Just wanted to poke the collective brain of diablofans on a subject. I'm in the market for a new laptop since my old one failed. My budget is $1,000. I want to be able to play Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 (when it comes out), so I figure I will be getting a gaming laptop. These are also probably the only computer games I will care to play on it, so I don't need to be going overboard by getting the highest-end rig out there. That being said, I do want to be able to play at fairly high detail settings.
I haven't been keeping up with the latest computer technology, never had a gaming computer before, and I'm a total noob on the subject, but I did my homework and here are the specs I think I should pay particular attention to:
Processor:
Dual-core 2 GHz or faster. Noob question: Is the 2 GHz "per core"? So is it really like 4 GHz speed if it says "2 GHz dual-core processor"?
Graphics card:
NVIDA GeForce GTS 360M or better / ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 or better. Not sure what 1GB GDDR5 means but pretty sure I need that too.
Memory:
4GB RAM. Is 8GB really necessary?
Any comments/suggestions so far? Any other specs I should pay particular attention to for gaming?
Any suggestion on graphics cards? Any particular graphics cards I should stay away from?
My last laptop had overheating issues whenever I tried playing any games - ways around this?
Any brand recommendations? Toshiba is reliable in my experience. I've heard ASUS is quality for its price.
Any brands I should avoid? I've had bad experiences with two different HP's. I'm avoiding Alienware b/c I feel like you're paying for the name + bells/whistles.
The laptop in the link you posted will play SC2 on full settings.
Yes, that's true as far as the processor goes. Mind you, though, that the larger the cash, the more "relaxed", and ultimately, the faster your processor is. 3MB cache is meh, but it's still a great processor. I have the Q6600 Core2Quad, and it's still great, so the i5 should give you absolutely no trouble.
8GB is overkill if D3 and SC2 are the only games you want to play. 8 is still more than enough for any game that's out now, anyway.
The card in the link you posted is great for a laptop. Notice the recommended requirements listed for games nowadays don't exceed the 8800 GTX. The card in that laptop is more advance, so it's solid.
I don't know about that, I suck with laptops.
Eh, Toshiba isn't that bad, I guess. Laptops age in dog years, so don't expect your laptop to still be top notch (hardware wise, and performance wise) 4 years from now. They fucking age in dog years, dude. That's why I stick with desktops.
Alienware are overpriced pieces of shit. Toshiba, Sony, and Dell are solid, I believe.
This isnt known as a gaming laptop, but for around a 1000$ I bought the hp envy 14 a few months ago. It runs sc2 on high graphics no problem, and is also perfect for school/work.
Edit: it uses a 5650 which is less than you were looking for.
Says the person that doesn't have one... just like people who don't have iPhones. They rip on them just because THEY can't get one.
Trust me dude, if you can afford an Alienware it's totally worth it. I absolutely love mine.
That logic is completely off the mark. Completely. If I hate something, I hate it for a reason. If I hate a certain car, it doesn't mean that I hate it because I don't have, can't afford it, or whatever. Alienware are overpriced pieces of shit. You can get the exact same laptop for like, 800$ less. If you want to pay 800$ more for...well, nothing, then be my guest, but I'm not willing to do that myself.
I can certainly get one. I built my own PC two years back, and it cost me around 1600$. That would've gotten me a decent Alienware. I didn't want decent. I got one of the best rigs back then, and it's still performing very very well. If I actually wanted to get one, I'd go out and get one right now. I'd get a job, get some cash from my family, and get one. I don't get why people think that other people dislike/slag things just because they can't own them. They don't own them BECAUSE they dislike them. They don't dislike them because they own them, and just decided that they don't like them. Tell me what Alienware offers to justify increasing a laptop's price about 30-45 %.
Agree with what has been said about Alienware being shit.
They're overpriced and overrated. Just custom build a laptop of your own if you're somewhat computer savvy. It saves you immense amounts of money if you order each part individually and slap them together yourself, retailers rip you off so hardcore.
