How good is the gateway nv?

Hi all,

I've been looking at this computer .

I'm just wondering how good it is. I originally wanted an Envy or MacBook but this computer looks pretty decent, and I would feel less guilty about buying a new one two years down the road.

I just want to be able to watch sports on it, watch movies, play Sims 3, do homework, sync iTunes... that type of stuff. Would this computer hold up all right?

I've never had a Gateway before so I'm not too sure how it compares. I'm using a Sony CW series right now, but it doesn't have a video card of its own, and I'm thinking it would hold up better if it did.

Thanks in advance!

 

There have been a handful of threads about the NV series that can be brought up by searching.

2 things I always note are the left/right click buttons are combined into a single button, so you must press on the outside and it may get slightly annoying if you plan on using the touchpad a lot, although you can get used to it fairly quickly also. The other thing is when you plug in the power cord the laptop beeps fairly loud, if you mute the speakers it won't make a noise.

Most of the NV series are good bang for buck, the NV5822H looks like it is also.

"Up to 10x the Performance of Integrated Graphics
Whether you play the top games like The Sims 3 or edit HD movies, GeForce G210M GPUs accelerate your computing experience."
http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_g210m_us.html

 

I'd get it. I have the NV5207u and am quite satisfied with it. The loud beep when you plug in the AC adaptor is quite annoying, but other than that, it's quite the computer. I'd personally go with a model with an ATi video card over nVidia, but that's just me.

 

I'm also in the exact same boat as you. I've been looking at that notebook @ future shop and this one ( http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/cat_sku.asp?CatIds=72%2C73%2C74,4238&webid=830077&affixedcode=WW) available at Staples.

From what i can discern, these are the only differences:
Future shop / Staples
T6600 / Turion 2 M500
500 GB HD / 320 GB HD
Geforce G210M / ATI HD4570
$699 / $729.

Personally I would want the T6600 + ATI HD4570 combo, but life is never that easy . I've read that the T6600 is superior to the M500, and it looks like the G210M is on par to the HD4570. What do the experts think and where would you place your money?

 

Those NV's are great for the price, they pretty much blow away any other portable in that price range.

 

Alpine84!

Im looking at the exact same computers and Im totally stuck. I think the one running T6600 and GeForce210m has 4gb ddr2 ram and the one running Turion 2 M500 and ATI HD4570 has 4gb ddr3 ram. Is the difference in Ram really noticable??? I know the T6600 is better than the Turion, but the ATI graphics are better than the GeForce graphics! Can anybody please offer an opinion on which would be better for basic gaming? Im talking about games like the Diablo/Starcraft series and not heavy demand games like Crysis or COD Modern Warefare. I am aware that laptops are not for gaming, but typically games like Diablo/Starcraft have average requirements.

The T6600 is only $20 cheaper, so price isn't the problem! HELP!

 

I don't think you're going to see a side-by-side review of the 2 laptops you're looking at.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-G-210M.17638.0.html
This review shows 3DMark05 comparison of the G210M and HD4570
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 6824
NVIDIA GeForce G 210M 6841

You can look up other comparisons and reviews, but they seem pretty close. It's a tough comparison, IN MY OPINION if you're just doing average things with the laptop then the T6600 would be the way to go, since the difference in processor should be more noticeable than the difference in RAM speeds. It will of course depend on what you use the laptop for, and whether you need faster RAM or a faster CPU.

 

I've rechecked the staples website and the ram lists as 4GB DDR2 for the Turion II M500. I'm probably going to go with the T6600 at Future shop as I can probably find a few people selling future shop gift cards for cash. My goal is to bring the price down to about $650, which would create a $80 spread between the two... a significant amount of change and enough to completely sway my decision over to the T6600 model.

Honestly, for diablo 1/2 or starcraft 1, each of these notebooks will probably be overkill. I use to play starcraft 1 on a GMA950 on my old 12" toshiba without a problem. I think these notebooks are good enough to handle games like COD on low graphics and low res.

 

I just got the nv5335u from BestBuy and it's a great laptop. The LED screen is incredible and a big difference from an LCD screen. Funny how this laptop isn't even listed on Gateway's site. I wonder if this is specifically made for BB. The laptop came with 3gb RAM but I replaced it with my dead HP tablet's 4gb RAM. The mouse button is a strip and yes you have to click the edges to work but it works. Also love the separate num keys and no flexing of the keyboard or palm rests.

 

Lots of great feedback! Thanks to all who have responded.

I'm just looking to be able to play the NEW Diablo (3) and Starcraft (2) that should be comming out within the next year. No specs have been released, but based on all the info I've been able to find here I think either one would be good. I keep seeing alot of people with the nv5335u, so maybe I'll check that one out as well. All 3 would probably be overkill for the types of games I want to play though! LOL!

 

Looks like the nv5335u is only available in the USA

 

BTW the estimated battery time is 3.5 hours. The bottom doesn't get hot unlike HP. It's also light weight and solidly built. No creaks or squeeks at all. The fan is quiet and I love where the power button is. If you decide to change the HDD or memory it has a one piece plate under the unit. The speaker is loud also. The only downside is it can only take up to 4gb RAM max according to BB specs and no bluetooth.

 

Wow. I was just at staples and they have just marked the Amd Athelon computer down to 599! If you haven't bought yet Alpine, maybe that will help with your decision! I was settled on getting the future shop computer for 699 because it had the slightly better processor, but now im torn again!

 

lol gunner i just saw that too online... i think it's time to pull the trigger. It's a really great price and even if i were to find some futureshop GC's i doubt i would be able to bring the price down to $600. Funny thing though, I just received a couple of GC from a friend to BESTBUY sigh... that's my life lol.

 

So, what do you think you're going to do?

 

It's a done deal. I went to redflagdeals, waited in the staples coupons thread for a little bit and picked up a $30 off online coupon (if u have better timing, u can probably pick up a little bit more as the coupons are stackable) and brought the price down to $570 online pre tax. At that price, there's nothing out there that comes even close to providing similar value for the dollar. I'll be picking it up tomorrow from my local staples shop and hopefully i'll be a happy camper for the next few years

 

I bought mine last night. Good luck Alpine! Let's hope we've made the right decisions. Thanks to everybody who posted!