Eyeing new stuff

Recently my laptop informed me that its battery is reaching the end of its life. It was almost 2 years ago that I first got my Dell Studio XPS 16 and it has served me well for the most part. I still like its subtle backlit keyboard, wide screen and decent graphics. But where to go from here? Gaming laptops are notorious for being neither mobile nor graphic intensive especially when compared to a desktop of equivalent price. But as a student who gets around, I realized that mobility is not a luxury, but a necessity.

I’ve looked through some of the possible candidates for my new laptop. I wanted to get a notebook with Class 1 graphics this time e.g the best graphics that a laptop can offer. In addition, SSD is the rage these days and I’m looking forward to lightning fast boot speeds. A good screen is also important as I watch a cornucopia of TV shows and movies on my laptop. Finally I’d like a laptop that offers Blu-Ray support so that I can see what all the fuss is about.

Three brands have grabbed my attention thus far;
1. Alienware
2. Asus
3. MSI

Initially I thought Alienware would be the most expensive of the lot, and on closer look I found its design to be jarring and immature. But MSI’s higher range gaming laptops eclipsed even the Alienware juggernauts. Overall I preferred Asus’ G series notebooks which even offered 3D functionality on its screen and were priced decently.

Intel Core i7-2670QM (4 core)-2.0GHz (Turbo up to 2.9)
– Intel® HM65 Express Chipset
– Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64 Bit)
– 17.3′ FHD Color Shine ( LED / 3D )
– 8GB DDR3 1333 MHz SDRAM,
– 640GB  + 640GB 5400rpm Hard Disk Drive
– NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX560M with 3GB GDDR5 VRAM
– Blue-Ray DVD Writer
– 3-in-1 card reader ( SD/ MS/ MMC)
– webcam 2.0 camera
– Integrated 802.11 b/g/n
– Built-in Bluetooth™ V2.1+EDR
– 10/100/1000 Base T
– 1 x Microphone-in jack
1 x Line-in Jack
1 x VGA port/Mini D-sub 15-pin for external monitor
1 x USB 3.0 port(s)
3 x USB 2.0 port(s)
1 x RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert
1 x HDMI
– 8 Cells Battery : 5200mAh
– 32.5 x 42.0 x 2.09 ~6.20 cm (WxDxH)
– 4.28 kg (with 8 cell battery)
– color : Black Rubber Painting design

 

– Intel Core i7–2670QM (4 core)-2.2GHz(Turbo up to 2.9)
– Genuine WIndows 7 Home Premium (64 Bit)
– 8GB(4GBx2) DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM
– 15.6′ HD Color Shine LED / 3D
– 640GB + 640GB SATA Hard Disk Drive
– NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M
– 2GB GDDR5 VRAM
– Blue-ray DVD Writer
– 5-in-1 card reader ( SDXC/ MS/ MS Pro/ MS Duo/ MMC)
– 2.0 Mega Pixel Fixed web camera
– Integrated 802.11 b/g/n
– Built-in Bluetooth V2.1+EDR
– 10/100/1000 Base T
1 x Microphone-in jack
1 x Headphone-out jack
1 x USB 3.0 port(s)
3 x USB 2.0 port(s)
1 x RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert
1 x HDMI
– 8 Cells Battery: 5200 mAh 74 Whrs
– 39.1 x 2.7 x 2.0 ~5.0 cm (WxDxH)
– 3.78 kg (with 8 cell battery)
– 2-year limited global hardware warranty.

Both Asus G series laptops offer NVIDIA Geforce GTX 560M which is a high range graphics card where notebooks are concerned. As mobility is a big issue for me, I’m leaning towards the Asus G53SX with its 15.6′ screen and lighter weight. But I suppose my preference is still subject to change as I research more models.