Hardware Laptop within this simple budget

[SolidSnake95]

Hello everyone. I decided its time for a new laptop, making 7.85 an hour and part time...I don't have much to spend but I want a very decent laptop. While I consider myself tech saavy, at this moment I'm too tired and lazy to sift through all the products and see which is best.

I basically want a laptop that can play PCsx2/Dolphin at fullspeed and the occasional latest PC game release.

My budget is between $400 - $900.

I guess anything would be better than this computer (AMD dual core X2 4600+ 2.4 GHz).

What do you guys recommend?

 

[calmwaters]

You could get a Toshiba Satellite with an i7 core. Mine is an i3, but it has four cores. So mine can play Dolphin better than PCSX2. And I'm pretty sure they cost $600/700. Of course there are the Asus/Acer computers too. I'm not sure about their power, but they are pretty cheap.

 

[SolidSnake95]

You could get a Toshiba Satellite with an i7 core. Mine is an i3, but it has four cores. So mine can play Dolphin better than PCSX2. And I'm pretty sure they cost $600/700. Of course there are the Asus/Acer computers too. I'm not sure about their power, but they are pretty cheap.

Thanks for the reply. The problem here is that Acer/Asus are pretty weak (Toshiba has its problems too but is better than the former). My ex bought a 600 dollar Acer that had i5 running at 1.6 GHz. The only reason it was so expensive was because it was touch screen. Acer/Asus die pretty quickly and the Intel Graphics card makes matters even worse (Toshbia has this graphics card too).

I meant to list some laptops that I don't want in the first post, oh well. Thanks though.

 

[calmwaters]

Thanks for the reply. The problem here is that Acer/Asus are pretty weak (Toshiba has its problems too but is better than the former). My ex bought a 600 dollar Acer that had i5 running at 1.6 GHz. The only reason it was so expensive was because it was touch screen. Acer/Asus die pretty quickly and the Intel Graphics card makes matters even worse (Toshbia has this graphics card too).

I meant to list some laptops that I don't want in the first post, oh well. Thanks though.

Sure. On a side note, I don't get touchscreen laptops. Isn't that what your iPad/Android is for? Anyway, my Toshiba hasn't died on me and I've had it for 3 years now. Of course, I'm not sure what the average life expectancy of a laptop is...

 

[Foxi4]

Thanks for the reply. The problem here is that Acer/Asus are pretty weak (Toshiba has its problems too but is better than the former). My ex bought a 600 dollar Acer that had i5 running at 1.6 GHz. The only reason it was so expensive was because it was touch screen. Acer/Asus die pretty quickly and the Intel Graphics card makes matters even worse (Toshbia has this graphics card too).

I meant to list some laptops that I don't want in the first post, oh well. Thanks though.

Acer? Yes. ASUS? No, not so much - the brand is respectable.

What I suggest is simply looking for a configuration that fits your needs and then look for a laptop with such a configuration that comes from one of the respectable brands, such as Samsung, Toshiba or ASUS. It's not just a matter of finding a laptop you like either - certain configurations work better than others which is why you should read reviews.

First and foremost, tally up the specs you expect from it. Seeing that you're interested in emulation, forget about any AMD configurations - go for an Intel with an NVidia card for best overall performance.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

You should avoid Acer like the plague. Every laptop I've owned that was an Acer was plagued with hardware issues. And while they have gotten better, I still wouldn't recommend them for gaming/emulation.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834313583

Lenovo makes great laptops, and with the i5 you should have no problems emulating GC/Wii/PS2 games. Though I would recommend putting a fresh install of Windows on it (as to get rid of any bloatware and such).

 

[SolidSnake95]

Acer? Yes. ASUS? No, not so much - the brand is respectable.

What I suggest is simply looking for a configuration that fits your needs and then look for a laptop with such a configuration that comes from one of the respectable brands, such as Samsung, Toshiba or ASUS. It's not just a matter of finding a laptop you like either - certain configurations work better than others which is why you should read reviews.

First and foremost, tally up the specs you expect from it. Seeing that you're interested in emulation, forget about any AMD configurations - go for an Intel with an NVidia card for best overall performance.

Finding a laptop with nvidia graphics that is under the 1000 dollar limit is like finding a needle in a haystack. I don't really know what I expect to be honest. But most laptops I see in my budget happen to have an i3 or i5 running at 1.3-1.6 GHz and that's not really screaming "come get me". (I know that computer speed isn't the integral piece required to run things well but it is very important.)

You should avoid Acer like the plague. Every laptop I've owned that was an Acer was plagued with hardware issues. And while they have gotten better, I still wouldn't recommend them for gaming/emulation.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834313583

Lenovo makes great laptops, and with the i5 you should have no problems emulating GC/Wii/PS2 games. Though I would recommend putting a fresh install of Windows on it (as to get rid of any bloatware and such).

That actually isn't a bad laptop if I do say so myself. The question is... "can it run Crysis?" lol joking of course.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

That actually isn't a bad laptop if I do say so myself. The question is... "can it run Crysis?" lol joking of course.

From what I hear, it's a great laptop. It's a bit on the high-priced end of your budget, and I would much rather recommend a Desktop over a laptop for emulation and gaming, but this will get the job done and do it well.

