Low-end Gaming Laptop?

Xemuxend · Jul 8, 2009, 03:48 PM

I'm looking for a new laptop to use for SOME gaming but mostly just your everyday stuff...Would be playing a few games MAYBE some WoW...not sure. I was really seriously considering the Alienware M17x despite the horrible customer service...But i can only afford slightly above the core...Is this a mistake? any other suggestions?

LOOKING FOR:

price under or around $1800

Aesthetics are important(this is the primary reason for choosing alienware)

looking for 15"-17" display

Windows Vista

Other than that i just need it to work!...like i said i wouldn't really be Doing any Hardcore Gaming on it...Have desktop for that but i would like to be able to do some

Thanks for any replies

BlueMak · Jul 8, 2009, 04:17 PM

With that that kind of money, you can buy a very good gaming laptop (not alienware thank gods). Much higher than low end (for a laptop).

I can't give advice on specific models anymore, but custom gaming laptops - Welcome to Sager Notebooks have very good and even lower priced ones. Also, MSI has some good gaming models, and even ASUS. Toshiba has some good too.

Xemuxend · Jul 8, 2009, 07:24 PM

yeah, i checked Asus...never even considered Toshiba...I was really hoping for something pretty sic looking, Plus the Face recognition and all the lights on the m17x looked pretty sweet...

**kris23** · Jul 8, 2009, 07:54 PM

well if you're into aesthetics more than pure performance, then id just blow the money on an alienware.... but a good gaming laptop thats no frills and powerful, id just go elsewhere... even newegg has some nice systems ready to go.

Newegg.com - Gateway P-7807u FX Edition NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo P8600(2.40GHz) 17.0" Wide XGA+ 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 320GB HDD 7200rpm Dual layer DVD Burner NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS - Laptops / Notebooks

thats stronger than my desktop and its well below your budget....

Xemuxend · Jul 9, 2009, 02:22 AM

Hmm...I'm still in limbo as to weather to buy Beauty and Bells & whistles or just Pure Brute Force...Will do more research. You guys know any other laptops that have sweet features like face recognition and illuminated keyboard...?

**kris23** · Jul 9, 2009, 03:10 AM

maybe a dell XPS?

alienware and dell are the same company so just maybe youll find something nice there

**kris23** · Jul 9, 2009, 03:12 AM

though i have to ask.... do you REALLY need a laptop? because you can build a Quad Core Phenom II system or Core i7 system with that dough.... just look at my sig if youre interested

EDIT: oh yea u already said you have a desktop, i would just upgrade it though.

BlueMak · Jul 9, 2009, 10:14 AM

I say go for the alienware, get burned that way and perhaps grow up and learn to buy laptops depending not on their looks.
If you are set to buy alienware, go for it. They have families too that need to live.

Xemuxend · Jul 9, 2009, 10:38 PM

I've customized a Studio XPS 16 and a Toshiba Satellite P500...Here's the specs. Any advice welcome...Side by side comparison below

Studio XPS 16 --------------------------------------------------- Satellite 500-ST6821
$1573 ----------------------------------------------------------- $1467
__________________________________________________ ________________
Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 3MB cache/2.4GHz/1066Mhz------|--------------Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor P8700 2.53GHz 3MB L2 1066MHz

Vista premium 64 bit upgrades to W7|-------------------Vista premium 64 bit upgrades to W7

4GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1067MHz---------|------------------4GB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz SDRAM (2048MBx2)

16.0 inch RGBLED LCD (1920x1080) W/2.0 MP--------|-------------------18.4 (TOSHIBA DOESN'T STATE OTHER INFO)

ATI Mobility RADEON™ HD 4670 – 1GB---------------|------------------ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD4650 with 1GB DDR3 plus 254MB-1278MB Shared

500GB 5400 RPM SATA----------------------------|---------------------250GB HDD (5400rpm, SATA)

CD/DVD RW combo-------------------------------|------------------- says dvd drive

High Definition Audio 2.0--------------------------|------------------just states brand

Intel 5300 Ultimate-N Half Mini Card (3x3)---------|------------------------yet again unknown

6 & 9 cell batteries...single-----------------------|-----------------12 cell battery
__________________________________________________ _________________

One thing i just figured out...i don't like how Toshiba Only disclosed half the System details

**kris23** · Jul 10, 2009, 02:04 AM

those are incredibly poor specs... definitely not worth the price, go with the gateway i linked to or the higher version of the same model....

