Affordable Gaming Laptops

Dell Alienware M11X – Core i5

May 16th, 2011


Dell Alienware M11X - Core i5 8GB DDR3 5.1 ReviewIf you’re an online gamer, you know that you can’t rely on just any old PC or laptop to give you the power you need to play your favorite games. It takes a specialized machine, like the Dell Alienware M11X – Core i5 8GB DDR3 5.1 Surround Sound Stealth Black Gaming Laptop to be equipped with the processing power, video and audio demands that today’s most popular games place upon a system. This gaming PC bears the world famous Alienware name, so you know that it is 100% designed with serious gamers in mind. And since it’s a system that’s easy to tweak and upgrade, you have the power to crank up the intensity of your gaming experience easily.

 

Tweakability

 

I love having a computer that gives me the freedom to tweak and change things, as I see fit. So many of the gaming PCs and gaming laptops that I’ve looked at simply lock users in too much and don’t offer any easy options for upgrades and changes. The Dell Alienware M11X – Core i5 8GB DDR3 5.1 Surround Sound Stealth Black Gaming Laptop, on the other hand, is a computer geek’s dream come true. With a fully overclockable Intel processor, it’s simple to amp things up a bit for even better performance. Of course, many gamers won’t want to full around with their processors, and won’t really have to since it is 1.866 GHz and has 3M cache on board. Either way, you have the power to make changes and upgrades with ease when this is your gaming laptop of choice.

 

Dell Alienware M11X – Core i5 8GB DDR3 5.1 Surround Sound Stealth Black

 

The Intel Core i5 520 UM is easy to overclock for those PC tweakers out there

Tons of RAM with 8GB of dual chamber, 800 MHz DDR3

11.6 widescreen HD for the best gaming video experience

Comes with a 1 GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M Graphics Card

Has built in High Def Surround Sound – 5.1

Comes with a 1 year warranty from Dell

 

The Customer Reviews

 

As I was finishing up this Dell Alienware M11X – Core i5 8GB DDR3 5.1 Surround Sound Stealth Black laptop review, I wanted to include my findings from the user reviews to help you decide whether or not this is the right gaming laptop for your needs. I found only 3 reviews for this model, and the average score is 3.5 out of 5 stars. That means that the 3 customers who own this laptop are a bit split on what they think.

 

Overall, people seem happy with the performance of the Dell Alienware M11X Laptop, but the hinges have been a bit troublesome for them. Dell has addressed this issue and says that they are fixing all the hinge issues, which is a good thing.

 

If you want the power of a full-featured gaming PC, in a small laptop, the Dell Alienware M11X – Core i5 8GB DDR3 5.1 Surround Sound Stealth Black Gaming Laptop, may just be the hardware solution you’ve been looking for.

 

Dell 17″ XPS M1730

May 16th, 2011

Dell Gaming Laptop 17" XPS M1730If you want to be able to play today’s best video games on your computer, you need a machine that’s built for speed. The Dell Gaming Laptop 17″ XPS M1730 is one of the latest entries into the coveted gaming laptop niche, and it shows all the signs of being one of the best, most reasonably priced gaming laptops on the market today. With an Intel CoreTM2 Duo Processor, at 2.8GHz, it’s evident that the Dell Gaming Laptop 17″ XPS M1730 has plenty of onboard processing power for the most in depth and intense games around. And since video clarity and speed need to be a priority for every gaming laptop, the Dell Gaming Laptop 17″ XPS M1730 has you covered with NVIDIA ALITM Dual GeForce 8800M GTX video card, you know that your games will look their best.

 

Your Laptop – Your OS

 

I really like the fact that the Dell Gaming Laptop 17″ XPS M1730 comes with installation disks for Windows XP and Windows Vista (though I’d rather see Windows 7 instead of Vista included.) I know some gamers that don’t want their laptops to be on the most current OS, due to some older games not being compatible. As most laptops come with the latest and greatest installed, it’s been necessary for people who like XP to uninstall Windows 7 and install XP. With the Dell Gaming Laptop 17″ XPS M1730, you get to make the OS choice, right out of the box. So you’ll only be running the OS that you prefer to use.

