# decent laptop?



## djjimmy2k2

i know i want to get a new computer before i go uni and i found one i was interested in getting but today i read alot of bad reviews about the company so i changed me mind. now after looking about for a bit and im kinda thinking about getting a laptop and a leaflet came in a newspaper i got today and ive found this one, its on the top end of my budget, but i think its kinda nice. im just wondering what everyone thinks about the specs compared to the price.


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## Praetor

> - Intel® CentrinoTM Mobile Technology
> - Intel® Pentium® M processor 735


Gotta love the way they play their marketing  You only get one chip and the Pentium M is the same thing as the Centrino 

Other than that its a pretty nice system  ... would be nice to have the ram run 1:1 with the cpu but thats not horribly important


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## djjimmy2k2

so you think its a decent laptop then? is it good enough for that price?


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## djjimmy2k2

well ive found out that that laptop is only available on offer for a week (started yesterday) and the bad news is that i went in today and i went in today and theyve only got 1 left, besides i dont get my uni money until the 20th of this month so ive kinda given up on that laptop and ive started looking around for another.

anyway, i went into another shop today and i found what i think is a decent spec laptop. its a hp and its £999 in the store (although on the same shops site its £949 - £50 cheaper). since i got back in ive checked out the hp site and ive found one for the same price, its got a different processor and different graphics card. now im here to ask for your opinion on how good both of the laptops are, if theyre worth the price and which you would recommend more (if either). btw, keep in mind that i want to play some games so ill probably need the best graphics card (although id prefer not to sacrifice performance by having a shared graphics card, i want whichever works out better though).

oops, forgot to put the links to the laptops, lol

these 2 are the hp site with full specs
HP Pavilion zv5230EA

HP Pavilion zv5255EA

and this one is the site of the shop i saw one of the laptops in today (maybe itll help, i dunno)
HP Pavilion zv5255EA (Shops Website)


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## Praetor

Hands down the send laptop


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## djjimmy2k2

the send? im assuming you meant to type second in there. so you think the HP Pavilion zv5255EA (the one on the shops site/the one with the AMD Athlon™ 64 processor) is the best? so is it worth the price then? is it worth getting?


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## Praetor

send = second + Intel Laptop overheating (which means the keyboard lags out). To  be honest i didnt look at the prices or anything past the first segment -- there's no reason to buy a mobile celeron....

1. Low budget = AthlonXP-Mobile
2. Medium Budget = Centrino2003
3. High budget = Centrino2004, Athlon64, etc


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## djjimmy2k2

Praetor said:
			
		

> 1. Low budget = AthlonXP-Mobile
> 2. Medium Budget = Centrino2003
> 3. High budget = Centrino2004, Athlon64, etc


ok i got that bit, understood that but i didnt really get a word of what you said before it, the


			
				Praetor said:
			
		

> send = second + Intel Laptop overheating (which means the keyboard lags out). To  be honest i didnt look at the prices or anything past the first segment -- there's no reason to buy a mobile celeron....


bit, i didnt really understand, any chance you could try and put it another way, or maybe just simpler. if youre wondering why its cos i usually get a load of sleep but last night i had 3 hours so im a bit knackered, i need simpler terms in order for my brain to take it in.


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## Praetor

> but I didnt really get a word of what you said before it, the


Dont worry about it. Pretend i never said it. ... i was essentially saying i typed "second" but this POS laptop lags out when it gets hot so keystrokes get missed. ... btw if you force yourself to become an insomniac, it wont bother you so much (and i speak from experience )


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## djjimmy2k2

how do you know it lags out? also i read somewhere on the net about a guy who got a usb fan to keep his laptop cool, is there such a thing and if i do get that hp laptop should i invest in a usb fan?

oh and i have no intention of becoming an insomniac, its just that usually im kinda nocturnal but this morning i had to get up early, i guess that will have to change when i start uni.

and one more thing, what makes the second hp laptop win hands down over the first one?


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## Praetor

> how do you know it lags out?


It doesnt respond for 10 minutes.



> also I read somewhere on the net about a guy who got a usb fan to keep his laptop cool, is there such a thing and if I do get that hp laptop should I invest in a usb fan?


Yeah I ordered mine but im waiting friggen forever for it. http://www.xoxide.com/lapcool.html



> oh and I have no intention of becoming an insomniac, its just that usually im kinda nocturnal but this morning I had to get up early, I guess that will have to change when I start uni.


heehee you wont have a choice 



> and one more thing, what makes the second hp laptop win hands down over the first one?


