Help me pick a laptop

[Griffin]

Okay fellow nerds, I am in the market for a new laptop. I will be using part of my tax returns so I have about a week before the funds are in order. But 1K is max budget. I am not a huge gamer but I do want to play the latest and greatest when i do play. So, I have not looked around extensively yet. But these two have caught my eye:

MSI E7235-295US Notebook PC - Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 2.0GHz, 4GB DDR2, 320GB HDD, DVDRW, 17" WXGA+, Windows 7 Home Premium, Black/Red at TigerDirect.com

Newegg.com - lenovo IdeaPad Y550P(324156U) NoteBook Intel Core i7 720QM(1.60GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD±R/RW NVIDIA GeForce GT 240M - Laptops / Notebooks

Thoughts? Advice? Alternatives?

[jasonb]

i just got an HP G60-630 a couple weeks ago. i don't know how it would work for games, not even sure what kind of games you are looking to play but it's working out great for me so far. i got it for $560 bucks, seemed like a steal to me.

[Griffin]

ASUS K61IC-A2 Notebook PC - Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 2.53GHz, 4GB DDR2, 320GB HDD, 16", BD Combo Drive, Windows 7 Home Premium at TigerDirect.com

Another one. Maxes out my budget but it's got 4G DDR3 7200RPM BD drive! and GT220. Only a small step down from the i7. Slightly smaller screen than the lenovo too. I've also seen mixed reviews of Asus quality. But I've heard bad things from all manufacturers. I like the looks of the MSi best I think and it's $200 cheaper.

[lockman]

My beloved craptop crapped out a couple weeks ago, and I need something quick. Real tight budget. So far I have no problems, good specs, runs quick, killer bang for the buck.

Gateway - Laptop with AMD Athlon™ II Dual-Core Processor - NightSky Black - NV5388u

[KZIWarrior]

Lenovo's are GREAT. So are HP (I'm on a dv7 now).

The biggest thing, IMHO is to stay CLEAR of Intel's embedded graphics. If you go AMD you'll likely get ATI graphics regardless but if you get Intel spend the extra money to have a 3rd party graphics (embedded is fine unless you're going to do a lot of gaming).

[mwhartman]

Just before Christmas, I purchased a 15 in Mac Book Pro. Great machine but it exceeds your budget.

I've been able to "sync" all of my music, photos, and emails with my Mac Book Pro without a problem.

[unix.punkx]

Just before Christmas, I purchased a 15 in Mac Book Pro. Great machine but it exceeds your budget.

I've been able to "sync" all of my music, photos, and emails with my Mac Book Pro without a problem.

Mac guy here myself as well. If you interested in a Mac, MacBook Pro, hands down one of the best laptops available.

[droid d'oh]

You'll never be sorry with lenovo, I've dropped my x200, smashed it with a hammer in the shop, and spilled coffee all over it and it still runs like a champ.

[Griffin]

Wow. Wasn't expecting so many responses. Thanks.

To complicate matters I have found that a Dell XPS 16 is just within my budget.
The Dell Online Store: Build Your System
I really really like this laptop. In the reviews there are a few macbook guys who switched and love it. The way I have it configured it has a true 1080p res screen, 4gigs DDR3, 7200 RPM hard drive, and 1gig dedicated graphics card. Oh and an Intel i7! With leather trim no less. I thought that was cool. I am not the guy that always gets the latest and greatest so I will have this laptop for probably several years. Just as I am stuck with my droid for the next two. I will not be upgrading as soon as the next cool android phone comes out. So I want a laptop that has specs that will keep up over the next few years and quality enough not to crap out on me right after the warranty expires.

The XPS 16 I built comes to $1200 which is $200 over my budget. I also work for the state so I get a discount. Problem is they have us shop from a special Dell Employee Discount site that forces you to configure with expensive options and it ends up being more not less. So I am going to try to call Dell and see if they will apply my discount to the $1200 laptop I built. If this works it will put it right in my budget! If not I will be going back to the MSI or the Lenovo.

[Griffin]

The Dell Online Store: Build Your System

Lower configured XPS 16 already under $1K.