Help with a new laptop

[Bing147]

Well, me and the fiancee are in the market for a new laptop a year and a half after buying this one. Too much going wrong with it and fixing it will cost at least $200-$300, we'd rather just replace it.

This was a bit of a cheapo laptop, we want to get something nice this time. We're hoping to go through Best Buy (have a card with them we can use) and we're hoping for something in the $500-$800 range. I'm not looking for a gaming laptop per se, but I would like to be able to play some games on it. As in fairly modern games, on low to mid settings. I don't particularly care about high settings, just so long as I can play the games.

Anyone have any recommendations? A sale item would be great but not too picky, just need a solid laptop we can depend on for a good price. Something that will run smoothly and allow for some basic gaming. Thanks.

EDIT: These look interesting:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus---....p;tab=reviews?id=1218806578389&skuId=6769421

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+EN...lack/6914563.p?id=1218813786446&skuId=6914563

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP---EN....p;tab=reviews?id=1218813788799&skuId=6914633

Any opinions on them? Might prefer the HPs... my current one is an Asus and it didn't last long.

 

[austin3118]

Never owned a laptop with an amd processor, only intel. Never let me down and i know for a fact that the i5 is a beast of a processor inside and out. That being said, i think the asus would be the best deal just because i've never owned an amd laptop.

Also, I cannot tell you how gaming would be on these because they don't seem to have dedicated graphics.... so judging just by processor speed, the i5 is the way to go.

 

[pacifickarma]

FWIW, I have an inexpensive Samsung laptop with an AMD A6 CPU and it runs most games fairly well.I can only imagine that an A8 would perform even better.

 

[SilentBob50023]

Of those choices, I'd go with the ASUS model. The HPs sure look nice and work nice when you first get them, but they're not known for their longevity. Trust me, I've seen enough bad motherboards starting with the dv2000 (and dv3000, dv6000, dv9000) series on that HP makes no sense. I truly think their new CEO believes in turning out junk that dies just beyond the warranty period to keep retail sales high and make the bottom line look nice for their shareholders.

 

[katty1166]

Here is a comparison for you, you might be interested in . These laptops are in your price range, look into the specs and get the best deal

 

[quanex]

I believe on March 3rd, Best Buy will be price matching online retailers, so you may want to hold off until then on selecting one.

 

[Pirate331]

Incidentally, I'm in the same boat as OP. Any further advice on a serviceable laptop within the range of about $400-800 would be appreciated. Windows 7 is preferable too.