Help me buy a new notebook computer!
April 8, 2009 3:03 PM Subscribe
My desktop computer has just died so I'm thinking of finally buying a notebook to replace it. Problem is, I know very little about the notebook 'scene' and have no real idea what's good and what's not. Out of all the notebooks available from here, which one would you get? My budget is $2000 but I'd go as high as $2500 if there was a compelling reason to do so. And if there's any extra accessories I'm really going to need, let me know. Thanks!
Response by poster: Yeah, I should probably say what I plan on using it for, shouldn't I? *facepalm*
For the most part, I'll use it to surf the net and maybe use it as a media server to serve videos to my PS3. I'll definitely be doing a lot of writing on it as well.
But I do also like to play PC games. I have The Orange Box for the PC and want to finish that at some point as well as Neverwinter Nights 2 (which ran too slow on my Desktop to be playable) and I think at some point I'd like to play Crysis.
Thanks in advance for all your help!
posted by Effigy2000 at 3:08 PM on April 8, 2009
For the most part, I'll use it to surf the net and maybe use it as a media server to serve videos to my PS3. I'll definitely be doing a lot of writing on it as well.
But I do also like to play PC games. I have The Orange Box for the PC and want to finish that at some point as well as Neverwinter Nights 2 (which ran too slow on my Desktop to be playable) and I think at some point I'd like to play Crysis.
Thanks in advance for all your help!
posted by Effigy2000 at 3:08 PM on April 8, 2009
Well, I will say that I wouldn't buy a laptop to game on. You can build a top-flight gaming desktop for $1000 now; spending $2500 on a "gaming laptop" seems silly to me when you're paying twice as much for a machine that's going to be a mediocre gaming machine and a mediocre laptop. Have you considered getting two computers? Build a desktop for $1000 and buy a netbook like the Asus Eee for $400 or so.
If you have your heart set on a notebook as your primary computer, I recommend Lenovo Thinkpads; they inherit much of the engineering quality the Thinkpad was known for during its time at IBM. (Much of the ugliness, too, but I value quality over beauty.) You won't find a gaming-oriented Thinkpad, though.
posted by sonic meat machine at 3:16 PM on April 8, 2009 [1 favorite]
If you have your heart set on a notebook as your primary computer, I recommend Lenovo Thinkpads; they inherit much of the engineering quality the Thinkpad was known for during its time at IBM. (Much of the ugliness, too, but I value quality over beauty.) You won't find a gaming-oriented Thinkpad, though.
posted by sonic meat machine at 3:16 PM on April 8, 2009 [1 favorite]
I know it's not on that list, but: MacBook Pro. You can boot into Windows with boot camp to play games without a performance hit.
Sorry I'm that guy, but at least it's out of the way now.
posted by awesomebrad at 3:17 PM on April 8, 2009 [3 favorites]
Sorry I'm that guy, but at least it's out of the way now.
posted by awesomebrad at 3:17 PM on April 8, 2009 [3 favorites]
Unless you're going to buy a Mac, $2500 is a ridiculous amount to spend on a laptop. Scratch that. $2500 is a ridiculous amount to spend on a laptop, and you Mac partisans can stick it. Seriously, you can get a perfectly functional, full-sized laptop for less than $1000.
But no laptop is going to compete with a desktop in terms of gaming experience. Even if you dropped $1000 on a laptop, the $1000-1500 left over will get you a halfway-decent gaming rig, particularly if you keep your old monitor. But if you're looking to use this thing as a server, that suggests that it's going to stay put most of the time, at which point the only advantage of having a laptop is lost, so you might consider ditching the laptop idea altogether and getting a massive monitor with your new gaming deck. $2000 will get you a pretty awesome box even from someplace like AlienWare. Stick with a traditional OEM and $2000 will go a long way.
posted by valkyryn at 3:27 PM on April 8, 2009 [1 favorite]
But no laptop is going to compete with a desktop in terms of gaming experience. Even if you dropped $1000 on a laptop, the $1000-1500 left over will get you a halfway-decent gaming rig, particularly if you keep your old monitor. But if you're looking to use this thing as a server, that suggests that it's going to stay put most of the time, at which point the only advantage of having a laptop is lost, so you might consider ditching the laptop idea altogether and getting a massive monitor with your new gaming deck. $2000 will get you a pretty awesome box even from someplace like AlienWare. Stick with a traditional OEM and $2000 will go a long way.
posted by valkyryn at 3:27 PM on April 8, 2009 [1 favorite]
I bought bought all the components for a kick-ass new Intel i7 desktop system from NewEgg for a little over $1K, and that's with a Nvidia GTX260 video card and 6GB of DDR3 memory and a 10,000RPM hard drive and the whole nine yards - so what sonic meat machine is saying is definitely true.
