frustratedrocka

Care to point me to one?

I'm expecting my budget to be roughly 800-900. I might be able to stretch to 1000, but unless it's absolutely essential I'd rather spend that on upgrades for my desktop.

The suggestion is appreciated. The machine cost about 2100 new, and that's about what I'd have to shell out to get a new mac of similar or better capability. Here's the specs I'm working with: Late 2011 macbook pro 2.2 ghz core i7 processor 16 gb ram Radeon HD 6770M 750gb HDD 15 inch 1400x900 display From the quick research I've done so far, I don't think I should have too much trouble meeting and surpassing those specs on my current budget. But if I was to get a new mac, I'd have to spend 2500 just to get a discrete graphics card in there. I want to make this move as part of a transition into using my windows desktop as my base of operations, so I think I can live with 8 gigs of ram instead of 16. Beyond that, I just don't want to be tied into Apple's ecosystem anymore. I don't like the direction they seem to be going with their hardware, and while form factor is a concern, it's not enough of an issue for me that I'd be willing to spend 1500 dollars that I don't have on it.

Oh don't get me wrong, it still performs fine. I've factored in the cost of repairing the touch pad, and the battery still lasts for about two hours per charge. This was the 15 inch model with a 2.2 ghz core i7, and I upgraded it to 16 gigs of ram. I just figure that at this point the repair bills are going to start piling up quickly, so I might as well let them be someone else's problem.

Well, it seems my old Macbook Pro has finally started showing its age. The battery is gone, the touchpad is starting to wear down, and she's just not as fast as she used to be. I think it's time to find her a new home and use the resulting cash to get myself a new machine. This is not a desktop replacement. For once, gaming is a secondary priority - obviously it's a plus, but what I'm primarily looking for is a mobile workstation I can use for video editing and music production on the go, as well as the usual office tasks. SSD is optional - if all else fails, I have a spare 240 gigabyte drive I can pop in there. As far as user experience goes, I have a few requests. I'd rather not lug a behemoth of a notebook around with me daily, so let's limit it to a screen in the 15 inch range. 1400x900 minimum resolution. Other priorities are battery life and a really good touchpad. I figure I'll be able to get about 800 for the mac on craigslist, so let's have that be the upper limit unless you guys really think I should save just a bit more.

If you're going to be that pedantic, it's actually ≠

There is no such thing as a reference 970. A few models (EVGA blower cooler, Galax, Zotac) stuck the new chip on old surplus circuit boards used for the GTX 670 back in the day. Apparently it performs just fine, and those are the models that the 670 water blocks fit. However, given that there is no actual reference PCB layout, each manufacturer is going to lay out their card somewhat differently, which means that it's very unlikely we'll see water blocks for any 970 models in the near future unless one of them starts selling much better than the rest.

Staff Sergeant Maxwell Fightmaster.

And he's already said that he doesn't have safety training, so what does that tell you?

Ok, I'm not a mod, but if I may assume a position of authority for a moment: PLEASE STOP DISCUSSING GUN POLITICS AND LIMIT YOURSELF TO CONCRETE ADVICE FOR THE OP. I have yet to see an internet gun control debate that doesn't devolve into a flame war, and getting this thread locked helps no one.

...and you feel comfortable with keeping a firearm in the same apartment with these people? Honestly, I can't imagine a simple alarm for an apartment would be more expensive than a decent handgun and rounds. Frankly, if you haven't had safety training, I don't think you should own a gun.

Headlight polish, brand doesn't matter too much. Give it a few passes with a microfiber cloth, then use some screen wipes on it when you're done.

If this is anything to go by, that's a non-issue. It's getting 69C on Furmark without even reaching 50% fan speed.

Oh shit, Kara No Kyoukai is on deck? I picked a good time to end my break from the forum. Now if only trying to dig up seven movies and the epilogue ova and the second ova was easier... see, people, this is why you should support legal streaming services. They make money, and then they license shit, and then we all get to watch it in one convenient virus-free place.

Watch this: EDIT: And this is what I get for missing the page counter...