What is a good sub 14" gaming laptop to buy?

2010-02-08 07:28:45 UTC

I've been doing some research on a new laptop but I'm torn between a few choices. Here's some general guidelines that I used:

Around 14" or smaller screens. (The 15"+ were just too big to carry around / use @ college)
A core i3 or i5 proc would be awesome since I do a lot of work that relies on proc power
Must have dedicated video card (1GB would be nice here as well)
Work: Digital editing with alot of Adobe CS4 programs, video editing, some programming and web design
Gaming: WoW, Borderlands, DA:Origins. MWF2, plus looking forward to Star Craft2 and D3 so want to be ready for that.
I don't really have a price limit but under $1500 is ideal.

Now here's some examples that I've been contemplating on.
Alienware m11x Price: $1000
Pros:
Full 1GB nVidia 335m graphic card, 11" (wow this is awesomely small!!!), graphics are switchable to on board for more battery friendly working (up to I think 8 hours), 4-8GB DDR3
Cons:
Slow proc (though the 1.3GHz can be bios OC'd to 1.6), no DVD/CD drive (which I can totally live with)
Summary:
Fantastic little portable gaming piece. Price is reasonable as well in my book. The slow processor is what makes me iffy about this one though. It's a core2duo which is pretty decent but not a core i3/i5.

Next up is the Sony CW26FX Price: $1000
Pros:
Core i5 520m (2.4GHz (can also OC with built in turbo boost)), 4GB DDR3 ram, nVidia GT 330m vid card
Cons:
330m is only 512MB - I 'm not totally sure if this makes that much of a difference though I could be wrong. It's definitely a step up from the 128/256 line up but hi-def games I believe really make use of that 1GB. This is where my decision comes to a grinding halt lol.
14" screen - Not really a con, though it isn't as portable as the m11x.
Summary: Awesome processor. My work could really benefit from the HT and extra speed. I'm questionable about the 512GB vid card though especially thinking if they could get a 1GB in an 11" why hold out! lol

Third is the Asus N81VP-X1 Price: ~$1000
Pros:
Full 1GB DDR3 Radeon HD 4650, faster C2D than the m11x @ 2.53
Cons:
Still not an i5/i3 proc like the sony, DDR2 800 system memory
Summary:
Not as stylish as the Sony or Alienware but just as capable at the same price on a 14incher. This pretty much puts this Asus right smack in the middle of the other two.

Those are the 3 best options that I've found after a good few days of internet mouse kung-fu. If anyone has ANY other options and any helpful input on these 3 or any others they recommend I'd greatly appreciate it! Btw, have y'all seen that new Z series from Sony? /drool