I'm planning to get a laptop... I have never had a laptop before, and I'm quite computer illiterate. So I'm going to ask for all of you to do me a big favor..
HELP! :'(
Here's the situation.. Since our family never had a laptop, this laptop is "shared". Tho it'd mostly be me using it, I'd have to let my parents use it when they go for holidays and etc. Good news is that my parents are willing to pay half ... Bad news is.. they're stringy... VERY stringy. D:
What I basically want is a laptop that...
Is light enough to carry around
> or equal to 14" big.. (15.6 or higher preferred)
Can play SC2 on medium or higher graphics w/o lag
Has analog output that allows it to be connected to the TV (HDMI output works too)
CHEAP
Won't die in a year or two (hopefully)
Has current specs (i.e. good processor (i3?), 4 GB memory (i guess 2 is okay too as long as it won't slow down my gaming) and other stuff that I'm not too sure of)
Strongly prefer NOT to build by myself.... cause, as I've said.. I'm computer illiterate
Another big favor is if you guys can please explain why something is better or what that something is... I'd like to learn too
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You don't know how much help this would be.. I really appreciate any help.
They are designed to be portable, and thus should be sized correctly. Anything over 9" is too large for me. Screen size is key to the weight issue. I hated my 15.6 4:3 laptop due to size, but I think a 15" widescreen will be manageable.
Graphics good enough to play SC2 are really only found on high end. nVidia fucked everyone over with releasing the 300 series in a backwards way, so that the manufacturer can make the card be anything. I think a 340 can be worse than a 335 or something like that. In any case, you need a dedicated card on the laptop.
I'm unsure of the analog capabilities of most laptops, but I would assume it's both analog and digital.
You can't get this that cheap (like under $500)
The processor on a laptop doesn't matter IMO. They make laptops so that everything is balanced for performance and such. If you buy a laptop with a decent graphics card, it's not going to have a 1.2 GHz ULV centrino or atom processor.
Being stringy is a good thing isn't it? Since you can lead your parents around as on a string?
"Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Chairman - do we have to call the Gentleman a gentleman if he's not one?"
A decent laptop with a decent GPU is not going to be do-able under 650$ and that's being generous with sales, discounts, and rebates. Here's what a quick glance at Newegg got me:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115796 This right here is a decent little laptop with a decent GPU. It isn't high end but it'll run SC2 pretty comfortably. It looks like it has VGA and HDMI out. The mobile 5650 probably compares to the desktop 5570, which is a little weak in my book.
If you want more GFX power, this would be the next cheapest option on the egg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834146777 The mobile 5730 probably compares with the desktop 5670, which isn't a bad card at all. Some reports say the 5730 is just a mobile 5750. I haven't looked into it in depth but suffice to say its going to have a bit more punch than the other one. Also appears to have VGA and HDMI out.
Both lappys are nice, the more expensive one is more powerful, but either one should do the job. I of course recommend wiping whatever laptop you get, putting a fresh Win7 x64 Ultimate on it and doing all the most up-to-date drivers for the best experience possible. Bloatware is always a problem with prebuilts and lappys and can really bog down your system.
Yeah.. I won't be able to get the "Republic of Gamers"
I think the Acer is pretty good .. Only problem is that I live in Canada.. I've found that an online comp company called NCIX... they have a store really close to my home, where I can pick up my lappy easily.
The only reason to get a lenovo is for the clit mouse, which is vastly superior to the touchpad. So much so that it's actually worth the $50 extra, plus $150 in quality parts. Unfortunately that lenovo isn't a thinkpad, so it doesn't have one. Thinkpads aren't gaming computer either. I also can't say from experience anything about lenovo. Back when I got my thinkpad, it was still IBM (and dear god was it quality).
Contrary to what you might think, to play sc2, you HAVE to get a gaming laptop.
"Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Chairman - do we have to call the Gentleman a gentleman if he's not one?"
So I know I need something better than GeForce GT 330M
But so far, in all the canadian sites, I haven't been able to find one that's cheaper than 900$ with the specs that I want DAMN IT WHY CAN'T I GET THE ACER ASPIRE!! THIS IS RACISM!
Uh, the 330M computers are just as expensive. I'm afraid you're SOL. There is no cheap laptop which can play SC2.
If you want cheap sc2, I can make you a 1-2 generation old desktop for ~600. Where in canada do you live? It's possible to make the trek down to the better computer country, so long as you have a passport.
"Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Chairman - do we have to call the Gentleman a gentleman if he's not one?"
tl;dr - It's basically the exact same model as the one you posted, except it has an i7 processor, and is $999.99 CDN. These are pretty sweet deals. I was hoping for something less bulky (>7 pounds.. that's heavier than me when I was born!) Also, the battery lives for both of these are pretty low at 2.2-2.5 hrs with the standard battery pack, which is what I'm assuming I'd get.
Another thing I wanted to ask. I've been generally neglecting lappies that do not have the i3,5,7 processor. Is that a mistake on my part?
I've also been hearing a lot about Brands. Generally, it's been accepted that lenovo, toshiba, vaio, and asus are better laptop brands, while acer and hp are lower ends, and gateway being a rather new brand that's not to be trusted. Would it make a difference?
If buying from US shops is a problem, then you may be interested in comgateway.com
They give you a US shipping address, and will on-ship to you. They also have systems set up so you can use your CC to pay American stores that normally only take US credit cards. It's possible that the overheads here won't make it worthwhile for you, but it still gives you more options than you might otherwise have, so you should check it out. Works even better if you can get free shipping within the US, as then you only have to pay for shipping from them to you.
My laptop has a 330M, so I'll just say that it's enough to play SCII. I was able to play through the campaign fine on medium settings at 1600x900, but when going into UMS play online with all the massing games and such I had to lower the general settings to low. It can still have some trouble with very unit-intensive games, but for the most part, on low, it plays beautifully. And I think I read that Sony underclocked this 330M, though I'm not sure.
Yeah I'm not a big fan of Westernhagen either, Fanta vier much better! But they didn't drop the lyrics that fit the situation. Farty: Ich bin wieder hier; nobody: in meinem Revier; Me: war nie wirklich weg
... Bad news is.. they're stringy... VERY stringy. D:
.. Only problem is that I live in Canada..
