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Gamer-approved laptop recommendation thread

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sweetvar26 said:
SSD's are too expensive right now, may be when I am done school.

However I am really considering picking up the SU7300/i5 version of the laptop.
Click to expand...

Theyre both great. If youre really tight on cash, look into the outlet like I said before. With the coupon, youll get a great deal on em (440 for the SU7300, 640 for the i5)

I agree with you on the SSD, It came with my laptop (was part of a trade for my envy 14) and I sold it off after a week or two and went back to the stock 250gb drive. It was nice to have, but not necessary at all. I like the $350 that I got from selling the SSD more than the SSD itself haha.
 
I played Torchlight on my R2 for about 2 hours and had a small amount of battery life left afterwards. Other games would use similar power.

If I'm just browsing the web, I can easily get 5-6 hours out of my R2.


Helps a lot if you dim the screen a little bit and turn off the AlienFX external lighting.
 
dLMN8R said:
I played Torchlight on my R2 for about 2 hours and had a small amount of battery life left afterwards. Other games would use similar power.

If I'm just browsing the web, I can easily get 5-6 hours out of my R2.


Helps a lot if you dim the screen a little bit and turn off the AlienFX external lighting.
Click to expand...

If you play wanna play torchlight on your R2 while on battery, use the integrated graphics. Plays great and longer time to play! :D
 
asdad123 said:
Theyre both great. If youre really tight on cash, look into the outlet like I said before. With the coupon, youll get a great deal on em (440 for the SU7300, 640 for the i5)

I agree with you on the SSD, It came with my laptop (was part of a trade for my envy 14) and I sold it off after a week or two and went back to the stock 250gb drive. It was nice to have, but not necessary at all. I like the $350 that I got from selling the SSD more than the SSD itself haha.
Click to expand...

For some reason the laptop is coming up to $609 + 20% = $487 + Tax.

EDIT: When you order from Dell Outlet, does it all come in the same packaging or in the refurbished box and all?
 
DSmalls84 said:
I ordered an M11x R1 a week ago. Its been a while since I have ordered from Dell but is it normal for your system to stay "In Production" for a while? My order has shown that status since 1/12/11.
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When I ordered my M11x R2, it was "In Production" for about two weeks. It missed their initial estimated shipping time.
 
Is it fair to assume they are working on a Sandy Bridge powered update to the M11x? I'm really tappin' my foot about that deal on Dell. Even if they did release an update, I'm guessing it'd be in the $1,000 range, which is a lot more than $550. Hmmm, decisions, decisions.
 
sweetvar26 said:
For some reason the laptop is coming up to $609 + 20% = $487 + Tax.
Click to expand...
There was a basic config of the R1 (su7300/2gb/160gb hdd) for 549 before coupon. Maybe someone picked that one upalready.

Keep checking back from time to time to see if it pops up again.
 
asdad123 said:
There was a basic config of the R1 (su7300/2gb/160gb hdd) for 549 before coupon. Maybe someone picked that one upalready.

Keep checking back from time to time to see if it pops up again.
Click to expand...

Oh, ok. I guess once you pick it up, the laptop is out.
 
Struct09 said:
When I ordered my M11x R2, it was "In Production" for about two weeks. It missed their initial estimated shipping time.
Click to expand...

Not the answer I was hoping for but thanks. It's always exciting getting new hardware, and this is really trying my patience lol.
 
Not really a gaming netbook, but I got a Dell Inspiron Duo for xmas. The wife needed something to get me. Glad she asked, she was going to get me an iPad, which I don't really have much interest in.

The Duo is a hybrid netbook/tablet, standard netbook specs. The table aspect is great, definitely more useful than an iPad.

Sorry, don't wanna hijack the thread. :)
 
The new thread is postponed. I'm waiting for the 6970M to hit mass production, which should be in 2-3 weeks. My early March prediction is spot on it seems.

Until then, continue to post your notebook questions in this thread.
 
