Laptop advice

[pettersolberg29]

Sorry for another post about 'what laptop should I buy' but I really need some advice. I'm off to Uni in a couple of months so need a laptop to take with me. I will use it for internet, email and other simple things like Word processing, however there is one important thing - it must also be able to play Richard Burns Rally! I couldn't stand 3 years without it. I don't play any other games really, so I don't need graphics that can play all the latest games, just RBR.

I've looked around, but my technical knowledge is lacking. Price range I have in mind is 350-450 GBP, although I can just go over it if there is a perfect candidate. The top runner so far is http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/dell-in...27895-pdt.html . Has anyone got any experience or opinions on this?

Thanks in advance.

[Ghostwalker]

my suggestions would be perhaps a:HP/Compaq 615or TravelMate Timeline 8371

However i dont know if they are a 100% within your budget limits.

[pettersolberg29]

Anyone?

[Jag_Warrior]

Have you thought about a Dell, Lenovo (formerly IBM), Acer or an HP? I'm assuming you want a Windows machine.

[Mark]

Go for the best value one. Brand names mean little.

[Daniel]

Go for the best value one. Brand names mean little.

I wouldn't agree. If a laptop or PC is a no name brand it will almost always be crap

If you can, I'd stretch to maybe 550 or so and get a laptop with a core i3 processor, they really are leaps and bounds above the competition and although you'll shell out £100 more now you'll save it later when it comes to get your next laptop because you won't have to do it so soon.

Most machines will however be able to run RBR as it's quite an old game

[Roamy]

buy a used macbook pro - you will be money ahead

[Dave B]

...there is one important thing - it must also be able to play Richard Burns Rally! I couldn't stand 3 years without it. I don't play any other games really, so I don't need graphics that can play all the latest games, just RBR.

Is there a Mac version, fousto?

[pettersolberg29]

I've heard a lot about Mac v. Windows, and although I believe Mac is 'beter', I'm used to Windows now and I don't really want to change. I've also heard Dell is generally the best quality so that's been the limit of my search. Thanks for the advice Daniel - I would love to stretch the budget but at Uni age, money isn't freely flowing! What is your opinion on the aforementioned Dell Inspiron 1546? Should it be a reliable and quick machine?

[CaptainRaiden]

I've heard a lot about Mac v. Windows, and although I believe Mac is 'beter', I'm used to Windows now and I don't really want to change. I've also heard Dell is generally the best quality so that's been the limit of my search. Thanks for the advice Daniel - I would love to stretch the budget but at Uni age, money isn't freely flowing! What is your opinion on the aforementioned Dell Inspiron 1546? Should it be a reliable and quick machine?

The 1546 looks good enough for your needs, and it will play RBR on maximum graphics easy. Also, I agree with pretty much everything Daniel said. It's better to go for a Core i3 or a Core i5 processor. The way I see it, when you're buying a laptop or a new PC now, shelling a little extra 100 pounds or so won't hurt, since it will be good for a long time coming, as PCs get outdated so quick these days, and upgrading laptops is not easy.

Although Turion X2 is a neat processor, it doesn't have the performance of a Core i3 or a Core i5 processor. I would keep the rest of the stuff the same, I guess. Maybe the RAM to be DDR3 instead of DDR2, and higher speed, for example at least 1066 MHZ, AND a 1 GB graphic card. Well, but all this will be for the laptop I'm gonna buy.

Oh, and I think Windows is better than Mac, unless you buy into the hype created by Apple's PR department. No point in paying double the amount, and getting the same performance just for the "Apple" name.