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Help me find the best laptop
Ryadic
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I need a laptop. My PC needs a full make over more or less and while it'd probably be cheaper to fix it, I don't feel like fooling around with it, and I've always wanted a laptop. What I'm looking for:
Something cheap. I would like to spend under 500. I could probably go over that if the deal was just too good to pass up.
Simple. Not looking for a beast of a machine, just something that has a good size hard drive, nice smooth speed, good amount of RAM, and the ability to play same PC games like Starcraft, Diablo 2, and older games like that. WoW would be nice, but not necessary. Same with Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3, but I really think I'm stretching it there.
Wireless internet. Has to be build in. I don't want to fool around with external cards/devices to get on internet. Wireless is pretty much standard these days, so I don't think I'll have to look too hard.
Good battery life. I'm not hoping for something to last 3 days on one charge, but since I'm not looking for a hog of a machine, I think it should at least last 4 hours on a single charge. I don't know much about laptop batteries and what standard is, but I don't think that this is asking much (maybe it is, though).
DVD drive. What's wrong with wanting to watch DVDs on the go?
Now I don't have the money to do this right now, but I actually plan on getting a laptop today. How? Well I plan on going to Best Buy (or a similar store) to apply for their credit card and putting it on that. This is why I want it cheap so I can pay it off fast. Looking on Best Buy's website I already see a few pretty cheap ones that more or less fit what I'm looking for.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9496191&type=product&id=1218114705665
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9371477&type=product&id=1218093383615
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9406289&type=product&id=1218100315411 - I like this one.
Now, I've never been a Dell person. Never bought a Dell. Never once said "Dude, you're getting a Dell." But... that Inspiron just looks very much like what I want. Just the video RAM is low... 256 shared? =\
I know I said I wasn't expecting to play games, but, correct me if I'm wrong, isn't that too low for even a simple game of Starcraft?
Also with me not knowing much about laptops, I don't know much about upgrading them. I know RAM is easily upgradable just like desktops, but what about video. If I wanted to improve the video RAM on this laptop at some point in time, is that possible? Is it going to be expensive? Is it simple for me to do? I've put together PCs without a problem, but there's just something about laptops that intimidate me.
C'mon guys, help out a "n00b".
Something cheap. I would like to spend under 500. I could probably go over that if the deal was just too good to pass up.
Simple. Not looking for a beast of a machine, just something that has a good size hard drive, nice smooth speed, good amount of RAM, and the ability to play same PC games like Starcraft, Diablo 2, and older games like that. WoW would be nice, but not necessary. Same with Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3, but I really think I'm stretching it there.
Wireless internet. Has to be build in. I don't want to fool around with external cards/devices to get on internet. Wireless is pretty much standard these days, so I don't think I'll have to look too hard.
Good battery life. I'm not hoping for something to last 3 days on one charge, but since I'm not looking for a hog of a machine, I think it should at least last 4 hours on a single charge. I don't know much about laptop batteries and what standard is, but I don't think that this is asking much (maybe it is, though).
DVD drive. What's wrong with wanting to watch DVDs on the go?
Now I don't have the money to do this right now, but I actually plan on getting a laptop today. How? Well I plan on going to Best Buy (or a similar store) to apply for their credit card and putting it on that. This is why I want it cheap so I can pay it off fast. Looking on Best Buy's website I already see a few pretty cheap ones that more or less fit what I'm looking for.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9496191&type=product&id=1218114705665
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9371477&type=product&id=1218093383615
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9406289&type=product&id=1218100315411 - I like this one.
Now, I've never been a Dell person. Never bought a Dell. Never once said "Dude, you're getting a Dell." But... that Inspiron just looks very much like what I want. Just the video RAM is low... 256 shared? =\
I know I said I wasn't expecting to play games, but, correct me if I'm wrong, isn't that too low for even a simple game of Starcraft?
Also with me not knowing much about laptops, I don't know much about upgrading them. I know RAM is easily upgradable just like desktops, but what about video. If I wanted to improve the video RAM on this laptop at some point in time, is that possible? Is it going to be expensive? Is it simple for me to do? I've put together PCs without a problem, but there's just something about laptops that intimidate me.
C'mon guys, help out a "n00b".
Ryadic on
0
Posts
I'm going to be at Best Buy in about three hours.
Video cards are either hard or impossible to upgrade in laptops, because unlike desktops, the same card made for 2 different kinds of laptops will have a different shape, since laptops are so compact. So, you might be able to upgrade it with a card that comes out for a higher version of the laptop (i.e. upgrade an 8100 with the cards that are made for an 8600 of the same model), but it's a crapshoot, and even then, you might be buying cards off of ebay or third-party sites. If you want the laptop for gaming, it's either going to be cheap or (a little) future-proof, not both.
RAM is typically easy to upgrade, and you can usually get RAM from Crucial at cheaper prices than through the manufacturer.
A few things:
Threw this together on Dell.com for $574:
Intel® Pentium® Dual Core T4200 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB/1MB cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic Edition SP1
Microsoft® Works 9
1Yr Ltd Warranty and Mail-In Service
McAfee SecurityCenter, 30-Day Trial
Glossy, widescreen 15.6 inch display (1366x768)
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz
160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD4330
8X CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
6-cell battery
Dell Wireless 1397 802.11g Half Mini-Card
No Webcam Option
High Definition Audio 2.0
Jet Black
Well the main reason I'm going to a place like Best Buy is because they have those stupid credit cards you can get and I want that so I can pay it off over time and also help build up my credit. My credit score is really good last I checked and I am just trying to get it better. Are there any websites that will allow me to do something similar?
Is Windows 7 really that much better than Vista? I may be one of the few that actually liked Vista. I never had problems with it on my desktop. I really don't want to wait, but I guess there's no real reason to not wait. I could always give this laptop to my Fiance when I want a better one, too. Her laptop screen is busted off the hinges, so she wants a new one.
Yes, it is. It would be silly not to wait.
Have to repeat that you'll want to wait for Windows 7. If you liked Vista (as I did), you will absolutely fall in love with 7. It builds upon what Vista did right and adds even more good stuff.
Also, on the credit score thing; I'm pretty sure that if you are working on building your credit up, try not to check it often. If memory serves, when you check your score, you lose points.