Laptop for College

Hey folks,
I'm starting College in the fall, and I am looking to get a laptop to use for classes and such.

Budget: Less than $1500
Usage: College (Engineering), lite gaming

First off, I already own a DS Desktop (that I love!) and I will have that at college (I'm living off campus, so I'll have the space) and I'm looking to get a laptop to use at classes and elsewhere on campus.

I don't really expect to do alot of gaming while I'm on campus (there for learning after all, ), but for when I'm outta town visiting family (holidays and such) I'd like to be able to game a little with the laptop.

Here is the minimum specs that the college recommended:

• Processor: Intel Multi Core or AMD equivalent, Apple Intel-based systems, or other system Equivalent to the aforementioned.
• Memory: 2, 4 or 8 Gig RAM
• Hard Drive: 500 GB or Larger
• Video Card: 256 MB RAM Minimum with 512 MB RAM or greater desirable for some applications
• Networking: 10/100/1000 BaseT Ethernet
• Wireless Networking: 802.11g/n
• DVD/CD Read/Write Drive
• 2 USB Ports
• 1 FireWire Port (Optional)
• Sound Card & Speakers
• Operating System: Apple Mac OS X (running, as a minimum, Version 10.5.x), Windows 7 with latest Microsoft Service Packs applied, or Linux (Ubuntu or SUSE Lunix would be good choices)
• Display: 13 inch or greater

Now here is the config I came up with:
Ticket Number: 569781
Total Price with Instant Savings: $1,439.00

Direct Load URL: http://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadsaved.asp?id=569781

Specifications:
Chassis Model: Digital Storm xm15 Laptop (Model: 5165)
Display: 15.6 Inch (95% NTSC Color Gamut) (Matte Surface) (16:9) (1920 x 1080) LED-Backlit Display <b></b>
Processor: Intel Core i7 2720QM (2.2 GHz Turbo Mode to 3.3Ghz) (Quad Core) (6MB Cache)
Thermal Compound: Premium IC Diamond CPU and GPU Thermal Compound (Reduces Thermal & Laptop Noise) <b></b>
Memory: 8GB DDR3 1333MHz
Primary Hard Drive: 500GB 7200RPM (SATA 3Gb/s)
Secondary Hard Drive: - Not Available
Optical Drive: DVD/CD 8x Multi-Drive (Writes and Reads DVDs, CDs)
Wireless Card: 802.11 B/G/N Wireless LAN Module
Video Card(s): NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M 2GB with NVIDIA Optimus Technology
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit Edition)
Warranty Plan: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty

Games I would play : Half-life series, Portal series, a couple of indie games
Now, I did consider a SSD ( I have one in my desktop and have gotten used to the fast speed) but I'm not sure if the decreased space is gonna cause problems later so I chose the 500GB.

Any help/opinions are greatly appreciated!
Thanks!


Edited by 3Circles - 22 Jun 2011 at 7:00pm

You can make it $1493

if you change the processor to

Intel Core i5 2520M (2.5 GHz Turbo Mode to 3.2Ghz) (Dual Core) (3MB Cache)

what kind of battery life can I expect during non-gaming usage?
during gaming?

Thanks!

Gaming will last about 2 to 2.5 hours depends on the game and if your wireless is on.

is it a benefit to have bluetooth on a laptop?  In what instances would it come in handy?

Also, is 8GB RAM overkill?
I know for gaming it's a bit much, but what about for schooling?


Edited by 3Circles - 23 Jun 2011 at 4:53pm

I have 8GB RAM selected in the config.  Do I really need 8GB or would 6GB be enough for gaming and school (engineering) usage?

well I just tried the same config (except for the gpu) on the x15, and it's a $426 difference.

is the better cooling worth almost $400 more?

yea I knew it wasn't going to be cheap, but the less battery life for the x15 does bother me.  None of these get good battery life to begin with, and decreasing it further is not the most appealing.

I would guess as long as I make sure the xm15 has plenty of access to air, that it should be ok.


although, the more time I spend thinking the more I seem to wonder if I need a "gaming" laptop or just a cheaper regular model.   But at the same time I want a good sturdy well-built laptop.  I need it to last a minimum of 4 years.  I also don't like all the crapware other regular pc/laptop manufacturers have.


hmmm