Amazon PCDD $15 Walking Dead, $10 TERA ($15 CE) + BOGO

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Amazon DVG Deals

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Hi CAGs,

NOTE: Preorder information is now in the second post of this thread.


War of the Roses - 10% off + free upgrade to House of York edition.

Deal of the week 9/16-9/22:

The Walking Dead (PC/MAC): $14.99 - Steam
Tera Standard Edition: $9.99 + $9.99 credit for another copy to give to a friend
Tera Collector's Edition: $14.99 + $14.99 credit for another copy to give to a friend


Please check out our newly launched Free-to-Play store when you get a moment!




I wanted to let you all know about some exciting new selection we just launched supported by a new technology.

As of today, Amazon.com will be offering Free to Play and MMO games that you can purchase virtual goods, currencies, and subscriptions for on Amazon.com. These purchases will be delivered directly into your game account. We're calling this new service Game Connect.

Amazon has teamed up with our launch partners to bring Amazon customers exclusive content and bonus offers for the opening of the Free to Play store. Here is some of the cool stuff you'll get just for linking your Amazon account with a game account:


Super MNC: Customers who link their Amazon account with a Super MNC account will receive an exclusive Team Spirit Assault Rifle. This weapon for the Assault Pro has a unique, team colored, metal barrel shroud and is only available through Amazon.




Stronghold Kingdoms: Customers who link their Amazon accounts with a Stronghold Kingdoms account will receive a starter pack valued at $10. This pack includes: 10 packs of strategy cards (50 cards), 100 card points, and a 7 day premium token (7 days of Premium).



Shin Megami Tensei: Customers who link their Amazon accounts with a Shin Megami Tensei account will receive a free Incense of Training. By making a purchase of 3,500 Crowns, customers will also receive a voucher (Candle), which is exchangeable for a Heart Candle Necklace. Customers who reach level 20 during the 12 week launch period, they will receive another voucher (Depository Rental Ticket).


Rise of Immortals: Customers who link their Amazon accounts with a Rise of Immortals account will receive a free character bundle. This exclusive bundle includes Karapyss and his alternate character skins Scarab and Pirate.


BattleSpace: Customers who link their Amazon accounts with a BattleSpace account will receive 100 honor medals. By making a purchase of 3,500 Crowns, customers will also receive Commander Alya. Customers who reach level 10 before October 6th, will receive an additional 100 honor medals and ship parts set (α x20, β x4, γ x2).


Iron Grip: Marauders: Customers who link their Amazon accounts with an Iron Grip: Marauders account will be given a booster pack containing 5000 Gold, 2000 iron, repair truck level 2, ambulance level 2, and a tri-scout Level 1.


Allods: Customers who link their Amazon accounts with an Allods account will receive an exclusive starter package, valued at $15. This pack includes: 4x Token of the Explorer that can be brought to the Goblin Banker in your faction's capital in exchange for an increase in the size of the customer’s bag or bank deposit box, a Medium Bag of Crystal Chips that, combined with Gold Dust in-game, allow customers to combine/upgrade runes that increase damage/healing, and an Enchanted Saddle that summons a Rank 1 horse mount.


Pirate Galaxy: Customers who link their Amazon accounts with a Pirate Galaxy account will receive a Rapid Tank Starter Ship and 1,500 Energy to fuel the best items available.


Fiesta: Customers who purchase SparkCash to use in Fiesta will receive a 30-day swift and mighty Dark Pegasus Mount.


8BitMMO: Customers who link their Amazon accounts with an 8BitMMO account will receive three, exclusive, brand-new hats. These hats are a Cowboy Hat, a Blue Baseball Cap, and a Duck. Link your account and start your 8 bit adventure today.

Aika: Customers who link their Amazon accounts with an Aika account will receive an exclusive starter package valued at $15. This pack includes a Mount and Mount Saddle. Use the mount to travel far distances in half the time and resist environmental damages. Use the Mount Saddle to lower the requirement to ride other mounts.


Knights of the Sky: Customers who link their Amazon accounts with a Knights of the Sky account will receive a free Happy Hour, which increases the likelihood of recruiting better Heroes. Purchase 3,500 Crowns or more through Amazon and receive a free Labor Decree, which increases Construction queues from 3 to 5, or purchase 35,000 crowns or more and receive an exclusive free Hero (valid on first purchase only). Reach level 20 before October 6th, and receive 6 items that increase resource gain by 25%. Start playing today.

