Track this topic | Email this topic | Print this topic

Keeping with R51's plea for help purchasing an automobile, I thought I'd seek the help of our learned CON community for some laptop recommendations.

My '05 Powerbook has been freezing and the prognosis is that the hard drive is about to croak. It has been the most reliable computer I've ever owned, but all good things...

Anyway, I have neither the money to spend, nor the need for, a Macbook. So I'm looking for a PC that has decent speed (esp for Internet), has some decent game capability (enough that I can play Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 bc I refuse to pay the outrageous PS3 price for the latter), and can run Word (if it came with Word that would be ideal). I'm looking to spend in the $500-$1000 range, but closer to $500 would be preferable. Thanks!

Thing is, I know a lot more about cars than I do buying a laptop, so it's easier for me to give an opinion on what people are telling me.

I've only ever bought three laptops in my life, and one of those was a Mac for my wife (won't make that mistake again). Only one of those had a dedicated graphics card, and that was back in 2005. I bring that up because you're going to need a dedicated graphics card, for sure, and that is going to push you higher in your price bracket right away, probably to the tune of at least $100 or so.

It also complicates things because I really haven't a clue how graphics cards stack up in the mobile space. I barely know how they do for desktops these days, in fact.

I can give you some generalities, I suppose:

• You won't have to worry too much about speed except in gaming. I't still aim for a Core i5 or i7 machine, if I were you, and I'd avoid Celeron at all costs.
• If you're going to be doing gaming on this regularly, you probably won't be doing it on battery. So you might not need to get a larger-capacity battery unless you insist on being able to play your games anywhere.
• Get Windows 7 64-bit (and of course a PC that will support it). A lot of your software won't use the full capability, but you'll appreciate the stuff that does.
• Going 64-bit also opens up more capability for RAM. The previous rule of thumb of maxing at 4GB or less won't apply any more, but 4GB will probably still be okay for you.
• Getting the basic Office suite will probably set you back another $100 if the machine doesn't come with it. If you can get by with OpenOffice, you might consider it. It honestly isn't as good as Office, but it does the job in most cases. Maybe try it before you make your purchase.

I like Dell. I still have never owned a laptop for my own use that wasn't a Dell, and while they're not as fantastic as they were five years ago, they still put out a nice machine. My Dell Inspiron 13 has been to Ireland and has been drug back and forth from Boston to the Midwest for work or vacations at least six times in the last two years, and it's pretty bulletproof, even though it has Vista on it.

That said, I think a nicely customized Dell XPS 15 would probably be a good buy for you, even with it being at the top end of your price range. However, if you're willing to not do high-end gaming on it and instead bite the bullet for console game prices, you can come in much nearer your low end and be very happy.

--------------------

"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN? Or perhaps buying a really good looking shirt?

While I don't have knowledge in any way comparable to most other people in this forum, I recently bought a laptop myself. Seeing how I'm extremely pleased with it, I figured I'd share.

I have an HP with Windows 7 and an i5. It doesn't have any worthwhile graphics capabilities, but it does everything I ask it to. It's quick and everything functions well. I have only owned HP computers, and I've been very pleased. Windows 7 is nice too. I don't ask a lot from my computer, but it does everything ship-shape. The battery life is pretty solid as well- when I set it on battery saver settings for travel, I can get several hours out of it easily.

--------------------

Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

I recently found the Dell Inspiron N5030 selling at Walmart $350 (plus tax), this was a pretty nice deal: 16:9 (1366x768) 15" or so screen, 3GB RAM, and 2.30 GHz processor.

Dunno how much heavy lifting it can do gaming-wise, but I don't do heavy gaming anyway.

That said, I doubt this deal is still going. But you can probably pick up a similar setup directly from Dell themselves for about $400-$450. (I checked their site back then.)

If you want a cheap laptop, you should basically just keep an eagle eye on Walmart, Kmart, Target, and maybe Office Depot and Best Buy ads.

Quote

I't still aim for a Core i5 or i7 machine, if I were you, and I'd avoid Celeron at all costs.

Why so?

This post has been edited by Glenn Magus Harvey on 8th April 2011 01:38

--------------------

Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

Quote (Glenn Magus Harvey @ 7th April 2011 20:37)

Quote

I't still aim for a Core i5 or i7 machine, if I were you, and I'd avoid Celeron at all costs.

Why so?

Quote (GMH)

Dunno how much heavy lifting it can do gaming-wise, but I don't do heavy gaming anyway.

In short, that's why. Celeron CPUs are the most budget chips Intel makes of a given generation, and while their clock speeds might sometimes look like they match up with the higher-end chips, they simply aren't capable of doing heavy lifting with speed.

--------------------

"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN? Or perhaps buying a really good looking shirt?