Lookin for a new computer

JQ1986 · #1 01-21-2009, 11:28 AM

Just got a huge check from Worker's Comp. so I'm lookin at getting a new computer. I'm planning on going back to school hopefully in the fall so I want something that's going to be reliable and yet will be good for some light gaming. I'm kinda torn between a laptop or a desktop. My price range is around $1,500-$1,600 max. I have a Dell with XP currently and haven't had any major problems but I'm a little uneasy about the stuff I've heard about Vista. A Mac would be another option but I want to play the games I do have and I don't know if I'd be able to.

James Hart · #2 01-21-2009, 11:51 AM

Dell XPS M2010 might suit you

http://www.dell.com/content/products...=22&l=en&s=dfh

MakiSupaStar · #3 01-21-2009, 12:32 PM

If you went the Mac route, you could still play all your PC games. You can run Windows within Mac OSX. I would recommend a laptop. That way you can bring it with you to the library and places like that when you're doing research. Perhaps a MacBook.

Thunderitter · #4 01-21-2009, 12:42 PM

Once you go Mac you'll never go back! Big fan here: PC user 16 years, MAC user 4 years and counting.....

Pilgrim · #5 01-21-2009, 01:12 PM

I have two Vista machines and no problems with them. Don't let that put you off.

Check your local Circuit City and see if they have a deal for you - they're going fast.

scorpionldr · #6 01-21-2009, 03:18 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRpuMYC6qyE

James Hart · #7 01-21-2009, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunderitter

Once you go Mac you'll never go back!

Started on Apple machines in the early 80s...
bought an Apple in the late 80s
moved to the Mac line in 1995...
upgraded few a few models of desktop, tower and laptop style...

built a windows based PC in 2001 and haven't looked back

Philbiker · #8 01-21-2009, 04:20 PM

If you're going to college you need to have a notebook.

jucas · #9 01-21-2009, 04:28 PM

I went from an old giant dell laptop with XP that finally died to an XPS 1330 with vista recently. Got a moniter upgrade and a bit of extra ram, and love the thing.

Was worried about switching, but its been really easy. No problems with vista yet, but I spent a bit of time reading about ways to fiddle with settings like I could in XP.
My only complaint is that the little pop up menu kinda reminds me of a mac.

Happynoj · #10 01-21-2009, 04:47 PM

I would recommend a desktop. I'm doing a degree at the moment, and whilst people told me that I should get a laptop, and lots of my friends got a laptop, I'm more than glad that I went for a PC. I have never wished that I had a laptop to take to lectures or the library. I got a lot more for my money, and I personally do not need the portability of a laptop. I put it together myself so I know exactly what is inside and what to do to fix it if (when?!) it breaks. I guess that is more of a 'knowledge' thing - building a PC can be intimidating and difficult if you don't know what you are doing.

PRUNEFACE · #11 01-21-2009, 04:48 PM

If you're getting a desktop you should build it yourself or have a locally owned shop assemble one for you. You could potentially save thousands of dollars.

Kyon` · #12 01-21-2009, 10:15 PM

Build it yourself, I'm building what very well could be the antichrist of gaming machines for well under $2000, though I might postpone for windows 7.

Edit:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834152073

also in the ways of notebooks, that should do you just fine, I've used that same graphics card in my desktop and it's great. Some extra batteries and you would be set.

JQ1986 · #13 01-21-2009, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PRUNEFACE

If you're getting a desktop you should build it yourself or have a locally owned shop assemble one for you. You could potentially save thousands of dollars.

I have a friend who used to assemble computers and only charged for parts, but he moved to Kentucky to continue school. I also took a class in high school where we learned how to take apart and put together computers, but that was 5 years ago so I don't remember much (which prolly isn't a good thing since I'm looking to go to school for something in the IT field). I'm more looking for a laptop now since my desktop works fine considering it's 5 years old, just want to keep it around for everyday stuff. Just don't want to take the risk on it pooping out on me in the middle of a report, project or whatever. I have two laptops picked out one is the Dell Studio XPS 16 and HP DV7T. The only differences I've found between the two is the brand and the HP's screen is an inch bigger and about $50 less after all the customizing. So if anyone has any experience with the two of them your input would be appreciated.

Checked out the MacBooks, but they're a little out of my price range. I'm sure someday I'll join the "dark side", as my friends call it, but right now it's just a little out of reach. I've never had any major gripes with the Windows operating systems but I'm also fairly careful with what websites I visit and programs I install/download so I haven't had to deal with a crash. Thought I had a major issue with the external hard drive but it ended up being nothing major.

Joe Gress · #14 01-21-2009, 10:31 PM

Whatever these losers say, don't get a mac.

I just got a Dell studio 15 a few days ago. Works pretty damn nice I must say.

Philbiker · #15 01-22-2009, 07:27 AM

Check out the Fujitsu outlet. Fujitsu laptops are very good.

Edit: One thing that may not suit you for Fujitsu is that they are more oriented towards the business market than the home/gamer. That didn't matter for me when I bought one a few months ago, but may for you. They are very high quality and usually very expensive.

jkritchey · #16 01-22-2009, 07:27 AM

Phil FTW....

Shop the Dell Outlet, use the Business and education side, and select a laptop that will still smoke in 4 years time. Get the new Latitude E line of laptops.

ehque · #17 01-22-2009, 08:35 AM

Laptop -> Lenovo. Same design now as 20 years ago, and probably will look chic even 20 years from now, when everything else is ipoddy.

Desktop -> build your own. it's not that hard, and you dont need a huge budget to build quite a nice one.

James Hart · #18 01-22-2009, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philbiker

Check out the Fujitsu outlet. Fujitsu laptops are very good.

Although I posted that huge Dell thing... my latest laptop purchase was last month for the wife... from the Fujitsu's eBay account. I ended up with a fully upgraded, factory sealed T4220 (convertible laptop / tablet PC). It would have been $2400 new, I scored it for $980 after shipping and taxes. I will definitely look at them again for a regular laptop when I ditch this cheap Compaq laptop I'm using for surfing & email.

Tsal · #19 01-22-2009, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JQ1986

I'm planning on going back to school hopefully in the fall so I want something that's going to be reliable and yet will be good for some light gaming. I'm kinda torn between a laptop or a desktop.

If you have use for a laptop, I would suggest that you get a laptop with decent specs but a small screen, and then add an external display, keyboard and a mouse. This way your stuff is roughly speaking instantly portable, yet you have all the comforts of a desktop. Of course the price is paid in the gaming performance of a laptop. The external displays are cheap, these days. I'm running this kind of setup with my MacBook.

Then again, if you really want to carry a laptop around all day, the best idea probably is getting a desktop machine and one of those mini-notebooks that take very little space in your backpack.

**Eric Perry** · #20 01-22-2009, 10:56 AM

I think the Gateway FX laptops are just sick for the coin! My current laptop is a Gateway and I love it. I'm in the process of getting one now, just can't decide which one. Most likely the P-7811fx. Check out the specs on it. It's a true gamer's laptop for very little coin comparatively speaking.

17 inch screen (1920x1200)
2.26 Core 2 Duo processor with 1066 Bus speed and 3mb cache
4GB of DDR3 RAM
200GB 7200rpm HD (7200's are rare in laptops)
Open bay to add a second HD
Can do RAID
NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS with 512MB dedicated video RAM (killer video!)
Integrated 1.3MP camera and microphone
etc., etc., etc

It comes shipped with 64 bit Windows Vista SP1.