Purchasing My first laptop!!

[Jonny.c87]

Hello!
First off thanks for taking the time to read my post. I plan on taking this to school with me and battery life would be pretty important. On the other hand I would like a viable gaming machine. I only plan on gaming while next to socket so dont need to worry about battery life than. The trouble is finding a balance in a labtop that provides long battery life for school, while offering the power and performance. Edit* Im considering computer science as a major and seems like keyboard quality is another factor.

Currently looking at the Hp DV6QE, with upgrades to the video card, screen, hard drive to 7200 rpm, and higher capacity battery. I really like that hp offers coupons that gives pretty nice discounts.

I thought the sager np8130 was really nice but seems like optimus turned off and it would lower the battery life. Appreciate any thoughts and comments!

General Questions

1) What is your budget?
I would like to keep it under $1200

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
USA

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

a. Like:N/A
b. Dislike:N/A
This is my first laptop and I defer to the opinions and experience of NBR members.

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?
Im uncertain of refurbished/redistributed products and unless there is a really good reason to do so, I would like a new laptop.

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
Gaming, Movies, Internet, and School work.

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
Plan on taking it to school and playing games at home.

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?
WOW, BF3, SC2, Diablo 3,
I would like the ability to play new games being released as well.


9) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Since I plan on taking it to school, as many hours as possible. I intend on gaming only when I'm next to a socket. Maybe 4+ hours web browsing and some word processing?

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
Not important

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or Windows 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Not important

Screen Specifics

12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer? Keep in mind screen size in conjunction with resolution will play a large role in overall viewing comfort level. Everyone is different. Some like really small text, while others like their text big and easy to read. Click here for Screen resolution information.
I've read that maximum resolutions are desirable for programming?
Maximum Resolutions: 1080p ,1920x1080

13) Do you want a Glossy/reflective screen or a Matte/non-glossy screen?
not important. I want great pictures.

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Something simple and clean is nice.

15) When are you buying this laptop?
Mid Feburary or Early March

16) How long do you want this laptop to last?
3-4

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 640GB? Do you want a SSD drive?
I figure an after market SSD drive.

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
DVD Burner, blu-ray would also be nice but not really a deal breaker.

[robcope]

Considering your budget, you might consider the Dell XPS L502X. As you can see by the signature block I have the 17 inch version. It uses optimus which greatly extends battery life when you aren't gaming. I have had one customer service experience with Dell after the sale and they have been great. I owned 4 HP laptops over the years and customer service was a nightmare.

[Fenom96]

I agree with the above post. However, don't get the 17". Get the 15". The 17 is not recommended for school, and if you get the 9 cell in the 15", you will get at least 6-8 hours of battery life with optimus. Plus it will be able to run all the games you listed.

[gwilled]

I would not get the XPS 15 if you're concerned about the keyboard. For starters, it doesn't have a numpad. I'd go with the Dell Precision M4600 instead.

Dell XPS 15
---------------
+ Great speakers
+ Great screen at lower cost
- Weak gamer as GT 540M limits you to 768p on new games
- No numpad
- Bad Dell consumer support

Dell Precision M4600
---------------------------
+ Built like a tank
+ Much better gamer with its FirePro M5950 (on par with 6770M)
+ Terrific Dell business support with on-site service
+ Full numpad on a good keyboard
+ Great screen options (like IPS)
- Average speakers
- No dedicated S/PDIF output jack

With the Precision, you'd want to haggle down the price with a Dell sales rep if you plan on buying new. The more economical approach would be to find a refurbished one in the Dell Business Outlet. They still come with 3 year warranties and on-site service.

[Rykoshet]

+1 for Precision, or check out a Sager reseller.

The new models (probably April/May) will have GTX660 with optimus and backlit keyboard.

[Jonny.c87]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

In response to the Dell XPS 15 and Dell Precision M4600, it seems that HP offers a better deal for an equivalent performance machine. The DV6t qe offers the HD 7690M GDDR5 which is rated higher than Dell XPS's GT 540M.

AMD Radeon HD 7690M - Notebookcheck.net Tech

I was wondering if there was something superior to the DV6 qe at a simliar price and found the Sager NP5165 / Clevo W150HR. any thoughts on this?