Need advice on a laptop for computer graphics research

[brataccas]

I've been putting off buying a laptop for as long as possible, but now it's time to make a decision: I need to have one ready to go by the end of March. I'm in college doing computer graphics research, so I need a laptop with a good set of modern graphics features, but it doesn't have to be a speedy GPU. Most of the stuff I work on is proof-of-concept type code, I'm not pushing the performance envelope--making things fast is an exercise left for the reader. I do some computational work as well, the more I can do on my laptop, the better...but I can always off-load the heaviest number-crunching work to beefier machines. Linux support would be a nice (hedging) bonus but it's not a requirement.


General Questions

1) What is your budget?

I'd like to keep it around $2500 if possible (3k is the absolute max after tax, shipping, hidden fees, included sheep, yadda yadda).

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen

The 17" are just too big for me. I'll be doing some commuting and that's a bit large to easily whip out and start working on.

3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?

Mostly programming, a few games. I'll be doing a lot of research in computer graphics at grad school. I need a graphics card with a good set of modern features but it doesn't have to be fast.

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

It will go with me to class, the lab, and the library on a daily basis.

5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?

Yes, a few games. No FPS games. I'm a die-hard RPG'er...if it could support Oblivion and NWN2 that would be a nice bonus...but it's not a neccessity since I already have a beefy desktop.

6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

I've always been a fan of Thinkpads. My wife has a T43 and it's a great little machine, but I'd like a more modern graphics card. I love the trackpoint. I've played with a few of the newer Dells recently and the build quality just seems pretty crappy. I had an old Inspiron 8000 that needed two keyboard replacements and the hinges went soft pretty quickly. However, the $650 coupon on the E1705 is really making me think twice...that's a helluva deal. The 17" screen is a huge drawback for me though. Any comments on what current users of the E1705 think would be appreciated. I also like the latest Acer Travelmate 8200 (curved keyboards are a plus). I don't know much about Sony/Fujitsu but I've heard decent things about them. No Toshibas. No HPs. No Gateways. No Compaqs. I'm completely unfamiliar with Asus and MSI as notebook manufacturers.

7) How many hours of battery life do you need?

2.5 hours at a minimum, more would be nice. Except for commuting, I can usually arrange to be near an outlet.

8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?

Buying online is fine.

9) What country are you buying this in?

US.

Screen Specifics

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


b. SXGA = Super eXtended Graphics Array; 1400x1050; This resolution offers a middle ground between XGA and UXGA.

d. WXGA = Widescreen eXtended Graphics Array; 1280x768 or 1280x800; This resolution offers the same as XGA except that there is more horizontal real estate; 1280 versus 1024. Popular for movie viewing due to support for widescreen.


I'd prefer to stay away from anything greater than ~1400 pixels width since text above that resolution gets too small for my aging eyes. The quality of the screen is VERY IMPORTANT.


11) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?

No reflective screens please. I work in a variety of environments and a glossy screen would probably have too much glare. However, screen quality is VERY IMPORTANT to me. I'm willing to fork over additional $$$ for a screen that is brighter, clearer, and more vibrant than the rest.


Build Quality and Design

12) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

No. I'm very utilitarian.

13) How long do you want this laptop to last?

3 years at an absolute minimum. Case, screen hinge, and keyboard quality is very important to me as I have had issues with them in the past.


Notebook Components


14) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?

Don't care. 7200RPM drive is important but not enough to completely tank a great option if it satisfies all my other needs brilliantly.

15) Do you need a DVD, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-R drive?

As long as it reads DVD-ROMs (for software installs, not movies), that's all I would want. I can arrange to use an external optical drive for the few times I find it necessary, so a DVD drive isn't absolutely required.


Factors in order of importance:

Screen Quality
Build Quality of the machine (case construction, hinges, mouse buttons, latch, etc)
GPU features
Keyboard
CPU power
Screen Resolution
Disk speed
Trackpoint
Portability
Screen Size
GPU power
Optical drive
Ports
Looks


Thanks in advance for all advice offered!

[Brigand21]

Here's a poll of people's opinions on notebook screens Acer Screens, dim & muddy, wat u think?

[dr_st]

Thinkpad T60/T60p with X1400/V5200 video and 15" SXGA+/UXGA Flexview screen seems to be a perfect match. T43p is also good, but the FireGL V3200 is a bit on the weak side, and you mentioned that you'd like it to be more powerful.

I feel that it meets all (or almost all) your demands:

Screen Quality - Flexview is a superb IPS screen and it is matte.

Build Quality of the machine (case construction, hinges, mouse buttons, latch, etc) - It's a Thinkpad. Nuff said.

GPU features / GPU Power - X1400 is a latest-gen mid-range GPU. Finally featuring 3.0 shaders. A bit better performing than the X600, but not as good as the X700. V5200 (X1600) is even superior to the X700.

Keyboard - It's a Thinkpad. Nuff said.

CPU power - Just get as fast a CPU as you are willing to pay. Dual Cores are going to be very beneficial for certain apps (less for others).

Screen Resolution - SXGA+ or UXGA, exactly as you wanted.

Disk speed - You can get models with 7200RPM drives easily.

Trackpoint - It's there alright and it's the best in the business.

Portability / Screen Size - 15" thin-n-lights are very portable to me and offer a great combination of portability and screen usability. 14" are a bit more portable, but reading high resolutions on them is harder.

Optical drive - You can configure with combo drives or DVD burners, including the latest Super Multi Burner that reads and writes every CD/DVD format out there, including dual layers and DVD-RAM.

Ports - This is where the problems may hide. The T60s have no serial, no parallel, no S-video and no firewire ports. There is an ultrabay adapter to offer serial/parallel and firewire can be added via PCMCIA card, but it's still a bummer (especially considering that the X/Z series have firewire and parallel/S-video was present on older models and removed, as most think, without any good reason).

Looks - It's a Thinkpad. Some love it, some hate it. You seem to like it and otherwise not care much.

[Jason]

Also take a look at the Fujitsu LifeBook N3530. It has a new Duo Duel Core CPU, and the X1400. It's quite a nice notebook take a look.