<p>I'm having big troubles here trying to decide. At first my choice was for a power desktop, and getting a cheap laptop, than once I found out I'm in a triple I chose to buy a laptop and now I'm thinking of desktop & weak laptop combo again. </p>
<p>So this is what I had in mind:</p>
<p>[tech details follow]</p>
<p>If I was going for laptop only I planned on getting an Asus</a> W3J and upgrading it's RAM and HDD. This is a mix between a portable and a DTR (Desktop Replacement). Allows for moderate gaming and portability. </p>
<p>Advantage: Portable (about 5lbs), and pretty decent for gaming (3,925 in 3DMark 05).
Disadvantage: Stupid Asus warranty nulls all upgrading save RAM and sometimes HDD. Plus with the Core 2 Duo processor (Merom) coming out in July, and DX10 cards next year this will get outdated fast. And it's hard to replace graphic cards without doing some custom soldering.</p>
<p>If I was planning on desktop & laptop combo I would do this:
Build a desktop for around $1000-$1500, with nVidia SLI cards, a Core 2 Duo processor, and the works.
For a laptop I'd go for one of those sub-$500 Dell or HP ones.</p>
<p>Advantage: Kick ass power with the desktop. I can be portable as well. Comes out to the same price as a laptop. Desktop fully upgradable and more.
Disadvantage: Will there be space for a desktop? Is it viable?</p>
<p>[end tech stuff]</p>
<p>Cliffs Notes: Should I just get a laptop and be done with it, or will I be able to fit a desktop in my Unit 1 Triple?</p>
<p>Are you really concerned about gaming when it comes to a computer for school? You're planning on spending a lot of time cooped up gaming during your college experience?</p>
<p>Anyway, it seems like you don't NEED a laptop and that you COULD make room for a desktop (certainly with an LCD monitor): a difficult question indeed.</p>
<p>Yes gaming is a must. I don't spend hours upon hours doors shut in my room playing WoW or CounterStrike, but I do play about an hour or so on a few days. But the games I play require power. Plus one of my hobby is to develop games ;) (I'm self-learning Direct X now). And furthermore I'm an EECS major. </p>
<p>I guess I can always leave the desktop at home since I will probably go home a few times a month (I live about 2 hrs away)...</p>
<p>A desktop is going to be a must for gaming.</p>
<p>Either that or a very high end laptop with exchangable graphics cards.</p>
<p>I think the question depends on everyones needs. </p>
<p>FYI if you have an Xbox or PS2 and don't do much gaming, go for a laptop. It's nice to be able to go out and have everything you need to write a paper or take notes wherever you go (places that don't have computers like cafes, beaches, cars, ect).</p>
<p>I had a similar dilemma back in March, when HP had a Dual Core desktop with a slick price mistake: $500 (tower only). Though, I decided to wait and get the Dell Core Duo Laptop for $841 after tax back in April because my desktop is 6 years old and it was finally crapping out (California State Tax + Environment Fee = $70ish)</p>
<p>I personally believe that laptop is better, because dorm room space are pretty limited. The portability adds a little extra advantage too.</p>
<p>My E1505 isn't exactly "portable" after the 9 cell battery, which weights nearly a pound by itself. Total with the 9 cell, I'd say it is a bit under 7 lbs. Unless you NEED the power and higher upgrade-ability of a desktop, I would advise getting a laptop.</p>
<p>I'd recommend getting a desktop first, because you cannot game without one (and getting a massively large, hot, low battery life laptop is not a good solution). For $1000 you can get a nice Athlon 64 system, for $1500 a nice Dual Core Athlon 64 system (Intel's latest gen Dual Core desktop processors aren't available yet).</p>
<p>Then, wait a year to accrue some more money (or for your parents to accrue some more money), then buy a NICE laptop. Not some cheap $500 Dell. You will regret the purchase, because the POS will be slow and fall apart in a year. No, get an IBM Thinkpad or similarly high quality laptop (Dell's business Latitude notebooks, Apple's Macbook Pros, etc.). Yes, it will cost more. But it will pay off in the end to have two nice machines. If you get a crappy notebook, it's likely you won't want to carry it around anyway. If you get a really powerful, but large and heavy gaming notebook, it's likely you won't carry that around either. So spend the little extra money to do things right.</p>
