New Laptop help please

[Jay1]

Hi, I'm looking at buying a new laptop and was initialy looking at the Asus N55S or Lenovo Z570. However, after stumbling across PCS I am now very tempted by the build your own machines on here. My problem is I am massively confused about what I need.

The main uses of the machine will be basic every day browsing, word processing, email, itunes, and a bit of photo editing. However, the killer use that confuses me is the wife being a huge Sims 3 addict. The laptop will have to run Sims 3 as flawlessly as possible, preferably on high settings. Our current acer will only run it on low settings and even then freezes and struggles along.

I am looking at either the Enigma 3 or the Optimus 2. Realy the Optimus is a bit over budget and I'd prefer not to spend over £700. However it has the GT555 GPU and I'm not sure whether this step up from the GT540 will make a worthwhile difference when it comes to the sims.

I am not at all fussed about the full HD screen, and in some ways this is a little bit of an off put from the Optimus as I'm not keen on tiny tiny desktop items, and I'm pretty sure the Sims would run better on the lower resolution of the Enigma as well. Ideally I'd like a 900 screen but it doesn't seem PCS do one.

So, what the experts advices on what would be my best bet.

Much appreciated.

 

[Music Guy123]

This will blitz sims 3 and everything you throw at it. I would suggest the screen upgrade but it is your choice.

Chassis & Display
Enigma III 540: 15.6" Matte HD LED Widescreen (1366x768)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-2670QM (2.20GHz) 6MB
Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
nVIDIA® GeForce® GT 540M - 2GB DDR3 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - Hard Disk
500GB SEAGATE MOMENTUS, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE (7200 rpm)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 3 in 1 Memory Card Reader (SD, MMC, MS)
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
ENIGMA GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS 802.11N + BLUETOOTH 3.0
USB Options
1 x USB 3.0 PORT + 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS AS STANDARD
Battery
Enigma III Series 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (5,100/5,200 mAh)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 120W AC Adaptor
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Keyboard Language
INTEGRATED UK KEYBOARD
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1.3 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £678.00 including VAT and delivery.

Configure Here: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/enigmaIII-540/

 

[Jay1]

Thanks for the fast reply. That was what I had initialy thought and was more or less exactly the spec I had selected, but have found differing opinions as to whether Sims 3 would need a better GPU.

So there is little point spending the extra (it's about another £100) for the Optimus with the GT555 for my needs.

Thanks again.

 

[Music Guy123]

Well, I am not a gamer and have never played sims 3 so I can't promise anything. However, I did research it and apparently Sims 3 isn't very gpu intensive. The 540 is a good gpu but the 555m is much better. I would get the optimus for the better screen and other good features but if it is out of your price bracket, don't worry. I would go for the optimus if you could afford it.

 

[Jay1]

My worry about the better screen though is that 1080 resolution will make everything a bit small on a 15.6 screen. And also risk games (Sims) running slower as the GPU will have to work harder.

The problem is, none of the computer shops round here have any 1080 laptops (even the big PCworlds) so I can't actually have a look and see what the desktop looks like. Also finding screen shots on line hasn't proved very easy.

Decisions Decisions.

 

[Music Guy123]

The thing is, you can get the better screen, then just turn down the resolution. I have seen plenty of 1366x758 screens and personally, they just don't cut it. Your choice though.

In fact, i think the 17" optimus is only £20 more than the 15" version with the same specs. You can also choose the gpu.