 

[Foxi4]

Finding a laptop with nvidia graphics that is under the 1000 dollar limit is like finding a needle in a haystack.

I don't know where the hell you're looking then - my $750 laptop has a GeForce on-board. Mind you, it's not the best of GeForces, but it pulls off contemporary games just fine, and I know it's not the only model like this.

 

[SolidSnake95]

I don't know where the hell you're looking then - my $700 laptop has a GeForce on-board. Mind you, it's not the best of GeForces, but it pulls off contemporary games just fine.

What GeForce is it? Actually, what brand is your laptop?

In any case, I should have been more specific. I've been having a hard time finding a laptop with a decent CPU that includes an Nvidia/AMD chipset.

 

[SolidSnake95]

From what I hear, it's a great laptop. It's a bit on the high-priced end of your budget, and I would much rather recommend a Desktop over a laptop for emulation and gaming, but this will get the job done and do it well.

My only problem with this laptop is the small screen size though it can easily be fixed by hooking it up to my 21 inch monitor.

 

[Foxi4]

What GeForce is it? Actually, what brand is your laptop?

In any case, I should have been more specific. I've been having a hard time finding a laptop with a decent CPU that includes an Nvidia/AMD chipset.

I've got an ASUS K53SC, but I wouldn't recommend it for the simple reason that the power jack is in an awkward position (on the left side and next to the radiator) and it has "snapped" off the solder point once, be it due to my own negligence (or lack of care) or due to a factory defect - it's apparently a common issue with this particular model.

That being said though, the hardware setup is immensly stable and performs surprisingly well considering the specs - it's an i3-powered laptop with a GeForce 520MX and 4GB RAM. Nothing fancy and not exactly an emulation machine you want, but you have a higher budget than what I paid for my computer so you should be able to easily find an i5 with a stronger GeForce on-board. That, and it's not exactly "new" anymore at this point, technology moved on since I bought it.

EDIT: Holy crap Tom, that laptop's awesome. 2x 750 in SLI? On a laptop? Really? I'm liking that alright.

 

[PityOnU]

EDIT: Holy crap Tom, that laptop's awesome. 2x 750 in SLI? On a laptop? Really? I'm liking that alright.

It sounds awesome, but all I keep thinking is "micro stutter", and, when you turn it on...

Spoiler

 

[gman666]

I was going to recommend the same laptop that tom did. Other than that most laptops, at that price, will have integrated gpus which is not always the best.

 

[the_randomizer]

Finding a laptop with nvidia graphics that is under the 1000 dollar limit is like finding a needle in a haystack.

I actually got a $850 laptop from 2011 that's a Lenovo Y570 and has a decent GPU (GeForce 555M) in it, I can run Skyrim at 55-60 fps, and it runs PCSX2 pretty well too

 

[CompassNorth]

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np6652-clevo-w650sr-p-5846.html
Dual-core i5 CPU
Dedicated 2GB Nvidia 750m
15" IPS screen. (1080p too)
No OS though pre-installed. Do you have a Windows 7 setup disc lying around somewhere?

 

[Chocolina]

An i5 processor that you can easily overclock is a good start, even if the overclocking isn't needed.
For the best PS2 and Dolphin emulation experience you need/should get a Laptop with 2GB of dedicated graphics. 1GB is enough to get you by most PS2 games.

I foolishly put my money on a quad-core i7 with just 1GB of dedicated graphics. I should have worried less about CPU and more about GPU.

 

[SolidSnake95]

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np6652-clevo-w650sr-p-5846.html
Dual-core i5 CPU
Dedicated 2GB Nvidia 750m
15" IPS screen. (1080p too)
No OS though pre-installed. Do you have a Windows 7 setup disc lying around somewhere?

I'm fine wtih installing Win7 since I don't like the interface of 8. But I never heard of that site. Do they make custom laptops?

An i5 processor that you can easily overclock is a good start, even if the overclocking isn't needed.
For the best PS2 and Dolphin emulation experience you need/should get a Laptop with 2GB of dedicated graphics. 1GB is enough to get you by most PS2 games.

I foolishly put my money on a quad-core i7 with just 1GB of dedicated graphics. I should have worried less about CPU and more about GPU.

I agree. CPU coincides with GPU to deliver a rewarding experience. One shouldn't totally outlap the other.

 

[the_randomizer]

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np6652-clevo-w650sr-p-5846.html
Dual-core i5 CPU
Dedicated 2GB Nvidia 750m
15" IPS screen. (1080p too)
No OS though pre-installed. Do you have a Windows 7 setup disc lying around somewhere?

That's actually REALLY good for the specs. Impressive I'd imagine one would need to get a laptop cooler in addition

 

[CompassNorth]

I'm fine wtih installing Win7 since I don't like the interface of 8. But I never heard of that site. Do they make custom laptops?

It's just an online store. XoticPC itself doesn't make laptops, but XoticPC does offer laptops that are customizable.
If you can afford it I'd suggest switching the CPU to a i7-4700MQ which is a Quad-Core it'll add $75 though, and there's nothing wrong with a dual-core if you decide to spend more money.

That's actually REALLY good for the specs. Impressive I'd imagine one would need to get a laptop cooler in addition

Well when it comes to laptops like this I always recommended laptop coolers.