However, I understand the need for portability. I have a MacBook Pro and I boot into Windows to play games on it. It runs Vista x64 like a champ and so far, it's run every game I've thrown at it.. although I've definitely had to notch the graphics settings from "awesome" down to "OK" on several of them in order to get acceptable performance.
For those keeping track at home, that's $2,500 I spent on a MBP versus the $1K I dropped on a desktop rig that will absolutely crush it when it comes to gaming, and just about everything else.
If you're hell-bent on a laptop, I think Alienware makes some good stuff for gamers and hardcore enthusiasts.
posted by kbanas at 3:28 PM on April 8, 2009
However, I understand the need for portability. I have a MacBook Pro and I boot into Windows to play games on it. It runs Vista x64 like a champ and so far, it's run every game I've thrown at it.. although I've definitely had to notch the graphics settings from "awesome" down to "OK" on several of them in order to get acceptable performance.
For those keeping track at home, that's $2,500 I spent on a MBP versus the $1K I dropped on a desktop rig that will absolutely crush it when it comes to gaming, and just about everything else.
If you're hell-bent on a laptop, I think Alienware makes some good stuff for gamers and hardcore enthusiasts.
posted by kbanas at 3:28 PM on April 8, 2009
$2500? Buy a big external monitor for when you're using it at home.
posted by box at 3:31 PM on April 8, 2009
posted by box at 3:31 PM on April 8, 2009
That is another thing I will say... For a lot of stuff I hook up my MBP to a 24" Dell display (like when I'm raiding in WoW), and believe me, you start doing any gaming at 1920x1200 on an external display and things get real sluggish, real fast with a notebook.
posted by kbanas at 3:32 PM on April 8, 2009
posted by kbanas at 3:32 PM on April 8, 2009
Response by poster: I should say, I'm thinking of buying a desktop to replace my old one as well, but I don't need advice for buying a desktop because I know a bit about them.
However, a notebook is something else I'm considering, but as I said I don't know what a good notebook is. Your advice is helpful, but would be even more helpful if we could just forget about desktops and focus on the notebooks available at the site I linked to (I always shop there for PC related stuff).
posted by Effigy2000 at 3:39 PM on April 8, 2009
However, a notebook is something else I'm considering, but as I said I don't know what a good notebook is. Your advice is helpful, but would be even more helpful if we could just forget about desktops and focus on the notebooks available at the site I linked to (I always shop there for PC related stuff).
posted by Effigy2000 at 3:39 PM on April 8, 2009
Since the OP linked to an AU site, I'm guessing the budget is closer to the $1400-$1800 USD mark.
I'd recommend a Gateway FX gaming notebook- they've been reviewed fairly well and are very price competitive at around $1200 USD, but are fairly large.
posted by wongcorgi at 3:39 PM on April 8, 2009
I'd recommend a Gateway FX gaming notebook- they've been reviewed fairly well and are very price competitive at around $1200 USD, but are fairly large.
posted by wongcorgi at 3:39 PM on April 8, 2009
Also, I browsed through the site you linked. Nothing available stands out as a laptop that you can really play games like Crysis on that are within your budget.
posted by wongcorgi at 3:41 PM on April 8, 2009
posted by wongcorgi at 3:41 PM on April 8, 2009
The thing to bear in mind, and I have learned this to my expense, is that laptops are not gaming machines, despite advertising to the contrary.
The most obvious reason for this is that gaming laptops are tied to their manufacturers for graphics drivers. Laptops have far more precise heat restrictions, based on their specific hardware, and unless you want to risk brownouts, you need to stick to drivers based on your model, which are dependent upon the manufacturer. You can't necessarily run the latest graphics drivers on a laptop as they will not be specific to your machine's limitations.
A laptop that can run Crysis (a hugely intense game, graphically) will be running very hot, not necessarily to your laptops benefit.
There are laptops that are specifically for gaming, but they tend to run at the expensive end of the scale, and they are generally not all they are cracked up to be compared to a desktop of similar power. Plus they are hugely more expensive.
You would do better, in my humble opinion, to buy a gaming desktop and a separate, portable notebook for communication with the world. It will probably cost less all in all than a gaming laptop, plus you have both portability and a GPU when you need it.
posted by Sparx at 3:46 PM on April 8, 2009
The most obvious reason for this is that gaming laptops are tied to their manufacturers for graphics drivers. Laptops have far more precise heat restrictions, based on their specific hardware, and unless you want to risk brownouts, you need to stick to drivers based on your model, which are dependent upon the manufacturer. You can't necessarily run the latest graphics drivers on a laptop as they will not be specific to your machine's limitations.
A laptop that can run Crysis (a hugely intense game, graphically) will be running very hot, not necessarily to your laptops benefit.
There are laptops that are specifically for gaming, but they tend to run at the expensive end of the scale, and they are generally not all they are cracked up to be compared to a desktop of similar power. Plus they are hugely more expensive.
