So hey guys, seeing as this is my most frequented forum, you get to see me ask these random questions about stuff. Yay! I'm currently after a laptop to replace my desktop - which is nothing spectacular. I've done some research and I found something quite nice within my price range, but the fact that this is in my price range at all is worrying me - so I thought I'd ask. I've found this laptop online: http://www.dodgybastards.co.nz/pavilion-dv6-6c38tx-i7-2670qm-8gb-750-w7.html The site is from NZ and the HP branding is apparently different between countries so I don't know it by any other name. The specs look nice, but I have no first-hand experience with laptops (as opposed to desktops) and so I don't know how well this will run in practice. Would anyone be able to offer comments / advice / suggestions? I'm after an i7 with a resolution of 1920x1080 - is this even reasonable? I want it to be a portable replacement for a desktop unit - I want to be able to run decent games on it... decently. Is gaming on a laptop at 1920x1080 reasonable? (Most importantly, I can't afford any more than $2K NZD - about 1600 USD under the current exchange rate)
Well I live in Australia, and I recently bought a Pavilion dv6 with AMD equivalent specs (quad core A8 processor, 1GB dedicated Radeon HD 6750) (for 40%off!!). It's resolution is only 1366 x 768, but it's pretty much the same computer, and it's really quite good. I can happily run games like Crysis 2, Empire Total War, Just Cause 2 etc. with no problems, blu-ray player works well, battery life leaves a bit to be desired, but is alright. I would definitely recommend it, pretty damn good value as far as laptops go. Edit: Just don't know how well those games would perform at 1920 x 1080, you may want to consider a lower resolution. Edit 2: Crysis 2 running at default settings, Empire total war and Just cause 2 with everything set to high, 4xAA, V-sync etc.
Well the laptop I linked has a 2Gb ATI 7690M, and a fairly common 2.2 i7-2670 which I'd turbo up to 2.9, so I think that will do. The reason I want a high-resolution screen like that is because the iPhone Retina display has spoiled me - I currently have a 1680x1050 display and it's... Alright. It's mostly gonna be used for movies. I found out games aren't well-supported at that resolution, but I'm okay with turning it down a notch with the same aspect ratio.
Buy a 15 Inch macbook pro at the next refresh and get a copy of windows 7 to bootcamp if you don't like Mac OS
Really? With my primary aim being gaming on Windows, is that stable / viable enough? I kinda learned to live with the WinOS and know my way around it. Plus the other 6 computers we have are all Windows systems...
Bootcamp makes the Mac run Windows just like a PC, when you're booting from that partition. I don't know enough about it to be the voice of reason on whether it's stable, though. I haven't heard anything about it not being stable, but I haven't researched it.
It with the new processors coming it should be plenty good for gaming, actually the current 15 inch can run battlefield 3 on windows. So when you bootcamp you basically select the amount of hardrive space you want windows to use. then you go through the whole installation and you can boot into windows. no emulation just pure windows!
Hmm... Sounds good to me, but I've been reading about a poor battery life when mac laptops are running Windows. Is that true? And I did want a Mac for a long time, so I'm considering it now. ^^ How is the physical build quality?
Ehhhh....I'd hold back on anything HP. (besides the Touchpad, that thing was brilliant) A laptop that I recommend is this: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7171667&SRCCODE=GOOGLEBASE&cm_mmc_o=VRqCjC7BBTkwCjCECjCE Best investment I have ever made on a laptop. I've had it for almost a year and I've got to say that, the screen is beautiful, it comes with a Blu-Ray drive, a 1TB HDD at 7200 RPM, and I can play most games on High settings but I would recommend upgrading the GPU to something higher. Not only that but my charging port got damaged and wouldn't charge, so I sent it to Asus and 4 days later it came back repaired (and the screen even cleaned) free of charge. Kick ass. So if you're looking for a good gaming laptop, I'd obviously recommend this.
Pretty much any laptop running Windows has a shoddy battery life unless half the bulk is just a massive battery, so you won't exactly be losing anything by going with a Mac. The build quality of the MacBook Pro is phenomenal, it'll last you a lifetime if you let it.
