Since this is probably the single most asked question in this forum "I need a new laptop $800-1100, halp". I figured it was time to make a little buying guide.
I'll update this thread as deals expire/change, etc. For both of these laptops, you just need to spend $1249 or more to get $500 off the laptop. You can change the specs a little bit if you'd like, but you have to keep the laptop above $1249 before adding it to your cart to get the deal. I spec'd them out as if I was going to buy them , but some people might have slightly different needs. (Cephius EDIT 4/21 - The deal on Vostros has since expired, but they are still cheap solid laptops. If you need a medium laptop that can play FFXI, and do random tasks but not play newer games, these are still a top choice)
Under $800
Vostro 1400 And choose the following:
- Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T8100
14.1 inch Wide Screen XGA+ LCD Display with TrueLife™
8X DVD Burner w/ double-layer DVD+R write capability, w/ Roxio
128MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8400M GS
160GB 5400RPM Hard Drive
Intel 4965AGN Wireless-N Internal-card
Integrated 2.0 mega pixel Web Camera
85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Additional Battery
Your total should be $777.00
I would also suggest buying a 2GB or 4GB kit from newegg. It is also worth noting the 1GB Corsair stick is $10 after MIR, you could get two and use one rebate to get the same 2GB kit for $30 instead of $40.
$800-1000
Vostro 1500 And choose the following:
- Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9300
Wide Screen SXGA+ LCD Display w/TrueLife™
8X CD/DVD Burner w/ double-layer DVD+R write capability, w/ Roxio
256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8600M GT
160GB 5400RPM Hard Drive
85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Your total should be $978.00.
Dell Inspiron 1720
Intel® Pentium® Dual Core T2370 (1.73GHz/533Mhz FSB/1MB cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1
Glossy, high contrast, widescreen 17.0 inch display (1440 x 900)
CD / DVD writer (DVD+/-RW Drive)
2GB2 Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
Size: 250GB3 SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
128MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8400M GS
High Definition Audio 2.0
Dell Wireless 1395 802.11g Mini Card
$949 after instant savings
$2000+
http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np5793-cus ... -2276.html
17" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® T9300 45nm "Penryn" Core™2 Duo 2.5GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 800MHz FSB
- 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 8800M GTX DX10 (User Upgradeable)
- ~ SPECIAL~ 4,096MB DDR2 667 PC2 5300 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB) $75 OFF When Purchased with 8800M GTX
- NP5792/5793 Orange Frame Trim Color
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 200GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 4965 802.11 a/g/n
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- Full Range Auto Switching AC Adapter - Included
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- ~Windows XP Pro SP2 w/ Drivers, Utilities CD
- 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Tech Support
(Extra 2 Year Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)
Good choice if you don't like dells or alienware!
Dell XPS1730
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9300 (2.5GHz/800Mhz FSB/6MB cache)
Genuine Windows® XP Professional - English
17 inch UltraSharp TrueLife Wide-screen WUXGA
AGEIA PhysX™ 100M Processor
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz
120GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) Free Fall Sensor
CD / DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW Drive)
NVIDIA®GeForce®8700M GT graphics
Intel® PRO/Wireless 4965a/g/n Mini Card
High Definition Audio 2.0
Built-in Bluetooth capability (2.0 EDR)
I would again also suggest buying a 2GB or 4GB kit from newegg. It is also worth noting the 1GB Corsair stick is $10 after MIR, you could get two and use one rebate to get the same 2GB kit for $30 instead of $40.