You would do better, in my humble opinion, to buy a gaming desktop and a separate, portable notebook for communication with the world. It will probably cost less all in all than a gaming laptop, plus you have both portability and a GPU when you need it.
posted by Sparx at 3:46 PM on April 8, 2009
Don't forget that laptops have a cost of ownership in terms of warranty and service. Dell has great drop and spill coverage, but once you max that out with the regular warranty you can wind up paying $300 or more just for "oh-shit" coverage.
In other words, if you're truly going to use the laptop as your primary computer and depend on it as you travel the world, you should factor in some kick-ass coverage to the purchase price.
posted by wfrgms at 4:05 PM on April 8, 2009
In other words, if you're truly going to use the laptop as your primary computer and depend on it as you travel the world, you should factor in some kick-ass coverage to the purchase price.
posted by wfrgms at 4:05 PM on April 8, 2009
N'thing the advice to get a desktop for gaming and cheap notebook for portability. With your budget, this is well within your means, especially if you build your own desktop (and ESPECIALLY if you can salvage any parts from your older system (hard drive, monitor, network card, keyboard, etc.)). You could spend $1000~ish USD for a desktop able to play Crysis in full HD, and spend the rest on a nice, portable netbook (e.g., the Eee PC).
If you decide to go with a notebook that can handle gaming, http://www.gamedude.com.au/prod_show.php?art_no=nbASm51va_ap142c looks good. I'd throw another GB of RAM in there (2 GB if you're going to run 64-bit Windows), but that's about it. The ATI HD3650 is far from the greatest video card, but it will be fine. Just recognize that gaming on a notebook will not be amazing unless you're willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money. I get the feeling, however, that you'd be happy playing Crysis on a low resolution as long as it was smooth. If this is the case, get that laptop. I've managed to play Crysis Warhead (admittedly a little easier on graphics cards than straight Crysis but I digress....) on a 128MB nVidia 8400M GS, and had no real complaints.
For notebook reviews, I recommend http://www.notebookcheck.net/
For ideas on custom desktop builds, see Ars Technica or Toms Hardware.
posted by isnotchicago at 4:12 PM on April 8, 2009
If you decide to go with a notebook that can handle gaming, http://www.gamedude.com.au/prod_show.php?art_no=nbASm51va_ap142c looks good. I'd throw another GB of RAM in there (2 GB if you're going to run 64-bit Windows), but that's about it. The ATI HD3650 is far from the greatest video card, but it will be fine. Just recognize that gaming on a notebook will not be amazing unless you're willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money. I get the feeling, however, that you'd be happy playing Crysis on a low resolution as long as it was smooth. If this is the case, get that laptop. I've managed to play Crysis Warhead (admittedly a little easier on graphics cards than straight Crysis but I digress....) on a 128MB nVidia 8400M GS, and had no real complaints.
For notebook reviews, I recommend http://www.notebookcheck.net/
For ideas on custom desktop builds, see Ars Technica or Toms Hardware.
posted by isnotchicago at 4:12 PM on April 8, 2009
wfrgms: In other words, if you're truly going to use the laptop as your primary computer and depend on it as you travel the world, you should factor in some kick-ass coverage to the purchase price.
Also, n'thing this. Fixing anything besides bad RAM or a busted hard drive is likely to cost you an arm and a leg (and maybe another leg, and a $500....), so without a doubt get as much coverage as you can afford. Well, on the other hand, coverage can get pretty pricey on its own, so weigh the cost of the coverage versus the cost of the system. But I recommend at least get a few years of parts/labor coverage. Especially if you're gaming (you never know when that 90 degree Celsius card is going to cause some crucial piece on the other side of your motherboard to overheat).
posted by isnotchicago at 4:17 PM on April 8, 2009
Also, n'thing this. Fixing anything besides bad RAM or a busted hard drive is likely to cost you an arm and a leg (and maybe another leg, and a $500....), so without a doubt get as much coverage as you can afford. Well, on the other hand, coverage can get pretty pricey on its own, so weigh the cost of the coverage versus the cost of the system. But I recommend at least get a few years of parts/labor coverage. Especially if you're gaming (you never know when that 90 degree Celsius card is going to cause some crucial piece on the other side of your motherboard to overheat).
posted by isnotchicago at 4:17 PM on April 8, 2009
If you do decide to go with a laptop, make sure you have a monitor you can hook it up to for prolonged writing/surfing sessions.
