Gaming Laptop

[Sasquach991]

My son is graduating from HS in a couple months and I want to get him a gaming laptop for <$1500. I haven't gamed since playing America's Army, Rainbow 6, and Rogue Spear. Suggestions? Alienware?

[ensign_lee]

Honestly, it would probably be better (and cheaper!) to get him a gaming DESKTOP and then get him a laptop if he still needs it for school. Not much power is required for taking notes.

But laptops with equivalent power to desktops can easily cost 2x to 3x as much. And will get Fing HOT when used. And are HEAVY.

[Jack Sawyer]

Gaming laptops are a much more difficult buy than a desktop. The thing is, you are pretty much locked into your initial config forever, and there is not a thing you can do about it other than selling your laptop.

My suggestion would be to get a shit laptop that has a good keyboard and decent screen to work with (like an ASUS U-series ultra portable, or GASP! a Macbook Air), and get a separate big mofo desktop to play with, but that's just me.

That said, when it comes to gaming laptops, the best deals are had with those brands you've never heard of, Sager and Clevo. They basically cramp desktop parts into laptops. ASUS is good as well. You first need to know what screen size and overall dimensions (overall size and weight and heat) your son is willing to live with before giving you a solid recommendations.

Oh, and screen res is very important as well. A 17" screen that is 1080p will have very tiny details, that tired eyes will have a whole lot of problems with.

***examples***
$559 off Dell Precision M6500 17-inch Core i5 Mobile Workstation - LogicBUY
Awesome fucking deal. But it's a workstation laptop, and it uses last generation CPU. But still since it's workstation, it's a beast. Recommended if your son used CAD as well, fields such as architecture etc

Get 20% Coupon HP ENVY 17 Laptop + Envy 17 Review - LogicBUY
This one looks swell as well, and if you upgrade the config to a i7 2630QM and add a 6-cell and 9-cell batteries it will be priced around $1,800, take the 20% off and you should be within budget range again.

custom gaming laptops - Welcome to Sager Notebooks
No discount, but you can configure it to your hearts desire. Add second hard drive instead of optical (because, who uses DVD nowadays anyways), add bigfoot NIC wireless N and you are right at the price. The 15.6" 1080p can be a niusance if you don't have at least 20/20 vision though, and that can't be changed.


EDIT

Honestly, it would probably be better (and cheaper!) to get him a gaming DESKTOP and then get him a laptop if he still needs it for school. Not much power is required for taking notes.

But laptops with equivalent power to desktops can easily cost 2x to 3x as much. And will get Fing HOT when used. And are HEAVY.

This man speaks the truth!

[triumphant cracker]

this one....Alienware M11x Gaming Laptop

Alienware Laptops - Custom Gaming Laptops and Notebooks

and i saw it in game informer here...

2010 Holiday Buying Guide - Features - www.GameInformer.com

scroll down.

[Sasquach991]

Thanks for the replies.

He already has a laptop. Our neighbor bought him one for doing a bunch of work for him but I wish the neighbor had asked me before buying it. It's got onboard graphics and slow as shit but you can't complain about a gift. It's more of a business computer for college.

Previously he had used a desktop built by me several years ago but now he's stuck on laptops as he takes it to friends houses to play. I told him I wasn't buying a laptop just for gaming but whatever.

He likes playing the Total War series of games which doesn't have too stiff of requirements I was thinking about the Alienware M15 with 1G video card. I think I can get one at the dell outlet for about $1300.

I think that 15" is probably the smallest screen he would like plus he has a flat panel tv with HDMI inputs.

Here's specs I was thinking about:
2GHz Dual or 2.6GHz single CPU
4GB RAM
512MB + video card
350+ HD
DVD RW

This should run about anything.

It'd be easier to get him 2 hookers and a limo for the evening.

[ensign_lee]

Uh...if I were him, I'd rather have the two hookers and a limo...?

[ensign_lee]

Also, just to put the desktop to laptop performance gap in perspective, compared to that $1300 laptop (from an outlet) that you described above, for about $1k you could have:

i5 2500k 3.3 Ghz Quad Core CPU (easily overclocked to 4.5 Ghz/core - mine is)
Gigabye P67 UD3 Mobo
4GB DDR3 1600 RAM (or add another 4GB for $30)
GTX 460 1GB (good midrange gaming card)
128GB SSD
2TB HDD - Samsung 2TB Spinpoint can usually be had for $70

and...money leftover for pr0n? (poor substitute for the hookers and limo, I know )

[boost]

Honestly, it would probably be better (and cheaper!) to get him a gaming DESKTOP and then get him a laptop if he still needs it for school. Not much power is required for taking notes.

But laptops with equivalent power to desktops can easily cost 2x to 3x as much. And will get Fing HOT when used. And are HEAVY.

this.

I bought a gaming laptop for around 1500$ 3 years ago. It overheated and now I have to run a window fan behind it to keep it stable.

I just followed Jack Sawyer's advice from my thread and the parts for my computer are in the mail. Even if you don't feel comfortable building your own, you can buy a decent gamnig rig for 1k and a pratical laptop/netbook for less than 500.

Gaming laptops are truly pointless.. they are great at nothing, good at very little, and tend to be pretty unreliable. And then theres the $erformance..

[flomo]

Laptops are obsolete.

[bigred]

Laptops are obsolete.

Can't multitable on that ipad just yet...

