Which laptop computer is the best to buy?

[red_Dragon888]

HI all.  I lost my old "Dell Latitude 100l laptop" a year ago, accident by water damage  , and now I have the money to buy a new laptop, but I wonder if I should get Dell model with a " 2nd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2330M (2.2 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)" or some other brand like Sony or Hewlett-Packard?  I just need an everyday laptop to play my Sims 3, play videos, web searches, etc.  I have been looking for months and I am about to make a decision, but any suggestions would be helpful. 

[darryaz]

If you liked your old Dell, you'll probably like a new one.  One brand-name PC is about as good as another these days.  I would stay away from the no-name bargains.

(Full disclosure - I'm a former Dell employee)

[Raf]

Play sims 3 you say? then you'll need a decent laptop. One with a dedicated graphic chip (probably nvidia), at least a Core i3 or i5 processor, and 4 GB minimum. Probably Dell have a model with these features under 1000 $

[poz91]

I don't know how much you're looking to spend, but I'd definitely have to echo the advice so far... stay away from the flimsy budget model laptops (regardless of brand name). They tend to break easily (cracked hinges, keys popping off, etc) even under light normal use.

A well built, sturdy computer is a much better investment... and if you don't mind buying used, you can pick up a really nice computer on Craigslist or from a pawn shop for roughly the same price as a bottom of the line new computer. Best Buy's online "outlet center" is also a great place to find discontinued top of the line models for a fraction of what they originally cost (my HP Envy Core i7 was discounted $1,200 ... and is so much nicer than any current model that I could afford!)

[red_Dragon888]

Thanks for the info.  I decided to get the "HP Pavilion g6x series" at $522.00 for I like HP's, I have gotten use to my lover's HP, I get the i3 processor, and it looks very nice.  I hope to receive it next week.