So from the Dell website it says that the i5 on the m11x has 4 threads, but I can only ever get two activated, how do I activate them?
 
FYI, I'm trying to wait on houses like Dell, HP and Asus to refresh their entire lines, before making the new OP.

If the mass market refresh to Sandy Bridge hasn't happened by early February, I'll just throw up what I already have for the buyer's guide. I'm trying not put it up, then have to revise the whole thing a week later, as that is too messy.

kai3345 said:
So from the Dell website it says that the i5 on the m11x has 4 threads, but I can only ever get two activated, how do I activate them?
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Post a picture of your Task Manager's Performance tab. Do you see the threads there?
 
fV0IP.png
 
GPU-Z comparison, of the old Mobility 5870 and the new 6970M:

MSI-GX660R-GPU-ATI-5870.jpg


6970M.png


Dat bandwidth increase.

In testing it's 40 to 50% faster.

kai3345 said:
fV0IP.png
Click to expand...
Let me show this to someone with a Core i5 M11x. Brb...
 
I got a reply on Notebook Review:
That is wrong, it should show 4 threads. A Core 2 Quad and Core i5-520UM task managers should both show 4 spaces, with the C2Q all 4 will be the cpu cores, with the i5, two will be cpu cores and two are the threads. That task manager is missing two more spaces
Click to expand...

It should look like my Core 2 Quad:

i5.png


So something is really wrong here. Are you running any CPU management software, where a core might be incidentally turned off?
 
K.Jack said:
GPU-Z comparison, of the old Mobility 5870 and the new 6970M:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/killer-ra/random%20nonimportant%20stuff/MSI-GX660R-GPU-ATI-5870.jpg[IMG]

[IMG]http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/killer-ra/random%20nonimportant%20stuff/6970M.png[IMG]

Dat bandwidth increase.

In testing it's 40 to 50% faster.[/QUOTE]

Those look great, but does ATI have any kind of answer for Optimus? Serious question because I haven't really kept up with mobile.
Click to expand...
 
DSmalls84 said:
The M11x R1 I ordered has the Su7300 cpu and 4 gb of Ram. Can anyone tell me what kind of performance I can expect from Starcraft 2?
Click to expand...

I have had this exact one since June. It plays SC2 great.

A few caveats though: DO NOT use the Dell provided nVidia drivers. You will lose the ability to switch between the Intel and nVidia, but the performance of the Dell drivers are absolutely terrible (especially in SC2).

Expect to play the game on a mix of medium/high/ultra settings. A little tweaking is required, but you can regularly play the game around 30-40+ fps.

There is a way to have the updated drivers with binary graphics support, but it's a pain and has never quite worked correctly for me.
 
kai, I can't find anything on what's happening with your CPU, so I think a call to Dell Tech support will do you more good than I can.

prodystopian said:
Those look great, but does ATI have any kind of answer for Optimus? Serious question because I haven't really kept up with mobile.
Click to expand...
They do, but I don't have info on any manufacturers which are planning to use it. The new M17X R3 supports the AMD 6870M, 6970M (soon) and Nvidia GTX 460M, but only supports Optimus on the 460M, for now.

I don't think AMD's drivers support switching yet.
 
K.Jack said:
kai, I can't find anything on what's happening with your CPU, so I think a call to Dell Tech support will do you more good than I can.


They do, but I don't have info on any manufacturers which are planning to use it. The new M17X R3 supports the AMD 6870M, 6970M (soon) and Nvidia GTX 460M, but only supports Optimus on the 460M, for now.

I don't think AMD's drivers support switching yet.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Thanks.
 
K.Jack said:
I got a reply on Notebook Review:


It should look like my Core 2 Quad:



So something is really wrong here. Are you running any CPU management software, where a core might be incidentally turned off?
Click to expand...
LULZ I replied to you on NBR! :P
 
Nope. The only thing ive done is overclock it to 166mhz in the F2 boot menu. And using Throttle Stop for a grand total of about 5 minutes to see if it would give me a better speed in the Mafia II benchmark.