A few people I know have HPs and they work fine. I just had a look at MacBooks, and one with similar specs to the HP costs exactly twice as much. I guess I could justify it as being two laptops - a Mac and a Windows, but damn. The Asus looks nice, but the 2630 processor is a step down from the 2670 and can't be overclocked as high, so I'm a bit skeptical. And the HP has a 2Gb video card. On paper it sounds better, but I know it doesn't necessarily translate into practice.
HP's dv6 line of computers have an excellent build quality. Not quite as good as an MBP, but not much out there is. The laptop you're looking at is higher specced than mine, I don't think it'll have any problems running games at that resolution. I really think that if you want the laptop to replace a gaming PC, a MBP would be a waste of money.
Are you itching to get one or do you need one? If you can wait...wait! With Windows 8 coming out later this year, you can expect new lineups. However, if you can't wait, I'd say go go with a HP Pavilion or Toshiba. I actually have a customized Pavillion dv6 and I'm more than happy with it.
I don't actually have one but I have a mac mini. My dad and my brother both have one. My dad has a 2006 or 2007 model(can't remember) that he's been using all the way until probably this year because he's going to upgrade most likely. He has had no problem and has actually spilt a glass of water on it and it still ran fine after letting it air out. My brother has the most current mackbook pro 13 inch. He's had no problems and even when he runs windows through virtualbox(not bootcamp) it runs superb even though it's an emulation. It's also super quiet too like my mac mini. Since my mac only has a intel 3000 HD card I'm only able to do light gaming on it but with the 15 inch and 17 inch they both sport a dedicated GPU so that should be no problem.
I need one, but I also want one. I just started uni and it's now or never. I know this is kinda a sore topic for you, but I was considering getting an iPad instead, but I would prefer the laptop. The Windows 8 has no interest to me, since I won't be updating from 7, and as for the new lineup, I doubt it would be in my price range. What's the ETA, anyway?
Well, Windows/Microsoft is always more economical than Apple IMHO. I'm pretty sure the majority of the new lineup will be in your price range. The Slate 7, which is both a functional computer and tablet, costs $1200 USD. The Lenovo Yoga (think Macbook Air) will cost about $1200. Plus, once more hardware manufacturers jump on board (which is expected) later this year, you'll see very competitive pricing. There's already deals online and at Msoft stores for the Slate 7. But if you want a more traditional laptop and can't wait, I'd say customize a HP Pavillion dv6 or dv7. Here are a couple of articles about why you should wait. It looks like April/May for Ivy Bridge and - at the earliest - October for Win 8. http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13970_7-57387631-78/laptop-buyers-should-you-wait-for-windows-8/ http://www.fiercecio.com/techwatch/story/getting-new-laptop-wait-few-months-least/2012-03-02
There's no way I'm waiting until October. Uni will basically be over by then. I'd rather not wait till April either. I think I'll go for the laptop I linked, after I go and touch it in-store.
As far as laptops go, that's a really good choice. Like I said, I've been more than happy with my dv6. I will be moving on to a Win8 device later this year, though.
In the world of laptops, there's nothing more true than "you get what you pay for." There's a reason so many manufacturers are relentlessly attempting to copy Apple designs with lower price points via cut corners and shitty build quality. Save up and buy a MacBook, Pro or Air, and utilize Boot Camp to install Windows if you must. If you can't afford a MacBook right away, keep saving and make due with whatever you can use at your school. If this is a purchase that's designed to last you for the next four years, not having a laptop for a couple months will be infinitely preferable to being stuck with some piece of shit HP for the next four years. I wouldn't wish HP build quality on my worst enemy.
Yes, you do get what you pay for, unfortunately, half of what you pay for when you buy a mac is Apple's patented magical air. You saying that this computer is some 'piece of shit HP', you clearly have never used one/seen it in person. It's not *as* high quality as an MBP, but it's definitely nothing to scoff at. Plus it has Blu-Ray.
