[EssYouWe]

@Sankar

Nothing is always true.

AMD and Nvidia is a combination that more often than not screws up on the heating front.

They do offer a great deal though.

My two cents to anyone who's going in for a performance laptop is to not skimp out on cooling pads. They can make a difference. Invariably the fans in a laptop are not capable of the cooling you'll need.

Always use your laptop on a table or a flat surface that gives the bottom some breathing space.

By the way, in case anyone is working on AMD quad-core chips, be advised to update your BIOS. They have been found to be susceptible to problems with the L3 cache and AMD has come out with an errata BIOS update.
This will help you improve battery life but your performance can take a bit of a dent.

If you guys are looking for a basic gaming laptop and NO simulation work under the price range of 45k, you can take a look at the HP DV-6-1211 AX.

It comes along with a processor that has not a lot going its way but it comes with an HD4650.

Makes it a nice deal eh?

Okay, how many Acer fans? I got so pissed when they released DDR3 < 50k but paired it with a T6500. :(

Asus laptops are really awesome. More often that not, you'll face little niggles with them. In case you do, you better buy a new notebook as Asus support is practically non-existent in India.

Anyone got a high end laptop here?

[harishnair]

Originally Posted by gunner fan

harish, it would be a good idea to check and compare both the lappys at notebookreview(dot)com
its a pretty reliable site which i use for gadget gyan
-sameer

Originally Posted by Sankar

That's not always true. I bought a Compaq AMD+Nvidia laptop in 2007 and its still working fine.

Thanks sameer. I did check and also posted a thread at the Notebookreview website. There too answer was that the ATI is a better graphics card than Nvidia and the HP is more VFM. But they too are sceptic when it comes to the CPU part as the advice was to go for the ASUS which is an overall better package and better built too. So right now I have asked the shop guys to check whether they can get me the ASUS (N81VP) with the same specs but has the ATI HD4650 instead of the nvidia GT120M.

@Sankar- the AMD was good earlier but lately they have fallen behind Intel in the Laptop processor segment. But that does't mean that they are bad for everyday use. Its just that if you have a choice its always better to go with C2D than Turion II.

[sohail99]

Originally Posted by EssYouWe

Anyone got a high end laptop here?

I have a Sager NP5793(clevo M570RU)

(C2D T9300, 4GB DDR2-800Mhz, nVidia 8800m GTX(512mb GDDR3), 200GB seagate 7200rpm SATA-II, 17" WUXGA screen(bluetooth, wifi etc.))

I cool it with Zalman NC-2000

clevo is known for its awesome heatsink designs, thats why they usually stuff high end components in their laptops without any risk of overheating!

@harishnair - Do you need the laptop urgently?

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by harishnair

@Sankar- the AMD was good earlier but lately they have fallen behind Intel in the Laptop processor segment. But that does't mean that they are bad for everyday use. Its just that if you have a choice its always better to go with C2D than Turion II.

C2D is definitely a better choice sure. In 2007 i opted for the AMD(Athlon64)+Nvidia combo since that was the only 13" lappy from a reputable manufacturer which would fit in my budget. This year i bought a C2D, a Dell Studio 15.

Essyouwe, To be honest that lappie was only subjected to light to medium use and handled and taken care of well, maybe that's why it's going strong. So might be different for hard usage.

I had an older compaq laptop a P4 with dedicated ati graphics bought in 2002. That lappie was used more like a desktop replacement. In 2004 it was handed over to my bro, while it was with him the lappie used to shut down when he did some light gaming on it. It was getting very hot. I opened it up and found that the heatsink was caked with dust. I cleaned it off with a blower, cleaned the rest of the parts and mobo and put it back on and the lappie started behaving. Dust is the real killer, it will clog the heat sinks and could jam the fan and make it overheat. Using the lappie on soft surfaces/dusty areas would kill it sooner.

[EssYouWe]

Originally Posted by sohail99

I have a Sager NP5793(clevo M570RU)

(C2D T9300, 4GB DDR2-800Mhz, nVidia 8800m GTX(512mb GDDR3), 200GB seagate 7200rpm SATA-II, 17" WUXGA screen(bluetooth, wifi etc.))

I cool it with Zalman NC-2000

clevo is known for its awesome heatsink designs, thats why they usually stuff high end components in their laptops without any risk of overheating!

@harishnair - Do you need the laptop urgently?

The NC-2000 was the most impressive thing in the list after the 8800 GTX.

@Sankar

I agree! The vents for my fan are clogged every 5-6 days.

The problem with my laptop is that there is this really stubborn screw that doesn't give. So I can't get inside. :(


No Dell fans here? IMHO more often than not Dell>HP. That is the case for India at least. HP is horribly overpriced and the customer support is even worse.

I myself use a Dell Inspiron 6000. 2 Gigs DDR2 RAM, 160 GB HDD and a GMA 915/910G Board.

@Sankar
What processor in the C2D range?

