Laptop people, please help...

[Mupepe]

As most of you know my wife and I had a bunch of shit stolen from our house last week so for Black Friday I'm planning on buying a cheap laptop to replace our stolen one.  I guess I'm not really that interested in whether it can play games because well, I'm a dirty poor I guess.  I just want it to be able to play the old Civs and Age of Empires.  Maybe starcraft 2? I don't know what kinda specs it requires.  Anyways, I want to stay around 300-350 dollars so below are my Black Friday choices.  Could someone tell me what would be the best bet specs wise?  I've been out of the PC/Laptop game for so long I'm not familiar with any of these...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/HP-15.6-250-GB-CQ57-319wm/17218896?sourceid=27756229370668466067&wmlspartner=VJQZNxQ9nek
Compaq Black 15.6" CQ57-319qm Laptop PC with AMD Dual-Core C50 Processor and Windows 7 Home Premium

    AMD Dual-Core C-50 processor
    1.0GHz, 1MB L2 Cache

    2GB DDR3 SDRAM system memory (expandable to 8GB)
    Gives you the options for surfing, video conferencing, documents, basic photo editing and simple computer tasks

    250GB SATA hard drive
    Store 166,000 photos, 71,000 songs or 131 hours of HD video and more

    SuperMulti DVD Burner
    Watch movies, and read and write CDs and DVDs in multiple formats

    10/100Base-T Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN
    Connect to a broadband modem with wired Ethernet or wirelessly connect to a Wi-Fi signal or hotspot with the 802.11b/g/n connection built into your PC

    15.6" HD BrightView LED-backlit display
    AMD Radeon HD 6250 Discrete-Class Graphics with up to 949MB total graphics memory

http://www.walmart.com/ip/HP-15.6-320-GB-2000-329wm/17218904?sourceid=23903990223958423771&wmlspartner=VJQZNxQ9nek
HP Black 15.6" 2000-329WM Laptop PC with AMD Dual Core E350 Processor & Windows 7 Home Premium

    AMD Dual-Core E-350 processor
    1.60GHz, 1MB L2 Cache

    3GB DDR3 SDRAM system memory (expandable to 8GB)
    Gives you the comfort for multimedia videos and images, video conferencing, basic gaming and all the other simple duties

    320GB SATA hard drive
    Store 213,000 photos, 91,000 songs or 168 hours of HD video and more

    SuperMulti DVD burner
    Watch movies, and read and write CDs and DVDs in multiple formats

    10/100Base-T Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN
    Connect to a broadband modem with wired Ethernet or wirelessly connect to a Wi-Fi signal or hotspot with the 802.11b/g/n connection built into your PC

    15.6" HD BrightView LED-backlit display
    AMD Radeon HD 6310 Discrete-Class Graphics with up to 1461MB total graphics memory

http://www.walmart.com/ip/17337142?wmlspartner=VJQZNxQ9nek&sourceid=39982597632829064302
Acer Gray 15.6" Aspire AS5349-2481 Laptop PC with Intel Celeron B800 Dual Core Processor, Webcam, HDMI Out and Windows 7 Home Premium

    Intel Celeron B800 Dual Core processor
    1.50GHz, 2MB L3 Cache

    2GB DDR3 SDRAM system memory (expandable to 8GB)
    Gives you the options for surfing, video conferencing, documents, basic photo editing and simple computer tasks. With an empty memory slot open it makes it easier and less expensive to upgrade to 4GB, 6GB or even 8GB of Total memory.