 

Dell Gaming Laptop 17″ XPS M1730 Features & Specs

 

Built with the powerful Intel CoreTM2 Duo Processor X9000 Processor(2.8GHz, 6MB Cache, 800Mhz FSB)

Window XP Professional and Vista Ultimate 32-bit Installation disks are included, so you choose which OS to install

Large 250GB Antishok 7200 RPM SATAII hard drive installed

NVIDIA® SLITM Dual GeForce® 8800M GTX with 1GB GDDR3 Memory Video Card, for top of the line graphics

Up to 4GB12 Dual Channel 667MHz DDR2 RAM on board

 

As you can see, the Dell Gaming Laptop 17″ XPS M1730 is a basic gamer’s laptop that allows you to expand, and tweak as you see fit. Let’s face it, no gaming laptop is ever going to be considered the best by every gamer. It’s only natural that some people will expect more from a laptop, out of the box, than it can deliver. With that being said, though, the Dell Gaming Laptop 17″ XPS M1730 is a great baseline gaming laptop that you have the power to easily tweak and upgrade, to make it your perfect gaming laptop.

 

While I would like to see Windows 7 included with the Dell Gaming Laptop 17″ XPS M1730, and wish that the hard drive were a bit bigger than 250GB, for the price you really can’t beat the Dell Gaming Laptop 17″ XPS M1730. And since most of us gamers are pretty adept at upgrading our machines, getting this laptop up to your own specs, shouldn’t be a problem at all.

 

So if you’re in the market for a high quality, basic gaming laptop, and want to save some money, I highly recommend to you the Dell Gaming Laptop 17″ XPS M1730.

 

 

Alienware AM11x-826CSB

May 16th, 2011

Alienware AM11x-826CSB Gaming LaptopWhether you like to spend your time gunning down alien invaders, or you prefer to spend time in fantasy worlds, developing your role playing characters, you know the importance of having a PC that can handle the serious processing involved with online games. The Alienware AM11x-826CSB Gaming Laptop is a laptop gaming computer that lets you take the fun of extreme gaming wherever you go. And since it’s an Alienware laptop, the Alienware AM11x-826CSB Gaming Laptop is guaranteed to take your game-playing experiences to new levels of depth and realistic graphics. With the powerful Intel Core Duo 1.3 GHz processor and 4 GB of Dual Channel DDR3 RAM, you can tell that this is a gaming laptop that’s up to any serious gamer’s requirements.

 

The Extras

 

One thing that bothers me about many of the gaming laptops on the market is their serious lack of extra features and functionality. Some of the better selling laptops strip down the software offered, to only include the OS. The Alienware AM11x-826CSB Gaming Laptop, on the other hand, is built with the extra software you need to get this laptop out of the box and online. From the world famous McAfee Security Center software to a full-featured firewall, the Alienware AM11x-826CSB Gaming Laptop helps you to instantly get online and start playing, without having to worry about downloading tons of utilities.

 

Alienware AM11x-826CSB Gaming Laptop Features

 

Built with the Intel Core 2 Duo 1.3 GHz processor with 3MB onboard cache

4 GB RAM is Dual Channel DDR3 in 2 DIMMs

11.6 inch High-Def widescreen

1 GB GDDR2 NVIDIA GeForce GT 335 M Graphics Card is included

4 Memory Slots

320 GB, 7200 rpm hard drive

3 USB ports and 1 FireWire port

 

It’s nice that Alienware made the Alienware AM11x-826CSB Gaming Laptop to be expandable. Even though the real allure of a gaming laptop is the ability to game on the road, you still want to have the ports and inputs you need for peripherals. With the 3 integrated USB ports, 4 Memory Slots and a FireWire port, you can add and remove peripheral equipment, like flash cards, as you see fit. That means you have total control over the Alienware AM11x-826CSB Gaming Laptop’s set up.

 

The Customer Reviews

 

While researching for this Alienware AM11x-826CSB Gaming Laptop review, I took a peek at the customer reviews. I wanted to see what a cross-section of real life customers thought of this gaming laptop. I found 20 customer reviews, and out of those 20 review writers, 14 gave the Alienware AM11x-826CSB Gaming Laptop a 5 star rating. There were a few mentions of bad support from Dell, but the overall response to this laptop has been overwhelmingly positive.

 

If you’re ready to play your games wherever, and whenever you want, the Alienware AM11x-826CSB Gaming Laptop is a full featured gaming laptop that I think you’ll really enjoy using.


ASUS G51VX-RX05

May 16th, 2011

ASUS G51VX-RX05 15.6-Inch LaptopGetting a great gaming laptop at a decent price can be challenging. The ASUS G51VX-RX05 15.6-Inch Laptop is a laptop that has the fast processing speeds, top-notch-graphics and storage space you need to play all of today’s most popular games, without experiencing latency or general operating system bog downs. The ASUS G51VX-RX05 15.6-Inch Laptop is a powerhouse of a laptop that can be used for day-to-day computer needs as well as playing your favorite games.

