Buying a laptop...

ray245 · Post by **ray245** » 2007-09-03 11:34am

I will be going to polytechinc soon, and I will be getting a laptop for it. Any recommendations?

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2007-09-03 11:40am

Can't really recommend any type of laptop without at least two things.

1. What kind of budget maximum are you looking at?

2. What type of things are you going to be using it for?

ray245 · Post by **ray245** » 2007-09-03 02:45pm

Well...I will be hoping a a decent enough laptop. I just got a rather nice PC at the start of the year, so I can play the higher requirement games with the PC.

But I was hoping for a laptop that can at the least play games like Half-life 2 smoothly at minimum settings...

And if possible, does not exceed $1200.

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2007-09-03 03:46pm

ray245 wrote:Well...I will be hoping a a decent enough laptop. I just got a rather nice PC at the start of the year, so I can play the higher requirement games with the PC.

But I was hoping for a laptop that can at the least play games like Half-life 2 smoothly at minimum settings...

And if possible, does not exceed $1200.

You can't get much of a laptop in Singapore at SGD$1200. Personally, I have heard that Asus has a few interesting models that you might want to look at.

ray245 · Post by **ray245** » 2007-09-04 01:36am

I mean USD $1200, which is around SGD$2000...

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2007-09-04 08:38am

ray245 wrote:I mean USD $1200, which is around SGD$2000...

If you want decent gaming capabilities. check out Asus or Acer. They are the only brands that I can think of that pack in a discrete graphic card and won't eat your wallet overly too much.

InnocentBystander · Post by **InnocentBystander** » 2007-09-04 09:34am

If you want modern graphics, Dell is basically the only vendor I know of which you can get a machine for that kind of money with a decent graphics card (desktop midrange equiv). Take a look at what they have to offer, some of their well priced laptops come with or may upgrade to the 8600gt which is a decent enough card.

Netko · Post by **Netko** » 2007-09-04 12:41pm

MSI also offers well equipped laptops for that price, probably better equiped then the more known brands, however their build quality is shit (had to get mine warranty replaced do to the hinges on the monitor/lid breaking on one side).

You should perhaps consider a cheaper tablet - while it would probably mean sacrificing gaming capability (likely integrated Intel or if you're lucky ATI chipset), if you already have a capable desktop such a computer could be a better fit, especially for note taking in classes (in any math or math centric class a classic laptop is useless, so if you have aspirations of ditching ye old pen and paper, a tablet is almost a must).

ray245 · Post by **ray245** » 2007-09-04 12:49pm

Ok...I have taken a look at my local retailer...and one guy was saying to me that you can upgrade your laptop's graphics card.

And all I REALLY need is to get one with things like a good webcam, and maybe some sort of power saving battery...

So should I listen to what he said? I do not know it is possible to upgrade a laptops graphics card...

With regards to Dell...I'm not sure if I should that them due to the battery incident, and also I don't really like their design too much.

Dell's computers always looks dull to me.

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2007-09-04 12:53pm

ray245 wrote: So should I listen to what he said? I do not know it is possible to upgrade a laptops graphics card...

On the huge majority of them, especially the 'budget' models, it's impossible to do so.
Some laptops *do* have discrete graphics cards, but upgrading them is neither simple nor cheap.

Post by **Beowulf** » 2007-09-04 12:57pm

Even the ones that do have discrete graphics cards may be impossible to find a replacement card. Consider laptops to have non upgradeable video cards, and you'll do much better.

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2007-09-04 03:18pm

ray245 wrote:Ok...I have taken a look at my local retailer...and one guy was saying to me that you can upgrade your laptop's graphics card.

And all I REALLY need is to get one with things like a good webcam, and maybe some sort of power saving battery...

So should I listen to what he said? I do not know it is possible to upgrade a laptops graphics card...

With regards to Dell...I'm not sure if I should that them due to the battery incident, and also I don't really like their design too much.

Dell's computers always looks dull to me.

Didn't you at least go to the Comex to at least take a look around?

Pu-239 · Post by **Pu-239** » 2007-09-04 04:49pm

I thought a T61 w/ a quadro was equivalent to a 7600GT?

EDIT: I meant the quadro (NVS 140 was it? ) was equivalent to the 7600GT

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2007-09-04 09:14pm

ray245 wrote:Ok...I have taken a look at my local retailer...and one guy was saying to me that you can upgrade your laptop's graphics card.

And all I REALLY need is to get one with things like a good webcam, and maybe some sort of power saving battery...

So should I listen to what he said? I do not know it is possible to upgrade a laptops graphics card...

With regards to Dell...I'm not sure if I should that them due to the battery incident, and also I don't really like their design too much.

Dell's computers always looks dull to me.

Look into an HP dv9500. It comes with a webcam and a 7600 Go card for the high end of your price range. It is a 17 inch widescreen, though, so it's not really portable.

ray245 · Post by **ray245** » 2007-09-05 02:02am

Fingolfin_Noldor wrote:
ray245 wrote:Ok...I have taken a look at my local retailer...and one guy was saying to me that you can upgrade your laptop's graphics card.

And all I REALLY need is to get one with things like a good webcam, and maybe some sort of power saving battery...

So should I listen to what he said? I do not know it is possible to upgrade a laptops graphics card...

With regards to Dell...I'm not sure if I should that them due to the battery incident, and also I don't really like their design too much.

Dell's computers always looks dull to me.
Didn't you at least go to the Comex to at least take a look around?

I did go to courts megastore to look around, other than that, I think I will be going to simlim square to have a look.

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2007-09-05 10:28am

ray245 wrote: Didn't you at least go to the Comex to at least take a look around?

I did go to courts megastore to look around, other than that, I think I will be going to simlim square to have a look.[/quote]

The Comex computer fair typically has the best laptop deals in town. It can't really get any better.