That is a very subjective question. I've always preferred Dell over any other brand when it comes to buying laptops. In my opinion, they offer an unbeatable price to performance ratio on almost all their systems. However, as I said this is subjective and I'm sure there will be others who vehemently disagree with me.

You do know that Clarksfield processors have the Turbo Boost technology that will cause the processor to automatically overclock itself if an application fails to utilize all four cores? I've seen reviews that puts the i7 820qm on par with the much more expensive qx9300. In other words, the i7 processors should decimate any dual core processors.



Well perhaps I should have been more explicit in my explanation. When I say performance, I also look for something has the quality to last. Dells can last, based on personal experience. As for Acers, well lets not get into that shall we?

FYI it only runs at 1.6Ghz if all four cores are being utilized. AS you pointed out, since most games can only utilize two cores at best, rest assured the i7 720qm will be running in excess of 2.5Ghz to about 2.8Ghz whilst gaming. I'd suggest reading this article.

Usually low voltage processors are meant to keep the laptop going for as long as possible doing light stuff such as surfing the net, word, that kinda stuff. To do video editing, I'd recommend a beefier CPU. If your budget allows it, get the Dell Studio 15 with the core i7 720qm. It should be able to handle just about anything you decide to throw at it.

For those deciding whether to take the plunge with a Clarksfield processor, I'd recommend reading this first.

Dell Studio 15. The purpose of your laptop?

That is a pretty subjective question. The bigger the person, the less difference an extra inch will make on weight and space. As far as value for money goes, I'd recommend the Studio 15.

How about a Dell Precision workstation notebook with a Quadro FX card that is geared more towards AutoCAD and the like. Another option would be Lenovo workstations, though I don't know where they can be obtained.

100 bucks to be exact.

What type of games tickle your fancy? Graphic intensive ones like Crysis? Or something more mundane like DotA?

Hmm, I'm not sure, but I think the Studio 15 has one of the best GPUs for a laptop in that price range, making it an ideal gaming machine. Don't expect the world though, as you will only get what you pay for.

External USB drive, heh.

Approximately 1 to 2 weeks after your payment has been confirmed.

Bear in mind you will be paying a hefty premium for Mac's OS X. Good money that could have been otherwise spent on better laptop hardware.

Atom + Photoshop. Not a good idea...

Studio 14?

This post has been edited by Loki[D.d.G]: Oct 16 2009, 03:46 PM

Don't people buy Macs almost exclusively for their OS X? To ditch it for Windows after paying the premium price would be downright ridiculous to me. Sorry if I come across as harsh, but your statement didn't make much sense.

Where did you get that info? Most drivers have compatible Win 7 versions and IIRC almost all software I've tried installing on the RC has been done without a hitch.

Dell are already offering their systems with Win 7. Order now and have your system that comes pre-installed with Win 7 shipped to you after the 22nd of October.

IIRC Gateway is made by Acer. Not 100% sure though.