[ROOTPetraeus]

I have successfully sold my cursed macbook! Hurrah!
But now I need a decent laptop to stream on :]
Suggestions/advice is welcome but I only want to spend roughly around the $1000 NZD mark =/

+ [Prize] +

Absolutely nothing.

[ToRSpartaz]

Lol my mate I remember found a good one that looked like completely like shit, but it was a beast of a machine was like a brick though =/. Lenovo? I think it was I dont remember, Uhm.... you really need sales brohan ^_^ the decent ones are like 1200$ NZ so usually during sales they drop to 999 ish. Dun go HP or Dell, from personal experience >.< ive always found Toshiba a decent and reliable brand my old one lasted like 6 years and it still ran fine.

[breadfan]

I had this big post ready to go about how hard it will be to find one around that price range.

Basically, you need to find a gaming laptop - most laptops have low powered components that won't allow for streaming, because the target market is non-gamers. Then I checked out FragLabs and see they have the Vector1 F15 for about AUD $1399. Includes a 3 year warranty which is pretty amazing. You might want to check it out, but just looking at the specs it seems like it'll do the trick.

Of course, FragLabs sponsor the ACL so you'd be supporting eSports

[SPGDoG]

you could go on ebay and bid there, some awesome stuff there that some people dont need and best of all you get it dirt cheap, one of the offers had 2tb hard drive,1 gb dedicated graphics, 4gb ram (of course that offer has past) but most DECENT computers are under 1,000 on ebay.
gl and most of all hf ^_^

[breadfan]

Originally Posted by TheRealLosdog

you could go on ebay and bid there, some awesome stuff there that some people dont need and best of all you get it dirt cheap, one of the offers had 2tb hard drive,1 gb dedicated graphics, 4gb ram (of course that offer has past) but most DECENT computers are under 1,000 on ebay.
gl and most of all hf ^_^

He's from NZ, they don't have eBay there (eBay too slow!)

[ROOTPetraeus]

Originally Posted by breadfan

I had this big post ready to go about how hard it will be to find one around that price range.

Basically, you need to find a gaming laptop - most laptops have low powered components that won't allow for streaming, because the target market is non-gamers. Then I checked out FragLabs and see they have the Vector1 F15 for about AUD $1399. Includes a 3 year warranty which is pretty amazing. You might want to check it out, but just looking at the specs it seems like it'll do the trick.

Of course, FragLabs sponsor the ACL so you'd be supporting eSports

That does sound good but very expensive T_T
I really want to stream so if I can't find a cheaper one that can handle it I guess I'll have to pay more.

[breadfan]

Originally Posted by Petraeus

That does sound good but very expensive T_T
I really want to stream so if I can't find a cheaper one that can handle it I guess I'll have to pay more.

Yeah to be honest I think your best value for money would be to buy a desktop. But if it has to be a laptop, for your purposes price will be higher

But yeah I would seriously make sure that if you decide to try a cheaper option, you make sure you can get a refund on it if needed - there's a strong chance you'll try to stream while playing and it will just not cope.

[Trusty]

Originally Posted by Petraeus

That does sound good but very expensive T_T
I really want to stream so if I can't find a cheaper one that can handle it I guess I'll have to pay more.

If you get a desktop, you can easily get a good gaming rig for 1000$.
You're not going to find a laptop that game play decent settings on games, and stream. You'd be looking at least 1.5k +

[AsylumofSouls]

I actually play sc2 on a laptop I bought from Dell Online mid 2010. Chose a sale option as the base then upgraded most of the components to the level I wanted. Added about $600 to the sale price but still ended up being fairly cheap overall

[iMSystem]

Why a laptop? Do you need the mobility? Because if you don't it will work out better (Price wise, and longevity wise) to get a desktop.

[ToRSpartaz]

Originally Posted by System

Why a laptop? Do you need the mobility? .

Was my thinking in my Laptop Good for uni

[ROOTPetraeus]

Originally Posted by System

Why a laptop? Do you need the mobility? Because if you don't it will work out better (Price wise, and longevity wise) to get a desktop.

Yeah, have to travel between Mums and Dads house each week so definitely need a laptop ><

[inFeZa]

Get one of those fraglabs one from ACL. They were hella solid.

[SmokyMcPot]

Originally Posted by SQL.inFeZa

Get one of those fraglabs one from ACL. They were hella solid.

Yeah - Seriously those laptops were insane, I remember chatting to Glade and Vanzr *if my memory servers me correctly* at ACL Gold Coast - the RRP of them is really low for what you get.

I work by day at an electronics retailer, and I can tell you for sure that you're better off with a Fraglabs one than anything you will find at the major retailers laptop wise!

