Computer People It's Your Time to Shine!

Status
Not open for further replies.
ZsafineGypsy

ZsafineGypsy

Iwaku Channel™ Head Mistress
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Female
Genres
Fantasy, SciFi, Modern, Horror
I been looking for a new laptop lately and it's getting to the point I need one yesterday. I do tons of journalism so I am always tapping away on something but I want to be able to enjoy a few good PC Games. I mean a woman has to take a break sometime right? Here is my needs:

>My price range is $700 and below though I feel better around $500

>An i3 Processor or better and decent graphics.

>Battery Life at least four+ hours

>A laptop and none of that silly notebook stuff.

>Nervous with Apple Products, not a fan.

Now I been looking at a store called MicroCenter located nearby in Ohio. These are the laptops I picked out so far.

The Acer Aspire E-1
http://www.microcenter.com/product/428360/Aspire_E1-572-6468_156_Laptop_Computer_-_Clarinet_Black

An Asus (Rather Fond of these)
http://www.microcenter.com/product/...ter_-_Dark_Gray_with_Concentric_Circle_Finish

The Dell Inspiron
http://www.microcenter.com/product/427748/Inspiron_17R_173_Laptop_Computer_-_Moon_Silver?ob=1&rf=

Last but not Least the Sturdy Lenovo G710
http://www.microcenter.com/product/428612/G710_173_Laptop_Computer_-_Black_Textured?ob=1&rf=


I know there are so many opinions on computers, but my work has slowned down because I no longer have a computer. Work/time is money. Please people help me! Picking one from my list or showing me a whole different computer, it don't matter. If there is anything I could do to repay you for helping out consider it done.
 
Go Asus, Dell, or HP. HP is good for self-repairs. try to get Windows 7 if you can. Aim for four Gigs of ram (Memory) if you wanna play a few computer games. ^.^ Umm what do you mean by "none of that silly notebook stuff"?

Also that Asus is a great price.
 
Getting Windows 7 is so hard now days. Everything is Windows 8 oh also no touch screen. Well Notebooks are thinner and smaller and...er have less space. I dont want something I could toss like a Frisbee.
 
Windows 8 is a Bitch without a touch screen. the Asus and Dell have a Terrabyte. that's a LOT of space.
 
That is what I like about Asus. Windows 8 on the other hand has the option to convert to a standard desktop so that's why I'm alright with it. If it didn't have that feature I wouldn't get anything other than 7.
 
I lean towards the Asus. Yes it's slightly smaller than the Dell but you're getting the same for 200 less. That's just me. I own an asus myself and I love it. But the Dell and Asus are probably the best to go for. Acer's aren't that reliable in my experience and the lenovo doesn't have as much memory. The 8 GB will let you multi-task better.
 
  • Thank You
Reactions: ZsafineGypsy
If the Dell Inspiron you linked is similar to mine, and by the looks of it, it is, it might have overheating problems. Googling the series is your friend, but I know for a fact that the Inspiron N5110 series has problems with cooling and not even a cooling pad really helps. So if you want to play some processor intensive games, you might want to look into something else.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ZsafineGypsy
Thanks I been looking at the Asus but I wanted another opinion.

Also Lstorm, I don't exactly know which of my games are "processor Intensive". Here is an example of one of my games though I know it is a bit bigger. Phantasy Star Universe 2 Online. So what would you reccomend?
 
I honestly suggest HP. I've had problems with every other brand, but the only reason my other HP laptop died was because I spilled water on it. My old HP PC is like 11+ years old now and STILL RUNS. Slow, but still runs.

Windows 8 isn't a problem. I was freaking out about it when I was shopping for my new laptop in December but it's just fine. It's pretty much Windows 7 with a touch screen option. I just click on desktop when I log in and POOF, scary start up menu gone.

If you wanna play a few PC games, it really depends on the games, but when I got my laptop I aimed pretty high on the ram and stuff. I've got 6, and all of my games run great. But a 4-5 would definitely do.

This laptop looks pretty good, with good processor speed (I don't suggest buying below 1.5 AT BARE MINIMUM. I've got like 2.4 and really have minimal lag problems at all) although it only has two reviews (one kind of reported lag so I'm not sure) and is on the pricey upside.

This one also looks pretty great, but has no reviews. Cheaper, great processor speed, and is Windows 7 Professional if you're into that.

This one comes off as being moderately good. Good speed, 4 gigs RAM, decent memory, decent price. Reviews say it works pretty well for gaming too. Only issue, they won't ship it.

