I need gaming computer/laptop advice

I've been Sanctum from the Royal bundle and I like it but it's too laggy on my Laptop. So I need advice about upgrading, because I overpaid for a 24inch HDTV and for my Laptop in the last year so I really don't know what I'm doing....I guess store advice isn't likely as I'm not American, but any shopping tips?....And is a gaming Laptop really an oxymoron? My Laptop often meets the requirements for games except for the video card, and when I play Demos they often work, just very laggy. So can I knot just change the video card with my Laptop overheating or whatever? It's Intel integrated graphics. It plays last-gen console era games fine.

I just want to play Sanctum and TF 2 and a few other moderately graphical games, not Crysis or anything really flashy.

edited 29th Oct '11 10:48:14 AM by occono

Well my first advice is if you want a gaming computer cheap you are better off building it yourself. My second piece of Advice is that if you want to go cheap and still game then a desktop is the way to go.

Black friday is coming up The Christmas season brings big sales keep your eyes open. www.Newegg.com and www.Tigerdirect.com are your friends

edited 29th Oct '11 11:20:28 AM by stevebat

I wouldn't manage building it myself. And I know a desktop is the preferred option, but I can't really justify getting one...Uggh I guess I'll just stick to console games. They're far, far more expensive and I can only play them during summer and Christmas as I leave home for College. All these bargains frustrate me so much. :(

Hmm, Would this be good?

Yes. Although it is rather expensive it is also very powerful/

Eh, I paid only €200 less for my current Laptop (An Acer Aspire 5736z) so it doesn't seem that expensive to me. I guess it was overpriced though, I got ripped off a lot last year, was rushed into getting things from bad stores. The better ones are €1500-2000, 700 seems reasonable...then again I suppose I have to weigh against how much I want to play PC Games, ones I can't play already. I will be spending a lot of time away from home from now on...

Don't want to let frustration over sales leading me to pay a ton for it...I don't know. How long would it last before it would need to be replaced, do you think? I don't mean to play newer games, just as in before it gets too slow or breaks down. Not that I'm going to rush buying anything...

edited 29th Oct '11 12:11:09 PM by occono

Well, it has a smallish screen, weighs a ton and has a pretty mediocre video card, but...
I don't feel like searching for something better. But hell, even the Chinese figured out they can build killer laptops - probably to someone's order, but that thing's an ass-tearer.