Yer hey guys thought i would wait untill tax time to buy a good laptop with the following specs but finding it hard to get a decent bargain. I have been checking most of the major retailers and statice and might have to resort to buying dell….
How is dell and what other better deals can i get with these specs?
I was thinking of paying under $1500 , thoughts?
What is the main purpose for this laptop? If gaming, you should not be looking at the amount of gram yet you have to be concerned about the graphic chip it self. You can have a low end GT 630 with 2gb of ram which is incapable of playing games at high or even medium settings, and at the same time a 1gb GTX 760 can play ultimate settings…
Also full HD at 14" is hard to find, you can get HD+ (Read 1600×900) with 14", for full HD either go with 15" or 13.3".
No that those two are settled, you should know how long you want to keep the laptop, as that will determine a lot of things.
At the end what is the weight limit you have in mind?
This is good advice and good questions. The amount of gigabytes a graphics card has in a laptop is not directly indicative of performance.
Also, get the SSD, even if it means paying more. The performance gains are worth it.
Ok then that's settled ssd it is, thanks.
A plus for SSD, it is a most have. The performance boost is insane (that is if you are used to HDDs).
I wanted to buy from a physical store with like 3 years warranty…. I guess checking the gpu with bench marks is the best way? http://www.officeworks.com.au/retail/products/Technology/Com…
If I can get this for like $200 less what do u think of the price? I've looked at so many recently and still unsure as most physical stores don't sell many full hd laptops
You haven't answered those questions, but having a look at the link you posted I am assuming that the weight and battery life of the laptop doesn't matter that much for you as the machine is pretty heavy (3.14Kg) and also has a 6cell battery which for the given specs is sub par (you are looking at max 4 hours).
Now about the HP machine, it seems like a good laptop. Like for the CPU (quad core i7 3rd gen, the screen Full HD Anti-Glare (some gamers and graphists prefer the non matte, shiny, version; this is up to you), big 2TB HDD and the bluray writer.
The GPU is above the mid-range but well bellow what can be considered as a gaming GPU, the HDD at 5400rpm is going to be fairly slow (a SSD at least for OS is a most have) and did I mention it is HEAVY?
Okay apart from that, I personally don't see a need for those pricey (read useless) warranties. From experience if an electronic device wants to show defact it will show it within the first one or two months of use or at most within the first year. If something lasts happily for a year it will last you for the next 2-3 years easily (provided you take good care of it). This was just regarding WARRANTY, a repair plan is something different although I haven't had any experience with them before but the terms looks promising that is up to you to decide if you want to take a shot at it.
Now giving you suggestions for what to look for:
- 8GB ram 1600Mhz (if you can get dual channel there is a slight speed boost if not well you have the ability to upgrade to 16GB later on)
- quad core CPU (the ones with QM in their model number) this should give a good speed bump for gaming as more and more games are taking advantage of multi cores. As far as I know mobile quad cores are only i7s, now if you can get something with i5 for a good price, that isn't necessary a bad CPU, but 4core will provide a better experience.
- Look for GPUs with GTX in their prefix (if you are keen on gaming), these are the top performers. GTX indicates it is a gaming graphic card, then the first digit tells you the generation the next two digits decide the level of performance, 6xx or 7xx should be fine. 5xx for a good price will be okay as well (not recommended).
- SSD(s mentioned earlier) will give you a good boost, provided you can afford a big enough SSD that you can install games on, you are good to go. STORE YOUR MULTIMEDIA ON A HDD.
30GB: cache/or just OS (meh)
60GB: OS+ programs + possibly one game (okay)
128GB: OS + programs + a few games (good)
256GB: OS + programs + games (very good)
300GB+: … (ideal, but nothing is ideal in this world)
——————-> atm 128GB/256GB seems to be a nice spot for the money. the bigger sizes are waaaaaaaaay to expensive.- Good Keyboard this seems to be least looked at, but since you want to game with it, a good keyboard is a most have. It will ensure you won't get tired and frustrated when playing.
Sorry for the long post, hope it helps you. Meanwhile I will have you in mind and if I see any deals I will let you know.
