Gaming Laptop

If you remember, I was considering buying a new laptop over the summer. I ended up saving up the money and scouring the internet for other options to the HP Pavilion that I was going to buy.

http://www.avadirect.com/plist.asp?page=1&keywords=Clevo+M860TU&from=0&to=0&rows=100

I now have a large amount of money to spend on a laptop and I would like to buy a gaming rig. Since I'm at school, a mobile gaming rig is the perfect option for me because it adds performance and mobility all in one package.

I was originally considering the Alienware Area-51 m15x when I came across this Clevo model. I've read horrifying stories about the Alienware m15x as far as sturdiness goes. Everything I've read about the Clevo model has been positive. The only thing that seems to be of any concern is the 2-3 hour battery life and that can be remedied with an extra battery. Also, I doubt I'll be going some where to game with out a power cord.

Tell me what you think of this system and offer some specs. I'll post later with some specs that I think are alright and you can let me know what you would down//upgrade.

It's got some nice desktop features.

What I do suggest is to wait. With the economy turning to shit (partly due to this stupid bailout bill), you should be able to get an amazing deal on what you want soon. Companies are going to have to start giving stuff away to sell it.

Holy hell its nice.

I wish Dell would integrate the 9800 into the XPS line so they could dump the shitty SLI 8700 setup. Then I would sell the Lappy and buy a M1730.

So here's what I'm thinking:

Barebones: Standard barebones WSGXA+ glossy. I'm very tempted by the matte finish though... if I end up waiting as Aron suggests, I'll probably upgrade this.
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.53 P9500
Cooling: Arctic Cooling High Performance MX-2 Thermal Compound
Video: nVidia GeForce 9800 GTS
Memory: Kingston 4 GB (2 x 2 GB)
No Turbo Memory
Hard Drive: Not sure what to put here, I'm not as tech savvy as some so I'm not as familiar with the brands... I was thinking Western Digital or Seagate? Also, I'm sure the Solid State Drives would be best, but the size and price worries me.
WiFi: Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 5300
Sound: Creative X-Fi 5.1
OS: Windows Vista 64bit... I was thinking of going 32bit, but I wanted access to all 4 gigs of my memory. Still debating on this one. I sort of want to get Linux pre-installed on this as well... I've never had any experience, but they offer it as a Dual-Boot so I don't know.

Do these specs look alright?
3 Year Warranty

ALWAYS Matte finish. Plus you get more screen resolution. Glossy is only good for the "ohh, ahh" crowd. It becomes unreadable in many lighting conditions.

Other than that, the specs are fine. I would probably not worry about SSD yet since the price is pretty prohibitive. And if you didn't want to get Linux pre-loaded, you could always install it after doing dual boot as well. Coming pre-installed would be interesting, though.

Go with 64-bit whatever. That's my next install of Linux.

That's it, It's official Pancakes, I hate you.

I believe it would be better for you to go with the Linux and Vista install, it would save you the trouble of setting it up later.

And you need 64 bit to accesses four gigs of ram?

Yes. Depending on the hardware in the computer (Mobo, processor, etc.), a 32 bit OS will recognize from only 3 gigs to 3.75 max. Vista 32 bit has the ability to recognize any amount of RAM that is installed (as of SP1), but oddly enough can still only use a max of 3.75. I'm currently arguing as to whether I should put a 4GB in the Lappy or only 3.

Sigh, i switched back to Xp 32 after i crashed it, and not to later, I got some more ram, This is great >.>
Might just check out Vista 64....

Okay, these are the specs I've decided on from Xotic PC. It is selling the Sager re-branded Clevo. I don't get to choose what kind of hardware is put in the laptop like at AVA Direct, but I like their warranty options better.

Dispaly: 15.4" WUXGA "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Screen (1920x1200)
Processor: Intel® P9500 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.53GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
Graphics: 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 9800M GTS DDR3 DX10
Memory: 4,096MB DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS)
Optical Drive: Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
Primary Hard Drive: 320GB 5400RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 8MB Cache) <---This could get upgraded to the 500 gig 54,000 RPM Model
External Hard Drive Blow Out Sale!: USB 2.0 SATA Aluminum Enclosure + 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
OS: Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed
Warranty: Sager 3 Year Parts & Labor Warranty + 30 Day NO Dead Pixel Warranty w/ Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Customer Service

Only a few questions... should I upgrade the sound card from the standard one?

Altogether this runs about 2,600. I'm hoping this lasts me for quite a while. At least 3-5 years, hopefully beyond.


so what do you guys think?

y/n?

Other than the hard drive speed (I'm surprised its not 7200 RPM), it looks good. The Vista version is somewhat surprising, too.

I have the option for 7200, but I am worried about the heat issue. I'm sure 9800's run hot and I don't want to add too much heat to a compact system. It is a 15 incher, not a 17.

It is upgradable though and when SSD become cheaper I will gladly upgrade to one of those. Do you think the speed difference will be noticeable? I went with 64 bit because I want access to all 4 gigs of RAM. I went with Home Premium because I don't know the difference between that and Ultimate. Do you think I'll be missing features in Ultimate?

Between a 5400 and a SSD? Yes, definitely. Between a 7200 and a SSD? Not so much.

SSD's are awesome more for battery savings and durability IMO.


RE: Vista.

I like Ultimate because I really like the Bitlocker Drive Encryption (The Vista Ultimate Extras are nice, but wouldn't have been a deal breaker).

Ordered! Only upgraded the sound card at the last minute and downgraded the warranty a little bit. I went with the Accidental LCD Protection plan as opposed to the 0 Dead Pixel Policy.

I am excited. The first game I'm going to play on it is going to be Left 4 Dead. And then Dead Space.

The lappy should be coming today. I got the call yesterday from UPS to expect the package so now it's just a matter of waiting for it to get here...

I have quite a bit of reading to do for some final papers so I'm hoping that will keep me busy until I get it. After that it will probably be all L4D.

If you like 4X games, try X3: Terran Conflict.

Said By Pancakes

The lappy should be coming today. I got the call yesterday from UPS to expect the package so now it's just a matter of waiting for it to get here...

I have quite a bit of reading to do for some final papers so I'm hoping that will keep me busy until I get it. After that it will probably be all L4D.

Good, L4D Is the way to go man.