Hunching over a laptop for hours == crazy neck pain.
posted by burntflowers at 4:32 PM on April 8, 2009
Hunching over a laptop for hours == crazy neck pain.
posted by burntflowers at 4:32 PM on April 8, 2009
External keyboard and mouse + two bricks and a plank = much less than external monitor.
posted by flabdablet at 5:14 PM on April 8, 2009
posted by flabdablet at 5:14 PM on April 8, 2009
Best answer: Well, if you're limited to buying only from that site (Lenovo has a Australian site...), the only ones I would consider are the Netbooks (The Eee and the Fujitsu netbook). Acer is a disaster, Benq is the most off-brand possible, and HP notebooks look pretty but are possibly the least reliable multi-thousand dollar equipment I have ever had the displeasure of fixing.
posted by sonic meat machine at 6:29 PM on April 8, 2009
posted by sonic meat machine at 6:29 PM on April 8, 2009
When I was in the market for a netbook, I eventually decided on a Lenovo S10. Build quality was the deciding factor.
posted by box at 7:02 PM on April 8, 2009
posted by box at 7:02 PM on April 8, 2009
Response by poster: So none of the MSI machines take your fancy, sonic meat machine?
posted by Effigy2000 at 7:11 PM on April 8, 2009
posted by Effigy2000 at 7:11 PM on April 8, 2009
Best answer: I don't have any experience with MSI as a system builder. They are decent for system internals like video cards and motherboards, but I have no idea who they would turn to for the rest of their machines. Not having seen one in person, I can't judge the build quality fairly.
posted by sonic meat machine at 7:32 PM on April 8, 2009
posted by sonic meat machine at 7:32 PM on April 8, 2009
Thinkpad.
T-series for work. X-series for small. R-series for budget.
Even though they're made by Lenovo, the Thinkpad line is still pretty good. The other laptops from Lenovo... not so much.
posted by porpoise at 8:18 PM on April 8, 2009 [1 favorite]
T-series for work. X-series for small. R-series for budget.
Even though they're made by Lenovo, the Thinkpad line is still pretty good. The other laptops from Lenovo... not so much.
posted by porpoise at 8:18 PM on April 8, 2009 [1 favorite]
I can't vouch for battery life as I'm pretty much always on AC power, but I'm very happy with my Asus.
It's not as small/light/mobile as I would go if I already had a separate desktop for gaming, but if you want something that's somewhat mobile (<6lbs) it's a pretty good compromise.
This looks like the current-day equivalent.
posted by juv3nal at 9:27 PM on April 8, 2009
It's not as small/light/mobile as I would go if I already had a separate desktop for gaming, but if you want something that's somewhat mobile (<6lbs) it's a pretty good compromise.
This looks like the current-day equivalent.
posted by juv3nal at 9:27 PM on April 8, 2009
ThinkPads are solid beasts. I'm writing on one now, and for all intents and purposes it is a desktop equivalent (I do audio processing as well as gaming on it with no problems). I use a T61p and honestly it's the best laptop I've ever come across. I've been using it daily for almost a year now with not even one problem. Highly recommend.
posted by Meagan at 4:23 AM on April 9, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Meagan at 4:23 AM on April 9, 2009 [1 favorite]
If you want to write with it, I'd look for one with a good keyboard. In my mind, nothing, Mac, Dell or HP, mini or full, beats the Lenovo Thinkpad line. I've an X61 and the keyboard on it is better than my desktop ones. The Thinkpads are (still) rock-solid little boxes. We've had six X61s deployed now for near to two years with no problems, using them as full-time desktop replacements. They work great.
If you do decide to go the laptop route though, consider a docking station and bit of extra for a big screen. Makes all the difference for home/long-term use.
posted by bonehead at 6:21 AM on April 9, 2009 [1 favorite]
If you do decide to go the laptop route though, consider a docking station and bit of extra for a big screen. Makes all the difference for home/long-term use.
posted by bonehead at 6:21 AM on April 9, 2009 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: In the end, I discovered that all that had gone wrong with my desktop PC was a dead power supply... which was easily fixable and far cheaper than buying a laptop. So I never ended up buying one.
Still, following sonic meat machine's advice, I did some research and it seems that Fujitsu notebooks aren't too shabby at all. I'm still considering buying a laptop in the coming months, and if I do a Fujitsu seems to be the way to go.
So given that out of all the answers given here sonic meat machine was pretty much the only person who was able to give me a recommendation pursuant to my specifications (a laptop from the linked website only, price range), he gets best answer.
posted by Effigy2000 at 9:58 PM on May 22, 2009
Still, following sonic meat machine's advice, I did some research and it seems that Fujitsu notebooks aren't too shabby at all. I'm still considering buying a laptop in the coming months, and if I do a Fujitsu seems to be the way to go.
So given that out of all the answers given here sonic meat machine was pretty much the only person who was able to give me a recommendation pursuant to my specifications (a laptop from the linked website only, price range), he gets best answer.
posted by Effigy2000 at 9:58 PM on May 22, 2009
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posted by desjardins at 3:05 PM on April 8, 2009