Hardware New Laptop

[exangel]

Well, if you're choosing between the AMD systems, the HP has a more powerful processor and longer battery life than the AMD Toshiba for less money.

If you're still showing interest in Intel, the Toshiba has a larger HDD than the equivalent HP, (and a very slightly nicer CPU - i3 2350 vs 2330) and I have a personal preference for Toshiba if my alternative is HP. It's a matter of fact that I chose this Toshiba laptop over the HP ENVY 15 for my friend's son earlier this year, and though I only handled it for a short time to max out the RAM (& verify there were no defects in any of the parts i.e. wireless/wired networking, USB ports, webcam, mic, etc.) I must say that it was extremely impressive as it should've been. 8.5 hr battery life and internal optical disc drive with a 13.3" screen, full size keyboard, only weighing 3 lb. my dad's first netbook was 2.9lb.

It is your decision... though, I do encourage you to look over the HP AMD system at the store 1st, and see if you prefer its build quality to the Toshiba's. Maybe you'll find one or the other has a more comfortable keyboard or better speaker quality or something.

 

[KingVamp]

Ok, if everything works well, I'm getting a G570Lenovo® i3 2nd generation with intel 3000 graphics.
A cooling pad. Window 8 pro( with classic shell added). All under $500.

Any cooling pads recommendations?

If I get this, I thank you all for the help.

 

[exangel]

That's a gorgeous machine.
http://shop.lenovo.c...1B30DF0790656CB
I think. The deal you've got looks real good.
I loved my IBM ThinkPad but haven't had the budget to get a new one or a Lenovo after the corporate change since then (1998).
I like the keyboard design on it. The little HP system I'm borrowing has chiclet keys and it's so much easier to keep clean than my previous system.

I don't recommend cheap cooling pads. I have a cheap targus and it's noisy and questionably effective.
Cooler Master, Thermaltake, Rosewill, Antec, and Belkin seem to be pretty good brands for $25-60 cooling pads (you'll probably be fine with a $20-40 one, depending on whether you are after a lap-desk or something to use on a physical desk (the latter is usually cheaper).


If you're not sure, things to look into are:
How many / How powerful are the fans?
Is it designed specifically for your size of laptop (14" to 16")

I've seen one multi-fan cooling pad on Newegg that actually allowed you to reposition the fans so you could have it blowing directly on where the hotspots were worst on your laptop's bottom.

 

[CyborGamer]

I've seen one multi-fan cooling pad on Newegg that actually allowed you to reposition the fans so you could have it blowing directly on where the hotspots were worst on your laptop's bottom.

You mean this?

 

[KingVamp]

Kind of late,but thanks. Got the laptop for $427 Skip out on the Windows 8 and got a oon cooling pad.
Using Waterfox for browser.
Can't use fan while playing games, greatly turn down the proformance. :/

Anyway, just to try to test the ps2 emulator out, I chose a small game...and it was Activision Anthology.
Heard songs. D:!!!

 

[exangel]

I would recommend starting with a well-known highly compatible game like Final Fantasy X (and make some save states once you get into a real battle sequence, you'll need it if you need to tweak things).

A USB-powered fan should not have an effect on your performance! Make sure your power settings in the Windows Control panel are on high performance or customized while your cooling fan is plugged in for games!

 

[KingVamp]

I would recommend starting with a well-known highly compatible game like Final Fantasy X (and make some save states once you get into a real battle sequence, you'll need it if you need to tweak things).

A USB-powered fan should not have an effect on your performance! Make sure your power settings in the Windows Control panel are on high performance or customized while your cooling fan is plugged in for games!

I be sure to do so, thanks. Also, do you have the most recent compatible list? I believe the link in the emulator is a bit old.

I got this Gamer Factory 60395A, any idea how to get it to work? The computer wouldn't pick it up. I'm force to using my psp. :/

 

[exangel]

Never heard of it. Guessing it's a controller. If you have a PS3 controller you can connect it using the MotionJoy drivers, or an XBOX360 controller just nicely.

 

[Click This]

Again, it's a laptop and the graphics is located on the die of the CPU. Upgrading the graphics alone is just about impossible. You'd have to replace the entire CPU and that's assuming the cooling is capable of handling a stronger CPU and graphics core.

There are no graphics cards in laptops, so you can't upgrade.

...?
That's incredibly uninformed.
Many laptops have discreet graphics. Some rarer models even have upgradeable graphics cards.

 

[KingVamp]

Never heard of it. Guessing it's a controller. If you have a PS3 controller you can connect it using the MotionJoy drivers, or an XBOX360 controller just nicely.

Yeah, it a old controller, but it turns out it works... Just have to squeeze and pull the cord to death.

Unfortunately, I didn't have one (xbox or ps3 controller) personally.

 

[Originality]

Again, it's a laptop and the graphics is located on the die of the CPU. Upgrading the graphics alone is just about impossible. You'd have to replace the entire CPU and that's assuming the cooling is capable of handling a stronger CPU and graphics core.

There are no graphics cards in laptops, so you can't upgrade.

...?
That's incredibly uninformed.
Many laptops have discreet graphics. Some rarer models even have upgradeable graphics cards.

Discreet graphics in laptops means there's a separate graphics processor on the motherboard. As long as that has a standard socket (some are hard soldered) and cooling that's adequate enough, it can be upgraded, usually at great expense. To emphasise, they are not graphics cards, but chips. If the graphics is integrated, then in every case they are not upgradeable.

In the case of the linked laptops, most of them use the graphics built into the CPU so they are only upgradeable by replacing the entire CPU , as I said.

Now I am aware of expresscard solutions including graphics cards and adapters for desktop graphics, but they are pricey and generally not too efficient due to the limitations of the PCIe 1x port used for expresscards. That's why, for someone who is a newcomer to the laptop market, I try not to confuse them with these technical exceptions.

 

[KingVamp]

Day three, no problems.

I'm glad I got the lenovo > HP.

 

[exangel]

If you have any trouble with PCSX2 feel free to post about it in my guide thread.

Glad you got something you're happy with! (Try your best to avoid being sad if you run into even "better" sale prices in the next few weeks -- Better deals after you already spend on a new computer are pretty much guaranteed/inevitable!)

 

[KingVamp]

If you have any trouble with PCSX2 feel free to post about it in my guide thread.

Glad you got something you're happy with! (Try your best to avoid being sad if you run into even "better" sale prices in the next few weeks -- Better deals after you already spend on a new computer are pretty much guaranteed/inevitable!)

True,but since I was laptop-less, I was kind of hard to wait any longer. The lack of a laptop was getting in the way.

Thanks again.

My cooling pad seem to work.The temperature drops down ~10 degrees when using it.