Newegg.com - Gateway P-7801u NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo P8400(2.26GHz) 17.0" Wide UXGA 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 320GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS - Laptops / Notebooks

both are alot better than those....

the MSI notebook below is also performs similarly to the gateways i listed and is a good middle-ground

Newegg.com - MSI GT725-074US NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo P8600(2.40GHz) 17.0" Wide SXGA+ 4GB Memory 320GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4850 - Laptops / Notebooks

Vitchman · Jul 15, 2009, 08:05 AM

I have a couple suggestions for you here...after about a month of researching for the right computer, I finally found the perfect one on XOTICPC.com.

For yourself, I suggest playing around with customizing either a Sager NP8662 or Asus G51VX-A1. Here are a couple standard builds for you....

Asus G51VX-A1
- 15.6" WUXGA FHD "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1080)
- Intel® Q9000 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Quad 2.0GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB
- nVidia GeForce GTX 260M 1,024MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10
- 6,144MB (6GB) DDR2 800MHz Dual Channel Memory
- Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- Dual 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) (Making 640GB total)
- Built-in 802.11 Wireless A/B/G/N
- Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit + Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Coupon w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's - Standard
- 2 Year ASUS GLOBAL Warranty, 24/7 Support, 1 Year Accidental Coverage & 2-Way Pre-Paid Overnight Shipping for Repairs (N.A. Accidental Requires Registration w/ ASUS)

TOTAL: $1797 with free shipping and no tax

Sager NP8662
15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- ~Intel® Q9000 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Quad 2.0GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB
- nVidia GeForce GTX 260M 1,024MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable)
- ~ 4,096MB DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS)
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 320GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) + Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Upgrade Coupon w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Based Toll Free Telephone Tech Support (Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)

TOTAL: $1711 with a small shipping cost

Both of them sport the Quad Core 2.0GHz CPU and the nVidia GTX 260M 1GB GPU. Both of those alone are going to get you incredible gaming. The Asus has the edge, though, with a higher amount of RAM, better resolution screen, and a pretty solid warranty. Hell, Asus even gives you a backpack and some free goods...all of this slapped together with free shipping on XoticPC.com.

You can't go wrong with either of these 15" monsters. They will take most games you need to an incredibly high level and last you a long time. I do hope you look to these high quality machines.

**kris23** · Jul 15, 2009, 08:19 AM

thats some good info there Vitchman, thanks! though the OP hasnt been on since his or her last reply sadly....

Vitchman · Jul 15, 2009, 04:00 PM

Thankls Kris...ya I just hope they look past the real aesthetics thing because in the end, who wants to go out in public with something that is flashing LED lights all over and has a large glowing alien symbol right on the cover.

stradox · Aug 11, 2009, 06:21 PM

This is officially my first post. I'd advise you 2 consider the hp's hdx series, specifically the 16t and the 18t. Though these are not built specifically for gaming, for the amount of money u are talking (i.e. $1800) you could build a reasonable configuration, with the 1gb GT 130m, which could play games, except the most demanding ones, in at least medium settings. Also check out their ddr3 options on the 18t.

necrophyte · Aug 12, 2009, 02:58 PM

unfortunately HP is quite late in offering real performance notebooks (or at least their components). HP definitely offers the best cpus, although even here not the most recent ones (ie. no i7), eg. the t9900 (hdx16) and qx9300 (hdx18t) are really the best one can get (except the i7). but in terms of gpu HP is very weak.. for $1800 one can really get some great real gaming notebooks, as seen above. looking at HP's similarily priced notebooks - their gpus are nothing. only the elitebook 8-series business notebooks are really great, although also only having mobility radeon 3650 gpus (except for the workstation versions), which are quite outdated already.

i just hope their new models coming at the end of the year get equipped with dx11 gpus - especially the 8540p. but i fear they are gonna come with present gpus (eg. mobility radeon 4-series).

