I've got $1500 to spend on a laptop for school. What should I buy?

[Esg]

Stay away from dell. HP, and sony. Get an MSI or Asus. Order at newegg if your american, ncix.com if your from Canada. DO NOT buy from bigbox stores. Asus laptops include a 1 year spill warranty and 2 normal as long as you register online. Ive also dropped mine 3 times and its 100% working.

[Coke]

This is relative since windows and mac os use their resources differently. A macbook pro with run a lot faster/smoother and for much longer than a pc within the same price range.

How do you figure?

[Deleted]

If you want a laptop for gaming, dont plan to bring it to school, if you need a laptop to bring to school, dont plan to game on it.

I bought a gaming laptop, and it was so huge that it didnt fit into my locker with our shelves in it and all my stuff and my friend's one.

His study will be that he has to be able to play games on it mate...

OT: I'd say something in the Dell /// Alienware section.

---------- Post added 2011-01-26 at 07:37 AM ----------

question then, will I want to shop at best buy and pay an inflated price, but get a warranty on it, or buy it at a small computer shop, pay far less, and go without a warranty?

If I were you, I would spend a bit more and get warranty.

[Leyth]

http://www.xoticpc.com/

here ya go, make sure to research weight, size, and heat when choosing a gaming laptop.

[Deleted]

I'm going to a game production school so it'll need to be powerful enough to run heavy programs like maya, photoshop, 3ds max and other game creation tools. I also need to be able to run the games on max detail. I've approved $1500 for spending on a computer for myself that I can take to school, but I'd like to double check with the community first before buying something so expensive. What type of laptop should I get?

buy the cheapest laptop you can and spend the rest on partying

[Aelith]

Don't get a mac, it might be comfy but so many programs are going to be unavailable it's not even funny.

And if you absolutely have to go for a laptop I honestly don't know, I like laptops but not for gaming :P.

[reverendball]

http://www.xoticpc.com/
here ya go, make sure to research weight, size, and heat when choosing a gaming laptop.

$250 more and you can get a lappy that shits all over EVERYTHING mentioned so far

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8170s...wconfigure=yes

2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM, 2.0-2.8GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache)
nVidia GeForce GTX 470M 1.5GB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
8GB DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS)
2x 500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
Intel® Advanced-N 6230 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module + Bluetooth

[Deleted]

If I were you, I would spend a bit more and get warranty.

This is worth to consider.

Laptops have a far higher rate of failure than desktop type machines, so a warranty is a lot more desirable for them. Not to mention you cannot really self-repair a laptop. Also look into what the warranty itself entails. Acers for example is pretty shit, like everything Acer.
And before anyone starts ranting - Apple has the identical rate of failure as Dell on their laptops; Acer has higher, Asus has lower.

I've as of yet not needed to contact Asus for any laptop maintenance, so someone else will need to fill in experience with them; but Dell for me has worked well so far. Apples is also alright - but only if you happen to have an Apple store in your vicinity, its much more reminiscent of Acers if you don't.

[Bikiniwax]

Wait for the new Sandy Bridge laptops that soon to be released. They should blow everything else out of the water.

[reverendball]

Wait for the new Sandy Bridge laptops that soon to be released. They should blow everything else out of the water.

see post #27, a mere 2 posts above your own.
they are already out, and they DO blow everything else out of the water

2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM, 2.0-2.8GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache) == Sandy Bridge Architecture

the 2920XM (being the upgraded version of 2620QM noted above) is BiS for laptop processors atm
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-C...r.40114.0.html

[m4xc4v413r4]

..... you either want it to game, or you want it to make games, totally different things that require totally different hardware, and there aren't laptops for 3d game design, don't fool yourself saying that it is for game design when you're talking about a gaming PC....

Either way, your money would be better spent in a desktop, and if you want to game and have a laptop to take to school, with $1500 you can get a decent enough desktop to game and a small netbook or small laptop to take to school, but that one won't be for gaming.

If you really are going to a game production school, you don't even need a laptop that can run those programs to take there, they should have high-end computers there. Real 3d design computers, not computers with gaming graphics cards and intel i7s.

[Howard Moon]

Just some personal opinions/experiences to help you decide. I think $1500 is a decent budget.

Don't get a Mac, you can get a much more powerful PC laptop for the same price.

Don't get a Thinkpad. They are very robust and excellent computers, but they come with terrible graphic cards. Not meant for gaming.

Don't get a Sony Vaio. I know at least 3 people who strongly regretted buying one.

Consider a Toshiba, I've owned one in the past and it delivered many wonderful gaming years.

Consider an Alienware. A litte pricey but they designed for gaming and heavy graphics stuff.

Get one with a matte-glass, medium sized screen. Large enough to play, but small enough to fit in your backpack.

