Best for gaming...

Hey everyone,

I'm new to this forum and don't have a great technological vocabulary but my dell 700m has finally decided to stop working and I'm considering getting an Acer but want to make sure that I am getting one that will allow me to play PC games...So I was wondering if you all could help me find a good multimedia Acer computer?

Thanks

-candace

 

There are a few questions that need to be answered first, please read this FAQ.

 

Well I am a student and use my laptop for note-taking. Therefore, it will be traveling with me on a daily basis...

Watch movies
DL music
Take notes at class
Burn CDs
Play PC games (1701 A.D., Civilization)

Honestly I am completely attached to my computer, wherever I go, and I will always want to learn how to do new things with my comptuer. I want something that I can personalize and something that is versatile. I most certainly want the best specs as possible but the problem is I dont know what the best specs are!

-candace

 

General Questions

1) What is your budget?
around $1,200

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen


3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in. USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
I've never owned an Acer before so I'm pretty flexible but I want the absolute best that fits my budget

5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
-Gaming
-Note-taking
-Surfing the Net
-DLing music
-Watching movies
-Burning CDs
-School stuff
-Emailing
-writing papers
-AIM

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk? It will be traveling with me to school, on vacations, in car trips, to the library...

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Civilization
1701 AD (especially)
Rise of Nations
Age of Empires III
F.E.A.R.

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
at least 2 hours but I can buy a battery extension

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
I will be seeing the laptop in person before buying it

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
I am satisfied with XP SP2 but I really want Vista

Screen Specifics

11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
whichever is best for gaming and multimedia

12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?

Standard
a. XGA -1024x768 - Large and easy to read text + graphics icons, but you fit less stuff on the screen.
b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA.
c. UXGA - 1600x1200 - Very small text and graphics icons, you can fit lots of stuff on the screen.

Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
f. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Wider viewing version of UXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.

whichever is best with gaming and multimedia...I don't really know how else to answer this question, sorry

13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
glossy

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
i definitely want a stylish notebook

15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last? I will be buying this notebook over the next two months and would like it to last at least 4 years

Notebook Components

16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 200GB?
the absolute best that works with my budget

17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive? yes and at least a DVD-CD/RW but i really want the best in my budget


Thank you for your help!

 

I would recommend the Dell XPS with.
Core 2 Duo T7300/7200
NVidia 7900GS
2gbram
with a 100gb 7200 rpm

that is the best your going to get for a reasonable price.

good luck.

 

do you have any recommendations for Acer Aspires? My dad will be paying for the computer and he is pretty set on the Acer Aspires because his computer guy told him they are the best as far as getting good deals.

 

Acer graphics cards use PCI 64-bit instead of 128-bit like other models use so graphic performence takes a big hit. Just a warning.

 

If you really must get a Acer to game with then look into 5920 as it might be best solution for cost wisely but I must really say this.
http://us.acer.com/acereuro/page4.d...=en&ctx3=-1&ctx4=United+States&crc=3290301162
It may not have best resolution in term of the size of the screen.

Acer isn't really the best solution if you wish to game with small laptop with 14 or 15.4 inch. They have no products that can provide as much performance like Asus A8J which are 14 inch with very decent gaming capability. The Acer Ferrari lineup hasn't been refreshed yet. Then there is the build quality issue that Acer really needs to work.

 

I see... Gaming is actually my biggest concern because my Dell 700m didn't support ANY game I purchased so I have a ton that are just sitting in a drawer

Thanks for the info

 

It's hard to find a good gaming notebook in the 14" size, and I don't believe you'll find an Acer that has the type of performance you are looking for in a 14" laptop. Like mWMA wrote, your best bet is the Asus A8J, 14", nvidia go7700, 512 dedicated memory and a price close to your budget. Look here.

 

I don't think I understand Could you please explain what do you mean?