    500GB SATA hard drive
    Store 333,000 photos, 142,000 songs or 263 hours of HD video and more

    8x SuperMulti Double-Layer drive
    Watch movies, and read and write CDs and DVDs in multiple formats

    10/100 Fast Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN
    Connect to a broadband modem with wired Ethernet or wirelessly connect to a Wi-Fi signal or hotspot with the 802.11b/g/n connection built into your PC

    15.6" HD widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit display
    Intel HD Graphics with 128MB of dedicated system memory, supporting Microsoft DirectX 10.1

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung/.p?id=1218413771184&AID=10597222&PID=5411870&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2FSamsung%2F.p%3Fid%3D1218413771184&ref=39&CJPID=5411870&loc=01
Samsung - Laptop / Intel® Pentium® Processor / 15.6" Display / 4GB Memory - Black/Silver

Intel® Pentium® processor T4500
Features a 1MB cache and 2.3GHz processor speed.
4GB DDR3 memory
For multitasking power.
Multiformat DVD±RW/CD-RW drive with double-layer support
Records up to 8.5GB of data or 4 hours of video using compatible DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL media.
15.6" LED high-definition widescreen display
With 1366 x 768 resolution showcases movies and games in stunning clarity.
320GB hard drive (5400 rpm)
Offers spacious storage and fast read/write times.
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M
For lush images with vivid detail.
Built-in 0.3MP webcam with microphone
Makes it easy to video chat with family and friends.
4-in-1 media reader
Supports Secure Digital, Secure Digital High Capacity, SDXC and MultiMediaCard formats.
3 high-speed USB 2.0 ports
For fast digital video, audio and data transfer.
Built-in high-speed wireless LAN (802.11b/g/n)
Connect to the Internet without wires.
Built-in 10/100 Mbps Ethernet LAN
With RJ-45 connector for quick and easy wired Web connection.
Weighs 5.4 lbs. and measures just 1.5" thin
For easy portability. The 103-key keyboard and keypad allow easy data entry.
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit operating system preinstalled
Provides a stable platform for word processing, Web navigation, gaming, media storage and more.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+Laptop+/3624388.p?id=1218421869679&AID=10597222&PID=5411870&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2FToshiba%2B-%2BLaptop%2B%2F3624388.p%3Fid%3D1218421869679&ref=39&CJPID=5411870&loc=01
Toshiba - Laptop / Intel® Pentium® Processor / 15.6" Display / 4GB Memory - Black

Intel® Pentium® processor B950
Features a 1066MHz system bus, 2MB L3 cache and 2.1GHz processor speed.
4GB DDR3 memory
For multitasking power, expandable to 8GB.
Multiformat DVD±RW/CD-RW drive with double-layer support
Records up to 8.5GB of data or 4 hours of video using compatible DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL media; also supports DVD-RAM.
15.6" LED-backlit TFT-LCD high-definition widescreen display
With TruBrite technology and 1366 x 768 resolution for stunning image clarity and vivid detail.
320GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 rpm)
Offers spacious storage capacity.
Intel® HD graphics
Feature 64-1696MB shared video memory for lush images.
Built-in webcam and microphone
Make it easy to video chat with friends and family.
Multiformat media reader
Supports Secure Digital, Secure Digital High Capacity, miniSD and MultiMediaCard formats.
2 high-speed USB 2.0 ports
For fast digital video, audio and data transfer.
Built-in high-speed wireless LAN (802.11b/g/n)
Connect to the Internet without wires.
Built-in 10/100 Ethernet LAN
With RJ-45 connector for quick and easy wired Web connection.
Weighs 5.3 lbs. and measures just 1.6" thin
For easy portability. Full-size keyboard with 10-key number pad makes data entry easy.
Trax texture finish in black
For a stylish appearance.
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit operating system preinstalled
Provides a stable computing platform for word processing, Web navigation, media storage and more.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Lenovo/.p?id=1218428668564&AID=10597222&PID=5411870&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2FLenovo%2F.p%3Fid%3D1218428668564&ref=39&CJPID=5411870&loc=01
Lenovo - Laptop / AMD E-Series Processor / 15.6" Display / 2GB Memory / 250GB Hard Drive - Black

