Gamer DO's?

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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Pretty good deal on Dell XPS 17's right now, but I've been eying the XPS 15 for slightly better portability. Should I suck it up and get the 17 or wait for a deal on the 15? If I should wait, how often does Dell have $400+ off promotions?
 
Sinfest said:
Pretty good deal on Dell XPS 17's right now, but I've been eying the XPS 15 for slightly better portability. Should I suck it up and get the 17 or wait for a deal on the 15? If I should wait, how often does Dell have $400+ off promotions?
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The difference in weight/etc ain't all that much, but that being said, you can get a laptop with similar to identical specs for less. Look around on slickdeals and amazon--there's bound to be some decent prices.
 
SML67 said:
LOL. You guys miss the part where I said I couldn't get a desktop because I literally have nowhere to put it? I'm well aware that I could build a monster gaming desktop for much cheaper, but that simply isn't an option...thus, this will be my toy for the next couple of years until the wife and I move into a house(which won't be anytime soon).
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If you're looking for the best deal I think Asus is hard to beat. They made themselves by making really good mainboards which they still do, but their laptops are solid and give you the most for your money. I got an Asus m50sv in 2008 for $1300 and it still plays most new games around medium settings at a decent framerate.

If you post what you're looking for in a laptop on this thread you'll get some really good recommendations. Notebookreview.com is also good for reviews on any model you're interested in.
 
So, after much deliberation, I had a change of heart and decided to go with...

An Alienware M17x. Yea, it was pricey. Yea, I don't care. I've always dreamed of having one. Without further ado, here are the specs:

Alienware M17x, Soft Touch Stealth Black
Intel® Core™ i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz(upgrading to 8GB when I get the chance)
2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6970M
320GB 7,200RPM HDD(Adding a 120GB SSD when I get the chance)
17.3-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED

All for about $1500(I know how to haggle). Will it be annoying to lug this thing around school? Sure. Do I care? Nope. After all of the undergrad bs that I've been through, I deserve a toy. Anyways, I should be getting this at the end of April. Will update you folks once it has arrived.
 
Has anybody ever bought one of those newegg DIY bundles? I was wondering if theres ever been an issue with compatibility, as I'm thinking of doing that for my next desktop.
 
SML67 said:
So, after much deliberation, I had a change of heart and decided to go with...

An Alienware M17x. Yea, it was pricey. Yea, I don't care. I've always dreamed of having one. Without further ado, here are the specs:

Alienware M17x, Soft Touch Stealth Black
Intel® Core™ i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz(upgrading to 8GB when I get the chance)
2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6970M
320GB 7,200RPM HDD(Adding a 120GB SSD when I get the chance)
17.3-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED

All for about $1500(I know how to haggle). Will it be annoying to lug this thing around school? Sure. Do I care? Nope. After all of the undergrad bs that I've been through, I deserve a toy. Anyways, I should be getting this at the end of April. Will update you folks once it has arrived.
Click to expand...

All that matters is that you're happy. Congrats🙂
 
munchymanRX said:
Has anybody ever bought one of those newegg DIY bundles? I was wondering if theres ever been an issue with compatibility, as I'm thinking of doing that for my next desktop.
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I don't really have much info to share regarding the bundles, but is there a reason why you're interested in them? Are they significantly cheaper?

If the answer is not "yes" to the latter question, I'd much rather pick out exactly what I want. Spend some time waiting for deals to pop up on slickdeals and order from Amazon when you can (no tax!). That's what I did with my desktop and I'm very happy
 
After a bit of deliberation I decided to order a XPS 15 at 3:30AM this morning (30 minutes before the deal expired :laugh:). Thanks for the advice earlier munchyman.

Core i7-2630QM
6GB memory
1080P display
NVIDIA GT 525M (the most disappointing thing IMO)
500GB HDD (switching out with a SSD)
Blu-ray
Advanced-N 6230 with Bluetooth
9-cell battery
Backlit keyboard


$499 taken off of MSRP 😀
 
I don't mean to bombard this thread, but what kind of b**l s**t is charging $15 for an OS recovery DVD? You're already paying for a Windows 7 license when you buy your computer! They might as well include a DVD which costs them $0.02, at most, instead of nickel-and-diming their customers.

I know I can create my own, but it's the principle of it. I'm calling Dell when I get my laptop to demand a free copy.
 
