Laptops Arena

Alienware laptops have become famous all around the globe as being the most powerful gaming notebooks that mankind has ever seen. Even if they do not come in a wide range of models, the ones which are available will provide you with excellent power to run some top of the line games.



When it comes to powerful and expensive Alienware laptops, one of the best examples we could give is the Alienware m17x. This laptop model has a starting price of $1799 but if you want to configure the unit to have some really powerful components inside, you will end up paying about $4700 for this laptop. The unit comes with a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9300 processor which is a quad core and, therefore, provides excellent speed for the laptop.


This processor is combined with no less than 8 GB of DDR3 RAM which will allow multitasking at an incredible speed. The hard drive can store up to 1 TB of files which is more than you will ever see on other laptop that has been launched on the market up until now. The graphics card is actually composed of dual nVidia GeForce GTX 280M with 1 GB of video memory. Can you imagine how this baby flies? It features a superb 17 inch display which comes in a native resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels.


Another Alienware laptop model worth mentioning is the Alienware Area 51 m17x. This unit features the same 17 inch display with a native resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. In fact, this is the most common type of display that you can find on Alienware laptops as they are all desktop replacement units. Due to their size and the weight determined by the powerful components inside, this laptop was definitely not made to be carried around. This unit is powered by a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000 processor and 4 GB of RAM. Even if this combination is not as powerful as the previous one, it is still way more than you will get out of regular mainstream laptop. Once again, multitasking is possible at an amazing speed so don’t be afraid to run multiple applications at the same time when it’s necessary. You get 2 graphics card instead on one and they are both nVidia GeForce 9800M GT with 512 MB of video memory. As for the storage capacity of the hard drive, this unit can only store 500 GB of files and folders which is half the storage space of the Alienware m17x. this unit may not be as powerful as the one before but it still comes with cool features like an internal TV tuner which comes with a remote control, a super cool backlit keyboard and a design to die for. You will really feel like an alien space ship has landed right onto your desk. Back in 2008, the standard price of the unit with the basic configuration was $3850 but the price of the unit reviewed was $5900.

Compaq has not always been one of the most respectable laptop manufactures. In fact, as I recall, some customers were so upset about the products they bought that some of them even launched website to make anti-Compaq campaigns. All of that has been left behind now, ever since HP took over Compaq and the laptops that have been launched ever since under the HP Compaq are definitely more trustworthy.

An example of how Compaq has managed to evolve is the Compaq 6715b laptop. For less than 650 pounds, you can get a beautiful black unit which inspires elegance even from the distance. With 357 x 265 x 35 mm in dimensions and 2.9 kg in weight, this is not exactly the most portable unit that money can buy but it does come with a nice range of specification which determined users to buy this laptop. This unit is powered by a 2.0 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL60 processor and 2 GB of RAM. It may not be the most powerful combination of RAM and processor but multitasking is still possible at an acceptable speed. If you are not satisfied with the given amount of RAM, you can always extend it to a maximum 4 GB.

The 15.4 inch display comes in a super native resolution of 1680 x 1050 pixels and with wide horizontal viewing angles so you can enjoy a movie with a couple of friends. With this high resolution, you will be able to store a lot of things on your desktop and on-screen reading will not be very difficult. Since the surface of the screen is not covered on any kind of glossy coating, you will be able to use this laptop regardless if the light intensity in the room where you are using it. You can even use it outdoors and the display will barely show reflections of the object standing in front of it. The graphics card is the integrated AMD Xpress 1250 which does not provide enough video power for heavy gaming you will be able to play the less demanding games which do not require a lot of video card power but don’t expect any top of the line games to work on this model.



The total storage space of this unit is 160 GB which may not be enough for people that tend to collect music and movies on their hard drive. If you ever want to free up some disk space, there is a dual layer DVD burner which will allow you to make backup copies of your files and store them on DVDs. Other features of this unit are the 4 included USB ports, a 6-in-1 media card reader and even a PC card slot. The unit reviewed also came with an included fingerprint reader which offers an extra security measure that will come in handy especially for the business segment. The 6 cell battery will keep the laptop up and running for about 3 hours and 30 minutes with the standard power saving settings.

When you are thinking about buying HP business laptops, the first 2 words that must come to your mind are: EliteBook and ProBook. These are the 2 series of HP business laptops which will draw attention thanks to the elegant design and cool features. And just to make a point, we will take the example of the HP ProBook 5310m laptop. Compared to the other business laptop available on the market, this one is way cheaper and more affordable as the price of the unit configured here is $899.

This laptop runs on a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P9300 processor and 2 GB of DDR3 RAM. The graphics card is the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 MHD and the total storage space available on the hard disk is 320 GB. The unit will come with the 32 bit version of the Windows 7 Professional operating system. Overall, it seems you get quite some quality components inside one laptop which cannon be considered expensive at all. The 13.3 inch display has a native resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels and it is impeccable. The levels of brightness are superb and you could settle for a medium brightness level and still get a perfectly readable indoors screen. The horizontal viewing angles are good so if you want to gather some co-workers and show them those presentations that you’ve been working on, you have the full support of this laptop.