IMO AMD has it right in the way they are aggressively increasing emphasis on L3 rather than L2. That seems to be the way processors will go

[harishnair]

Originally Posted by sohail99

I have a Sager NP5793(clevo M570RU)

(C2D T9300, 4GB DDR2-800Mhz, nVidia 8800m GTX(512mb GDDR3), 200GB seagate 7200rpm SATA-II, 17" WUXGA screen(bluetooth, wifi etc.))

I cool it with Zalman NC-2000

clevo is known for its awesome heatsink designs, thats why they usually stuff high end components in their laptops without any risk of overheating!

@harishnair - Do you need the laptop urgently?

Dude that's an impressive list.Do you get the Sager in India?

I will be going to Dubai this month end for a short vacation, so thought I will pick it up from there.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by EssYouWe

No Dell fans here? IMHO more often than not Dell>HP. That is the case for India at least. HP is horribly overpriced and the customer support is even worse.

I myself use a Dell Inspiron 6000. 2 Gigs DDR2 RAM, 160 GB HDD and a GMA 915/910G Board.

@Sankar
What processor in the C2D range?

I'm a Dell fan now. I read SirAlec's other thread where he mentions about the Dell service, then got to know of my friend who had a similar expereince with Dell. Their service is great! I like their pricing too!

My Dell has a T6600 processor. Which is the basic processor in the range.

[EssYouWe]

Originally Posted by Sankar

I'm a Dell fan now. I read SirAlec's other thread where he mentions about the Dell service, then got to know of my friend who had a similar expereince with Dell. Their service is great! I like their pricing too!

My Dell has a T6600 processor. Which is the basic processor in the range.

Totally!
Dell's service is what makes it super awesome. And the fact that they allow at least some customization.

The best part is that they honour the 3 year complete cover. You can throw it down 5 floors, claim it was an accident and get a replacement. Don't take my word for it though! These are stories from tech fora, I have never seen anyone do it yet.

@Harish

Not really. I know for sure that a few brands rebadge and sell them. But then thats a bad deal.

You can get the international warranty but afaik it is honored only in designated places. As in if the closest service center for us is Singapore, you'll have to bear the shipping costs to the place.

In any case... if you buy a decent config (Avoid i7 extremes) and are not into overclocking and buy a cooling pad, you can get by without many problems.



Do check out Asus too. They are more accessible than Sager for support. They do not have a lot of options for India though.

These guys are OEMs... Their stuff is good.

[SirAlec]

Originally Posted by Sankar

That's not always true. I bought a Compaq AMD+Nvidia laptop in 2007 and its still working fine.

Well i can say that you have been lucky. But even if you encounter a problem. The replacement mobo is more extinct than Dinosaur. Dude! believe me If i say i know things I really do. As I like to open things on my own. I have been doing these since school.

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by SirAlec

As i have always said now and before. Please stay away from Lappy that have AMD+nvidia or ATI combo.

They will last as long as their warranties.

Mobos are very badly made especially HP ones.

mine must be an exception then. I have HP TX2000Z and have had no problems for almost two years. I run coretemp and keep the temperature less than 50C as much as possible. but I have spilled juice once and took out the keyboard to see some juice dried even on the PCB, very close to the CPU. but it is still going strong.

I ended up taking keys out and washing them because they had become very sticky.



I only wish I had saved 300$ by not opting for the touchscreen (tablet). unnecessary weight and i never use it.

[EssYouWe]

Maybe you can use the touchscreen now. Windows 7 provides much better support.

[vivekiny2k]

problem is not support. it's the fact that you can not use touchscreen and keyboard together comfortably.

if I turn it to tablet mode, the keyboard is totally hidden. If I keep it like a laptop, i have to extend my hand to write on the screen which is very awkward. I wish i could bring it to my side at the same level as the keyboard.

[hari78]

@harishnair , Why can't you take a look at the dell site , they have a good offer for Inspiron 15&17 for US customers.The specifications also seems a decent one.Regarding DELL You can ask SIR ALEC.

[nma83]

Hi People,

I am looking for a basic laptop along the following lines:
- 2+ GHz processor (AMD or Intel?)
- 2 GB RAM
- 320GB HDD (a little less would also do)
- DVD writer
- HDMI output
- NO pre-loaded OS (I am finding it pretty hard to get this)
- Good build-quality

I would be using it mostly as a desktop replacement not lug it around that much. Not much into gaming, hence 3D acceleration is not a must.
And the price range is 30-40K.

Some help on which brand would deliver the above would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
NMA

[EssYouWe]

Configure a Vostro.

Almost all your requirements should be covered. Try Vostro 1220, comes with a decent spec list and you should be able to get it within 40k. An option to switch to Ubuntu would help you save some appreciable amount of moolah. Investing it in warranty would be advisable.

Hope this helps.

(This is one of the many models you can look at, this would help you with the direction you can look at)