[Sup3rM4N]

My son is graduating from HS in a couple months and I want to get him a gaming laptop for <$1500. I haven't gamed since playing America's Army, Rainbow 6, and Rogue Spear. Suggestions? Alienware?

Rogue Spear! Ahhh I used to play that online allllll the time....good old days

[Sup3rM4N]

Not sure how long the coupons are gonna work but for these specs these are really good prices.

Dell Home has a good deal on a high-end Dell XPS 15 Laptop. Apply coupon codes 932N$0ZCCHWZB9 and HLSKSR06S9ZG0F to drop price to $980 + free shipping.
The Dell Online Store: Build Your System

Specs:
Core i7-2630QM 2.00 GHz CPU (Sandy Bridge)
6GB DDR3 Memory
500GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
15.6" (1920x1080) LCD /w 2MP Webcam
Blu-ray ROM + DVDRW
1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M
USB 3.0, Mini Displayport, HDMI, eSATA
Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000
6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit

HP has their HP dv6tqe Quad Core Laptop on sale for $1000 - $225 code NB2688 = $775 with free shipping. HP® Official Store &mdash; Buy and Customize your dv6 and dv6tqe series PC direct from HP

Specs
2nd generation Intel Quad Core i7-2630QM 2.0 GHz
8GB DDR3
640GB 7200RPM HDD
15.6" 1366x768 HP BrightView LED Display
1GB Radeon HD 6490M Graphics w/ HDMI
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN
6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Optional Upgrades:
1GB Radeon HD 6770M GDDR5 Graphics, HDMI, VGA [+ $25.00]
750GB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

HP also has their HP dv7tqe Quad Edition Laptop for $875 with code NB2688. Shipping is free.
HP® Official Store &mdash; Buy and Customize your dv7 and dv7tqe series PC direct from HP

Specs:
2nd generation Intel Quad Core i7-2630QM 2.0GHz
8GB DDR3
640GB 7200RPM HDD
17.3" 1600 x 900 diagonal HD+ HP BrightView LED Display
1GB Radeon HD 6490M GDDR5 Graphics
HDMI
VGA
Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
WiFi N
6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Optional Upgrades:
1GB Radeon HD 6770M GDDR5 Graphics, HDMI, VGA [+ $25.00]
750GB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

[Sasquach991]

So I talked to my son about whether to get a desktop that will last a while or a laptop that won't and surprisingly he went with the desktop. Looks like I can gett all of the h/w from Jack's link from newegg for $551 including shipping and some Arctic silver 5. I have to also get Windows 7 to install.

Thx

[Sup3rM4N]

Pwnage desktop deal for just a little bit more. I'm not sure if the stuff your looking at newegg requires assembly or not but obviously this doesn't and it comes with windows 7 already. If I was looking to buy a desktop I would hop on this.

HP has their HP Pavilion Elite HPE-510t Desktop on sale for $900 - $200 code DT1314 = $700 with free shipping.
HP® Official Store &mdash; Buy and Customize your HPE510 and HPE510t series PC direct from HP

Specs
Intel Core i7-2600 Quad-Core
6GB DDR3
1TB RAID 0 (2 x 500GB SATA HDDs)
1GB NVIDIA GeForce 405 w/ HDMI
LightScribe DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
Blu-ray player & Lightscribe SuperMulti DVD burner
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

[boost]

Pwnage desktop deal for just a little bit more. I'm not sure if the stuff your looking at newegg requires assembly or not but obviously this doesn't and it comes with windows 7 already. If I was looking to buy a desktop I would hop on this.

HP has their HP Pavilion Elite HPE-510t Desktop on sale for $900 - $200 code DT1314 = $700 with free shipping.
HP® Official Store &mdash; Buy and Customize your HPE510 and HPE510t series PC direct from HP

Specs
Intel Core i7-2600 Quad-Core
6GB DDR3
1TB RAID 0 (2 x 500GB SATA HDDs)
1GB NVIDIA GeForce 405 w/ HDMI
LightScribe DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
Blu-ray player & Lightscribe SuperMulti DVD burner
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

What is a geforce 405? I can't find any info on this, and so it kinda makes me worry about it as a component. Also its windows7home that is included, and pro is $80 more. For 500$ you can get your system through jack's link, then toss in windows pro for 100$ and double the ram (to 8 gigs) for $40 and you have a much better system for a good bit less coin.

[Jack Sawyer]

Pwnage desktop deal for just a little bit more. I'm not sure if the stuff your looking at newegg requires assembly or not but obviously this doesn't and it comes with windows 7 already. If I was looking to buy a desktop I would hop on this.

HP has their HP Pavilion Elite HPE-510t Desktop on sale for $900 - $200 code DT1314 = $700 with free shipping.
HP® Official Store &mdash; Buy and Customize your HPE510 and HPE510t series PC direct from HP

Specs
Intel Core i7-2600 Quad-Core
6GB DDR3
1TB RAID 0 (2 x 500GB SATA HDDs)
1GB NVIDIA GeForce 405 w/ HDMI
LightScribe DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
Blu-ray player & Lightscribe SuperMulti DVD burner
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

At first glance it's not a bad deal. The i7 2600 is the best *multiplier-locked* processor Intel currently has available. BUT it cannot be overclocked like its sibling, the i7 2600K, or even the i5 2500K (which is just 0.1GHz slower, no hyper threading and 2MB less cache. You'll never notice unless you run side-by-side video encode or file-zipping benchmarks).