<p>Desktop if you're a hardcore gamer still competing in CAL, IGL, OGL (I don't know the leagues anymore).</p>
<p>Then pick up a cheap laptop for ~$300 on Black Friday. I'd rather have a cheap laptop, something that will last a year while being banged around in transportation.</p>
<p>But CS runs on anything and nothing. WoW on the otherhand requires some grunt work but people play it fine without a good graphics coprocessor.</p>
<p>On the other hand, you might not have time to play video games, since I arrived here, I've pretty much stopped playing video games. Then again, the last batch of video games have all sucked. (Wake me up when UT2k7 comes out.)</p>
<p>And yes you can fit a desktop in a Unit 1 Triple. My friends' dorm had 2 towers and 2 20+" LCDs.</p>
<p>The thing that takes up the most space is the monitor, get an LCD so you'll have more desk space.</p>
<p>I'd recommend a decent laptop in your case, you can pick up an Asus Z71A and build it yourself if you want. Doesn't sound like you need more than a handful of graphics pipelines to power your needs.</p>
<p>Business line notebooks are great but you'll be stuck with a very weak onboard graphics coprocessor.</p>
<p>Stay away from MacBooks (Pro or nonpro) for at least another 3 generations.</p>
<p>Hmm.. I am a gamer in all. I'm mostly a console/portable gamer though (Nintendo FTW), but I do play PC games. I'm more of a RTS/Strat & FPS person. So RAM and GPU all of a sudden becomes a premium. I don't do WoW. I play CS very little. I do more Civ IV, and lately F.E.A.R. I'm looking forward to playing some Spore when it comes out also (along with Quake Wars and Crysis). I also have a hobby of developing games as I said above.</p>
<p>That being I don't need the latest SLI cards and what not (although that would be the best bang for the buck if I go desktop). But I still need something a bit more hard hitting.</p>
<p>I think at this point, I'm sticking with the Asus W3J if I can find it.. I may just built my own desktop next year or something else when DX10 cards come out along with those Conroe processors.</p>
<p>Strykur, if they give you money this year, then that's good enough for the desktop. Next summer, pick up a job and make a couple thousand (even at a low wage you could make $5,000 in a summer). Pick up a nice laptop then. Or, consider reasoning with your parents that spending $3000 instead of $1500 for devices that will last 4 years is a good investment for your education (unless you guys really can't afford it).</p>
<p>"(even at a low wage you could make $5,000 in a summer). "</p>
<p>Assuming a summer = 2 months = 8 weeks = 320 hours, you would need a wage of $15.63 to earn $5000. $15 is hardly low wage, and I didn't even factor in taxes yet.</p>
<p>Summer = 3 months (e.g. this summer goes from May 22nd to August 25th). Cost of laptop = $2000. Taxes = negligible for yearly wage of $5,000.</p>
<p>A $20 per hour job gives $1200 every 2 weeks after taxes (I speak from experience). File a tax return at the end of the year will net more. Say it were a $10 per hour job (that's low wage in California). ~$600 every two weeks will get you a laptop in a month.</p>
<p>Depending on the job, assuming the OP is an incoming freshmen, I find it difficult to believe he will find a $10 job unless it's some sort of internship. Most students earn minimum wage working at the mall, restaurant, etc at $7 (minimum wage).</p>
<p>roy, find something middle of the line. There's no point in buying a gaming machne if you don't have time for it. As an EECS major, you'll be locked into one of the labs working on a Sun terminal.</p>
<p>Funny how the thread deviates from the original point.</p>
<p>I've decided to just get the Asus W3J and stick in an extra gig of RAM. The build quality is good, the T2400 is good enough, and I think I'll survive with a 5400RPM drive for now. And I got a pretty good deal from a reseller. RAM won't even void warranty, so that's perfect as well.</p>
<p>And I think when I move out of the dorms, I'll build my own PC with the Conroe CPU and the DX10 cards becoming norm. </p>
<p>I think I'll do more gaming with the DS/Wii than PC anyway if I get time. (damn big IF). </p>
<p>Oh and just as a PS - I have a job. $20/hr ;)</p>