procupine14 · Aug 12, 2009, 06:27 PM

I never have been really happy with the HP notebook I have now. Even though their customer support is excellent it almost has to be with how many problems that I have had with my notebook in the 2 years that I have owned it. Once it had to be sent in because the entire motherboard decided to not live anymore so I'm not too happy about any of HP's nonsense

necrophyte · Aug 13, 2009, 12:49 PM

there is lot of discussion going on about these failures, but mostly they can be reduced to some few bad components by other manufacturers (mainly nvidia, causing bluetooth, wlan etc. adapters to fail), where the only HP's fault is having put them inside their (consumer) laptops.

im absolutely satisfied with my present HP business notebook 8510p, and also my older ones (nx9030, nc7000, nx7010) still work perfectly, except for some physical damages occured over time, which is not hp's fault either.

and its gaming performance (hd2600, intel t9300 cpu, only 5400rpm hd) is simply amazing. my desktop with a 4870 gpu, qx9650 cpu stays untouched, since im only using the desktop replacement notebook for everything.

i just hope the new elitebook 8540p comes with the radeon 5-series gpus, then its the perfect chance for a big upgrade for me - new notebook, new OS - win7, new gen. gpu - dx11.

Jul 8, 2009, 03:48 PM	#1
Xemuxend DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 5 Rep Power: 0	Low-end Gaming Laptop? I'm looking for a new laptop to use for SOME gaming but mostly just your everyday stuff...Would be playing a few games MAYBE some WoW...not sure. I was really seriously considering the Alienware M17x despite the horrible customer service...But i can only afford slightly above the core...Is this a mistake? any other suggestions? LOOKING FOR: price under or around $1800 Aesthetics are important(this is the primary reason for choosing alienware) looking for 15"-17" display Windows Vista Other than that i just need it to work!...like i said i wouldn't really be Doing any Hardcore Gaming on it...Have desktop for that but i would like to be able to do some Thanks for any replies

Jul 8, 2009, 04:17 PM	#2
BlueMak HH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 13,465 Rep Power: 349 System Specs	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? With that that kind of money, you can buy a very good gaming laptop (not alienware thank gods). Much higher than low end (for a laptop). I can't give advice on specific models anymore, but custom gaming laptops - Welcome to Sager Notebooks have very good and even lower priced ones. Also, MSI has some good gaming models, and even ASUS. Toshiba has some good too. __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

Jul 8, 2009, 07:24 PM	Thread Starter #3
Xemuxend DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 5 Rep Power: 0	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? yeah, i checked Asus...never even considered Toshiba...I was really hoping for something pretty sic looking, Plus the Face recognition and all the lights on the m17x looked pretty sweet...

Jul 8, 2009, 07:54 PM	#4
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,018 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? well if you're into aesthetics more than pure performance, then id just blow the money on an alienware.... but a good gaming laptop thats no frills and powerful, id just go elsewhere... even newegg has some nice systems ready to go. Newegg.com - Gateway P-7807u FX Edition NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo P8600(2.40GHz) 17.0" Wide XGA+ 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 320GB HDD 7200rpm Dual layer DVD Burner NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS - Laptops / Notebooks thats stronger than my desktop and its well below your budget.... __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Jul 9, 2009, 02:22 AM	Thread Starter #5
Xemuxend DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 5 Rep Power: 0	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? Hmm...I'm still in limbo as to weather to buy Beauty and Bells & whistles or just Pure Brute Force...Will do more research. You guys know any other laptops that have sweet features like face recognition and illuminated keyboard...?

Jul 9, 2009, 03:10 AM	#6
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,018 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? maybe a dell XPS? alienware and dell are the same company so just maybe youll find something nice there __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Jul 9, 2009, 03:12 AM	#7
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,018 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? though i have to ask.... do you REALLY need a laptop? because you can build a Quad Core Phenom II system or Core i7 system with that dough.... just look at my sig if youre interested EDIT: oh yea u already said you have a desktop, i would just upgrade it though. __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums! Last edited by kris23; Jul 9, 2009 at 04:35 AM.

