Just for kicks...

what do you guys recommend as the ultimate gaming laptop (thinking half life/doom etc, not too worried about it being on the heavy side - we're talking best screen/cpu/power)...are the alienware 51m/Widow PC Sting 9096 any good? the latter is claimed as the 'fastest' and looks pretty cool.

also assuming money not an object (which alas it is =( )

what do you reckon?

I agree. If bulkiness and weight is not issue (not to mention outlandish looks) then alienware is the way to go for gaming laptop. Close tie would be voodooPC. Make sure u get one with upgradable modules (i.e. upgradable vid card, etc.). If you're into looks and sleekness then I recommend sony viao S-series with upgraded RAM and vid card. Have one myself and the 'x-bright' LCD has no comparison in the market. Seen my laptop side by side with alienware and dell laptops and the difference is staggering. My viao also only weighs 3.5 pounds! I play doom3, HL2, and counterstrike with no lag (although had to reduce graphic quality to average for Doom3).

I would suggest Voodoo over Alienware, for some issues you may not care about. They seem to offer very similar product at a cheaper price, but when you take into account the full release versions of the software they include and the "zero dead pixel" policy they have w/ the LCD's, it may be worth a few extra bucks.

OOps! My bad,, Falcon Northwest <A HREF="http:// http://www.falcon-nw.com/ " target="_new">http:// http://www.falcon-nw.com/ </A> , the fragbook 6800, not Voodoo,,, had those two confused in my little brain.
<font color=green> AMD- Intel's choice for Best CPU manufacturer </font color=green><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by jmwpom3 on 05/23/05 05:07 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

I'd recomend the dell Inspiron XPS gen2(upgraded if you can afford it). I'd say it's the best gaming laptop by far(of course there's a THG review of this notebook). Another alternative is the Sager NP9880 wich is also a great laptop.

I agree, but for the price/performance ratio.
With more cash, you can get equivlant performance and RAID drives, but the Dell XPS has the price/performance and warranty market cornered.

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The Dell XPS Gen 2 also has a Go6800 Ultra, it will be great for games