Laptop
October 13, 2007 7:52 AM Subscribe
Another gaming laptop question.
I currently have a Thinkpad 2379DXU. I've been playing Everquest on it since I bought it in May 2005. This has been a very good, durable laptop, but is beginning to show a bit of wear and tear. I get the dreaded blue screen every time it becomes unbalanced, i.e. when I pick it up and move from room to room. I suspect something has become loose internally.
That said, it does not have enough power? memory? hard drive? to run multiple programs. Not only do I play EQ on my laptop, but I use it to watch DVDs and video streams, usually extending the desktop to a convenient TV. Currently I cannot play EQ and watch a DVD or streaming video at the same time.
I'm not familiar with computer specs. I wouldn't know the difference between a processor and graphics card to save my life. I know that my Thinkpad has a 60mb hard drive, which is not close to enough to store all of my data. It also only has 1gb (?) memory.
And did I say that I also use my laptop for all the normal uses like work, email, etc.
I would like to replace the Thinkpad with a laptop that will allow me to run these multiple programs, has a widescreen, <$2500, <7lbs.
Help?
I currently have a Thinkpad 2379DXU. I've been playing Everquest on it since I bought it in May 2005. This has been a very good, durable laptop, but is beginning to show a bit of wear and tear. I get the dreaded blue screen every time it becomes unbalanced, i.e. when I pick it up and move from room to room. I suspect something has become loose internally.
That said, it does not have enough power? memory? hard drive? to run multiple programs. Not only do I play EQ on my laptop, but I use it to watch DVDs and video streams, usually extending the desktop to a convenient TV. Currently I cannot play EQ and watch a DVD or streaming video at the same time.
I'm not familiar with computer specs. I wouldn't know the difference between a processor and graphics card to save my life. I know that my Thinkpad has a 60mb hard drive, which is not close to enough to store all of my data. It also only has 1gb (?) memory.
And did I say that I also use my laptop for all the normal uses like work, email, etc.
I would like to replace the Thinkpad with a laptop that will allow me to run these multiple programs, has a widescreen, <$2500, <7lbs.
Help?
You may find my previous question useful. I'm quite happy with the Thinkpad T60 I got with the ATI gaming graphics processor. That was 18 months ago, no doubt there's an update by now.
posted by Nelson at 8:49 AM on October 13, 2007
posted by Nelson at 8:49 AM on October 13, 2007
This is my usual response to questions like this: Do you really, really, REALLY need a gaming laptop?
Given that you have $2500 to spend, you could very easily spend $1500 on a gaming desktop that will outperform ANY gaming laptop you could build for $2500, then spend the last $1000 on a nice, light, portable laptop that will serve you much better when you really need to be mobile. That way, you have the best of both worlds - plenty of power from the desktop, but mobility and battery life from the laptop. Not to mention, having two systems can be nice, too - that way you can game on the desktop while a DVD plays on the laptop's screen and not worry at all about taking even a minimal performance hit.
I'd think really hard before blowing thousands on a gaming laptop, because a desktop for a third the price will easily outpace any gaming laptop you can build.
posted by Rallon at 9:01 AM on October 13, 2007
Given that you have $2500 to spend, you could very easily spend $1500 on a gaming desktop that will outperform ANY gaming laptop you could build for $2500, then spend the last $1000 on a nice, light, portable laptop that will serve you much better when you really need to be mobile. That way, you have the best of both worlds - plenty of power from the desktop, but mobility and battery life from the laptop. Not to mention, having two systems can be nice, too - that way you can game on the desktop while a DVD plays on the laptop's screen and not worry at all about taking even a minimal performance hit.
I'd think really hard before blowing thousands on a gaming laptop, because a desktop for a third the price will easily outpace any gaming laptop you can build.
posted by Rallon at 9:01 AM on October 13, 2007
If I were buying a gaming laptop Id look at the Sager NP571.
Core Duo processor for multitasking
Upgrade to the Geforce Go 7950 graphics card
Upgrade to 2gb of RAM (memory)
Upgrade to 120 or 160gb harddrive (storage space)
Id downgrade to Windows XP, but that's just me.