Rappelz: Customers who link their Amazon accounts with a Rappelz. account will get an exclusive starter package, valued at $15. This pack includes a Stamina Saver that stops stamina from decreasing for 1 hour, an Animal Cracker used to earn 50% more EXP for 1 hour, a Pet Resurrection Spell book that resurrects pets instantly after a fall in battle, a Feather of Summon which instantly summons a friend to aide in battle, and a Hidden Village Pass that gives 7 days of access to the exclusive Hidden Village.



Luvinia: Customers who make any purchase of SparkCash to use in Luvinia will receive a 30-day Flying Griffin Mount.


Flyff: Customers who link their Amazon accounts with a Flyff account will receive an exclusive starter package, valued at $15. This package contains a Magic Broom that allows customers to start flying immediately, bypassing the level 20 requirement, an S Protect Gift Box which will allow customers to upgrade an item to create stronger stats right from the start, a random Gift Box that contains something special, a Police Outfit, and a Kitty Pet to help collect loot.

Steel Legions: Customers who link their Amazon accounts with a NEW Steel Legions account will receive one of three different, fully equipped premium tanks.

Pandora Saga: Customers who link their Amazon accounts with a Pandora Saga account will receive a Beginner Gear set. Customers who purchase 3,500 Crowns or more through Amazon will receive Recipe: Wing Shield Vol. 1 (first time purchasers only). Customers who reach Level 20 before October 6th will receive a horse mount.

And that's just the free stuff you get with linking.

We're also carrying the games below and offering Amazon exclusive in-game packs for each game which provide a higher value than normal virtual good purchases.


World of Tanks: Customers can purchase three different Amazon-exclusive World of Tanks packs: Starter Pack, Advanced Pack, and Expert Pack.


Runescape: Customers who purchase a 90 or 180 day membership package for Runescape will receive an exclusive Golden Katana.


War Inc. Battle Zone: Customers are able to purchase three different War Inc. Battle Zone Amazon exclusive packs: the Merc Pack, Heroic Pack, and Kill Em All Pack


Pre-Order Borderlands 2 from us for 10% off and help me get a tattoo! Yes it activates on Steam!

I am a huge Borderlands 2 fan and I want this to be our best selling pre-order ever. So I've drawn a line in the sand. If, from now until launch, we take 40,000 more preorders than where we were on 7/2/2012 I will get a Borderlands tattoo on my back.
 
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[quote name='Wario64']Does Alice Madness Returns include the original game as well?[/QUOTE]

[quote name='sunghost']No.[/QUOTE]

@TONY
Could you talk to EA about possibly bringing the original American McGee's Alice to Amazon DVG?

I really wish EA would re-release it digitally on GOG, Amazon DVG, Origin, etc etc.
Especially if it was re-released DRM-FREE.
 
[quote name='kidrocklive']What's the general assumption about Civ IV vs Civ V? Which is "better"? Also will we possibly see a sale on Civ V?[/QUOTE]

[quote name='Chariblaze']I can't speak from experience, but generally, it seems that Civ IV has deeper mechanics, while Civ V has prettier graphics and better accessibility. So in that sense, big Civ fans might say IV is better, while casual strategy fans might say V is better.

Personally, I'm going for both. I'll start with V and graduate to IV.[/QUOTE]

If you've never played a Civ game or anything like it, you're probably better off starting with Civ5.

If you're a veteren of 4x style games, then Civ4 definitely provides a more complex, deeper, and more advanced style of gameplay. Not to mention there are a ton of very well made mods that make radical changes to gameplay/setting/mechanics/etc. Check out Fall from Heaven, Rhye's and Fall of Civilization, and Realism Invicticus to start. Between the base game and those 3 mods, you'll be busy for months and years to come.
 
Wait, Madness Returns is $5.99? I thought the two-pack of Madness Returns and Mirror's Edge was going to be $7.49/99? (Or did I make that up in my head?)
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']Wait, Madness Returns is $5.99? I thought the two-pack of Madness Returns and Mirror's Edge was going to be $7.49/99? (Or did I make that up in my head?)[/QUOTE]

Here:

[quote name='Amazon DVG Deals']Hey guys,

This was a mistake on my part. I did some math incorrectly in my sales tracker. The Alice/Mirror's Edge pack is going to be $9.99 not $7.49.

My bad guys, too many wheels turning at once :( should have double checked before leaking.

Cheers,
Tony[/QUOTE]


[quote name='Amazon DVG Deals']Yep, both Mirror's Edge and Alice will be on sale.

Mirror's Edge will be $5 and Alice will be $7.49 these are both the prices that we had before, Mirror's Edge hasn't been $3 from us before.

BTW that's where the confusion game in, when I copy and pasted from my spreadsheet to the system that runs our promotions I copied the Alice price for the bundle price by accident. Then when I went to update you I checked the promotion tool and saw $7.49, posted here, and a co-worker of mine was like, "Hey dude, we're selling the pack for $9.99 not $7.49".

