travel laptop advice

[omghaxcode]

I'm going to be backpacking through Europe for about a month and a half and I'd to take a small laptop with me to stay somewhat connected. I was thinking about an ultrabook but I would like it to be able to handle basic gaming like dota 2 and diablo 3 (for after I get back of course). I'm probably going to run it with linux if that makes a difference.

I know nothing about laptops since I've never been interested in them before so I really don't know anything about what they can handle. I leave for Munich on May 15th so I'd need to buy by then. I can wait though so if anyone thinks Ivy Bridge is worth waiting for I can do that as long as it isn't delayed beyond that date of course.

budget: ~$1000
uses: travel laptop that fits in a backpack and can handle dota 2 graphics

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

I don't see much reason to spend $1000 on a travel laptop given what you'll use it for. My recommendation would be a ThinkPad X130e.

Whether you get the AMD or Intel version depends on if you want more graphics or processing performance. The HD 6320 IGP is very similar to the HD 3000 and around 2x faster than the HD 1000/2000 when it comes to gaming performance, but the dual-core Sandy Bridge Celeron and Pentium would be around 2x faster than the E-450. Both versions will net you around 7 hours of real-world battery life, which is comparable to better than most ultra-books. Given what you said, I'd recommend the AMD E-450 version because it'd have the same gaming performance as an Ultrabook (now remember, both would only be able to run games at the lowest settings and at resolutions like 1024x768) while costing half ($500 easily) and getting the same to better battery life. It also has a semi-rugged design, so wear and tear should be minimum. Another thing: the keyboard is 3x better for typing than what you'd find on any Ultrabook.

 

[Puppies04]

What you basically need is a gaming laptop which implies added weight, you aren't going to find anything "ultra portable" that can handle diablo 3 unless I am vastly overestimating its minimum specs.

I think something like the Dell XPS 15z would suit your needs but I am not sure it will fall into your price range. Also when you say "backpacking" do you mean hostels and places like that or something a bit more upmarket because wandering around with a brand new gaming laptop in some of those places would probably be ill advised.

 

[omghaxcode]

I mean hostels but in Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, and England. I figure I won't need anything too powerful since blizzard normally doesn't require that much of hardware. minimum graphics is fine with me, even stuttering. I just don't want to buy something and be done with it in 2 months. If that were the case I'd just buy a tablet.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

I mean hostels but in Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, and England. I figure I won't need anything too powerful since blizzard normally doesn't require that much of hardware. minimum graphics is fine with me, even stuttering. I just don't want to buy something and be done with it in 2 months. If that were the case I'd just buy a tablet.

That just strengthens my recommendation, then. Get the X130e with the E-450 APU and 4GB of RAM. It should be easy to score for $500-550 and you'll get a small and lightweight laptop, 7 hours of battery life, decent gaming performance if you're willing to use low settings and low resolutions, an excellent keyboard, and a semi-rugged design that will handle daily wear-and-tear with no problems. :thumbsup:

 

[Ken g6]

just buy a tablet.

This.

Actually, even better would be to get a European-compatible smartphone with tracking software, so it can be found if it's lost or stolen. It's smaller, it's lighter, and it keeps you "somewhat connected".

 

[mfenn]

Do DOTA 2 and Diablo 3 run on Linux?

 

[Ken g6]

Do DOTA 2 and Diablo 3 run on Linux?

No to the second, at least.

 

[Charlie98]

I mean hostels but in Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, and England.

If I was traveling there I wouldn't be too worried about a laptop... I'd go with Ken's idea of a smartphone, or even a tablet.

Also, do you really need a laptop when you get back? Or is it just going to gather dust in a corner? Then it becomes a 'why bother.' Just saying.

I have 2 pretty capable laptops and I more often than not leave them at home anymore... and all I have is a pukey iPhone.

 

[omghaxcode]

That's the thing, I won't use a non gaming laptop ever again after I get back. I would, however, use it for light gaming like dota 2 at a friend's house or something.

Can't you just use Wine or something to play windows games on a linux computer? I've never actually owned a linux computer to be honest.

 

[mfenn]

Yes you can theoretically play some games in Wine. You will probably spend all your gaming time trying to get the damn thing to work in the first place though.

 

[frozentundra123456]

A Llano laptop might fit your needs. I dont know what the requirements for D3 will be, but an A6 or A8 would probably run it at lower settings and resolutions. You can get an A6 for around 400.00 or a somewhat more powerful A8 for 550.00 or so with more ram, which could be important if you want to game on it.

The disadvantage is that it will be a 15 in chassis and thus fairly large and heavy. On the other hand, it is less expensive than an ultrabook or true gaming laptop, so would not be as attractive for thieves, and would be less of a disaster if lost, stolen, or damaged.