Hello all,
I am considering a new high-performance laptop. My computer usage will include internet browsing, basic documents, some video editing, basic 3d animation, and a few advanced games.
My primary games would probably be Microsoft FSX (flight simulator) and the upcoming Microsoft Flight. I know that these are very demanding programs, but I would like to achieve decent frame rates with good quality.
A 17 inch screen is mandatory. Battery life is also important, but only for basic tasks; I will do almost all my gaming and editing while plugged in.
I have narrowed my choices to the following two laptops (I may still be open to other suggestions). I don't want to spend any more than what I'd pay for either of these.
HP dv7t Quad Edition $1260
• steel gray
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• 2nd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2670QM (2.2 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz
• 2GB Radeon(TM) HD 6770M GDDR5 Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
• FREE Upgrade to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 750GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• 17.3" Full HD BrightView Infinity LED(1920x1080)
• Free Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader
• Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN
• Standard Keyboard
• 2 year limited warranty included
Dell XPS 17 $1350
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64-Bit, English
2nd generation Intel® Core™ i7-2670QM processor 2.20 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.10 GHz
6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory
750GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M 3GB graphics with Optimus (GDDR3)
17.3" FHD (1080p) with 2.0MP HD Webcam
8X Tray Load CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
JBL 2.1 Speakers with Waves Maxx Audio 3
Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 1030 and Bluetooth 3.0
Elemental Silver Aluminum
90 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Integrated 10/100/1000 Network Card
Backlit Keyboard
My research has indicated that the HP has a better size, weight, heat, and battery life, while the Dell has a better screen. Is this so? Also, I'm not sure I like the bulging 9 cell battery on the Dell. Is it that noticeable?
If anyone has any advice regarding these choices, I would very much appreciate your input. Thanks!
I am considering a new high-performance laptop. My computer usage will include internet browsing, basic documents, some video editing, basic 3d animation, and a few advanced games.
My primary games would probably be Microsoft FSX (flight simulator) and the upcoming Microsoft Flight. I know that these are very demanding programs, but I would like to achieve decent frame rates with good quality.
A 17 inch screen is mandatory. Battery life is also important, but only for basic tasks; I will do almost all my gaming and editing while plugged in.
I have narrowed my choices to the following two laptops (I may still be open to other suggestions). I don't want to spend any more than what I'd pay for either of these.
HP dv7t Quad Edition $1260
• steel gray
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• 2nd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2670QM (2.2 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz
• 2GB Radeon(TM) HD 6770M GDDR5 Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
• FREE Upgrade to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 750GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• 17.3" Full HD BrightView Infinity LED(1920x1080)
• Free Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader
• Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN
• Standard Keyboard
• 2 year limited warranty included
Dell XPS 17 $1350
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64-Bit, English
2nd generation Intel® Core™ i7-2670QM processor 2.20 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.10 GHz
6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory
750GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M 3GB graphics with Optimus (GDDR3)
17.3" FHD (1080p) with 2.0MP HD Webcam
8X Tray Load CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
JBL 2.1 Speakers with Waves Maxx Audio 3
Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 1030 and Bluetooth 3.0
Elemental Silver Aluminum
90 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Integrated 10/100/1000 Network Card
Backlit Keyboard
My research has indicated that the HP has a better size, weight, heat, and battery life, while the Dell has a better screen. Is this so? Also, I'm not sure I like the bulging 9 cell battery on the Dell. Is it that noticeable?
If anyone has any advice regarding these choices, I would very much appreciate your input. Thanks!
