Which One

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KJH

KJH

KJH

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My desktop is dying and I have decided to buy a laptop to replace it and have narrowed my choice down to two. Both are £1700 and I just wanted some opinions.
The first is the new Toshiba Qosmio X500-116 that is due out in a couple of weeks and the other an Alienware M15x, spec, 8GB, 500GB, better screen, better battery and the i7 720 processor.
The Toshiba has a bigger screen (18.4 over 15.6), 1TB, blu-ray writer and a slightly better graphics card (the 360 over the 260) and a proper HDMI.
The Alienware has a faster hard drive, faster memory (1333 over 1033) and probably better build quality. I can’t find any option on the Dell site to include a blu-ray drive, yet everyone that sells them pre-built seem to have a blu-ray drive (read only) fitted and the site mentions that it has blu-ray, yet when you build it only mentions DVD. No proper HDMI, you get an adaptor.
I think the Toshiba gives you more for your money, but the Alienware has a better reputation as a brand for build quality etc.
I should say I would use it for internet, gaming and watching blu-ray at my girlfriends.
Sorry to go on but I am really undecided and just wanted some opinions before I drop a small fortune.
Cheers
Kevin
 
If I was spending that sort of cash I probably wouldn't get either of those.

A few people here will probably suggest getting a decent gaming desktop, and spending the rest on a far cheaper laptop. These people are certainly the voice of reason, but it's ultimately down to you and your mobile usage, I won't try to disuade you.

If you are adamant on dropping that much cash on a laptop I think there are better manufacturers. I personally would go with the manufacturer with the same sounding name as the element with atomic number 27 (not sure if they are considered a competitor).
My brother has a laptop from them, and to be honest, has not been without issues, but the customer service he has received has been absolutely excellent.

One final thing, 8Gb of memory? I'd probably go with 4Gb, you're adding the best part of £300-£400 for that, and I'm not certain it's worth it. Memory prices always drop, just buy more later if you really need it.
 
Thanks Little Crow

Want a laptop for space and portability reasons, I know you pay over the odds compared to a desktop.

Any particular reason you would counsel against the 2 I fancy. The Alienware with 4gb would be £1400.

Cheers

Kevin
 
Thanks,

Dont really fancy the HP, for a bit more you can get a lot more I feel. Had a look at the Kobalt site. The spec below is stunning but is 2 grand, although that is with a 2 year warranty. What does everyone think of Kobalt, what are they like, I confess I have never heard of them.

Cheers

Chassis - :: G870 Black/Silver 1
Screen - :: 17.3" 1920x1080 Full HD+ X-Glass 1
Processor - :: Intel® Core i7 820QM Quad Core 1.73GHz - 3.06GHz 8MB Cache 1
Video Card - :: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 280M 1GB GDDR3 1
Memory 1 - :: 4GB DDR3 PC3-10600 1333Mhz CAS9 2x 2GB DIMMs 1
Hard Drive 1 - :: 500GB 7,200rpm SATA-II with 16MB Cache (+ £40.00) 1
Operating system 1 - :: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (+63.00) 1
Optical Device 1 - :: Blu-Ray Writer / DVD±R/W 1
Bluetooth - :: Bluetooth V2.0 Module 1
7 in 1 card reader - :: 7 in 1 card reader 1
Soundcard - :: Creative Sound Blaster® X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook 1
Warranty - :: 2 Year - European Collect & Return 1
System Recovery - :: Kobalt System Recovery Kit and Backup Software On Internal Drive 1
System Recovery - External Image - :: None Selected 1
Cyberlink Power DVD 9 Ultra with full BluRay support 1
AVG Antivirus 1
 
We used to use Toshiba Laptops at work, and I don't recommend them to anyone. I believe their support is outsourced and the one we used did absolutely nothing and charged us for the pleasure.

Alienware I don't have any experience with, so can't comment, but you do read a lot of issues with their support. I know people will head straight to a forum to vent, and satisfied punters tend not to, so it's hard to get a clear picture.

As I mention in my first post, my brother has one of <unnamed companies> laptops and he has had some tribulations with it, but the support he has received is fantastic.
I would certainly buy a laptop from them, I just don't want to spend that much.
 
Nice rig

From what I have read about Kobalt they dont appear to be a very big company so thier customer service sometimes is a bit slow but at they do always seem to resolve any issues. They post very regulary on several message boards and always seem to post sensible and knowledgable posts.

I am also looking to spend a large chunk of money (2k - 2.5K) on a new laptop and I have reseached long and hard to find the best all round package. These guys come out on top by a mile for bespoke laptops in the UK
 
Hello again,

Went for the 17inch Kobalt after all. Went for a 500gb drive and the 820 processor and 4gb.
Say it will be 2 weeks.
When I get it I will give some feedback,

Thanks for the advice

Cheers

Kevin.
 
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