The best current laptop

[PR4GM4TIC_AP4THY]

For those looking to buy now the best gaming laptop is hands down the dell 9100, just a heads up , since many people do not know it is available with the MR9800( a $400 option) you can configure one for $2400 no prob. Once you get it, reformat it, do a clean install of xp with sp, and download the omega drivers. With a bit of overclocking you can achieve 3dmark 03 scores over 8000! considering a similiarly priced alienware or sager wont even hit 4K I'd say the Dell is the one to buy.

 

[lithium726]

uhh... yeah... did you forget about the XPS or something? the 9100 cant have over a 3.2

and best laptop is a matter of needs, not features. for a road warrior a 9100 would suck ass

 

[mikemodano9c]

uhh... yeah... did you forget about the XPS or something? the 9100 cant have over a 3.2

and best laptop is a matter of needs, not features. for a road warrior a 9100 would suck ass

he said best gaming laptop...not best mobile laptop to carry around everyday...

3.2 ghz is plenty to fill the need paired with a 9800 mobility radeon...

i think he said 9100 because it is cheaper than the xps. im not 100% sure, but i think the 9100 is basically the same thing as an xps.

 

[lithium726]

his title is "best current laptop." although he said gaming in his post, his title is "best gaming laptop" just because the 9100 is cheaper doesnt make it better, the xps WILL take the performance crown for higher processor speeds.

he siad nothing about price, so this is a "best laptop" post. not "best bang for your buck"

i am 100% sure, the XPS is basically the same thing as the 9100. the XPS is more expensive and has more options

its a matter of opinion. some people would argue that sager's notebooks are better. who cares?

 

[NecessaryEvil]

Those of us that own T42s and know they're the best computers care

<5lbs, 7 hours(potentially up to 10 w/ ultrabay battery & lowest settings), made of metal instead of Dell/Sager plastic, and can play Doom3 & Far Cry Of course, they cost a hell of a lot more for the same configuration vs. the 9100...but they'll hold up better than the dells.


Yeah, there's no -best- laptop out there. But, here are my picks.

best ultraportable (IBM X40 or Fujitsu D7010 series(IIRC))
best thin & light (IBM T42 series IMHO)
best mainstream laptop (Emachines M68xx series or the Acer Travelmates w/ Pentium-M & 9700)
best desktop replacement or other system requiring a workout at the gym and mydol for back pains (here's where your 9100 could apply, the sagers, or even the 17" Acer that uses desktop hdds and RAM depending on your needs. I don't want a DTR, so I have no vote)

 

[PR4GM4TIC_AP4THY]

Yes is the best in terms of price and performance ( never said fastest...) since you can simply add the MR9800 to the base price of the 9100 and have the cheapest notebook with a 256MB gpu that rivals desktop power. The el cheapo runs $1,748. If you have the $$ the XP$ will do, el cheapo is $2500 with MR9800 ofcourse if you want to pay over $1300 just for a proccessor have fun... you can easily get one at over 6 grand...but hey thats up to you....

 

[IceDigger]

The fastest out there now is that new acer with the pci express on it and the x600 video card.

 

[winuser2000]

Best all around laptop for a good price = sager 3790
Best laptop for any price = IBM
ugliest looking laptops = dell
worst tech support = dell

 

[Asian Fury]

The fastest out there now is that new acer with the pci express on it and the x600 video card.

why would the x600 (which is based off the 9600XT) be faster than the m9800 (based off the X800)

 

[PR4GM4TIC_AP4THY]

not to mention has a quarter of the memory, have fun trying to load a multiplayer doom3 map

 

[Cross]

For the hands down best no price thoughts I will stay with Falcon's new Frag Book. My ultimate gaming system in a laptop sits with them from no one, Sager was my choice before Falcon.
For a system that just kicks ass and is under 1400 I would go with a m6805 any day those babys are not only an A64 thats upgradable but they have a 9600 radeon that overclocks safely well above the 9700 speeds. And for 1000-1400 depending on where you find it with best buy warrentees and there poilcy of just replacing it with the m6810 or m6811 if there are any problems (They do not try to fix them they just replace them you have to love it!) You can get a new laptop before 3 yrs are up not to mention the replacement batterys.
And for the best Centrino setup and a laptop thats 995 right now if you know where to get it from (I can help if anyone is interested) It has the P-M 1.4 (Upgradable as well) and the Rdaeon 9600 64MB its the Gateway M505 Widescreen (A lot like the M68XX Series which is just and A64 CPU and different color with some minor differences but also a widescreen since I did not mention that). Granted its 30 shipping still on top of that you can not top that price. its an excellent system. Its my system right now ^-^