Total: $2019
Weight ~7lbs, couldnt find it exactly
That will run EQ and anything else you want. EQ1 isn't really a very intensive game by todays standards, you're running it on a 4 year old business class notebook with integrated graphics. Pretty much any gaming specific notebook you choose for $2500 will blow that one out of the water. I'd choose the Sager probably, but find something similar and that will do just fine.
posted by T.D. Strange at 9:02 AM on October 13, 2007
Core Duo processor for multitasking
Upgrade to the Geforce Go 7950 graphics card
Upgrade to 2gb of RAM (memory)
Upgrade to 120 or 160gb harddrive (storage space)
Id downgrade to Windows XP, but that's just me.
Total: $2019
Weight ~7lbs, couldnt find it exactly
That will run EQ and anything else you want. EQ1 isn't really a very intensive game by todays standards, you're running it on a 4 year old business class notebook with integrated graphics. Pretty much any gaming specific notebook you choose for $2500 will blow that one out of the water. I'd choose the Sager probably, but find something similar and that will do just fine.
posted by T.D. Strange at 9:02 AM on October 13, 2007
Don't underestimate the benefit of backing up your data, reformatting your drive and reinstalling a fresh copy of Windows. It may just be that after two years there's a bunch of junk slowing Windows down. I try to do this once a year, kind of like spring cleaning.
Given that, my standard advice to laptop purchasers is choose in this order:
1) Pick a budget
2) Screen size
3) CPU speed
This will narrow things down quite a bit to where you can pick a little extra larger hard drive, or a faster hard drive, or differences in graphics to wiggle around in your budget and get the laptop that you want.
posted by rhizome at 9:14 AM on October 13, 2007
Given that, my standard advice to laptop purchasers is choose in this order:
1) Pick a budget
2) Screen size
3) CPU speed
This will narrow things down quite a bit to where you can pick a little extra larger hard drive, or a faster hard drive, or differences in graphics to wiggle around in your budget and get the laptop that you want.
posted by rhizome at 9:14 AM on October 13, 2007
EQ / WoW and other such games are *designed* to be playable and fully functional on older equipment. They want those per month subscription fees!
Others have mentioned Dell and Alienware, both fit the basic bill of companies that won't sell you a monster CPU paired with a VGA card from 1985.
I'd be looking at Lenovo, since they have the highest customer satisfaction of any laptop manufacture. Apple is second, so if you're retiring the old one (and thus have a spare Windows license) you can put your Windows on a shiny MacBook Pro.
Just don't buy some no-brand at Fry's electronics or similar. Those places cater to people who know the current alphabet soup jive of performance metrics. You want a brand that trades in loyalty. Those guys are going to balance the CPU with the graphics with the memory and HD size.
posted by TeatimeGrommit at 9:22 AM on October 13, 2007
Others have mentioned Dell and Alienware, both fit the basic bill of companies that won't sell you a monster CPU paired with a VGA card from 1985.
I'd be looking at Lenovo, since they have the highest customer satisfaction of any laptop manufacture. Apple is second, so if you're retiring the old one (and thus have a spare Windows license) you can put your Windows on a shiny MacBook Pro.
Just don't buy some no-brand at Fry's electronics or similar. Those places cater to people who know the current alphabet soup jive of performance metrics. You want a brand that trades in loyalty. Those guys are going to balance the CPU with the graphics with the memory and HD size.
posted by TeatimeGrommit at 9:22 AM on October 13, 2007
Response by poster: Thanks for all the advice. I definitely need a laptop because I travel A LOT. I would like a much bigger screen because I'd actually like to see the EQ world and not have to constantly move around all the open windows (EQ players know what I mean). I also need a CD burner. Lenovo doesn't have a big screen laptop, so it's out. I priced out the Alien and Dell and both were around $4k price. Maybe I'm not adding the right options?
