I am a laptop buying smacktard, and need help.

[Rakewell]

Ugh.

I just pulled the trigger on this laptop, on sale at BB for $399 (I'll pick it up later today):

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+K...t=A8&cp=12&lp=

What I like about it, besides the price, is the following:

-Discrete graphics (AMD 7640g)
-Weight (5.5 lbs, oy my shoulders)
-Windows 7 (Can't stand Win8)

Basically, I'd like to sit on my couch with a decent laptop, play new games at decent, playable settings. I'm gonna swap out the HD for an SSD I have hanging around, and double the ram to 8 GB.

My question is this:

I can't put down more than $500 right now. Can I do better than this, proc speed/gaming wise, keeping it around 5-5.5 lbs, around $500?

Or is this BB laptop a decent deal, and should I stick with it?

Thanks in advance, peeps. Appreciate the advice.

[sm625]

I'm sure for $500 you'll be able to find a laptop with discrete gpu in the next couple weeks. Especially cyber monday. But for $400? I doubt you'll find anything better. Maybe trinity with dual channel memory configuration? (Sorry I am just assuming that one you linked is single channel. It's the BBWay™)

[Rakewell]

Originally Posted by sm625

I'm sure for $500 you'll be able to find a laptop with discrete gpu in the next couple weeks. Especially cyber monday. But for $400? I doubt you'll find anything better. Maybe trinity with dual channel memory configuration? (Sorry I am just assuming that one you linked is single channel. It's the BBWay™)

Right- It's dual channel, with one stick. Was gonna add another stick to make it 8gb.

Better to hold out until Black Friday, huh...

[kleinkinstein]

Yeah, hold out. Visually 1366 x 768 on a 15.6" is meh!, at best. I hear Lenovo plans a killer BF/CM sale. Go and sign up for the B&N Gold discount membership now. Odds are good you'll get everything you want and customized for half a grand.

[Rakewell]

Originally Posted by kleinkinstein

Yeah, hold out. Visually 1366 x 768 on a 15.6" is meh!, at best. I hear Lenovo plans a killer BF/CM sale. Go and sign up for the B&N Gold discount membership now. Odds are good you'll get everything you want and customized for half a grand.

Whoa. I guess I'm a bit late to the game. What's a "BF/CM" sale?

And when you say "B&N Gold discount membership", you mean the run of the mill Barnes & Noble discount membership, like below?

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/Memb...oin/379002828/

[Super56K]

Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales are the week after this one** Buying a budget priced laptop right now is a terrible idea unless it's a crazy deal** The big sales are next week and continuing sporadically through Christmas so keep your eyes peeled, maybe check out the leaked ads to see what's going to be on sale**

And maybe I'm going crazy but all the periods are getting replaced by asterisks in these posts**

[sm625]

Is something wrong with the forums? I keep seeing a whole bunch of @#@#
@#@# @#@#

[kleinkinstein]

This one.

[Rakewell]

Originally Posted by kleinkinstein

This one.

Thanks, mate. Signed up. Cheers-

[Fayd]

Originally Posted by Rakewell

Thanks, mate. Signed up. Cheers-

did you actually get a confirmation email? cause when i try, it says signed up, then just does nothing... :/

[Rakewell]

I did. It took a few hours though...

[kleinkinstein]

@ Rakewell, spotted this little $300 gem slated for BF and thought of you.Dell Inspiron 14z with 14.1", i3 4GB, and 500GB