Jul 9, 2009, 10:14 AM	#8
BlueMak HH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 13,465 Rep Power: 349 System Specs	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? I say go for the alienware, get burned that way and perhaps grow up and learn to buy laptops depending not on their looks. If you are set to buy alienware, go for it. They have families too that need to live. __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

Jul 9, 2009, 10:38 PM	Thread Starter #9
Xemuxend DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 5 Rep Power: 0	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? I've customized a Studio XPS 16 and a Toshiba Satellite P500...Here's the specs. Any advice welcome...Side by side comparison below Studio XPS 16 --------------------------------------------------- Satellite 500-ST6821 $1573 ----------------------------------------------------------- $1467 __________________________________________________ ________________ Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 3MB cache/2.4GHz/1066Mhz------\|--------------Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor P8700 2.53GHz 3MB L2 1066MHz Vista premium 64 bit upgrades to W7\|-------------------Vista premium 64 bit upgrades to W7 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1067MHz---------\|------------------4GB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz SDRAM (2048MBx2) 16.0 inch RGBLED LCD (1920x1080) W/2.0 MP--------\|-------------------18.4 (TOSHIBA DOESN'T STATE OTHER INFO) ATI Mobility RADEON™ HD 4670 – 1GB---------------\|------------------ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD4650 with 1GB DDR3 plus 254MB-1278MB Shared 500GB 5400 RPM SATA----------------------------\|---------------------250GB HDD (5400rpm, SATA) CD/DVD RW combo-------------------------------\|------------------- says dvd drive High Definition Audio 2.0--------------------------\|------------------just states brand Intel 5300 Ultimate-N Half Mini Card (3x3)---------\|------------------------yet again unknown 6 & 9 cell batteries...single-----------------------\|-----------------12 cell battery __________________________________________________ _________________ One thing i just figured out...i don't like how Toshiba Only disclosed half the System details Last edited by Xemuxend; Jul 10, 2009 at 01:14 AM.

Jul 10, 2009, 02:04 AM	#10
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,018 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? those are incredibly poor specs... definitely not worth the price, go with the gateway i linked to or the higher version of the same model.... Newegg.com - Gateway P-7801u NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo P8400(2.26GHz) 17.0" Wide UXGA 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 320GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS - Laptops / Notebooks both are alot better than those.... the MSI notebook below is also performs similarly to the gateways i listed and is a good middle-ground Newegg.com - MSI GT725-074US NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo P8600(2.40GHz) 17.0" Wide SXGA+ 4GB Memory 320GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4850 - Laptops / Notebooks __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Jul 15, 2009, 08:05 AM	#11
Vitchman DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? I have a couple suggestions for you here...after about a month of researching for the right computer, I finally found the perfect one on XOTICPC.com. For yourself, I suggest playing around with customizing either a Sager NP8662 or Asus G51VX-A1. Here are a couple standard builds for you.... Asus G51VX-A1 - 15.6" WUXGA FHD "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1080) - Intel® Q9000 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Quad 2.0GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB - nVidia GeForce GTX 260M 1,024MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10 - 6,144MB (6GB) DDR2 800MHz Dual Channel Memory - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software - Dual 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) *(Making 640GB total)* - Built-in 802.11 Wireless A/B/G/N - Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit + Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Coupon w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's - Standard - 2 Year ASUS GLOBAL Warranty, 24/7 Support, 1 Year Accidental Coverage* & 2-Way Pre-Paid Overnight Shipping for Repairs (N.A. Accidental Requires Registration w/ ASUS)* TOTAL: $1797 with free shipping and no tax Sager NP8662 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050) - ~Intel® Q9000 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Quad 2.0GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB - nVidia GeForce GTX 260M 1,024MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable) - ~ 4,096MB DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) - ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares - ~ 320GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache) - Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link - ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) + Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Upgrade Coupon w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's - 3 Year Labor 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Based Toll Free Telephone Tech Support (Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)* TOTAL: $1711 with a small shipping cost Both of them sport the Quad Core 2.0GHz CPU and the nVidia GTX 260M 1GB GPU. Both of those alone are going to get you incredible gaming. The Asus has the edge, though, with a higher amount of RAM, better resolution screen, and a pretty solid warranty. Hell, Asus even gives you a backpack and some free goods...all of this slapped together with free shipping on XoticPC.com. You can't go wrong with either of these 15" monsters. They will take most games you need to an incredibly high level and last you a long time. I do hope you look to these high quality machines.

