Is this a good gaming notebook?

Ok im going to college pretty soon and need a semi-mobile notebook, granted im not going to be carrying it around everywhere with me so i don't mind the bigger 17" chassis. I don't want some cheap ass notebook due to the fact that I love gaming as well. The notebook I have in mind is an HP ZD8000. I have customized the notebook and the system specs I have choosen are:

Intel Pentium 4, 630 w/HT technoloy 3.0 ghz
1 gig of ddr2 sdram
256MB ATI Mobility Radeon X600
100 GB 4200 RPM Hard Drive

With all the other crap, such as XP professional, Dvd burner, etc. The price comes to roughly 1450 (after my office depot discount). Would this be capable of running games such as Doom 3, half life 2 and the new half life 2 aftermath, Far cry, battefeild 2, etc?. Also what would other gaming notebooks would you recommend, and I cant afford a Dell inspiron 9300. I would appreciate any feedback. Oh and is it possible to get a 256 graphics card in a notebook with a 15.4" screen or is not possible due to the compatibility of the size of the laptop?

 

Why can't you afford a 9300? They come to about the same price after one of the 750 off coupons.

 

I'd also second getting the Dell Inspiron 9300. With the coupons Dell puts out these days, you could easily configure a laptop that would quite literally "pwn" the hell out of this one.

Reasons:

Pros for the 9300, Cons for the zd8000
Price: 9300 - $~1250 (after coupon), zd8000 - $1450 (your current config)
Vid card: 9300 - 256MB Geforce 6800 Go, zd8000 - 256MB Ati Radeon x600
Battery life: 9300 - 3-4 hours, zd8000 - 1.5 hours AT MOST

Anyway, it's your choice, but I can't really see why anyone would get the zd8000 after seeing what the 9300 can do. The $750 off coupon makes it all worthwhile.

Always get RAM from a wholesale manufacturer. Newegg.com has a 1GB stick for $110. I think HP charges $125 for that upgrade. 1.5GB sounds nice anyway.

 

Definately try to go for the Dell i9300. It'll be much cooler and much quieter, as well as lighter.

The pros outweigh the cons (though there aren't many cons )

The ZD8000 should be fine for most games, but you should really consider the i9300.

 

There is no WAYYY i could afford a dell. Dells are a complete Ripoff. even with the 750 off, a system similar to the zd8000 is gonna run around $2400! and then subtract the 750 off ur still left with a laptop running at 1650. 200 dollars over my price range. I'll admit the 9300 has the zd8000 beat with the 256 nvidia but i cant afford a 9300

 

Dell i9300
1GB of RAM (from Dell. Order from NewEgg to save even more)
100GB harddrive
1.6GHz Pentium M
Windows XP Home
256MB Go Geforce 6800
8x DVD/CD Burner

$2,066
-$750
= $1,316

$1,316 < $1,450

Add XP Pro and it'll be a few dollars cheaper.

I'm not trying to say that the Dell is perfect for you, but I'm telling you this: you will likely be more satisfied with the Dell over the HP. You can get the HP, but it will be a lot heavier, hotter, and louder than the Dell. It'll also get much less battery life.

 

Perhaps you are overestimating the cpu for the ZD8000. The 1.6 Ghz CPU for the 9300 will probably give you similar performance to the 3.0 Ghz Pentium 4 especially since it won't overheat as a P4 will. Also I believe that the 9300 will come with 5400 rpm HDs giving you superior performance in that area as well. If you are in Canada or some place where the coupons don't apply then the Dell will be too expensive, but if you're in the US I doubt you can find a cheaper more powerful machine than a Dell.

 

Ooh, I hadn't considered him being outside of the US.

Now it's easier to understand not being able to afford the Dell.

 

Oy, countries do matter.

 

Check out the Asus Z71v. Has the Geforce 6600GT 128MB, excellent sound and build quality. Failing that, an Asus Z70va (or M6V) -the newer version (Aug release) will sport a Radeon X700 128MB. Both these cards are pretty good for gaming, much better than the X600.

 

I think you're mistaken as there is no such thing as a Geforce 6600GT 128MB for a notebook as far as I know. I believe the z71v uses a Geforce Go 6600. This is very different from a 6600GT which is a midrange desktop card outperforms even the Go 6800s.
That isn't to say you shouldn't consider the z71v though for gaming. Also a Toshiba Tecra A4 can also be configured with a Go 6600, as some of the satellite series depending on your location.

