Buying a Gaming Laptop

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Wow. I found the Dell 1720 has this:
* 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® Go 8600M GT
for $200 more. It also has this:
* 128MB NVIDIA® GeForce® Go 8400M GS
for $100 more. How do those look for the price? They seem like pretty good laptop cards...

An 'equal' model-numbered GS is inferior to the GT. The 8600M GT is a great card. The 8400M GS is a mid range card, but it should still play most games just fine.

8800M > 8600M GT > 8400M GT > 8600M GS > 8400M GS > 8400M G

I would avoid the 7*** series since it's not a DX10 series, and most laptops with these graphics are based on the Napa platform rather than the newer Santa Rosa.

Along with the Dell 1720, you can also consider the HP DV9500T.
 
So it's better to buy a 7600 than an 8400 right? What's the performance difference?

Notebookcheck: Mobile Graphics Cards - Benchmark List
Yes, quite a bit better. The 7600 Go GT scores significantly better than either an 8400 or 8600 and is generally less expensive (remember you've been looking at the GS series, not the more expensive GT). The only advantage to getting an 8600GS Go would be dx10 capability, but a multitude of games with that are atleast 1-2 years away and you'd likely be running them at no higher than medium or medium-low settings anyways.

My advice would be to go for a 7600 or x1600/x1700. Both are very powerful (I can play Oblivion and FEAR flawlessly on my x1600) and less expensive than dx10 options.
 
Okay, I've decided to go with the GeForce 7600 Go. Does this PC look good, or can I do better?

IBuyPower Computer :: Battalion 101 HEL-80 Notebook
Battalion 101 HEL-80 Notebook

Core 2 Duo 1.83ghz
2gb RAM
120gb HDD
GeForce Go 7600 256mb
(plus the essentials)

$1306

I'm thinking about that now - seems good to me. Any downfalls in this notebook besides crappy looks?

Also, how much performance increase will I see in games and/or multitasking Firefox, Photoshop, etc. if I upgrade my processor to the 2.0 for $50 more?
 
Acer - Aspire Notebook with Intel® Centrino® Duo - AS5920-6313

15.4" WXGA CrystalBrite
Core 2 Duo T5250 (1.5GHz)
Windows Vista Home Premium
2048MB DDR2 667
160GB 5400RPM
DVD burner/HD DVD reader
nVidia 8600M GT 256MB (1GB TurboCache)

$1099

This is a much much better system with a much more reasonable pricetag, IMO. The IBuyPower model you have listed uses the older Napa chipset. This Acer uses the newer Santa Rosa chipset, supports HD DVDs, has a very impressive 8600M GT video card, and is cheaper.
 
Will the 8600M GT be able to run my Source games (HL2, Gmod, CS:S) at excellent settings, and possibly FEAR/PREY/newer games at decent/average settings? I really want to know how this will do compared to my desktop's X1650PRO.

Also, how is the Centrino Core 2 Duo processor? I'm a bit skeptical especially since it's only 1.5x2.

I'm looking at the Acer that was last suggested - looks good to me, except for those last two questions.
 
Will the 8600M GT be able to run my Source games (HL2, Gmod, CS:S) at excellent settings, and possibly FEAR/PREY/newer games at decent/average settings? I really want to know how this will do compared to my desktop's X1650PRO.

Also, how is the Centrino Core 2 Duo processor? I'm a bit skeptical especially since it's only 1.5x2.

I'm looking at the Acer that was last suggested - looks good to me, except for those last two questions.

don't worry about the clock speed, core 2 duos are fast and they have low clock speeds... just look at the model higher the model number, usually is the faster product..... but centrino duo is pretty cool.... it gives ur battery dam good battery life..... because the cpu is less power consuming...
 
Ibuypower is okay, nothing special. I detest Acer, cheap components and almost nonexistent support. Never had a good experience with them.
 
This still doesn't answer my 8600 question.

Will the 8600M GT be able to run my Source games (HL2, Gmod, CS:S) at excellent settings, and possibly FEAR/PREY/newer games at decent/average settings? I really want to know how this will do compared to my desktop's X1650PRO.

If it doesn't run Source @ excellent, I'm going with a better card. I want at least 1024x768 at good FPS, and possibly 1280x1024.
 
This still doesn't answer my 8600 question.

Will the 8600M GT be able to run my Source games (HL2, Gmod, CS:S) at excellent settings, and possibly FEAR/PREY/newer games at decent/average settings? I really want to know how this will do compared to my desktop's X1650PRO.

If it doesn't run Source @ excellent, I'm going with a better card. I want at least 1024x768 at good FPS, and possibly 1280x1024.

It'll pretty much run source at max - You'll be playing at 1280 res with settings on the highest with high frame rates. It will also play play FEAR at slightly higher than average settings. I've never played PREY on a pc so I couldn't tell you about that, but I'd assume your card would be able to handle it pretty easily.
 
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