Sinfest said:
I don't mean to bombard this thread, but what kind of b**l s**t is charging $15 for an OS recovery DVD? You're already paying for a Windows 7 license when you buy your computer! They might as well include a DVD which costs them $0.02, at most, instead of nickel-and-diming their customers.

I know I can create my own, but it's the principle of it. I'm calling Dell when I get my laptop to demand a free copy.
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Hence the popularity of torrents 😀
 
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Ok, so since my Alienware M17x is so jacked that I can pretty much play anything I want, I figured I would post and ask y'all to go off and throw me some game suggestions. I am open to just abt any genre. Here's what's on my list so far:

Crysis 2
Black Ops
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
SC2

moar plz
 
SML67 said:
Ok, so since my Alienware M17x is so jacked that I can pretty much play anything I want, I figured I would post and ask y'all to go off and throw me some game suggestions. I am open to just abt any genre. Here's what's on my list so far:

Crysis 2
Black Ops
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
SC2

moar plz
Click to expand...

Bioshock
Dawn of War 2: Retribution
Medieval 2: Total War on super high settings
Mass Effect 1/2


just to name a few....

You might want to check out Dolphin (it's a gamecube/wii emulator)-your xps might run it smoothly.
 
I had to stop playing WOW early in Cata because as I knew it cost me significant points on my boards and medschool grades, I couldn't allow it to hurt me as a resident too. But damn do I miss healing heroic 25mans....
 
SML67 said:
Ok, so since my Alienware M17x is so jacked that I can pretty much play anything I want, I figured I would post and ask y'all to go off and throw me some game suggestions. I am open to just abt any genre. Here's what's on my list so far:

Crysis 2
Black Ops
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
SC2

moar plz
Click to expand...

Asus g73jw here. 😀 Well, if you're open to almost any genre, Portal 2 is coming out on Steam April 18th.
 
anyone else psyched for portal 2?
 
arthur2647 said:
Haha ya...well if anyone wants to play league of legends, add me, arthur2647
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I'm too scurred to play these games. I hear the community is viscious to newbies.
 
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I'm normally not a fan of the Elder Scrolls games (hated Morrowind and Oblivion) but I have to say that the trailer for Skyrim looks pretty badass. I might actually end up getting this one!

Edit: Still haven't finished DAII...kind of lost interest in it halfway-through and am trying to convince myself to finish it. I have to agree with the peeps on the BioWare forums regarding BioWare's (questionable) decisions on how to make this game...
 
arthur2647 said:
anyone play league of legends?
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PM me, we can play if you want, though right now i'm recovering from an RSI.
by the way.. you built a wriggles on kayle... and uh.. cooldown reduction on fiddlesticks.....? all i can say to that is... 🙁 solomid.net

MLT2MT2DO said:
I'm too scurred to play these games. I hear the community is viscious to newbies.
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it is, because there is an INCREDIBLY high learning curve to the game. being comfortable with about 500000000 different things at once is crucial to you being able to actually play.
 
nooneLT said:
Add a mini fridge under the table on the first pic and you're set!! Only need to get up for bathroom breaks.
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Why a mini fridge?


Get a full sized one/a microwave and have the cockatiel supply you with a nonstop stream of bagel bites.
 
aidama said:
it is, because there is an INCREDIBLY high learning curve to the game. being comfortable with about 500000000 different things at once is crucial to you being able to actually play.
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Read in last month's PC Gamer that some guy charges 25 bucks an hour to teach people how to play DOTA/LoL and be "pro". I wonder if he reports that income on his taxes.
 
MLT2MT2DO said:
Read in last month's PC Gamer that some guy charges 25 bucks an hour to teach people how to play DOTA/LoL and be "pro". I wonder if he reports that income on his taxes.
Click to expand...

A couple of the solomid guys do this. I don't know of anyone that uses this service, but realize it's not uncommon for people to pay HUNDREDS of dollars to get Starcraft lessons from pros.

I don't play Starcraft, but I can't fathom the micromanagement and degree of understanding necessary to play at such a high level where you can adapt your build to what you think the other player is doing.

