Laptop Decisions

Alright guys, I'm gonna torture and guilt trip my parents into getting an Alienware laptop (or at least attempt to) and I need your guys' opinions since I don't know shit about laptops.

M15 is at about $1,450. (I can drop that price 200 dollars if I downgrade the processor from i5 to i3, thoughts on that?)

M17 is at about $2,200.

I want to get the best laptop I can while getting it at the cheapest price I can. I'm thinking about the M15, but I don't know if I want to get it with the i5 or the i3.

I bought a better laptop for 1200
I wouldn't go Alienware if I were you

don't get alienware.

half of what you pay is for the case and fancy lights

I'm actually not buying a case at all. I'm assuming the price comes from all the shit that's on it. And Seath, what laptop?

there is not much great about the hardware in alien-wares

I ended up with a Dell Studio XPS, but I think that there is an ASUS that is comparable and costs less(unless you have a student discount like I did)

Kasrkin Seath wrote:there is not much great about the hardware in alien-wares

I ended up with a Dell Studio XPS, but I think that there is an ASUS that is comparable and costs less(unless you have a student discount like I did)

Can you send me a link or something for the Dell Studio XPS? And also, this is a gaming laptop right? And no, I don't have a student discount.

Not a gaming laptop, but it does well enough with what I throw at it.
I would go search for things on your own, trying to the best deal is time consuming.

Carlos Spicyweiner wrote:

Kasrkin Seath wrote:there is not much great about the hardware in alien-wares

I ended up with a Dell Studio XPS, but I think that there is an ASUS that is comparable and costs less(unless you have a student discount like I did)

Can you send me a link or something for the Dell Studio XPS? And also, this is a gaming laptop right? And no, I don't have a student discount.

You won't get a good gpu in a dell, which is pretty much the most important component for gaming. (best they offer on an xps is a gt445m, which is quite a step down from a mobile 5870).

Better to get this, or if you don't care how much you spend, one of these.

Elabajaba wrote:

Carlos Spicyweiner wrote:

Kasrkin Seath wrote:there is not much great about the hardware in alien-wares

I ended up with a Dell Studio XPS, but I think that there is an ASUS that is comparable and costs less(unless you have a student discount like I did)

Can you send me a link or something for the Dell Studio XPS? And also, this is a gaming laptop right? And no, I don't have a student discount.

You won't get a good gpu in a dell, which is pretty much the most important component for gaming. (best they offer on an xps is a gt445m, which is quite a step down from a mobile 5870).

Better to get this, or if you don't care how much you spend, one of these.

Honestly, the M15 that Alienware offers is capable of running pretty much everything I need for 1249. That ASUS looks nice but... it's pretty ugly (yes, the look actually does matter to me). How much is that DRX even?

yeah, those are better gaming laptops
but why the hell are you getting a gaming laptop?

Desktops are much better for that

you can get a normal laptop and a gaming box for a better deal than an alienware laptop I think...

Kasrkin Seath wrote:yeah, those are better gaming laptops
but why the hell are you getting a gaming laptop?

Desktops are much better for that

1. I love laptops. 2. No room in my room for a desktop. 3. As far as I know, desktops cost more.

Carlos Spicyweiner wrote:

Kasrkin Seath wrote:yeah, those are better gaming laptops
but why the hell are you getting a gaming laptop?

Desktops are much better for that

1. I love laptops. 2. No room in my room for a desktop. 3. As far as I know, desktops cost more.

A 2000 dollar laptop can probably be outperformed by a 1000 dollar desktop.

desktops cost far, far less

Gold Spartan wrote:

Carlos Spicyweiner wrote:

Kasrkin Seath wrote:yeah, those are better gaming laptops
but why the hell are you getting a gaming laptop?

Desktops are much better for that

1. I love laptops. 2. No room in my room for a desktop. 3. As far as I know, desktops cost more.

A 2000 dollar laptop can probably be outperformed by a 1000 dollar desktop.

The laptop is only 1200. It can also do all I need it to do.

Carlos Spicyweiner wrote:

Gold Spartan wrote:

Carlos Spicyweiner wrote:

Kasrkin Seath wrote:yeah, those are better gaming laptops
but why the hell are you getting a gaming laptop?

Desktops are much better for that

1. I love laptops. 2. No room in my room for a desktop. 3. As far as I know, desktops cost more.

A 2000 dollar laptop can probably be outperformed by a 1000 dollar desktop.

The laptop is only 1200. It can also do all I need it to do.

a $600 desktop could probably do the same

Kasrkin Seath wrote:

Carlos Spicyweiner wrote:

Gold Spartan wrote:

Carlos Spicyweiner wrote:

Kasrkin Seath wrote:yeah, those are better gaming laptops
but why the hell are you getting a gaming laptop?