I reverted my CPU speed to the standard just now and I still only have 2 boxes.
 
In the F2 BIOS, is there an option to turn hyperthreading on/off? Maybe try switching it back and forth.

What's still up in the air, is whether we're looking at 1 core and 2 threads, or 2 cores running one thread each.
 
I'm looking for a relatively inexpensive laptop that has the following:

- Built-in WiFi card
- In and out RCA ports
- DVD/CD
- VGA out
 
K.Jack said:
In the F2 BIOS, is there an option to turn hyperthreading on/off? Maybe try switching it back and forth.

What's still up in the air, is whether we're looking at 1 core and 2 threads, or 2 cores running one thread each.
Click to expand...
I looked and I couldn't find it, unless it might be called something else.
 
BroMezzano said:
Hey Gaf, if I wanted to sell my Dell Studio 1557 would I list it here or in the buy/sell/trade thread? I wasn't sure if that thread was restricted to only games and game consoles.
Click to expand...

People sell a lot of stuff in there. I'm pretty sure I've seen laptops and ipods in there.
 
Is it even possible to get a decent laptop these days without the outrageously glossy display? Something that's capable of playing games I mean.
 
The new M17X R3 allows the use of IGP, even with AMD 6870M. It's not automatic, as you have to change it in CCC. Proof.
MoFuzz said:
Is it even possible to get a decent laptop these days without the outrageously glossy display? Something that's capable of playing games I mean.
Click to expand...
Here you go.

1080p Matte display. Sandy Bridge CPUs, 8GB RAM, GTX 460M, at just over $1k.
 
Are there any decent 14" laptops with a good GPU? Generally playing Blizzard games, so SB would be preferred. I realize it's a little early as it seems like most companies are releasing their SB stuff next month, but I'm still curious if there's anything that people know about that's worthwhile.
 
K.Jack said:
The new M17X R3 allows the use of IGP, even with AMD 6870M. It's not automatic, as you have to change it in CCC. Proof.

Here you go.

1080p Matte display. Sandy Bridge CPUs, 8GB RAM, GTX 460M, at just over $1k.
Click to expand...

I don't know if you'll be able to answer this question of mine, but since you seem to have the highest hit ratio in terms of answering & educating the gaming laptop based crowd, I'm gonna take a shot. Have you heard anything about more laptop manufacturers aiming to offer both nVidia and ATi solutions for 3D? I'm honestly very interested in trying 3D out and know that the option pool for team red has been woefully lacking (HP Envy 17 3D being the only really notable one in the group). At the same time, I'm just wondering if there's anything developing that could lead to price wars being fought over 3D capable solutions and thus myself making a better buy. (GTX 460M being slower than 5870 & 6870 is |:< and GTX 485M while godly sounding costs like 800 bucks offhand.) It certainly stings a little that the Alienware M17x R3 doesn't have any notable comments on offering an AMD 3D solution even though the 6870M & 6970M are supposed to be capable of it...
 
K.Jack said:
Here you go.

1080p Matte display. Sandy Bridge CPUs, 8GB RAM, GTX 460M, at just over $1k.
Click to expand...
Whoops, I meant something a little more portable. Anything from the Alienware M11x size up to about maybe 13 inches. Not sure if 14 would be too large/cumbersome. Also looking to keep it under $800.

I already have a decent desktop rig, so by no means would it be a main computer, just something I can take along for trips and game on occasionally.....with a matte display.

Appreciate your input.
 
Hello, I've posted in this thread before around Black Friday time but my funds got wrapped up in holiday stuff then.

My wife and I are getting a new laptop to replace our desktop (baby on the way is causing me to dismantle my computer room :( :() I want to make sure the laptop can play any PC games I already have (Oblivion, Starcraft 2, Stalker 1, UT3 being the most hardware intensive games.)

We have a fund of $1,200 and her only requirement is a 16"+ screen. Windows 7 would be nice too.

I was thinking of going Best Buy just because I have a $100 gift card from there coming from a bank reward program but I can go anywhere with a good deal.

