need help Buying Gaming Notebook

im purchasing a notebook for college want a solid gaming PC

im willing to spend about $2,700 give or take

im looking at two alienware laptops
the aurora m9700
$2,800ish
- AMD Turion™ 64 Mobile ML44 2.4GHz 800MHz FSB 1MB L2 Cache
- Dual 256MB NVidia® GeForce™ Go 7900 GS - SLI Enabled


or my other option which is the Aurora™ m7700
$2,800ish
- AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4800+ with HyperTransport and Dual Core Technology
- Single 256MB NVidia® GeForce™ Go 7900 GTX


Which is better??? for gaming

and is the AMD Athlon™ 64 FX-60 with HyperTransport and Dual Core Technology [+$550 or $17/mo.] realy worth it on the Aurora™ m7700 ???

 

Be aware the second one uses a desktop processor.

These are cheaper, and usually faster than dedicated laptop processors, but they also run a lot hotter, and use more battery power.

 

On the other hand, with a full desktop processor, it's a better gaming computer power wise, and if you're near an outlet all the time, heat is the only concern.

 

soo what is better

Dual graphic cards with the laptop processor

AMD Turion™ 64 Mobile ML44 2.4GHz 800MHz FSB 1MB L2 Cache




or



a single graphic card with the desktop processor

AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4800+ with HyperTransport and Dual Core Technology

 

best gaming laptop has to be the Dell XPS Notebook....

 

@prankz, he didn't ask which is the best gaming laptop, he asked which is better of the two.


There's not much to be gained worrying about which one is faster regarding graphics.

A 17" (or even 19") screen doesn't have the resolution required to stress either setup.

Personally, I'd go for the M9700.

M9700 Review

 

why do you want a gaming notebook? They run extremely hot after long playing periods. Plus you won't be able to upgrade a lot of the hardware on it later on down the road. I would get a cheap laptop for school and then use the left over money to buy parts for a gaming rig. If you still have your heart set on a gaming rig check out the xps. your looking at alienware notebooks and they're about the same price as an xps. Plus both made by dell now. Go with the xps you know you want to.http://pic.enorth.com.cn/0/01/83/65/1836585_872776.jpg

 

I don't really like dell laptops. I bought one once and it crashed like in 6 months. I got it fixed but i still don't recommend it. I have a Aurora™ m7700 and i really liked it! I would go for that one. Just remember a AMD Athlon is better than a Turion. That's my opinion.

 

And for you my friend, you should get a cooling pad for that. They really work!

 

Dude, I don't really see much diffrence of the graphics cards. But a AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4800+ is like 10x better than AMD Turion™ 64 Mobile ML44

 

Notebooks are the only piece of computer equipment I'd trust from Dell.

 

I just want to say that if you want a gaming computer you should really go with the desktops. THe pc's tech specs are much higher.

 

True, but it's hard to carry in a bag.

 

In a briefcase-type bag, no, but you can get a backpack specialized for loading a desktop and peripherals, or a simple LAN party strap to strap around your case.

As for the laptop, out of those two I'd have to choose the m9700 because the desktop processor would cause the laptop to overheat far too quickly..

 

I've even seen a case with a handle built into the top for carrying to Lan Parties. But for casual gaming, a Laptop should be enough. My vote is a single card and Desktop processor, with a good quality cooling stand to disperse the extra heat. And don't put it on your lap.

 

they do work? i've been considering buying one but just never have bought one for fear of wasting money. Thanks for the info i'll go buy one on my lunch hour today!!

 

In all your opinions is it a good investment to buy a gaming laptop?

 

Hell no. Just my opinion. My friend just bought an XPS for $4000. I just bought a desktop for less than $1000, and my machine runs circles around his.

 

I'm glad you said that Mada_Milty, that's my opinion too. I think he could build one sweet ace desktop for the price he'd be spending on a gaming laptop. Totally agree with you.

XBladeX510, bought the cooling pad for my laptop and it really does help, thanks.

 

God dammit, i was gonna buy the Aurora m9700 until i read this forum, now im worried its gonna be a waste.im not even sure the graphic cards support direct x 10. I could get the Aurora 7500 with a direct x 10 card and save a bit of money but i had my heart set on the laptop, whats the advie becaues im ordering it next weekrolleyesconfused

 

it all depends on what u wanna do with it, mainly if you really need the mobility. You can get an ASUS G1 for 1700 which is a damn nice setup for a good price (2 gigs RAM, 2.0ghz core 2 duo, geforce 7700, 120gig hdd, BEAUTIFUL case)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220124
IMO one of the best gaming laptop deals out there. it comes with a logitech g5 mouse too, a nice extra

 

Might I recommend against Alienware?

The friend I mentioned above was looking at an Alien lappy before he purchased, and we found that Dell has bought up Alienware, and they really aren't competitive anymore. We found that the XPS was the way to go (out of the two)

http://news.com.com/Dell+to+acquire+Alienware/2100-1003_3-6052842.html

 

ok, i have decided on getting a desktop now but shud i stick with xp or get vista.I know vista is sure to be full of bugs but isnt it built with gamers in mind?

 

You might start a new thread to ask that. You'll have better luck drawing the attention of other Vista users that way. You should also specify which games you'll want to play.

From what I've seen, there doesn't seem to be too many issues with Vista, or at least ones that can't be worked around. I haven't used it firsthand since beta stages, so this is second hand.

Vista will be the only Windows version to support DirectX 10, which may be what you're referring to above. Do keep in mind though, that this requires both a video card that supports it, and the software to take advantage of it.