AMD E-300 Dual Core Processor with AMD Radeon HD 6310 graphics
Features a 1066MHz system bus.
2GB DDR3 memory
For multitasking power, expandable to 4GB.
Multiformat DVD±RW/CD-RW drive
Create custom DVDs and CDs.
15.6" LED-backlit high-definition widescreen display
With 1366 x 768 resolution showcases movies and games in stunning clarity.
250GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 rpm)
Offers plenty of storage capacity.
Built-in VeriFace facial recognition
Protects sensitive information.
AMD Radeon HD 6310 graphics
For lush images with vivid detail.
Built-in 0.3MP webcam
Makes it easy to chat with and send video mail to family and friends.
2 high-speed USB 2.0 ports
For fast digital video, audio and data transfer.
Built-in high-speed wireless LAN (802.11b/g/n)
Connect to the Internet without wires.
Built-in 10/100 Ethernet LAN
For quick and easy wired Web connection.
Weighs 5.7 lbs. and measures just 1.4" thin
For easy portability.
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit operating system preinstalled
Provides a stable platform for word processing, Web navigation, gaming, media storage and more.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12165719
Toshiba® Satellite® C655D-S5332 15.6" Laptop

    1.6GHz AMD® E-300 processor and AMD Radeon® HD 6310 graphics combine for terrific performance
    3GB DDR3 memory runs the software you want easily
    Watch movies or burn CD/DVDs on the DVD SuperMulti drive supporting 11 formats
    The 15.6" LED backlit TriBrite™ display offers crystal-clear images and vibrant colors
    Fast (10/100) Ethernet and Wireless-N connectivity options
    500GB HDD offers plenty of storage
    Built-in webcam and microphone enhance live chat sessions
    Included card reader lets you easily transfer music and images from other devices
    Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit, SP1 works the way you want it to

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12292983
HP® 2000-363NR 15.6" Laptop

    A 2.40GHz Intel® Core™ i3-370M processor and 4GB DDR3 SDRAM power you through your tasks
    A SuperMulti DVD burner lets you burn CD/DVDs and watch movies or listen to CDs
    Intel HD Graphics offer crystal-clear images and vibrant colors on the 15.6" widescreen display
    10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN and Wireless-N* offer excellent connectivity options
    320GB HDD for file storage
    Digital media card reader for SD™ and MMC™ cards for file transfer between devices
    HP webcam with integrated microphone enlivens chat sessions
    Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium (64-bit) works the way you want it to

[Mr. Gundam]

I'm in the market for a new laptop that has similar specs. Hopefully someone here can help.

[MCD]

HP Black 15.6" 2000-329WM sounds like my trusty DM1Z but bigger, I say that.

[Tasty]

Chromebooks just dropped to $300.

[Van Cruncheon]

Chromebooks just dropped to $300.

you could be the 9th or 10th person in the us to buy one! however, he said he wanted to play games

i'd save up $700ish and buy something with a core ix proc and a discrete gpu

[Mupepe]

Chromebooks just dropped to $300.

you could be the 9th or 10th person in the us to buy one! however, he said he wanted to play games

i'd save up $700ish and buy something with a core ix proc and a discrete gpu

700 is honestly too much for anything that I'll be only playing 7+ year old games on and responding on Evilbore with. 

The one MCD mentioned has a discrete GPU and can play Civ V!  For the price, what do you think Mr Van Cruncheon?

[Van Cruncheon]

yeah, it's fine for your purposes. i bought that machine for my parents and while it's a bit slow, it plays older games decently and seems reliable. great keyboard, unsurprisingly (lenovo has always been great for this)

[Mupepe]

Thanks, brochacho.  I'm gonna be at Walmart anyways that night for other shit so +1.  I guess that will be my choice unless someone has a compelling reason for a better one around that price

[Van Cruncheon]

if i had to buy ANY cheap laptop, i'd ONLY go lenovo. stay FAR FAR away from cheap HPs and toshibas

[Tasty]

Chromebooks just dropped to $300.

you could be the 9th or 10th person in the us to buy one! however, he said he wanted to play games

He could use this...

