Laptop assistance
 

I currently want a laptop to be used for a combination of school and video games. My old laptop runs fine (it's a dell) but it's time for a change.

Budget $600

Preferable:
RAM 4GB
Memory - 250+
Card -> Not intel integrated (is AMD okay now?)

Other things to look for would be appreciated since I've been out of the computer market for a few years now.

I have no idea what's good (no, I will NOT buy Sony...)

No one has any ideas on good laptops or which may be good this time of year? :(

Gaming laptops haven't really been the most viable option ever. They exist but at the $600 mark, it might be a little difficult.

That said: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...468&CatId=4965

Take a look at this. It's not bad by any sense of the word, and I think it fulfills most of your requirements. [And has a blu-ray player, if that interests you at all.]

Well, here's a question, what would make for a good laptop in that price range?

Thing is, I've just been told that Intel was much better with the i5 series. I thought the Intels were bad for the integrated chips but I'm wrong for the mid range laptops.

Basically, I'm out of date on all my info, so could use a lot of guidance to get back up to speed.

Either the one I linked if you want AMD, or this one if you want Intel:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...012&CatId=4938

Would be my recommendations.

I've got one of these:

http://www.ottawaprices.ca/WebProduc...op-G62-352.jpg

On boxing day sales, it was just about $500, and it's been reliable so far. It's got built in webcam, wi-fi detection and really good speakers. I can safely say that any problem I've had with it was my own damn fault, and if you've got good virus protection and dun spill anything on it, you should be fine.

It runs Borderlands, TF2 and L4D well, and the only thing I'm angsty 'bout right now is my download speed, which isn't the fault of the laptop.

Huh, you can actually run games with Intel stuff now?

I wouldn't try it. Even if you can run current/old games (TF2, L4D are both pretty old, Borderlands less so), it won't have legs, most likely.

To put it bluntly: Don't expect to play with any bells and whistles on a $600 laptop. Plus you're pretty much stuck with the hardware and that's that.

Games are for gaming rigs. In my honest opinion: gaming laptops are a waste of money 'cause of how fast spec requirements are increasing. Your laptop'll be outdated faster than you can blink..and again: you're stuck with the specs.

With that said, if you're getting a laptop for school you really could afford to lower your price range down a couple hundred bucks, hell maybe even more than half. Use that money for other materials you'll need. Like fuckin expensive books.

laptops: convenience and utility.
Desktops: modularity.

Hey, I run everything on default settings and I've got mo problems. That being said, Skweeb's right. I'd invest in a notebook - a small thing that's easy to carry around and doesn't take up much room. Textbooks are expensive - like $150 to $300 expensive.

That being said, my priorities aren't on straight, and I'd advise you to buy a gaming desktop PC with a monitor like this:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar0...cnotes02_l.jpg