 

Processing Power

 

As you know, a computer has to be able to process a lot of data, quickly, in order to be considered a true gaming laptop. The ASUS G51VX-RX05 15.6-Inch Laptop has plenty of processing power, so there are no worries about it handling audio, video and gaming data quickly and efficiently. With 4 GB of RAM included with the ASUS G51VX-RX05 15.6-Inch Laptop, you’ll have plenty of fast access memory for games. And since it’s built with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M video card, you never have to worry about the detailed, crisp images you need to make game playing more enjoyable and realistic.

 

On top of these pieces of hardware, the ASUS G51VX-RX05 15.6-Inch Laptop also includes an Intel Core 2 P7350 (2. 0GHz) Processor. With 2 Gigahertz of processing power, there’s no game that’s too intense for this gaming laptop to deal with. And with 64 bit Windows 7 Platinum installed, your OS will be up to speed and able to deal with all the power that this gaming laptop has under the hood.

 

ASUS G51VX-RX05 15.6-Inch Laptop Features & Technical Specs

 

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M Video Card

Intel Core 2 P7350 (2. 0GHz) Processor

15.6″ HD 1366×768 LED LCD for crystal clear images on screen

4 Gigabytes of RAM installed

320 GB hard drive for plenty of storage space

 

Customer Reviews

 

The best way to gauge how good a laptop really is requires taking a look at reviews from real life customers. As we were researching this ASUS G51VX-RX05 15.6-Inch Laptop review, we took a look at the available customer reviews, to get an idea of what people are saying about this popular model.

 

We found 13 customer reviews for the ASUS G51VX-RX05 15.6-Inch Laptop, and were pretty impressed with the scores these folks gave to this gaming laptop. The average score given was 4.5 out of 5 stars. That means that the majority of reviewers gave this laptop a 5 star rating. The only ding against this model was from one customer who was unhappy with it being a refurbished model, as he was expecting a new laptop instead. To be fair, though, this laptop is listed as being refurbished, and customers should be aware of this fact.

 

If you’re looking for an affordable gaming laptop computer, you can’t go wrong with the ASUS G51VX-RX05 15.6-Inch Laptop. It’s powerful, fast and able to take on today’s most intense video games with ease.

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q888

May 3rd, 2011

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q888 TruBrite 18.4-Inch Laptop

The first thing I noticed about the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q888 is the sleek, modern, cool-as-can-be black casing design with red chrome accents. The second thing I noticed was the large 18.4” display screen, which boasts a true high-definition 1080p resolution. Between these two visual features, I got the feeling that I was looking at something very special indeed – in fact, a beauty that appeared to be far more expensive than it’s $1400 price tag.

 

Once you get past the these two marvels of laptop design, you have the keyboard. Ahh, the keyboard. Illuminated with LED for visibility, the multi-touch control allows supreme flexibility and control when gaming and manipulating action on-screen. In addition, the keyboard actually contains a numeric keypad, which is pretty rare for a laptop.

 

Sound

 

The speakers are Harmon Kardon, and sound incredible clear and crisp. There are media buttons located on the side of keyboard that allow you to control the sound with just a touch. I can’t imagine getting better, fuller sound from speakers built-in to a laptop. This, of course, not surprising from a machine which is specifically built for music production.

 

Performance

 

So it looks good and sounds good…but once I got past all the thrills, how did this baby actually perform? Well, considering it contains a Intel Core i7 processor with four cores of intelligent processing power, it’s not suprising that she was fast as hell. Add 4 gigabytes of RAM, and you have one lightning-fast processing dynamo. The 500 gigabytes of hard drive space is adequate enough.

 

The graphics card is an NVIDIA Geforce GTS 360m with 1 GB of GDDR5 memory. This allows you to play 3D and high-definition games at incredibly fast frame rates. Having a dedicated graphics card like this makes gaming visuals smooth, seamless, and from what I saw during World of Warcraft a new level of realism in the world of gaming.

 

Other Features

 

Additionally, the Qosmio comes stocked with a built-in 1.3 megapixel webcamera, with face recognition software for added security. And if you’re looking to use the Qosmio for more than just gaming, you can make use of Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, pre-installed for your business or student software needs.

