Help me design a new laptop!

[FoogooFish]

So, for Christmas, HolyMan is getting yet another firearm and possibly a new car, and I'm getting a laptop (I think he's getting the better deal!) I need some help with picking a brand and whatnot, so I figured our resident computer experts could assist.

I want something I can play video games on without problems... namely NWN2 and possibly Knights of the Old Republic. I need all the MS Office software because I'll be using my computer at work, too. I'm not worried about weight, really. I'd like a bigger screen for my games.

Suggestions? I've never bought a laptop, so any and all advice is appreciated.

~Foo

[Doubtful]

I'd like to take this opportunity to lament the passing of the WUXGA 16:10 (1900*1200) laptop screen.

It's all bloody TV res things now. Horrible for anyone who needs a decent amount of screen real estate.

OK. That aside.

What's your rough budget?

[Saulus]

If you want a gaming laptop I would take a look at the Asus Republic of Gamers line of systems... I can't say they are cheap but they have it where it counts: big screen, good graphics and lots of horsepower.

Avoid Alienware (overpriced).

http://rog.asus.com/products/nb/

[FoogooFish]

I don't really have a budget. I don't really want to spend more on the laptop than I spent on my desktop, which cost me $2200 about six years ago, but aside from that I'm not picky. I don't want to overspend for the sake of getting stuff I really don't need, but I'm not going to shy away from dropping some cash to get what I want.

[Saulus]

When it comes to a laptop other than hardware specs it really comes down to support. The big guys like Dell and HP are usually pretty good in that regard, also Lenovo (IBM, my company services HP and Lenovo laptops as part of our main business) is good.

To get a decent graphics card in any of those systems you usually have to go up to their top tier systems. That's why I recommend the Asus RoG as they are simply built from the ground up to be a gaming system.

I have a friend who owns one and we LAN with it all the time, it's a great system and very well built.

[Seheren]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...BTkwCjCV1-CjCE

From what little I look around for laptops anymore, I saw this, not a bad deal. Too bad not for online.. :\

[Kirin]

ASUS is also an extremely well-respected name in terms of hardware quality. They don't include cheap parts (quality-wise, their prices can be quite affordable).

Don't forget to paint flames on it. It makes it go faster!

[Mournas]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...BTkwCjCV1-CjCE

From what little I look around for laptops anymore, I saw this, not a bad deal. Too bad not for online.. :\

Lol, that is one of the Asus RoG laptops Saulus suggested.

[Seheren]

Lol, that is one of the Asus RoG laptops Saulus suggested.

That was the point. It was a special on wht he suggested.

Posted from demo android tab at work

[Snowmane]

I want something I can play video games on without problems... namely NWN2 and possibly Knights of the Old Republic. I need all the MS Office software because I'll be using my computer at work, too. I'm not worried about weight, really. I'd like a bigger screen for my games.

Those games are pretty old. If all the games you want to do were released around that era, then a modern gaming laptop is probably overkill. If I remember right, that last version of NWN2 was released in 2007 and kotor was like 2003? You might be able to get a much better deal on an older model laptop with a larger screen and still have plenty of power for those games. Heck you might even be able to find a windows XP laptop and not have to deal with compatability issues. (Though Windows 7 professional comes with office out of the box)

If I were you and budget was the primary concern, I'd look for a laptop model that was released two or three years ago and see if anyone is still trying to get them out of their inventory. Maybe even something refurbished.

<edit>
I personally have had good experiences with Toshiba and Dell laptops. I have had a few friends who have had problems with HP laptops.

[FoogooFish]

Ah, I apologize - I meant the new Star Wars game that is set to be released in a few weeks, not the ones from several years ago.

And budget is not a concern. I don't have a price range; I just want the best laptop for my needs.

[Snowmane]

OK, usually folks refer to the old game series as KOTOR, and the new MMORPG is called SWTOR. In that case, you probably want to shell out for a decent modern gaming laptop. The previous suggestions given are good.