But from a LoL/DoTA perspective.... Realize that these games have a really fundamental set of skills that have to be learnt or you will never be able to play the game at any sort of respectable level. For LoL, this includes but is not limited to the importance of last hitting, zoning other heroes from the lane, learning when to be offensive and defensive in your lane, ganking, sensing when you're going to be ganked, watching your map for disappearances "map awareness", jungling, understanding your hero's function AND your teammates function AND the opposing teammates hero function, knowing your heroes basic build and its adaptive build for the team you're fighting, getting to understand 60+ characters and what they can do to you AND SO MUCH MORE. This is why the game is hard to master and the community is rough to new players. So, paying a good player to analyze what you suck at (almost always what is considered a 'fundamental' aspect of the game) is not unheard of.
 
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aidama said:
A couple of the solomid guys do this. I don't know of anyone that uses this service, but realize it's not uncommon for people to pay HUNDREDS of dollars to get Starcraft lessons from pros.

I don't play Starcraft, but I can't fathom the micromanagement and degree of understanding necessary to play at such a high level where you can adapt your build to what you think the other player is doing.

But from a LoL/DoTA perspective.... Realize that these games have a really fundamental set of skills that have to be learnt or you will never be able to play the game at any sort of respectable level. For LoL, this includes but is not limited to the importance of last hitting, zoning other heroes from the lane, learning when to be offensive and defensive in your lane, ganking, sensing when you're going to be ganked, watching your map for disappearances "map awareness", jungling, understanding your hero's function AND your teammates function AND the opposing teammates hero function, knowing your heroes basic build and its adaptive build for the team you're fighting, getting to understand 60+ characters and what they can do to you AND SO MUCH MORE. This is why the game is hard to master and the community is rough to new players. So, paying a good player to analyze what you suck at (almost always what is considered a 'fundamental' aspect of the game) is not unheard of.
Click to expand...



I'd still say that playing starcraft at a level where at least you're not having your ass handed to you every match is far easier than with DOTA/LoL.
 
munchymanRX said:
I'd still say that playing starcraft at a level where at least you're not having your ass handed to you every match is far easier than with DOTA/LoL.
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True! DOTA and League are much easier to pick up if you have a friend who knows what they're doing. Once you get over the hump of understanding how to play, it becomes a very addicting game.

I love showing people how to play. Unfortunately there is no King Leoric-esque hero in League (Tryndamere doesn't count), so it's hard to prevent feeding. RIOT has done a pretty good job of trying to make it a newbie-friendly game with its tutorials and system of matching you with new players with a level based system. Unfortunately, because the game has that high learning curve not all 'level 30s' are equal in skill.
 
aidama said:
True! DOTA and League are much easier to pick up if you have a friend who knows what they're doing. Once you get over the hump of understanding how to play, it becomes a very addicting game.

I love showing people how to play. Unfortunately there is no King Leoric-esque hero in League (Tryndamere doesn't count), so it's hard to prevent feeding. RIOT has done a pretty good job of trying to make it a newbie-friendly game with its tutorials and system of matching you with new players with a level based system. Unfortunately, because the game has that high learning curve not all 'level 30s' are equal in skill.
Click to expand...


I would have to disagree, they are all of the same skill. They are all bad. Just kidding, but man o'man gotta love elo hell.
 
MLT2MT2DO said:
Come on man...you can pick up a PS2 for like 20 bucks at a pawn shop. Time to Upgrade.
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Don't worry I run N64 on my PC as an emulator just brings me back...I got a 360 and i run NBA 2k11 and Fifa all day everyday... I suck at First person shooters now cause I could never adapt to not having a mouse like CS and Team Fortress
 
Kgizzle said:
Don't worry I run N64 on my PC as an emulator just brings me back...I got a 360 and i run NBA 2k11 and Fifa all day everyday... I suck at First person shooters now cause I could never adapt to not having a mouse like CS and Team Fortress
Click to expand...

You can use a usb mouse/keyboard with a 360.
 
munchymanRX said:
You can use a usb mouse/keyboard with a 360.
Click to expand...

are you serious? W/S/A/D for movement and mouse click and everything for COD and all the first person shooters? Cause if this is true i think imma be nerding it up pretty soon
 
This may not count as "die hard gamer" but even with my limited amount of time I will always disappear into the fantastic worlds of any Zelda or Metroid game for as long as they are available. From almost my infancy to my late 20s I have grown up on these series. Plus I will on occasion enjoy the multi player battles of Golden Eye or Perfect Dark for N64 with friends to "shoot the stress out". I will never get rid of my N64, or my Wii for that matter. Also I once logged over 200 hours on my old PS2 on Final Fantasy X, I am still proud/ashamed of this.
 
