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Before spending my $3000 would like your advice

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I need to purchase a notebook pc fo University this coming September and I would appreciate any advice you could offer me. I'm in mechanical engineering so i figure i need a good notebook for that but i would still like to game on the notebook with my friends (mostly BF1942) and would like a top of the line notebook pc to do it. If I were to buy the notebook pc today it would be the Toshiba 5200 P4-M 2.2 with the nVidia FX go 5600...... i also looked at the Toshiba M10 Centrino 1.5 with 32mg GFX card...... Would i be making the right decision getting the 5200??? please offer any advice or tell me if there are any better notebooks out there in terms of gaming performance (The store I went to told me if I want top of the line to wait until mid-August when the manufacturers release there new notebooks, any truth to this?)

Thanks in advance
~ Rob G
 
Hi,
I think that the Toshiba 5200 sounds like a good notebook.
If you plan to do a bit of gaming on it, make sure the video card in it has at least 32mb mem. Preferably 64mb, and for optimal use, 128mb. Thats dedicated mem, not shared.
For main memory, at least 256mb, perferably if not 512mb.
I suggest trying to find one that has the mobility 9600pro in it. They seem better than the GF FX go`s. Try a company like alienware to customise the spec for you.

And welcome to the AnandTech Forums!!!
 
I bought the 5205 s705 toshiba 2 weeks ago...

It is a great laptop...

The new toshiba p25 is coming out soon, but it is 17" and 10lb... that's not really a "lap"top in my opinion.... The 5205 is very nice

Whenever i read reviews, i only care to see what people do NOT like about a laptop, so i wont bore you with the little "this screen is amazing" stuff.. which it is ;P
1) Comes with 256x2 - 512mb ram... you can't upgrade unless you get rid of one
2) The touchpad is in the center of the laptop, not the center of the keyboard, so your right palm is on it when typing, so the cursor kinda moves around when you type
3) Screen is very good, but shows dust... gotta take care of it
4) The covers to the sound and ethernet ports are a little flimsy, but its not too bad...

That's about it.... but all those things are so tiny that if i could go back in time and choose a laptop over again, i would still pick the 5205... it's a great laptop....


hope that all helps 🙂
 
Thankyou for your quick responses i appreciate it. I am assuming the 5205 is better than the 5200 (and im correct?) although i have only seen the Toshiba 5200 in Canada. You mentioned finding a laptop with a mobility 9600pro card rather than the toshiba's with the FX5600 64md ddr external, i have not been able to find any notebook pc's with this card... perhaps you could give me a link? Alienware is out since i cant get it in Canada and i do not want to purchase anything over the internet, thankyou again
~Rob G
 
Thats what we`re here for!
Im not sure if the Mobility 9600s are available yet, but i suggest finding somewhere that sells them/waiting till they come out.
As well as being faster than the FX5600M, they also have some other attractive features.
 
The problem with waiting is that I need to buy it soon, how long until the manufacturers release there new models?
 
I've been reading ALOT of the stuff on Toshiba's on this forum and I think I'll call my supplier today and see if i can get a 5205-S705 - I havent seen one in the stores here in Canada but hopefully he will be able to order it.... I get a great price because I will be buying through my parents company and they purchase TONS of computers from them, already on the Toshiba 5200 i was saving $700 buying from them... So will the 5205-S705 be the best for gaming?? i need it soon so i cant really wait for a better one
~Rob G
 
you can get a dell 5150 for like 14something with a mobile 3.06 p4. it's only got radeon 9000, but you can upgrade that later
 
Originally posted by: andrewjm
I bought the 5205 s705 toshiba 2 weeks ago...

It is a great laptop...

The new toshiba p25 is coming out soon, but it is 17" and 10lb... that's not really a "lap"top in my opinion.... The 5205 is very nice

Whenever i read reviews, i only care to see what people do NOT like about a laptop, so i wont bore you with the little "this screen is amazing" stuff.. which it is ;P
1) Comes with 256x2 - 512mb ram... you can't upgrade unless you get rid of one
2) The touchpad is in the center of the laptop, not the center of the keyboard, so your right palm is on it when typing, so the cursor kinda moves around when you type
3) Screen is very good, but shows dust... gotta take care of it
4) The covers to the sound and ethernet ports are a little flimsy, but its not too bad...

That's about it.... but all those things are so tiny that if i could go back in time and choose a laptop over again, i would still pick the 5205... it's a great laptop....


hope that all helps 🙂
Click to expand...

The P25 is out, I'm typing on one right now. It's big and heavy, but as a desktop replacement it's great. I move it from room to room and occasionaly to a friends house, that's it. Not sure if I'm going to keep it yet, but I'd hate to let it go after getting used to the 17" Widescreen. 🙂 My top choice is the Tecra S1, but I can't find many reviews on it.
 
Ok, I called Toshiba Canada's general inquiry line (1-800-Toshiba) and they told me that the Toshiba 5200-00E was Canada's equivalent of the 5205-S705 in the US the only difference being they are 2.2Ghz and 2.4Ghz respectively. I guess I will go with the 5200 unless there is something I dont know or havent looked at yet... im looking for a solid system for work and gaming. I'm going to be in University for Mechanical Engineering so whatever that means I figure just get a top of the line and it'll be fine
 
Originally posted by: Flashram
Originally posted by: andrewjm
I bought the 5205 s705 toshiba 2 weeks ago...

It is a great laptop...

The new toshiba p25 is coming out soon, but it is 17" and 10lb... that's not really a "lap"top in my opinion.... The 5205 is very nice

Whenever i read reviews, i only care to see what people do NOT like about a laptop, so i wont bore you with the little "this screen is amazing" stuff.. which it is ;P
1) Comes with 256x2 - 512mb ram... you can't upgrade unless you get rid of one
2) The touchpad is in the center of the laptop, not the center of the keyboard, so your right palm is on it when typing, so the cursor kinda moves around when you type
3) Screen is very good, but shows dust... gotta take care of it
4) The covers to the sound and ethernet ports are a little flimsy, but its not too bad...

That's about it.... but all those things are so tiny that if i could go back in time and choose a laptop over again, i would still pick the 5205... it's a great laptop....


hope that all helps 🙂
Click to expand...

The P25 is out, I'm typing on one right now. It's big and heavy, but as a desktop replacement it's great. I move it from room to room and occasionaly to a friends house, that's it. Not sure if I'm going to keep it yet, but I'd hate to let it go after getting used to the 17" Widescreen. 🙂 My top choice is the Tecra S1, but I can't find many reviews on it.
Click to expand...



Yea, is it the 608 though? if it's not... it's not good 😉

the 608 has it all... even a tv tuner

and i really can really only call that a desktop replacement, not a laptop.... keep in mind theres a LAP in laptop 🙂
 
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