Need a New Laptop (Fallout 3 Capable)

I am looking for a new laptop, but my specific requirements have made my search difficult.

I played Fallout 3 at a friends place last week and reaffirmed my belief that I must be able to play this game on my new computer.

Unfortunately, I am a student and can really only spend under $500 for the laptop.

The recommended system settings for Fallout are:
Intel Core 2 Duo processor
2 GB System RAM
Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 512MB RAM (NVIDIA 8800 series, ATI 3800 series)

Additionally, I want a laptop with an HDMI port.

Does anyone know of a computer model that would fit these specifications?

 

Try to find a used Gateway P series laptop. Probably your best bet.

 

Yeah, your best bet is to buy an used laptop. You will have a hard time finding it, but I think its possible. Great deals tend to appear in the NBR marketplace.

 

$500 for a new laptop that can play Fallout 3 on medium/high settings at 720p resolution or above, and maintain at 30FPS or better is just not realistic.

At this price range you will only find laptops with integrated graphics cards/chips that are not designed to play graphics intensive games, such as Fallout 3. Even if you do manage to run Fallout 3 on one of these laptops, the game will have to set on low graphics settings, low resolution, and run at a low frame rate, that ultimately it will not be enjoyable to play.

Like people have mentioned, try your luck on used laptops that have last generation graphics cards and CPUs. See forum marketplace, eBay, CraigsList, etc.

Or, you can buy a Xbox 360 Slim for $299.99 + Fallout 3 GOTY Edition for $57. And still have $140 or so left to spend on a used laptop you can buy on Craig's List for school work.

Or, you can build a gaming desktop for $500 (excluding monitor, speaker, mouse and keyboard), that can play Fallout 3 on high graphics settings and at a decent resolution.

 

lucky you. I just posted my laptop up for sale. http://forum.notebookreview.com/notebooks-desktops-sale/498999-fs-ft-dell-inspiron-1720-a.html#post6456165 It wont max fallout 3 but it will play it around med-high settings at 720p.

 

Thanks for the input so far guys.

@ Digity - Thats looks like it could be a good deal, but I am uncertain about a 3 year old computer, I would also prefer Windows 7. Thanks for the reply though.

I will keep looking on the NBR Marketplace and hopefully find somethin to suit my needs. If not I'm sure once school kicks in I wont have time for FO3 anyway.

 

Used Asus G51Vx-RX05 should do you just fine; I've seen them in the 500-600 dollar range.

I paid $800 for my Gateway and it runs FO3 at native resolution without any sort of issue or slowdown with most of the effects on (though that is with running the 5650 at 5730 clockspeeds).

 

Can't an Asus 1201N play Fallout 3 just fine? And the upcoming netbooks/subcompacts will cost $500 or less and have ION 2 and better dual core CPU's (like the Eee 1215)

 

With all eyecandy off at about 30fps, yeah. Cutting the draw distance on FO3 sucks especially if you like to blast people with the gauss rifle or sniper rifle.

 

here i found some on ebay for you to look at

G50vt-x1 (no previous feedback so be careful)
starting $400
buy it now $600
Asus G50Vt-X1; 15.6in C2D 2.26GHz 4GB 320GB DVDRW - eBay (item 250662444500 end time Jul-12-10 05:57:09 PDT)

G50vt (seems to have great feedback)
Starting $470
buy it now $575
Asus G50Vt Notebook/Laptop Core2Duo P7450 NVIDIA 9800GS - eBay (item 230496700506 end time Jul-12-10 19:25:41 PDT)

G50vt-x1 (fantastic feedback with lots of items sold)
Current bid $309.99 (12hrs left)
No OS Installed but has a Key
Asus G50Vt-X1 15.6in Laptop C2D 2.26GHz 4GB 250GB DVDRW - eBay (item 130407176689 end time Jul-12-10 10:51:12 PDT)

thats just a few that i found on ebay. Even though i have posted these i have not read through the entire auction page so make sure you read them all thoroughly. there are lots of others but youll have to check em yourself as posting em all would take a couple of pages on this forum lol

 

i have a G51 in the market place for sale, we could probably work out a deal.