The CPU.


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## djjimmy2k2

Praetor said:
			
		

> It doesnt respond for 10 minutes.


how do you know? have you got one or know someone with one?


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## Praetor

Im using it right now.


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## djjimmy2k2

oh cool, so you know what its actually like as a system. how about giving me a review of it, its features, how it is to work with, how reliable it is, how easy it is to use etc, anything you can think of that could help someone thinking about buying one. id be very grateful and youve already helped me a load so far


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## Praetor

I dunno if we're talking about the same thing ... the one im on is a utter piece of crap..... anyone wanna buy it off me?


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## djjimmy2k2

ah i get it now, youre talking about intels lagging out, thats why the amd athlon laptop is the better choice, i get it. sorry but i already said about the lack of sleep last night and my brain not working properly. but now i understand it all.

so anyway, do you think that hp laptop is a good one to get or should i keep looking around for another?


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## Dave2k

i've spent a few days working with a team that was given the 64 processor laptops by hp. they're actually pretty badass, widescreens and such


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## Praetor

Yeah but widescreens have nothing to do with 64bit CPUs


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## Dave2k

Praetor said:
			
		

> Yeah but widescreens have nothing to do with 64bit CPUs




haha
i was just saying that the particular model he was referencing is the one that a few users have. and that it was badass.


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## djjimmy2k2

*video card?*

with games that are being released now what is the amount of VRAM that a video card needs to deal with them? would 64Mb do or do most of them need 128Mb? the reason i ask is cos i plannin on gettin a laptop for university and the ones im looking at all have 64Mb (the card on the ones im interested in is the 64MB ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON™ 9700) and i was just wondering if i should go over my budget and invest in a laptop with the same model card but with 128Mb. i will have to go about £100 over compared to the 64Mb version, but that extra £100 will also get me 0.1GHz more of processor (its a centrino laptop), a subwoofer built into the laptop, and a DVD-RW that writes DVD-RAMs instead of a normal DVD-RW. to be honest gaming isnt THAT big  a thing for me, sure i do play games and id like to use my laptop to play the lastest games (since my existing pc cant) but if i can play the ones being released now with a 64Mb card then im not that bothered about getting a 128Mb card. but if it would be a good investment to pay the extra £100 then i suppose i could stretch that far. opinions please.


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## 4W4K3

if your talking new games 128mb is really needed i thought. older games though should play fine on 64mb card. i can play splintercell and JK2 on a 64mb card just fine...but there a few years old and not the best graphics at all. i'd shoot for the 128mb card myself.


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## djjimmy2k2

well at least one game i wanna be able to play will be half-life 2, i love the first game so i at least need to play the as yet unreleased half-life 2. what will that require? 64Mb or 128Mb?


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## 4W4K3

definetly 128mb...i thought u meant like newer games not NEWEST games lol. for those graphics and that engine you want a fast 128mb card.


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## djjimmy2k2

im actually thinking about an Acer now, ive looked around on the net and im kinda torn between the Aspire 2012WLMi (the second/last laptop on the linked page), Aspire 2023WLMi (the first laptop on the linked page), and the TravelMate 4501WLMi (the third/last laptop on the linked page)

the Aspire 2023WLMi is the best of the lot, best processor, graphics card and optical drive and its about £100 more so im wonderin if its worth the extra, if you look at my other thread youll see a discussion about which i should get (its mainly about which graphics card i should get), check it out and see if you can help.


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## djjimmy2k2

well i do want to play games that are quite recent and it would be nice to play games that are upcoming aswell, but most of the upcoming games arent that big a deal, i just wanna be able to play half-life 2 at least. so you think the extra £100 or so would be worth the higher spec?


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## 4W4K3

well for the added 100mhz, the subwoofer, the dvd writer, and the 128mb card...i'd spend it.


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## djjimmy2k2

well we'll just have to see. hows Acer for a laptop make anyway?


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## 4W4K3

djjimmy2k2 said:
			
		

> well we'll just have to see. hows Acer for a laptop make anyway?



well what version and model are you getting? aspire or ferrari?

you might consider this > http://www.emachines.com/products/products.html?prod=eMachines_M6810 as well...might be too $$$$ though i dunnno your budget. it looks nice. you'd have to sell the card and buy a better one though.