[FS.Kezz]

You can get some quite decent Toshiba laptops for around the $1000 mark (although I'm not up to scratch on AUD/NZD exchange rates :P). The one I'm using (Toshiba Satellite Pro U500) has the hardware capability to stream at an okay level (Intel Core i3 Processor, 4GB RAM, 1GB Graphics) and it wasn't too expensive.

[PulseSPR]

Mine is 2100 NZD pet

[sheepy]

If your Looking for a laptop for sc2 , or even other games and streaming, and a budget like that, there are several things to consider I can help you make an informed decision but you need tell me a little more about what you want.

1) Do you plan to play games other than SC2?
2) Will you be hooking the laptop to a Monitor? If so, what resolution is the monitor?
3) What settings do you play SC2 at? This is important because you are not going to be able to get full HD (1080p) + high unless you have at least a nvidia 560m (Its not the same as the desktop card at all) or an ATI 6970m ( This is a desktop 6850 with the clocks dropped way down).
4) What is an acceptable Level of FPS for you? What kinda frames per second do you consider acceptable? some people are fine playing with 30fps, while others won't accept anything below 60.

However, with a budget of 1K NZD. its unlikely that you will be able to purchase a laptop with a gaming grade gpu. However, there are still many models that offer great bang for buck (i.e high settings and smooth framerates at the laptop monitor's native resolution)

Rule of thumb with laptop components, especially the GPU. its not about how much ram there is on it. Its about the actual model of GPU which determines performance. (Memory bandwidth and shader core units)

Your going to be looking for the following :

- At least a Core I5 if your intend to stream, preferably a core I7-2630 for streaming as it does help.
- Non HD resolutions you want at least a Geforce 555m Or a Radeon Mobility 6770 These are the very minimium cards if you buy a laptop with the intention of gaming and streaming simultaneously to be honest, Unless your fine with playing on Low mid settings.
- Full HD resolutions you want at least a Geforce 560m or a Radeon Mobility 6970

There is a huge price difference between laptops containing a 555m/6770 Radeon and the latter 560m and 6970m But the performance difference is sometimes more than 2x at Full HD resolutions.

Let me know a bit more about your preferences , and even the size of the laptop you want, and i'll be able to help. At the end of the day, a laptop is a 2-3 year investment typically, and you want to go for whatever it is will deliver you the best for buck. As usual with technology, The ultra high end is always incredibly price inefficient and the low end can't execute the tasks you want. Pick a model that can do what you need.

Quick Comments

cruxBsK:

awesome

[Criven]

http://www.dell.com/nz/p/xps-l502x/pd

Solid. High Powered. Very Portable and plays all day without any problems.

300 above your price point.. but sniff around and you may find it cheaper.. I can get these in AUS for 880 landed..

[ROOTPetraeus]

Originally Posted by sheepy

If your Looking for a laptop for sc2 , or even other games and streaming, and a budget like that, there are several things to consider I can help you make an informed decision but you need tell me a little more about what you want.

1) Do you plan to play games other than SC2?
2) Will you be hooking the laptop to a Monitor? If so, what resolution is the monitor?
3) What settings do you play SC2 at? This is important because you are not going to be able to get full HD (1080p) + high unless you have at least a nvidia 560m (Its not the same as the desktop card at all) or an ATI 6970m ( This is a desktop 6850 with the clocks dropped way down).
4) What is an acceptable Level of FPS for you? What kinda frames per second do you consider acceptable? some people are fine playing with 30fps, while others won't accept anything below 60.

However, with a budget of 1K NZD. its unlikely that you will be able to purchase a laptop with a gaming grade gpu. However, there are still many models that offer great bang for buck (i.e high settings and smooth framerates at the laptop monitor's native resolution)

Rule of thumb with laptop components, especially the GPU. its not about how much ram there is on it. Its about the actual model of GPU which determines performance. (Memory bandwidth and shader core units)

Your going to be looking for the following :

- At least a Core I5 if your intend to stream, preferably a core I7-2630 for streaming as it does help.
- Non HD resolutions you want at least a Geforce 555m Or a Radeon Mobility 6770 These are the very minimium cards if you buy a laptop with the intention of gaming and streaming simultaneously to be honest, Unless your fine with playing on Low mid settings.
- Full HD resolutions you want at least a Geforce 560m or a Radeon Mobility 6970

There is a huge price difference between laptops containing a 555m/6770 Radeon and the latter 560m and 6970m But the performance difference is sometimes more than 2x at Full HD resolutions.

Let me know a bit more about your preferences , and even the size of the laptop you want, and i'll be able to help. At the end of the day, a laptop is a 2-3 year investment typically, and you want to go for whatever it is will deliver you the best for buck. As usual with technology, The ultra high end is always incredibly price inefficient and the low end can't execute the tasks you want. Pick a model that can do what you need.

