EMR's New Computer Options of Amazingness

Falcon Northwest TLX Laptop:

Falcon Northwest FragBox Compact Desktop:

I am also toying around with the idea of getting a considerably cheaper FragBox or a different desktop at around $1500 along with a $500 Chromebook.

Advantages of the first:
-It's a laptop, which means I'll be able to take it around to college classes.
Disadvantages of the first:
-It's a laptop, which means lower specs for more money. Future hardware upgrades are also difficult.

Advantages of the second:
-It's a desktop, which means it's got higher specs for less money. Despite being a compact desktop, I think it will be fairly easy to upgrade the hardware in the future.
Disadvantages of the second:
-While it is small (about the size of a shoebox) and will fit in my dorm room very easily, I won't be taking it to classes.

Advantages of the third:
-I get a desktop to use in my dorm, and a VERY portable chromebook with high battery life to take to classes.
Disadvantages of the third:
-Neither the chromebook nor the moderately-priced desktop will be as advanced as the first two options.


-My home desktop will not be accompanying me to college; however, I currently possess three monitors, one of which is not in use. I could take one and leave it in my dorm room, plugging it in to the TLX as a second screen. In any case, monitors/screen space will not be an issue, no matter which option I choose.


What I am leaning toward:
-The first option, because I will be able to run intensive programming SDKs and/or media creation suites (such as CS5) on it while in class.


Some questions I have for you, beyond which option you think is best:
-Will the graphics cards in the first two options support dual-screens?
-There is an obvious difference in processor power between the first two. Is this going to show in, say, running a moderately new game or applying an intensive change on an image in photoshop?
-The graphics cards are also considerably different, from my understanding. Will this show in a new game or a photoshop rendering?
-Is it easy to use up more than 4GB of ram?

 

...for comparison, here is a near-identical Alienware build. I'm not sure how the video cards compare, and the alienware's built in sound card is probably slightly better, but besides that everything is exactly the same. All the stupid little alienware extras don't cost any money (including the Steam + Portal pre-install) except for the backpack, which I added because the options I already have above come with a backpack. There is no way that the video card + sound card makes up for the $500-$700 difference.

Alienware M18x Laptop:

 

i think you should save it for later

 

EMR,

The first laptop option is certainly good but I have to point out that I purchased a 14" Dell Studio for around 1500 that has an i5 3.3 and beats the video card specs of that one. I bought it last June. I can run CS5 and pretty much all my games (Left 4 Dead runs at low res, but CoD: Black Ops runs well) with no problem. In fact, CS5 runs better on my i5 laptop than it does on my OCed dual core desktop rig. I think that laptop is overpriced. I'd look into a Dell that's got an i7, the XPS 15s and 17s have i7s and you can upgrade the video cards.... Up to you but I've never gotten value in those crazy gaming brands like alienware.

The desktop you spec'd is ludicrous. Build it yourself. Why does it need liquid cooling? It's only got an i7. Even if the case is fairly small it's still not going to need that. You can buy micro cases that support i7 motherboards and a large SLI capable gfx card like a GTX580 TI. Go with something like that, cost you around $1,400 max. Geez, for the price you'd spec'd I would've assumed a solid state drive in the mix.

Option 3 is probably your better bet but I would still recommend building your own tower.

Good hunting!

The second option

 

The laptop has a 3-year super-warranty and a very fancy paintjob. That's where the extra 500 comes from.