laptop help

[pyran]

I'm looking to get a "desktop replacement" to compliment my current desktop. However, first I'm unsure if I should go with an AMD turion cpu or find a laptop manufacturer that puts an amd x2 cpu in their gaming laptops. For the most part, i'm not too worried about battery life as the places I go with the laptop when I game will have a power outlet. The only times I won't be using a power outlet is on a plane. But that's what extra batteries are for.

The next thing is does anyone have any suggestions for laptop manufacturers? I have a budget of about $3500 and have looked at Dell, Alienware, and Voodoo.

Oh, a 17" WUXGA monitor would be ideal.

Dean

 

[shadowduck]

I'm looking to get a "desktop replacement" to compliment my current desktop. However, first I'm unsure if I should go with an AMD turion cpu or find a laptop manufacturer that puts an amd x2 cpu in their gaming laptops. For the most part, i'm not too worried about battery life as the places I go with the laptop when I game will have a power outlet. The only times I won't be using a power outlet is on a plane. But that's what extra batteries are for.

The next thing is does anyone have any suggestions for laptop manufacturers? I have a budget of about $3500 and have looked at Dell, Alienware, and Voodoo.

Oh, a 17" WUXGA monitor would be ideal.

Dean

As much as AMD rocks the desktop, unless you enjoy really crappy battery life, avoid AMD in a laptop. Intel really did their homework with the Pentium M(and Core Duo) and really win here.

For a good gaming laptop, I do like the XPS from Dell. Alienware is now part of Dell, so maybe their prices will come down.

Sample XPS M170:

Pentium M 770 (2.13)
17" Ultrasharp WUXGA (only Dell/Alienware offers this screen from what I can find)
2GB of RAM
80GB hard drive
DVD burner
256MB GeforceGo 7800GTX video card
XP Pro
2 batteries
Wireless/Bluetooth
2 year warranty
$2785.00 (does not include shipping or tax)
Put in coupon code: MRVM1Z69TC782P to save 10% off that price

With 2 batteries you are looking at total battery life of about 6-7 hours. Not bad at all.

 

[sandmannight]

laptops hare hard but alienware is where I would go.

 

[kyleawesome]

What I would do is go for a custom built toshiba!

Toshiba Satellite P100-ST7111
Intel® Core™ Duo Processor T2600 (2.16GHz; 2MB L2 Cache; 667MHz FSB),
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional,
1024MB PC4200 DDR2 533MHz SDRAM (512MBx2) dual channel,
17" Widescreen SXGA+ TruBrite™ display (1680x1050),
NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7600 with 256MB discrete graphics memory, 100GB HDD (7200rpm, Serial-ATA),
DVD SuperMulti drive (+/-R Double Layer),
Intel® PRO/Wireless LAN 3945ABG (802.11a/b/g),
Bluetooth® (v.2.0) + EDR,
Li-Ion Battery (9-Cell),


$2,433.55

Toshiba makes great products and could spend the extra 1k maxing out the memory, maybe grab another battery or two, a nice case and some other junk.

 

[TabrisDarkPeace]

The Turion 64 X2 on Socket S is not available yet.

When it is AMD will 'catch up' to Intel in the mobile sector.

Do you require an x64 Operating System for x64 application development ?
- If no the Intel Core Duo is your best bet.

http://www.intel.com/products/processor/coreduo/index.htm

There are 25w Turion 64 MT series, single cores, available, but they still use more power than the 27w Pentium M (etc) for reasons I will not go into.

The Turion 64 ML series is actually 35w, and even worse off.

However, if you are hell bent on it, the best Turion 64 laptops are here:
http://www.hpshopping.com/cgi-bin/shopping/site_entrance.cgi?template_type=computer_store&landing=notebooks&category=hp_pavilion&aoid=1426
http://www.hpshopping.com/cgi-bin/shopping/site_entrance.cgi?template_type=computer_store&landing=notebooks&category=compaq_presario&aoid=1433
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF02d/321957-64295-89315.html

Toshiba and Samsung models are also quite nice.

The AMD Turion prices are so nice you can afford a 2nd, or 3rd, battery and more RAM when compared to Intel 'Centrino' platforms though.

