Zorax needs a Laptop...

[ZoraxDoom]

And would like some help and suggestions


This laptop is to last me for 4-6 years, and will be used extensively for gaming purposes, and then for college use in the field of engineering.

What I would like is a Latpop with a large hard disk, and I mean LARGE. Around over 100 GB with possible. I don't know if that is available in a Laptop, all I know is that the standard for desktops now days is 80 GB, so I'd like something larger.

Then for RAM. About 1 GB+ of RAM would be great. Again, I'm going by Desktops, so that's about what I would like.

For processing speed, as high as possible, but 3 GHz would be the minimum I guess. My desktop has a processing speed of 1.69 GHz at the moment, and it's pretty old, so I think 3+ is reasonable.

It should also have a nifty graphics card and drivers, but I'm not to fussed about sound cards and audio drivers.

I don't mind how big or small the screen is, and how heavy or light it is (Although light is preferred). I would also like to avoid getting a Mac, just in case the softwares I need aren't compatible. My friend (I'd be asking him all this if he wasn't in Pakistan at the moment!) told me that you could install windows in a Mac, so if no other Laptop fits this description then I'll be okay on a Mac. I also want to avoid Alienware, I know it's great for gaming, but I'll be needing this for other uses as well.

As for price range, I guess there is none as I'll be using this for a long time, and so will need a high-end one, but to be safe lets set it at 3,000 Dirhams (USD$ 820, GBP 430, about 30,000 rupees)

So, any suggestions?

 

[pingusten]

OK, I found a rather nice one on Laptop's Direct, a UK site. Now I'm not to sure what type of gaming you're going to want to do, but obviously price shoots up once the card get better.

The one I found was an Asus X70L. (http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Asus_X70L_Laptop_X70L-7S021C/version.asp)

Specs:-

# Processor - Intel Pentium Dual Core T2370 1.73 GHz Dual-Core
# RAM - 2 GB
# Hard Drive - 160 GB
# Operating System - Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
# Screen - 17 in TFT active matrix
# Optical Drive - DVDRW / DVD-RAM
# Graphics - Intel GMA X3100

The price is £430 on the button.

With the dual core, you'll get much higher performance than a single core, and 2GB of RAM is excellent for your needs. However, the Intel card is a bit rubbish, but the price rises heavily once you choose a better one. Basically it depends on what games you'd like to play.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Games like FIFA, ICC, Sim City. ICC and Sim City run okay on Intel, but FIFA will be a bit of a problem I guess.
EDIT: Also TAOC and Counter Strike. Both should work on Intel.

Dual Core is good, yup. Excellent laptop this. The sites great too, I'm gonna browse a bit more...

Oh, and is it possible to install another graphics card into a laptop, or are you stuck with the standard one?

ZoraxDoom added 19 Minutes and 13 Seconds later...

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Toshiba_Satellite_A200-244_PSAE6E-0E702YEN/version.asp

This is pretty decent too.

Graphics - ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2400 - 128 MB

200 GB Harddisk, 2 GB RAM, Duel Core processor, smaller than the Asus - 1.66. Smaller screen. Same price...

 

[SciD]

Check out this baby

http://www.velocitymicro.com/wizard.php?iid=147

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Thats like 4 times my budget mate

 

[SciD]

Thats like 4 times my budget mate

Then go for HP laptops. There are ones costing around 55000 INR and have NVidia 8400 as Graphics card which play almost all games.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

55,000 rupees is a bit steep too. I'm looking for 30,000, maybe 35,000 rupees.

The Toshiba one I found has a Radeon graphics card, I guess thats pretty good.

 

[SciD]

For that range gaming pleasure will have to be sacrificed.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Well, it depends. The games I look to play are FIFA, ICC, TAOC, Counter Strike and Sim City.
I know Sim City will work, as will ICC and CS. It's FIFA and TAOC I'm a bit concerned about.

Also, would it be possible just to buy a better graphics card seperately and install it, or is that not feasible? Cause I could always get a better card after a few years.

 

[SciD]

Then go for Compaq one. Cost 36000 INR and is small cousin of HP Pavillion that I have.

 

[pingusten]

Well, it depends. The games I look to play are FIFA, ICC, TAOC, Counter Strike and Sim City.
I know Sim City will work, as will ICC and CS. It's FIFA and TAOC I'm a bit concerned about.

Also, would it be possible just to buy a better graphics card seperately and install it, or is that not feasible? Cause I could always get a better card after a few years.

Thats the only problem with laptops. There upgradeability is suspect, so its hard to find any which are easy to upgrade.

The Asus C90 is upgradeable, but widely out of your price range, something crazy like ?1000.

For the games aspect, I think that Toshiba you looked at is much better in terms of that. The new FIFA might just be more demanding, but you'll have more chance of running it on there than my suggestion.

 

[Kshitiz_Indian]

The 2400 should be quite easily kicking the 8400GS's a** as far as I know. The 2400 was supposed to be competing with 8500GT I think, 8400GS is half the power of it. It should be okay nevertheless, FIFA should be fine on it, but then its a 2400 so you can't actually predict its lifetime.

Are there any laptops around with 9500 series yet?

Btw, expecting 3 Ghz from a laptop would be like expecting rain in antartica.

I would strongly recommend you to look towards a desktop, which would fit your price range and needs easily. Finding a laptop looks like a near impossible task for a gaming machine, laptops aren't meant for gaming anyways. If portability isn't an issue, its a desktop all the way. Much better processing power, GPU power and upgradeibility. Get a 9600GT or something like that (3870 would do too) along with a 2 Ghz E2180 which is madly OC'ed, with a decent P35 board like Abit IP35-E, and you should be in for a beast of a machine, kicking away at each and every game, that's what I do. And its all pretty damn cheap.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

It has to be a laptop, cause I'll be taking it to college in a few years. The Desktop works fine and will be staying at home.

 

[sid_19840]

For your budget I'd suggest an HP Compaq or maybe a Dell with a slightly higher price range.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

HP Compaq sounds okay, and I like that Toshiba one too.

Will probably take a friend with me and browse all these computer stores for a decent laptop too.