which laptop would you buy for $1,200

hey guys, i need some input. i want to buy a new laptop but cant decide what brand to get i am 95% decided that i want the HP dv7-6c90us. its awesome looking, black aluminum chassis, and the specs are great for what i do. (light gaming, video, music, internet etc). i know hp doesn't have the best track record so i want to get some opinions on what you would buy. i have a max budget of $1,200, and i dont want to go lower than the hp specs(the same or better). the specs on the hp are:

2nd generation Intel® Core i7-2670QM Processor 2.20GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.10GHz
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
8GB DDR3 RAM
1TB 5400RPM hard drive
Radeon HD 7470M switchable graphics with up to 1024MB GDDR5 and up to 5093MB total graphics memory
17.3-inch diagonal HD+ BrightView LED-backlit display (1600 x 900)

well i guess this is a dead end question. this is why i HATE buying a new laptop. there is sooo many to weed thru. some are good, some are bad, all of these are bad, all of these are good. the one with this in it is good but the one with this in it is bad. its frustrating and disheartening. i just want a killer all around machine that looks cool, doesn't feel cheap and plastic and will last at least 4 years. it sux and its a shame that even when you spend $1200 on a computer (which in my book aint cheap) you have to cross your fingers and HOPE it works when you get it, then you hope it lasts more than one year.

SAMSUNG Series 7 NP700Z5A-S0AUS A lot more reliable then HP.

Personally think HP are unreliable. Perhaps you would like to go for a Clevo based custom laptop.

15.6in 1080p
http://www.malibal.com/boutique/pc/configurePrd.asp?idProduct=285

Intel® Core™ i7-2670QM, 6MB L3 Cache, 2.2-3.1GHz
(8GB) 8192MB, PC3-12800/1600MHz DDR3 - 2 SO-DIMM
500GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA 300 (Less storage but faster RPM)
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560M 1.5GB GDDR5 (High end gaming card)

Good build quality.
$1,196.98


I would even prefer a Dell XPS 17 over HP
900p
Intel® Core™ i7-2670QM, 6MB L3 Cache, 2.2-3.1GHz
8GB DDR3 RAM
750GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA 300
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 550M 1GB GDDR5 (Mid range card)
$1,154.99

In the end it's about how you take care of and tweak your laptop in and out that brings out its full potential.

I've had good luck with TOSHIBA,they have a wide range of laptops.I bought my last one at COSTCO, their no hasel,if you don't like or it brakes, 90 day returns and they pay shipping!The downside ,it's hit and miss on selection. Even if you live in the boondocks you can buy it online.
Just a side note when you send in a TOSHIBA for repair it goes to Louivelle KY and UPS fixes it! The UPS shipping hub is there so it's fast a turnaround hopefully.
gk

I've had good luck with TOSHIBA,they have a wide range of laptops.I bought my last one at COSTCO, their no hasel,if you don't like or it brakes, 90 day returns and they pay shipping!The downside ,it's hit and miss on selection. Even if you live in the boondocks you can buy it online.
Just a side note when you send in a TOSHIBA for repair it goes to Louivelle KY and UPS fixes it! The UPS shipping hub is there so it's fast a turnaround hopefully.
gk

UPS doesn't fix it, where did that come from. Toshiba has their own repair facility / warehouse in that area,
They are near by the UPS HUB, that doesn't make them UPS, that makes them smart. I've ordered parts from them at 6Pm and had them the next morning here in NJ. They overnight and being close to the HUB makes that easier.

With laptops especially you need to be able to put your hands on it. Make sure you like the keyboard and feel.

Does it feel solid or flimsy for example. Can you live with that weight when transporting it including the carry bag/case and adapter.

If you aren't transporting it why a laptop.
They are less durable. have higher maintenance costs.
Cost more for any repair.

Spill water into a desktop keyboard and you can buy a cheap keyboard, easy unplug / plug.
Spill it into a laptop and you 50% will need a new laptop. Plus you killed the warranty.
Here is HPs page on that subject http://h30458.www3.hp.com/ww/en/ent/1027542.html

How many broken screens I've seen? It slipped off the bed /table /lap. Or just got bumped in use and broke the DC in jack / screen /Hard Drive.

I don't much like HP or Clevo
Want durable get a Thinkpad, it won't be spiffy looking like the HP, It'll just work and if it needs service you can get that locally in most states. In NJ near me there are 10 ASPs for Lenovo (Authorized Service Centers). Toshibas are pretty good too. Dell has some good models. As a general rule I sty clear of refurbs too.

Good Luck
Roger

Just asked about that same laptop and found your post. Did you end up getting it?

Lap tops have one advantage over the desk top: they're portable. And for college students, having a portable computer is often a must. But in every other category laptops fail.

A desktop is easy to build.
A desktop is easy to repair and upgrade. Want a new HDD, just go grab a 2TB drive for $70 - 90, open the side of the case, screw it in, plug it into the mobo and PSU, close the case, and you're done. Fast, simple. Want 4 massive HDD's, in most standard ATX cases this is simple; in a lap top it ain't gonna happen. Want to upgrade from 4GB of RAM to 8 GB? just buy 2 more sticks of 4GB and pop it in.
On a desktop if any part goes up, just replace it. If you built it yourself, finding the right part should be cheap and easy.
A desktop is waaay more power for the bucks.
Furthermore, no Lap Top can deliver a desktop gaming experience. Laptops almost never come with a dedicated graphics card and even if they do, I can't imagine something like a Radeon 7970, and you'll never get a 2,3, or 4 way SLI/Crossfire setup out of a lap top. You'd need something along the line of a 1000+ watt PSU, and no lap top is coming with that kind of battery supply.

Also, unless your lap top comes with an SSD hard drive, lap tops have slow drives, the reason is simple, the platters are smaller and spin slower. And if it did come with a SSD, they are really expensive and the storage capacity is low. And if you think buying an external HDD will fix that problem, have you ever tried exporting 500GB of movies from one drive to another via USB 2.0? It would take all day. Maybe if your laptop comes with USB 3.0 or an eSATA the transfer would be much quicker.

As someone mentioned, if you spill something on a desktop keyboard, go to best buy shell out 10 - 15 bucks and plug in your new keyboard. Spill something on your new laptop keyboard and be prepared to buy new laptop.

So again, a lap top is a fail in every category, it only has one advantage: it's portable. And again, for some people, such as a college student, portability is a must. But never mistake a lap top for a gaming rig, it's a bit like asking "which one of these luxury cars is good for towing?" the answer is "none of them, they weren't designed for it. Even if you can, don't"

If I were a college student and needed a lap top for school and I wanted a respectable gaming system, I'd buy the cheapest lap top I could find, and then go build myself a nice gaming desktop.

RB_Kandy said

Lap tops have one advantage over the desk top: they're portable

That is also the disadvantage of a laptop, they are portable and easy to steal. No one would think anything of it if they saw they a thief carrying a laptop. A Big gaming desktop, they might think hmmm....

Roger

RB_Kandy said

Lap tops have one advantage over the desk top: they're portable

That is also the disadvantage of a laptop, they are portable and easy to steal. No one would think anything of it if they saw they a thief carrying a laptop. A Big gaming desktop, they might think hmmm....

Roger

I even struggle to carry my own gaming system since it's so heavy with 2 graphics card in their and a bulky CPU cooler.