Buying "Gaming" Notebook in stores...

Hi!!

Here is my problem:

I´m from Brazil, and my father is going to stay almost a week in the US working, and i´ve asked him to buy a notebook for me... My first idea was to buy from internet, from the HP shop, but my father won´t have a mailing adress, and they need US based credit card for buying, wich i DON´T have... So, i realized my father will need to go in a store and buy it for me...

Here are the computer spec that i´m wiliing to buy...
Intel Core 2 Duo 1.63 ghz
2 giga ram ddr2
256 Geforce 7400 (or any similar)
80gb HD
I´ve seen on internet that it would cost me ~US$1100, and i can´t afford much more than that...


But... I visit big stores webshop(bestbuy, circuit city, walmart) and i can´t find any notebook that has a good graphic card(i was thinking about buying a mid-range gc, maybe a Geforce go 7400)... They all have that Intel integrated 950...

Is that hard to find notebooks in stores that has a good Graphic card(at least dedicated)? Are there some other better places to buy notebooks? Are this stores more expensive than webshops???

Thank You!!!

 

In my experience you won't find anything decent in a store, unless I've just never been to the right stores. The local Best Buys and Co. have mid to low end Toshiba's, E-Machines, the occasional low end HP or Dell but nothing you'd really want. Maybe you could find something decent at one of the few remaining locally owned computer shops but it would probably take them a week to order/build something for you and maybe more.

That doesn't mean stop looking just be prepared for hardship.

 

Finding a good graphics card in main stream brands like Toshiba, Gateway, Sony, HP, Acer, and Dell is hard, ESPECIALLY in store. Most dedicated graphics card I see in these models are the Geforce 6150 (most of the times it's just integrated). Now, these companies do sell notebooks with good cards, but be prepared to pay a big premium...which I'm not sure you'd be able to with $1100.

For that price, you'd have to go with OEM models like Asus, Clevo, or Compal (not Compaq). You'll rarely ever come across these notebooks with Asus, Clevo, or Compal on it (even though they make a lot of the other companies' notebooks). I'm not sure how'd you get it shipped to Brazil, but that's generally how it is.

P.S. I wasn't aware that E-Machine makes notebooks...?

 

yea emachine does... you will have to go to like walmart.com or something to get one but they do sell them... and i got my hp in my sig for about 900 so if you can find a way to order online(money order checks or something that hp will take) then your amount will totally cover what you want

 

Velocity Micro is partnered with Best Buy, and they sell the Compal HEL80 for about $1,300, which is unfortunately over your budget. I'm not sure if it is available in-store either.

If you go with a 17" screen, you may be able to get the HP dv9000t, which comes with a Go7600 256MB.

 

Generally gamers are out of luck when it comes to buying "in-store" at big retail outlets. I have seen the HP dv9000 series (17") with the go 7600 in a COMPUSA though.

Hopefully you can find a way to get what you want. Otherwise, purchasing directly for delivery in your own country may be an option (albeit likely much more expensive).

Good luck.

 

ok, thanks for all the replies!!

i can see that probably i won´t find in stores what i need... But i was wondering if someone knew if there is any store(maybe smaller ones) wich u can order, and then buy in the stores... Do u guys know if there are some stores that do that?

Another question... Wich are good stores to buy notebooks(i just know bestbuy and circuitcity)?? There are any big stores that works specially with notebook or computers??(my father is going to texas)

Thank U!

 

Costco might do that; I know HP notebooks can be customized on their site. However, custom-configured notebooks take a week and a half or so to be built and shipped to their destination. Also, Costco requires membership.

I can't say I like any of the stores all that much, but Costco is at the top of my list, along with CompUSA.

 

Hi I am from Brasil too, in my experience you can try 2 stores: compusa or frys...

I also bought several notebooks from dell.com, wich you can pay with an international credit card. (hp.com does no let you do it....)

But you need one adress to receive the notebook in the US.

 

iskander

first question... at dell.com they ask for the "phone number on record with card issuer" from the credit card... what should i fill there? It doesn´t fit brazilian format numbers...... I have an aunt living in houston... she will be my mail adres... lol

Second question... How do u bring them to brazil? have u had any problem entering brazil?

Why they have different prices for home & office , and business notebooks?? Which should i buy?