But there are a number of key flaws that would prevent me from ever buying that system:

1) It's an HP. HP was once notorious for using non-standard parts. While I can't say about the power supply nowadays, the case will certainly find new and interesting ways to limit your upgrade-ability down the road.

2) nVidia GT 405? I hope that's a typo. Never ever heard of it, meaning its another obscure OEM part which is unlikely to be any good.

3) 6GB in a dual channel system means you ram will not run in dual channel mode, as there are no 3GB DIMMs. Your ram will be plentiful, but slow as fuck, as the P67/H67/H61 chipsets have 4 DIMM slots that can be populated in pairs (dual channel). Plus, you have no word on how much ram it will take, so that when 32GB might be commonplace (4x8GB DIMMs) you might be left out from this, the cheapest form of hardware upgrade that actually affects computer speed (aside from a proper SSD).

4) You have no idea how much 3.5" space is in that case. Meaning that those 2 hard disks may or may not be the only ones that fit ... if you want more hard disks, you may have to mod your case, as standard bay drives may also not fit. You don't have any idea about how many SATA ports are available either (until after you buy it, and open the case which may or may not void your warrant on top of it all). It's basically an expandability nightmare.




Now, if I had to build one just like that (using Amazon prices):
i5 2500K (you can overclock to your hearts content) @$225
4GB Crucial RAM @ $45
2x WD RE3 500GB drives (designed for RAID, no gimmicks) @ $85 each
Gigabyte GA-H67MA-UD2H-B3 mobo, microATX, pci express only @ $150
Cooler Master elite 341 case @ $35
Corsair TX650 @ $89
Lite On DVD burner @ $25
Cooler Master Hyper 212+ (stability for the overclocks, baby) @ $25

We are at $739 (say $750 after some arctic silver 5, extra miscellaneous cables and a red bull), and the PC is fully functional and apples-to-apples comparable to the one from HP @$899. With the added benefist that you will be able to get overclocks up to like 4.2/4.5GHZ without breaking a sweat AND you can add/remove hardware at will.

The hard drives are enterprise quality raid edition drives. These are designed to run in nothing but raid, 24/7/365, giving you the best performance and stability you can get in a RAID 0. They have an MTBF of 1.2 million hours btw. But still, IMO a decent SSD boot drive (bigger is better as it will last longer, don't buy anything under 120GB) and a 1TB+ (2TBs are dirt cheap nowadays, so cheap the price of empty DVDs had to go down to compete) media drive would be better, but the purpose of this build is to give comparable performance to the HP in the link, and not to smoke it.

The motherboard has 4 display outputs (The now infamous GT405 has 3). Anybody who would use a "GT 405" wouldn't mind to run it off the motherboard. And you can wait until your funds are reloaded and then get a proper videocard, like a GTX 560 Ti @~$200, or the best bang for the buck currently, the HD6970 @~$350; slot it in without the fear of "will it work?". Any of those 2 cards and you will be able to play today's games at their maxed-out settings.

Same thing with blu-ray. A blu-ray player in a computer is much like masturbation but without the payoff. Get a blu ray burner if you are hell bent in getting blu ray into your computer. Naturally, not all are made the same: a good one, if a bit older like the BDR-206, runs @ $115.

Add $50 and you can have 8GB RAM in 2 sticks, so you can add another 2 to get 16GB (mobo takes 32GB [4x8GB], but 8GB sticks do not exist yet AFAIK); add $150 and get the most stylish micro atx case ever, the FT03B (some slight adjustments to the parts are needed for housing in that particular case though, as it can only take a notebook dvd drive)


As for Windows OS, there are interesting conundrums: the legit route is to get the Windows 7 64bit OEM pack . There are less legit routes as well. Plus, you can always hit any of your favorite Linux distros, even your old Windows XP or Vista, until you get the money to buy your OS of choice.




*side note: while Sandy Bridge processors and motherboards have been available since mid-January, the chipset was subject of a massive recall. Updated "B3 Stepping" motherboards are slowly coming out just now, which is why it was ignored in the link I originally posted.

[Sasquach991]

Here's the plan so far:
(It's pretty much the Tier 1 with a Tier 2 video card)

Newegg

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner $20.99

Rosewill DESTROYER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, $49.99

Western Digital Caviar Green WD5000AADS 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive $49.99

ASRock M3A770DE AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard $59.99

PowerColor AX6850 1GBD5-DH Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express $169.99 (not including a $20 mail in rebate)

Antec VP-450 450W ATX 12V v2.3 Power Supply $49.99

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound $11.98 ( I may can get this cheaper at Radioshack)

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) $46.99

AMD Athlon II X3 455 Rana 3.3GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Desktop Processor $89.99

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders $139.99

Total-$689.89
S&H-$19.21

[ensign_lee]

Windows 7 Professional Upgrade $29.99 (.edu email required)

Windows 7 for $30 once your kid has a .edu email address. That should save you $110 over your build above.

Technically, you're supposed to have XP or Vista or some previous form of windows, but there are ways to get around that. Or, you can just temporarily install XP from one of the old computers or something.

[ensign_lee]

Also, I would get Digital Caviar Blue instead of Green for a boot drive that is going to be handling the OS

[boost]

Windows 7 Professional Upgrade $29.99 (.edu email required)

Windows 7 for $30 once your kid has a .edu email address. That should save you $110 over your build above.

Technically, you're supposed to have XP or Vista or some previous form of windows, but there are ways to get around that. Or, you can just temporarily install XP from one of the old computers or something.

