Help me buy a laptop - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

CaramonLS · 07-01-2010, 10:08 AM

I need something with some uber power - (gaming and video editing). Should I be looking at going with something from Alienware?

I'm not considering a Mac at this point because being able to game on it is my first priority - I'm not impressed with the OS shell as of yet.

Suggestions?

MickMcGeough · 07-01-2010, 10:15 AM

You're right to not get a Mac if you want gaming.

What's your budget? Good gaming laptops generally run $1500+

CaramonLS · 07-01-2010, 10:17 AM

Prepared to pay ~1700 if need be for one.

MickMcGeough · 07-01-2010, 10:21 AM

I'm told Maingear makes pretty much the most powerful gaming laptops in that price range.

http://www.maingear.com/boutique/pc/...?idproduct=284

The ATI 5870 is the 2nd fastest mobile GPU AFAIK (Geforce 480M is fastest, but you probably won't get it in a laptop under $2K)

Regorium · 07-01-2010, 10:38 AM

I find Asus makes exceptionally high quality laptops that are extremely well priced, reliable, and have great support from their website and phone lines. The build quality on them, especially the screen, body and hinges are exceptional compared to similar on the market.

They have a great product in every single size that you'd want, for example, a 15" laptop from asus would be the following: http://www.memoryexpress.com/Product...27212(ME).aspx

Quite comparable with the maingear. Some parts are better (processor, display), some parts are worse (graphics card). Should help you get started with the research!

CaramonLS · 07-01-2010, 10:55 AM

One thing that is confusing me is the i3, i5 and i7 crap. What is the difference? How much better are i5s vs i7s? I'm seeing more expensive i7s which have lower speeds than i5s.

GreenTeaFrapp · 07-01-2010, 10:59 AM

You can always run Windows on a Macbook. But if you don't care about battery life, going with something from Asus or Alienware would probably make more sense.

MickMcGeough · 07-01-2010, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

One thing that is confusing me is the i3, i5 and i7 crap. What is the difference? How much better are i5s vs i7s? I'm seeing more expensive i7s which have lower speeds than i5s.

To further muddy it, mobile i5s & i7s are entirely different than the desktop counterparts, and some notebooks use the desktop CPUs!

From what I've seen, the mobile i7s don't have a huge advantage over i5s (unlike the desktop parts) but the i3 probably isn't powerful enough for serious gaming.

MickMcGeough · 07-01-2010, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

You can always run Windows on a Macbook. But if you don't care about battery life, going with something from Asus or Alienware would probably make more sense.

There are plenty of PC notebooks with better battery life in Windows than Macbooks running Windows.

MickMcGeough · 07-01-2010, 11:23 AM

My advice is to start with the graphics and go from there. It's the hardest component to upgrade and the fastest to become obsolete, so you want the best you can afford.

This site has a rundown of pretty much everything available in notebook GPUs today:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-...ist.844.0.html

I recommend shooting for the ATI 5870 - it's the most affordable "high-end" GPU available today. Notebookcheck links to it's own "review" of the GPU and collects reviews of laptops containing the chip (there are plenty): http://www.notebookcheck.net/ATI-Mob...0.23073.0.html

From there, pick a few notebooks you like and check the usual places - newegg, ncix, memory express, tigerdirect, and others for the best price.

Happy shopping!

GreenTeaFrapp · 07-01-2010, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

There are plenty of PC notebooks with better battery life in Windows than Macbooks running Windows.

But not with the power that a 15" Macbook has.

MickMcGeough · 07-01-2010, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

But not with the power that a 15" Macbook has.

Is this schtick?

Battery life in Windows is ranges from "not good" to "effing terrible" on MacBooks, it's a pretty well known issue.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10301015-1.html

Nor is a MBP "powerful" in a gaming context. I could google it and find a benchmark for you but it's not really worth it. Even the 512MB 330GT will give you just a fraction of the performance of the 5870 chip, and the 512MB MBP is probably out of the OPs price range anyway!

Don't get me wrong, I looooooove my Macbook Pro, but it's easily one of the worst choices out there for a gaming notebook.