[Van Cruncheon]

REAL games. you're not a real gamer, so you wouldn't understand the vast and storied experiences that comprise the history of pc gaming

edit: i actually followed the link. jesus, why would ANYONE game over rdp

[Tasty]

REAL games. you're not a real gamer, so you wouldn't understand the vast and storied experiences that comprise the history of pc gaming

edit: i actually followed the link. jesus, why would ANYONE game over rdp

Well he didn't say he wanted the full arsenal, only like three old/semi-old games.

And I was kidding with the link, lol.

[Van Cruncheon]

i can't tell with people who seriously advocate using android for anything other than embedded devices! i follow the oldest rule of the internet: the difference between a troll and a kook is ultimately irrelevant

[Mupepe]

if i had to buy ANY cheap laptop, i'd ONLY go lenovo. stay FAR FAR away from cheap HPs and toshibas

That's what I was thinking.  But the only Lenovos I see on sale this Black Friday is listed up there and the specs pale in comparison. 

[Van Cruncheon]

oh, i thought the lenovo was the e-350 unit. d'oh. i'd pass on all of these based on your requirements, honestly. don't saddle yourself with crap.

edit: eh, if you're serious, i guess you could gamble on the hp.

[Mupepe]

It's been years since I've bought a laptop but is HP really that dodgy now?  Damn.  I don't want to have the damn thing for only a year and have to buy something else.  Feck

[Van Cruncheon]

elitebooks are great. everything else hp makes is pretty sketchy. they were great 4-5 years ago, but they're shit now. dell, on the other hand, besides a few missteps (studio xps undervolting due to poor ventilation, alienware m17x 580 throttling), has gone from shit to pretty damn solid (and with great customer support/service). only lenovo has been consistently reliable.

if i had to rank the pc manufacturers (and apple's builds are REALLY overrated these days) for reliability and build quality across the price spectrum:

1. lenovo
2. samsung
3. dell
4. asus
5. sony
6. hp
...
...
50. toshiba
...
100000000. acer

[Mupepe]

Hm... Maybe I'll check out some regularly priced Lenovos and see what I can get.  I'm gonna bug the shit out of you with specs/comparison questions

[Van Cruncheon]

the regular lenovos may be homely, but they are BEASTS. i have a T410 for work and that thing is UNKILLABLE. frag, get in here and testify

[Tasty]

i can't tell with people who seriously advocate using android for anything other than embedded devices! i follow the oldest rule of the internet: the difference between a troll and a kook is ultimately irrelevant

Who said anything about Android?

[MCD]

I wanted to mention that Lenovo but HP specs were better.

And I never had any problem with recent HP models (not american models) but at least, I wouldn't rank Sony above it. Sony's shitty low audio speakers are enough for me to dismiss their whole laptops.

And Android should be avoided on all platforms.

[Mupepe]

Well hell, should that Lenovo be able to play age of empires 2 and Civ III and IV or Half Life 2?  That's pretty much as far as my pc gaming goes (except older stuff like system shock/daggerfall etc)

[Van Cruncheon]

yes, yes, and yes: it'll play quite a few things.

[Mupepe]

Thanks.  I'll go with the Lenovo then. 

[Mr. Gundam]

I just need a cheap (ie. $500 or less) laptop. Doesn't need to play games. Any suggestions? Doesn't have to be in Mups' list.

[Cerveza mas fina]

Asus, MSI and Medion have 24 month guarantees out of the box.

[Van Cruncheon]

Asus, MSI and Medion have 24 month guarantees out of the box.

i have a dell that CAN play games for sale... $500 as a SHAT PACK deal! :-D

[Mupepe]

only for the shat pack?  you son of a bitch

[Cerveza mas fina]

Keep peddling that Dell Drinky 

It does look pretty good actually.