:P
nar legit mate what you have just expressed is a massive insight for not only me but others reading as its all nicely set out and descriptive. Seriously thank you for taking the time to write this and I will save this to remember for later.
yer I think ima get the new deal here http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/106669
and for keyboard and mouse~ i got the microsoft 5000 desktop keyboard and mouse which I have had for a year and its fantastic, runs so smooth and keyboard is comfy as a pillow <3
Sweet, glad to help mate. Enjoy your new laptop!!!
You could also try a whitebox notebook (white box means a custom build system)
http://www.logicalblueone.com.au/store/518-horize-p150em-cle…
i7 quad 3630QM / 16GB RAM
128GB free MSATA drive upgrade
full HD 15 inch display
GTX670MX graphics
Backlit keyboard
$1,279.00 (no Windows)
Windows 8 Pro (via BING LEE online) $57
http://www.binglee.com.au/microsoft-3ur-00006-windows-8-pro
This sounds good, how's the quality on these I wonder, I'll have to check them out, thanks scrimmy
yes ^ ^
Just bought yesterday at dicksmith Asus i5 with 8gig ram,750 gig HD, 15.6" screen, 2 gig graphics, and 2 year pick up/ return at you home warranty.$598.
What's the GPU though
Ah….I acidently gave u. A minus ….how to change
Sounds ok but I really want that full hd
The Lenovo Y580 was the best bang-for-buck gaming laptop a couple months ago, is it still the best bang for buck gaming laptop now?
How much was it selling for b4 , do u know ? Thanks
When I enquired at the start of the year, I was quoted 11,180 HKD which is equivalent to 1517 AUD.
I think you can get it for less than $1k AUD now - although you may have to import it from overseas.
Not available in Australia anymore, from Lenovo website that is.
http://www.gizmag.com/razer-blade-thin-ultrabook/27743/
This looks good.
edit: Way out of your price range though, starting at $1800 in the US :(
not sure how reliable razer is though but it does look really good :)
It's actually $2500 for the 256GB version in Australia. That's way too expensive for what you get.
Dell XPS 15
http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/product…
its near the bottom of the page
Why do you need a laptop? Desktop is always cheaper, faster and imo it's easy to play on a big screen with a full sized keyboard
Like to move it around, take with me on trips :)
The $1529 MSI GE70-471AU is looking good to me (http://msy.com.au/Parts/notebook.pdf). Is 17" too big? Still only 2.7 kg.
CPU: Intel 3rd Gen. i7-3630QM 2.4GHz(Turbo 3.4GHz)
OS: Windows 8 64 bit
RAM: 8GB DDR3
HDD: 128GB SSD + 500GB SATA
Graphic: Nvidia GTX 660M Graphics
2GB DDR5 Dedicated VGA
Screen: 17.3” Full HD(1920x1080) LED Screen
*2yrs Warranty *USB3.0 *WiFi N *6 Cell *2.7kg
*HDMI *Blu-Ray Combo *Bluetooth *Card Reader
Alternately, what I usually suggest to people is to think about getting a $1000 gaming Desktop for your gaming needs and a sub $500 notebook for when you're on the road.
mmm, better card then my laptop and a ssd….. but the amount of money extra payed for those two things make mine a bargain….. time…to…grin!!!! :)
thats like perfect…. what u said when u think about it :)
on most 17"they seem to have space for 2x 2.5" drive(1xhdd 1x ssd)
The best bang for the buck imo atm:
http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/106669
Intel i7-4700MQ Quad Core Processor 2.4 - 3.4Ghz Turbo
16GB DDR3 1600Mhz System Memory
750GB 7200RPM, DVD+/-RW Super Multi DVD Burner
15.6-inch FHD LED MATTE BACKLIT (1920x1080)
nVidia Geforce GTX670MX 3.0GB GDDR5 Dedicated Graphics DX11
802.11b/g/n WLAN, 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN, Bluetooth
NO OPERATING SYSTEM
3x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, E-SATA, HDMI, Display Port. Surround Sound & Subwoofer. 2.0mp Webcam, SOUND BLASTER® X-Fi® MB3, Standard Keyboard with Numberpad, nVidia Optimus Technology
Brand New in Box with 8 Cell Battery
3.1KG
the only thing im thinking is that the price of the upgrade for their ssd 128gig is like an extra $50 then it should be… ><"howmuch can u buy one for ?