Probably obvious, but not all laptops have this: make sure you get one with separate graphics memory, not shared RAM.

Oh yeah, and definitely get at least 1-2 years of warranty, its a must for Laptops.

[Alienmonkey]

buy the Alienware M17x R.3 it costs excatly 1499 dollars or 1699 with 120hz screen...god i would buy it just for the screen! Once you go 120hz you never go back. Makes everything smoother

[Lixo]

Macbook Pro seems pretty perfect for you, could get a decent 15" for 1500 w/ education discount at the college store I think.

He said he wants to run games. There are no games for Mac.

[Scigodomega]

Don't get a mac, it might be comfy but so many programs are going to be unavailable it's not even funny.

And if you absolutely have to go for a laptop I honestly don't know, I like laptops but not for gaming :P.

Not to mention by virtue of being apple products they are all extremely overpriced. When you buy apple, your buying not just a product, but a name.

[RedHeadWolf]

..... you either want it to game, or you want it to make games, totally different things that require totally different hardware, and there aren't laptops for 3d game design, don't fool yourself saying that it is for game design when you're talking about a gaming PC....

Unfortunately this. My dad does 3d design and tells me Alienware are actually not good for 3d design. Not really sure why though, unless someone wants to clear that up.

[Onbeatable]

trebblow I go to an art academy with a game design program. I don't have a locker to worry about.

I don't like Mac but it your going to an art school, definetly Mac

[Shamslam]

I paid a grand for my Toshiba Satellite. i7 proc, meh graphics, but can handle pretty much anything, work or game.

If I had your money, I'd more than consider an Asus.

I'd still say a Macbook Pro though. Customer Support + the fact that Macbooks tend to handle more stuff better is just win.

[soapbubble]

]Depending on what he may do with it (photoshop, etc) a mac is better. Regardless of the specs, many graphic/video editors simply run smoother on their Apple counterpart. Not to mention having a PC can get a bit distracting if he's a hardcore gamer. Also you all are forgetting about BATTERY LIFE. If it's a school laptop his number one priority shouldn't be an amazingly fast anything, it needs to do everything he needs it to and be able to function for more than an hour without being plugged in. Apples have notoriously good battery lives for the most part.

As far as thinkpads, "Robust, and excellent" are kind of what he needs. But depending on WHICH graphics chip you get it with you may inhibit your processing functionality for your production programs. Thinkpads ARE good though. And worth looking at.

Viaos aren't horrible, and have a pretty good battery life. Cnet consistently ranks them up there with the top of the line laptops.


While I don't like the ascetics Toshibas are like tanks that do what you need it to, and usually maintain a strong battery life doing it. My girlfriends literally lasts all day unplugged in. It's redic.

Do NOT consider an Alienware. I have two. A m17xR2, and a desktop I shelved. Alienwares great for gaming, and that's it. Yeah, it's power can run the best of any design program, but they are not reliable in anyway. The m17x has about a 45 minute unplugged NOT rendering intensive battery life. The new m11 line has a pretty shoddy design and isn't built very well and MANY people are having an issue with the screen snapping off. That said if you DO choose an alienware laptop, go with an m11r1. (core duo) The screen is small (probably too small to do what you need to) but it's the only one of the group that's built well and has a balanced GOOD battery life. The others will die before you're done with class. And on a personal note, every one of my alienware computers have had issues (fans breaking way early, etc) Just don't do it. Dell service is another reason why you shouldn't.

The relatively new RGB or LED displays might be better for you, with a minimum of 13-15 inch. 11 inch if you want it to be ultra portable and you can stick a monitor somewhere to hook it up to for anything you really need a bigger display for (3D modeling, etc).

The new Macbook Pro line includes something like the Optimus tech. where it switches graphics from onboard to it's nvidia card depending on what you're using. Honestly out of everything said here, the macbook pro line is probably your best all around bet.

[Trilom]

This is relative since windows and mac os use their resources differently. A macbook pro with run a lot faster/smoother and for much longer than a pc within the same price range.

The big selling point for a mac, imo, is customer service. If you buy a mac and have any problems, concerns, or questions you simply make an online appointment at your nearest mac store. Show up with your laptop and they'll work on it right in front of you. You get this service included for 1 yr with your mac. No pc manufacturer does that.

I have an HP laptop and an iMac. I like my pc just as much. But if i had to buy just one i would get a mac for the customer service alone.

Actually, apple care costs are more expensive and don't cover hardware on site. Dell machines come with their 1 year warranty, and low cost additional that you can add on any time. Dell also is the only company that does onsite repairs, next business day for that matter. Which beats a silly little apple care bull crap, where for me the closest Apple store is in Charlotte NC, roughly 2 hours away. But with a Dell, they come to you door, next business day, parts in hand, and ready to repair.
PC>MAC Sorry