Light Gaming Notebook

[lmayer83]

1) What is your budget?
Budget is not really an issue.

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

Ideally I would love a thin and light notebook, but if there is something with a larger screen that is still light, that works too.

3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.
USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
I have had bad experiences with Acer's warranties, but other than that, not really.


5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Word Processing, Video/Image editing, Gaming
I tend to multitask a lot, so i need a lot of memory. Often there will be 15+ tabs open in firefox with word, itunes and outlook all on at the same time.

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?

This is probably the most important part for me. It needs to be light. I am a big guy, so i can carry a fair amount of weight, but i really would like it to be under 6 pounds. I carry it around all the time.

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Yes i will be playing games. I want to be able to play GTA IV, as well as some other high end games.

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
The more the better. I would like to be able to get 2 hours at least.

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No.

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.

Windows.

Screen Specifics

11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Widescreen.

12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?

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.

WSXGA+ or WXGA+
I like to have a lot of desktop room.

13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Not really important.

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Yes. It's not a dealbreaker, but it would be really nice.

15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
As soon as i can. If there is a model i should wait for, I will.

Notebook Components

16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB?
250 -320, but bigger is better

17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
yes, Blu-Ray not necessary.

I would really love to have the newest generation of graphics card. Nvidia 9500M or 9600M (when it comes out) or the Radeon HD 3650.

Basically i want the most performance i can get in a thin and light stylish package. I know i cant have everything i want, but graphics/performance and a reasonable size are what i really need.

Thanks,

Louis

[jetstar]

The Asus F8 series could be an option. Also check out the Dell XPS M1330.

The 15.4 inch HP Compaq 8510p is quite thin and light, and could be a worthwhile option to consider.

[ZaZ]

The Macbook Pro is the lightest 15.4" notebook and with the 8600GT it has some gaming chops. The ThinkPad T61p or HP 8510p may merit consideration as well.

[xtyfyb]

I think all the choices listed above are great. I'd like to also throw in the Dell XPS M1530 because it is light for its 15.4'' notebook class and offers a GeForce 8600GT, which is the best in its class.

[multiplejoe]

Originally Posted by xtyfyb

I think all the choices listed above are great. I'd like to also throw in the Dell XPS M1530 because it is light for its 15.4'' notebook class and offers a GeForce 8600GT, which is the best in its class.

I second the xps m1530...very easy to upgrade to make into a great gaming laptop.

[lmayer83]

I guess I should refine my requirements a little, i really want a laptop that is close to or lighter than 5 lbs. This thing is going to go everywhere with me. On the other side, i need it to have an 8600 GT or better. It seems like the processor is not an issue, that can generally tweaked before purchase.

Thanks to everyone for the responses! I'm looking into all of them now. So far i am liking the asus F8Sg-C1. Any thoughts on PC Microworks and the 14.1" "Impulse" model?

[David]

In terms of graphics performance, it depends if the 8600m GT 512mb they are using is DDR2 or GDDR3. If it's DDR2, then the 9500m GS on the Asus F8Sg is more powerful and vice versa for GDDR3.

[Dreamer]

Originally Posted by lmayer83

I guess I should refine my requirements a little, i really want a laptop that is close to or lighter than 5 lbs. This thing is going to go everywhere with me.

The MBP is about 5.4 lbs and that's the lightest you can get, then the HP 8510p is about 6.1 lbs. and will be much more durable, which is good when you carry your notebook around all the time.

Originally Posted by lmayer83

Thanks to everyone for the responses! I'm looking into all of them now. So far i am liking the asus F8Sg-C1. Any thoughts on PC Microworks and the 14.1" "Impulse" model?

If budget isn't an issues I wouldn't buy either, both are cheaply made notebooks (cheap plastic, flexing keyboards...), and probably won't last you much considering the way you plan on using them.

The F8 is large and heavy for a 14.1" notebook (the XPS M1530 is slightly bigger but about the same weight with the 6 cell battery).

The "Impulse" has been sold by Zepto for some time now, I would not take any (mis)information from PCMicroworks's site serisouly, talking about weight without battery and so on.

Btw, both notebooks have horrible battery life (like 2 hours), the "Impulse" has an option for a big (adds weight) 12 cell battery though.

Here are reviews about both of them if you're still interested and want other opinons:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3863
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-...ok.8332.0.html

[Berrybee]

Sony FZ series is always my first choice,It is a 15'screen LP but looks like a 14'screen. and the NV8400GT Graphics is the most important. You can find 8400GT in ASUS G70,but G70 is much more expensive and bigger then Sony.

If budget is not an issue, FZ39 will be the best choice because of the good quality screen and the T8300 CPU.