Thank you soooo much for taking the time to help Ok now to answer the questions.
1. No. I only play Starcraft 2.
2. No, can't afford monitor so just the laptop
3. I play lowest possible settings on SC2. Will continue to use this even with a better computer as I find it easier.
4. I don't really know much about FPS but I drop a LOT on my current computer to like below 10 and then back up to 80 O.O Not sure how to answer this but I'm not that fussed about the FPS.
In terms of preferences... I don't really mind what laptop. In terms of size, I play on a 13" at the moment and most are bigger than that xD
Thanks for all the tips with specs etc ^_^ Will have a look around but not very good with techy stuff.
Is something like Criven suggested good?

Originally Posted by Criven

http://www.dell.com/nz/p/xps-l502x/pd

Solid. High Powered. Very Portable and plays all day without any problems.

300 above your price point.. but sniff around and you may find it cheaper.. I can get these in AUS for 880 landed..

[EXCL]

You could try this (Asus republic of gamers G73 series):

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ASUS-G73J...item53eb9fb168

Myself and two of my mates bought ourselves G73s from this store and we would vouch for them.

[Trusty]

Originally Posted by FaDeEXCL

You could try this (Asus republic of gamers G73 series):

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ASUS-G73J...item53eb9fb168

Myself and two of my mates bought ourselves G73s from this store and we would vouch for them.

that's over $1000 NZD, like 1.3k

[ROOTPetraeus]

Originally Posted by Trusty

hat's over $1000 NZD, like 1.3k

Yeah I don't realllly want to pay that much, but its looking like I will have to pay at least a bit over $1000. Again, its only a rough guideline so people don't suggest things over 1.5k etc
Want to keep my options open atm.

[sheepy]

Hey Petraeus. I came across something amazing

http://www.xoticpc.com/force-16f2012...f2-p-3376.html

This has a 570m , Which is incredibly powerful . An AMAZING Card in a 1k usd Laptop.... You may want to consider this as well. This is an insane deal. But of course there will be shipping costs.

Some Info on the performance to expect from a 570m

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...M.56635.0.html

SC2 at low - 260 fps ~
SC2 at Ultra - 44 fps ~

[sheepy]

If your playing the the absolute lowest settings, the the GPU becomes less of an issue.The Asus G73sx is a great Laptop, but please keep in mind that the best time to purchase a laptop would probably be in Q2 this year, We are currently nearing the end of the current generation of components, meaning theres the new generation of processors (ivy bridge - about 17 % faster) and New generation of Graphics cards ( Geforce 600 series and Ati Mobility 7k series (both manufactured under the new 28nm process which means higher clocks, less heat and less power consumption) just over the horizon. This means that if you buy a computer now, its highly likely that within 2-3 months u'll see totally new models that are much more powerful, as we are currently at the end of a cycle and the beginning of the next.

However, as they say, you buy based when you need something, and as such with the lowest settings there are some models you may want to look at.

- I'm not sure how much the Asus G73 is in NZ, but if it is nzd 1.3k, its still a good buy and a good investment. Get the newer iteration of the model with the 560m if your going for this. Theres also a G53 (15 Inch version)

- http://www.asus.com/Notebooks/Multim...specifications This is a great option that retails for around 1.1k where i live. U can get various versions of this and you will want the version with at least an I5. The screen resolution does not matter. Note that it contains and 555m and a lower screen reso means that if you need to power games at the native resolution of the screen, it will do so very efficiently.

http://h20424.www2.hp.com/campaign/c...ion-dv6/glance
The HP DV6 retails very reasonably where i live. But it is one of the better bang for buck PCS, the standard model includes both an I7 and an ATI 6770. but theres also a 6470 version. These are worlds apart. If you go for this make sure it containS the ATI 6770


http://www.msi.com/product/nb/GT683.html

The MSI GT683 gaming series notebook is also a great choice if you don't mind a flashy notebook that screams i'm a gamer. It has a 560m card.

http://www.asus.com/Notebooks/Multim...specifications

The Asus N73SV is more of a multimedia entertainment machine, though the 540m in it is no slouch. Low settings should be piece of cake.


Ok to summarise a little. above we have listed 2 gaming machines that are over your budget for sure

- Asus G73/G53
- MSI G683

Please note however that both these machines offer about 2x the 3D processing capability as the rest of the laptops listed here. If the price differential for 2 x the performance, which may help for future games, go for these.


Other than these, there are the other 3

- HP DV 6 (ATI 6770)
- ASUS N55 (Geforce 555m)
- ASUS N73SV (Geforce 540m)

I'm not 100 % sure if they are priced below 1k NZD But the N55 was retailing for about 1.1 k - 1.2k at a shop in Singapore ( Personally i feel N55 is the best value for money.) Plenty of Asus notebooks deliver great value. Hope this was helpful to you. Once again keep in mind that we are on the horizon of the next generation of Processors and GPUs.


Either way, the 1000$ range is typically entry level low end notebooks. Ideally laptops at the 1.3-1.4k range can give you the best bang for your buck.

