Help me pick a gaming laptop please.. [Archive]

View Full Version : Help me pick a gaming laptop please..

Rum

01-15-09, 05:04 PM

Hello folks, my name is Alexandria, am new to the forums here :)

I was hoping some of you more technical people could help me with deciding on a laptop.
This will be a secondary computer for me so it doesn't need to need to be super high end or anything.

Thing is, I need an english OS and english KB layout, but I live in Norway.. so my options are few it seems, since not many online stores ship internationally.. otherwise my first choise may have been Dell's XPS 1530.

The only online store I've been able to find which can ship internationally is Portableone.com
I've managed to come down to 3 laptops from there which seem good to me, but I've really fallen out of what components are best these days, especially since vista came out.. So I don't know which graphic card is best and stuff.

http://laptopsinc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=N50VN-A1B&Category_Code=ASUSN&Product_Count=7

http://laptopsinc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=PTSB3U-01200X&Category_Code=TOSTECRA&Product_Count=1

http://laptopsinc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=P

If anyone could direct me to any other US/UK-based stores which ship internationally, or point out some other models, please do..

What I'm looking for:
15'4" glossy widescreen
Lightweight
Able to run world of warcraft fast/smoothly
Good speakers/sound would be a plus..

Battery life is irrelevant as i'll have it plugged in most the time.
And again, this will be a secondary machine, so it doesn't need to be over the top, just need to replace my current one which is getting very old and even too slow for WoW.

Would really appreciate any help, thanks.

Wiggy Fuzz

01-15-09, 05:38 PM

no to the second link. the graphics in that isn't optimized for gaming, more CAD work.

does it have to be a 15 inch notebook? especially if it isn't going to be moved around much, 15 inches for gaming is going to get very hot very quickly. i'd recommend a 17 inch, for the sake of not burning your palms.

try zepto, they build notebooks to order (often without OS by default), and are based in europe. but to be fair the asus seems to suit your needs.

rock direct are uk based and can do 72 hour shipping.

Rum

01-15-09, 05:43 PM

Which of the Asus? :)
and yes, it must be 15".. It will be carried alot, just not used on the go...
I already have a 17" desktop laptop which just sits at home.

I checked out Zepto.. It doesn't ship to Norway unless you select Norway as your country, in which case, only norwegian laptops were available.

Wiggy Fuzz

01-15-09, 06:37 PM

e6600

01-15-09, 08:38 PM

so how much $USD did you want to spend? is there a specific range, such as 800-1200?
the thing with laptops is that your video card should basically choose your laptop for you, most other components are really nearly the same in terms of performance

Rum

01-16-09, 03:41 AM

http://laptopsinc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=N50VN-A1B&Category_Code=ASUSN&Product_Count=7

only thing is it has the american keyboard layout (small carriage return key)

the laptop has the better graphics, and an LED backlit screen - you have to see it in real life to see how much brighter and clearer it is than a normal screen. pus having a number pad might help in WOW.

I thought english/american kb was the same.. But that's just fine cause I'm American so would prefer that..

A LED backlit screen is the same as whats called "glossy" screen right? I don't want the normal matte screens..
Currently I have a Fujitsu lifebook (N series, dont remember which model) but it has a really beautiful screen (think they called it crystalview).

Wiggy Fuzz

01-16-09, 04:04 AM

LED is the backlight. it's brighter, more even and lasts longer (and won't turn yellow after a while)

Rum

01-16-09, 06:22 AM

Rich'[ard]

01-16-09, 07:00 AM

check out the MSI GX620 (or maybe t's GX260 :p)

other gamings ones are Alienware (but they're way too expensive), and Logitech G2 and G2S laptops.

e6600

01-16-09, 09:51 AM

Portableone also gives me the option of XP on the laptop instead of vista.. which is tempting as Im a little sceptical of Vista still.. Would it be silly or a "waste" of the components to not have vista?

vista is nice if you have more than 2gb ram and a dual core processor, something of which most laptops have today
i think its better to get vista than xp nowadays

custom90gt

01-16-09, 11:33 PM

That N50 laptop would be a great laptop and should run wow without any issues (I've never played, but heard it runs well on even old hardware). The G50 series is even better with its 9800, but since you said it's a secondary machine, I'd get the N50. The one thing to watch out for is the resolution on that lcd isnt very good (1280x800), not much real estate for doing other things besides wow. They have different versions of the N50 with better resolutions (1440x900 but to my knowledge they are not LED).
Also, don't be afraid of vista, it's not that bad. In fact I've found it to be very stable. Most new laptops don't have xp drivers anymore.
also, xoticpc (http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-n50vna1b-p-2524.html) ships internationally and is a great company to deal with (along with being 30 bucks cheaper).

Rum

01-17-09, 06:38 AM

Thank you :)
Think I will go for the Asus.. the resolution is fine for me.. the laptop it's replacing also has 1280x800 resolution so i'm used to it..
I have 1440x900 on my desktop laptop.

One thing though.. on the portableone website, it says the speakers on it are "High Definition Altec Lansing Speakers w/Surround Sound"
on the Xoticpc site it says just "Built-in speaker and microphone".. could there be difference or?..

custom90gt

01-17-09, 12:00 PM

nah there's no difference. Also, if you're a student or in the military xotic offers a discount.