Here I is . . . . Hey Dragon, what do you mean, where am I? Seek and yee shall find! Been spending the last few days modding my machine and system. One of the things I missed was the blue glow of my old case - which I ditched in favor a new case, which I now ditched in favor of an Antec which has six fans, five of which have blue led lights. Back to the point. First off, my lappy serves me for business/work stuff only and I configured it with that in mind. As far as looks is concerned, get any old machine and let a long-legged blond carry it. No one, including you, will care what the machine looks like. As far as specs are concerned, the machines you are looking at are a bit different so comparisons may be skewed in the direction of a favored feature. For instance, the VR205 has a 160GB HDD; the others have 250GB. By way of anticipation, especially if you put a game or two on the machine, what would be the minimum requirement for storage? Yes, you can connect an external HDD to the lappy but why? You want a school/work machine to get you by until you get home and cuddle up with your honey. Me, I got a lappy that serves only my away-from-honey needs. All else being equal, I'd go with a roomier HDD. Next, your displays range from 15 to 17 inches. Depending on the aspect ratio, there is approximately a 30 square-inch difference in viewing area between the two. Secondly, the integrated gfx are dissimilar: two have 512MB video RAM, two share system RAM, i.e., two sap 25% of your system RAM for video use; if you are playing something other than freecell, you might not like shared RAM. Depending on how much of a gaming aficionado you are, you might want to consider gfx quality above other things. Note too, that one machine has DDR3 RAM. Is that significant? To me, not in an every-day-use lappy. One machine has a dual-layer DVD RW. Dual-layer media are a bit more expensive than single layer but you sure can't beat the convenience of being able to store data on half the number of discs. Sure, you can connect your lappy to your network, but . . . all my machines have dual-layer DVD RWs and I really appreciate the difference. But that's just me. Two have Vista x64 and two have Vista x86. If I recall correctly, you are an x64 fan. Does it matter to you in a lappy? Available ports are quite different: with or without USB (I would not consider a lappy without a USB port); with or without Express slot. One machine has an IEEE 1394 port (aka iLink and Firewire). Looking at data transfer rates in the abstract, USB has higher transfer rates than IEEE 1394. However, in real-world applications, IEEE 1394 edges out USB in data transfer and video applications - which is why you see it widely used in video cams. (Notwithstanding the theoretical 480Mbps transfer rate of USB, in actual practice, it averages in the neighborhood of 200Mbps because, unlike IEEE 1394, it bogs down the CPU) One practical application for you: going to connect your lappy to your network? Monk's bottom line: first and foremost make a prioritized list of features you NEED ; then, with each feature, decide what you need, i.e., HDD capacity, screen size, RAM, CPU speed, gfx capability, ports/card slots, etc. Finally, best fit your list to what is available in your price range. It may be that you may have to compromise, i.e., no one machine will have exactly what your prioritized needs-list contains. If you wish, post back with your list and I will offer up a suggestion or two. Monk
Hey MONK sorry for taking long replying. I was reading and reading and read again what you have said and man just like always u make lots of sense. I did do a lot more readin on the specs of this lappy and u r completely right, there are all but equal, so how can i compare them when they cant be? but i will say that i took out the MSI VR705, just as you said it had shared memory and if i were to play like DOW 2 on this machine it will sux, thats again if i ever were to play. I most say that gaming will be the last i will be doin with a lappy but i wouldnt mind to be capable of. Also, as you said i will prefer a bigger HDD so another reason y MSI is gone. On the screen size, well the bigger the heavier and i kno is not always like that, but for example ACER Aspire AS6930-6942 weights 7.5lbs and is a 16inch, while MSI GX630-028US is 15.4in and weights 5.6lbs, thats a lot lighter but is also $100 more. They do both have Geforce 9600 but one is GT (MSI) and ACER have GS. Another thing that i notice between both is that one has Intel and the other have has AMD which is proven when it comes to lappy, Intel Duo is better than Athlon X2 (i read some specs) the only thin is that neither of the two have Dual layer which it will sux but to be honest if i were to do much burning i use my honey sweet honey desktop is so much better. I kno im not talkin much about the Lenovo Ideapad Y530-5900U cuz i read the specs and it doesnt come close to neither of the other 2 so it can be remove since it also have share memory and trust me i will not compromise with that. N yes i also kno that a Geforce 9800 is better than a 9600 but a long shot, but damit they are expensive and since i will have little use to the videogame, even though i will like to be able to, i still will not pay so much for it. Now between the ACER and MSI, i dont care about X64 or X86 i kno ACER is a X64 n MSI is a x86 but heck, is a lappy little use for it, but if i were to choose ill take ACER x64, is cheaper (lol) Now MSI has better wireless and bluetooth so i though that was a nice touch but again i think ill have little use but is always good to have it. When it comes to PORTS, the ACER has it beat, many more and more use to them plus a card reader. So it does sound that if i were to use ill take ACER but heck if you have some other lappies that i should take a look at, by all means ill take your advice
