Shopping for a new laptop.

[GypsyElder]

Hey guys,


I need halp.

I'm looking around online for a new laptop. Preferably one that I can game on. I know that laptops aren't ideal for gaming, but I need a laptop because I take mine around with me quite a bit, and I can't afford both a lap and desktop.

I can spend about 900 or so on one.

Suggestions pwease?

I'm looking at Lenovo right now.

[Rowan]

Hey guys,


I need halp.

I'm looking around online for a new laptop. Preferably one that I can game on. I know that laptops aren't ideal for gaming, but I need a laptop because I take mine around with me quite a bit, and I can't afford both a lap and desktop.

I can spend about 900 or so on one.

Suggestions pwease?

I'm looking at Lenovo right now.

any laptop with radeon 5650hd graphics will be suitable for gaming. I have one and I can play any game perfectly on medium settings (eg.borderlands, saints row III etc) although I much prefer gaming on my monster of a beast PC, I use my laptop for lighter gaming such as DOTA and CIV as well as a few music programs.

The 2 specifications you would be looking for are

i5 (or above)
ati radeon 5650HD (graphics is a must have for anyone playing games, if you see anything such as "intel hd graphics" or "integrated" just run the other way.


and the rest is upto you. Most laptops with specs like that will come with a decent HD and RAM.

Just remember those first 2 are pre-requisites for you.

Im basing these specs off of my own toshiba sattelite laptop. You should be able to find one with those for $500 - $700.

EDIT:

I work with a LOT of Lenovos, them being are main supplier at the school. They disgust me. I think you should consider anything other than a lenovo or Acer for that matter, just based off of person experience.

[Bubble Boy]

Hey guys,


I need halp.

I'm looking around online for a new laptop. Preferably one that I can game on. I know that laptops aren't ideal for gaming, but I need a laptop because I take mine around with me quite a bit, and I can't afford both a lap and desktop.

I can spend about 900 or so on one.

Suggestions pwease?

I'm looking at Lenovo right now.

I've heard Dell is good. And I've heard good things about Lenovo.

However, I would warn you to stay away from HP. My last laptop came from them cause I used to play Starcraft on it a lot and it literally broke apart (keys started falling off, touchpad wouldn't work properly, hard drive constantly crashed, no backup disks..) after about 6 months of use. So beware. I'd never buy an HP ever again.

[che]

I've heard Dell is good. And I've heard good things about Lenovo.

However, I would warn you to stay away from HP. My last laptop came from them cause I used to play Starcraft on it a lot and it literally broke apart (keys started falling off, touchpad wouldn't work properly, hard drive constantly crashed, no backup disks..) after about 6 months of use. So beware. I'd never buy an HP ever again.

Don't blame HP. Your APM was obviously over 9000 and you burnt the keys off with your superb micro.

[GypsyElder]

Brett. That was no help >=(

I was all excited thinking you gave me advice and shit.

[SuperSabin]

I have a toshiba satellite, those are pretty good. Dell is decent, heard good things about msi. Thats as far as i can think of right now, whenever you're looking at laptops, check the specs, you want a decent graphics card and a nice processor speed.

EDIT: if you DO end up wanting a toshiba heres the example specs of what i have so you can get an idea.

Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
AMD Quad Core Radeon HD 3800
1.5 Ghz processor (can be set to 2.4 but takes off eco mode)
5 hr battery life (again eco mode)

and for a bonus, you can set this kind of laptop on your lap and it won't overheat because the bottom has a special layer that provides decent airflow.

[che]

Brett. That was no help >=(

I was all excited thinking you gave me advice and shit.

Since when have I ever done ANYTHING to contribute something important since you've known me, Mel?

[Mystyrion]

MacBook pro
Not exactly 900 dollar range.

But Rowan gave pretty good advice for a gaming laptop.
You should be able to find a fairly cheap Mac a year or two old.

[GypsyElder]

Hmm. I would get a mac if I didn't use my computer for so many different things. Macs are good for personal use, but I don't like the idea of having to go out of my way for mac specific versions of programs etc.

I do like the style of mac notebooks and how thin they are which is why I was looking at this:

IdeaPad U300s Laptop - 10802AU

I just noticed that this had the "HD graphics" Rowan said to run from. rofl.

P.S. I still lub you Bwett.

[chaosweapon]

For gaming I wouldn't recommend a Mac. They're good but not all PC games are available for Mac.

A few days ago the Ivy Bridge processors got released so I suggest you look out for those. As for graphics, your best bet would be to look at benchmarks. Check the specs of the different laptops you find for sale and compare them using the benchmarks. They will give you an indication of how powerful the build is.

[SuperSabin]

For gaming I wouldn't recommend a Mac. They're good but not all PC games are available for Mac.

A few days ago the Ivy Bridge processors got released so I suggest you look out for those. As for graphics, your best bet would be to look at benchmarks. Check the specs of the different laptops you find for sale and compare them using the benchmarks. They will give you an indication of how powerful the build is.

She could run a windows OS either as a dual boot or virtually if she needed to if she went with mac so she wouldn't have to worry about compatibility.