Laptop Suggestion?

By 30 Str 0wnz on 12/08/2009

I'm going to buy a laptop soon and I'm wondering if you guys have any suggestions. I want a non-mac (non-linux) one that runs RS well. Preferably 4 gigs of RAM. I'm not planning on playing any CD games (WoW, CoD, stuff like that) but if possible I'd still like to leave that as an option. I'm planning on having Photoshop CS4 and Vegas on it, so I want it to run those. The bigger the screen the better.

And I'd like it under $1,000. If not possible I'm willing to go higher.

So any suggestions?

By Georgio9 on 12/08/2009

Start looking around on sites like Dell, Best Buy or whatever.

Pretty much everyone has some good deals on now.

Honestly though, I wouldn't go for a laptop with a big screen. It just becomes a pain in the ass because you're entire computer is so big. I much prefer getting a decent size screen (nothing more than 15") and then just getting a nice big monitor.

By RobbieThe1st on 13/08/2009

From my own research, the most important thing to look for in a laptop is that it has a reasonable graphics card, even if you don't plan to do much 3d stuff. ATI or Nvidia cards are good, Intel graphics is NOT. DO NOT EVER BUY A LAPTOP WITH INTEL GRAPHICS!

4GB of ram is good, though remember that it may be cheaper to get a laptop with 1-2GB and then upgrade the memory later; it is extremely simple to do.

As far as CPU goes, make sure to get a dual, triple or quad core system. A single core just doesn't go far enough anymore.

When you find a model that meets your criteria, make sure to google the model - Look for complaints and any problems. Most laptops will have some problem, but make sure that you know the problem and that it isn't a critical one.

By JC on 13/08/2009

Just to throw my 2c in...

Doesn't having a quad core kinda defy the point of having a laptop? ie. mobility? I know most people use their laptops on the charger 90%+ of the time, but the few times you decide 'Damn I'd like to use it while on this plane/train/car' you're probably going to see the bad effects of having a powerful processor in a laptop.

As Matt has said, you're probably better off going for a smaller laptop and complimenting it with a larger screen. Decent size (22" or therabouts) LCD's are relatively cheap these days, and having a large sized laptop (anything over 15.4" screens) again defies the point.

If you don't want portability, then don't buy a laptop. As a result that should be your primary focus when looking at them. Is it too big/heavy/powerful to run on batteries are all things I would look at, but as Robbie has said, make sure you are careful to pick a decent graphics card and processor (they're not something you can replace easily).

I'd look for a laptop with a decent warranty, preferably with on-site service (you don't realise how annoying it is to have to send your computer away for ~2 weeks untill it's too late) and with at least 2-3 years cover.

By 30 Str 0wnz on 13/08/2009

Alright, thanks for the suggestions. I move from house to house, so while I need mobility (which is why I'm getting a laptop), I'll be driving in a car mostly so it doesn't need to be extraordinary light. Still, I do have monitors at both houses so that's an option.

I'm having trouble finding a laptop on the Dell site that doesn't have an Intel graphics card. I had a Intel graphics card on my last laptop and it failed miserably. Maybe I'll look elsewhere.

By Anthonysc on 13/08/2009

Look into HP's tx2500 tablet, its a little on the old side, but its an amazing system (and what I use day to day) or the newer Touchsmart tx2z (which is basically the same but has multitouch) However it does have a small screen (more on that further down)

Both run on the AMD Puma platform which has great graphics for an integrated chipset (capable of playing fable, timeshift, guildwars, runscape and most of the other moderately req'ed games I've tested) (the tx2's are upgraded slightly over the 2500s) and a good dual core processor (as long as you go with the zm-8x Turion ultras which clock up to 2.4ghz) and it supports up to 4GB of ram (8 if you go with the touchsmart)

The only downside is the screen, which, on the tx2500 is on the grainy side due to the digitizer, but is much better on the touchsmart and is only 12.1" however, I have mine hooked up to a 19" external monitor and love it.

The tx2500 being on the older side, but still with great hardware, is definitely great bang-for-your-buck and a relatively high spec'ed system will run quite a bit below $1000

My Best Advice for a Computer Shopper
But there are lots more options out there so keep looking and don't take any one persons advice, go to your local computer retailer and test out the systems, if one jumps out at you as a favorite write down the model and look it up online at home, you will most likely be able to find a better spec'ed one, cheaper, from the manufacturer. Make sure you look at lots of user reviews of the system before you make the final decision to buy. Once you have decided look up any available coupon codes, HP (for example) almost always has some coupon floating around, I got $200 off my system using one of them.

-Anthony

By Big Al 002 on 13/08/2009

ive been through about 5 laptops since i was about 9, (they all work and i gave them away to either family and i still have two with me) but none of them could ever run rs hd.

yeah i get em all for free (but, they Are quality laptops), and i currently use a macbook air (which sucks, dont get it, cant run rs hd lolol), has overheating problems and not enough options

i would recommend getting getting a good graphics card, 4 cores (although im 90% sure you cant get one under 1000$), and a super good cooling-fan. all my past laptops have turned off without notice because of overheating, just out of the blue moon.

im doing research as i write this so if i were to get another laptop my next one would be this (under 1000$):

---------- (roughly something around this)
http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/l...xps-13_anav_1~~

laptops/computers (imo) are worth getting in top-notch prices/conditions, hey if it lasts double longer, works double better then its better than buying a cheap computer thats half price but cant run well. so if you're looking for more of that topnotch computer, that would be:

http://www.alienware.com/products/area-51-...ode=SKU-DEFAULT

you want that. it is worth it. ive seen people play cod4 on it like its an xbox, crazy stuff + it looks like a good price to me (1099)

By RobbieThe1st on 14/08/2009

QUOTE (Theevildead2 @ August 13, 2009 02:22 am)

Doesn't having a quad core kinda defy the point of having a laptop? ie. mobility? I know most people use their laptops on the charger 90%+ of the time, but the few times you decide 'Damn I'd like to use it while on this plane/train/car' you're probably going to see the bad effects of having a powerful processor in a laptop.

That might be a problem if it wasn't for Intel SpeedStep and AMD PowerNow!. These technologies, built into basically all laptop chips nowdays allow for on-the-fly processor speed control. Essentially, when you are say, running on batteries and doing word-processing, it can run the processor at a much lower speed, taking lots less power. When you are plugged into the wall and running a game however, you have the full power available.

Also, consider that AMD or Intel chips, from the lowest to the highest models, are pretty close in physical size - the only difference is the amount of cooling needed.
Really, if you are planning to use your laptop for anything other than mobile school use(in which case, get an EEEpc), you want as much power as possible. Sacrifice some battery life if you have to; Its cheaper to buy yourself a car-charger or one of those 150-W plug-in car inverters to power your laptop(which I would recommend no matter how much battery life you have, if you use it in the car a lot).

edit:
Ooh! Just looked on Newegg. Perfect. Laptop.
2GHZ X 4, 6GB of ram... 1GB video ram... N.I.C.E.
A little pricy, but you should never have trouble with it. Its also made by HP, and seems to be good.
Get it either at Newegg or cheaper at Buy.com

-Robbie

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