59 replies to this topic

[Rambo]

Cache size is pretty important for processing video.

I hadn't even been looking at GPUs...

Which are pretty important if you want to do any kind of gaming at all. None of the Intel Graphics options can even run recent titles.

This I know... I got confused with the other laptop thread I suppose.

[Hoceky]

I'm using a Dell Studio 1535 right now and it works fine for me.

[BustaNinja]

and not to mention XPS and Alienware make shit laptops? Hell, alienware barely makes ok desktops, and they are known for that. Go custom. And HP's are great. I don't know what peoples problems are with them. I use an HP pavilion dv6000 and its a great computer, for gaming and anything else you might want to do. He's not going to need an XPS or Alienware unless he's a pretty hardcore gamer. What don't you get about that people?

And if any of you know of the computer company Voodoo? Voodoo owns HP, so you know they are good. And the cable management on those desktops... *drools* but computers are like cars. Chrystler and Dodge are the same, but with different logos. Its just they have a consumer/ smart people line, then they have the retarded people line. The computers that are WAY overpriced and just look pretty. Like, I was looking at both a Voodoo and an Alienware today, and both only support a resolution of 1024x800 and I was like "OH SNAP!!!" because for the 24 inch widescreens they were on.........

Go HP. Don't go Dell, or Toshiba, or Sony. Sony's are shit. Asus, Acer or any of those smaller brands are fine, and they will come with less shitty programs then HP will.

[Talio]

I haven't really read this thread, but I thought I'd give my two cents. As some of you know, I am a network admin. I work in NOC environments and do alot of desk side. I can say without blinking that Dell makes excellent laptops. If you keep them up to date and be semi responsible with your browsing, they should last you for years and years. I can say the exact opposite about HP however, and that's truly difficult for me to say. I like HP. They make great free standing equipment, especially servers. The HP DL585 and 380's are awesome to work with. But their laptops suck the fat one. All the Dell calls I get are about broken screens and other goofy stuff that happens when you drop them, but HP's I see go to shit all the time. On the other hand, if you want a computer that's a pain in the ass to work with but will last for fucking ever, IBM makes some god damn tanks. Just don't drop them. Cause they can't even take one fall. Go figure.

Now I use a Mac, but that's because years ago when I bought it, I was so tired of fixing fucking PC's that I just needed a change of pace. I have the last generation Macbook Pro. Not the new one that just came out (or is about to?). I'll say this for it. I've had very few problems with the operating system. Mac OS does some goofy shit, but for the most part, I like it. It's not as powerful as Windows, but if your just trying to run some regular browser shit, it gets the job done. However, I'm pushing 3 years with this laptop in March, but it's really going to hell now. Some of the keys I gotta mash (which pisses me off, because some of them are in my passwords), the built in speakers stop working suddenly, the battery is non-existent and it's generally just a pain in the ass to work with. As much as I'm glad I had it when I did, I will never do two things ever again. A. I will not buy a Mac computer for myself and B. Will probably not use a laptop as my primary computer. As much as I hated working on my home PC before, I now kind of like it. I think there comes a point in young mans career where he realizes he really actually likes what he does.

Hope that gives some insight,

Talio.

[bogboogalars]

Thanks for the replies busta, rambo, cs, talio, and countless others, you have helped me make a few decisions. I believe that I will be getting an Acer from office max, if you want the link here it is. Again thanks guys for all the help.

[Ta10n]

Dunno if I would have chosen that one.....

Intel Integrated Graphics dude? I wish you luck with gaming on that. I suggest you drop a little more cash and get a laptop with a non-integrated GPU. Heck the laptop you posted the link to initially had a very good graphics card for the price. Even if you are just doing a bit of casual gaming now, it's always good to go a little higher end on the things you won't be able to upgrade later (like the graphics card most likely)

When I was specing out my current laptop I used the following logic:

Max out non-upgradable or difficult to upgrade components (GPU, screen, fingerprint reader, bluetooth, etc.)

Leave easily upgradable components close to the bear minimum (CPU (in my case), RAM, hard disk, battery)


I ended up with a machine that runs Crysis, can play movies smoothly in 1080p and is still portable enough to take on the bus to university everyday.

It's a Dell Studio 17,
2.1 Ghz 45nm T8100 cpu with 3mb of cache
3 gigs of ram
250 gigs of hard disk space
ATI Mobility HD 3650 GPU
WUXGA (1920 x 1200) res screen
Wireless N
Bluetooth
Standard 6-cell battery

About $1200 USD, and robust as heck. I accidentally threw the laptop while it was in it's bag about 5 feet a week or so ago, not even a scratch. Which is impressive considering how thinly padded the bag was. The Studio 17 starts at around $750, with the upgraded graphics card (which I highly recommend) it will come in at around $850

(Scratch the $850, Dell has changed the config layout for the Dell Studio's, so you'll have to pay over a grand to get the HD3650 In which case it's kind of hard to recommend, so I suggest you do a bit more shopping around)

-Ta10n

Edited by Ta10n, 22 November 2008 - 10:57 AM.

[CaptainSlug]

That Acer should be fine for what you want to do. The Intel 4500MHD is only slightly slower than a Geforce 9100M G.

Go HP.

No, don't.

[Talio]

Gaming on laptops generally is retarded.

[slowguitarman]

Telling someone what computer to get is like telling them what nerf blaster to buy or what kind of toilet paper to use. I personally like Charmin Ultra Soft because it is super soft, but my mom likes Angel Soft because it's cheap. Who am I to tell her to buy the Charmin just because I like it better? Everything comes down to personal preference. I personally like HP computers. I haven't had an ounce of trouble with my desktop or my laptop. I have heard a lot of people that don't like Dell, but Talio says they're awesome. If you want a good computer, search the net and do real research. You can't ask people on a forum like this because we all state personal preference. CS hates HP, but Busta and I love them. I hate Mac's stuff with a passion, but others love it. Search google and find places like CNET. These places can also be biased, but if you read enough, you'll find what you need to know.

[CaptainSlug]

Telling someone what computer to get is like telling them what nerf blaster to buy or what kind of toilet paper to use.

No, no it's not.
Nerf blasters cost less than $50 and are not a significant investment. There are plenty of brands and a great deal of differences in customer service, product reliability, feature sets offered, price, and so on.

Everything comes down to personal preference. I personally like HP computers. I haven't had an ounce of trouble with my desktop or my laptop.

Personal preference isn't possible for someone with no firsthand experience with any of the relevant brands. And desktops and laptops are not the same when it comes to any given manufacturer. The only common factor between the reputation of a manufacturer that makes laptops and desktops is customer service.
Do you have any firsthand experience dealing with the customer service of HP in trying to resolve an actual problem? I personally have had exceptional experiences with the customer service of Acer.

You have had a reliable HP laptop, and I'm going to assure you that that is a fairly rare occurrence. My sister had one and after 2-1/2 years it died of an undiagnosable hardware failure.

Search google and find places like CNET. These places can also be biased, but if you read enough, you'll find what you need to know.

My recommendations are based on this, but I'm not going to recommend C/NET as a good review source.
Until recently (when the image for the graph disappeared) my preferred source for laptop manufacturer rankings was Overclocker's Forums.
http://www.ocforums....ad.php?t=364838
There are many HP horror stories in that thread.