Again, sorry for the confusion, I'm ready for the internet flogging.

Cheers,
Tony[/QUOTE]


[quote name='Amazon DVG Deals']Gents, good news for those awaiting Alice and Mirror's Edge.

My contact from EA dropped by these forums to check out what people were saying about the games I was talking about from their group and saw my mistake with Alice and Mirror's Edge. In response, he suggested we run Alice individually at 80% off instead of 75% off.

This means if you buy the game individually you'll be able to get it for $5.99 instead of $7.49.

I figured if there was 1 place to get excited about an extra $1.50 price change for a sale this was it :).

Cheers,
Tony[/QUOTE]
 
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If anyone has problems with Bioshock loading on Windows 7 64-bit, try creating a shortcut from the actual file in the
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\bioshock\Builds\Release\Bioshock.exe" & put it in compatibility mode for XP sp2.
Worked last night (I have my PC hooked up to my TV), but now it's not playing again :(. It works in 1920x1080 on -dx9, but I didn't spend all this money on a pc to "not" play in the best possible settings.

Also, Metro 2033 has sadly unstable framrate. Goes from 80-90 in most places, to ~30 in parts of the snow & ice parts :(. I think I'll stick to newer games & play the ones I already own on console, on console.
 
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[quote name='twztid13']If anyone has problems with Bioshock loading on Windows 7 64-bit, try creating a shortcut from the actual file in the
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\bioshock\Builds\Release\Bioshock.exe" & put it in compatibility mode for XP sp2.
Worked last night (I have my PC hooked up to my PC), but now it's not playing again :(. It works in 1920x1080 on -dx9, but I didn't spend all this money on a pc to "not" play in the best possible settings.

Also, Metro 2033 has sadly unstable framrate. Goes from 80-90 in most places, to ~30 in parts of the snow & ice parts :(. I think I'll stick to newer games & play the ones I already own on console, on console.[/QUOTE]

i had to fiddle around a bit to get bioshock running (had to put it in windows xp compatibility mode) though i still get the random game freeze (which always happens right before i decide to save)

and Metro 2033 is very graphically intensive game, so don't expect to put everything at the very maximum settings. you have to fiddle around a bit to find the right settings so it doesn't go below 60 (or whatever number you want)
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']Madness Returns looks to be a monster to play too. Not even going to attempt that until I get a new laptop.[/QUOTE]

It really isn't, it played great on my old computer which uses a Core 2 Duo E8400 and Geforce 8800gtx. Not comparable to Metro 2033, which is pretty unoptimized and ran like unplayable crap on that same computer lol.
 
[quote name='Callandor']Tony, Steam has all the Assassin's Creed Revelations DLC at 50% today. Any chance of a match? (Willing to buy Lost Archive at $5, but my base game is non-Steam.)[/QUOTE]

You can wait for a real reply from Tony, but in the past he mentioned that certain types of games won't get PMs and I believe most of Ubi's stable falls into that category.

I am going to hold out until tomorrow morning, just in case Tony says differently, but Im not holding my breath.
 
Tony quick question for you

Any chance of price matching Steam for Assassin's Creed Revelations and the DLC? Would rather support Amazon if the price was similar.

Thanks
 
[quote name='sunghost']It really isn't, it played great on my old computer which uses a Core 2 Duo E8400 and Geforce 8800gtx. Not comparable to Metro 2033, which is pretty unoptimized and ran like unplayable crap on that same computer lol.[/QUOTE]
What kind of RAM did you have?

(And I've got some terrible Dell integrated chipset graphics card that pretty much hates my guts, so I doubt that would fly.)
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']What kind of RAM did you have?[/QUOTE]

I was running it with 4GB PNY DDR2 ram, I think. I don't remember the exact specs of my old ram, would have to check. It ran pretty smoothly, but you'll probably have to set PhysX to low, the PhysX effects can be kinda slow/choppy. Resolution was set to 1920x1200, everything maxed out aside from PhysX.
 
Alice: Madness returns is an outright terrible game. The only good things about the game are the art design and that's it. It steals game mechanics for Super Mario 64 for Christ's sake! It's not worth playing honestly. Skim through youtube to see the art and wikipedia the story. It's gameplay is boring.
 
[quote name='Golden Idol']Alice: Madness returns is an outright terrible game. The only good things about the game are the art design and that's it. It steals game mechanics for Super Mario 64 for Christ's sake! It's not worth playing honestly. Skim through youtube to see the art and wikipedia the story. It's gameplay is boring.[/QUOTE]

Uhm, it's a platformer.. what do you expect? MANY platformers have similar game mechanics to Super Mario 64. I don't understand any of these complaints. I can get if someone doesn't like the game for what it is, but not because it's a platformer.. Not sure why anyone would play it if they don't like the genre.