Also, if you're not entirely sold on a gaming laptop, I'd definitely recommend a gaming desktop. MUCH cheaper, and generally, you can get better specs on a desktop.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Quote from "Sixen" »
"One in every 10 million people can potentially have a headache from this pill." God forbid she is the 0.000000001% of having a headache.
Alright guys, let's stay on topic. Let's all agree that alienware is "expensive" compared to another rig of similar components. For myself, I'm staying away from alienware, but if you have one, great, I'm not knocking on you.
Thanks for the comments and suggestions so far. Meph, mucho props. Noventa, thanks for the link - I'm hesitant to go with refurbished though, only b/c I've had a bad experience with a refurbished hp (it worked just past the 30- or 60-day warranty and then started to systematically crap out). I didn't see anything about the 1 year no-questions-asked warranty, so I'm guessing it's just for new asus laptops.
(his guest post was above - added to post here)
I love when people say alienware is crap... there is nothing different under the hood than any other brand. alienware doesn't make hard drives .. or vid cards or any hardware at all. What they do it use top end hard ware and put it together for a more expensive price than if you built the system yourself. ... Your an idiot if you say alien is crap because the only difference is the price and an awesome warranty. .. not the quality. And whoever said asus is better than alienware is like saying a dodge neon is better than dodge cobra. asus is the cheapest price crap right along side gateway. Those companies charge low for their systems because they use the lowest end hardware they can get their hands on then make slaves wire the crap together.
Buying computers is like buying cars. Some people have money to spend and they buy 100,000$ cars because they can. It's that simple. If you're on a budget then you're on a budget and you buy what you can afford. That goes for anything. But if we were all rich we would be pissing our money away on whatever interest we had, weather it was computers, cars, girls, tools, boats whatever.
Is alienware over priced??? Yes because it's at the top of the market and some people don't mind paying for the best.
Can you build the same system for way cheaper? Yes but most people don't know how and would rather get a 3 year warranty from alienware.
Because you can build a cheaper system means alienware is crap?? WRONG ... alienware builds with the best and NEWEST components on the market. When new vidcards hit the market alienware has them first for months even before Dell starts building with them or HP or any of the other companies.
you kids need to get your facts strait before you just jump on the bandwagon of hate. If you say alienware is crap your just pissing on all pc's and need to go play on the mac. The hardware inside including wire harnesses are of mid to high end quality.
---
I agree with Zhar. Try and build one. A desktop at that. You can get more for your money that way. Alienware is not crap though guys. I hate to burst your bubbles. It's just over priced. I paid good money for mine and love every cent, because I worked hard at getting a great job and I make decent money. I guess It's a way of rewarding myself for all the hard work I've done in life. Anyway the thing runs like a champ and doesn't even break a sweat. I've pretty much run every game on the highest setting with no problems. These computers aren't for everyone though. Buy what you can afford if you're tight on cash though bro. Alienware computers are kinda like for enthusiasts.
---
ya don't get a HP laptop they overheat all the time because they are made with crap airflow and get cluttered with dust all the time. My fiance an I have one at home.
I love when people say alienware is crap... there is nothing different under the hood than any other brand......... What they do it use top end hard ware and put it together for a more expensive price than if you built the system yourself.
Which is why Alienware is crap.
I'd rather save myself a couple hundred bucks and buy the parts myself, then pay an extra 400 for the same shit, a shiny logo, and a warranty.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Quote from "Sixen" »
"One in every 10 million people can potentially have a headache from this pill." God forbid she is the 0.000000001% of having a headache.
I love when people say alienware is crap... there is nothing different under the hood than any other brand. alienware doesn't make hard drives .. or vid cards or any hardware at all. What they do it use top end hard ware and put it together for a more expensive price than if you built the system yourself. ... Your an idiot if you say alien is crap because the only difference is the price and an awesome warranty. .. not the quality. And whoever said asus is better than alienware is like saying a dodge neon is better than dodge cobra. asus is the cheapest price crap right along side gateway. Those companies charge low for their systems because they use the lowest end hardware they can get their hands on then make slaves wire the crap together.
