[K.Jack]

This is my first laptop so how much of a danger is overlocking the GPU in terms of heat?

No danger in overclocking, just keep the GPU temps below 95C. Use HWMonitor to... monitor.

[DrBo42]

Thanks K.Jack.

[Unknown Soldier]

What is the general consensus on the IdeaPad Y580? Friend is getting serious about buying a new laptop now that his is almost dead, but was kinda set on not spending more than $800. I think I could get him to jump up to $900 or maybe even $950 if needed, but that puts him under budget for most Xotic/Sager systems.

The IdeaPads are Lenovo's consumer-grade laptops. As long as you realize you aren't getting a ThinkPad or anything remotely close, then you'll be okay. Make sure you upgrade the screen, DO NOT get the mindbreakingly awful default 1366x768 panel on these laptops.

[Jburton]

Hi guys just got and insurance payout for my old laptop (cracked screen) and I have specced this clevo laptop.

15.6" 1080p screen

i7-3610QM

8 gig 1600mhz DDR3

1gig DDR5 GT 650m


Just want to know if this is a balanced spec that can play games (BF3, Diablo 3 etc) at decent framerate and also have enough grunt to last for a few years?

[arts&crafts]

So I just moved from Toronto to Alberta for a few months at least and left my gaming desktop at "home". Right now I am using a 6 yea old Mac book pro that lags playing binding of issac. So instead of spending 2500 on another pro I was thinking of maybe getting a gaming laptop. In Canada is the Alienware mx17 the best bet for around $1500 give or take, or is there better out there?

[StevieP]

So I just moved from Toronto to Alberta for a few months at least and left my gaming desktop at "home". Right now I am using a 6 yea old Mac book pro that lags playing binding of issac. So instead of spending 2500 on another pro I was thinking of maybe getting a gaming laptop. In Canada is the Alienware mx17 the best bet for around $1500 give or take, or is there better out there?

For $1299 Canadian you can get the Asus G75 with the same CPU (I believe) and same 660m GPU but some differences elsewhere.

[arts&crafts]

For $1299 Canadian you can get the Asus G75 with the same CPU (I believe) and same 660m GPU but some differences elsewhere.

Where is it 1299? I just looked it up on newegg and it was 1400+

[StevieP]

Where is it 1299? I just looked it up on newegg and it was 1400+

Ah, damn, you're right. It was on sale for $1299 a few weeks back (either at NCIX or TigerDirect - I think TigerDirect) but I don't think it is anymore. A shame, we should only be paying a little bit more than the US prices.

[arts&crafts]

Ah, damn, you're right. It was on sale for $1299 a few weeks back (either at NCIX or TigerDirect - I think TigerDirect) but I don't think it is anymore. A shame, we should only be paying a little bit more than the US prices.

So true, Toronto is like an hour from he border why do I pay so much more for everything

[arts&crafts]

Double post

[rhfb]

Reviews seem solid.

Good to know

The IdeaPads are Lenovo's consumer-grade laptops. As long as you realize you aren't getting a ThinkPad or anything remotely close, then you'll be okay. Make sure you upgrade the screen, DO NOT get the mindbreakingly awful default 1366x768 panel on these laptops.

It isn't for me, but I'm making sure my friend doesn't end up with the crap that is 1366x768. Best Buy sold out of the Lenovo I was going to suggest to him so I'm going to see if I can find it elsewhere online for as cheap as it was at Best Buy.

[threetri333]

Hi guys just got and insurance payout for my old laptop (cracked screen) and I have specced this clevo laptop. 15.6" 1080p screen i7-3610QM 8 gig 1600mhz DDR3 1gig DDR5 GT 650m Just want to know if this is a balanced spec that can play games (BF3, Diablo 3 etc) at decent framerate and also have enough grunt to last for a few years?

That is a balanced spec, but if you like music, you're better off with the Sager 9130. The laptop you were looking at has only 1 fan compared to 9130's twin fan. Also, the speakers on the 6165 are on the bottom of the laptop opposed to the top in 9130.

Sager currently has a Independence Day sale for the Sager 9130 that gives you 16GB 1600MHZ DDR3 if you upgrade your CPU to i7-3610QM and another free upgrade to 750GB
7200RPM HDD. The downside to the Sager 9130 is that it only has 1 Hard Drive Bay.