With a game like Alice Madness Returns, it's more about experiencing the atmosphere, not just looking at the art from pics or a youtube video. The first game was mostly about atmosphere as well, although the gameplay and story in both games aren't bad at all.
 
Yeah, I think I've only got 2GB RAM. That along with my terrible graphics card will probably kill it for me. I'm looking at these two laptops to buy right now.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-Whit...Processor-and-Windows-7-Home-Premium/19536281

This is the more expensive one. Has more RAM, so it's tempting. I don't know about that graphics card though? The processor seems to be great, but I'm not an expert on this stuff. Or...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-Whit...Processor-and-Windows-7-Home-Premium/19536288

The cheaper one. Not as good of a processor and less RAM, but a bigger hard drive and everything else is the same (I think). Slightly smaller screen too. Same graphics card...

Any thoughts? How would these laptops fare playing the newest of games?
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']Yeah, I think I've only got 2GB RAM. That along with my terrible graphics card will probably kill it for me. I'm looking at these two laptops to buy right now.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-Whit...Processor-and-Windows-7-Home-Premium/19536281

This is the more expensive one. Has more RAM, so it's tempting. I don't know about that graphics card though? The processor seems to be great, but I'm not an expert on this stuff. Or...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-Whit...Processor-and-Windows-7-Home-Premium/19536288

The cheaper one. Not as good of a processor and less RAM, but a bigger hard drive and everything else is the same (I think). Slightly smaller screen too. Same graphics card...

Any thoughts? How would these laptops fare playing the newest of games?[/QUOTE]

Verify with someone else, but out of those two, you'd probably do fine with the cheaper one, though I'm not sure how far you can go with integrated graphics. Since the integrated graphics are the same, it really comes down to the processor. A 0.3 GHz difference in speed isn't going to affect much, and because it's for gaming, the two threads versus four shouldn't either, though that's the part where I'm worried I may be wrong.
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']Yeah, I think I've only got 2GB RAM. That along with my terrible graphics card will probably kill it for me. I'm looking at these two laptops to buy right now.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-Whit...Processor-and-Windows-7-Home-Premium/19536281

This is the more expensive one. Has more RAM, so it's tempting. I don't know about that graphics card though? The processor seems to be great, but I'm not an expert on this stuff. Or...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-Whit...Processor-and-Windows-7-Home-Premium/19536288

The cheaper one. Not as good of a processor and less RAM, but a bigger hard drive and everything else is the same (I think). Slightly smaller screen too. Same graphics card...

Any thoughts? How would these laptops fare playing the newest of games?[/QUOTE]

Well first of all, you can't shop for a gaming laptop at Walmart. They don't have any that will run anything, and their pages are wrong. Neither of those processors have a dedicated Intel HD 3000, and if they did, it still wouldn't perform very well at all. I would recommend shopping at Newegg.

Here is a good example of a decent gaming laptop around those prices. It will run just about anything. Games like Skyrim included.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834214603

In that price range (~$500) you aren't going to find anything with an Intel processor with a dedicated graphics card.

EDIT: The more expensive one actually does have the HD 3000 dedicated graphics, but like I said it doesn't perform all that well. You will be better off finding something with a dedicated card like I linked to.
 
[quote name='Corpekata']Yeah, avoid Walmart like the plague when it comes to computers. Newegg, and actually even Amazon are probably better bets.[/QUOTE]

ANYTHING but Walmart.
 
Yeah I'm not savvy about this stuff, but I'd buy a Sony before I bought a Toshiba. Besides the graphics card, that Toshiba doesn't seem very impressive for that price. :whistle2:( Especially with that processor, it's way weaker.

Is it possible to get a similar Sony with a graphics card that will work better for games?
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']Yeah, I think I've only got 2GB RAM. That along with my terrible graphics card will probably kill it for me. I'm looking at these two laptops to buy right now.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-Whit...Processor-and-Windows-7-Home-Premium/19536281

This is the more expensive one. Has more RAM, so it's tempting. I don't know about that graphics card though? The processor seems to be great, but I'm not an expert on this stuff. Or...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-Whit...Processor-and-Windows-7-Home-Premium/19536288

The cheaper one. Not as good of a processor and less RAM, but a bigger hard drive and everything else is the same (I think). Slightly smaller screen too. Same graphics card...