The speakers, on the other hand, are not that impressive. You may get along with them for regular Windows sound or in those moments when you are sitting close to the laptop but in a conference room, it may not handle the sound of your presentation so you had better considering buying some external speakers. The keyboard was designed in the chiclet style commonly found on Apple laptops. The keys are covered in a matte texture but when you press them, you get quite a loud clicking noise. Key travel is excellent and so is key feedback. There is some flex registered in the keyboard area but it is of no great significance. The touchpad has a very responsive surface and even if this surface is a bit glossy, you will get used to it in no time.



Ports and connections are always important on business laptops and the HP ProBook 5310m is no exception. This unit hosts 3 USB ports, one memory card reader, a Display Port, an Ethernet port, a Kensington lock slot and the regular headphones out and microphone in jacks. As you can see, there is nothing spectacular to discuss about here as we have quite an average selection. Battery life, however, is a much more interesting chapter. The battery on this HP laptop managed to keep the laptop up and running for 5 hours and 50 minutes with the display brightness set to 70%, the wireless card activated and the Windows 7 power management profile set to “balanced mode”. This is great news considering that you can extend the battery life by lowering the display brightness and choosing the Windows 7 “power saver” profile.

If it weren’t for the scandal with that huge number of laptops that were having wireless problems,  you would have never had anything to complain about when it comes to the HP Compaq dv6000 laptop. In fact, this notebook is one of the coolest multimedia laptops that money can buy and the huge number of complaints indicates a huge number of HP Compaq dv6000 laptop users which means people have actually bought this laptop.



For a price of less than $800, who wouldn’t consider buying this unit? Too bad there was that wireless problem which brought HP a lot of negative publicity and it surely cost the company a great deal of clients. For that price, you get a unit based on an AMD Turion 64 processor and 2 GB of RAM. The graphics card is the nVidia GeForce Go 7200 with 256 MB of video memory. The total storage capacity of the hard disk is 160 GB. Other features of this unit are the integrated DVD burner with dual layer support, the integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam with a microphone included and the preinstalled version of the Windows Vista Home Premium operating system.

The Pavilion dv6000 comes with a 15.4 inch display which uses the HP BrightView technology for a glossy screen coating which makes the colors sharp and vibrating. With its HD capabilities, the screen comes in a native resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. It is true that you can find similarly sized laptops with better display resolutions but think about the fact that higher resolution could make it more difficult to read what is on the display. The only real complain that you may have regarding this display is the fact that it tends to reflect the object in front of it when you are using it under powerful light. Using this laptop outdoors on a sunny day is totally out of the question.



The unit is based on an AMD processor instead of the usual Intel one and it is said that this processor will generate a greater heat output. The unit comes with built in Altec Lansing speakers which have always been HP’s favorite choice of speakers brand for the Pavilion line. The speakers are normal for their category and they produce a decent sound output. However, if you plan on turning up the volume, external speakers are recommended. There is an included remote control which is going to be very useful for using the HP QuickPlay function.



In fact, the remote control is useful for any multimedia purposes related to this HP laptop. Aside from all the problems with the HP Pavilion dv6000 laptop, this unit is quite something to look forward to. In conclusion, this unit is nice and the price is very affordable for different kind of users. This laptop is surely going to help you meet all of your basic to mainstream computing needs and it is also a good looking unit which the entire family can learn to use. Too bad there were all those problems…

For people looking for the HP new laptop, we strongly recommend the Envy 13. This is one of the most powerful ultra portables that money can buy even if the unit configured here costs $1925. This HP new laptop is probably one of the most powerful 13 inch notebooks that money could ever buy.



The HP Envy 13 comes with a 2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SL9600 processor and 3 GB of DDR3 RAM. The total storage capacity of the hard drive is 250 GB and the graphics card can be switched between the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 with 512 MB of video memory and the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500M. This is a very brief description of this unit but there is a lot more to it than what you see here. This laptop will come with the preinstalled 64 bit version of the Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. Not only is this laptop powerful but it also looks very good and it comes with some features that people are going to fall in love with. The 13.3 inch display comes in a native resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, with average viewing angles. The integrated pair of speakers produces decent sound output even if the lack of bass is highly noticeable. External speakers will be your best friend when you want to listen to some loud music or enjoy the special effects of a movie.

The keyboard is built in the same chiclet style like Sony VAIO or Apple laptops. This is quite a change as HP does not normally use this type of keyboard. It feels really comfortable to type on these keys once you get used to the shape. You would think that the keyboard of a 13 inch laptop is small and difficult to use but this is surely not the case of the HP Envy 13.



There is no flex registered in the keyboard area’ at least nothing that could bother you while you type. Even the touchpad is quite large for what you would expect to find on such a small notebook. This touchpad will certainly prove itself to be one of the best ones that you have even used on a 13 inch notebook.



As for the selection of ports and features, this unit comes with a total of 2 USB ports and one SD card slot, a HDMI port and the regular audio jacks. There is no FireWire port and frankly there are quite a lot of ports minus. I’ll consider that as a minus for the HP Envy 13. The presence of the HDMI port is quite nice though as this port is generally missing even from 15 inch laptops. With the display brightness set to 70%, the Windows 7 power managed profile set to “balanced mode” and the wireless card activated, you will get about 6 hours and 55 minutes of battery life which is quite impressive even for a 13.3 inch laptop. We have seen similar ultra portables that did not have the same battery performance as the HP Envy 13.