 

[CyberCRAP]

Somebody please explain to me the point of these monster laptops. My laptop is 1.2in thin, 6.2lbs and 15in screen. I wish it was smaller.
I can carry it to school and to work, but it required me to buy a larger notebook backback just for it, and it barely fits in the pouch provided.

With the size of these damn "gaming laptops" you could get a cheaper shuttle or something and buy a 17in lcd. It would kick your dell's 9100 ass, have a bigger screen and cost 1/2 as much. It isn't like you can run these huge monstrosities of a notebook off of battery for more than 5secs at full speed so that point is mute. Not to mention the sff pc is upgradable.

Sure your "laptop" can game better than my 2ghz p-m w/ mobile 9700, but by how much? Also I could probably stack 2 of mine on top of eachother and still have a smaller laptop.

Oh well, guess we are all entitled to our own opinions, as long as you remember mine is always the right one

 

[lithium726]

i whole heartedly agree wtih cyberCRAP. lighter with p-m and long battery life is the way to go. i have a desktop for gaming, i dont need to be fragging for 30 mins on a plane.

 

[sharakkhal]

Somebody please explain to me the point of these monster laptops.

Just remember that you asked for the explanation.

First, let's get the difference between your laptop and a gaming notebook out of the way. The difference in performance actually has nothing to do with the processor. Benchmarks by GamePC have shown that a 3.4Ghz P4 notebook and a 2Ghz PM laptop with similarly clocked GPUs will perform on par, and even have the PM ahead at times (remember that the PM doesn't have dual channel memory and is limited to PC2700 memory speeds by the chipset). Yet, in actual products, the P4 notebooks actually do outperform PM laptops. Why is that? The short answer is cooling. The long answer is a higher clocked GPU is possible because of better cooling.

P4 notebooks in general are thicker and heavier to accomodate better airflow and/or better cooling solutions in the notebook to deal with the hotter CPU. As a result, notebook manufacturers will also normally add active cooling to the GPU. Most PM laptops don't have an actively cooled GPU, so the GPU is clocked lower than spec. With active cooling the GPU can be clocked higher, which results in much better performance since that is the bottleneck in gaming on a notebook. That is why people choose P4 notebooks to game with, over a PM laptop. If PM laptops were built better, they would be bigger and heavier, but they would perform on par with a P4 notebook.

Even at 15 lbs (heaviest notebook I know of, an Acer 1700 series), a gaming notebook is still lighter and more portable and easier/quicker to setup than a complete SFF/LCD/cables PC. If someone with a gaming notebook wants to go to a friend's house for a couple of hours for gaming or file-sharing, it's not a problem. Personally, I'd think twice before unhooking an entire system and lugging it over there for a couple of hours. I certainly wouldn't carry the entire system into another room of the house to use it there. With a notebook, it's entirely possible.

You're right, notebook performance is not as cutting edge as a brand new desktop. Who cares? I have a Radeon 9500 Pro in my desktop system. It's old (I'll have had it 2 years in January), and it probably should be replaced. But you know something? It works. It plays every game that's out at least at 1024x768 and at least above average settings, and gets at least an average of 30 frames per second in those games. Hell, it even scores 1700 in 3DMark05.

From what I gather from friends and reviews and benchmarks, notebooks with a Mobility Radeon 9700 which are clocked at around spec, 450/225, (which most laptops aren't, due to heat), they perform right at around the same as my desktop. Notebooks with a Mobility Radeon 9800 perform roughly twice as well as my desktop. Since my desktop is enough for every game there is, that means the Mobility Radeon 9800 equipped notebooks are more than enough for every game there is. Unless you need more power to make up for something else.

