BestBuy Sale starts 11/22 - New Gateway Model NV5332U for $429

Info originally found at SlickDeals

So this model is brand new, but I really like what I've read about Gateway's NV line.

That spec list is a little vague, what exactly is that processor? Is this a good deal? Are there any good promo codes flying around?

I assume it will look something like this, but we still await official images of this new model.

 

The processor is probable a Turion II M600 like on the NV5331

 

Is that any good?

 

It is an M300 processor. Here is a site that shows mobile processor specs for comparison:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html

With some of the shopping I've been doing, this seems like a good price since they are including the laptop bag and mouse. If you don't need either of those, then you can do better.

 

I've been eying the NV5211U model for a couple of weeks, priced at $479. On the surface, the main difference seems to be 3Gb on this model vs 4Gb on the NV5211U.

Remember that product numbers can be created as a way for a retailer to differentiate the product they are selling from that of other retailers. This can be done to price matchiing and/or to make subtle changes to the product in order to sell it for less, as in this case.

So the question is this: where are they saving money in order to sell a $429 package.

I haven't been to the store yet, but the bag I have seen in the circular and online is clearly a throwaway - it's not a backpack, won't hold much more than the laptop without unsightly bulges. And the mouse probably has a $20 street value.

The ability to compare by processors is not made easy by either Best Buy or Gateway (or AMD, for that matter). Thanks to stevechr for sharing the link to NotebookCheck.net

While both hold a max of 4Gb of RAM, you will have to pay at least $40 to get there, depending upon whether it requires a 1Gb or 2Gb stick (which would leave you with an usuable but saleable 1Gb stick).

But now you're at $469. While the procs are similar, the NV5332U runs at 2.0Ghz vs 2.1Ghz, and uses what I think is a slightly older proc.

Bottom line is that it is not a very good deal. Seeing that it comes with a 64-bit OS, I would rather have the 4Gb and a slightly better proc than an external mouse and a throwaway bag.

 

Thanks for the insight.

cmross, I'm trying to help my friend buy a 15-inch laptop for $400-450. So I've been constantly looking for a deal that packs alot of punch.

Do you have any recommendations?

 

Let me restate from my earlier post. It's not that the Gateway NV5332U package is a bad choice of laptops, just that it's a not a good deal if you're comparing and can afford to spend a few more dollars.

That said, if I were recommending just a laptop within that narrow window, my choice would be the HP G60-549DX at $429. I went in and looked at it personally and found it to be a really nice machine. Normally priced at $499, so you may have difficulty finding it at your local Best Buy, but it's worth checking out.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+La...lver/9601332.p?id=1218130741741&skuId=9601332

 

I just bought this package from BestBuy as a Christmas gift for my daughter. I am charging the battery now just to test it out before I wrap it up. Without trying it out I must say that I am impressed with its sturdy design. The two things that made me buy this particular laptop...besides the very good price, was that is a dual core processor AMD Athlon processor and that it comes with the 64 bit version of windows home premium and not the 32 bit version. The 64 bit will take full advantage of the 64 bit dual core processor.

 

Would someone be willing to compare the HP - Laptop with Intel® Pentium® Processor - Black/Silver Model: G60-549DX available from Best Buy and the Dell Inspiron 15 (1545). Dell is offering this at $449 with rebates, so the price is about the same. Which is better? I am looking at this as a gift for my wife who just needs a nice basic laptop--and I need to stay under $500.

Thanks.

 

I have to disagree with the negative outlook on this laptop being a bargain, at least if you care about gaming at all. The difference between 3 and 4 GB of RAM and 2.0 and 2.1 GHz clock speed on the processor pales in comparison to the difference in performance between the integrated (read: non-upgradeable) graphics chipset permanently embedded on both machines. Memory throughput is DDR2 800 on both systems, and the processors are pretty close to twins save for the name of the manufacturer. Neither one stands out as a beast for cpu/memory/multitasking in comparison to the other, but gaming is a different story.

Look no further than the benchmarks on this very site:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html

3dmark06:
1800 points - Gateway NV5332u (ATI Radeon HD 4200)
567 points - HP G60-549DX (Intel GMA 4500 HD)

That is over three times the gaming performance. The benefits of CPU and RAM offered by the HP are really only useful if you are heavily multitasking and/or using memory intensive apps. Myself, I run photoshop and various IDEs a lot as well as WoW. For me, running WoW better while being only slightly slower for the more business related tasks makes the Gateway NV5332u a winner. If I ever feel the need to do so, I can upgrade the RAM for less than the difference in cost between the two models to virtually level the playing field.

Frankly, the NV5332u is in my opinion a dream come true to people who both work and play on their laptop. You'll be hard pressed to find a new laptop more competent in both fields for less than $600.

 

Oh, and for the record, it seems Gateway sacrificed a bluetooth adapter to keep the price point low. Good thing BB includes an RF wireless mouse with the bundle.

 

I was also looking at both of these and was wondering how they could sell the NV5332u model for $449 and the NV5211u one for $479. The most obvious thing is the amount of RAM 3GB vs. 4GB.

But oddly enough the NV5332u model has a newer HD 4200 ATI chipset which offers dual decoding of HD streams - compared to the NV5211u's HD 3200 1 stream decoding - as well as ATI 'Vision' support. I think the burner is better on the NV5332 model too as it reads DVD+R's faster than the older model (8x vs. 6x).

Hmm....

 

But it has 4GB RAM! Don't you know that's a WORLD of difference?!

Good find though. Good deal IMHO. Hard to find those specs in a laptop under $500.

 

Yup, I agree.

Awhile back I was considering an HP. But to get a comparable HP setup I'd probably pay upwards of $600! And I hear HP actually has worse build-quality than Gateway now.

Hopefully these won't get *too* popular either. Once the word is out on a good bargain the prices go through the roof.