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Trying to find a budget laptop, please help!

Tags:
  • Laptops
  • Gaming
  • Games
  • Minecraft
Last response: in Laptop General Discussion
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September 12, 2014 3:25:55 PM

1. What is your budget?
$600 max, would prefer closer to $550

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
15-17 inches.

3. What screen resolution do you want?
1366x768 or 1920x1080

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
I need something to use while traveling, and I've already built my own gaming rig, so please don't reply saying "build a desktop!" :) 

5. How much battery life do you need?
At least 4 hrs.

6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low,Medium or High)?
Fez, Braid, Shovel Knight, and Minecraft. So mostly just smaller indie games, but I have to be able to run these on high/ultra (besides Minecraft) :) 

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, Etc.)
Programming, and Game Design.

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
500gb or more.

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
No preference, as long as it's trustworthy and reliable.

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
Preferably 2+ years.

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
I don't use DVD's :p 

12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons.
Would like to stay away from HP and Toshiba.

13. What country do you live in?
U.S.

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed
Really good build quality is a must, so is a full-size keyboard. I should also mention that I frequently use Unity3D, so a good CPU is a must-have.

I'm hoping to buy something this week, thanks guys!

More about : find budget laptop

September 12, 2014 3:36:34 PM

I think you have 2 options- something new with integrated graphics, in which case, you probably want something with an AMD processor, or you take your chances on the used market like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-IdeaPad-Y580-15-6-750-GB...
which has a GTX660M.
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September 13, 2014 8:44:08 PM

bliq said:
I think you have 2 options- something new with integrated graphics, in which case, you probably want something with an AMD processor, or you take your chances on the used market like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-IdeaPad-Y580-15-6-750-GB...
which has a GTX660M.

I would prefer to stick with something new, so which laptop would you recommend? :) 
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September 14, 2014 9:47:07 AM

I would say the acer just wins. It should be enough for basic game editing but may struggle with complex 3d models.
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September 14, 2014 5:43:02 PM

Alright guys, I think I narrowed it down to my top 3.

http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-59345759-Z585-15-6-Inch-La...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FS4UNG4/ref=s9_psim...

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-V5-552-X814-15-6-Inch...

I really like the price of the Lenovo, and the 1TB HDD makes it a really good value, plus there seems to be a lot of reviews/videos about it. On the other hand, I really like the look and style of the Acer's, but I can't find anything about it online. Which one do you guys think is the best choice for me? :) 
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September 14, 2014 6:21:41 PM

I'm a little busy ATM but you said gaming figured into your choice so if I were you I would google and do a comparison between the offered imbedded graphics cards between the three. On the other hand I should warn you not to expect to much from games from any of them.
Also the main reason I commented was because I just finished dealing with Lenovo support and warranty and had a great experience with them with lots of help and a very quick turn around time when my Hard Drive pooped out!
Good luck and CHeers:) 
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September 15, 2014 9:06:58 AM

Any of the first 2 are on par with each other
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September 17, 2014 1:13:11 PM

I found a Lenovo y500 on Craigslist for $600 obo, do you guys think that would be a better idea?
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September 18, 2014 2:01:07 AM

Acer Aspire E5-551G-T0JN 15.6″ is much better choice for less than $600.
It has discreet Radeon R7 M265 which is powerful card.
See list of recommended cheap gaming laptop.
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