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POLL - Which is the best laptop for gaming? Vote pls and help me decide.
Dekapitator
Member UncommonPosts: 261
Hello Gents.
Could you fellas please tell me which of these laptops is better for gaming or simply better than the other?
I know they are not top of the line but its what i can afford at the moment and the 14.1 screen is a must.
If you could tell me witch has the best graphic car would be great also.
Here they are fellas.
Press the specifications tab when you open the links for more details.
HP Pavilion dv4-1220us NoteBook AMD Turion X2 RM-72(2.10GHz) 14.1" Wide XGA 4GB Memory 250GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Radeon HD 3200 - Retail
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx
or
Acer Aspire AS4530-6823 NoteBook AMD Athlon X2 QL-62(2.00GHz) 14.1" Wide XGA 3GB Memory DDR2 667 320GB HDD DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce 9100M G - Retail
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx
Thanks.
Comments
As someone who repairs computers for a living, I say STAY AWAY from HP laptops. Vast numbers have had video or mobo failures after a short period.
As someone who has been gaming on laptops for many years, no matter what brand you buy, be sure to purchase the extended warranty. (3 years)
You'll thank me later.
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Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
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"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I'm assuming you mean "Which", as I've never heard of a "Witch Laptop" (maybe a laptop that comes with a broom)?
As someone that has also repaired my fair share of PCs, I say NONE! They are all problematic when it comes to extended gaming sessions, as they have a tendency to overheat causing hardware to malfunction or worse, break down.
Desktops are a much better bang for the buck. If you're looking for a laptop for mobility, perhaps you should look into a fragbox.
Hope that helps.
Your fail comment, failed.
Sorry for the gramar error. My bad.
If you are absolutely dead set on getting a gaming laptop..look into sager models. They are essentially Alienware but less expensive.
http://www.sagernotebook.com/default.php
I bought one a few years ago. Very nice rig, but more expensive than the desktop.
The Acer has a little less RAM but 3GB is plenty for a laptop of that caliber anyway and it has a Geforce 9100M which is a fair bit faster than the Radeon 3200 in the HP, and the Acer is cheaper on top of that.
I know it's what you can afford but you won't be happy at all with any laptop less than $1100 unfortunately.
The 9100m isn't faster then the HD3200. Its not even close. Its the 9300m that competes with the HD3200. Like this one:
MSI EX630 16" Notebook $599
If you want to avoid HP then you should aim at the ones who manufacture their own hardware like MSI, ASUS, and Lenevo.
ATTENTION: Laptops are not for gaming ...!
Most people buy a cheap $200 laptop for their mobility, then build a $350 rig for gaming. Which will be superior to a $550 laptop for gaming. If you want a Gaming laptop, expect to pay $1,000 or more. As seen HERE .
Like I suggested, a $400+ computer will outperform a $1,000 gaming laptop.
"No they are not charity. That is where the whales come in. (I play for free. Whales pays.) Devs get a business. That is how it works."
-Nariusseldon
Try this one istead,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152108
It is a better laptop than both of those you listed.
"Those who dislike things based only on the fact that they are popular are just as shallow and superficial as those who only like them for the same reason."
I have used laptops for gaming or a number of years. It is doable, but it is not cheap, especially with the newer, DX10 games.
All the advice given above is valid... ALL OF IT. A desktop rig will be much cheaper, by many hundreds of dollars, and will be more reliable. Still, if you are set on a gaming laptop, here are my thoughts:
- 14.1" screen is too small. I use 17", but not all people can afford it, so 15.4 is the minimum. Much frustratio comes from smaller screens.
- Stay away from brands that are too delicate for heavy use or have shown problems in the past: HP has a history of overheating and melting the video card or the mother board. Sony Vaio does not trave well (airports have leaked the screens of 3 Vaios for me).
- Consider machines that are built for gaming. Alienware, Sager, and ASUS come to mind. I have not met a gamer that has used one of those and considers it worthless.
Now, if you are set on one of the two models you mentioned, the 9100M G video card has a 3D Mark 06 score of 1200, while the HD 3200 has a score of 783. That would give the HP the edge (but see the comments on HP both from me and others). For gaming, I'd look for a 3D Mark 06 score of AT LEAST 5000 (more is preferable, as the highest score right now is 15000.
