Need laptop information/assistance

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Greylor

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In early February I will be emmigrating to Ireland (just in case you're wondering....no, I'm not one of those "SA is DOOOOMED" people. It's a combination of family and work reasons).

Unfortunately, I have to leave my PC here in South Africa. A shame, as my computer is my baby :cry:

When I get there, I won't be able to set myself up with a computer for at least a couple of months, probably more, as I may well land up moving around a bit.

So, I'm looking to buy a laptop that will get me by comfortably.

I need the laptop to be able to capably handle games. It doesn't have to be a beast of a rig...I just want it to be able to handle standard games and some MMOs (like Eve Online and WoW). It will mostly be used for internet browsing/downloading and work. The smaller the laptop the better...I will probably buy myself a 19 inch monitor when I'm there, so screen size isn't an issue...portability is more important.

Unfortunately I know very little about laptops, so if you guys could help me with any kind of assistance, I would be very grateful.
 
Gaming laptops are quite expensive.

Currently the cheapest laptops that I would consider for gaming purposes would be around R9500+, which has to have at least an AMD Mobility HD 5730.
You can get laptops for around R6000 with nVidia GT 320M graphics processors, but they are a lot slower than the HD 5730 and only supports DirectX 10.1.

Why don't you buy the laptop in Ireland?

Could you perhaps give us the specifications of your current PC and if you think that it's framerates are acceptable? Because then we could recommend a laptop in the same range for you.
 
Well, I'm not looking for a gaming rig per se...I'm looking for something in between. Just something that can handle Eve Online, and maybe Guild Wars or WoW if I decide to pick it up again once Cataclysm comes out. When it comes to proper gaming, I'll only start that up again when I get a proper desktop PC and/or a console.

I'm really just looking for a middle of the range laptop, with whatever bits are required to enable it to play basic games (with the MMOs being the most important, and their requirements arn't huge).

As for buying the laptop in Ireland, from what I hear it is actually more expensive there. I'm still doing my homework on that one though.

My current PC specs:
Running Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
Intel Core 2 Duo 6600 @ 2.40GHZ
2gb DDR2 Ram (Pitiful, I know)
Intel Bad Axe 2 Motherboard (OOOOOLD and severely bottlenecking my graphics card and harddrives. This would be the next upgrade I would have gotten if I were not leaving)
Nvidia GTX280
1 x 2tb HD, 1 x 500gig HD.
800watt Odin GT Power Supply


**Edit: I wouldn't really want to go over R10000 for the laptop. I'm thinking more around the R8000 range.
 
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Well, I'd suggest that you go for the HD 5730 or better graphics card laptop, seeing as you have a reasonably high end graphics card currently and the Nvidia GT 320M would just disappoint you.
I was wrong about the price for those laptops, since I was just looking at Asus ones.

You can get like the Lenovo (IBM) Y560 59-036819 for ~R7000 *:
Specs:
Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 Series Notebook 59-036819 Black Tattoo, Intel Core i3-330M Dual Core 2.13Ghz 3MB Cache 1066Mhz FSB, 4096MB DDR3-1066 SO-Dimm Memory (2x2048), 320GB SATA 5400rpm Hard Drive, 15.6" WXGA HD VibrantView LED (1366x768 resolution) TFT LCD Display, ATI Radeon HD5730 with 1GB dedicated graphics, DVD writer optical drive, 802.11b/g/n wireless LAN, Bluetooth, Webcam, 6 cell battery, 10/100 Ethernet LAN, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64
Click to expand...

* I have never heard of that online shop though.
 
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ponder said:
Why, I don't understand?
Click to expand...

I'm not taking a crate up with me. Putting everything down here in storate. Just taking cloths and some basics with me. On the surface it may not make sense, but given whats happening, it does :P

Pada said:
Well, I'd suggest that you go for the HD 5730 or better graphics card laptop, seeing as you have a reasonably high end graphics card currently and the Nvidia GT 320M would just disappoint you.
I was wrong about the price for those laptops, since I was just looking at Asus ones.

You can get like the Lenovo (IBM) Y560 59-036819 for ~R7000 *:
Specs:

* I have never heard of that online shop though.
Click to expand...

That seems to be the type of setup, as well as the price range that I'm looking for. Thanks for the link.

LeroyHarr said:
its defianately worth buying a laptop in ireland, check out www.pcworld.ie. good prices on good laptops
Click to expand...

Hmm...those prices seem to be pretty similar to here....maybe even a fraction cheaper. If the prices are similar, it obviously makes more sense to buy in Ireland as then I am able to make use of the warrantee if something goes wrong. I wonder if those prices are reflective of the market there. Will have to look into it a bit more. Thanks!
 
