Getting a laptop, what kind should I get?

Discussion in 'Computers and Technology' started by Drumstick, Mar 1, 2010.

  1. Drumstick

    Drumstick Level III

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    Hey everyone, I'm gonna be getting a laptop soon before I'm off to university, but I really don't know what brand I should get/what specs it should have. I really should know what's good by now, I use the computer constantly, and I'm probably gonna end up making my own desktop later in life xD

    Anyway, what brand laptop is best/what specs are good for a pretty avid gamer? =D
     
  2. Freja

    Freja Level IV

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    Depends on how much you plan on spending :D
     
  3. Drumstick

    Drumstick Level III

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    True. I dunno actually, my dad is buying it for me. =/
    Uhh... Suggest a good laptop and post price and I'll ask my dad when I see him how much he's willing to spend. He spoils me though, so I'm not too worried xD
     
  4. Diamond

    Diamond Level I

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    If you really are an avid gamer, I recommend AlienWare computers. I don't know how much they run for but they are custom built with a Windows OS and they are probably very pricey as they are very fast and designer.

    I have a Dell laptop. It's pretty terrible. I mean the first day I got it, it froze. Randomly the screen will freeze and you will have to restart it. Plus it has terrible memory. I don't think its the entire Dell brand that sucks, but maybe just the one I have (Vostro). Well it was cheap whatever...
     
  5. Heather

    Heather Level IV

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    I just got a Dell not too long ago and I LOVE it! I prefer it over the HPs that I've had in the past. I'm not really sure which brand you should get for a gaming laptop, but all I know is I do NOT recommend an HP XD
     
  6. Junior

    Junior Administrator
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    Heh Thats funny.. Getting a Laptop for Uni.. Avid gamer... Pretty sure you should get something that wont run games ;) That way you wont be distracted :p

    Aaanyway, HP in general are really good reliable laptops in my experience. There are some over heating problems in one model (unsure which one...) but get a stand for it and you should be fine. I've got the dv5 model which I got for study, however it runs games fine. Short battery life though, so make sure you get a good battery in whatever laptop you do decide to get.

    As for a good gaming Laptop, alienware all the way.
    http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dkcwqt1&cs=19&c=US&l=EN&m_29=S1OSYT&m_11=VB61E7&dgc=CJ&cid=24471&lid=566643&acd=10550055-1647752-

    Build one there, starting at what I'd considering not a bad price.. (but I paid about $3,000 for my laptop :p)
    One thing I'd upgrade from the base would be graphcis card, harddrive, ram and battery. IF you had the extra money the processor. But even the base model without these addition would be a decent gambing laptop. But with all the extra's, it is just... well, amazing.

    And they look cool as well!

    As for price: starts at $1700 - $6000 depending on the mods :p
     
  7. Drumstick

    Drumstick Level III

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    Mmk, so HP is good for just regular stuff, and alienware for gaming. I may have to settle with an HP as my dad probably won't spend THAT much on a laptop for me :p
     
  8. knocturne

    knocturne Level I

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    Honestly, i would have to recommend a Macbook Pro.

    I have had NO problems with my macbook pro, and it's like 3 years old now AND the new ones are wayyy better.

    The ONLY problems i ever had with it were with the WINDOWS that i dual booted onto it. I got a trojan and had to reinstall my windows portion once.

    If you haven't tried the Mac OS X Snow Leopard, you really should.
     
  9. PrinceErik

    PrinceErik Level IV

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    The overheating on HPs is the g60 series I would assume since i have one and before I got a cool pad, it would burn my legs so bad and I had some hardware get burnt out. But other than that, I love my HP
     
  10. Zer0

    Zer0 Level IV

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    I'd say HP is a good choice if you're looking for an economical laptop. They're relatively cheap in my experience. However they come with their share of design problems (overheating, etc).

    Dells are usually pretty solidly built, though they come with a hefty price tag. Not really worth it IMO.

    There are tons of other brands out there that you should look into before buying though. Here's a wonderful site that'll let you browse through various laptop specs and prices: http://reviews.cnet.com/laptop-reviews/
    They don't have every laptop in existence listed, but its definitely a great starting point. :)
     
  11. tharoux

    tharoux Level IV

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    Maybe it's different for other countries, but in canada, there's always a discount somewhere. Last time, my friend picked up one for 359 CAD shipped at his door.

    The Inspiron 1545 is 379$ US as we speak.

    Or if you can get your hand on a used Latitude D830, the "D" series are the most durable laptop I've ever see. 90% of laptops big companies uses are Dell. You can't go wrong.
     
  12. Phee

    Phee Moderator
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    I just went through the same thing myself :) look on the site techbargains.com as well as gizmodo's deals of the day; I ordered a HP dv6tfor $970. i7 processor with 2.8Ghz, 4gb ram, 500gb hard drive, Windows 7, 15.6" screen..yeah. It was already $150 off in a sale, and I found a $250 coupon code. So look around! Look at specs, not brand names or gimmicky things.
     
  13. Guitarplayer1955

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    Whatever you do don't get an acer they are junk! Go with something name brand like Dell or Toshiba. They both make nice laptops.
     
  14. marmadukian

    marmadukian Newbie

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    I'm going to second getting a macbook. Macs can play games just as good, if not better than most of the windows laptops.

    Plus they are really light, and very energy efficient.
     
  15. Phee

    Phee Moderator
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    ...and really really expensive. Seriously, look at the specs. Outdated Core 2 Duo processor, crappy 2 GB ram, only 250 GB HD. For a grand. No.
     
  16. lolcow

    lolcow Level III

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    Brand does matter though. Some companies -coughcough- shit more bricks out than others do
     
  17. jaylon_90

    jaylon_90 Level II

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    It'd really help if you found out how much your dad is willing to spend... budget to start somewhere. >.< Go HP (My suggestion)