Best Weight to Performance Ratio?

Hey everyone, I'm starting a new gig next week. And the company will supply me with any laptop I want. As long as it's an HP Compaq! So, I'm posting here. I don't need a DTR as they are also supplying me with a desktop PC for my office. But, I'll be doing a lot of travelling and need something very portable. If that were the only issue, it would be easy to pick the lightest HP Compaq notebook available. But, no. I also have to process big pictures AND I like to play FPS games online. So, with that in mind, which HP Compaq laptop can handle the likes of Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror and Doom3, yet can be toted around airports wit aplomb. Like five pounds or less?!

Okay, lay it on me!

Nobbie[ ]

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Fujitsu P5010D - 512MB - 40GB - XP
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Generally, the only units that will be up for the task, that is on HP's lineup, is in their NC/NW series.

HP NC6000 (14.1" LCD, PM CPU, approx 5lbs, ATI 9600 GPU w/32 or 64MB)
HP NC8000 (15" LCD, PM CPU, approx 6.5lbs, ATI 9600 GPU w/64 or 128MB)
HP NW8000 (Same as NC8000 except has an ATI FireGL T2 w/128MB, this card is more suited for 3D rendering/modelling, NC8000 better for games)

-Vb-

 

If its got to be HP, then go with the NC...series, that is. This is one of those rare occasions where VB and myself see completely eye to eye. I would also go so far as to say that this selection beats out the competition, such as the IBM T42 or Toshiba Tecra M2 (I am sorry if I just opened a huge can of worms).

Maybe one day HP will get around to installing the more power-efficient ATI MR 9700 in the nc6000s...then there will truly be no competition.

 

By the way, what gig is that, nobbie? I want a piece of that action-any notebook you want? SWEET!

 

Reverend,

Regarding the NC6000, we always see eye-to-eye. This is one of HP's best units they have in their lineup.

The only problems I have with this unit/HP, would be the models they have available in Canada. HP NC6000 w/32MB ATI 9600, how crappy is that?! If they had the options available to the US (Config-To-Order), I'd be working on a new HP system right now rather than my 3+ year old Toshiba, which I might add, has been flawless for 3+ years, not a single repair (knock on wood).

For about the same price, I can get a different brand with overall better specs, but I loose out on HP's excellent warranty (standard 3 year international).

-Vb-

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by ReverendDC

 

Yes, even with the slowest CPU, you will still be able to play GPU intensive games. Pretty much all games now off-load the graphics processing from the CPU onto the GPU. So, if your GPU is lacking, say goodbye to graphics intensive games.

Regarding Doom 3, my brother played it on a P3-866 w/512MB & an Nvidia GeForce 3 w/64MB. While I could play the game, it ran at 3fps in the action areas on my P4-2Ghz w/512MB & an ATI Radeon All-In-Wonder (7200 or 7500 GPU). As you can see, even though my CPU was superior to my brother's P3, I wasn't really able to play the game. GPU makes all the difference these days.

So, the NC6000 would be your best choice. The NC4010 I think has an intergrated ATI GPU w/upto 64MB of shared memory. Integrated video is not the best choice for anything graphics intensive.

-Vb-