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Might be buying a used Gateway laptop for $150

timmy12timmy12 Member UncommonPosts: 390

Well my friend is selling his  Gateway NV78 and the hard drive on the thing is broke....which he doesnt know what kinda hard drive he should buy to replace the old one. Hes going to buy the hard drive then im going to check it out and see if it can play WoW pretty good then prolly buy it for $150

 

I just need to know which 500gb hard drive he should buy and replace it with thats the best and cheapest price.

 

This is the one i found really quick but idk if its good lol idk anything about laptop hard drives.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152236

Comments

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,346

    Find out what video card it has.  You don't want to try to play games on Intel GMA 4500 integrated graphics.  If it has a low end Nvidia or AMD card, then that will work if you don't mind playing games at minimum settings.  Processor performance should be more or less adequate for most games.

    Also make sure you have the disks to install an OS on the new hard drive.  You can reuse the license that came with the laptop, but only if you have the disks to install it.

    It could be a good deal if that's the budget and performance level you're after.  But not if you can't make it run again.

  • timmy12timmy12 Member UncommonPosts: 390
    Well idk he doesnt remember he just said it might of been some ati mobility or something? But I'll be using my own windows 7 ultimate to install it on. But I'd be using the laptop to just play World of Warcraft really that's it . Is there anyway to findout the video card cuz its not working right now


    EDIT: It has a intel GMA 4500MHD Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0
  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383

    Laptop hard drive replacements can sometimes be tricky. Usually, and that's a big keyword, any 2.5" drive will work, and it's just a matter of pulling out the old one and plugging in the new one: installing the OS, restoring your data, and your up and running.

    Occasionally you'll come across a laptop where not just any 2.5" drive will work. The really thin ones in particular, need reduced height drives, and you have to pay special attention to the drive thickness to make sure it will fit.

    I can't find the appropriate information for this particular laptop to know the difference though, as the Gateway specification sheet is next to useless.

    Also, what Quiz said about the Operating System, very true. There should be a sticker on the laptop with the CD Key for Windows, but usually those only work if you have the original Restoration discs.

    And if it only has integrated Intel graphics, it won't be good at all for video games, it will just be a glorified netbook.

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,346

    That's exactly the graphics I said you didn't want.  If you're certain that WoW is the only game you'll ever play on it, then you'll probably be fine.  But if you want to try other games, a lot of games will simply not run, or only nominally run but not really well enough to be playable.

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,346

    The odds that the laptop came with a Windows 7 Ultimate license are basically zilch.  If you've got Windows 7 Ultimate disks but only a Vista Home Premium license, that won't work.  If you've already used the Windows 7 Utlimate license on another machine, then you can't use it on the laptop, too.

    When I bought my laptop, it came with Windows 7 Home Premium, and I pulled out the hard drive and put in an SSD instead.  I installed Windows 7 Home Premium from the DVD I had for my desktop, and it worked.  The "activate Windows automatically when you get online" didn't work, but when I re-entered the laptop license key and had it manually try to activate, then it worked.  It was necessary that both the desktop DVD and the laptop license key be the same version of the same OS, though.

    Speaking of netbooks, WoW would probably run pretty well on a Bobcat netbook (AMD Zacate E-350 APU).  I haven't tried it with WoW, but Guild Wars runs smoothly at max in-game settings on mine.  That will set you back about $400, though, so you might not want to pay that.  If you want more respectable gaming performance in a cheap laptop, rumors say that Llano could be coming as soon as April.

  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383

    If it's a full retail Windows 7 Ultimate, it will work and transfer just fine, provided that it isn't also installed on another machine somewhere.

    There are good odds that it will also transfer if it's an Upgrade edition, but it gets much more murky, and there are a lot more caveats to it, and you'd still need the System Restore DVD as proof (for the installation) of your upgrade eligibility.

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,346

    Originally posted by Ridelynn

    If it's a full retail Windows 7 Ultimate, it will work and transfer just fine, provided that it isn't also installed on another machine somewhere.

    There are good odds that it will also transfer if it's an Upgrade edition, but it gets much more murky, and there are a lot more caveats to it, and you'd still need the System Restore DVD as proof (for the installation) of your upgrade eligibility.

    That's true, but only if it's not still being used on the previous machine.  In which case, why would he happen to have that laying around?  It would work if he does, though.

