TechSpot - PC Technology News and Analysis

OK. Disregard my last thread. Now I have researched more into laptops and I have 2 in mind Choice 1: # Processor: AMD Turion MT Series 64-bit CPU. Uses only up to 25w of system power for a balance of power and efficiency.
# Display: 15.4" WXGA Widescreen Anti-Glare TFT display (1280 x 800)
# Chipset : ATI® RS 480M + ATI® SB 450 Chipset
# Outfitted with the ATI Mobility™ Radeon® X1600 GPU w/ 256MB VRAM memory.
# Features 4x USB 2.0; 1x IEEE 1394; 1x DVI; 1x TV-out; 1x Mic-in; 1x Headphone Out; 1x RJ-11 Modem; 1x RJ-45 LAN
# Supports DDR-400 Memory in 2 SODIMM Slots, up to 2GB total.
# Built-in Super-Multi Dual-Layer DVD/RW drive (supports DVD RAM)
# 802.11b/g Wireless Networking with BlueTooth included
# On board 10/100/1000 (Gigabit) Mbps BaseT PCI LAN for fast networking performance.
# Integrated V.90/56K Dial Up Modem (V.90 compliant)
# Realtek ALC 882 sound system, SoundBlaster™ Compatible. With built-in stereo speakers and Audio playback controls on the notebook, you can enjoy superior sounding music anywhere.
From Addictpc.com


Choice 2: # Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo Processors T5500 (1.66GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, FSB 667MHz)
# Chipset: Mobile Intel 945PM Express
# Memory: 1GB DDR2-667 Memory, Max capacity 2GB.
# Display: 14" WXGA (1280x800) Color Shine LCD
# Graphics Module: ATI Mobility Radeon X2300 w/ Dedicated 128MB, upto 896MB Hyper Memory .
# Hard Disk Drive: 120GB 5400rpm Hard Drive
# Optical Storage Device: Integrated SuperMulti DVD±RW Dual Layer Drive


Choices 1 i can customize a little bit.

which one would be best for gaming. As for budget i have 3000 USD but would rather only spend 2000. If you have other ideas or could tell me which one of these would be best for gaming please let me know.

In my humble opinion, the choice is quite obvious. The second one is better for the following reasons.

-=It's got a dual-core processor.
-=More cache memory on the CPU
-=The RAM is DDR2, which is considerably faster.
-=The graphics card is of a newer generation and has faster GRAM

Now of course, choice number uno has some perks as well.

-=Bigger screen
-=Longer battery life (most likely)
-=Higher-end graphics card. (It's an older card, but the X1600 is technically a higher-end card than the X2300)

Here are a few more selection tips. If you can, got to Fry's, Circuit City or some other electronics outpost where you can get your hands on the systems themselves, before makign the purchase.

-=See which one feels most comfortable to you. Which keyboard is easier to use? What has a better hotkey layout? Which has a more comfortable touchpad?

-=Also remember that heat is always an issue. When you get your hands on them at the store (if you can), turn them over and inspect the cooling system. Bigger fan means more airflow, but possibly more noise.

-=See if they'll let you use it for a while, watch the demo videos that come with windows, play Beethoven symphonies that also come with windows. This is a chance to get a look at the screen and speaker quality.

-=While you're messing around with it, check the heat generated on the bottom every now and then, make sure it's at a comfortable level. If it gets piping hot while you're just watching videos, that could mean heat issues later.

Alrighty now, as for other notes, i have this to offer:

-=See if you can get a 2.0GHz option for the second choice.
-=Words like "integrated" and "on-board", when used in product descriptions, sometimes raise suspicions with me. Those terms are often used to make an average or inferior part sound better.

Final words: It really is a good idea to get your hands physically on the computers you want, or similar models, to see which one you like best.

Thanks Ill Look into similar laptops and thanks for the tips.

No problem.

Oh, and when I said "Similar models", I meant that in case the store you go to doesn't have that exact model, pick one from the same brand that has the same form, preferably a model from the same line of notebooks.

Like if you want to see HP Pavilion DV9035 but they don't have that exact model, look at a DV9140 or other DV9000 series system. That way, you still get the feel of the same speakers, same screen, touchpad, keyboard and cooling system.