I just stumbled upon the workaround today... such an awesome deal. Apparently MS isn't even doing anything to stop it since technically people who own legit upgradable XP/Vista licenses should be able to do this. And theres really no way to allow them to do it and keep non license holders from using the workaround as well.

[boost]

Ugh, purchasing windows7 through Digital Rivers (ms' partner for digital distribution) is a fucking pain. I get an error when trying to use their download manager, and their customer support is nearly nonexistent. Somehow I managed to find a direct link that seems to avoid needing to use their shitty download manager, but I won't really know if it works until it finishes downloading and I give it a try.

Its really a shame that MS would partner with such a pos company..

[bode]

so i'm getting ready to order the win 7 upgrade from the link above and need some advice from some of you guys. My computer is running 32 bit win xp currently. I really dont know much about the processor, but it says its a Pentium D CPU 2.80 GHz 2GB of RAM. The win 7 upgrade adviser says my computer can run both 32 bit and 64 bit win 7, but the minimum requirement for RAM for 64 bit is 2GB. Am I going to be stretching my system if i install 64 bit?

Also, the adviser program says i need to do a custom install which looks to me like i need to reformat my computer and start fresh. If i start from scratch, will i even be able to use this since its an upgrade and i will essentially be installing it as a stand alone? should i pay the extra $15 and get a disk since i will be reformatting?

Thanks for any help.

[Jack Sawyer]

Short version: get 64-bit, and pay the extra $15.

=======================================

Long version: 64-bit is relevant when it comes to the amount of ram you have installed.

The terms 32-bit and 64-bit refer to the way a computer's processor (also called a CPU), handles information. The 64-bit version of Windows handles large amounts of random access memory (RAM) more effectively than a 32-bit system. To be able to use > 4GB RAM, you need 64-bit as 32-bit will simply ignore anything above 3.2(?)GB amking your RAM sticks nothing but expensive heaters. 64-bit has no problem with < 4GB RAM amounts, and application compatibility is pretty much seamless nowadays with only a handful out of billions of apps actually not working on 64-bit systems, so if your processor supports 64-bit there really is no reason to use 32-bit anymore. More here.


Now do something for fun: open the task manager (CTRL-SHIFT-ESC shortcut), and navigate to the "performance" tab. In the lower right corner, right about the "resource monitor" button, there is a "commit" value. This is the total ram and virtual memory that is being used. For example, if you have 2GB RAM and 2GB VMEM, it will show your commit as x/4GB, with x being the total you are using at any given moment. VMEM is on the hard disk though, and any hard disk is excruciatingly slow when you compare it with standard ram. If your commit stays under 2GB, you will be working only in RAM, and notice an increase in operating speed.

Find out how much your average commit is, and see if your system supports that much ram. Then get it, ram is dirt cheap these days, with 8GB kits available for like $82. If your standard operating commit value does not exceed your total installed RAM, you will find that your computer is very light on the feet. Next upgrade, a decent SSD, and you will wonder how the heck your PC got so fast.


Side note: don't upgrade OS installs, something obscure and undetectable will always end up fucking you up. Fresh installs is the way to go!
Relevant link http://www.winsupersite.com/article/...-upgrade-media

[bode]

Thanks jack, Huge help as always. I was going to ask about more ram but i figured i would save that for another post.

[Jack Sawyer]

Sure, np!

[boost]

Why do you reccomend ordering the dvd for $15 extra? Just download, then burn it to a dvd/store it on an external hd.

[Jack Sawyer]

Old habits die hard, and a specific old habit of mine is that I always want the physical media of every software I buy. It seems I'm a bit old fashioned in that regard.

I guess it's a wash, but then again it's only $15.

[boost]

It raises the price by 50%.. seems like a terribad choice to me.

[bode]

i went ahead and added the disk for $15, because thats not much money and i'm like Jack in usually wanting a physical disk for the more important software atleast. Plus coming from XP i have to have a boot disk. Of course it wasnt until after i placed my order that i found out that i was able to download the upgrade installed as well as the .ISO file which i could have just burnt to a disk. Oh well.

[bode]

Another question for you guys. I want to upgrade my RAM to alteast 4 GB. How do i go about finding exactly what RAM i should buy? Is that something i can find out through the computer or do i need to open up my tower and see what my existing RAM chips are?

edit: is that something i should install before wiping the computer, or wait until i get everything reinstalled and then install the new RAM?

[boost]

if you are doing a clean install, def install new ram first. Also I think that you have to look at the physical sticks of ram, but pretty much everyone reccomends just tossing your current, perfectly fine ram in the trash and installing a 4gig kit. It only costs like 40$ for twin 2gig sticks and you know they are identical. Also if you currently have 2 gigs of ram, you probably have 2 1gig sticks, which means to go to 4gigs you'd be buying 2 1gig sticks which probably costs >50% of the cost of a 4gig kit comprised of 2 2gig sticks... catch my drift?

[bode]

yeah, i figured as cheap as RAM is anymore i would just toss what i have that is ~5 years old by now and buy new. The question is whether i should get 4gigs or 8, but 8 is probably overkill for what i use my computer for these days.