Kgizzle said:
are you serious? W/S/A/D for movement and mouse click and everything for COD and all the first person shooters? Cause if this is true i think imma be nerding it up pretty soon
Click to expand...

Nvm...keyboard/mouse support is messaging only. The games straight up don't support it.


My bad.
 
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You guys will still have time to game during the first two years of medical school, for the most part. My school did not have mandatory attendance so I only showed up for exams. My typical day was to wake up around 9-10AM, eat and read the news, head out to the school library around 11AM (I lived across the street from the med school) and study hardcore until about 5PM-6PM. Then I would go home and do whatever I wanted until around 11PM-1AM.

The 2-3 days leading up to an exam I would use the 6PM-1AM time to study even more.

I wasn't the top of my class, but I was happy. I also didn't know anyone in my class aside from the other 5-6 people who did what I did.

Once you start rotations you won't have time to do anything. I would only play a game over long holidays.

In residency, I still play some but not much. Maybe 3-4 hours a week depending on the rotation. Some months (Medicine, ER) not at all. I also live in Hawaii so I'm busy doing more, "outdoorsy" stuff.

By the way, stop buying crappy alienware. I had one and it was complete overpriced ****. ASUS makes really great laptops with better hardware at a cheaper price. If nothing else, go to newegg and buy crap to build your own desktop for half the price and twice the power. Dell/Alienware is only good for its monitors.
 
HooahDOc said:
You guys will still have time to game during the first two years of medical school, for the most part. My school did not have mandatory attendance so I only showed up for exams. My typical day was to wake up around 9-10AM, eat and read the news, head out to the school library around 11AM (I lived across the street from the med school) and study hardcore until about 5PM-6PM. Then I would go home and do whatever I wanted until around 11PM-1AM.

The 2-3 days leading up to an exam I would use the 6PM-1AM time to study even more.

I wasn't the top of my class, but I was happy. I also didn't know anyone in my class aside from the other 5-6 people who did what I did.

Once you start rotations you won't have time to do anything. I would only play a game over long holidays.

In residency, I still play some but not much. Maybe 3-4 hours a week depending on the rotation. Some months (Medicine, ER) not at all. I also live in Hawaii so I'm busy doing more, "outdoorsy" stuff.

By the way, stop buying crappy alienware. I had one and it was complete overpriced ****. ASUS makes really great laptops with better hardware at a cheaper price. If nothing else, go to newegg and buy crap to build your own desktop for half the price and twice the power. Dell/Alienware is only good for its monitors.
Click to expand...



First bolded point: w00t

Second bolded point: If even...the bundled monitor prices aren't bad but you can definitely do better.
 
HooahDOc said:
You guys will still have time to game during the first two years of medical school, for the most part. My school did not have mandatory attendance so I only showed up for exams. My typical day was to wake up around 9-10AM, eat and read the news, head out to the school library around 11AM (I lived across the street from the med school) and study hardcore until about 5PM-6PM. Then I would go home and do whatever I wanted until around 11PM-1AM.

The 2-3 days leading up to an exam I would use the 6PM-1AM time to study even more.

I wasn't the top of my class, but I was happy. I also didn't know anyone in my class aside from the other 5-6 people who did what I did.

Once you start rotations you won't have time to do anything. I would only play a game over long holidays.

In residency, I still play some but not much. Maybe 3-4 hours a week depending on the rotation. Some months (Medicine, ER) not at all. I also live in Hawaii so I'm busy doing more, "outdoorsy" stuff.

By the way, stop buying crappy alienware. I had one and it was complete overpriced ****. ASUS makes really great laptops with better hardware at a cheaper price. If nothing else, go to newegg and buy crap to build your own desktop for half the price and twice the power. Dell/Alienware is only good for its monitors.
Click to expand...
Sager ftw
 
Just played COD BO for the first time, horrible game...

I'll stick to my Killzone
 
I don't know if anyone has posted this, but I have been playing Diablo II on and off for years now... it can be extremely addicting...

... can't wait for Diablo III 😛
 
p1acebo said:
I don't know if anyone has posted this, but I have been playing Diablo II on and off for years now... it can be extremely addicting...

... can't wait for Diablo III 😛
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Yeah, it consumed my life in high school, and I've kept my characters alive to this day.

I'm equally stoked for D3, but I've heard rumors of them wanting to port it to consoles as well.....😕
 
Anyone pick up Portal 2? I think I'll be renting it, if any place ever has it in stock.
 
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