Buying computers is like buying cars. Some people have money to spend and they buy 100,000$ cars because they can. It's that simple. If you're on a budget then you're on a budget and you buy what you can afford. That goes for anything. But if we were all rich we would be pissing our money away on whatever interest we had, weather it was computers, cars, girls, tools, boats whatever.
Is alienware over priced??? Yes because it's at the top of the market and some people don't mind paying for the best.
Can you build the same system for way cheaper? Yes but most people don't know how and would rather get a 3 year warranty from alienware.
Because you can build a cheaper system means alienware is crap?? WRONG ... alienware builds with the best and NEWEST components on the market. When new vidcards hit the market alienware has them first for months even before Dell starts building with them or HP or any of the other companies.
you kids need to get your facts strait before you just jump on the bandwagon of hate. If you say alienware is crap your just pissing on all pc's and need to go play on the mac. The hardware inside including wire harnesses are of mid to high end quality.
I don't know where you live, but here, in a 3rd world country, you can get any guy who knows how to put a PC together, to put your parts together for 10$. Yeah, 10. That's pretty cheap. High end parts have a very low probability of just failing in the first 3 years. My PC hasn't flinched in 2 years. Alienware knows this, but people don't, that's why they're like "OMG, ALIENWARE IS AT THE TOP OF THE MARKET..AAAAAAAAND THEY HAVE A 3 YEAR WARRANTY!". Big whoop. I'm not paying 800$ extra for a 3 year warranty which in 98% of the cases, I won't even use, and for shabby aesthetics that look like shit anyway. Big whoop on them having the video cards first. You're dumb if you run and get the newest card right away. You're not gonna need it, since cards generations ago can play the most demanding games. 2 months ago, the 480 GTX was like, 730$ here. Now it's about 520$. I didn't need it back then, I don't right now. I'll get it when its price drops down to 250-300$, and by then, I STILL wouldn't really need it, because by then, a 150-200$ will STILL play any game released that year. If you care that much about top notch hardware, that either means you use them for your work, or you play very demanding games, which in turn means you're really into graphics. So LOL. Who gives a shit how shiny a building is, or if the water is very reflective, or if the milk coming out of the hooker's tits is in high definition, or some shit? I know I don't. I know I wouldn't spend a LOT of money so I can see proper colloidal dispersion in the milk coming of the hooker's tits. I can pay 20$ can get the real thing, brah.
I know Zhar. You have to remember that most people either can't build one or just like buying nice things. That's no reason to knock the company. Let's be honest, I'm sure if everyone was trying to save little bit of money instead of saving of for things they admire, companies like Alienware and Lamborghini would be out of jobs. Pretty much all of the most awesome things in the world are expensive. People don't need to drive a Lamborghini .. they could get to work on a bicycle lol. Get my point?
lol @ milk coming from Mephisto's hooker's tits.
on the vid card topic tho ... brah lol... buying a vid card with specs that you Need just means you're going to replace it sooner. The more bad ass vid card you have the less work it will have to do. Less stress on chip sets = longer life. It's easy math. If each tire of your car had an engine pushing it then it would be move easier. You should buy things to last and not things that get you one more day. That's why most of the world is poor. They would rather buy cheap crap that breaks and have to keep replacing with more cheap crap rather than save up and buy nice things that last a while. You'll notice that MOST rich people have old Expensive cars because its more savvy in the long run...
I know Zhar. You have to remember that most people either can't build one or just like buying nice things. That's no reason to knock the company. Let's be honest, I'm sure if everyone was trying to save little bit of money instead of saving of for things they admire, companies like Alienware and Lamborghini would be out of jobs. Pretty much all of the most awesome things in the world are expensive. People don't need to drive a Lamborghini .. they could get to work on a bicycle lol. Get my point?
lol @ milk coming from Mephisto's hooker's tits.
on the vid card topic tho ... brah lol... buying a vid card with specs that you Need just means you're going to replace it sooner. The more bad ass vid card you have the less work it will have to do. Less stress on chip sets = longer life. It's easy math. If each tire of your car had an engine pushing it then it would be move easier. You should buy things to last and not things that get you one more day. That's why most of the world is poor. They would rather buy cheap crap that breaks and have to keep replacing with more cheap crap rather than save up and buy nice things that last a while. You'll notice that MOST rich people have old Expensive cars because its more savvy in the long run...
