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Buying a laptop in the U S A

TubeTube Registered User admin
edited October 2008 in Help / Advice Forum
So I'm in New York next week and I thought I'd buy a laptop because stuff is cheap in your country.

I have £1000 to spend, I'd like it to be able to run sweet games and to be able to score (sibelius) on it and generally be as kickass as I can get for that money.

Here is the help I need, please to recommend me specs and brands around that price and
Tell me what stuff I will need to get it to work best in England

thank you!

Tube on

Posts

  • TamTam Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Look here http://www2.pricewatch.com/public/

    under Computers>Notebooks>Core 2 Duo.

    also here:
    http://www.powernotebooks.com/

    You've got, what, over 2000 USD- you can buy an insane sweet laptop.

    Tam on
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  • RUNN1NGMANRUNN1NGMAN Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Tam wrote: »

    You've got, what, over 2000 USD- you can buy an insane sweet laptop.

    $1,729 USD, actually.

    RUNN1NGMAN on
  • TamTam Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    RUNN1NGMAN wrote: »
    Tam wrote: »

    You've got, what, over 2000 USD- you can buy an insane sweet laptop.

    $1,729 USD, actually.

    Oh that's right 1.7 not 2

    Still a sweet laptop.

    Tam on
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  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    edited October 2008
    Any spec specifics? video card?

    Tube on
  • Ramen NoodleRamen Noodle whoa, god has a picture of me! Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Look at Gateway. Typically good price/performance ratio. This one is fucking solid.

    Ramen Noodle on
  • BlochWaveBlochWave Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Are you gonna have to pay a duty fee or any such thing when reentering your country? Countries tend to want to discourage people doing precisely what you plan to do with those

    BlochWave on
  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    edited October 2008
    I'm going to take it back as my carry on. Shouldn't be a problem. If by some fluke I get stopped I'll just pay the tax and still save money.

    Tube on
  • PheezerPheezer Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited October 2008
    You should do some research on that, I know that as recently as a few years ago that it was actually a big deal to get a laptop back into Europe from the USA, like when they see one they specifically ask where/when you bought it.

    Pheezer on
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    CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
  • TamTam Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    I would get

    CPU: Intel Core2 Duo 2.2ghz
    GPU: nVidia 8000 or 9000 series with 512mb memory
    RAM: Kingston 2gb 667mhz RAM
    Wireless: Intel PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11a/g/n
    HDD : 160 gb SATA, 5400 or 7200 RPM

    Tam on
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  • ScrubletScrublet Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Is battery life a concern? When you start talking about loading it up with high-end DX10 Nvidia cards and such you take a hit there. Also I cannot second the Gateway recommendation.

    The one other thing to consider is that while you may save money by buying it in NY if the taxes don't kill you, I would anticipate a big sale on inventories soon as people clear stocks to make room for the new Intel Core i7 stuff based on Nehalem. Those should see large performance improvements, so you can either wait and buy the new ones for a better comp or buy the old ones on sale for less money. I saved ~$300 on my Sony laptop when I bought right before an Intel architecture refresh.

    Scrublet on
    subedii wrote: »
    I hear PC gaming is huge off the coast of Somalia right now.

    PSN: TheScrublet
  • Inquisitor77Inquisitor77 2 x Penny Arcade Fight Club Champion A fixed point in space and timeRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    I recently purchased a Gateway P-7811FX and I am extremely happy with the purchase. If you're OK with lugging around a 17-inch widescreen, it has a fantastic bang for the buck and works extremely well as a desktop replacement.

    Inquisitor77 on
  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    edited October 2008
    Battery life isn't a deal breaker. Scrub why do you not recommend gateway?

    Tube on
  • ScrubletScrublet Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    I went through two people in two years that had Gateways crap out after 9-12 months. They didn't "break" in the sense that the computer had to be sent in for warranty. They started running INSANELY slow. One of them I tried to help the person out with a format and fresh re-install to see if it had just been overloaded with crap, but even with a fresh XP install the thing still would take significant amounts of time to do simple tasks like open Windows Explorer.

    I've had the best luck with Sony, and while I personally have had bad experiences with Dell my friend's mom was just showing me her 4 year old Dell laptop, still running. Of course if you're willing to pay the price premium, I think Apple's got some of the most solid systems out there and you can just boot Windows on it if you don't like OSX.

    Scrublet on
    subedii wrote: »
    I hear PC gaming is huge off the coast of Somalia right now.

    PSN: TheScrublet
  • ScrubletScrublet Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Oh and supposedly HP has really turned themselves around in all aspects of the notebook market, but I can't comment for or against them.

    Scrublet on
    subedii wrote: »
    I hear PC gaming is huge off the coast of Somalia right now.

    PSN: TheScrublet
  • DrFrylockDrFrylock Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    I just got, for about $1500, a Dell Precision M4400. It's compatible with all the new Latitude E series accessories (docks and etc.) and it has a pretty good nVidia Quadro FX 770M discrete graphics board. I can play the Orange Box all day long. The machine is big and solid and it's honestly the best laptop I've ever used. If you're into little teeny laptops, this is not for you, but if this is going to be a Real Machine, it's quite nice.

    DrFrylock on
  • Pure DinPure Din Boston-areaRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Assuming England is the same as Ireland for this purpose, my American laptop worked just fine when I was living in Ireland last year, all it needed was a type G adaptor for the plug (check the power brick, it shouldn't need a converter. alternately, you could just get a new lead)

    The other thing you should know is that UK and US keyboard layouts are slightly different. It's not a huge deal, but it can really slow you down until you get used to switching back and forth.

    Here's a picture:
    http://www.cooltoyzph.com/image/US_Keyboard_layout.jpg


    Edit: also, I wanted to add a recommendation against HP, my roommates have 3 HP laptops between them and have had no end of trouble. One of them bought a new laptop this summer and both of the headphone jacks on it broke within 5 weeks.

    Pure Din on
  • KazhiimKazhiim __BANNED USERS regular
    edited October 2008
    A refurb'd or clearance Macbook (Pro) with Bootcamp to run windows on it would be a good deal, based on my own experience.

    Clearance:

    http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB134LL/A

    2.5 gHz dual core, 250GB harddrive, 2 gigs of ram, Geforce 8600. $1,799

    http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB133LL/A

    same thing, but 2.4 gHz and only 200GB. $1,599

    Their refurbished stuff is better for the same price. Remember to factor in the cost for Bootcamp.

    Kazhiim on
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