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441

    Originally posted by timmy12

    Well idk he doesnt remember he just said it might of been some ati mobility or something? But I'll be using my own windows 7 ultimate to install it on. But I'd be using the laptop to just play World of Warcraft really that's it . Is there anyway to findout the video card cuz its not working right now EDIT: It has a intel GMA 4500MHD Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0

    If you just plan to use it for Wow, programs, the web and similar stuff just go ahead. Any 2,5" HD will do fine.

    But this is not really a gaming computer. Great for playing heroes of might and magic 5 or CIV 4 while you travel or similar.

    And you can't use your windows license for 2 computers without buying a second license or installing a crack (which is illegal and can be found on piratebay).

    I am guessing that you plan to use it playing at a buddies place, it is after all slightly more fun to play when you are at the same place physical. And as long as you play Wow and GW you will be fine.

  • timmy12timmy12 Member UncommonPosts: 390
    Well ya for right now I'd be playing WoW and maplestory that's it really I wouldnt play games that are highly powered or w.e maybe counter-strike 1.6 and stuff but is the price right? 150$
  • duelkoreduelkore Member Posts: 228

    Just thought I would say one thing as far as the disks are concerned.  Lets say that you have a Windows vista Ultimate disk but you have a 25 digit license key for Windows Vista basic.  You simply install that disk and and when it asks you to type in the 25 digit key, you press next without typing a key.  It reports that you will have to type in a key anyway and that this is not advisable.  It then goes on to ask you to choose the correct OS install for you 25 digit key.  This works on windows 7 as well.  When it comes time to activate it, you change the key inside the os computer properties and choose upgrade, it will then reaffirm the install and activate the key.  

    Reason why I say this is because it might be simple to torrent a copy of windows vista or 7... any copy at all, and just manually select the install type to match your key.  You dont need any "recovery disks" at all.

    Realistically all the recovery disks are, are disks that contain drivers preloaded and crap software.  Drivers are simple to find by going to manufacturer website or by using tools like device doctor, driverman, or the like.  You can also get the hardware device number from the device manager properties and type it in devid.info (website) and it will find the drivers for you.  Hell you can even sometimes download windows xp drivers to the desktop and run the install in xp compatibility mode in windows 7 for when u upgrade older laptops to windows 7.

  • CatamountCatamount Member Posts: 773

    IIRC, the last time I tried to install Windows 7 Home Premium from a disk using the key on my laptop body, it failed to recognize it as a valid key, requiring me to use backup disks.

    That said, thinking back it probably would have worked if I had just left the key blank and then entered it later on after installation.

     

    As for the machine, yes $150 is fair for it from the sound of it. The real question is whether you want to pay $150 for a machine not worth more than a couple hundred, or save that money and put it towards something better down the road. Remember that once you buy this, it'll just keep depreciating in value, so you're pretty much stuck with it once it's yours.

  • duelkoreduelkore Member Posts: 228

    Yea the important step is not typing in the key before the install.  You simply click proceed without typing a key.  It then prompts you to choose the correct version to install.

  • timmy12timmy12 Member UncommonPosts: 390
    Originally posted by Catamount

    IIRC, the last time I tried to install Windows 7 Home Premium from a disk using the key on my laptop body, it failed to recognize it as a valid key, requiring me to use backup disks.
    That said, thinking back it probably would have worked if I had just left the key blank and then entered it later on after installation.
     
    As for the machine, yes $150 is fair for it from the sound of it. The real question is whether you want to pay $150 for a machine not worth more than a couple hundred, or save that money and put it towards something better down the road. Remember that once you buy this, it'll just keep depreciating in value, so you're pretty much stuck with it once it's yours.

     


    Oh alright well idk I wouldnt buy a laptop brand new...I only have a couple hundred so I offered him and he said sure lol....I was going to buy this other laptop from a friend awhile ago that was a sony VIo or something and I think it was worse than this one haha for like 300$ cuz idk how much laptops would be worth. I'd stick with this one and not sell it


    Btw the hard drive has 2 slots one 25x3 and 25x5
  • DraedarkDraedark Member Posts: 3
    Well id say that's a pretty good deal
  • timmy12timmy12 Member UncommonPosts: 390
    Well I found out the specs of the last laptop I was going to buy for $250 which I would of have gotten ripped off....but I played wow on it and it ran pretty good for what it's specs were.


    Video card- mobile intel(r) 4 series express chipset family

    Proc - core 2 duo 2.0ghz


    Now are the two laptops like the same?
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