M3taal
08-20-2008, 12:42 PM
Im looking to buy a laptop, heres the copy-paste checklist:
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
3000$, but take into account that that must include 250$ shipping to Holland. Ive been looking to get such a laptop from a Dutch shop, but at the current $ - € exchange rate it is way cheaper to go shopping abroad. What i do need to know is if anyone has got experience shipping to Europe, as i heard of customs rates of 350€ and all of that annoying stuff..
2) What size notebook would you prefer?a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
d. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen
This is a tricky one, as i am going to use it for gaming and 2d and 3d applications, i would like to have a proper large screen to be able to see what im working on. Thats why im looking to get a 17". On the other hand: im travelling 3 hours each day to University, so it shouldnt be to heavy either. I still think that with a proper backpack i should get the 17" one as i benifit from it in my daily use.
3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.
Holland, but shipping to Holland isnt too bad i think, looking at the current exchange rates.
4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
As long is i feel im not ripped off buying a notebook i would go for any brand. Service needs to be decent aswell ofcourse.
5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
2d and 3d applications, gaming (CoD4 at this moment, probably switching to CoD5 and the others to come) I will be taking it to International LAN events throughout Europe aswell.
6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
As i said i need to carry it around for 3 hours each day, when i come home ill hook it up to my 22" and connect my own keyboard and mouse to game.
7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Cal of Duty 4 at this moment, going to move with the scene to its next version. Sometimes some C&C3 and some other games.
8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
As long as I have an hour just browsing i should be fine, im close to a socket anywhere im planning to use it.
9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No problem at all, as long as i can look up some user experiences with the webshop (as i heard good stuff about XoticPC :) )
10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
I will install an OS myself, no need to have it preinstalled. It will probably be Windows Vista for the DirectX10 support.
Screen Specifics
11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
I honestly dont care, i do however think that Widescreen is the standard these days.
12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? (more details below)Standard
a. XGA -1024x768 - Large and easy to read text + graphics icons, but you fit less stuff on the screen.
b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA.
c. UXGA - 1600x1200 - Very small text and graphics icons, you can fit lots of stuff on the screen.
Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
f. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Wider viewing version of UXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
Probably F, just to fit more stuff on a small screen, as im used to a 22" widescreen.
13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non glossy screen? (Read below on differences)
I dont care, ive heard good things about both of them, glossy looks pretty good and classy tho.
Build Quality and Design
14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
not really, as long as it doesnt look too "plastic" and looks firm. I like the "aluminum/magnesium feel" as it makes a device feel firm
15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Im buying it in about 2-3 weeks time, im planning on ordering it 2 weeks after my lessons started as i can then see how others are doing, in the meantime i can utilise the PC's provided (will be a hell, but hey: 2 weeks/5 years time :P ) It has got to last on the games side for at least 3-4 years, and in 5 years time it should be able to run the latest versions of eg. Photoshop/Flash/3DsMax/Maya etc.etc. Added to that i will be using it for Audio editting aswell, therefor i would like to get a proper soundcard (also for gaming actually)
Notebook Components
16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB?
Beeing an avid gamer, id like to see 7200rpm disks in there, 320 gigs @7200 should be fine, as ive got an 250gig external harddrive with me all the time aswell, for the rest ive got a desktop with 1 tb of space so i should be fine.
17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
a plain simple DVD burner should be fine, cba to get Blu-ray yet.
__________________________________________________ ______
Thats as far as the copy-paste list goes, this is a config i have figured out myself at this moment (Sager 9262):
- 17" WUXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1200)
As i said: i need to be able to have my 2/3d work in front of me in the best possible way
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel Core 2 QUAD Q6700 2.66GHz w/ 8MB L2 Cache - 1066MHz FSB
when i have the choise between Dual and Quad core, and im building a laptop to last 5 years, i guess Quadcore would be the best investment in the future at this moment.
- 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 9800M GT DDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable)
This looks decent enough to play games for the coming 3-4 years. As i am using a custom config in CoD4 im able to get 250fps with a 2.5ghz dual core, 2 gigs of mem and an 8800GTS 640 mb, i should be able to continue the same way in cod5 when it comes out i think, otherwise: 125 fps is fine aswell :)
- ~ 4,096MB DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
Photoshop likes memory, 4 gigs should be fine i guess.
- Standard Finish
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
Im not a DVD burning factory so this should be ok.
- ~ 320GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
Explanation above
- HDD Raid Settings - OFF
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi 7.1 Xtreme Audio Notebook Express Card
ive got the normal PCI version of this card in my PC and i love it, regarding the fact im starting audio editting and gaming @ this laptop, i think this is a good thing to invest in.
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
Im going to buy a decent backpack in a regular shop, so i can actually touch it and make sure i can fit my way-too-thick books in there aswell.
- Smart Li-ion Battery (12 Cell)
I should be near a socket at all times, no need for an extra accu i think
- 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Based Toll Free Tech Support
(Year2 & 3 Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)
This all adds up to 2646$, this leaves 250$ for shipping and enough for a proper backpack.
__________________________________________________ ____________________
There are only a couple of questions:
- Has anyone here got experience with customs-handling to Europe, i saw someone from Canada here who had to pay 350$ on customs alone, me no like :(
- In europe weve got "normal" sockets, these:
http://stopcontact.net/stopcontact.jpg
They run @ 220-230V, whats up with the PSU of this notebook? will i be able to buy a normal european thingy or what?