This one is pretty HUGE, has lots of memory, pretty good RAM and processor speed, but it's got an AMD processor. I prefer Intel but if you've heard good things on AMD, go for it. Only one review for, a bit on the upside for price (around 600).

Honestly I could go on forever listing laptops but here's the key stuff when searching (that I've learned):

You want good processor speed.
I suggest Intel for the processor. It's reliable.
Size is really dependent on you.
When searching, decide on how much memory you think you need. I aimed high and haven't used half of what I've got. More memory, more money you spend and you might not even use it all.
ALWAYS. READ. REVIEWS. They tend to be pretty accurate. If a lot of people are saying the computer lags, even though it's got good processor speed, I wouldn't buy it.
You also want a laptop that can have its RAM extended to at least 6 gigs. RAM is important.

If you just search on websites like Best Buy or the one you mentioned and narrow your search down to what you want, especially regarding size and memory space, it'll be pretty easy to narrow it down to a few you like.

When I was searching I was all, "I want a webcam and a good mic and a good sound system and good RAM, processor speed, memory..." and it made my search pretty easy.

Hope I could help. I'd be happy to keep helping and searching if you've got a few more search specifications as well. Good luck!
 
  • Like
Reactions: ZsafineGypsy
Thanks for your listings Rainjay, unfortunately I have had quiet a bit of troubles with HP though I agree they do last. My main issues were always the Pavilion Series. I had a few laptops in my time haha. I keep giving them away though for friends or family. -,-
I look into the first one though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rainjay
ZsafineGypsy said:
Thanks for your listings Rainjay, unfortunately I have had quiet a bit of troubles with HP though I agree they do last. My main issues were always the Pavilion Series. I had a few laptops in my time haha. I keep giving them away though for friends or family. -,-
I look into the first one though.
Click to expand...

Glad I could help.
 
Grab the Asus, and then get a cheap docking station to hook your computer up to at home, that way if you need extra RAM or harddrive space, you can just plug a new one in.
 
  • Thank You
Reactions: ZsafineGypsy
To answer your question, Zsafine, if it came out in the recent about four years, it is likely processor intensive. From experience, things that require dual or quad cores can cause overheat if left unmanaged or if their settings are not set low enough. But like I said, google is your friend and I am not sure if the laptop you linked will have the same issue as mine does.
 
I'm partial to the Lenovo you have in your list. The processor isn't bad and intel graphics are improving all the time. Assuming you like RPG style games you'll do fine as those are more CPU intensive than they are graphically intensive in general. Skyrim, for example should run fine on max settings with that laptop. Shooters are a bit different, you should be able to play them but probably not on max settings. Hope that helps.
 
Thank you @LunaValentine , @Lstorm , @Rainjay , @OverCast , and @Goran. All your advice and participation on this discussion has been noted, today I have bought my computer. I chose the Asus. Without your help I would probably still be looking around aimlessly. Thank you all for your time, this discussion is now closed. Though I'm willing to listen if you know any good games, accessories and such. :)
 
No problem! I hope you enjoy your new computer! ^.^
 
Hands down the winners here are Lenovo and Dell.

If you plan on using this laptop for long periods of time, gaming, media, hate noise and overheating go for Lenovo you will absolutely make no mistake; a friend of mine has one of these things for 3 years now... the thing just won't die. We shoved Skyrim into it's mouth, Oblivion, Overclocked it it just wouldn't die. So battery life is good, you can always put it in power saver mode and it can last even with intensive CPU work.

If you plan on using this laptop for CPU and RAM intensive work, gaming, media and such your not going to make a mistake with the Dell, they make the best bang for your buck maximum performance laptops although they are quite notorious for overheating and noise, so I don't like it much because of that. Although this thing will handle the many stuff you chuck at it, but as I said watch for overheating.

As for the two other choices... ASUS if you don't plan on gaming sure go ahead, but in reality who does that? And for the Acer... *cringes*

That's my input on the choices. Cheers and have fun shopping.

P.S. Also in reality a custom build PC would be cheaper, easier and more performance but you lose mobility.
 
  • Thank You
Reactions: ZsafineGypsy
Well gosh darn it I was too late. :-D
 
  • Love
Reactions: ZsafineGypsy
Sorry @N0VA™, I liked Lenova strength but I'm doing more journalism than gaming. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with Dell but I heard a lot of bad things and good things.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back