Hi everyone. I'm in the market for a new laptop, and would like some pointers, or advice. I purchased a Compaq V5000z 3 years ago, but it was stolen about a year later. I basically purchased the laptop at the time, for entertainment purposed during long trips to family in Europe. I'm again going overseas, and am looking to buy a laptop to play games on, watch movies, and surf the net while in Italy. Since it's been a while from my last purchase, I was curious what's changed, or what features I should focus on. I'm looking to spend anywhere from $600-1,000.
The graphics card is important, since I play games like Madden, NHL 09, Battefield series games, and would likely purchase additional stuff for the trip. I've read the FAQ on graphics cards, and have scoured the rankings to see how the more common cards fair. Most budget books seem to have the Radeon HD X3200, or comparable. Is this adequate enough?
My old laptop was a 15.4" viewable, and while the screen size was nice, it was cumbersome on planes. Would a 14.1" viewable present any problems that I might not think of? Would anyone advise against going smaller, to 14.1"?
How does High Definition work on newer laptops? It might seem crazy, but does the drive upscale DVD's, or would I need to actually have a Blu-ray drive. Just wondering.
Which processor is better?
Which manufacturer should I stay away from?
Where I'm basically using this for home, and travel use, I don't need something overpowering. I don't want to be penny cheap, and dollar foolish either.
Thanks in advance!
The graphics card is important, since I play games like Madden, NHL 09, Battefield series games, and would likely purchase additional stuff for the trip. I've read the FAQ on graphics cards, and have scoured the rankings to see how the more common cards fair. Most budget books seem to have the Radeon HD X3200, or comparable. Is this adequate enough?
My old laptop was a 15.4" viewable, and while the screen size was nice, it was cumbersome on planes. Would a 14.1" viewable present any problems that I might not think of? Would anyone advise against going smaller, to 14.1"?
How does High Definition work on newer laptops? It might seem crazy, but does the drive upscale DVD's, or would I need to actually have a Blu-ray drive. Just wondering.
Which processor is better?
Which manufacturer should I stay away from?
Where I'm basically using this for home, and travel use, I don't need something overpowering. I don't want to be penny cheap, and dollar foolish either.
Thanks in advance!