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
3000$, but take into account that that must include 250$ shipping to Holland. Ive been looking to get such a laptop from a Dutch shop, but at the current $ - € exchange rate it is way cheaper to go shopping abroad. What i do need to know is if anyone has got experience shipping to Europe, as i heard of customs rates of 350€ and all of that annoying stuff..
2) What size notebook would you prefer?a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
d. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen
This is a tricky one, as i am going to use it for gaming and 2d and 3d applications, i would like to have a proper large screen to be able to see what im working on. Thats why im looking to get a 17". On the other hand: im travelling 3 hours each day to University, so it shouldnt be to heavy either. I still think that with a proper backpack i should get the 17" one as i benifit from it in my daily use.
3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.
Holland, but shipping to Holland isnt too bad i think, looking at the current exchange rates.
4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
As long is i feel im not ripped off buying a notebook i would go for any brand. Service needs to be decent aswell ofcourse.
5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
2d and 3d applications, gaming (CoD4 at this moment, probably switching to CoD5 and the others to come) I will be taking it to International LAN events throughout Europe aswell.
6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
As i said i need to carry it around for 3 hours each day, when i come home ill hook it up to my 22" and connect my own keyboard and mouse to game.
7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Cal of Duty 4 at this moment, going to move with the scene to its next version. Sometimes some C&C3 and some other games.
8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
As long as I have an hour just browsing i should be fine, im close to a socket anywhere im planning to use it.
9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No problem at all, as long as i can look up some user experiences with the webshop (as i heard good stuff about XoticPC :) )
10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
I will install an OS myself, no need to have it preinstalled. It will probably be Windows Vista for the DirectX10 support.
Screen Specifics
11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
I honestly dont care, i do however think that Widescreen is the standard these days.
12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? (more details below)Standard
a. XGA -1024x768 - Large and easy to read text + graphics icons, but you fit less stuff on the screen.
b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA.
c. UXGA - 1600x1200 - Very small text and graphics icons, you can fit lots of stuff on the screen.
Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
f. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Wider viewing version of UXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
Probably F, just to fit more stuff on a small screen, as im used to a 22" widescreen.
13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non glossy screen? (Read below on differences)
I dont care, ive heard good things about both of them, glossy looks pretty good and classy tho.
Build Quality and Design
14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
not really, as long as it doesnt look too "plastic" and looks firm. I like the "aluminum/magnesium feel" as it makes a device feel firm
15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Im buying it in about 2-3 weeks time, im planning on ordering it 2 weeks after my lessons started as i can then see how others are doing, in the meantime i can utilise the PC's provided (will be a hell, but hey: 2 weeks/5 years time :P ) It has got to last on the games side for at least 3-4 years, and in 5 years time it should be able to run the latest versions of eg. Photoshop/Flash/3DsMax/Maya etc.etc. Added to that i will be using it for Audio editting aswell, therefor i would like to get a proper soundcard (also for gaming actually)
Notebook Components
16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB?
Beeing an avid gamer, id like to see 7200rpm disks in there, 320 gigs @7200 should be fine, as ive got an 250gig external harddrive with me all the time aswell, for the rest ive got a desktop with 1 tb of space so i should be fine.
17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
a plain simple DVD burner should be fine, cba to get Blu-ray yet.
__________________________________________________ ______
Thats as far as the copy-paste list goes, this is a config i have figured out myself at this moment (Sager 9262):
- 17" WUXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1200)
As i said: i need to be able to have my 2/3d work in front of me in the best possible way
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel Core 2 QUAD Q6700 2.66GHz w/ 8MB L2 Cache - 1066MHz FSB
when i have the choise between Dual and Quad core, and im building a laptop to last 5 years, i guess Quadcore would be the best investment in the future at this moment.
- 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 9800M GT DDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable)
This looks decent enough to play games for the coming 3-4 years. As i am using a custom config in CoD4 im able to get 250fps with a 2.5ghz dual core, 2 gigs of mem and an 8800GTS 640 mb, i should be able to continue the same way in cod5 when it comes out i think, otherwise: 125 fps is fine aswell :)
- ~ 4,096MB DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
Photoshop likes memory, 4 gigs should be fine i guess.
- Standard Finish
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
Im not a DVD burning factory so this should be ok.
- ~ 320GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
Explanation above
- HDD Raid Settings - OFF
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi 7.1 Xtreme Audio Notebook Express Card
ive got the normal PCI version of this card in my PC and i love it, regarding the fact im starting audio editting and gaming @ this laptop, i think this is a good thing to invest in.
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
Im going to buy a decent backpack in a regular shop, so i can actually touch it and make sure i can fit my way-too-thick books in there aswell.
- Smart Li-ion Battery (12 Cell)
I should be near a socket at all times, no need for an extra accu i think
- 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Based Toll Free Tech Support
(Year2 & 3 Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)
This all adds up to 2646$, this leaves 250$ for shipping and enough for a proper backpack.
__________________________________________________ ____________________
There are only a couple of questions:
- Has anyone here got experience with customs-handling to Europe, i saw someone from Canada here who had to pay 350$ on customs alone, me no like :(
- In europe weve got "normal" sockets, these:
http://stopcontact.net/stopcontact.jpg
They run @ 220-230V, whats up with the PSU of this notebook? will i be able to buy a normal european thingy or what?