Which Laptop to Buy?

[robert619va]

Hello Knowledgeable People,
I am trying to research laptops, but there is so many specs to look at. It is so confusing. The main capabilities I am looking for are quick internet, CD and/or DVD, decent battery life, good speed for loading applications, storage for average amount of docs, pictures and files, playing games like Sims3 or similar, and possibly comes with the basic office and other virus protection programs. The price is pretty important, around a 400 or so, would be great. Which brands and processors are the best for the money and what is on my wish list? I would appreciate any feedback and suggestions. I am completely overwhelmed looking online without knowing what to look for. Thank you for your help.

 

[Maziar]

This topic has been moved from the section Systems to section Laptops & Notebooks by Maziar

 

[marios50]

hello robert
first of all internet speed has nothing to do with the laptop specs it depends on your internet connection.
2)nearly all laptops now include cd and dvd writers/readers.
3)as for your processor go for an i3 which i think is ideal for what you want.
4)graphic card look for ati series 4000 and higher in order to play sims 3 in at least low settings.
5)for office and antivirus it is better to buy and install them yourself as most of the times you only get trial versions.
you may need to upgrade your budget a litle to get a good laptop with the specs i told you.
have a nice day
marios

 

[IsabellaWinTeam]

Hi Robert,

As Marios noted, it will be difficult to get a laptop with the specs you asked for that is within your budget. You should check out the HP G62t. It meets all your specs (and is super affordable at less than $450) except you won't be able to play Sims 3 on it. It does have an i3 processor, 15.6" screen, and 4 GB of RAM.
Would you be willing to sacrifice game playing ability so that you can stay in your budget or are you willing to pay more than $400 for dedicated graphics?

Cheers,
Isabella
MSFT Windows Outreach Team

 

[bugmenot1983]

Definitely not going to get a gaming laptop for less than I'd say about $600 realistically. And as Isabella pointed out, that particular laptop model would be a great choice for a fast and reliable machine, especially with the new technology of an i3 under the hood. Even the Atom/Ion netbooks can't really game that well in regards to ones like Sims 3 or COD, but if you're into bejeweled, that should be no problem.

 

[WR2]

and possibly comes with the basic office and other virus protection programs.

You can leave the office and AV apps off your qualification list. You can get really decent AV protection and open source Office suite at not cost.
Microsoft Security Essentials: http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/
OpenOffice.org 3 http://why.openoffice.org/index.html

It's not easy finding a gaming laptop in your price range. But since you're only talking Sims3 and if you don't mind lowered graphics settings - something like this
$400 HP 625 XT960UT Notebook with Athlon II Dual-Core P340 2.2GHz CPU, 3GB DDR3 RAM, 320GB HDD, DVD burner, 15.6" LCD and Mobility Radeon HD 4200 Graphics from TigerDirect
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6759733&Sku=H24-15188&cm_re=Homepage-_-Spot%2001-_-CatId_17_H24-15188
should get the job done for you.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Around $400 for a laptop that can play Sims 3? Well right off the bat, Intel is out because at that price point, they only have Intel Graphics which are garbage. What you need is an AMD-based laptop with a Mobility Radeon GPU. Intel GMA graphics cannot play Sims3 because the drivers are even worse than the gawd-awful GPU itself. Here's one you could consider (as much as I hate to suggest Wal-Mart for a computer):
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Toshiba-C655D-S5080/15105550