Any thoughts? How would these laptops fare playing the newest of games?[/QUOTE]

You'd be ok with low settings if you don't care for graphics. I've seen my friend play Skyrim, Crysis 2 and Minecraft with intergrated graphics (HD3000) and 6gb of ram with the i5-2450m. I think skyrim was played at 800x600 all low settings and it was playable. Sometimes it would slow down. Crysis 2 looked less then 30fps and that was at 1280x720 all low. If you find around 20 fps playable its ok. It dropped during a boss fight. Minecraft ran was playable from what I saw. As for the one with the B960 I can't say, I think it could play some games. But mostly likely fps drop.. I'm not an expert though..

As as everyone else has mentioned you could probably find a better deal elsewhere.
 
Well, the Vaio seems to be the same price everywhere (Newegg included). The only problem is the graphics card (I really want something that will play games well at the highest settings at the right FPS).

When I look around Newegg, I find stuff like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834127544

That's the tiny Vaio with a much weaker processor, but it has a different graphics card. But the card is "shared memory", and if memory serves, that's garbage. Am I right? There's also:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834127645

But I mean... $700 and I'm still only getting 4GB RAM there? Besides that one seeming to have a better graphics card, the Walmart deal looks a lot better. What's up with that?
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']Yeah I'm not savvy about this stuff, but I'd buy a Sony before I bought a Toshiba. Besides the graphics card, that Toshiba doesn't seem very impressive for that price. :whistle2:(

Is it possible to get a similar Sony with a graphics card that will work better for games?[/QUOTE]

You have to pay extra for a dedicated card. Really Sony and Toshiba are both horrible brands for laptops. You want to look at ASUS, MSI, Lenovo, and iBUYPOWER. The problem is, to get a decent gaming laptop with a dedicated card (which you need to perform well) in a good brand, you will have to pay $700-800 if not more.

What it comes down to is that you absolutely need a dedicated card for gaming. Integrated graphics aren't meant for it. Playing a game on low settings with a 800x600 resolution is NOT playable. You wouldn't even be able to read the words on a screen like that with that kind of resolution.

If you absolutely want Sony, here are some decent gaming laptops.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...yMark=False&IsFeedbackTab=true#scrollFullInfo

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...yMark=False&IsFeedbackTab=true#scrollFullInfo

EDIT: I just saw your post. The ones you linked to are NOT gaming laptops. To get something with a decent frame rate you will have to look at the ones I linked to here.
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']Yeah I'm not savvy about this stuff, but I'd buy a Sony before I bought a Toshiba. Besides the graphics card, that Toshiba doesn't seem very impressive for that price. :whistle2:( Especially with that processor, it's way weaker.

Is it possible to get a similar Sony with a graphics card that will work better for games?[/QUOTE]

I bought one of these a few months ago and am extremely happy. I've played ME2, DX:HR, Majicka and a bunch of other games with no problems.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834158198

Yes, it's a refurb, but I couldn't tell the difference. This is pretty much the best gaming value you could find.

There's another version of this model (dv6-6135, I think) that has Blu-Ray and a better chassis. Both of them go out of stock extremely quickly.
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']Well, the Vaio seems to be the same price everywhere (Newegg included). The only problem is the graphics card (I really want something that will play games well at the highest settings at the right FPS). [/QUOTE]

Honestly, this is a tall order for any laptop without breaking the $800+ region.. And even then, your games will likely not be running at the highest possible settings most of the time.

Your safest bet. Stick to this advice (although personally I would go with the 2nd of the two options. I wouldn't even bother with a 520M at that price):

[quote name='thegreatest']You have to pay extra for a dedicated card. Really Sony and Toshiba are both horrible brands for laptops. You want to look at ASUS, MSI, Lenovo, and iBUYPOWER. The problem is, to get a decent gaming laptop with a dedicated card (which you need to perform well) in a good brand, you will have to pay $700-800 if not more.

What it comes down to is that you absolutely need a dedicated card for gaming. Integrated graphics aren't meant for it. Playing a game on low settings with a 800x600 resolution is NOT playable. You wouldn't even be able to read the words on a screen like that with that kind of resolution.

If you absolutely want Sony, here are some decent gaming laptops.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...yMark=False&IsFeedbackTab=true#scrollFullInfo

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...yMark=False&IsFeedbackTab=true#scrollFullInfo

EDIT: I just saw your post. The ones you linked to are NOT gaming laptops. To get something with a decent frame rate you will have to look at the ones I linked to here.[/QUOTE]
 
[quote name='Golden Idol']Alice: Madness returns is an outright terrible game. The only good things about the game are the art design and that's it. It steals game mechanics for Super Mario 64 for Christ's sake! It's not worth playing honestly. Skim through youtube to see the art and wikipedia the story. It's gameplay is boring.[/QUOTE]

I believe you have what is called an "outlier" opinion. And if I'm making a list of positives and negatives for a game, "mechanics like Super Mario 64" would fall into the positive category.

