Considering a laptop

Post by **.Sup** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:11 am

Shrapnel is an HP out of the question? Cos we have 1 for more than 5 years now and it works as a new one. And their tech/driver support is REALLY good.

Titi · Post by **Titi** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 12:22 pm

I got a Dell "media" laptop a year and a half ago.
That meant it had windows for media variant of windows xp.
I did a lot of research. I wanted something that could run BF2 and not just barely.
Things I came to understand:
'media' and 'gaming' = big size due to large screen
Dell did not state that these are not really laptops, but infact are "desktop replacements". Due to their size they are better suited for placing on a desk than a lap. To do much of anything they need to be plugged in. Period. You'll probably pay about 40% (just guessing) more for the convenience of size/mobility.
It sounds like this would meet your need of something that can pack light, but usually only use in a desktop (read elec plug nearby) environment.

Also Dell did not state if within a class of laptop the beefier/bigger components are selected then the thing better be a desktop replacement.
In ordering this I chose the upper end components allowed for the system, this meant more memory, larger screen and faster CPU. In doing so the power usage went up. The battery recommendation is one
and only one type. I think a second battery could be (with difficulty) added to the system but this was well hidden information. Definitely a second battery could be purchased, also with a charger, this was never recommended. This would provide more time of usage away from an electrical plug .
So the laptop I have with one fully charged battery can not play one DVD movie. With the wireless transceiver off, screen dimmed (default when unplugged) and headphones instead of builtin speakers to cut down on power consumption, I can only get about 48 minutes into a movie before the thing breaks down and goes into emergency vapor lock due to low power.
Even with a movie already on the computer (so the DVD drive was not even spinning) I can not get an hour into a movie.

So IMO Dell lies when it tries to sell a media laptop. There are few 48 minute movies out there.

And there were a couple other difficulties which I can get into but to summarize: Rat maze Dell customer support sucks and when you do get through to a "technician" they often knew less than I was figuring out by myself (and I know little about modern PCs).

Hope this helps.

Post by **Shrapnel** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 5:44 pm

The new Alienware sounds very interesting. I'll be waiting a few more weeks for my bonus to come through anyway so I can wait for it.

As far as HP goes, I'll take a look I just have never heard of them producing a laptop capable of satisfying a gamer.

I was aware the Dell was a "desktop" replacement model. I don't need any real mobility out of it and was planning to get a Logitech G11&G5 to use with it anyway.

On a side note:
I priced up components to build a new desktop from the ground up and I could build a real powerhouse (compared to the laptops at least) for around $2000. I just don't know how I would get it from place to place. I could ship it but that could get rather expensive and things could break pretty easily.

fyi, the machine I specced up was Core 2 Duo 2.4, 2GB DDR2 1066, ASUS mobo, ATI HD2900XT, 360GB SATA HDD, Dual Layer DVD+/-RW, Vista Ultimate (full: 32-bit & 64-bit versions the laptops only come loaded with one or the other), Enermax 500W PSU a Lian-Li case and a 22" NEC LCD monitor. Laptops are around $1500 more for less power and a smaller screen.

edit: oh, that included the G11 & G5 and an icemat too.

ChickenSalad · Post by **ChickenSalad** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:28 pm

Are you gonna carry that rig accross the country every week?
Say if you travel a to b regularly, you could just go with 2 screens (adding costs of course, but I guess you own at least 1 screen already) and transport the rig only. If you travel even more, I would only concider a laptop.

By what means are you gonna travel?
If you travel by car, there's pc carrying accessoirs for the lan-party crowd. But that won't work too well if you travel by plane/train/bus regularly.

If a normal pc still looks like a possibility, you could look at the mico-ATX formfactor. E.g. the Asus P5K-VM mobo offers C2D support as well as PCI-E. Now if you take a micro-ATX case that takes full-size pci cards (iirc some take only reduced-size cards), you'd have a small (roughly 20x40x40cm - or even less) yet fully featured box. Small enough to fit into a backpack for instance.

Post by **Ash2Dust** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:49 am

Some of those small micro-atx cases scare me on the ventilation. Put a highend video card in and it becomes a toaster oven. Plus if you were to do a 'shuttle', you're stuck on power supply wattages.

Post by **Shrapnel** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:07 pm

I'll by traveling by airplane and ship mostly. It's not as often as once a week or anything. I'll be in my present location for another 6 months or so. It's just that after that I'll be on a ship and overseas for 6-12+ months more than likely (I'm in the Navy). There's not really any place to set up a desktop system on a Destroyer, Cruiser or even a Carrier. There's a reasonable possibility I'll be stationed on land but I'll still probably be overseas for a while and space will be limited. I won't really know until I get my next set of orders.

ChickenSalad · Post by **ChickenSalad** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:16 pm

Well, then I'd definitelly go with a laptop.
Battery runtime on the gaming beasts will always suck compared to business ones. Downclocking both cpu and gpu helps and some may offer an additional bat, still it'll never be truly comparable. So if gaming is what you want to do with it, you might as well just ignore that issue and focus on raw power. After all, I guess the Navy will offer enough power plugs on those (nuclear) warships.

Post by **Shrapnel** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:27 pm

The new Alienware m9750s are out with Core 2s and Geforce 7950GTXs. Specced it out 2.16GHz, 2GB DDR2 667 and everything else the same as the the other models. Came in just under $3000 so I think I have a winner. Now if my bonus would just clear...

Thanks for the help guys.

Post by **Thur** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:20 pm

Hey Shrap!

I like the new asus portables. I would not expect your ping to be top notch no matter what box you get. GPU and CPU power not top priority. Look for the most memory and best keyboard/mouse/game controls. You should be able to play BF2 and all the mods with any of the systems you have listed. Check out each interface closely. Get the one you will least hate. Sry but laptops have been the bane of my existence for a while

The keyboards always suck and the mouse reaction rates are crap.

You could load BF2 and any mods you like on a portable drive. Plug into any rig you can find where you are stationed. You don't really need to carry a laptop anymore. Buy a good video camera instead and lots of memory. Do a video journal of your service or possibly the girls of the MEC expose!

I like the Alienware.