Recomend a laptop for about $800

[Jurenic]

Need to buy a laptop computer, the person will use it just as a desktop replacment. Media, games, general tasks... I have a budget of $800 + or - . I'm not that fimiliar with laptops, so any imput would be greatly apreciated.

 

[440bx]

I just spent the day playing with an HP DV6120US. After a $50.00 "easy rebate" it is $849.99. It is a nice looking machine and very responsive.

It is powered by a Core Duo (not Core 2 though), has a gig of ram, 120GB hard drive, built in wi-fi and all the standard hardware goodies.

They sell it at Staples. It is currently on special. You may want to check it out. I think that it may be possible to do better but it would not be easy, it would be easy to do a lot worse though.

At least it will give you something to compare other machines to.

HTH.

 

[jaguarskx]

Need to buy a laptop computer, the person will use it just as a desktop replacment. Media, games, general tasks... I have a budget of $800 + or - . I'm not that fimiliar with laptops, so any imput would be greatly apreciated.

For a about $800 excluding taxes and shipping charges, you should be able to get a Dell Inspiron E1505 with an ATI X1400 GPU. That should be good enough for gaming if whoever is using it is not very demanding. It's alot better than Intel's GMA 950 integrated GPU.

It will come with a 1.66GHz dual core CPU (not to be confused with Core 2 Duo) which is "okay" be slow.

http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/cto_inspn_e1505?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

 

[zenmaster]

I just configured dv6000t HP laptop with an NVIDIA GO 7400 for about $850 and similar to the Dell.

This is a 256MB video card with 1/2 the memory discrete and 1/2 shared.

I think the Dell uses all shared.
Hence I think the HP may yield a little better gaming performance.

Now I think the Dell is a nice choice.

In fact, I bought that exact laptop for my Wife.
However she does not game at all.

Y! games is the only thing ever run on it so I have no clue how and game would run.

Whatver you do, be sure to get something more than the Intel Graphics.

 

[jaguarskx]

If the only real difference is the 7400Go vs. the ATI X1400 then I would go with the brand you are most comfortable with since the price difference seems to be very small. Both are entry level cards (actually ATI also has the X1300) and both are definitely better than the GMA 950.

There aren't really any benchmarks available for the 7400Go and X1400 since they are mobile GPUs, but they should perform on par or a little better than the desktop versions of the GeForce 7300GS and Radeon X1300. Based on the following benchmarks of their desktop siblings I would choose the ATI X1400, which would be the Dell:

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2699&p=3