I'm in no way discounting your opinion, but it seems a bit outside the norm and certainly at odds with my own.
 
That one you linked doesn't even say what graphics card it has?

I don't really understand something "not being a gaming laptop". The specs put against "gaming laptops" are nearly identical, with the "gaming laptop" often having less RAM and a weaker processor. What's up with that?

I do understand that the ones linked have better graphics cards, but is that worth an extra $200-300 when you're actually getting WEAKER other components? I don't understand that.

Would it be possible to buy something like this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-Whit...Processor-and-Windows-7-Home-Premium/19536281

But then swap the graphics card out for one that will work fine with games? Because that's a really good price in comparison to the other systems on Newegg that are being linked, except for the fact that it has a cruddy graphics card. Wouldn't it be more cost effective to buy the best and cheapest and swap the graphics card?

I've heard really good things about Vaios and their reliability, not to mention a friend of mine just bought one and is really happy with it. That's why I'm kind of steering in that direction. Still, I'm not set on one, but when I see links to these other laptops they really just don't seem worth the price.
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']That one you linked doesn't even say what graphics card it has?

I don't really understand something "not being a gaming laptop". The specs put against "gaming laptops" are nearly identical, with the "gaming laptop" often having less RAM and a weaker processor. What's up with that?

I do understand that the ones linked have better graphics cards, but is that worth an extra $200-300 when you're actually getting WEAKER other components? I don't understand that.

Would it be possible to buy something like this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-Whit...Processor-and-Windows-7-Home-Premium/19536281

But then swap the graphics card out for one that will work fine with games? Because that's a really good price in comparison to the other systems on Newegg that are being linked, except for the fact that it has a cruddy graphics card. Wouldn't it be more cost effective to buy the best and cheapest and swap the graphics card?

I've heard really good things about Vaios and their reliability, not to mention a friend of mine just bought one and is really happy with it. That's why I'm kind of steering in that direction. Still, I'm not set on one, but when I see links to these other laptops they really just don't seem worth the price.[/QUOTE]

I don't know much about laptops, but I don't think you can simply swap out a video card in most of them. The GPU is pretty important.. I would prioritize that over the amount of ram.
 
Huh... That sucks. That's just so odd why the "better" models have weaker specs and WAY higher prices... but have a different video card. If only I could just get the one I want... but have a different video card put in it. >_>
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']That one you linked doesn't even say what graphics card it has?[/QUOTE]

I understand that it's difficult shopping for a computer... much less a gaming computer.. but: The laptop mentioned has a NVIDIA 540M.

[quote name='Idiotekque']I don't really understand something "not being a gaming laptop". The specs put against "gaming laptops" are nearly identical, with the "gaming laptop" often having less RAM and a weaker processor. What's up with that?[/quote]

If you want to use a laptop to play video games, you need to a DEDICATED graphics card. Bottom line. You're not going to get the same type of performance from anything else and really you're not going to be able to play anything other than some cheap casual-bin video games on an integrated graphics card. But since you said: "I really want something that will play games well at the highest settings at the right FPS," I'm guessing that's not the case.

[quote name='Idiotekque']But then swap the graphics card out for one that will work fine with games? Because that's a really good price in comparison to the other systems on Newegg that are being linked, except for the fact that it has a cruddy graphics card. Wouldn't it be more cost effective to buy the best and cheapest and swap the graphics card? [/quote]

Nope. It's really as difficult as possible to upgrade any piece of hardware inside of a manufacturers laptop. Other than increasing ram, you're not going to be given too many options.

[quote name='Idiotekque']I've heard really good things about Vaios and their reliability, not to mention a friend of mine just bought one and is really happy with it. That's why I'm kind of steering in that direction. Still, I'm not set on one, but when I see links to these other laptops they really just don't seem worth the price.[/QUOTE]

I'm guessing your friend has very different intentions for their laptop. If you're going to browse the internet, play casual card games or web games or bejeweled or whatever, then I'm sure a cheap $400 walmart computer would work fine, but you just simply can't expect it to perform the same as any dedicated gaming computer.

[quote name='Idiotekque']And when it comes to this laptop (which is the only other one I've seen that seems more reasonable), even though it has a better card, it's got a weaker processor and less RAM. [/quote]

You're comparing an i7 to an i5. i7 > i5 in most cases. And while I'll agree that 4GB of ram might be a tad bit low for serious computing use, ram is one of the easiest and cheapest components to change in any laptop so you shouldn't fuss over that.
 
