Notebook help pls.

[TCool]

I'm going to be buying a notebook computer. I'm trying to decide between two right now.

One is an alienware m5550, I customized it to be 2.0 Core 2 Duo T7200, 1gb ddr2 667mhz ram, 120 gb hdd, dvd burner, 256MB NVidia GeForce Go 7600. This one costs about 1,800.

The other is an ASUS F3Jm. I customized this one to be a 2.0 core duo T2500, 1 gb ddr2 667 ram, 100 gb hdd, dvd burner, 512 MB NVidia GeForce Go 7600 for about 1700.

So, should I go with the top for better processor but lower video, or should I go for the bottom with the lower processor and higher video? I would really like to get one with both the 512mb video, and the core 2 duo processor, but I can't seem to find one, and I'm sure if I do it'll be too expensive. (1800 is about my limit)

I would really appreciate any input you guys can give me, thanks again guys.

Tim

 

[N3051M]

what type of games are you planning to play?
what's the main use of this laptop?
videos/movies?

 

[TCool]

what type of games are you planning to play?
what's the main use of this laptop?
videos/movies?

Well, I'm gonna be using it for school purposes, but I also want it to be able to play newer video games well. Such as Battlefield 2, or Call of Duty 2, and probably even the new Battlefield game coming out eventually. I really want the core 2 duo processor, but I'm trying to figure out if its worth going down to a core duo for the extra 256 mb on the video card plus saving about 100 dollars.

 

[RealBlackStuff]

You won't notice much difference between 256 and 512 gfx cards.
I'd go for the better CPU, in this case the Alienware.
It seems to have the better specs all around.

I you mostly want to game, you should not be buying a laptop.

 

[N3051M]

I agree with RealBlackStuff there.. graphics wise you can always comprimise inside the game itself to a decent level but since this is a laptop, you won't have much of a second chance with everything else (except ram of course) so you're gonna be stuck with whatever you've got for the life of the machine..

 

[gamingmage]

well the graphics memory would matter because of the screen size right more memory higher resolution right well more or less? So if you have a 17" screen with a really high resolution and you wanna play games at a decent frame rate on the screen's native resolution you would want the 512 right?

 

[N3051M]

that i don't know for sure.. but speaking from experience i'm using a ati radeon 9800 (128mb) on this pc and running CS:CZ or Need for Speed Underground 2 on a 19'' LCD seems smooth enough for me..

 

[gamingmage]

well yea thats at a standard resolution on notebooks they change around the resolutions so its a lot better on the same screen or its different so yea better resolution and bigger screen i think the more memory you need

 

[N3051M]

go take a look at two notebooks or pcs that have same/similar specs except for the different video card memory and run the same movie/game on the same screen and tell me if you see any difference.

I think the only difference you'll start to see is if you run Far Cry or Everquest (or any other mid-top end graphical games) on full settings. At which point why the heck would you be playing that on a laptop...

In any case having the better CPU and HDD spec is going to be benificial in the long run, especialy since you'll be able to do many more things and squeze a few more years/OS upgrade (before its considered "obsolete") than just play a game or a few movies nice and easy. Those types of things (games and movies) are always adjustable inside the software settings and still get a pretty decent output. Hardware, especialy for a laptop is a bit harder (and $$er), that is, if you're up to performing surgery on it yourself.