The point is "moot", not mute. It's still heard, it just doesn't matter. A P4 notebook can generally game for about 45-50 minutes at full speed, before it burns the battery up (draining a battery that fast has consequences). A PM laptop gets what, 2-2.5 hours while gaming? Unless you want full speed so that it's actually playable. Then you get about 1.5-2 hours. Big difference there. How often do you find yourself away from a car power outlet or an AC outlet and want to seriously game there?

Upgradability is in the works for gaming notebooks.

I hate the term laptop. I actually have a laptop, and it's uncomfortable as hell to try to use it on my lap. I'm a tall guy, and I have big hands, and wide shoulders. I'd rather put the thing on a table/desk when one's available. Using it on my lap for extended periods would be very, very uncomfortable. I much prefer notebooks. But then again, my size probably lends itself to why carrying 10-15 pounds instead of 6 pounds isn't a burden to me.

One thing is for sure. Your opinion is always right for you.

Portability is the key with gaming notebooks, not mobility. If you don't want a gaming notebook, buy a laptop or a PDA. No one's forcing you to buy one.

 

[sharakkhal]

Strange. The post was broken down into quoted sections and replies, but I kept getting a message about too many images in the post or signature, when I don't have a signture or images in the post. Ah well.

 

[CyberCRAP]

Well, hmmm.. that is a lot of cash to spend for a little bit of convenience. Gaming laptops subtract a few minutes of cable hookup of a sff + lcd. I guess if that is worth a grand or 2 for you than I got some things I would like to sell you.

Where as my laptop is taken with me nearly everywhere, and has almost 5hrs of battery. Right now i'm sitting in my living room with the laptop on my lap typing this message.

I guess it all comes down to priorities. I can't justify spending the extra green on something that will give very little benefit over a sff & lcd. Plus the sff has many other uses. Works great as a home theater machine, or a small network storage device.

Anyways, I don't think I'll every buy a laptop specifically for lan gaming. I'll just stick with a shrunken down desktop. Instead of an oversized notebook.

 

[lithium726]

Well, hmmm.. that is a lot of cash to spend for a little bit of convenience. Gaming laptops subtract a few minutes of cable hookup of a sff + lcd. I guess if that is worth a grand or 2 for you than I got some things I would like to sell you.

Where as my laptop is taken with me nearly everywhere, and has almost 5hrs of battery. Right now i'm sitting in my living room with the laptop on my lap typing this message.

I guess it all comes down to priorities. I can't justify spending the extra green on something that will give very little benefit over a sff & lcd. Plus the sff has many other uses. Works great as a home theater machine, or a small network storage device.

Anyways, I don't think I'll every buy a laptop specifically for lan gaming. I'll just stick with a shrunken down desktop. Instead of an oversized notebook.

just wondering, what notebook do you have? ive been looking long and hard at the asus whitebooks, i like the idea of DIY, im still looking around. also, us san antonians seem to think the same

 

[CyberCRAP]

Too lazy to type it, i'll cut and paste.

Chembook 2056 -V

15" SXGA+ (1400 x 1050) Active Matrix Display
2.0 GHz Intel Pentium M Processor (Dothan / 2,048k L2 Cache) - Limited Supply
128 MB Dedicated Video Ram, Ati Radeon 9700 Pro w/ 4X AGP 3D Graphics Accelerator
60 GB Hard Drive (5400 RPM)
1024 MB DDR333 (PC2700) SDRAM (512 MB x 2)
8X DVD / 24 x 10 x 24 CD-RW Combo Drive w/ Softwares
Internal 56k Modem
Internal 10/100 Ethernet LAN
Internal IntelPRO Wireless Ethernet/Lan (802.11 b+g)
Smart Lithium Ion Battery (4.0+ hours battery life)
S-Video, VGA, 1 IEEE Firewire Port, 3 USB 2.0 Ports
Panasonic Secure Digital (SD) Memory Slot
AC Adapter w/ power cord
Free Deluxe Carry Case
5.00 - No Software Bundle
No Operating System Installed, drivers included on CD-ROM
1 year parts / 3 year labor, life tech support

Ran me $2140 shipped back in june

 

[sharakkhal]

On the price issue, a nice gaming laptop will run you anywhere from $1800-2500 (the fastest processor is a waste for gaming, since the GPU is still the bottleneck). When you buy a laptop for mobility at $2000 (like the Compal CL56 you have) and add to that the 1000-1200 cost of a more powerful SFF and a nice LCD for transportable gaming, and you've spent more overall than the person replacing their desktop with a gaming notebook.