My (now) cheap 8800 GTX is doing fine. It was owned by a friend before, too. It doesn't overheat, it's not noisy, it's still pristine. Until it fucks up, I'm sticking with my argument. WHEN it fucks up. Maybe then I'll get a 285 GTX or something, and not replace it until 8 years later, or something.
The prices for the Alienwares online are NOT the actual prices you pay. That seems to be what people immedietely base their conclusions on. I was ready to pay $2200 for my laptop (completely decked out with everything in every way, shape and form), but when I called them they knocked it down to $1800 like it's assumed. So instead of getting into the reasons why it's worth your money, I just want to let you guys know your NOT actually paying THAT much. If you buy a car for the actual price it's listed, that's your own fault. (That would be a metaphor)
Hey, thanks! That definitely is the best deal I've seen out there for a gaming laptop. I'm a little nervous about it being refurbished (as my experience with a refurbished HP sucked), but I've heard good things about ASUS. Also, I suppose if they send me a lemon I will know about it within 30 days of using it. Sold! <crosses fingers>
I got my ASUS laptop for christmas, I got it with a 3-year warranty so the final price was about $1000. But my god is it built. It's hit the floor from a 4-foot height on 3 occasions, and it's fine. Works perfectly.
Still not sure if the warranty was worth it. We'll see how many drops it can take before it craps out. xD
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"There's no doughnuts in Diablo. Oohhhh, I just threw it down. BlizzCon exclusive: no doughnuts. -Jay Wilson
Jesus Christ, if you want to play games get a fucking desktop.
Laptops are inferior in every single way, despite being portable.
You're not going to grab your laptop and head over to a café and play Metro 2033, that's just silly, and being a douchebag.
Whoa, easy there big guy!
Work, travel, and convenience were just some of the many criteria that went into my decision to go with a laptop.
Your opinion on desktops, while valid, is entirely unsolicited. But thank you for enlightening us all.
Just wanted to poke the collective brain of diablofans on a subject. I'm in the market for a new laptop since my old one failed. My budget is $1,000. I want to be able to play Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 (when it comes out), so I figure I will be getting a gaming laptop. These are also probably the only computer games I will care to play on it, so I don't need to be going overboard by getting the highest-end rig out there. That being said, I do want to be able to play at fairly high detail settings.
I haven't been keeping up with the latest computer technology, never had a gaming computer before, and I'm a total noob on the subject, but I did my homework and here are the specs I think I should pay particular attention to:
Processor:
Dual-core 2 GHz or faster. Noob question: Is the 2 GHz "per core"? So is it really like 4 GHz speed if it says "2 GHz dual-core processor"?
Graphics card:
NVIDA GeForce GTS 360M or better / ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 or better. Not sure what 1GB GDDR5 means but pretty sure I need that too.
Memory:
4GB RAM. Is 8GB really necessary?
Any comments/suggestions so far? Any other specs I should pay particular attention to for gaming?
Any suggestion on graphics cards? Any particular graphics cards I should stay away from?
My last laptop had overheating issues whenever I tried playing any games - ways around this?
Any brand recommendations? Toshiba is reliable in my experience. I've heard ASUS is quality for its price.
Any brands I should avoid? I've had bad experiences with two different HP's. I'm avoiding Alienware b/c I feel like you're paying for the name + bells/whistles.
Can something like this do what I want it to? http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11538890&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|84|90366|56670|78129&N=4045270&Mo=57&pos=0&No=15&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=78129&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC10590-Cat56670&topnav
I would greatly appreciate any helpful comments/suggestions you guys can give. Thanks in advance.
Yes, that's true as far as the processor goes. Mind you, though, that the larger the cash, the more "relaxed", and ultimately, the faster your processor is. 3MB cache is meh, but it's still a great processor. I have the Q6600 Core2Quad, and it's still great, so the i5 should give you absolutely no trouble.