[Jack Sawyer]

I assume you don't know what type of RAM you got. There are a few ways to find out, but one not involving opening your case and getting dirty would be to dl and install speccy. Once you run it, click on the "RAM" tab and you will get the following:



I will be using myself as an example. It shows me I have 4 memory slots which are sadly all used, total RAM amounts and the clockspeed at which I'm operating. It's Dual Data Rate (DDR) 3, which means that I should double this and get roughly 1333MHZ. The timings are 9-9-9-24. Now I click on slot 1:



It now shows me exactly what is installed in that particular slot. As RAM should always be installed in pairs (nowadays, at least), this is literally half the story of half your installed RAM.
Now say I only have two filled slots (ergo two empty ones) and I need more ram, I search for DDR3 1333 9-9-9-24 and all of those should work.

Another way is to simply look at your motherboard in the summary like so:



Find out your motherboard's make/model, and see what memory it supports and how much (on it's site, the online manual, etc) and knock yourself out. Remember though to always match RAM modules by slots, i.e. 2x1GB + 2x2GB is frowned upon if you want the extra unmatched 2GB to perform at its maximum speed, but for standard desktop work your computer won't care. Additionally, you can add extra RAM at any point as long as its compatible, because Windows will adjust its virtual memory to match the installed RAM automatically (if you did not fiddle with the settings).


Edit: Boost correctly pointed out the extra $15 is superfluous. I thought you guys were talking about the standard upgrade price, $75~$90, I missed the whole .edu discount thing. So my bad on that one. For standard prices I want my discs, but if it was in a discount I wouldn't mind downloading the ISO.

[ensign_lee]

If you still want a gaming laptop,

HP dv7t Quad 2nd generation Intel Quad Core i7-2630QM 2.0 GHz, 8GB RAM, 750GB, 17.3-inch, Blu-ray for $874.99 @ HPHome

is an AMAZING deal for what you get. I'm actively having to convince myself not to get it. It has the new Sandy Bridge processor and everything.

[bode]

ok jack, i'm going to bug you one more time. can you recommend me some good RAM from the specs below? Can i use DDR3 and a higher frequency than 266 or do i need to stick with exacly what i have?

my motherboard says its a Dell Inc. 0FJ030 (Microprocessor)



Uploaded with ImageShack.us[/IMG]

Find out your motherboard's make/model, and see what memory it supports and how much (on it's site, the online manual, etc) and knock yourself out. Remember though to always match RAM modules by slots, i.e. 2x1GB + 2x2GB is frowned upon if you want the extra unmatched 2GB to perform at its maximum speed, but for standard desktop work your computer won't care. Additionally, you can add extra RAM at any point as long as its compatible, because Windows will adjust its virtual memory to match the installed RAM automatically (if you did not fiddle with the settings).

i want to make sure i understand what you're saying here. If i order two 2gb sticks of RAM, i shouldn't be leaving my existing two 1gb sticks in for a total of 6gb?

thanks again for the help

[Jack Sawyer]

Unmatched RAM (timings may vary, frequency, size, whatever) tends to function somewhat slower than matched ram. It will work (at least it theory it should) but there will be some slowdown, yet you may not perceive the slowdown anyway (only when benchmarking, like say 3dmark etc).

DDR3 and DDR2 are physically incompatible, you can't stick the one in the other's slot.


===============


You should have mentioned DELL from the get-go, my bad for assuming you had a build-your-own pc (and also for not asking for validation of said assumption). I assumed this because the vast majority (85%+) of people I usually aide in computer stuff have build-your-own desktops and/or oem laptops; very seldom do i encounter an oem desktop.

That particular motherboard is apparently featured in a DELL XPS 400, and according to its service manual it supports only up to 4x1GB total, 533 or 667 MHz DDR2 RAM. Almost all LGA775 boards would accept 2GB DIMMS, meaning 8GB RAM total is pretty common, but apparently that particular DELL model is crippled.

Another link of a relevant discussion Hi my motherboard is 0FJ030 - Memory - Motherboards-Memory.

You already have 2GB installed, so 2x1GB is the only option you have. Grab 2 of these sticks:
Amazon.com: Kingston ValueRAM 1 GB 533MHz PC2-4200 DDR2 DIMM Desktop Memory KVR533D2N4/1G: Electronics

If I'm wrong and your particular DELL model's service manual says 8GB total (different version of same mobo, plain luck, BIOS update or any other reason I can't think of), then grab a pair of these:
Newegg.com - Kingston 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 533 (PC2 4200) Desktop Memory Model KVR533D2N4/2G

[bode]

ordered the 2 1gb sticks. i really dont use my computer for anything too intensive anymore so that should be fine anyway. Thanks again for looking into this for me, i really appreciate it.

[bigred]

So I'm thinking about getting the above mentioned HP laptop:

HP has their HP dv6tqe Quad Core Laptop on sale for $1000 - $225 code NB2688 = $775 with free shipping. HP® Official Store &mdash; Buy and Customize your dv6 and dv6tqe series PC direct from HP

Specs
2nd generation Intel Quad Core i7-2630QM 2.0 GHz
8GB DDR3
640GB 7200RPM HDD
15.6" 1366x768 HP BrightView LED Display
1GB Radeon HD 6490M Graphics w/ HDMI
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN
6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Optional Upgrades:
1GB Radeon HD 6770M GDDR5 Graphics, HDMI, VGA [+ $25.00]
750GB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection


Is this too much power and price for my requirements:
-travel for work and want to carry it in a bag (with another laptop)
-multi table poker (what, bigred plays poker?)
-watch movies
-play some games (HL2, portal, etc. I don't need super power, I will play that on xbawks)

[Jack Sawyer]

Should be more than enough for what you want it for, but be aware

1) you shall have abysmal battery life
2) the screen doesn't have the best resolution, which means that multitabling without overlapping tables will not be possible
3) hard drive is very slow, get an ssd pronto. if you can get it with two hard drives from the assembly line its better, since you'd be able to use one for data and one for os (ssd) later on easily. usually, when hp laptops ship[, its impossible to get the extra caddy to run 2 hard drives if it did not ship with two installed in the first place

Other than that, its great.