[Jburton]

That is a balanced spec, but if you like music, you're better off with the Sager 9130. The laptop you were looking at has only 1 fan compared to 9130's twin fan. Also, the speakers on the 6165 are on the bottom of the laptop opposed to the top in 9130. Sager currently has a Independence Day sale for the Sager 9130 that gives you 16GB 1600MHZ DDR3 if you upgrade your CPU to i7-3610QM and another free upgrade to 750GB 7200RPM HDD. The downside to the Sager 9130 is that it only has 1 Hard Drive Bay.

Thanks for the reply buddy.

Unfortunately I am based in the UK so the Sager sale is no use to me (using a clevo reseller in the UK) and the higher spec chassis is outside of my price range unfortunately ...

..... that spec is right down to the penny in terms of my budget, zero space for maneuvour.

[bigmit3737]

I'm looking at the Sager 6175 but it seems the screen has no anti-glare feature?
17 inch

I'm debating with the Sager and this HP:


Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit edit
Processor 3rd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3610QM Processor (2.3 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) edit
Graphics card NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT 650M Graphics with 2GB GDDR5 memory [HDMI, VGA] edit
Memory FREE UPGRADE to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) edit
Hard drive FREE Upgrade to 1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive edit
Hard Drive Acceleration Cache NO mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache edit
Office software Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel(R) only, No PowerPoint(R)/Outlook(R) edit
Security software No additional security software edit
Primary battery 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery - Up to 5.75 hours of battery life +++ edit
Display 17.3-inch diagonal Full HD Anti-glare LED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080) edit
Primary optical drive FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner edit
Personalization HP TrueVision HD Webcam edit
Networking 802.11b/g/n WLAN edit
Keyboard Standard Keyboard with numeric keypad edit
Included Warranty Services Included 2 Year Warranty edit

The graphics card is $125 higher.

Total Price: $1,174.99

I really don't plan on playing anything other than Diablo 3 or less graphic intensive multiplayer games.

I'm wondering if the 630 would suffice or if the $125 higher for the 650 is a good price.
Graphics card have other uses besides games right? Is the 630 considered medium range, If so that would suffice I think.

Is this HP model stable?
Is Bluetooth necessary? I've never actually used it, so I don't know the uses.

It costs $20 extra for a Windows 7 disc, but I can just burn an ISO on my own right?
I wouldn't have to worry about the CD key as that would be included with my laptop right?


I probably have some more thoughts, but I will leave it at this at the moment.

[Unknown Soldier]

Get the 650M, it's Kepler. 630M is Fermi.

Please don't buy an HP Pavilion. Step up to the Envy 17.

[BamYouHaveAids]

Curious would a 660M with an ivy bridge processor run The Witcher 2 better than the console version and in general run most console games better than their counterparts? Also is a i7-3610QM strong enough to use PCSX2? Heard it was really CPU intensive.

[K.Jack]

Curious would a 660M with an ivy bridge processor run The Witcher 2 better than the console version and in general run most console games better than their counterparts? Also is a i7-3610QM strong enough to use PCSX2? Heard it was really CPU intensive.

Yes to everything.

[mrklaw]

if I was buying a simple Dell laptop, whats the main difference between the following GPUs they offer?

- Inspiron 15R, 1GB 7670M (£750 for i7-3612QM)
- Inspiron 15R multimedia, 2GB 7730M (£810 for i7-3612QM)
- XPS 15, 2GB GT640M (£1300 for i7-3612QM so a bit rich)

[bigmit3737]

Get the 650M, it's Kepler. 630M is Fermi. Please don't buy an HP Pavilion. Step up to the Envy 17.

I checked the lowest Envy 17 model very briefly.
No Nvidia cards? I noticed a better screen.

Are there any major difference between the two models?
I really prefer Nvidia cards.

[K.Jack]

if I was buying a simple Dell laptop, whats the main difference between the following GPUs they offer? - Inspiron 15R, 1GB 7670M (£750 for i7-3612QM) - Inspiron 15R multimedia, 2GB 7730M (£810 for i7-3612QM) - XPS 15, 2GB GT640M (£1300 for i7-3612QM so a bit rich)

The 7670M is a rebranded 6650M. That probably doesn't mean much to you either, but just trust me when I say it's by far the slowest of the three. The 7730M is about 30% faster than the 7670M. The XPS 15 easily has the fastest of the three, due to the fact that its GT 640M is equipped with GDDR5, vs the other's DDR3 memory.