Thanks!

Edit: Wanted to add that I don't need to spend all $1,200. We just want some thing with a 16-17 inch screen, can play the games listed at medium or better spec, and will last a while.
 
^Asus G73 or MSI GX740, are the most apparent choices.
AzureJericho said:
I don't know if you'll be able to answer this question of mine, but since you seem to have the highest hit ratio in terms of answering & educating the gaming laptop based crowd, I'm gonna take a shot. Have you heard anything about more laptop manufacturers aiming to offer both nVidia and ATi solutions for 3D? I'm honestly very interested in trying 3D out and know that the option pool for team red has been woefully lacking (HP Envy 17 3D being the only really notable one in the group). At the same time, I'm just wondering if there's anything developing that could lead to price wars being fought over 3D capable solutions and thus myself making a better buy. (GTX 460M being slower than 5870 & 6870 is |:< and GTX 485M while godly sounding costs like 800 bucks offhand.) It certainly stings a little that the Alienware M17x R3 doesn't have any notable comments on offering an AMD 3D solution even though the 6870M & 6970M are supposed to be capable of it...
Click to expand...
The 6870M is a joke. Rebranded Mobility 5850 piece of....

*ahem*

Look for more AMD 3D to come with the 6900M series. Asus' G series is the top contender, while the M17X R3 is still up in the air.

Right now it's just a long wait. Hopefully AMD will stop dicking around, and gets the 6900M into the hands of manufacturer. Truth be told, the worldwide GDDR5 shortage is throwing wrenches in a lot of plans.
 
So some guy on NBR helped me out and I now have 2 Cores and 4 threads being detected in CPUZ and 4 graphs on my task manager.

But I went to run the Mafia II benchmark and it said my speed was 1.34 GHZ. SHouldn't it be faster?
iqNeF.png
 
Are there any good comparisons among the Sandy Bridge mobile processors? All the reviews keep showing how awesome the 2820QM is, but with the link above, it's a $350 option.

Also, any idea when SNB chips will be more widely available for mobile?
 
Blergmeister said:
Hello, I've posted in this thread before around Black Friday time but my funds got wrapped up in holiday stuff then.

My wife and I are getting a new laptop to replace our desktop (baby on the way is causing me to dismantle my computer room :( :() I want to make sure the laptop can play any PC games I already have (Oblivion, Starcraft 2, Stalker 1, UT3 being the most hardware intensive games.)

We have a fund of $1,200 and her only requirement is a 16"+ screen. Windows 7 would be nice too.

I was thinking of going Best Buy just because I have a $100 gift card from there coming from a bank reward program but I can go anywhere with a good deal.

Thanks!

Edit: Wanted to add that I don't need to spend all $1,200. We just want some thing with a 16-17 inch screen, can play the games listed at medium or better spec, and will last a while.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I'm looking for as well. The models K.Jack posted are with older i7-720QM processors but I was hoping for something with the Sandy Bridge processors. A backlit keyboard would be nice, but most importantly is it running relatively cool during normal non-gaming functions. I don't care for FPS games, the most intensive games I see myself playing in the next couple of years are Civ IV/V, Starcraft 2 and Dragon's Age 2. Maybe Mass Effect 3 when it comes out.

From reading what prodystopian posted, it looks like I will still have to wait a bit?
 
BOOM: The AMD 6970M is now officially available for the M17X R3. It's only up on the UK site, for now.

kai3345 said:
So some guy on NBR helped me out and I now have 2 Cores and 4 threads being detected in CPUZ and 4 graphs on my task manager.
Click to expand...
What was your solution?

prodystopian said:
Are there any good comparisons among the Sandy Bridge mobile processors? All the reviews keep showing how awesome the 2820QM is, but with the link above, it's a $350 option.

Also, any idea when SNB chips will be more widely available for mobile?
Click to expand...
The 2720QM is 10% faster than the 2630QM. The 2820QM is 5% faster than the 2720QM.
 
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