Laptop Suggestions?

Weareweare

Hello I hope you guys can lead me in the right direction,

I'm currently looking for a laptop in the 700$ price range, if something is extra ordinary i'll consider it. I need the computer to handle some C++ and SolidWorks programs as well as some other engineering programs. Also, do computers usually come with a package deal that has windows 7 and microsoft office... windows xp is getting old. I'm looking forward to playing Starcraft 2 and eventually guild wars 2. I'd like a nice onboard laptop graphics card that would last long enought to play guild wars 2 even at low settings. Could you lead me in the direction of a computer that could possibly handle all this, or at least starcraft 2 and the other computer programs?

Thanks again,

Tyler

Catamount

Hey there.

It sounds like you have much the same software needs as my dad (Tyco mechanical engineer; he develops half-masks). He also has used Solidworks, and it seems that while anything will physically run the software well, having a reasonably large screen made things much better for him when he worked at home. With that in mind, I think you should shoot for a 17' screen.

 

Newegg happens to have a pair of Acer laptops right now that would probably suit you well, here and here (I'd go for the first, personally). The Mobility Radeon HD 5650s are suited to play games extremely well, at least for mobile chips, and you should have no trouble playing Guild Wars 2. You won't even have to settle for minimum graphics; I imagine you'd probably get mediumish settings. Anything any cheaper than those will have a vastly inferior video card, and getting anything with a better video card (like a Mobility Radone HD 5730) would set you back at least a couple hundred more. I think those two suit you perfectly.

Weareweare

The specs on those look great! The price is perfect for what i need and I'd be able to run my engineering programs no sweat.

 

But my only worry is Acer... I heard rumors that their laptops don't last long. I looked on some other forums and they said Acer laptops are kind-of disposable, ei: keys falling off the keyboard. Any truth to this claim?

Gweed0

Those are both pretty good laptops for the price. Acer is still trying to make a name for itself but they are owned by the same parent company who owns ASUS, which in my opinion is one of the better laptop manufacturers out there.

Cleffy

Acer this generation has some good surprises.  One of them being power consumption, when it comes to power consumption verse performance Acer is #1 right now.  You just won't look stylish with an Acer.