I need some laptop purchasing advice!

[evild2player]

I need some laptop purchasing advice!

Alright, I gotta be getting a laptop for university. I'll be using it for gaming and school stuff.. of course. I won't be playing any intense games. I'll probably be playing stuff like Ragnarok or CS 1.6 or source, WC3 maybe, SC2 maybe when it comes out, D3 maybe, or maybe even D2. So with this in mind, I'm looking for these kinda specs:

dual core 2.0ghz+ processor
512mb discrete graphics card
14.1-15.4 inch screen (leaning towards 14.1)

The other stuff don't really matter as long as my laptop looks GOOD. Must be black, dark grey, or purple. I've been looking at a few ASUS laptops, and they seem to give the most bang for the buck. I'll probably be buying online from a Canadian site. I've been lookin' on newegg at this:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220488
though this one is probably a bit too powerful for my taste.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220506
this one is nice too

I've heard stuff about discrete graphics not being worth it. Something about sucking too much power. But I'd really like a graphics card in my laptop. This will be my first laptop so I'm fairly inexperienced with them, though my dad has a laptop. Another thing that comes to mind is battery life. I really only require a 2-4 hour battery life when I'm not gaming (in class or whatever). I plan to plug in if I'm gonna play games. My price range is around $1000 CDN.


I can't think of anything else. If anyone has any laptop recommendations, that'd be great. Thanks in advance

 

[hisakix]

Re: I need some laptop purchasing advice!

I have actually been in your exact situation 5 years ago. Now that I am in my 3rd year of post-graduate studies, I can say with confidence that a solid gaming computer and a good computer to take with you on lectures/library/etc doesn't really exist. Now, you may get people telling you otherwise, but you need to ask them if they experienced this first-hand or if it is just theory-craft.

Some pointers and my own opinions on your questions are:

1.) Regarding the discrete graphics, which will now be called dedicated graphics (or DG for short), it makes a world of difference in more demanding 3D games. Yes, the DG card will drain more power and cause the laptop to run at a higher temperature, but when you start up that game using Intel's generic graphics chip, you are going to wish you opted for a DG card. The DG cards do not run at full capacity when not required so the power difference isn't really that significant when you are not pugged-in.

2.) The screen size can make or break a laptop deal for me. It affects my viewing area, and more importantly, the physical dimension and weight of the laptop. In my honest opinion, a 15.4in screen is way too clumsy to carry to class and then the library along with notebooks, textbooks, reference texts, manuals. Unless you plan on wasting time walking back and forth your dorm room to exchange items, you are better off sticking with 14.1.

The flip side is that 14.1 is horrible for gaming! You are gonna want at least a 15.4in for gaming, on a widescreen and definitely with a glossy finish for nice solid contrast and colours.

What does this mean? For starters, it means you need to get your *** down to a store and see the screen size and decide for yourself if you are comfortable with certain sizes while doing different activities. This is really something you have to solve for yourself, other people can't really help you.

3.) The battery life of laptops various greatly depending on the componets and the maker of the laptop. A laptop that lasts over 6 hours without the use of an extended battery will have performance issues while playing more demanding games (D3, SC2). However, a much faster computer lasting only 2 hours during classes is highly inconvient as then you have to carry an additional 1-1.5lbs (AC adaptor) in your bag to recharge between classes. From personal experience, you can get a 14.1in laptop with a DG card and buy an extended battery to improve its life time. Trust me, you may think 2hours life is enough and that you will just charge it gets really, really annoying after a while.

4.) I don't particularly like ASUS laptops, for a student I would recommend Dell as they offer decent laptops for very good prices. They also have excellent warranties and extended warranties. I'm sure you know about the highly variable personal preferenes to various laptops, but please take them with a grain of salt (including mine). You should know that the internal components are manufactured by the same companies and it is simply the overall design of the laptop that should be the issue:

- How the the ventilation, any overheating or uncomfortable heat build up on the palm rests?
- How much noise does it make?
- How is the layout of the keyboard, media buttons, optical drive, ports?
- What is the battery life?
- How is the warranty? Is there a good extended warranty that covers liquid spills and cosmetic damages?

5.) On a more personal side, I ended up purchasing a 12.1in ultraportable to take to class and I have a 17in desktop replacement at my residence to play games/watch movies on.

Also, I notice you are in Canada, may I ask which university you are going to Attend? I am actually studying dental at the University of Toronto.

 

[AeroJonesy]

Re: I need some laptop purchasing advice!

5.) On a more personal side, I ended up purchasing a 12.1in ultraportable to take to class and I have a 17in desktop replacement at my residence to play games/watch movies on.

