Thinking of getting a new notebook, help me decide which one

I saw the DV7-1245DX & the DV7-1275DX (I like this one better, but it's $350 more) today while at Best Buy today.

Unlike my last notebook purchase a DV9225 2 yrs ago, I wasn't on any forums & did not know allot about notebooks, features, upgrades, etc.

So now I'm here I'm asking, which one should I get, or are there any other recommendations?

I want one I can swap out to a 12 cell battery.

In all these years HP never made one for the DV 9000 while the smaller & "lesser" notebooks got one, why I'll never know.

Some have said in the past, just buy a 2nd battery, which I wanted to do, but get a 12 cell one like I had with my older Gateway 17" notebook.
5.5 hrs of time vs just under 3 was great!

Anyway, since this is my main PC & I game from time to time, I want a PC that won't be sluggish when I try to run Crysis, Dead Space, Far Cry 2, you get the point.

Wireless N is a must as is 4 GB of ram.

I burn allot of CD's & dual layer DVD's so a good burner is a must.

Oh, & at least 17". I don't think I could go "backwards" to a smaller screen.

So, should I by an "off the shelf" notebook, or should I do a CTO & if so, that's where the recommendations for a model number & options come in.

Thanks.

 

I could not find the DV7-1275DX on the Best Buy site, but I did find the DV7-1245DX. It will not run Crysis well at all. It has one of the best integrated graphics cards, but it's still integrated. That means it cannot game well. If you're going to go with an HP dv7, I'd recommend a dv7t with the Nvidia 9600GT. I still think that HP will only allow the 17" to use a 8 cell battery, but it can be a "high capacity" one... HP actually now sends some dv7's with 6 cell batteries, I guess to keep the starting price down. If you get a dedicated graphics card (like the 9600GT) then you'll get at least an 8 cell. This FX 17" Gateway will play games VERY well and it's only $1050. It comes with a 9 cell battery which is the biggest Gateway offers.

 

I Just had a freind buy the dv7-1245dx from bestbuy. Its not really designed for gaming with its graphics card and its idle was high at 60°C

 

You will definitely NEED the 9600m GT, and you might wanna overclock if you play Crysis, and Far Cry 2. We are unfortunately stuck with DDR2.... Without overclocking the 9600m GT DDR3 you get a 3dmark of 6800 stock. With the stock speeds of the 9600m GT DDR2 you get a 3dmark of 4500!!!! What the HECK?! After overclocking my dv5t I got 5994 and that is absolutely pushing the limit.

 

By the way the temperature issue is not apparent in my dv5t mine idles at 40 degrees Celsius so you should be fine in a dv7. When I play Crysis for an hour I get to 70 degrees and hang out around there. I play with my back of the surface about an inch..

 

I would go with the Gateway FX that the guy recommended to you on the first reply

 

I like Gateways, but they don't have an option to shut off the touchpad & no slot for an addition hard drive so it's limited far as extra internal storage goes.