A couple people have said it's been at $10 before. I personally would wait for a lower price point, since you can buy it brand new for a console for $15 or so; even cheaper used.

Also, what would anyone say about this laptop?

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Series-V...DKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1337485069&sr=1-12

The only kicker there seems to be the processor. How good is that graphics card though, and would that processor kinda kill the deal?
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']A couple people have said it's been at $10 before. I personally would wait for a lower price point, since you can buy it brand new for a console for $15 or so; even cheaper used.

Also, what would anyone say about this laptop?

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Series-V...DKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1337485069&sr=1-12

The only kicker there seems to be the processor. How good is that graphics card though, and would that processor kinda kill the deal?[/QUOTE]

That laptop has integrated graphics.. so I'd skip it. As others have said, you need a dedicated GPU for a gaming laptop.
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']HD in the name of the card = Integrated graphics, huh? I'm so effin' clueless.[/QUOTE]

When it says "integrated on APU" that means that it has no dedicated GPU:

AMD Radeon HD 6320 graphics (integrated on APU)
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']That one you linked doesn't even say what graphics card it has?

I don't really understand something "not being a gaming laptop". The specs put against "gaming laptops" are nearly identical, with the "gaming laptop" often having less RAM and a weaker processor. What's up with that?

I do understand that the ones linked have better graphics cards, but is that worth an extra $200-300 when you're actually getting WEAKER other components? I don't understand that.

Would it be possible to buy something like this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-Whit...Processor-and-Windows-7-Home-Premium/19536281

But then swap the graphics card out for one that will work fine with games? Because that's a really good price in comparison to the other systems on Newegg that are being linked, except for the fact that it has a cruddy graphics card. Wouldn't it be more cost effective to buy the best and cheapest and swap the graphics card?

I've heard really good things about Vaios and their reliability, not to mention a friend of mine just bought one and is really happy with it. That's why I'm kind of steering in that direction. Still, I'm not set on one, but when I see links to these other laptops they really just don't seem worth the price.[/QUOTE]

I'm starting to think that you don't know the difference between a processor and a graphics card. The two Sonys I linked to have the same processor and the one you linked to for $850 has that same processor as well. The main price difference between the two I linked to is the fact that one has a blu ray drive and the other does not.

In order for something to be a gaming PC it needs a gaming graphics card. Processor and RAM really doesn't matter all that much. Honestly, those Sonys are very far behind when it comes to gaming capabilities.

Here is a good site to look at to get an idea of how a card will perform. The different cards are ranked along the right side.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-560M.48313.0.html

Also, for your reference, I have a gaming laptop and I thought it may be helpful to link to an actual laptop made for gaming since none of the ones discussed so far really are. They have the ability to play some games (not very well), but aren't made for gaming. Here is the laptop I have:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230142
 
[quote name='thegreatest']I'm starting to think that you don't know the difference between a processor and a graphics card. The two Sonys I linked to have the same processor and the one you linked to for $850 has that same processor as well. The main price difference between the two I linked to is the fact that one has a blu ray drive and the other does not.

In order for something to be a gaming PC it needs a gaming graphics card. Processor and RAM really doesn't matter all that much. Honestly, those Sonys are very far behind when it comes to gaming capabilities.

Here is a good site to look at to get an idea of how a card will perform. The different cards are ranked along the right side.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-560M.48313.0.html

Also, for your reference, I have a gaming laptop and I thought it may be helpful to link to an actual laptop made for gaming since none of the ones discussed so far really are. They have the ability to play some games (not very well), but aren't made for gaming. Here is the laptop I have:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230142[/QUOTE]
No, I know the difference between a processor and graphics card. The problem was that I was seeing far cheaper laptops with 2.5GHz processors and 6GB of RAM put next to far more expensive laptops with 2.2GHz processors and 4GB of RAM. That didn't make sense to me, but the 2.2GHz i7 processors surpass the 2.4GHz i5 processors, right?

Going along the lines of RAM and processing speed not being a big deal, what's the lowest processor one should settle for in favor of a better graphics card? I'm trying to be extremely frugal here, which is annoying and sucks, but I don't really have a choice.


EDIT: How do the two cheapest ones on this page look? How are those graphics cards?

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...C8E1656C5F85171FBDB172571912&menu-id=products
 
"But the 2.2GHz i7 processors surpass the 2.4GHz i5 processors, right?"

I'm not so computer literate so someone humor me. Is this quote correct or is the Ghz measure universal in that a higher number is always a better performer?
 
[quote name='pantsattack']"But the 2.2GHz i7 processors surpass the 2.4GHz i5 processors, right?"