This. Unless you plan on taking that big heavy gaming laptop everywhere, you are much better off with a desktop for games and a ultraportable notebook (possibly a netbook) to take to class. Trust me. I carried a laptop to class every day and after a while it starts to get heavy. The smaller the better.

 

[BobCox2]

Re: I need some laptop purchasing advice!

I lost interest in giving advice when I read this.

"The other stuff don't really matter as long as my laptop looks GOOD. Must be black, dark grey, or purple."

I'm not a good salesman I guess.

 

[evild2player]

Re: I need some laptop purchasing advice!

I lost interest in giving advice when I read this.

"The other stuff don't really matter as long as my laptop looks GOOD. Must be black, dark grey, or purple."

I'm not a good salesman I guess.

When I said the other stuff, I meant parts like HDD, RAM, etc.

My dad has a 14.1" laptop and I think the screen size is fine. I've gone to the store and looked at screen sizes and I think I'd be fine with 14.1", but I'll probably go look again before I make a purchase.

Oh and when I was browsing Dell laptops awhile back, I saw options for bluetooth and a bluetooth mouse. Are those worth it? I'm thinking bluetooth eliminates the need of plugging in a usb receiver for a wireless mouse. But I'm not quite sure on its reliability.

And I'm planning to study business at Wilfred Laurier, Mcmaster, or Rotman commerce @ UT. I haven't quite decided yet.

 

[hisakix]

Re: I need some laptop purchasing advice!

I'm not 100% sure on the quality and price of the Dell bluetooth mice. I actually bought a Microsoft bluetooth mice (mode: MS Laser Mouse 8000) that can connect to the internal bluetooth of your laptop, so this eliminates the need to use a USB reciever. Works very well, no disconnects and has good range. These mice are expensive however and the original price of this mouse at BestBuy in Toronto was $120 CAD. I managed to get it on sale for only $60 CAD. The BT feature removes the need for the USB receiver and was very convenient to use.

I know this is over the internet but I wanted to let you know my thoughts anyway. Since you are only doing your undergraduate studies, McMaster and UofT are both solid choices. If you are planning on applying to any post-grad studies, universities like UofT do NOT care which university you came from if they are both reputable. I did 3 years of undergrad at UofT (St.George) and if I had to do it over again I would have did my undergrad at Queen's and then applied to dental at UofT and Western. UofT really isn't the best undergraduate school due to its class sizes and allegedly many UofT undergrad students complain it is more difficult to obtain and maintain a high cGPA (of course this last point is up for debate)

 

[evild2player]

Re: I need some laptop purchasing advice!

Yeah, there's a slim chance I actually go to UT commerce, although it has a really good reputation. I'm actually going for a chartered accountant designation, so the name on my university degree does not matter much. The most important thing to me is work experience, so I can cut down the requirements of the designation. Plus, I get valuable experience and get paid while doing it. It's really a race between Mac and Laurier. It might come down to where my friends go. Really, both schools are good.

As for the bluetooth mice, I think it's like $20 or $30 on Dell as an add on. The bluetooth card inside the laptop is like $20. Though I don't think I'm gonna be buying a Dell anymore. I was looking for a studio but they don't have it in 14.1" and I don't want an Inspiron, the look doesn't appeal to me. I gotta enjoy looking at my laptop.

The deals in store and online on the big box retailer stores don't suit me either. They either don't match my specs, are too expensive, or just plain ugly. I'll most likely be buying from Newegg.ca. ASUS laptops have really caught my eye.

 

[hisakix]

Re: I need some laptop purchasing advice!

Well, a friend of mine does in fact own a 1 year-old ASUS laptop. It does look very sharp, it puts my Dell X1 to shame. I just remember hearing him complain frequently about the heat and noise his laptop makes. Of course, ASUS may have fixed both issues with the newer models.

Whichever university you choose, I hope you have a great time in your university life and I want to wish you all the best in your solid career choice (current economy notwithstanding hehe ).

 

[evild2player]

Re: I need some laptop purchasing advice!

Thank you for all the advice and info. And about my career choice, this is assuming I don't get tired of accounting and switch majors to finance. I hope I don't get bored of it. I've known since a young age that I wanted to work in the business field, but I didn't know about any particular fields at the time. A few years ago, I actually wanted to do marketing. Then after I took a marketing course, I changed my mind. After that, I leaned towards economics. My real interest is really in the finance/economics area. But I finally focused on accounting when I realized that with a CA designation, I can really do any business kinda job I want. I still plan to take economics type courses in university.