 

Cons

 

At roughly 10 lbs. this laptop is definitely not what you would consider lightweight. In fact, it may be difficult to find a newer carry case that is large enough to safely store this baby. The power supply is also large and heavy, and the power consumption is substantial enough to say so.

 

Keep in mind, however, that is not a laptop that was designed for toting around easily like a Netbook. It was meant to replace the desktops normally needed for games that require a lot of graphic and processing power to run them optimally. It is, of course, portable, but the other feature you gain from having a great gaming laptop make this computer less suitable for school and business applications.

 

Summary

 

This is a phenomenal and beautiful machine that is a must-have for serious gamers who want to experience games in outstanding visual and audial quality. If you are looking for a laptop for student or business use, this is probably a lot more machine than which you to need to invest.

 

 

Can Gaming Laptops Actually be Affordable?

July 1st, 2011

Gaming Laptops that are AffordableLaptops have been used more and more for gaming since the past few years and through the use of some great technology, laptops are designed to handle all you gaming needs and can hold some of those heavy-duty graphics while providing top notch gaming experience. The difference between gaming laptops and regular laptops lie more than in their appearance but gaming laptops are also much more powerful and the features that these laptops boast, make an everyday laptop seem inferior in comparison and while gaming laptops tend to be expensive, if you know where to look, you can find some affordable gaming laptops that you will love.

In order for you to get an affordable gaming laptop that will boast both power and speed, you need to either get a used one or one that is refurbished because if you are not looking to spend some good amount of money on a new one, a used or refurbished gaming laptop is your most affordable way out. You want that gaming laptop; therefore, there are some specific features that you need to consider before purchasing one.

You need to get a laptop that is able to handle whatever graphical content you put on it, without it slowing down or giving you mediocre performance. Your video card should be at least 1GB and your RAM should be at least 4GB because that will give you a good enough performance; although if you are looking for a really high end laptop, an 8GB RAM is what you need.

Do not get your gaming laptop with a quad-core processing speed of less than 1.6GHz but the higher the speed you get, the better. Due to the fact that most new games take up a lot of space, you need to think about how much space to get on your hard disk. The least space your gaming laptop should consist of is 320GB and getting an external hard drive is not a bad idea either and finally, your screen size plays a major role in your gaming laptop choice. The bigger the screen the better your gaming experience will be. The average screen size to get is a 17 inch.

Now that you know it all and is aware of what to look for when getting a high functioning gaming laptop, all you need to do now, is go out and get an affordable gaming laptop that you will love.

 

Why Are Gaming Laptops Taking Over the Industry?

June 1st, 2011

Cheap Gaming LaptopsLaptops were never associated with gaming because laptops unlike your desktop computer are smaller and were less powerful than desktop. Desktop computers however, was the go to computer for gamers but over the past few years gamers perception has changed and they are moving more and more towards getting affordable gaming laptops.

Why have laptops taken over the gaming world from desktop computer? It’s simple, laptops are portable and everyone is drawn into the mobile world; no one wants to stay the same place for too long. Alienware and Dell are two of the most popular companies that are reaping the rewards for creating some of the best, most affordable gaming laptops that game hounds like you are feasting on.

The gaming laptop industry is built on speed, customizability, power, expansion and a battery life that last more than a couple of minutes. Although desktop computers have an abundance of space to hold dominant graphic cards and laptops does not. Laptops are now a preferred tool for gamers because as was mentioned they move with you. While computers have unlimited power and a number of fans to keep it cool, and laptops on the other hand have a tendency to overheat, affordable gaming laptops have taken over from your regular desktop computer.

Although laptops are more dominant in this field these days, there are a few things that you need to take into consideration before you decide to just buy any laptop and end up regretting it in the end. Therefore, you need to consider these aspects when purchasing an affordable gaming laptop:

  • First check out the CPU – make sure that your gaming laptop has a really fast processor because the faster it is the better performance will be. The least the CPU should have is a dual core processor. Think of getting an Intel processor of i3, i7, or i5 because these processors are the best choices for your gaming laptop.
  • A Graphics Card with at least a 512 MB memory is your best bet when getting a gaming laptop to take you through high end games.
  • The more RAM that a gaming laptop is built with the better. An ideal amount is 4GB; do not go for less because you will be in constant need of more storage.
  • The final major component of getting a gaming laptop that will suit your needs is its battery life. You do not need a laptop that only holds power for an hour. I mean you are just getting into the game by then; therefore, when thinking battery life think about getting something that will hold for 2 hours the least.
  • With that said, you are now able to go out and get an affordable gaming laptop that you will love for awhile.