Asus notebooks
ASUS K52JC-EX184X

Laptop specifications for this model

ASUS K52JC Business Notebook Series (ASUS K52JC-EX184X),
K52JC Notebook Series,
Intel Core i5-450M Dual Core 2.4GHz 3MB L2 Cache 1066MHz FSB,
4098MB DDR3-1066 SO-Dimm Memory (2x2048),
500GB SATA 5400rpm Hard Drive,
DVD Super Multi writer optical drive,
15.6" WXGA HD Color Shine (1366x768 Resolution) TFT LCD display,
nVidia Geforce GT310M with 1GB dedicated graphics and Intel HD graphics,
802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN,
10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet Lan,
0.3MP Webcam,
6 cell battery,
Bluetooth,
Full Keyboard,
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition 64,
2.91kg,
2 Year collect and return warranty,
Asus carry bag and Asus USB Mouse
Click to expand...

You could pick this up for about R7 000 - R7 400..
 
D3x said:
You could pick this up for about R7 000 - R7 400..
Click to expand...

I had this Laptop last month...very good...handled the basic games well
GTA IV
FIFA 10
BATMAN

i would recommend it for that price its well worth it!
 
R8138.44

Gigabyte Q1585N Notebook: Intel Core i5 430M 2.27GHz Processor, 2GB DDR3 1333MHz Memory (1x 2GB - 2 Slots), 500GB 5400RPM 2.5" SATA HDD, 8x DVD Super Multi Writer, 15.6" Glare Type 1366x768 Gloss Widescreen, 1.3 Megapixel Webcam, Intel HM55 Express Mobile Chipset, nVidia GeForce GT335M 1GB, Integrated Gigabit LAN, Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g/n @ 300Mbps , HDD Storage Security, Intel Wireless Display Technology, Bluetooth, 6 Cell Battery, Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit, Office 2010 Starter Edition, Facial Recognition, 2 Year Global Warranty With Fetch And Repair Warranty, 4x USB 2.0, 1x Headphone Jack, 1x Microphone Jack, 1x D-Sub VGA, 1x PC Card Express slot, 1x RJ-45 Ethernet, 3-In-1 Reader
 
D3x said:
You could pick this up for about R7 000 - R7 400..
Click to expand...

Wow...that looks IDEAL. Where can I easily get my hands on that in Cape Town? After a quick google search it seems to only be a bunch of places I'm not familiar with...or Kalahari.net which I've never used before. Also, they all seem to price it around R8000-R8400. If I could somehow get that for 7-7.4k that would be awesome. Definately a front runner....exactly the type of thing I'm looking for.

I'll be in Cavendish later today, so I guess that I'll ask around in Incredible Corruption and Mega Computers...although they tend to be severely overpriced on most things (the overpricing on external HDs from Incredible Connection is INSANE! I'd never buy from there)
 
burden said:
R8138.44

Gigabyte Q1585N Notebook: Intel Core i5 430M 2.27GHz Processor, 2GB DDR3 1333MHz Memory (1x 2GB - 2 Slots), 500GB 5400RPM 2.5" SATA HDD, 8x DVD Super Multi Writer, 15.6" Glare Type 1366x768 Gloss Widescreen, 1.3 Megapixel Webcam, Intel HM55 Express Mobile Chipset, nVidia GeForce GT335M 1GB, Integrated Gigabit LAN, Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g/n @ 300Mbps , HDD Storage Security, Intel Wireless Display Technology, Bluetooth, 6 Cell Battery, Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit, Office 2010 Starter Edition, Facial Recognition, 2 Year Global Warranty With Fetch And Repair Warranty, 4x USB 2.0, 1x Headphone Jack, 1x Microphone Jack, 1x D-Sub VGA, 1x PC Card Express slot, 1x RJ-45 Ethernet, 3-In-1 Reader
Click to expand...

Ooo...that also looks pretty damn good. Very similar to that ASUS K52JC-EX184X that D3x posted. Same question applies, do you have any suggestions on the best ways to source these things in Cape Town?
 
Greylor said:
Ooo...that also looks pretty damn good. Very similar to that ASUS K52JC-EX184X that D3x posted. Same question applies, do you have any suggestions on the best ways to source these things in Cape Town?
Click to expand...

Brand new or second hand?
 
Greylor said:
In early February I will be emmigrating to Ireland (just in case you're wondering....no, I'm not one of those "SA is DOOOOMED" people. It's a combination of family and work reasons).

Unfortunately, I have to leave my PC here in South Africa. A shame, as my computer is my baby :cry:

When I get there, I won't be able to set myself up with a computer for at least a couple of months, probably more, as I may well land up moving around a bit.