I just got a Clevo (Metabox) and it is amazing. I spent quite a bit more than you want to, but got dual GTX 680Ms. The service from the two resellers in Aus is excellent (www.affordablelaptops.com.au is the other guys) and if something goes wrong, other than DELL, you will have problems getting things fixed whether from a store or (reputable) on-line. Both will send away for repair and the turnaround from Metabox and Horize is pretty good.
Don't worry about an ssd. This particular unit has 2 mSATA slots. mSATA SSDs can be purchased for $230 for 256G and don't take up hard drive bays, but are the same speed.
That one listed will fill all of your gaming needs and will play games at decent settings for the next 4 years. And take note of your fellow OZBargain votes. That's a crazy good deal.
"That one listed will fill all of your gaming needs and will play games at decent settings for the next 4 years. And take note of your fellow OZBargain votes. That's a crazy good deal."
ROFL. Even a Titan can't max out Crysis 3 at 1920x1200. Sure if decent settings are maximum low/ugly at 1280x720. Gaming on a laptop is completely pointless. They can't touch even a basic desktop box.
128gb SSD for $50 is a steal! They were going for $90 earlier this week… Don't hesitate mate, if you want a gaming lappy this should be the way to go… other options will be way to expensive.
Edit: sorry I didn't know they swap the HDD for an SSD, keep the hard drive and purchase a SSD later on and install it your self, it should be cheaper.
I got this laptop around 6 months ago.
http://www.affordablelaptops.com.au/contents/en-us/d441_meta…
I just changed the 16GB ram to 8GB ram.
In the end I purchased this model http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/106669
Cant wait to get my hands on it. thanks to all those that put their input in :)
Have you received it yet? Care to give a short review of your experience with it? :-P
It still might take some time yet hey~ the terms and conditions states around 15 bussiness days to assemble. I am up to day 9. When I called them they said yes should take about 14-15 days.
Then comes delivery times so…1-3 days with tnt I think from QLD-ACT.
I will give a full review about what I think of the machine when it arrives :).
Got my laptop today, will post pictures later. All was good until I called support up and wanted to confirm that windows 8 would work fine then (I bought without OS) the person said we have been having issues installing driver software for the graphics cards or something. For some reason customers who try it themselves fail but they have their version they were willing to send me on a new cd/hdd.
Good points so far
-It took as long as they said to delivery -15 business days + delivery time 1-3 days.
-The laptop design is quite nice and not nearly as ugly as ones you see in the shops.
-Very clear sound ( a much bigger difference to my old 4 year old laptop)
-So far its ran quite smoothly :) but still need to test graphics card when I get the correct update.
-Screen is good so far but need to really test with the graphics card.
-Their customer service so far is 4.5/5 I think, great bunch to deal with.
Not so good points so far
-I don't like the rough texture of the touchpad on the laptop
-When the box came it said made in China…( I was under the impression it was done in America/Australia)
Random point - the fan seems to kick-start once every little while for like 10 secs then goes quiet.
I will review it further once everything is fit to do so~ including graphics and how noisy if any it gets while playing games:)
all laptops are made in china or taiwan
that's it
no laptop is that is easily commerically available is made in the west
yer well fair enough :D
Cool little review mate,
I think the fan noise thingy is somewhat the normal thing you get now a days with laptops that have dedicated graphic cards or very highly clocked CPUs. You might be able to fix it by fiddling around with power managements (buried deep in windows options PM if you need further help, I can assist you with that) and reducing the min and max cpu usage and/or the cooling method for battery saving mode (or as I call it the normal usage) then having a high performance for gaming.
Looking forward to the future review and maybe some pics (the ones on their website is very mediocre :-" )
yer I still have to reinstall the full system that I got sent yesterday so might do that tonight/tomorrow and post updates :D
http://configure.ap.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=au&l=en…
was considering this…..thoughts?