Considering new laptop (and it does need to be a laptop)

Hey all,

A little over a year ago, I picked up a Dell Studio 14z at the reasonable price of $800 and have been loving it.

# Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.4GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 3MB L2 cache)
# Memory: 3GB Shared DDR3 at 1066MHz
# Storage: 320GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
# Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M G

The machine runs GW at around 60 FPS on highest settings and, frankly, that works just fine for me.

Unfortunately, after being dinged-up in an accident I am worried the machine might be fading on me. I am considering getting a replacement, but I am not sure what to go with. My price range is around $800, and I figure I can probably get a machine with stronger specs for that price at this point (so I might as well, right?).

Guild Wars is the most graphically-intensive game that I play, but I am also frequently running things in the background while playing it (iTunes, Youtube, Skype, etc).

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

when you say that you are worried it might be fading on you, what do you mean by that? is it actually damaged and/or slowing down in some way? If it still works well, then I don't see why you need to upgrade it at this point...

That is a fair question. I have been noticing performance issues lately (programs loading more slowly or not at all; machine losing track of processes running; weird loud beeps from the system; machine getting hotter than usual), but it has not gotten to the point that I think the machine is going to kick the bucket...yet.

This is topic is more of a "preparing for the worst" discussion than a "I need a new machine, ASAP" topic. I am in no rush to replace this laptop, but if I need to I would like to get some potential direction ahead of time.

Well, I'd say to check out the Black Friday sales next week and see what kind of deals there are. Personally I would look for an i3 with a dedicated GPU, 4 GB RAM, a 7200 rpm HDD and at least a 15" screen. That should be doable for $800, esp. during the upcoming Holiday sale season.

I will see what I can find. Unfortunately, I will not be in the US for that (again, why I need a laptop because my work has me traveling a lot), but maybe I can find something online for the sale. Thanks for the tip!

I wonder, does price tend to increase or decrease with screen size? I actually prefer smaller laptops (I once owned a 17-incher, too much of a monster), but I also know that you can only pack so much power into a smaller system.

EDIT: What about this deal?

http://www.i4u.com/42503/lenovo-idea...-free-shipping

Processor
Intel® Core™ i5-460M Processor ( 2.53GHz 1066MHz 3MB )

Operating system
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64

Graphics
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 1GB

Total memory8
4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz

Display
15.6" HD LED Glare 1366x768

Pointing device
Industry Standard Touchpad

Hard Drive
500GB 5400

Optical Drive
DVD Recordable (Dual Layer)

Battery
6 Cell Lithium-Ion

Network Card
Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 1000

Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR

Warranty
One Year

Lenovo's are nice bits of kit. The process is quick, and the graphics card is not too shabby either.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/ATI-Mob...0.23825.0.html

Looks like a very good candidate. a HD 5650 or better will play any recent games at medium-high settings.

TBH, you could get a machine with lower specs for cheaper that will play GW. But if you want to prepare for GW2, and want something solid and powerful, that'd be on my list.

Of course, with anything computer related, the more you wait, the more the price / performance ratio becomes favourable. Next year will see the emergence of a new line of processors from AMD and Intel, I have high hopes for the Fusion chips, although they will typically aim at the lower market (netbooks, thin and light notebooks).

i would prefer a faster HDD, but for that price, that's a very powerful laptop, overkill for GW1, yes --- but if you want to play GW2 that should handle it.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

I head out today to see if I can get this machine repaired. If not, then I will be looking out for good deals (currently in Hong Kong, so hoping to benefit from lower prices and no sales tax).

If you are in Hong Kong, then you can try to hunt down a Acer 3820TZG with a i5 and a switchable HD5650. It's a thin and light notebook, with no optical drive (AFAIK), but it might be your bag. I much prefer smaller notebooks than big 15''.

Also, Samsung release a new range (QX310, RF410), very slick, but lacking in graphics performance (GT320M, about 1/2 the HD5650). They're probably around Hong Kong somewhere. Will still play GW easy, and GW2 I'd expect. Basically, you can't be in a better place for scouting for laptops!

The Y560 has had great reviews, and this one looks very well specced. Toshiba makes the L650 Pro, with similar specs (i5, HD5650), and Samsung makes the R580 (i5, GT330M). Worth a gander if you happen to cross path with one of those. I would not bother with a quad core i7 in a laptop, a i5 is plenty capable for gaming and general purpose.

I suggest the lenovo its really nice Great build kwality

UPDATE: Well, I am still waiting to hear back on the status of my laptop, and who knows how long that could take? I am hoping for the best, but I never know what to expect with my technology luck. In the interest of getting things done, I went ahead and made a purchase:

Lenovo G460a

Processor
Intel® Core™ i5-460M Processor ( 2.53GHz 1066MHz 3MB )

Operating system
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64

Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce 310M 1GB

Total memory8
2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz

Display
14" HD LED Glare 1366x768

Pointing device
Industry Standard Touchpad

Hard Drive
500GB 5400

Optical Drive
DVD Recordable (Dual Layer)

Battery
6 Cell Lithium-Ion

Network Card
Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 1000

Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR

Warranty
One Year

I know the RAM and graphics card are a step down from the Y560, but I do prefer smaller machines and I managed to haggle a really good deal on it (Roughly USD650 and they threw in a free bag). Also, I could not find anyone who had the Y model in stock, and I figured this was a better deal anyway. After about an hour of loading all the files, I did take it for a spin in GW...beautiful, just gorgeous.

I actually did see quite a few Acer laptops, but Acer is also a brand I have heard people either love or hate. I figured I was better picking a brand with relatively consistent reviews. Also, I was surprised that the ones I did see did not quite meet the specs of the Lenovo I was looking at. Overall, I am pretty confident in this choice and satisfied so far. Then again, I have only had the machine for 24 hours, so who can say what the future will hold?

that will do just fine for GW, although you may want to add some more RAM on your own if your school/work involves much multi-tasking or memory intensive programs.