Buying a new gaming laptop can be a little scary. There may be doubts that you may have done better if you had ordered the other laptop that was just a little better for just a little more money. I know the feeling. What you want to go for is the feeling you get when you set down for the first time, get it cranked up and play one of your favorite games for a couple hours and realize you and your new toy are going to be friends for a long time.
The Graphics Card.
I have had a fondness for GeForce graphics cards, that is because Dell likes to use them, but there are a whole range of cards out there. ATI has a series of top cards. The Radeon HD 5800 series including the Radeon HD 5870, 5850 and 5830. You want to make your card has at least 1 GB of dedicated video memory, more is better but 1 GB of dedicated video memory should run anything you have like 3d games or watching high-def DVDs.
The Operating System.
I like Windows 7. It is stable, my games run well on it and it works well with my wireless network. I can watch, pause, rewind, and record TV or even work if I want.
The Intel Processors.
Intel’s newest processors are the Core i7, Core i5, and Core i3. The Intel Core i7, Core i5, and Core i3 processors are faster and more expensive than the Core 2 Processor. These processors are built for running high demand progromans. They are great for video editing and gaming.
Core 2 Duo processors first came out in 2006. Computer manufacturers are at this time still selling Core 2 computers. The Alienware m11x-2894CSB 11.6-Inch Laptop comes with a 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 Processor. Don’t sell it short, this keep the cost down if you are on a budget and with a great video card and enough RAM it comes out as a great gaming laptop. I believe that the faster processors put more drain on the battery. This may explain why the Alienware AM11X-2894CSB can have a battery life of up to 8 hours, 39 minutes.
What to Avoid.
This is just my opinion, but if you want to play games on a laptop and not have all kinds of problems getting the latest game to run then avoid Macs. For me a Mac + a new game = a headace.
I would play games on nothing but PS-3 and Xbox but sometimes I need a laptop for gaming. Sometimes I have to go to long impotant meetings and the only way to get through some of the presantations is to play Age of Empires online. It takes skill to look like you are interisted and taking notes while you are taking down the Roman empire. I get the fastest Dell I can afford with the latest Windows and I get along fine. I did not get along fine when I tried gaming on a Mac.
If I did a lot of video editing and the company I worked for would buy me a new laptop exerytime there was a new operating system upgrade then I would love using a Mac. That is just my opinion.
How much RAM?
Windows 7 takes up a lot of RAM. Today I would not advise you to buy a new notebook with less than 4GB of RAM, or more. Gone are the days when games were 8 meg. Now a new game can take a gig after you have played it a few days.
How much Hard Drive?
You need to have at least a 320GB hard drive depending on how much you have to store. The new games take up a lot of room on your hard drive and if it gets full your game play will slow down. Less than 320GB is just too small. It is always a good idea to have plenty of free space. It improves performance and the load times of your programs. Less size than 320GB is just too small for the games today.
Learn as much as you can before you buy a gaming laptop, make sure you are getting a notebook that you will be happy with. Do your research and get the best notebook for playing games you can for your money.