HP Laptop for FS9, FSX and X-Plane

[crosswind 825]

Well I have been doing some laptop Research amongst some of the big boys - Alienware and Dell, and then I came across HP who seems to be offering a bit more for their options. Do you guys think that this would be a wise move and would it be able to run FS9, FSX and X-plane without much problems?Please advise on your thoughts/opinions.Components

[Guest Scratch1964]

Simeon,What is the Spec of the Dell and Alienware and the price of all 3 machines. I've found massive savings to be made with Dell by configuring one of their Vostro small business notebooks. The robust quality speaks for itself too.However, what HP don't list, along with all other notebook vendors' is the cooling ability of the machine. The spec looks quite reasonable for a notebook, certainly. However, if you are going to push those components for extended periods of time and expect them to stay within a reasonable temperature range you're going to need good passive air flow, something notebooks are not reknowned for. Not only do they sport much smaller, and often slower running fans, but the greatest challenge of all is to exhaust hot air away from components within a chassis case of no more than one inch deep.Personally, i've had numerous problems running high end 3d software on notebook computers, even with additional external fans fitted. Having said that, many notebooks are advertised nowadays as true "desktop replacements!" That is a very questionable claim. No notebook can possibly provide cooling equal to that of an average modern desktop gaming rig with 3 or 4 8" fans, especially when running fast 3D software applications.Do you plan to overclock and/or upgrade further down the line? OVerclocking is never recommended with notebooks, and upgrades are not as simple as with desktops either. How intensive is your 3D gaming? You'll certainly be able to run FSX on that spec, but heat may be an issue. Is a desktop PC completely out of the question?Scratch1964

[crosswind 825]

Scratch1964I have several desktop PCs configured for my flight simming needs already, which all run exceptionally well, especially from the cooling aspect. I was looking for something portable that I could take to the office and use when time permitted me to do so, also I wanted to have a laptop capable of running FS9/FSX and X-plane for a project in schools that I am presently putting together. So the laptop would have been the best way to go as far as mobility would be concerned.Regarding cooling, I never gave that too much in depth thought until you mentioned it. The main applications that would be run would be flight simulation applications, which as you mentioned do push the components of the machine. Overclocking is something I care not to dabble in so that will not be an issue.The Vostro does have some nice offerings, but their video card selections are not quite what I am looking for.The Dell Precision laptops are geared closer to what I am looking for although they are priced $600 - 800 more than the vostro models.Thanks for the input. Simeon