Looking for a Laptop for under $800

[elkinm]

I am looking for a decent laptop and my budget is $800

I want it do be usable all around. Probably a Core 2 Duo at least 1 GB of ram and upgradeable, 100 GB+ hard drive, DVD-RW, low end standalone graphics, and about a 15.4 inch display and good battery life.

I am currently looking at a dell 1520 which seems just right. Unfortunately I don't know much about laptops as they are not as simple as a built PCs and I would like to know if there is something better.
I could go with AMD, but Intel is faster and has better battery life so Intel is my best bet.
I would like a good battery, at least 9-cell, but would like one that does not stick out of the laptop, or at least not much. Sticking out the back is better then from the bottom so the laptop can rest on the table just as well.

Thank you,
elkinm

 

[VinDSL]

In that price-range, they're basically all the same!

Take your pick...

 

[Rottie]

Goto Notebook Review and they will helpyou with which notebook is good for you.

 

[elkinm]

Thanks, Laptop Review is great. I think I will go with the Dell Vostro 1500, it just seems better, and has a greater discount that the Inspiron.

This laptop should take regular DDR2 200 pin RAM (I know it does), will any such memory work as newegg sells 2 GB (2x1) of this ram for $50 or less?

Anything else that I should upgrade from dell instead of buy myself?

Thanks again

 

[TheStu]

Elkinm, your best bet for RAM is to get DDR2-667 PC2-5300 RAM. Even if Dell put DDR2-533 in there, all the Core 2 Duos use the 667, so that is what to get.

Depending on how much it costs from Dell, you might be better off getting a larger hard drive from newegg, and then an enclosure as well. Also, all the new systems are using SATA drives now, so that is what you would look for there.

 

[elkinm]

Thanks, I ordered. Got 1.6 GHz, 1 GB, 8400GS, 85 WHr battery and the built in Webcam as the only options.

Came out to just over $800 with tax. I also ordered ram from newegg, it's just so much cheaper.

The hard drives, especially the 7200 ones are quite expensive so the standard 160 GB will do for now and an external 500+GB drive can be had so cheap these days so I will get one when I need it.

Thanks again.