Jul 15, 2009, 08:19 AM	#12
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,018 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? thats some good info there Vitchman, thanks! though the OP hasnt been on since his or her last reply sadly.... __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Jul 15, 2009, 04:00 PM	#13
Vitchman DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? Thankls Kris...ya I just hope they look past the real aesthetics thing because in the end, who wants to go out in public with something that is flashing LED lights all over and has a large glowing alien symbol right on the cover.

Aug 11, 2009, 06:21 PM	#14
stradox DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Abuja Posts: 1 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? This is officially my first post. I'd advise you 2 consider the hp's hdx series, specifically the 16t and the 18t. Though these are not built specifically for gaming, for the amount of money u are talking (i.e. $1800) you could build a reasonable configuration, with the 1gb GT 130m, which could play games, except the most demanding ones, in at least medium settings. Also check out their ddr3 options on the 18t.

Aug 12, 2009, 02:58 PM	#15
necrophyte HardwareHeaven Lover Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: 1130 Vienna, Austria & Zagreb, Croatia Posts: 131 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? unfortunately HP is quite late in offering real performance notebooks (or at least their components). HP definitely offers the best cpus, although even here not the most recent ones (ie. no i7), eg. the t9900 (hdx16) and qx9300 (hdx18t) are really the best one can get (except the i7). but in terms of gpu HP is very weak.. for $1800 one can really get some great real gaming notebooks, as seen above. looking at HP's similarily priced notebooks - their gpus are nothing. only the elitebook 8-series business notebooks are really great, although also only having mobility radeon 3650 gpus (except for the workstation versions), which are quite outdated already. i just hope their new models coming at the end of the year get equipped with dx11 gpus - especially the 8540p. but i fear they are gonna come with present gpus (eg. mobility radeon 4-series).

Aug 12, 2009, 06:27 PM	#16
procupine14 Why is it Beeping!?!?! Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: USA, Missouri Posts: 1,400 Rep Power: 58 System Specs	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? I never have been really happy with the HP notebook I have now. Even though their customer support is excellent it almost has to be with how many problems that I have had with my notebook in the 2 years that I have owned it. Once it had to be sent in because the entire motherboard decided to not live anymore so I'm not too happy about any of HP's nonsense __________________ HTPC/file server: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit - AMD Phenom x4 9850 - 4GB OCZ DDR2 800 (2x2GB) - 1TB WD Black - 4 x 1TB Hitachi DeskStar in RAID 5 - ATi TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner - HIS Raedon 4850 512MB - ASRock N68C-S UCC mobo - OCZ ModExtreme Pro 500W PSU GF's Gaming PC: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit - AMD Phenom 9850 - 4GB OCZ DDR2 1066 - 500GB Western Digital GP - HIS Raedon 5770 1GB - ASUS M3A78-EM - Zalman 650W PSU Media Streamer: Win 7 Pro 64-bit - AMD Athlon x2 3200+ - 4GB SuperTalent DDR2 800 - 250GB SeaGate Barracuda - MSI K9N6PGM2-V2 - ASUS Raedon 5450 SILENT - FSP group 250W PSU

Aug 13, 2009, 12:49 PM	#17
necrophyte HardwareHeaven Lover Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: 1130 Vienna, Austria & Zagreb, Croatia Posts: 131 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: Low-end Gaming Laptop? there is lot of discussion going on about these failures, but mostly they can be reduced to some few bad components by other manufacturers (mainly nvidia, causing bluetooth, wlan etc. adapters to fail), where the only HP's fault is having put them inside their (consumer) laptops. im absolutely satisfied with my present HP business notebook 8510p, and also my older ones (nx9030, nc7000, nx7010) still work perfectly, except for some physical damages occured over time, which is not hp's fault either. and its gaming performance (hd2600, intel t9300 cpu, only 5400rpm hd) is simply amazing. my desktop with a 4870 gpu, qx9650 cpu stays untouched, since im only using the desktop replacement notebook for everything. i just hope the new elitebook 8540p comes with the radeon 5-series gpus, then its the perfect chance for a big upgrade for me - new notebook, new OS - win7, new gen. gpu - dx11.