15.4 inch gaming

ok here i go. i was just about to order my awesome hp dv9000t, when my parents asked me if this thing is small enough to take around with me everyday in college.*headache* so that got me thinking, most of my friends use 15.4 inch notebooks and say that the 17 inch ones are far too big for college use. Im a big gamer and i just gotta ask one question. whats the best graphics card available on a 15.4 inch notebook and what notebook would that be?

 

Currently, the x1600/7600, though the 14" ASUS A8js has the 7700....


However, it shouldn't be too long before current models *may* get a slight update, though don't expect anything in the 7900 Range...

 

15.4"ers are exactly ideal for gaming, but they get the job done. It's a double-edged sword, you get better portability, but you sacrifice raw performance power.
I'm not saying you shouldn't game on them, I know people who play games all the time on their 6400s, but it won't measure up to 17"ers.
But since you're a student on the go, stick with the 15.4" and save yourself alot of strain.

 

if you have the money.. and your serious about gaming..

I highly recommend a nc8430... business class power... radeon x1600 graphics card.. the equivelent of a go 7600.. so.. you do get a nice bit of raw power..

I personally don't want to upgrade to a 17" screen simply for the reason that most of the 17" don't really offer much better then the x1600 even thou they are capable of much more powerful cards..

anyway.. I myself will be purchasing the nc8430 very soon (my parents helping I'm shelling out half... my dad agreed to match whatever I put into it)
So.. anyway.. according to all the reviews I have read on it.. it is a great gamimg machine..

Granted I don't have one.. I can say that I have high expectations for mine.

also.. keep in mind the 17" ordeal is relative.. I am a pack mule.. I can carry who knows how much so a 20 pound laptop wouldn't be a big deal.. but, I don't think its worth the extra power would be worth it.. If i upgrade the screen size(pointless not to).. I gotta upgrade the power.. meaning its going to cost more in the long run.. (keep in mind that have to max out the graphics card and thats a personal thing.....) So.. its all up to you.. personally I think the nc8430 is a great choice for gaming and moblity

 

I also recommend HP Compaq NC8430. Its 15.4 inch, way enough power to play games.

I hope you've actually seen a 17 inch laptop in person. They're much bigger than you'd think they were. I was eyeing the Inspiron E1705 when I first came to NotebookReview, until I saw one in real life. It was HUGE. Now, I only look into 15.4 inch or 14 inch laptops.

 

one of the main reasons i started looking into 15.4 inches is because i went around town looking at 17 inches. i saw the dv9000t i was looking at and i thought "dang man thats not worth carrying around". even the guys who worked at the store said that 17 inches is too big. btw i saw the nc8430 at a lan party i recently went to. verry nice imo.

 

You can a x1600 or 7600 on an 15.4" asus notebooks, and some of they look much better than the hp.

 

17" is very big and hard to carry around I think. But it has the best performance you can get in a notebook.
15.4" is portable and has good performance. So I think the best deal for you is to go for a 15.4" notebook. But you can also wait for Santa Rose notebooks, they will have newer features and also better videocards.

Charlie

 

You probably want to stick to a 15.4" or smaller system. If you're planning to take it around with you everyday, I suggest a 14" system. You can still get an x1600/go 7600 (go 7700 is coming out on the Asus A8Js very shortly) with 14" gaming systems and get additional portability.

Fill out an FAQ and post it in the What Notebook should I buy forum for some personalized recommendations.

It depends on which 17" systems you are looking at. The ones which feature gaming will generally have very powerful GPUs.

 

Filling out the FAQ will give you a lot more suggestions with different options. Consider doing that

Just to answer your question, the X1600 and nvidia 7600 are the most powerful 15'4 cards out there at the moment, although both are scheduled for an upgrade soon (nvidia 7700 and Radeon X1700).

Depending on your budget, theres a plethora of options in the 15'4 realm, and some in the 14'1 area as well. For a 14'1, check out the Asus A8Js, most powerful 14'1 inch laptop out there, due this month. C2D with a gig of DDR2 (upgrade it aftermarket) and a 512MB nvidia 7700. Great package.

15'4 inchers have a lot more options ranging from the bang-for-the-buck-without-any-compromise-for power Asus barebones (s96j and z96j) to the extremely versatile-priced np8430 from HP, all the way to the expensive (but nice looking) S1 from LG (my sig for specs). It all depends on your price range there

 

well....since i REALLY want to get the most bang for the buck, and since iv got a few more months before i leave, im gonna wait for the go7700 and the x1700. i mean if im gonna be paying this much for a laptop anyway, i want to get the most performance i can squeeze out of it.

 

It depends on which 17" systems you are looking at. The ones which feature gaming will generally have very powerful GPUs.
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Although I'm buying a computer capable of gaming.. its not nessicerly a gaming computer.(if you catch my drift)

and while i'm here how long until the 1700 and such comes out? I mean if its going to be a few days I will go ahead and wait.. but, if its going to be a few months... no point in waiting.

 

17 inch is absolutely huge-you could take one on a camping holiday and use it as a tent. If portability is involved in anyway then don't get a 17 inch (unless you're not going to be walking much and will be using using cars/trains/buses). I've got a hp nc8430 and it is well sweet, an excellent balance between raw power and portability, whilst being solidly built.

 

a few minutes ago i discovered the Asus A8J. It seems to meet and (excessivlely ) exceed my needs in a notebook. Can anyone who owns this notebook give me their oppions on it?

 

I believe the A8J was suggested among the suggestions as it seems to fit your needs
Dont own one personally but you could find a few reviews of it on here as well...maybe it can answer some of your questions.

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2984&review=Asus+A8Jm
Asus A8Jm review

Also, the A8Js is to be released shortly, it gets some upgrades from the regular A8Jm, mainly a Core 2 Duo processor and the new nVidia 7700 video card. Look out for it as well