But if you are looking to spent US$3500 you are in a tough place, because Intel Core Duo (2nd gen, Merom core) will sport both x64 and execute +63% more Instructions Per Clock cycle, aswell as being clocked +25% higher, having more cache, and being dual-core. - But that is slated for an 'around July' release. (In laymens it will have twice the performance [1.63 x 1.25] of current mobile dual-core laptops).

AMD do not have dual-core in the mobile sector yet, they are also only offering single-channel DDR1 (2.7 GB/sec usually, as they use PC2700 for power reaons). But they do have the x64 advantage as most current Intel laptops can not run an x64 OS.

The question is, do you need an x64 OS ?, and if so why do you 'really' need it ?, Having an x64 capable processor and running Win32 Kernel on it is really a waste.

I don't think the Athlon 64 Mobile (DTR) will ever get a dual-core (X2) varient added to its line, as AMD are concentrating on the Turion 64 and future Turion 64 X2 lines now.

 

[shadowduck]

What I would do is go for a custom built toshiba!

Toshiba Satellite P100-ST7111
Intel® Core™ Duo Processor T2600 (2.16GHz; 2MB L2 Cache; 667MHz FSB),
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional,
1024MB PC4200 DDR2 533MHz SDRAM (512MBx2) dual channel,
17" Widescreen SXGA+ TruBrite™ display (1680x1050),
NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7600 with 256MB discrete graphics memory, 100GB HDD (7200rpm, Serial-ATA),
DVD SuperMulti drive (+/-R Double Layer),
Intel® PRO/Wireless LAN 3945ABG (802.11a/b/g),
Bluetooth® (v.2.0) + EDR,
Li-Ion Battery (9-Cell),



$2,433.55

Toshiba makes great products and could spend the extra 1k maxing out the memory, maybe grab another battery or two, a nice case and some other junk.

I agree Kyle, and the only reason I did not look at Toshiba is the orginal poster said he wanted a WUXGA screen with Toshiba does not offer. Dell and Alienware both offer this excpetion (1900x1200) screen. I do agree, that is a great notebook especially since it does not have XP Home.

 

[mesarectifier]

When you say 'desktop replacement' do you mean that you're replacing your desktop with this laptop i.e. not moving it ever/rarely?

 

[TabrisDarkPeace]

DTR = DeskTop Replacement

It is a kind of laptop which usually implies a more high end laptop, with decent 3D video performance, and they usually use desktop processors in a mobile varient, not 'mobile' processors.


eg:
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118_10220_10221,00.html
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118_10220_9486,00.html

However those lines of processors are being phased out, and the Turion 64 X2 will be replacing them, as it is dual core and will have far better performance in other areas, not just the CPU the whole system chipset has been revamped.

Thus Athlon 64 DTR where a 'stop gap' measure while they produced the Turion line of processors. (Which use less power and give similar performance).

 

[mesarectifier]

I know what a desktop replacement is! Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. I was wondering if he would be removing the laptop because if he isn't then battery life would be a non-issue.

 

[TabrisDarkPeace]

I'm looking to get a "desktop replacement" to compliment my current desktop. However, first I'm unsure if I should go with an AMD turion cpu or find a laptop manufacturer that puts an amd x2 cpu in their gaming laptops. For the most part, i'm not too worried about battery life as the places I go with the laptop when I game will have a power outlet. The only times I won't be using a power outlet is on a plane. But that's what extra batteries are for.

 

[kyleawesome]

What I would do is go for a custom built toshiba!

Toshiba Satellite P100-ST7111
Intel® Core™ Duo Processor T2600 (2.16GHz; 2MB L2 Cache; 667MHz FSB),
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional,
1024MB PC4200 DDR2 533MHz SDRAM (512MBx2) dual channel,
17" Widescreen SXGA+ TruBrite™ display (1680x1050),
NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7600 with 256MB discrete graphics memory, 100GB HDD (7200rpm, Serial-ATA),
DVD SuperMulti drive (+/-R Double Layer),
Intel® PRO/Wireless LAN 3945ABG (802.11a/b/g),
Bluetooth® (v.2.0) + EDR,
Li-Ion Battery (9-Cell),



$2,433.55

Toshiba makes great products and could spend the extra 1k maxing out the memory, maybe grab another battery or two, a nice case and some other junk.

