New laptop - pls halp

[pecelot]

so yeah, I'm buying a new laptop. I don't know almost anything about computer stuff, so bear that in mind. What would you recommend, though? I'm looking for something that is not too heavy and large to carry as I'd like to take it sometimes to my uni without much trouble, but still I'd like to be able to play games like AoE3 with no problems. It doesn't have to be super-advanced, just able to handle not-that-old games, AoE3 is a good example, as high graphic settings require some software to run without any lag. So pls use simple language here XD

[momuuu]

If you are not looking to play much more than aoe3 ever in any future, then the requirements on the strength side of things probably arent that large, so videocard and processor will often be fine. Things like a non reflecting screen, lowweight laptop with a nice size, and maybe an SSD (allows you to boot up much more quickly) could be more interesting. Do you really only play aoe3? Don't want to ever consider streaming or anything? Whats the budget?

[Ashvin]

i thing c-i5 5th or th 6th gen is a must nowadays. 8 gigs ram or more is also a trend. gpu of 2gigs is considered sober

[iNcog]

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[Dolan]

Well, if you want the truth, laptops are not good for gaming. Very few laptops are good for gaming and those are very expensive.

So maybe you can focus on getting a decent laptop for your budget, that most ilkely will be capable of playing AOE3, since this game can be played even with integrated graphics on medium graphics settings. So as long as it has a decent CPU and maybe an SSD, it will most likely work OK for AOE3 gaming.

The thing with laptops is that you pay a premium for mobility. So you pay more for less performance than if you used that money to get a desktop.

[momuuu]

Laptops dont offer the best value as a gaming machine no, but laptops are really useful if you're a student or have to travel with pc a lot. They dont easily run modern games no, my laptop was outperformed in almost every sense by a much older desktop that cost the same when it was bought.

But if youre only doing aoe then go for a laptop Id say.

[noissance]

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-NVID ... ing+laptop ($549)
The laptop above can play games like age3, league of legends, and overwatch with relative ease ^
For medium-high settings, you need a laptop with a geforce gtx 960m(or higher), like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Dell-15-6-Inch-Q ... aptop($800)

Both come with ssd's, so you can probably add in a hard drive for extra storage later.

[Garja]

http://www.gaminglaptopsjunky.com/gamin ... under-500/

[pecelot]

The thing is, I need a laptop, and at the same time, I'd like to play AoE3 and other games from that period, like idk. CoD4 or FIFA 09, without much trouble, as my PC is very old and slow. I don't want to buy a new desktop, as I'll be heading to a different city for studying, so it wouldn't be used that much and IMO it's not worth the prize. So yeah, basically I'd like to purchase a new laptop for my studies that I can carry pretty much effortlessly etc., but additionally it should handle AoE3.
My budget is under 2000 zł, which is about 500 euro.

Thanks for the tips and general advice, as well as for the links. So again, what should I pay the biggest attention to? Processor, RAM or graphic card? (sorry for noobing really :( )

[momuuu]

if you have 6 - 8 GB ram thats plenty, 6 GB is supposed to not be as much but my pc also only has 6 GB ram and its fine. 4 GB would be a little bit low. Graphics card you probably for the sake of performance and comfort want a dedicated graphics card, that should be doable with the budget. Processor is probably for every day use and basic gaming the most important one I suppose from those three. Then theres some comfort aspects, SSD makes your laptop boot up really quickly which is quite pleasant, the screens resolution and brightness can be quite important aswell, battery life, weight, size, stuff like that are worth considering but thats all just personal preference.

[Dolan]

Tbh, if I'd be getting a laptop, I would also consider the build quality. Because for a 500 bucks budget you can find some Chinese clone that has lots of good specs but will start squeaking and falling apart in a year. But then again, I'm not sure what build quality you can get for about 500 bucks. Maybe look for a Dell or even for a 2nd hand premium laptop on ebay.

[momuuu]

I havent heard the greatest things about dell personally.

[Dolan]

Well, I've heard the Dell XPS series is decent, but it starts from 799$. So, again, if you can find some kind of ebay deal, maybe find some unsold new stock for 500 bucks, it might be worth it. Personally, I wouldn't buy anything made in China. They tend to fall apart quickly after a year or so.
Then, what other somewhat decent build quality laptops can you find? They usually charge a premium for that.

[pecelot]

I think I'll be getting one in the big IT store, so I don't think I will come across too much Chinese stuff.

[Garja]

dell xps is great, but it is also a desktop replacement rather than a ultra book type laptop. Also ye it's expensive.
Just take a look at the link I posted few posts ago. CPU (processor) and GPU (graphic processor) are the 2 things you should pay more attention. RAM is generally plenty on any new pc. SSD hard disk is great, but more of an extra really.
Don't buy it at the local store, it will obviously cost more for the same specs or have less specs for the same price.

[pecelot]

it's not really a local store, it's sort of a big chain and prizes there aren't that high. And realistically, it's already decided I buy there, as I don't have much time. But thanks for advice :)

[Garja]

Ye but the prices are higher for sure cause the shop put must have his mark up. Buying on the internet requires realistically less time and it gets shipped at home in like 1-2 weeks.