blu-Ray, 1920x1080 LCD, quad core CPU.

 

[sunnyangel37]

Some middle ground - where you mobility meets gaming performance might be something like a Sager NP5160 ~$800 4-6hr battery life
CPU: Intel Core i5-2520M 2.5Ghz dual core Sandy Bridge CPU
Display: 15.4" HD Glossy (1366x768)
GPU: Nvidia GT 540M w/ Optimus
RAM: 4GB
HDD: 320GB 7200RPM
CD: DVD±R/RW
plus configuration options like Blu-Ray, 1920x1080 LCD, quad core CPU.

That is more for me. I'll consider it and check out some of the reviews for it.

 

[WR2]

A 2nd, spare battery, might be worth considering.
You wouldn't want to carry it around with you of course. But swapping over after lunch when you pick up your books for the afternoon classes might be an option. That would get you a freshly charged battery to get through the rest of the day without worries.

 

[sunnyangel37]

A 2nd, spare battery, might be worth considering.
You wouldn't want to carry it around with you of course. But swapping over after lunch when you pick up your books for the afternoon classes might be an option. That would get you a freshly charged battery to get through the rest of the day without worries.

Yeah I was actually was going to buy a second battery, for whatever laptop I was going to buy. Just wanted to get the best battery consuming laptop that can that I can game with first.

 

[WR2]

http/www.notebookcheck.net/Computer-Games-on-Laptop-Graphic-Cards.13849.0.html

For a rough gaming comparison - not strictly apples-to-apples comparisons:

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Sticking with the 1366x768 resolution and GT 540 GPU would probably get something close to the performance in those charts.
The 1920x1080/GT 540M combo would be like downsizing the GPU a notch to push that many extra pixels.

 

[sunnyangel37]

http/www.notebookcheck.net/Computer-Games-on-Laptop-Graphic-Cards.13849.0.html

For a rough gaming comparison - not strictly apples-to-apples comparisons:
[url]http/img232.imageshack.us/img232/9453/ss007.jpg[/URL]
Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Sticking with the 1366x768 resolution and GT 540 GPU would probably get something close to the performance in those charts.
The 1920x1080/GT 540M combo would be like downsizing the GPU a notch to push that many extra pixels.

To be honest, I have no idea what those charts mean. Im semi-intelligible with computers. But only on certain things. Those performance, and benchmark things, are not my forte.

 

[WR2]

It's a performance comparison of the GTX 460M and GT 540M. In general: GTX 460M runs 1 notch of graphics quality higher.
460M will run Star Craft 2 and BF:BC2 on high graphics settings very well and even ultra settings can be used.
540M will run SC2 and BF:BC2 fluently on medium graphics settings and high settings can be used with some slowdowns, etc.

 

[sunnyangel37]

Ahh, I see. Nice then.

 

[kkiddu]

Well, you do have the option of a Sager NP8150, with a 485M upgrade. It will cost somewhere around $1800. Battery life will be a problem, but 485M is the most powerful single-GPU card.

 

[sunnyangel37]

Well, you do have the option of a Sager NP8150, with a 485M upgrade. It will cost somewhere around $1800. Battery life will be a problem, but 485M is the most powerful single-GPU card.

I care about gaming, I really do. But to be honest this lap top is for college. College is first, gaming is second. The battery life is really important. It needs to have settings so I can change from gaming-plugged in, to unplugged for hours. Or something along those lines. The Sager is a beautiful machine don't get me wrong, but I know there are other options out there that are just as effective and have everything I am looking for in them.

 

[sunnyangel37]

Also the sexy look thing is that it can't look like poo basically. It can be black ect.

 

[kingneptune117]

I don't see a problem with bringing a desktop to college. I sure am when I go in as a freshman in MechE this year. I am also buying a laptop though. My top candidate so far is this.

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834214204&Tpk=r835

Sandy Bridge CPU, amazing battery life, and so far good reviews. I am a little worried about the screen size so I am still searching around.

 

[sunnyangel37]

I don't see a problem with bringing a desktop to college. I sure am when I go in as a freshman in MechE this year. I am also buying a laptop though. My top candidate so far is this.

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834214204&Tpk=r835

Sandy Bridge CPU, amazing battery life, and so far good reviews. I am a little worried about the screen size so I am still searching around.

Yeah that is not bad, and it does have amazing battery life. The only thing that bothers me about it is the integrated graphics card, and the complaints about the web cam, ect.