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## Praetor

1. VRAM is no longer used, phased out by WRAM and then DDRSDRAM and its variants

2. If you're a serious gamer and/or someone who likes to play with settings-to-max, 128MB is the way to go regardless of laptop or not

3. Since it is a laptop (which is the only reason ive considered not moving the thread), i guess it comes down to finances as those suckers are bloody expensive

4. The investment is worth it (in my opinion)

5. Halflife 2 can be played on a GeForce3Ti200 -- interpret what y

ou will from that but i believe the GF3s were at most 32MB cards. If you want to push the game 64MB should be fine, 128MB probably overkill

6. Acer makes very nice lappies (i myself have one  even though im not using it right now) .. i'd give a look at eMachines tho too g

7. Threads merged for relevancy


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## djjimmy2k2

1. DDR SDRAM, thats the one, i couldnt think of it so i just said VRAM.

2. i can be a serious gamer, i do like to chill out and play games and i kinda do it often (with best settings if i can) so yeah i think maybe i will go for 128Mb.

3/4. my budget is £1000 but the 128Mb model ive found is £1069 so i would have to push it over a bit, but as you said, it is a worthy investment, itll push back upgrading a bit further at least.

5. so you mean if i just want half-life 2 i could go for 64Mb? i think i should go for 128Mb though.

6. over here in UK i havent yet even found an emachines laptop, we have the pcs but until you mentioned it i didnt even know they did laptops.

and last but not least ive been thinking and if i do go for 128Mb (which i think i will) its between 2 laptops now, either the Acer Aspire 2023WLMi (the first laptop on the linked page) or the Acer Ferrari 3000LMi. both are a bit over my budget but i could stretch that far if i really want, no further though.


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## Praetor

Here's a solid eMachines lappy: http://www.hazza.dsl.pipex.com/REVIEWS/R003.htm, nice piece of handiwork


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## djjimmy2k2

as i said in the other thread, emachines laptops arent sold over here in UK, shame


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## Praetor

> as I said in the other thread


Which is why its a good idea to not make related posts all over the place  ... when you process several hundred posts a day you'll realize quickly that you wont remember anyone)


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## djjimmy2k2

yeah i know, sorry but the other thread was made just to talk about manufacturers. shall we just keep it to this thread now?

anyway ive been looking around again and *wait for it* i think ive found a couple more contenders, the TravelMate 8002LCi/8003LMi. ive picked these out because theyre around my budget of £1000 (the 8002LCi being right on with the 8003LMi being £100 over but with a DVD-RW and 100MHz more processor power) and also because although the 2012WLMi is a great machine the max resolution is 1280x800 and for my work, both uni and home (making websites etc) i use a 1280x1024 resolution at the moment and sometimes i have problems with it, mainly when working with decent resolution images in photoshop. the 8002LCi/8003LMi though has a 15" SXGA+ screen which allows a resolution of up to 1400x1050. both models have pretty much the same specs as the 2012WLMi except for the screen although if i decided not to pay the extra £100 for the 8003LMi i would have to sacrifice the DVD-RW. i dunno what to do, i seem to be all over the place, at least ive learnt one thing about myself, im not that good at making decisions, lol.

EDIT: oops, forgot to give the link to the new contenders:

8002LCi and 8003LMi (the first and second laptops on the linked page)


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## Praetor

Dont have an spending orgy when you see a lappy with a DVDburner because (a) the drive they're giving you is crap and (b) especially with Dual Layer laptop burners, the dual layer feature is gonna cost more and the media is friggen expensive.

Just get a CDRW/DVDROM combo and you'll be fine


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## djjimmy2k2

i wasnt sure about the DVD-RW to be honest cos ive seen internal ones for desktop pcs for about £50 so to pay an extra £100 for a laptop with one is kinda stupid methinks. ill have to see in a couple of weeks when ill actually be able to get a laptop but i think right now its between the 2012WLMi or the 8002LCi, with the 8002LCi in the lead cos of its screen.


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## djjimmy2k2

what would you say is the best/fastest processor, AMD Athlon™64 3400+, Intel P4 2.8GHz or Intel® Pentium® M 1.6GHz (Dothan)?

also how good is a ATI Mobility™ RADEON™ 128MB 9600 video card compared to a 128MB 9700?

and last but not least, is Fujitsu Siemens a good laptop manufacturer?


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## djjimmy2k2

any input welcome


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## Praetor

> any input welcome


Helps if you read the answers ive given already: http://www.computerforum.com/showthread.php?t=2596



> also how good is a ATI Mobility™ RADEON™ 128MB 9600 video card compared to a 128MB 9700?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On a mobility platform, it doesnt matter horribly
Click to expand...