[bigred]

Should be more than enough for what you want it for, but be aware

1) you shall have abysmal battery life
2) the screen doesn't have the best resolution, which means that multitabling without overlapping tables will not be possible
3) hard drive is very slow, get an ssd pronto. if you can get it with two hard drives from the assembly line its better, since you'd be able to use one for data and one for os (ssd) later on easily. usually, when hp laptops ship[, its impossible to get the extra caddy to run 2 hard drives if it did not ship with two installed in the first place

Other than that, its great.

Any alternatives in that price range? I'm not too worried about HD size, but speed is something I would like increases. Resolution is also a concern.

[Jack Sawyer]

I got to look into it for you, but for $775 it's doubtful there is anything even remotely as powerful as that HP, bar the screen res of course.

As ensignlee said, it IS an amazing deal price/performance wise.

[lolzzz_321]

So what stuff can I use here to build a modern computer -

S457-1054

Masscool 120mm Sleeve Bearing Case Fan Method: UPS GROUND Date Shipped: 11/16/07 Tracking #: 1ZW7X2360303599513 $9.99 $19.98 Returns NOT Accepted IMPORTANT:This item was shipped to you over 30 days ago and cannot be returned. Please contact Masscool by Fanner Tech at (626) 810-9885 ext 121 1

GEN-2004

Power Up Standard 550w ATX Power Supply Method: UPS GROUND Date Shipped: 11/16/07 Tracking #: 1ZW7X2360303599513 $39.99 $39.99 Returns NOT Accepted IMPORTANT:This item was shipped to you over 30 days ago and cannot be returned. Please contact PowerUp at 888-777-9700 1

T925-2032

Thermaltake Ruby Orb CPU Cooler for AMD & Intel Method: UPS GROUND Date Shipped: 11/16/07 Tracking #: 1ZW7X2360303599513 $34.99 $34.99 Returns NOT Accepted IMPORTANT:This item was shipped to you over 30 days ago and cannot be returned. Please contact ThermalTake at 1-800-988-1088 1

O261-8070

OCZ Platinum Rec2 2048MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz 2x1GB Method: UPS GROUND Date Shipped: 11/16/07 Tracking #: 1ZW7X2360303599513 $84.99 $84.99 Returns NOT Accepted IMPORTANT:This item was shipped to you over 30 days ago and cannot be returned. Please contact OCZ at 408-733-7600 1

M452-2848

MSI K9MM-V Socket AM2 Motherboard Method: UPS GROUND Date Shipped: 11/16/07 Tracking #: 1ZW7X2360303599513 $49.37 $49.37 Returns NOT Accepted IMPORTANT:This item was shipped to you over 30 days ago and cannot be returned. Please contact MSI Computer at 1-626-913-0828 1

CP1-AM2-4000 E AV

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ Socket AM2 BOX CPU Status: Shipped Method: UPS GROUND Date Shipped: 11/16/07 Tracking #: 1ZW7X2360303599513 $69.62 $69.62 Returns NOT Accepted IMPORTANT:This item was shipped to you over 30 days ago and cannot be returned. Please contact AMD at 408-749-3060 1

ULT31824

Ultra Aluminus Mid Tower ATX Case Black Status: Shipped Method: UPS GROUND Date Shipped: 11/16/07 Tracking #: 1ZW7X2360303599522 $39.99 $39.99

[bikes]

Okay i've read this thread and it's sorta helpful except for the fact i don't need a BOC graphics card, I dont play many video games, I just want something that will 24 table with a hud with relative ease. Not that I plan on 24 tabling anytime soon it just is something that it should be able to do if the need arises.

will this do the job or should i be looking into something better?
Newegg.com - TOSHIBA Satellite L675-S7108 Notebook Intel Core i3 380M(2.53GHz) 17.3" 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi Intel HD Graphics

or this one
Newegg.com - lenovo IdeaPad Z560 &#40;0914-4HU&#41; NoteBook Intel Core i3 380M&#40;2.53GHz&#41; 15.6&#34; 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD&#177;R&#47;RW NVIDIA GeForce 310M

[Jack Sawyer]

It depends. If you don't care about power nor build quality at all, and basically only want to play 24 tables stacked it doesn't matter which (you could get an 11" if you roll like Boku87). If you need to see all your tables at any one time, just get the biggest screen you can find. That and an external monitor.

The best deal for your money though, that is a different thing.

@triptanes, when you get online again you'll see a barrage of info cascading your way

[bode]

Jack, you should just start an, "Ask me anything about computers" thread

[Jack Sawyer]

[kingnat]

Looking to buy new laptop/smartbook for wife...needs just the basics. email, large hard drive for vids and pics, fast enough to be fast. Wife will be transporting a lot. Was thinking tiny computer with external keyboard. Must be $1k or less (could buy a Macbook Air for 1k). Most reliable options? Wouldn't mind getting her somethign that looks slick as well....