8GB is overkill if D3 and SC2 are the only games you want to play. 8 is still more than enough for any game that's out now, anyway.
The card in the link you posted is great for a laptop. Notice the recommended requirements listed for games nowadays don't exceed the 8800 GTX. The card in that laptop is more advance, so it's solid.
I don't know about that, I suck with laptops.
Eh, Toshiba isn't that bad, I guess. Laptops age in dog years, so don't expect your laptop to still be top notch (hardware wise, and performance wise) 4 years from now. They fucking age in dog years, dude. That's why I stick with desktops.
Alienware are overpriced pieces of shit. Toshiba, Sony, and Dell are solid, I believe.
Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions
Trust me dude, if you can afford an Alienware it's totally worth it. I absolutely love mine.
Edit: it uses a 5650 which is less than you were looking for.
That logic is completely off the mark. Completely. If I hate something, I hate it for a reason. If I hate a certain car, it doesn't mean that I hate it because I don't have, can't afford it, or whatever. Alienware are overpriced pieces of shit. You can get the exact same laptop for like, 800$ less. If you want to pay 800$ more for...well, nothing, then be my guest, but I'm not willing to do that myself.
I can certainly get one. I built my own PC two years back, and it cost me around 1600$. That would've gotten me a decent Alienware. I didn't want decent. I got one of the best rigs back then, and it's still performing very very well. If I actually wanted to get one, I'd go out and get one right now. I'd get a job, get some cash from my family, and get one. I don't get why people think that other people dislike/slag things just because they can't own them. They don't own them BECAUSE they dislike them. They don't dislike them because they own them, and just decided that they don't like them. Tell me what Alienware offers to justify increasing a laptop's price about 30-45 %.
Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions
They're overpriced and overrated. Just custom build a laptop of your own if you're somewhat computer savvy. It saves you immense amounts of money if you order each part individually and slap them together yourself, retailers rip you off so hardcore.
Also, if you're not entirely sold on a gaming laptop, I'd definitely recommend a gaming desktop. MUCH cheaper, and generally, you can get better specs on a desktop.
Thanks for the comments and suggestions so far. Meph, mucho props. Noventa, thanks for the link - I'm hesitant to go with refurbished though, only b/c I've had a bad experience with a refurbished hp (it worked just past the 30- or 60-day warranty and then started to systematically crap out). I didn't see anything about the 1 year no-questions-asked warranty, so I'm guessing it's just for new asus laptops.
I love when people say alienware is crap... there is nothing different under the hood than any other brand. alienware doesn't make hard drives .. or vid cards or any hardware at all. What they do it use top end hard ware and put it together for a more expensive price than if you built the system yourself. ... Your an idiot if you say alien is crap because the only difference is the price and an awesome warranty. .. not the quality. And whoever said asus is better than alienware is like saying a dodge neon is better than dodge cobra. asus is the cheapest price crap right along side gateway. Those companies charge low for their systems because they use the lowest end hardware they can get their hands on then make slaves wire the crap together.
Buying computers is like buying cars. Some people have money to spend and they buy 100,000$ cars because they can. It's that simple. If you're on a budget then you're on a budget and you buy what you can afford. That goes for anything. But if we were all rich we would be pissing our money away on whatever interest we had, weather it was computers, cars, girls, tools, boats whatever.
Is alienware over priced??? Yes because it's at the top of the market and some people don't mind paying for the best.
Can you build the same system for way cheaper? Yes but most people don't know how and would rather get a 3 year warranty from alienware.
Because you can build a cheaper system means alienware is crap?? WRONG ... alienware builds with the best and NEWEST components on the market. When new vidcards hit the market alienware has them first for months even before Dell starts building with them or HP or any of the other companies.
you kids need to get your facts strait before you just jump on the bandwagon of hate. If you say alienware is crap your just pissing on all pc's and need to go play on the mac. The hardware inside including wire harnesses are of mid to high end quality.