[Mr. Gundam]

Asus, MSI and Medion have 24 month guarantees out of the box.

i have a dell that CAN play games for sale... $500 as a SHAT PACK deal! :-D

I saw you peddling that on Facebook. What are the specs? How old again? I'll consult with the Mrs.

[CajoleJuice]

It's pretty awesome. It was a deal at $600. It's all about that 1600x900.

[Van Cruncheon]

it's a year old. perfect shape, all original packaging. 14" dell xps. updated to a SWEET high-gamut 1600x900 display, 750 gb hdd, and 8 gb ddr3 ram. proc is a clarksfield 4-core/8-thread 1.73 ghz core i7 (the i7-740m). gpu is an nvidia 425m -- roughly equivalent to a desktop 8700/8800 gts, with 2 gb ddr3. like i said, it runs skyrim as good as a ps3/360, if not slightly better (and at a much higher native res). you should see super street fighter 4 ae on it!

the base unit was $1K a year ago, back when it had 4gb ram, a 500 gb hdd, and a shitty 1366x768 display. that's another couple hundred in upgrades! (not to mention the complete cpu/gpu repaste with arctic silver -- dropped temps by 7-10C and will increase reliability/longevity massively)

[Mr. Gundam]

Talked to the wife. Does it have MS Office? Warranty is expired, I take it? We're very interested.

[Van Cruncheon]

yes, office professional is included, as is win7 ultimate. warranty was one year, but i know the machine inside and out and can do any emergency repairs, since you're in the area ;-)

[Van Cruncheon]

seriously, the screen is OH EM GEE

[Mr. Gundam]

We're a go! Check or cash? We'll coordinate pickup next week after holidays.

[MCD]

Please support old man Van.

[Van Cruncheon]

your preference. i can deliver, if you'd like.

[Mr. Gundam]

your preference. i can deliver, if you'd like.

No big deal. Are you going to be around this weekend or are you at Clallam Bay? We'll be home on Saturday working on the nursery if you want to stop by.

[Mupepe]

son of a bitch!

[Van Cruncheon]

your preference. i can deliver, if you'd like.

No big deal. Are you going to be around this weekend or are you at Clallam Bay? We'll be home on Saturday working on the nursery if you want to stop by.

@ clallam bay. i can run it by the saturday after next. maybe we can grab a BERU

[Van Cruncheon]

sorry, mups :-( i always give seattle folks preference because i hate shipping :-(

[Mupepe]

it's all good.  Maybe I'll just save up and wait for now.  Stick with my trusty rusty desktop.  None of these really seem like GREAT deals and the thought of being able to catch up on a few years of PC gaming does sound sweet. 

[Van Cruncheon]

i occasionally get some sweet vendor coupons for dell/alienware. i'll kick you over the next 50% off one i get. ;-)

[Mupepe]

awesome dude!  I'd appreciate it.

[MCD]

Get him something with SSDs.

Bitches love SSDs.

[Van Cruncheon]

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/html/pbPage.BlackFriday -- Samsung RC512 with 525M and Blu-Ray for $500. BUY BUY BUY

[MCD]

Microsoft Signature

[Van Cruncheon]

yeah, ms signature installs are great. NO SHITWARE, NO MANDATORY REINSTALL

[Mupepe]

That'll be my laptop Van Cruncheon

[Mr. Gundam]

your preference. i can deliver, if you'd like.

No big deal. Are you going to be around this weekend or are you at Clallam Bay? We'll be home on Saturday working on the nursery if you want to stop by.

@ clallam bay. i can run it by the saturday after next. maybe we can grab a BERU

Maybe? Definitely get a beru. Latona Pub is right by my place.

CRUNCHEON

[Van Cruncheon]

for the folks still lookin': http://www.circuitcity.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=286119&sku=H24-15224 -- $549 for a SB core i5 w/ a discrete gpu. buy buy buy! it's essentially a low-end macbook pro, hardware-wise, only $1000 cheaper.