Desktops are much better for that

1. I love laptops. 2. No room in my room for a desktop. 3. As far as I know, desktops cost more.

A 2000 dollar laptop can probably be outperformed by a 1000 dollar desktop.

The laptop is only 1200. It can also do all I need it to do.

a $600 desktop could probably do the same

Well I don't have enough room for a desktop and I like laptops better.

you should at least get a better laptop that is probably also cheaper.
Buying alienware is basically like buying designer clothing,

It does the same damn thing as other clothes, just costs waay more

Kasrkin Seath wrote:you should at least get a better laptop that is probably also cheaper.
Buying alienware is basically like buying designer clothing,

It does the same damn thing as other clothes, just costs waay more

Well I don't really know where to look for one.

use google

Carlos Spicyweiner wrote:

Kasrkin Seath wrote:you should at least get a better laptop that is probably also cheaper.
Buying alienware is basically like buying designer clothing,

It does the same damn thing as other clothes, just costs waay more

Well I don't really know where to look for one.

Newegg.com is probably the best place to start, has a large selection. Also, the standard gpu in the m15x is crap. Look for an i7 720/740 or higher, gpu wise you'll want a 460m at the very least, with a 480m or a mobility 5870 being what you really want if you're dead set on a laptop (still wont be close to a good desktop and will lack upgradeability, which costs you in the long run since you can't just buy a new gpu and swap your current one for it, but should still be able to run everything on high depending on the game)

Elabajaba wrote:

Carlos Spicyweiner wrote:

Kasrkin Seath wrote:you should at least get a better laptop that is probably also cheaper.
Buying alienware is basically like buying designer clothing,

It does the same damn thing as other clothes, just costs waay more

Well I don't really know where to look for one.

Newegg.com is probably the best place to start, has a large selection. Also, the standard gpu in the m15x is crap. Look for an i7 720/740 or higher, gpu wise you'll want a 460m at the very least, with a 480m or a mobility 5870 being what you really want if you're dead set on a laptop (still wont be close to a good desktop and will lack upgradeability, which costs you in the long run since you can't just buy a new gpu and swap your current one for it, but should still be able to run everything on high depending on the game)

Honestly, the only games I'll probably be wanting to play is KOTOR, Empire: TW, Rome: TW, Sins of a Solar Empire, Crysis (maybe), and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Also, why do I need i3? People have told me that it's fine.

really, I've found that a faster processor doesn't accomplish much when the overall system cant even get it to use over a quarter of its total power.

You might be alright with a slower one

$2000 is WAY too much for a laptop.

Mine's an ASUS. Great quality and only $1000. Mine's a year old, but here's a more modern example:

G53Jw
> $1300 from amazon.com
> Intel Core i7
> Nvidia GTX 460M Graphics
> 6GB RAM
> 500GB HDD (7200RPM)
> 15.6" Full HD (1920x1080) LED Display


Oh... and since you say you don't know what you're looking for, here's a quick run-down on what all that means.

The first and foremost thing you want in a gaming laptop is a good processor. The most recent Intel processors (which are most common) are the i3, i5, and i7. i7 is most desirable, though you can cut back to the i5 if the extra cost is too much.

Next you need a graphics card that can actually handle video games. This is the part that most laptops lack, so be extra sure you have a good one before you buy anything. Most laptops will probably run on NVIDIA or ATI graphics cards, but I am not familiar enough with either brand to know which cards are the best. You'll have to consult someone else for that.

After the graphics card you need to worry about RAM. RAM, Random Access Memory, essentially dictates how much memory your computer can process at any given time. 4GB is a minimum for modern gaming laptops, but I wouldn't bother with anything over 8GB. With most laptops you can add on more RAM later on if it's really necessary.

Although both are measured in gigabytes, do not confuse RAM and HDD (hard drive space). HDD determines how much memory your computer can hold, but it has nothing to do with how fast your computer runs. Unless you have a rather extensive game collection, you're probably safe with 500GB, though some laptops now hold as much as a terabyte (1000GB).

Once those four criteria have been meat you should probably consider screen size, weight, battery life, audio quality, disc drives, USB drives, and other nuances. Also keep in mind that a new computer means that you may need new MS Office programs (Word, Excel, Powerpoint...) among other essentials if you no longer have the originals.

Well, that's about all I can think of. Good luck.

How little space do you have that you can't fit a desktop in? Hell, mine is friggin' huge (compared to other towers) and only takes up a few feet of space.