Even a fully loaded (processor/RAM/hard drive) gaming notebook will only set you back up to around $3000, unless you do something silly and buy from Hypersonic, Voodoo, Falcon-Northwest, or heaven-forbid, an Alienware. At that point, you're paying for a name and a silly-looking paintjob.

It's all about opinions, like you said. There's a power outlet everywhere I would possibly want to use a notebook, even outside on the deck. I'd rather have performance and portability than battery life and mobility.

 

[CyberCRAP]

On the price issue, a nice gaming laptop will run you anywhere from $1800-2500 (the fastest processor is a waste for gaming, since the GPU is still the bottleneck). When you buy a laptop for mobility at $2000 (like the Compal CL56 you have) and add to that the 1000-1200 cost of a more powerful SFF and a nice LCD for transportable gaming, and you've spent more overall than the person replacing their desktop with a gaming notebook.

Even a fully loaded (processor/RAM/hard drive) gaming notebook will only set you back up to around $3000, unless you do something silly and buy from Hypersonic, Voodoo, Falcon-Northwest, or heaven-forbid, an Alienware. At that point, you're paying for a name and a silly-looking paintjob.

It's all about opinions, like you said. There's a power outlet everywhere I would possibly want to use a notebook, even outside on the deck. I'd rather have performance and portability than battery life and mobility.

No, you just don't get it at all. Sure a light laptop is expensive, but it is necessary if you want to take it anywhere. Your "laptop" would be impossible to drag to all my classes along with my books. Not to mention I couldnt drag around a 14lb brick to meetings at work. Also how am i supposed to use it when i'm stuck in a 3hour class w/o any power outlet in sight.

You see, my laptop has nothing to do with gaming and is required for other reasons. Your behemoth of a laptop is not a viable alternative for taking with you everywhere. First off it is too big, second it is too heavy, third it runs too hot and too loud for a library setting, and forth it has next to no battery life.

Now for gaming, you can't add in the cost of my laptop because gaming was not even considered when I bought it. Your laptops main purpose is gaming. So compare it to the price of a sff & lcd. Not the cost of a portable laptop + sff + lcd. Since if your going to get the same benefit you would need your gaming laptop + portable laptop. So really your argument is mute.

So if you really want to do apples to apples

2000(lightweight laptop)
700(sff)
300(lcd)
=3k

2000(lightweight laptop)
2000(gaming laptop)
=4k

Save a thousand bux, get a sff + lcd + light laptop.

 

[_cashel]

And for the best Centrino setup and a laptop thats 995 right now if you know where to get it from (I can help if anyone is interested)

YGPM

 

[sharakkhal]

No, you just don't get it at all.

Heh. I get it perfectly. Don't take it so personally. You've forgotten that you asked this:

Somebody please explain to me the point of these monster laptops.

The point to these gaming notebooks is that some people want a portable gaming system they can easily take from place to place occasionally and from room to room, but they don't need battery life and mobility.

I'm not trying to force you or anyone else to buy a gaming notebook. They don't serve your needs, so it would be as silly for you to buy one as it is for you to tell me I should buy a SFF+LCD instead.

 

[Cross]

Look some people don't care they just want the power, I personally do like the centrino over the A64 counter part to my laptop (I have the M505X the counter part is the M68XX Series) Personally I love both laptops and recommend the both for different reasons. But with the price foir a m6805 with an A64 at 1000 to 1100 and the price through a store I found for the M505X at 995, they are the same baiscally and its all in what you like. Its no reason to get after someone for there choice in systems and its not that big a price difference. Each has its gains and weaknesses but spending over 2 grand is reserved for two things, Alienware/Sager/FragBook PC's or PowerBooks and thats it (I guess I could through in IBM Thinkpads to but I never felt they kept to close on the graphics side, solid solid systems though) Anyway For under 1300 you can have the power of a 9600 that over clocks to above the 9700 no problems and a Centrino Widescreen or a A64 Widescreen and while the Centrino is thinner that doesn't bother some people, it sure doesn't bother me ^-^