[Jack Sawyer]

Asus U-series seems a perfect fit for your needs.
Amazon.com: ASUS U31JG-XA1 13.3-Inch Laptop - Black: Computer & Accessories


The Acer Aspire TimelineX is up to the task as well
Amazon.com: Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3820T-6480 13.3-Inch HD Laptop (Black Brushed Aluminum): Computer & Accessories

*edit
And another one, this one has a built in burner. Also, since it's new as in May 4th new, the official word says ~7hrs of battery, no review numbers up yet.
Best deal and Coupon on HP Pavilion dm4x & dm4 Laptop deals and review - LogicBUY

[ensign_lee]

Looking to buy new laptop/smartbook for wife...needs just the basics. email, large hard drive for vids and pics, fast enough to be fast. Wife will be transporting a lot. Was thinking tiny computer with external keyboard. Must be $1k or less (could buy a Macbook Air for 1k). Most reliable options? Wouldn't mind getting her somethign that looks slick as well....

MSI 15.6, i5-gen2, 4gb, 500gb for $549 @ OD

Just bought this one for my dad last week. Gotta say, it's looks pretty sleek, runs really cool to the touch (yay for sandy bridge processors using less power), and is generally pretty fast (again, yay for sandy bridge).

Could it use a SSD? yes, but you can always add that later.

[kingnat]

Asus U-series seems a perfect fit for your needs.
Amazon.com: ASUS U31JG-XA1 13.3-Inch Laptop - Black: Computer & Accessories


The Acer Aspire TimelineX is up to the task as well
Amazon.com: Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3820T-6480 13.3-Inch HD Laptop (Black Brushed Aluminum): Computer & Accessories

*edit
And another one, this one has a built in burner. Also, since it's new as in May 4th new, the official word says ~7hrs of battery, no review numbers up yet.
Best deal and Coupon on HP Pavilion dm4x & dm4 Laptop deals and review - LogicBUY

Quick bump - Thank you guys very much for the suggestions. I was trying to hold off on pulling the trigger until just before fall but now the old laptop died, so need to move. Are these still my best bets? And Jack - is the dm4 version of that HP acceptable?

[aka_red]

i'm getting this Asus - Laptop / Intel&#174; Core™ i7 Processor / 17.3" Display / 8GB Memory / 1TB Hard Drive - G74SX-BBK7

[boost]

10lbs!

[aka_red]

yeah its heavy =( but im going to be bouncing back and forth between seattle and vancouver and i dont want to drag my desktop with me for like a 4 day trip home but still be able to play games and poker and shit on it. also i am a strong body builder so 10lbs is nothing to me weakling.

[Jack Sawyer]

Red, make sure to get a bag that can carry that poundage in style:
The Shed Large Messenger Bag || Mission Workshop
Amazon.com: Chrome Metropolis Messenger Bag: Sports & Outdoors

I just ordered one of those "The Sheds" in black with the orange buckle. I like it a ton, and it's built to last a lifetime.


Kingest of Nats, I will be researching that for you when I have some time as I don't have the current ones at hand. The Acer is still top notch, the Asus seems to be unavailable ATM, and the HP has some quirks that makes it a bit more difficult to live with according to this PCMag review which came out a long time after I initially posted it.

At a glance deals that I've been able to find:
(this one's particularly awesome) Best deal & coupon for Lenovo IdeaPad Y460p and Y460 2nd gen Core i7 Quad Laptop - LogicBUY
HP ENVY Laptop Deals and Coupons - LogicBUY
Amazon.com: Lenovo Ideapad Z560 09143YU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black): Computer & Accessories

There's also this ultraportable Sammy which should be available soon. Samsung has quickly built a reputation for good notebooks. They say it should go for $750 Samsung Series 3 hands-on -- Engadget

[aka_red]

those are pretty sweet looking. right now i have one of the swiss backpacks with the laptop compartment. its a little light on space for much else though. ie hard to fit drinks/food/books/clothes all together. you sorta have to pick 1 or 2 max. i like the looks of it and it sounds cool but i really want to touch it and stuff, you know any place that retails them?

[mbiz]

Messenger Bags & Laptop Messenger Bags

Very high quality bags!

I think the 'dreadful embarrassment' is 17" model. I thought there were lores more colours tho..

[Jack Sawyer]

those are pretty sweet looking. right now i have one of the swiss backpacks with the laptop compartment. its a little light on space for much else though. ie hard to fit drinks/food/books/clothes all together. you sorta have to pick 1 or 2 max. i like the looks of it and it sounds cool but i really want to touch it and stuff, you know any place that retails them?

Mission Workshop previously only had retails spots in San Francisco, London, Amsterdam and Tokyo. Yup, high class and snobby. But now they have gotten a whole lot more around the US and the world:
Dealer Locations for Mission Workshop bags, backpacks, footwear, and cycling apparel || Mission Workshop

They got an expandable backpack too if that's what you like: Grocery Run - Vandal Roll-Top Backpack on Vimeo

The Chrome stores can be found here: CHROME | Official Site

[boost]

Jack, do you know everything?

[Jack Sawyer]

Jack, do you know everything?

Hahaha, not at all! I just like to research stuff.

[aka_red]

Hahaha, not at all! I just like to research stuff.

how many monthly payments was it? possessing all knowledge seems optimal.

[Jack Sawyer]

how many monthly payments was it? possessing all knowledge seems optimal.

42!

[kingnat]

Much appreciated gents! I <3 me some ftr.

[kingnat]

Could I get recommendations for free anti-virus software for PC? I had been using Avast (and AVG before that)... would like whatever requires minimal maintenance. Thanks!