But the XPS 15's GPU speed alone is not worth £500. Of the three, I'd take the 7730M machine, unless the XPS 15's overall package has sold you on the price, as it is a very nice product.

There is another option, similarly priced to the 7730M equipped Inspiron, but with a faster GPU than all three of those. I speak of this machine. Configured with: i7-3610QM, 4GB 1333MHz RAM, and a 500GB WD Scorpio Black 7200RPM HDD, you're at £772.00 inc VAT, and this is with a GT 650M GDDR5, which soundly bests all of the above options.

I checked the lowest Envy 17 model very briefly. No Nvidia cards? I noticed a better screen. Are there any major difference between the two models? I really prefer Nvidia cards.

Who were you looking at with the 6175? Contact them and ask for the 72% color gamut Matte screen. Shouldn't be any problem at all.

[lemonade]

Kind of confused. One of the reps suggested that I stick with the stock keyboards instead of upgrading to the steelseries because of the functionality and bugs. Please help me understand this, lol

[Fine Ham Abounds]

Looking for a cheap laptop for basically nothing but web and WoW. Any opinion on whether this is worth looking into? 720p doesn't bother me.

I know my watch could probably run WoW, so I'm just curious as to whether I should even bother spending this much.

[mrklaw]

The 7670M is a rebranded 6650M. That probably doesn't mean much to you either, but just trust me when I say it's by far the slowest of the three. The 7730M is about 30% faster than the 7670M. The XPS 15 easily has the fastest of the three, due to the fact that its GT 640M is equipped with GDDR5, vs the other's DDR3 memory. But the XPS 15's GPU speed alone is not worth £500. Of the three, I'd take the 7730M machine, unless the XPS 15's overall package has sold you on the price, as it is a very nice product. There is another option, similarly priced to the 7730M equipped Inspiron, but with a faster GPU than all three of those. I speak of this machine. Configured with: i7-3610QM, 4GB 1333MHz RAM, and a 500GB WD Scorpio Black 7200RPM HDD, you're at £772.00 inc VAT, and this is with a GT 650M GDDR5, which soundly bests all of the above .

Thanks, that link is very interesting. Also very easy to lose control of my wallet, especially some of the higher end laptops there

[arts&crafts]

So I think I will pull the trigger on the mx17 after work today. http://m.dell.com/mt/www.dell.com/ca...are-m17x-r4/fs

I guess the top of the line one is the best deal although isn't 16gb ram a bit overkill? Either way there is also a coupon to get another hundred off so it isn't too bad.

[K.Jack]

Kind of confused. One of the reps suggested that I stick with the stock keyboards instead of upgrading to the steelseries because of the functionality and bugs. Please help me understand this, lol

From what I've gathered, the only "issue" is that the Fn (F1-F12) commands are different on the two, so you'd need to know the Clevo commands though looking at MSI's icons.

Word is that, sometime this year, Steel will be releasing a software which allows you to remap their laptop keyboards, so you'd then be able to align the functions with the MSI keyboard's layout.

Looking for a cheap laptop for basically nothing but web and WoW. Any opinion on whether this is worth looking into? 720p doesn't bother me. I know my watch could probably run WoW, so I'm just curious as to whether I should even bother spending this much.

Realistically $450 is dirt cheap for a laptop, regardless of your intended use. I wouldn't go any cheaper than that, not even for WoW.

So I think I will pull the trigger on the mx17 after work today. http://m.dell.com/mt/www.dell.com/ca...are-m17x-r4/fs I guess the top of the line one is the best deal although isn't 16gb ram a bit overkill? Either way there is also a coupon to get another hundred off so it isn't too bad.

8GB of RAM is overkill. Save yourself some money and configure it with as little as possible.

Also, stick with the i7-3610QM. The others are burnt money.

[bigmit3737]

Who were you looking at with the 6175? Contact them and ask for the 72% color gamut Matte screen. Shouldn't be any problem at all.

I was just looking at the website, and with the 6175 the option is:

7.3" FHD 16:9 "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Glossy Screen (1920x1080) (SKU - S1R506)
17.3" Sager FHD 16:9 "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Glossy Screen w/ 90% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080) (SKU - S1R602) ( + 185 )

While the 15 inch on the 6165 has these options:

15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Glare Type Screen (SKU - S1P318)
15.6" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Anti-Glare Screen w/ 95% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080) (SKU – S1R205) ( + 70 )



I bolded the anti-glare text regarding the 15" options.
I want to get the 17" screen but it seems not to have the anti-glare option as the 15"" does.