I agree Kyle, and the only reason I did not look at Toshiba is the orginal poster said he wanted a WUXGA screen with Toshiba does not offer. Dell and Alienware both offer this excpetion (1900x1200) screen. I do agree, that is a great notebook especially since it does not have XP Home.

Ah! An oversight on my part! 8)

 

[mesarectifier]

'Compliment' could mean anything though, I was just trying to find out if he was going to be running both at once, or using a laptop as a laptop.

 

[linux_0]

I'm looking to get a "desktop replacement" to compliment my current desktop. However, first I'm unsure if I should go with an AMD turion cpu or find a laptop manufacturer that puts an amd x2 cpu in their gaming laptops. For the most part, i'm not too worried about battery life as the places I go with the laptop when I game will have a power outlet. The only times I won't be using a power outlet is on a plane. But that's what extra batteries are for.

The next thing is does anyone have any suggestions for laptop manufacturers? I have a budget of about $3500 and have looked at Dell, Alienware, and Voodoo.

Oh, a 17" WUXGA monitor would be ideal.

Dean

I believe these are your options:

http://alienware.com/Configurator_Pages/aurora_m7700.aspx?SysCode=PC-LT-AURORA-M-7700&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT

http://voodoopc.com/showroom.aspx?productID=1083


I have to say the M7700 looks quite nice, I just wish it didn't have a K8T890 chipset.

The Voodoo Envy looks great but it sells for $4400 :-(

Both of them are great systems.

 

[pyran]

Thanks for all the replies and advice. This was pretty much what I was looking for, although the only manufacturers that was suggested which I hadn't looked at before was Toshiba.

I was reading elsewhere on the forums, can't remember where, stating that the Pentium chips aren't worth it and that the Dell computers aren't worth spending money on. That's why I steered clear of the Intel Duocore chips.

I'd like to have a duo core chip of some kind as eventually, programs and games will use the cpu to its capacity. So at least the laptop will last a little bit longer than just a year.

Previously when I was looking at Dell, I looked at both the XPS and the Inspiron 1705. I noticed differences in the major areas of the laptop and figured the Inspiron would be better to get. The XPS still uses the Pentium M series and still has the PCMCIA card slots. The Inspiron uses the Pentium Duo Core cpus and comes with a express card slot (although there are just barely a handful of express cards available at this time). Not to mention, the Inspiron always have better deals than the XPS.

 

[linux_0]

Thanks for all the replies and advice. This was pretty much what I was looking for, although the only manufacturers that was suggested which I hadn't looked at before was Toshiba.

I was reading elsewhere on the forums, can't remember where, stating that the Pentium chips aren't worth it and that the Dell computers aren't worth spending money on. That's why I steered clear of the Intel Duocore chips.

I'd like to have a duo core chip of some kind as eventually, programs and games will use the cpu to its capacity. So at least the laptop will last a little bit longer than just a year.

Previously when I was looking at Dell, I looked at both the XPS and the Inspiron 1705. I noticed differences in the major areas of the laptop and figured the Inspiron would be better to get. The XPS still uses the Pentium M series and still has the PCMCIA card slots. The Inspiron uses the Pentium Duo Core cpus and comes with a express card slot (although there are just barely a handful of express cards available at this time). Not to mention, the Inspiron always have better deals than the XPS.

Those are not gaming notebooks however. Those are consumer level notebooks.

If you want a gaming notebook you need a desktop AMD CPU and high end VGA from nVidia or ATI like a 7800GT/7900GT or X1900 and up.

I do not normally recommend Alienware but in this case the alienware seems quite nice:

http://alienware.com/Configurator_Pages/aurora_m7700.aspx?SysCode=PC-LT-AURORA-M-7700&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT

 

[aydterracer2005]

I'm selling my laptop if you are interested. Check it out

http://forumz.tomshardware.com/community/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=416379#416379