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## djjimmy2k2

sorry, i usually subscribe to threads so i know when theyve got replies but i mustve forgot to subscribe to that one so i didnt know there was a reply. i think ill just stop making loadsa threads that are just related to each other.

the thing is ive found another laptop, this time a Fujitsu Siemens and the reason im looking at it is cos its got some things the laptop ive been thinking of getting (Acer TravelMate 8200LCi) hasnt. heres a comparison:

*Acer TravelMate 8200LCi*
1.5GHz Pentium M
512Mb RAM
60Gb HD
64Mb ATI Mobility RADEON 9700 graphics
DVD/CDRW Combi
4 in 1 card reader
15" SXGA+ display
Windows XP Pro
£999

*Fujitsu Siemens Amilo M 1420*
1.6GHz Pentium M
512Mb RAM
60Gb HD
128Mb ATI Mobility RADEON 9600 graphics
DVD-RW
3 in 1 card reader
15.4" WXGA display
Windows XP Home
£1026

theyve both got the same specs, except with the Fujitsu Siemens being ahead with 100MHz more processor power and double the graphics power. it also has quite a bit more software included in the price, but one thing that lets it down is that its only got a max resolution of 1280x800 and i dont know if that will be enough for my work, and another thing that lets it down is the fact that it has a max RAM capacity of 1024Mb whereas the Acer has a max capacity of 2048Mb. also the 3 in 1 card reader on the Fujitsu Siemens doesnt include the card in my digital camera but that aint a big thing, i can use the usual USB thing for that. the Fujitsu Siemens is also a bit plain as far as looks are concerned and although i dont think looks are as important as the power of the thing, its still something to look at when buying a laptop right? now ill just go over what i require in a laptop again:

i need to be able to use all the usual design software (dreamweaver, flash, photoshop etc), and for this i will require a large resolution screen. right now i have 1280x1024 and its cool but with high resolution images it can be a bit of a pain, thats why im leaning more toward the SXGA+ of the Acer. but the 1280x800 of the Fujitsu Siemens could be enough, i just dont know.

i do want to play games, old ones aswell as new ones (half-life 2 for sure) and a 128Mb card would help as i have no doubt that games will be released that i will wanna play but i own a playstation 2 for games and loads of games are released on every platform, not just pc. so a great graphics card would be good but its not the most important thing on my list of requirements, i would be willing to sacrifice.

whether the processor is 1.5Ghz or 1.6Ghz isnt a big deal is it? its only 100Mhz, not that big of a gap, so i could go for either and it wouldnt really matter to me.
a DVD-RW isnt a big deal either, as long as i can read DVDs and write CDs then im happy. ill only need DVD-RWs for some of my uni work and theyve got them at uni anyway.

and now software, the larger software bundle included with the Fujitsu Siemens would be cool seeing as the Acer doesnt even come with MS Works but i have the basic word processing etc programs that came with my current computer so i would be willing to sacrifice the software if i ended up with the better machine.

now comes the end, i just need to know your opinions on which laptop out of the 2 would best suit my needs aswell as being the best deal. now where ive said i could sacrifice (the graphics card and the software) doesnt mean i would sacrifice if it meant me losing out on the better deal. so just tell me which you think would be best. 

P.S. long post eh? lol


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## djjimmy2k2

any help???


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## Praetor

> the thing is ive found another laptop, this time a Fujitsu Siemens and the reason im looking at it is cos its got some things the laptop ive been thinking of getting (Acer TravelMate 8200LCi) hasnt. heres a comparison:


Your problem is that if you dont go and buy a laptop -- a new one WILL come out with MORE features and you'll be stuck decidng yet even more. Regardless of what you buy it WILL be obsolete within 4 months



> and i dont know if that will be enough for my work


Not much we can do to help that.... something you'll have to determine ... also if you're concerned with "work" why the emphasis on "double the graphics power" (which it isnt)



> its still something to look at when buying a laptop right?


Not for me. Looks are for peopel with too much money to spend 



> would best suit my needs


What exactly are these needs? 



> any help???


We're not here at you're beck and call .. its a volunteer thing


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## Computer Man5

You might get better peformance results on a Pentium M but a centrino processor will give u double the battery time but with some very minimal peformance loss. 

Great Though


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## djjimmy2k2

is it just me or are Pentium M and Centrino the same thing? hmm


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## Ace1627

Not even close. Pentium M is so much better then Centrino. Centrino is something you want to stay away from Centrino unless that is all you can afford. Hope this helps.


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