Good Chioce Dragon . . . I like the Acer as well and if you only intend to occasionally game on it, you probably don't need to rely on superior gfx; besides, you home honey serves your gfx needs. I don't have anything in mind regarding a lappy and it's been a while since I got mine. Let me snoop around for a day and see if I spot something along the line of the Acer which might be better or as good but less expensive. Monk
great post MONK, im telling everyone who is reading this, if they need anyhelp, directly ask you cuz man you just tough me somethin completely new. N i have become smarter with my shopping thanks to u. I will be considering the Asus f50-A1 i will keep on searching and hoping soon getting a choice, but heck there are hundreds of lappy, and only one can be mine so i have to pick the right one and only one N once i decide to learn how to overclock, i kno i will come to u first for a good teachin
Thanks Dragon . . . Thanks Dragon; I appreciate your kind words. Choosing any component today can be a daunting task, if only because there are often so many models/mfgs to choose from, as you well note. The other issue is wanting to get something that will be "current" for a few years. I went through the same trials before I decided on my current monitor (LG L227WTG). What makes the task a bit easier for me is to stay absolutely focused on the features I want/need. The more specific your needs list, the easier it will be to choose because a lot of components will not be able to satisfy your needs. My needs list is populated on the basis of my primary use of the component, i.e., what is available that will best do what I want to do. Secondly, while I do set a cost maximum limit, I remain flexible; if I find something that is exactly what I want but it costs a bit more I can always temporarily cut my expenses in other aspects of my life to afford the component. Thirdly, I consult many tech/forum sites and see what they think. Testers often push components beyond what I would require but, in doing so, they are able to identify potential issues for me. User reviews, perhaps because they are more bias (for example, I won't even consider anything by Sony) may not be as reliable but if you read enough of them, you may see a pattern develop. Finally, I consider brand, e.g., ASUS. Bottom line: focus on your primary use (school/work) for the lappy and first best fit that. Then, if gaming is a secondary use, look at the machines that satisfy your primary use and see which one(s) have good gaming features. Then buy and live happily ever after. It's like a marriage, you decide on who knowing there will always, in some sense, be someone "better" out there someplace. Monk
yea u r completely right, i should prioratize my needs and again this will not be a gamin lappy but it will be nice if it can handle some games. As you kno already im not lookin for one that i will play COD5 on its highest resolution or that can even play Crysis on 20fps. Due to the fact that i will never play those games with the lappy, but if any, when im away or somethin and i only have my lappy i wont mind to play my RTS games or Guild Wars or even WOW even though i only have one character in WOW and is being 3 years and the guy still on level 28 (that tells u how much i play lol) But yea school and work will be the need for it, due to being a staff manager when im away on vacation i need a good lappy to take care of some payrolls situation and people placing and when it comes to skool, being a CJ Forensic students keeps me near a computer a lot, but when im home i use my little beast desktop. I kno people have better than mine, but im very proud of my desktop and thanks to u Windows Vista has run problems free for 2months. PS: im goin to be placin another Forum regardin an issues with my girls lappy hopefully u can look into it
Round 2 Dragon . . . Looks like one of your hyperlinks did not copy (3 of 4 listed) OK: G50VM-X1 - refurbished (3 month parts warranty instead of 2 years) and not listed by ASUS for a new machine; same thing with the X5 (only listed by Best Buy as an exclusive deal and a few Net retailers I never heard of.) I NEVER buy refurbished anything because, if you look closely, they have next to nothing for warranties. Why? Probably because the mfg does not trust their longevity. Regardless, given that all of the X models you have mentioned are not widely sold or are "exclusive" to one retailer, I would avoid them as likely prototypes. Acer: an OK machine with low-end gfx and CPU at 2.0GHz. Nothing to write home about, especially when for $45 more you can get twice the machine (F50SV-A1 which has a 2.4GHz CPU, better card, etc). Pay attention son - I'm feeding you pearls here. Think long and hard about buying a machine that only one retailer is selling - and you've got to question why a mfr does not list a supposedly new product on its web site. Prototype, experimental model? I don't know but this is way beyond the usual enough to scare me off. Secondly, if seller and/or mfg only warrant their refurbished products for a few weeks (three months) even they don't like it! Finally, search the Net for reviews on either the X1 or X5: the Czech review on the X1 and a CNET review on the X5 (widely reprinted verbatim in several publications) are the ONLY reviews of these machines. So, $45 bucks more than your $900 limit (2 large pizzas and two six-packs) and consider an F50 or similar machine. The great and wonderful wizard of New Mexico has spoken. Monk