Hello everyone,

My laptop recently died and I need a new one. I bought a DS desktop a while back and love it, so am interested in having a DS laptop in the running.

The use will be for: casual gaming... WOW mostly and perhaps Diabllo when it comes out.  May also end up getting Starcraft.    General entertainment such as watching movies and netflix.

Don't want to spend a lot of $$... about 1300 max.

Please let me know what you think of this build.

Digital Storm Saved Config 445086

Ticket Number: 445086
Total Price with Instant Savings: $1,180.00

Direct Load URL: http://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadsaved.asp?id=445086

Specifications:
Chassis: Digital Storm xm15 5125 (Weight: 5.73 LBS)
Display: 15.6 inch Full HD LED Display with Enhanced Super Glossy Surface (Resolution: 1920 x 1080)
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i5-540M 2.53GHz (3MB Cache) (Dual Core)
System Memory: 6GB DDR3 at 1066MHz (High-Performance)
Inputs: Gigabit Ethernet LAN / Card Reader / eSATA
Main Storage: 500GB (7200 RPM) (16MB Cache) (SATA Laptop Hard Drive)
Extra Storage: - No Thanks
Raid Options: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: DVD/CD 8x Multi-Drive (Writes and Reads DVDs, CDs)
Wireless Access: 802.11 A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module
Features: Integrated Video Camera / Bluetooth
Outputs: HDMI 1080P / DVI Port / SPDIF Audio / Headphone / Microphone
Video Card(s): NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M 1GB (Features Optimus Technology for Increased Battery Life)
External TV Tuner: - No Thanks
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD)
Protection: - No Thanks
Office Suite: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Install/Test Game: - No Thanks
Carry Bag: - No Thanks
External Cooling: - No Thanks
External Keyboard: - No Thanks
External Mouse: - No Thanks
External Speakers: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Full Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Labor & 1 Year Parts Warranty

Raif,

Thanks for your reply.  I would like it to last 3 years at min.  Which video card for a medium graphics settings would you recommend?

Any particular builds you think i should take a glance at?

this gpu holds its own a lot better and is also dx11 which will future proof in some terms.

this was the other model i was looking at for you, how ever i did not want to suggest it due to your budget.

pros:
better video card and thats the only one

cons:
slower cpu by a hair
smaller hdd but same speed
shorter battery life

tbh dual cores are on their way out considering you can get a quad for relatively the same price on a desktop how ever not as close on a laptop. you will get a few years on your cpu before it is completely obsolete.

the problem with being a gamer is your pretty much forced to spend a decent chunk of money for decent performance you need a good cpu (not as important) a great video card (most important) and decent storage weather it is volatile (ram) or semi-perm (hdd).

there will be multi new lines of cpus coming out this nov- jan which will reduce the price on what you see here or make it scrapped. so you can get what you want now or wait till then for a better deal or a deal on something that was out of reach and now is in reach. bottom line it is up to you and how badly you need a new one.

which one would i get? option #2 if i could afford it or wait to afford it. reason being the cpu will be good for 3-4 years tops and same with the gpu. while option #1 is going down hill very fast. if you can spring for #2 with a 2.5ghz dual or quad core you will be better off and you will be able to get the time you want out of it. with a pc you get what you pay for, budget expect a toss system in a  few years
tops. 1500 - 1800 is the sweet spot for performance to cost. how ever 1300 is your budget and 1500 i understand is stretching it.

imo i would wait till jan-feb after all the shipping temps are gone so your laptop doesn't get used as a soccer ball. see whats around then and see what you can get for the money. this is of course as long as you can afford to wait and are not in desperate need of a new rig.

 
i wouldn't recommend anything under 2.5 ghz for even a casual gamer considering the recommended cpu power for most games now at days is a 2.5 dual core. but it boils down to knowing your game. for example wow is a cpu based game while many others and possibly the others you listed are gpu intensive games. sc2 is not something i know too much about and any details about d3 are under top secret security by blizzard.

they traditionally only release 1 game a year, however this year i heard they are releasing 2. now that means the 2nd will either be the new wow exp or d3. i am hearing more and more rumors of d3 however they did not release it to beta in blizcon. they usually relaese beta in blizcon to test it out. they did the new wow which means the new wow will be here this year and d3 the next hopefully.


i hope i am being of help, i am not trying to make you feel like you should spend more money then you have just trying to get you the best bang possible. bottom line buy what you can afford and nothing more.

i don't know if this will help you but it helps me. i have expensive tastes and not a very big wallet. my trick to overcomming this is saving. i keep saving accoutn for everything. weather it is a new or new to me car, computer, vacation ect. i budget how much i can afford to put away each month. for my coputer savings account which i will use as a example. i put $20 a week in, that maks over 4k in a 4 year period. this way i can get pretty much anythign i want with out having to break by neck doing it. i went to the bank put in the min aamount of money to opena frree acctoun set up automatic transfers and it was done no more work for me. i hope this helps and please don't take it the wrong way i am just saying the system works for me and it releaves a lot of stress. now i never have to worry about having money for computers b/c i know every so often i will have a new one with out me having to cut thigns from my life to get it how I want IT and not how my wallet lets me.


Edited by Raif - 03 Oct 2010 at 10:54pm