posted by pinkkitty at 10:06 AM on October 13, 2007
posted by pinkkitty at 10:06 AM on October 13, 2007
If you must go laptop, check out . They'll price you out a well-customized 17-inch widescreen beast with better specs than Alienware will give you for around $1800, and that was just from playing around on their site for all of 2 minutes. Good luck!
posted by Rallon at 11:14 AM on October 13, 2007
posted by Rallon at 11:14 AM on October 13, 2007
Not sure how you got to a $4k customization but here's the customization steps for a $2,349 Alienware gaming laptop:
1. Start with Alienware Area-51 M9750 ($1,799)
2. Upgrade chassis to 17" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD with Clearview Technology - Stealth Black +$200
3. Upgrade processor to Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7200 2.0GHz 4MB Cache 667MHz FSB +$150
4. Upgrade memory to 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz - 2 x 1024MB +$150
5. Upgrade optical drive to 8x Dual Layer CD-RW/DVD±RW Burner +$50
Total should be $2,349. After tax and shipping, you should be right around $2,500.
posted by junesix at 8:40 PM on October 13, 2007
1. Start with Alienware Area-51 M9750 ($1,799)
2. Upgrade chassis to 17" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD with Clearview Technology - Stealth Black +$200
3. Upgrade processor to Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7200 2.0GHz 4MB Cache 667MHz FSB +$150
4. Upgrade memory to 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz - 2 x 1024MB +$150
5. Upgrade optical drive to 8x Dual Layer CD-RW/DVD±RW Burner +$50
Total should be $2,349. After tax and shipping, you should be right around $2,500.
posted by junesix at 8:40 PM on October 13, 2007
You can get a whole lot of laptop for $2500 these days. My somewhat recent one is an ASUS. The G2 and the G1 are their gaming line.
I opted for something lighter, but if weight is not a huge concern for you those might be good.
posted by juv3nal at 2:26 AM on October 14, 2007
I opted for something lighter, but if weight is not a huge concern for you those might be good.
posted by juv3nal at 2:26 AM on October 14, 2007
Maybe I just don't know something that everyone else here does, but I've always found the best part of beginner's computer-buying advice to be "avoid Alienware at all costs." I've never seen them sell a computer for less than $300 more than it should cost, and often far more -- you're paying for casemods that look, at best, mildly neat, and it's a massive premium over the real price of the computer.
I'd say that you could probably get a Dell high-end laptop for at least $300-400 less than an Alienware one and get one that's at least as good spec-wise. XPS line isn't too shabby, although I do believe they've switched over to Vista (which is a shame, really).
posted by DoctorFedora at 3:13 PM on October 14, 2007
I'd say that you could probably get a Dell high-end laptop for at least $300-400 less than an Alienware one and get one that's at least as good spec-wise. XPS line isn't too shabby, although I do believe they've switched over to Vista (which is a shame, really).
posted by DoctorFedora at 3:13 PM on October 14, 2007
FYI Alienware and Sager both sell rebranded Clevos. See also.
posted by juv3nal at 3:35 PM on October 14, 2007
posted by juv3nal at 3:35 PM on October 14, 2007
I love my MacBook Pro 17", but that's a bit out of the price range, though much less than $4k. (bit under 3k).
17" generally reduces options considerably and raises cost on what options remain. Your current machine is 15", correct? Out of blazing performance, under $2,500 and large size you can pick any two.
posted by TeatimeGrommit at 6:12 PM on October 14, 2007
17" generally reduces options considerably and raises cost on what options remain. Your current machine is 15", correct? Out of blazing performance, under $2,500 and large size you can pick any two.
posted by TeatimeGrommit at 6:12 PM on October 14, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
If you can afford to go a little heaver on the weight (8 to 9 lbs), there are many nice 17" laptops out there designed specifically for gaming, though the heat and weight may crush your lap. For example, the Alienware Area-51 m9750 for $1800 or the Dell XPS M1710 for $2000 both are more than capable of running as much video and games as you'd need. I am willing to bet that there is a much cheaper laptop out there as well.
posted by trim17 at 8:07 AM on October 13, 2007