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  • Computer-y people!

    I'm thinking I need a new laptop, as this one is 7 years old, and the screen is dying and it hates playing movies.

    So! What do you recommend? I'll use it mainly for surfing the web, watching DVDs and playing Pirates of the Caribbean Online (don't judge me) and various PC games from Steam. I have no money now, but can save it now that I have a job (yay job!)
    What if Humans are just Dire Halflings?

  • #2
    surfing the internet and watching movies are fine on any laptop at all pretty much. it's the games and usually the graphics card for those that will narrow it.

    depending how long you have there will be a lot of computer sales at back to school time.

    as for stats, the current intel line (i3, i5 and i7) do pretty well, look at the list of you steam games and find the one that demands the most and base what you're looking for of off that.

    a 512 video card will run a lot of stuff just fine.
    Interviewer: What is your greatest weakness?
    Me: I expect competence from my coworkers.

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    • #3
      What kind of battery life are you looking for? How portable does it need to be (weight, size)?
      There's no such thing as a stupid question... just stupid people.

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      • #4
        For 1080p video playback, get a dual-core laptop. 2D video acceleration has made this mostly unnecessary, but *only* mostly; some video formats can't be accelerated.

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        • #5
          Select the most graphics-intensive of your Steam games, and get something whose stats exceed their recommended stats. (NOT their minimum!) The more it exceeds them by, the longer you'll be able to play newer and fancier games on this laptop.

          Editted to add: read 'Unsupportable', especially the help section, to find out which brands to avoid. It constantly has people complaining about Dell's customer disservice, for instance.
          Last edited by Seshat; 05-23-2011, 04:45 AM.
          Seshat's self-help guide:
          1. Would you rather be right, or get the result you want?
          2. If you're consistently getting results you don't want, change what you do.
          3. Deal with the situation you have now, however it occurred.
          4. Accept the consequences of your decisions.

          "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools." - Anders, Dragon Age.

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          • #6
            Quoth It's me View Post
            What kind of battery life are you looking for? How portable does it need to be (weight, size)?
            Battery life and weight are kinda irrelevant, as it's not going anywhere, but I don't have the space for a desktop, even the ones that have the computer built in to the monitor.
            What if Humans are just Dire Halflings?

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            • #7
              Quoth Seshat View Post
              Select the most graphics-intensive of your Steam games, and get something whose stats exceed their recommended stats. (NOT their minimum!) The more it exceeds them by, the longer you'll be able to play newer and fancier games on this laptop.
              What she said. Not only will you be sure all your games work, but it also puts in a bit of future proofing. Only thing I can add is if you are unfamiliar with computers, have someone you trust gut it software speaking. Manufacturers love putting junk programs in there that serve no purpose apart from taking up space and eating up resources. Completely useless and there's only one place for them which is the recycle bin. Then install basic needs (firewall, AntiVirus, browser, etc) then install other stuff as you need it.
              I AM the evil bastard!
              A+ Certified IT Technician

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              • #8
                i7 processor - don't worry if the MHz is lower than an i5, it's worth it. More cache and better processing overall.

                Get as much RAM (8GB?) as you can and a 64bit OS. I don't know if any laptops come with it but look for a dedicated video card with maybe 1GB of memory.

                Also, Dell Outlet (delloutlet.com) usually has good deals, just be ready to buy on the spot, the best deals disappear quickly. I just got my second "scratch and dent" from them. The first one had a scratch on the MS license key sticker (it was still 100% readable, though) and the second? IT WAS A LITTLE DIRTY!! That's right, a brand new PC, at least $300 of regular price for 30 second with a damp cloth.
                Quote Dalesys:
                ... as in "Ifn thet dawg comes at me, Ima gonna shutz ma panz!"

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                • #9
                  Quoth draggar View Post
                  i7 processor - don't worry if the MHz is lower than an i5, it's worth it. More cache and better processing overall.
                  Really?
                  I don't have time to post sources at the moment, but I've read that the i7's hyperthreading capabilities don't do games any good, at least not those out now. For gaming, i7 seems like a lot of extra money for little improvement. But then again, I've been looking at desktops, not laptops.

                  Get as much RAM (8GB?) as you can and a 64bit OS. I don't know if any laptops come with it but look for a dedicated video card with maybe 1GB of memory.
                  64-bit OS yes, but again I'm not sure that games today actually need that much RAM. Perhaps down the road they might, it's a gamble.

                  As Seshat said, use the recommended stats for games you want to play as a benchmark.
                  Happiness is the exercise of vital powers along lines of excellence in a life affording you scope.

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