Solved! Please recommend: which highest performance gaming laptop?

[entergraft]

am searching to purchase highest performance gaming laptop:
1. Budget = $6k; look to purchase before Feb 28th
2. Portability/battery not an issue
3. Any perspectives on i7 with dual radeon 4870's vs core 2 duo with dual gtx 280m?
4. i7 vs core 2 duo for gaming?
5. Origin PC vs Alienware?
5. Any good reason to delay purchase for 1-2 months?

 

[deadlockedworld]

If you have as much as $6k to spend you probably dont want to go with dell. You can get a better quality notebook.

Definitely i7.

I would suggest you check out Sager --they make custom performance laptops.
http/www.sagernotebook.com/default.php

 

[superflex]

I am in the market for something similar, and I'm having minimal success finding anything on the market right now with Core i7 and SLI or CrossfireX support.

Best options (on specs alone) I'm seeing right now are:
- Sager NP9850
http/www.sagernotebook.com/product_customed.php?pid=188463
I'll also mention that I was in touch with Sager customer service today and the sales manager who responded said (and I quote from the e-mail here, including the broken english) "we don't know when we will have new design Notebook can have Core i7 CPU with Dual Video Cards machine!"

- Cyberpower X8-8800
http/www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Xplorer_X8_8800_Notebook

- I had checked out the Alienware M17x a couple of weeks ago and they weren't offering any dual-GPU options on Core i7, but it appears that they are now. Still don't know if I'm inclined to go the Dell route, however.

XoticPC also has some pretty nice systems available on their site, but again, no Core i7 w/ dual GPU. I like what I see from these guys because you see alot of detail on what components they are using.

As it stands right now I am holding out for another month or two to see what different vendors come up with for Core-i7 offerings.

 

[entergraft]

Dead, Super, thanks guys! I am checking out sager and really like what i am seeing.

Do either of you know if a laptop like we are configuring plays directx11?

I am thinking it makes sense to wait for 1-2 months to see what vendors come up with for core i7 (Eon tell me they are working on something but won't give a time frame).

I read that nvidia isn't supporting the i7 with sli drivers. But I've also read that ATI's in crossfire have a stuttering problem. Am really unsure which way to go here---any thoughts?

If waiting is best option, any guesses for how long might be until i7 laptops with new graphics config's come out?

 

[lostandwandering]

Dead, Super, thanks guys! I am checking out sager and really like what i am seeing.

I've had mine for over 2 years now and I have no complaints. Good products with decent support to back them

Do either of you know if a laptop like we are configuring plays directx11?

The only ones that will be able to take advantage of DX 11 will be laptops that include a Radeon 5*** series card. The best out so far is the Asus G73 (i7 + Mobility 5870)

I am thinking it makes sense to wait for 1-2 months to see what vendors come up with for core i7 (Eon tell me they are working on something but won't give a time frame).

Clevo, the company that actually builds Sager's laptops, has a laptop called the X8100 on their site that is the replacement to the NP9850. It combines mobile i7's with GTX 280's. I'm not sure when it is supposed to come out though.

edit: link to the X8100: http/www.clevo.com.tw/en/products/prodinfo_2.asp?productid=177