 

wtf? do you like click on the most expensive upgrades... you can get a
pentium-m 750 1.8ghz
512mb ram(upgrade at newegg.com later)
256mb geforce go 6800
80gig hd

for $1600....

 

This forum is obviously an M processor/Dell forum. Hell, it only includes Dell coupons up on the site's browser buttons, not any others. I am in your same situation, just graduated high school myself and soon moving on to college. I even got my laptop as a graduation present just recently. I wanted something I can take around and would perform well even gaming. It is easy to conserve that hour and half battery time longer and I wasn't worried about that since even if I do move it around, I will keep it plugged in most of the time. That is why I went with a P4 Compaq X6000 because I did want the power of that desktop processor. Rather than everyone here telling you to go with a Dell and how the M processors are so much more superior to the P4s when in actuallity, they still sell the P4's and they actually cost more for a reason. Think that is just a coincedence? M lovers can bash the P4 all they want, but when it comes down to it, the Pentium still out performs it and they can't deny it. That is why computer manufacters still use the P4 in desktops and why the high-end gaming laptops use them also such as Alienware, Sager, etc. The power consumption thing isn't an issue to most "gamers" cases since they keep it attached to a wall. They just like the fact that a laptop is much easier to transport to a LAN party than a desktop is but they still plug it in. And the heat? lol, that's the funniest thing of all. The heat isn't bothersome and I have also used a Toshiba Satelite that is outfitted with this "mobile" M processor, and the exhaust was just as bad as my X6000 actually worse since it was actually directing the heat at my leg rather then my Compaq directing it out the back.

Unlike all these M processor sympathizers trying to convince you to go to Dell, which I did look at personally when I was looking for a laptop and found nothing more than a rip-off, I will answer your question. Yes, that HP could handle it with ease. And if you don't need all that extra media applications the HP comes with, go with the compaq to get the same exact thing and to save a couple hundred dollars.

 

yannick...wat do u mean a "ripoff"??...and wat do u have against Pentium M processors anyway?????

 

http://hardware.gamespot.com/Story-ST-15166-2282-x-x-x

have you seen this review of an XPS Gen 2 vs Alienware Area-51m 7700.

Look at the difference in ram.

 

Oh I don't have anything against it. I think it does just fine. I personally believe it is intended for certain uses just as different users have different tasks and requirements. More than anything I am playing on the defensive side for the Pentium 4 processors where as I find most users on this site are on the offensive for M's degrading the P4's over comments such as heat when I haven't used a laptop that didn't expel some sort of heat, both mobile processors and desktop ones. The only negative a P4 has in a laptop is the amount of power consumption on the battery. But even when someone comes on the site saying that it will be plugged in most of the time, you guys still throw the M at them and bash the P4. I have supported the M processor many times on this forum and others, but I don't see why it's the common recommendation for people that don't even require it. And regarding my distaste for certain Dell computers, I achieved that by doing research before buying the one I have. I built about 10 high-end computers and everyone of them cost less then the Dell. Including the Alienware. It was the first computer that I built that I disregarded.

 

Regarding the RAM doobie04, what is your point? Their testing was mostly based on the video card since the tests were through two games and also 3D software. Which is the only thing the Dells really have benefiting them is the fact they currently are shipping their laptops with the Go 6800. Other than that GPU, the hardware that comes on those Dell laptops aren't any greater then a lot of the brands that are represented on this website.

 

YannickB,

first you should calm down. i was just trying to show that an xps2 p-m with 1 gig of ram isnt really blown away my by an alienware with 2 gigs of ram and a p4 processor. im simply trying to say the 9300s price/performance ratio is nice, and by looking at this persons other thread he likes to game.

second i am not bashing a p-4, i personally dont give a damn what kind of processor is recommended.

 

ok i dont see how your saveing at dell 600$ off right now but dude thats
600$ instant not take off you realy not save much in the end after you buy all the **** so not much of a deal

 

either one will preform good. These were 2 of the 3 i was considering.
I only went with the dell becuse of the 40% off coupon and battery life.
What ever way u go u will love it.

 

yeh, Dell rips off the customer on RAM upgrades... the unknowing consumer pays the price for others' coupon deals..

 

Where do you get a $750 coupon? Does that work with the $400 mail-in?

 

it's either the $400 mail in rebate OR the $750 coupon OR the % off coupons...u can't combine them