[Sasquach991]

Well after starting this thread and deciding what to get there was alot of "discussion" at my house about desktop vs laptop so I bought nothing until the "discussion" was finished.

The decision was to get a gaming laptop and my son's current laptop goes to me
So I have to start all over.


One question though. I've seen laptops with video cards but it says the card has shared memory. Does this mean the video card shares its memory with system memory or the video card uses the system memory?

I'll include what I've been looking at later.

This is one that I was talking about with shared memory:
HP - Pavilion Laptop / Intel® Core™ i7 Processor / 17.3" Display / 8GB Memory / 1TB Hard Drive - Steel Gray - dv7-6195us

It says "Feature up to 4837MB shared and 1GB GDDR5 dedicated video memory for lush images."

Scratch and Dent model from Dell outlet:
http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnlineS...=22&l=en&s=dfh
Free Shipping

[Nekrogovner]

One question though. I've seen laptops with video cards but it says the card has shared memory. Does this mean the video card shares its memory with system memory or the video card uses the system memory?

I'll include what I've been looking at later.

This is one that I was talking about with shared memory:
HP - Pavilion Laptop / Intel® Core™ i7 Processor / 17.3" Display / 8GB Memory / 1TB Hard Drive - Steel Gray - dv7-6195us

It says "Feature up to 4837MB shared and 1GB GDDR5 dedicated video memory for lush images."

It steals memory from your RAM when it needs it. If you are not psycho ultra pro gamer then u shouldn't care too much about this. But then again, if you are psycho gamer you would be buying a gaming rig in which only graphic card costs as much as that whole laptop.

[Sasquach991]

Thx.
So the HP I listed has a 1GB graphics card and if it needs more it uses system memory. This one has 8GB of system memory so it should be ok right?

My son's friend has one of these and it seems to run most games at high settings. I can also buy it locally so if I need to take it back.

Thoughts?

Jack?

[mbiz]

The only limiting factor on this system (the asus) is the gfx card i reckon. Its a good graphics card and will run everything fine though, its jsut that 8gb of ram and an i7 is badass. I have a geforce 560Ti in my desktop and love it.

The asus appears to have a better gfx card than the HP. Id go for the asus.

edit: you can obviously look up individual reviews, but PC Case Gear has a great layout and will show you a general idea of where the different spec gfx cards lie relative to eachother using the menu on the left.

disclaimer: i dont know heaps about laptop cards but they seemed to be named like their desktop cousins.

[Jack Sawyer]

Could I get recommendations for free anti-virus software for PC? I had been using Avast (and AVG before that)... would like whatever requires minimal maintenance. Thanks!

Microsoft Security Essentials. Just grab it here: Ninite - Install or Update Multiple Apps at Once

There are more awesome free software on there as well.

[Jack Sawyer]

Thx.
So the HP I listed has a 1GB graphics card and if it needs more it uses system memory. This one has 8GB of system memory so it should be ok right?

My son's friend has one of these and it seems to run most games at high settings. I can also buy it locally so if I need to take it back.

Thoughts?

Jack?

As long as you keep your gaming casual you're going to be fine. Don't expect it to run Crysis 2 at ultra hi-def, decent frame rates and all bells and whistles activated though. You're gonna be disappointed.

You should be able to play most older titles at decent settings with no problem.

Good old games you might have missed (I'm one of those vintage guys who rarely if ever games anymore) are NOLF 1 & 2, The Hitman series, Tron 2.0, GTA Vice City and San Andreas, Jade Empire, KOTOR 1 & 2, Heavy Metal F.A.K.K. 2, The Sims 2 & 3, UT 2004 GotY edition, Deus Ex 1&2, Half Life 2, Counterstrike, Warcraft 3 (before that online shit they have now).

You could probably play Mass Effect 1 & 2 at decent settings as well, but I wouldn't count on it.

You can also get your hands on a decent PS emulator to play games such as Tomba 2, Xenogears, Einhander, Gran Turismo etc.

[kingnat]

Microsoft Security Essentials. Just grab it here: Ninite - Install or Update Multiple Apps at Once

There are more awesome free software on there as well.

Thanks as always Captain Jack!

[BennyLaRue]

I loved NOLF. Jack, you're the first person I've come across that shares the sentiment.

[kingnat]

Xenogears

Woah, I just fell into a timewarp.

[Sasquach991]

Decided on this one:

30% Coupon HP dv7 Quad Edition Laptop deal | HP dv7t review and coupons - LogicBUY

Added Microsoft Office-$79
Upgraded Graphics Card to 6770-$25
Upgraded to 9 cell battery-$21
Upgraded display to 1920x1080 LED-$150

Total with shipping/tax- $1158

[ensign_lee]

holy F $1200 laptop. O.o

Congrats? Depending on how warm it gets, you may need a laptop cooler for that beast.

[Jack Sawyer]

Decided on this one:

30% Coupon HP dv7 Quad Edition Laptop deal | HP dv7t review and coupons - LogicBUY

Added Microsoft Office-$79
Upgraded Graphics Card to 6770-$25
Upgraded to 9 cell battery-$21
Upgraded display to 1920x1080 LED-$150

Total with shipping/tax- $1158

Got bad news for you. HP is looking into exiting the PC business. No word yet on if past warranties and support will be honored.

HP to follow IBM, ditch its PC business

AnandTech - HP Mulling Spinoff or Sale of its Personal Systems Group