Quick Comments

	nirvAnA:
	NOM:
	ROOTPetraeus:

[ROOTPetraeus]

Wow thank you SO much, sheepy! I'm gonna take a look at all those laptops and see if I can source any in NZ Really, really helpful posts

[sheepy]

Just one Last thing. I also had a look at FRAG Labs, They offer incredibly good value for money if your willing to go for at least their 15 inch model with the 560m (Vector F15). ( Even better value than the G series PCs i linked you.)

[ToRSpartaz]

Havent seen you for aaaaaaages Sheepy ^^

[sheepy]

haha thats cause i don't post much. But i'm a real hardware geek and this was too tempting.

[ROOTPetraeus]

Originally Posted by sheepy

Just one Last thing. I also had a look at FRAG Labs, They offer incredibly good value for money if your willing to go for at least their 15 inch model with the 560m (Vector F15). ( Even better value than the G series PCs i linked you.)

hmm I had a look for this and the models you suggested but can't seem to find any in NZ apart from some really expensive ones
><

[sheepy]

Hey Petraeus If you are not able to find them atm ( Though i'm sure they'll be on display at IT stores ) Are there are NZ online stores you are familiar with that i can look at?

Edit - Wow the Harvey Norman new zeland HP DV6 IS 1.6K NZD . Thats insane. Such a huge difference from Singapore. what channel do you reside in? I'll come chat with you. And i see the Asus G73 also listed at 3.1k NZD ..... omg Stuff is so expansive there.

[ROOTPetraeus]

Originally Posted by sheepy

Hey Petraeus If you are not able to find them atm ( Though i'm sure they'll be on display at IT stores ) Are there are NZ online stores you are familiar with that i can look at?

Edit - Wow the Harvey Norman new zeland HP DV6 IS 1.6K NZD . Thats insane. Such a huge difference from Singapore. what channel do you reside in? I'll come chat with you. And i see the Asus G73 also listed at 3.1k NZD ..... omg Stuff is so expansive there.

Hey sheepy ^^
Yeah prices get pretty ridiculous over here T_T
Umm I usually get my stuff from PB technologies, Harvey Norman or JB Hi Fi. Never bought a laptop from anywhere but the apple store before though >< I'm in Winter Nights chat But I will seek you in the aLt chat too! Again, thank you so much for the help.

[ROOTPetraeus]

Ok thanks to everyone for the help! sheepy helped me find the laptop I needed so I'll probably buy it this weekend ^^
http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?z=...-back-i7-2670Q
sheepy is seriously the most helpful tech guy ever! xD Outlined everything with explanations and websites and gave plenty of options

[sheepy]

No Problem Patraeus, my pleasure as i love anything hardware related, and i hate how advertising can be so misleading.

Just a few snippets of info so that this post can be useful for future laptop buyers.

- I7 helps immensely with streaming ( a CPU intensive task)
- For low settings , a geforce 540m will more than power through it. ( 180 fps avg )
- Also to consider when recommending a laptop to a buyer is that there should be at least a service center nearby for the brand you choose. Having to pay for shipping your laptop back to the service center and wait weeks for repair is not cool.

[NOM]

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np5165-...hr-p-3063.html
About $1002 USD including worldwide shipping, might cost a bit more because i calculated it to Australia and not NZ.

Quick Comments

sheepy:

Xotic PC is awsome

[sheepy]

Xotic Pc IS Great . I myself purchased a sager 8150 from them when i was in the US. However. the bigger question here is ...

1 - If he purchases a sager it probably means if there are any problems he will have to ship it back to the US himself and pay for the shipping himself, and wait a long time followed by shipping to get his laptop repaired and back.

2- I'm pretty sure there will be additional taxes. upon arrival. GG Mera ordered a sager 15 inch gaming model with the 6990m recently and there where taxes ( though i'm sure it differs from place to place)

3- Also Please note that the 555m in the 5165 (correct me if i'm wrong) . is the cut down version with a smaller 128 bit memory bandwidth. This means it performs strongly below the typical 555m and closer to the 550/540m. http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...M.41933.0.html

Forum post discussing the 555m version in this notebook ( 144 shaders and 128mem bus)

Choose carefully, because things aren't always what they seem when buying pc hardware and in particular notebooks.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sage...150hr-use.html

Personally, if i where to buy a sager notebook, the notebook from them with the BEST bang - for - your - buck is HANDS Down their 15 incher with the 6990m - That beast will run this game on ultra while streaming. The reason why i recommended that acer is because he wanted to stream, and only plays on low settings. Also he intends to use the laptop LED screen. ( a low resolution suits a mid range graphics card alot better. If you get a full HD laptop screen and a mid range card. the card is going to struggle and stuff always looks bad when u down the resolution away from the native resolution of a screen).