So, I'm looking to buy a laptop that will get me by comfortably.

I need the laptop to be able to capably handle games. It doesn't have to be a beast of a rig...I just want it to be able to handle standard games and some MMOs (like Eve Online and WoW). It will mostly be used for internet browsing/downloading and work. The smaller the laptop the better...I will probably buy myself a 19 inch monitor when I'm there, so screen size isn't an issue...portability is more important.

Unfortunately I know very little about laptops, so if you guys could help me with any kind of assistance, I would be very grateful.
Click to expand...

Ireland is the home of Dell, i am quite sure you pick it up much cheaper there.
 
Nimz said:
Brand new or second hand?
Click to expand...

I'm usually not comfortable with second hand computers....but I'm not inherently against the idea. Depends largely on the condition and the saving.

superskully said:
Ireland is the home of Dell, i am quite sure you pick it up much cheaper there.
Click to expand...

That, sir, is a very good point. Just had a quick look through their website and they have some pretty damn fine prices on their full PCs, and the laptops seem pretty decently priced too. Took a look at the clearance sale section and saw this for E700:

Design, performance on large screen
Dell Studio 17
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T6600 (2.2GHz, 800MHz, 2MB)
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64bit- English
17.3” High Definition+ (1600x900) LED with TL
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 560v
3072MB 1333MHz Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM [1x2048 + 1x1024]
320GB (5,400rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
Fixed Internal DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive including Software
1 year of coverage included with your PC
McAfee® Security Centre 10 (15 month subscription) Software

Screen is a bit big....would make it a clunkly laptop to move around....but stats wise it looks pretty decent.

Granted that clearance sale thing ends in a week, but it does show that with a bit of hunting, I could get some get prices there.




---------------------------------

That all being said....
http://ireland.dell.com/ie/en/home/...refid=alienware-m11x&s=dhs&cs=iedhs1&ref=lthp

Alienware M11x Gaming Laptop for E749.....HMMMMMMM! Small, powerful and damn well priced!
 
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well i have the ASUS which is a month old if you want to buy it you can PM me

I already bought a new laptop so this one is not in use.

Still under 2 year warranty
 
Go for the Gigabyte. The GT335M is way better than the GT310M. For the price difference it is really worth it. The GT335 is pretty close in performance to the HD5730 as well.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html

If your're only looking at playing WoW type games and browsing etc. then you could get away with spending less. I've played Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Batman Dark Asylum, GTAIV on my laptop with a GT320M. All on meduim to high graphics with no AA though mainly due to the low resolution of 1366x768 and these games being more CPU dependant.

Also..buy in Ireland. Should be able to save a grand or two.
 
I'd suggest that you don't go for anything below the AMD Mobility HD 560v. You would be best off with at least a AMD Mobility HD 5730, which is about 20% better than the 560v. See http://www.notebookcheck.net/ATI-Mobility-Radeon-HD-5730.23825.0.html
The graphics cards range from bad to good: AMD Mobility HD 560v (DirectX 10.1), nVidia GT 335M (DX 10.1), AMD Mobility HD 5650 (DX 11), AMD Mobility HD 5730 (DX 11).

The Alienware M11x for Eur749 really sux compared to the Dell Studio 17!
 
Greylor said:
I'm usually not comfortable with second hand computers....but I'm not inherently against the idea. Depends largely on the condition and the saving.



That, sir, is a very good point. Just had a quick look through their website and they have some pretty damn fine prices on their full PCs, and the laptops seem pretty decently priced too. Took a look at the clearance sale section and saw this for E700:

Design, performance on large screen
Dell Studio 17
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T6600 (2.2GHz, 800MHz, 2MB)
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64bit- English
17.3” High Definition+ (1600x900) LED with TL
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 560v
3072MB 1333MHz Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM [1x2048 + 1x1024]
320GB (5,400rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
Fixed Internal DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive including Software
1 year of coverage included with your PC
McAfee® Security Centre 10 (15 month subscription) Software

Screen is a bit big....would make it a clunkly laptop to move around....but stats wise it looks pretty decent.

Granted that clearance sale thing ends in a week, but it does show that with a bit of hunting, I could get some get prices there.




---------------------------------

That all being said....
http://ireland.dell.com/ie/en/home/...refid=alienware-m11x&s=dhs&cs=iedhs1&ref=lthp

Alienware M11x Gaming Laptop for E749.....HMMMMMMM! Small, powerful and damn well priced!
Click to expand...

Also check ebay (if they have one in Ireland) or England.
I bought my Dell there for 5k less than here (plus claimed back the Vat (2k) and never paid Vat here).
That was 6 years ago though when Laptops were much more expensive in SA.
 
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