---
I agree with Zhar. Try and build one. A desktop at that. You can get more for your money that way. Alienware is not crap though guys. I hate to burst your bubbles. It's just over priced. I paid good money for mine and love every cent, because I worked hard at getting a great job and I make decent money. I guess It's a way of rewarding myself for all the hard work I've done in life. Anyway the thing runs like a champ and doesn't even break a sweat. I've pretty much run every game on the highest setting with no problems. These computers aren't for everyone though. Buy what you can afford if you're tight on cash though bro. Alienware computers are kinda like for enthusiasts.
---
ya don't get a HP laptop they overheat all the time because they are made with crap airflow and get cluttered with dust all the time. My fiance an I have one at home.
Which is why Alienware is crap.
I'd rather save myself a couple hundred bucks and buy the parts myself, then pay an extra 400 for the same shit, a shiny logo, and a warranty.
I don't know where you live, but here, in a 3rd world country, you can get any guy who knows how to put a PC together, to put your parts together for 10$. Yeah, 10. That's pretty cheap. High end parts have a very low probability of just failing in the first 3 years. My PC hasn't flinched in 2 years. Alienware knows this, but people don't, that's why they're like "OMG, ALIENWARE IS AT THE TOP OF THE MARKET..AAAAAAAAND THEY HAVE A 3 YEAR WARRANTY!". Big whoop. I'm not paying 800$ extra for a 3 year warranty which in 98% of the cases, I won't even use, and for shabby aesthetics that look like shit anyway. Big whoop on them having the video cards first. You're dumb if you run and get the newest card right away. You're not gonna need it, since cards generations ago can play the most demanding games. 2 months ago, the 480 GTX was like, 730$ here. Now it's about 520$. I didn't need it back then, I don't right now. I'll get it when its price drops down to 250-300$, and by then, I STILL wouldn't really need it, because by then, a 150-200$ will STILL play any game released that year. If you care that much about top notch hardware, that either means you use them for your work, or you play very demanding games, which in turn means you're really into graphics. So LOL. Who gives a shit how shiny a building is, or if the water is very reflective, or if the milk coming out of the hooker's tits is in high definition, or some shit? I know I don't. I know I wouldn't spend a LOT of money so I can see proper colloidal dispersion in the milk coming of the hooker's tits. I can pay 20$ can get the real thing, brah.
Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions
lol @ milk coming from Mephisto's hooker's tits.
on the vid card topic tho ... brah lol... buying a vid card with specs that you Need just means you're going to replace it sooner. The more bad ass vid card you have the less work it will have to do. Less stress on chip sets = longer life. It's easy math. If each tire of your car had an engine pushing it then it would be move easier. You should buy things to last and not things that get you one more day. That's why most of the world is poor. They would rather buy cheap crap that breaks and have to keep replacing with more cheap crap rather than save up and buy nice things that last a while. You'll notice that MOST rich people have old Expensive cars because its more savvy in the long run...
My (now) cheap 8800 GTX is doing fine. It was owned by a friend before, too. It doesn't overheat, it's not noisy, it's still pristine. Until it fucks up, I'm sticking with my argument. WHEN it fucks up. Maybe then I'll get a 285 GTX or something, and not replace it until 8 years later, or something.
Fist bump, sista.
Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220715
--Jack Handy
Hey, thanks! That definitely is the best deal I've seen out there for a gaming laptop. I'm a little nervous about it being refurbished (as my experience with a refurbished HP sucked), but I've heard good things about ASUS. Also, I suppose if they send me a lemon I will know about it within 30 days of using it. Sold! <crosses fingers>
Course', only been using them about 2 years or so now, but thus far, no fuck ups :).
Still not sure if the warranty was worth it. We'll see how many drops it can take before it craps out. xD
Whoa, easy there big guy!
Work, travel, and convenience were just some of the many criteria that went into my decision to go with a laptop.
Your opinion on desktops, while valid, is entirely unsolicited. But thank you for enlightening us all.
I play WoW, Sacred II, League of Legends, Minecraft, StarCraft II, and I can do it all in a coffee shop.
What the hell is a minidesktop?