My practice has been to save a bit more, and buy a better rig, rather than buy something now, and be unhappy with it. That is what I would recommend. Save some more and buy a better laptop. Or, as others have said, buy a desktop. You get much more gaming value for your oney that way.
listen to this guy.., acer is far from best brand either.. you should look for dell ( 3 years warranty/reliable, and asus for best performance for a price , while asus isnt as reliable as dell, it still have 2 years warranty if i recall correctly, and you hardly will find any other brand who can offer as powerfull laptop as them considering prices )
Personally I Like HP laptops, currently I game on a HP Pavilion entertainment laptop in my living room sitting in my lazyboy chair. This allows me to sit in comfort and monitor the world news or watch a movie.
Now the question is how to find a laptop that will be cost effective. I go to stores like best buy, sams club or a store that has a large number of laptops on display. At this point I start looking for the open box items, display models or returns that have been marked down. Most of these have been tested and refurbished if needed and have a one year warrenty. Once I find a laptop I like
I make a cash offer to buy it. Most of the time I can get a laptop that is worth 1200.oo for around 400.oo to 600.oo out the door. now you may be asking hows that? Well these stores have limited display space and storage space. Secondly the manufacture will not accept any returns due to their volume out puts. Naturaly they will accept a defective laptop for repair. But it is returned to the store to be sold. I make it a habit to purchase my laptops this way and I have gotten several great deals.
How to rig a laptop for comfort and ease of use: wireless router, wireless keyboard and a trackball ftw. booyah
Btw if you have a problem with a display model after purchase a call to the help and support will help resolve the issue with a little social engineering
um 15k ? i hope ur looking just laptops.. tho i doubt any laptop didnt breach that.. biggest score was like 32k a year ago, now you will find 32k on vantage.. and probably 40-50k on 3dmark06, been a while since i used that :X
um 15k ? i hope ur looking just laptops.. tho i doubt any laptop didnt breach that.. biggest score was like 32k a year ago, now you will find 32k on vantage.. and probably 40-50k on 3dmark06, been a while since i used that :X
I use the following site for comparing mobile video cards: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Comparison-of-Graphic-Cards.130.0.html they are probably not perfect, but they give good relative standings. According to them, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280M SLI has a score of 15K in 3D Mark 06. It may be off but, as I said, their comparison between cards is good.
try Alienware laptops.
Alienware is now produced by Dell, personally I don't like a Dell due to the lack of local repair options. i.e the geek squad wont touch a Dell but they often offer to send it back to Dell for repair. not my cup of tea. Before Dell bought Alienware I was attracted to the green laptop.
"Freedom is just another name for nothing left to lose" - Janis Joplin
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The next step up in that Acer line is on sale for $650 but it's a 16" screen, pretty good deal though if you check out its specs:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115539
There are a lot of great deals out there, so take your time and look around.
Just remember... very few companies actually 'make' their own laptops. Companies like Dell, Alienware (dell jr), HP, etc.,.. use a company like Compal or Clevo (or one of the other ODM's). Alienware used to use 'Clevo' for a lot of their models. Sager used the very same Clevo products.. sans the car paint and custom software build.
What does that mean to you? Companies with 'histories' of poor quality may have changed manufacturers and resolved their issues.
...
I've owned laptops by Alienware (preDell), VoodooPC (preHP), FalconNW, Dell, IBM-Lenovo, HP, Sager, Acer, Toshiba, Panasonic, etc.,... I used to evaluate (test/benchmark) computing products for a Fortune 100 company.
I'd recommend Dell for gaming... specifically, the Dell XPS line. They perform well, feature 'leading-edge' technology, and you can usually find a great deal.
I have 3 Dell laptops at the house. 2 for gaming and 1 for e-mail/music/web surfing... this keeps my gaming boxes clean and free of clutter.
I haven't had any issues with the Dell systems I've owned over the years. Doesn't mean they are perfect, but it means I've personally had a good experience with them.
...
About Dell service. Don't depend on Best Buy. Call around for other ASP's in your area. There are many other authorized repair shops outside of 'Geek Squad'. If nothing else, call Dell and have them look up a Dell authorized repair center in your area.
...
No, I don't work for Dell. I've just had good experiences with their products.
I would also recommend some of the HP products. I know they have made some great strides in their product quality in the last 3 years (specifically the last 18 months).