[MatthewPapa]

I need to buy a laptop for college. I have narrowed it down between two models, a Gateway and a HP. I need some advice on what I should get because they seem very much the same to me.

The Gateway nx860XL


The HP dv9500t



HP Pros
Webcam and mic, newer chipset (??? need verification), DX10 Graphics, slightly faster processor, looks cool, lots of usb and HDMI
HP Cons
Lower native screen resolution, slower graphics card, slower hdd rpm wise (space doesnt matter to me),

Gateway Pros
Greater Screen Resolution, faster graphics, faster hdd
Gateway Cons
Slightly slower processor, no DX10, older chipset (??? need verification), looks like a mac , only 4 usb ports

I am torn between the two because they are basically the same except for the minor differences above. I am going for the most bang for the buck since they are basically the same price. I have been reading reviews practically all day for the past 2 days and nothing can make me decide. If you know something i dont, please let me know. Thanks for your help in advance!

[CP5670]

Greater Screen Resolution, faster graphics, faster hdd

You might actually find this to be a con. My old laptop was similar to that and the text is simply microscopic, although I've heard that Vista has better text scaling functionality than XP did. It also won't be able to run most recent games comfortably at that resolution, so you will have to play at non-native resolutions.

In other respects, the Gateway one seems to be superior. You'll notice the effects of the better HD and video card much more than the processor.

[MatthewPapa]

I was hoping to hear from you CP5670.

Do you know if there is any difference in the chipsets?

[CP5670]

They are both 945 based as far as I can see. There is nothing to indicate otherwise. Even if they are slightly different, there won't be any performance difference due to the chipset.

I would lean towards the Gateway one despite the resolution, assuming that Vista's text scaling features are better than those of XP (just going by what I've heard on that). Will this be your primary system or do you have an additional desktop for most of your gaming?

[Hippo]

get whichever one has a high def LCD (the kind thinkpads have). it allows you to run at high resolutions on a typical sized screen (1600x1200)

[MatthewPapa]

im getting this for a desktop replacement since my dorm doesnt have very much room

[Mustang19]

Gateway Cons
[...]
only 4 usb ports

Well, Jesus, how many do you need?! Get an adapter if you need more.

The Gateway is generally the faster of the two, the only real pro of the HP is the DX10 support (which is signficant). If you really want the webcam and mike, you can find both cheap. I'd go Gateway. Just hide it under the bed when your friends come over, unless you have Mac friends.

[Hippo]

printer, external mouse, joystick, external hard-drive/flash drive, mp3 player etc. my thinkpad only has 3 usb ports, and my older gateway had 4, which was much more convenient, but i was still short at times.

[Mustang19]

I see where you're coming from. I only need 2 USB ports normally, one for mouse and one for joystick. I have another computer with a printer, but I could fit it in. But if I needed to connect a flash drive or mp3 player also, I would just disconnect the printer for a bit. If you really have to have your flash drive, printer, and mp3 player connected at the same time, get an adapter, it's better than buying an inferior PC.

[Turey]

Of these two, Gateway wins.

The only worries I'd have with it would be the Screen (As CP mentioned), and the HDD size(Which you didn't care about). Everything else is fine.

I just ordered a top-of-the-line Thinkpad T61, and it easily out-classed both of these systems. Of course, it did cost a grand more than the Gateway.

EDIT: If I were shopping in your price range, here's what I'd get:

Pros:
Cheaper than the HP
Faster processor than the Gateway
DX10, SM4.0 support
Same memory as the other two.
Larger HDD at the same speed as the Gateway.
Brighter screen
It'll last longer than either of the other two.
Cons:
14.1" Screen
Not too sure about the Gfx card - can't find much info on it.

If you need the widescreen, go with the Gateway. Otherwise, I'd buy the Thinkpad.