I'm not so computer literate so someone humor me. Is this quote correct or is the Ghz measure universal in that a higher number is always a better performer?[/QUOTE]

A slightly higher number like that isn't always a better performer, especially when number of cores and threads comes into play.
 
[quote name='pantsattack']"But the 2.2GHz i7 processors surpass the 2.4GHz i5 processors, right?"

I'm not so computer literate so someone humor me. Is this quote correct or is the Ghz measure universal in that a higher number is always a better performer?[/QUOTE]

Well I guess I misspoke earlier. I didn't mean to imply that one processor is really that much better than the other. The i7 and i5 at that clock speed won't show a huge difference in performance but the value of the i7 is greater which is why the price is so much higher. The benefit from an i7 is that you'll have the ability to use hyperthreading... although that won't be apparent in most applications and really not at all in games.
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']No, I know the difference between a processor and graphics card. The problem was that I was seeing far cheaper laptops with 2.5GHz processors and 6GB of RAM put next to far more expensive laptops with 2.2GHz processors and 4GB of RAM. That didn't make sense to me, but the 2.2GHz i7 processors surpass the 2.4GHz i5 processors, right?

Going along the lines of RAM and processing speed not being a big deal, what's the lowest processor one should settle for in favor of a better graphics card? I'm trying to be extremely frugal here, which is annoying and sucks, but I don't really have a choice.


EDIT: How do the two cheapest ones on this page look? How are those graphics cards?

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...C8E1656C5F85171FBDB172571912&menu-id=products[/QUOTE]

You can check those graphics cards on the notebookcheck website I linked to before. It isn't bad, not the best, but not bad at all.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-555M.41933.0.html

As for the processors, in order to have a quad core processor in a laptop you have to have an i7. All i5's are dual core. The i7 you were talking about would have 4 cores running at 2.2ghz a piece. The i5 has 2 cores running at 2.4ghz, so yes the i7 would perform better.

[quote name='bizarrorollins']That's a great spec laptop (even a bit of overkill w/ 12GB of ram), but it sure is ugly as sin.. although to be honest, that's clearly not the intention. I kind of like how the bulk of the laptop gives that extra angle to the keyboard.[/QUOTE]

I actually really like the look of it. It is very quiet and cool too. The bulkiness of it, to me anyway, makes it seem more durable too. Which I want when I spend $1.500.
 
[quote name='bizarrorollins']Well I guess I misspoke earlier. I didn't mean to imply that one processor is really that much better than the other. The i7 and i5 at that clock speed won't show a huge difference in performance but the value of the i7 is greater which is why the price is so much higher. The benefit from an i7 is that you'll have the ability to use hyperthreading... although that won't be apparent in most applications and really not at all in games.[/QUOTE]
I guess that factor just hits me a little harder. I definitely need to find a system with an i5 (or lower, if it doesn't matter) processor to cut down the cost. Obviously I need a good dedicated graphics card, but I don't think I'll need an i7 processor if the difference is negligible and it makes the price so much higher.

What do you think of this system?

http://www.zdnet.com/reviews/produc...i5-2450m-processor250ghz-1333mhz-3mb/35081021

And the direct Lenovo listing (no pictures for some reason).

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...r.workflow:Enter?mtm-item=:000001C9:00001746:

Is there a reason why this laptop is cheaper than the rest? Is that graphics card not so good?
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']I guess that factor just hits me a little harder. I definitely need to find a system with an i5 (or lower, if it doesn't matter) processor to cut down the cost. Obviously I need a good dedicated graphics card, but I don't think I'll need an i7 processor if the difference is negligible and it makes the price so much higher.

What do you think of this system?

http://www.zdnet.com/reviews/produc...i5-2450m-processor250ghz-1333mhz-3mb/35081021

And the direct Lenovo listing (no pictures for some reason).

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...r.workflow:Enter?mtm-item=:000001C9:00001746:

Is there a reason why this laptop is cheaper than the rest? Is that graphics card not so good?[/QUOTE]

Look at my post right above that. ;)

And i7s are definitely better. They are actually at least twice as good due to the fact that they are quad core and the i5s and i3s are dual core. Plus the i7s have several more features like hyperthreading mentioned above.
 
[quote name='bizarrorollins']Well I guess I misspoke earlier. I didn't mean to imply that one processor is really that much better than the other. The i7 and i5 at that clock speed won't show a huge difference in performance but the value of the i7 is greater which is why the price is so much higher. The benefit from an i7 is that you'll have the ability to use hyperthreading... although that won't be apparent in most applications and really not at all in games.[/QUOTE]

Hmm. If not applications or games what's hyper threading used for?

Tony is going to clean this thread up real good once his puppy comes home. Oh, man.
 
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