 

Yes they ask a lot of things and sometimes they make a lot of trouble.

The ideal would be for your aunt to buy it for you with her crediit card and you fill the form and everything with her info. I did some purchases directly because the dell sale dep is quite "dumb" so you can fill the form and the purchase will pass by... but it's risk and some times you have to call them, because someone catchs the "mistake"... (just be sure that you fill the billing adress with delivering adress with the same name form the credit card... if you put your name - assuming you are male - and they check your aunt is a female you are in trouble...)

About entering Brasil that's pretty easy, just declare everything and pay the tax, normally it will cost you about 50% over the U$500 quota that you are alllowed to bring to our country. So if you pay around 900 (wich I think you will...) you will pay 900-500 = 400 x 50% = U$ 200 (or R$ 440).

Can I suggest something? if you can afford, you should buy this asus one at newegg, best gaming notebook for the price:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16834220104

U$ 1300 - U$ 500 = U$ 800 * 50% = U$ 400 (R$ 880,00 tax/imposto)
Final price 1300 + 400 = U$ 1700 (R$ 3800,00)

Dell final price = 900 + 200 = U$ 1100 (R$ 2500)

The whole computer is FARRR better then the dell one...

Newegg is realiable and I also made some purchases there, but I think that you need someone's credit card from the usa... (they do that to avoid nigerian hackers from purchasing lots using stolen credits card information...)

Any other help, just ask. (ps in private message too)

 

ok... no way i can use an american issued card... my aunt already denied buying using her credit card, she´s scared of buying from internet...

that one, really is better... but i need to buy from somewhere who accepts international credit cards... at dell.com, they didn´t asked for billing adress... they asked for the phone... The billing adress will be faaar diferent from the mailing... Maybe i can put in the mailing adress my name too... I have a Texas driver license, wich states that my adress is the same from my aunt...Do u think i should try anyway? And what about the billing phone? What have u filled? I tried to talk with that stupid online help, but she just couldn´t say anything useful...

And what about trying to enter brazil not declaring the notebook? i saw many many friends doing that and they never got any problem...

Thanks alot!!!!!

 

Well something you could do is to buy the notebook at a dell quiosque, wich you could check any quiosque around your aunts area.... or ask her to call any customer service to make a deposit or something...

About entering Brazil that's risky, last time I came from the US they ordered everyone to go check the bagage and some people were cought... it's your choice... but it's rsky... They only stoped me once...

 

I dont get why people are so scared of using their card on a reputatable site like dell or something.

It's 2007 dammit.

 

lol, it´s really amazing... Once she made me money order a guy from ebay, just because she didn´t want to take the money that was in my HANDS and buy with her credit card...

Thank u iskander for all your helop... maybe i will just make my father go to a store and try to buy what he finds...

BTW, is the gforce go 6115(or something like that) totally useless? i mean, there is ANY chance that i can play for example Battlefield 2(all low) whit that?

 

I think with that integrated card you can play at low resolution any game.. and some relatively old games (+2 years) at medium/high resolution. It's a decent card, here at the office we have a machine with that integrated card and plays anything so far....

I strongly advise your father to go to a dell quiosque and buy directly there the notebook, best option in my opinion. OR try to send a check or make a deposit/online tranfer to one online company. MAybe someone that speaks english fluently could call theyr customer service and check.

BY the way dollar X real = 2,08... very good time to buy suff there, i am planing to buy the asus one from newegg or a sony vaio... still not sure wich one.

 

i think the best thing would be buying online... but my father will stay just stay 1 or 2 days in the us now... so if the delivers delay(maybe because they are checking the credit cards biling adress and etc) i will pay, and stay without nothing... i will try to find about this dell quiosques and try to call them...

Yep, now is the perfect time for buying in the US heeheh... and it looks like it will drop even more...

BTw, where do u send the laptops u buy?

 

where can i find about these dell quiosques?

 

Dell sends them to an address - the kiosks are not what you think they are. They are mainly product displays. You can look at Dell products there and order them I believe, but it will still take some time to get it.

 

I thiink you should buy in an store now... cause any company that i know will deliver it in less then 48 hours, unless you pay a lot of money, just go to a store and try to check it. I would go to frys and compusa.... you can check the notebooks they have in their websites...