As for the HP Pavilion, do you have any opinions?

[DrForester]

I got the upgraded screen on the 6165 and do not regret it. Looks awesome.

[Khold]

I have a question, not sure where else to ask..is my computer running ok?

I have a Dell XPS 17 L702x here are my specs:

555m 3 GB (I have this overclocked slightly)
i7-2670qm (2.2 with 3.1 turbo frequency)
8 GB ram.
1600x900

When I run Just Cause 2 at max settings I get like ~28 FPS

This guy

Also has a Dell XPS 17 702x but his specs are

i5-2410m (2.3-2.9 GHz)
4GB RAM
3GB Nvidia 555m
1600x900 screen

But he can run Just Cause 2 maxed out at 50 FPS (he claims)

Why the big discrepancy? Am I missing something obvious? I am perfectly fine trimming the settings but it seems I should be able to run it slightly better..

[Mairu]

Are any of the processor upgrades worth it on the NP9170? I was talking again to my friend about the bulkyness and he got over it, just trying to narrow down the specifics now

[DrBo42]

These laptop companies take forever to do anything. With XoticPC I had to go through 3-4 days of correspondence before they even sent the order to Sager. Then they gave me build estimate of around 12 days to which I said that isn't going to meet my time constraints. Xotic rep said they talked to Sager and it would be shipping out Friday. Didn't happen. I assume that was just bs to get me to keep the order. Sigh.

[Unknown Soldier]

I got the upgraded screen on the 6165 and do not regret it. Looks awesome.

Where are the benchmarks you promised?

[mrklaw]

Does anyone prefer a lower res screen for performance benefits? Or can you run a 1080p screen at 720p and it scales without looking too bad? And is the desktop ok to use at 1080p on a 15" display?

Lastly, the acer V3 has a 650M but only a ddr3 version, how badly will that compromise performance?

Pulled the trigger and ordered the 15R SE just a few minutes ago. Should be here next week.

Mine should be here today. I got the i5 instead of the i7 though. i5 should be ok for gaming right?

That's the same one I bought! Mine won't be here until sometime next week. :/ It takes them so damn long. Here are the results for BF3 on the version with the 768p screen: http://www.thinkdigit.com/forum/1677963-post255.html

Can you guys post impressions when you've had some time to play? The Inspiron 15R SE is on my shortlist

[EndcatOmega]

I'm looking for a laptop for around £800; I realise I won't get a laptop that's anywhere near maxing, say, The Witcher 2, but hoping to get the most bang for my buck.

http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/optimusIII-15/

I'm looking at this- which I believe is a Sager/Clevo- with this configuration:


i7 Quad Core 3610QM (2.3 GHz) Processor
8GB Samsung 1333Mhz DDR3 Memory
NVidia GeForce GT-650M


Standard everything else, except Arctic Thermal Compound, because the last two laptops I bought the makers forgot to actually put thermal paste on anything.

-Is there anything better around for that price range, preferably also with 1920x1080 screen with HDMI output?
-Worth it to have faster RAM or a Solid State Hard Drive?

[K.Jack]

I was just looking at the website, and with the 6175 the option is: 7.3" FHD 16:9 "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Glossy Screen (1920x1080) (SKU - S1R506) 17.3" Sager FHD 16:9 "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Glossy Screen w/ 90% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080) (SKU - S1R602) ( + 185 ) As for the HP Pavilion, do you have any opinions?

1. Yeah, I know what they show. But if you look at the 17" NP9170, you'll see that there is yet another premium screen in that notebook size:

17.3" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Anti-Glare Screen w/ 72% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080)
(Will add 4-7 business days to build time) (SKU - X1R552) ( + 149 )

So, what I'm saying is, contact them and state that you'd like to have this option in your 6175. I'm sure that they'll oblige your request.

RE: the HP - Which one are you talking about? Link? What's your configuration and price.

I have a question, not sure where else to ask..is my computer running ok? I have a Dell XPS 17 L702x here are my specs: 555m 3 GB (I have this overclocked slightly) i7-2670qm (2.2 with 3.1 turbo frequency) 8 GB ram. 1600x900 When I run Just Cause 2 at max settings I get like ~28 FPS This guy Also has a Dell XPS 17 702x but his specs are i5-2410m (2.3-2.9 GHz) 4GB RAM 3GB Nvidia 555m 1600x900 screen But he can run Just Cause 2 maxed out at 50 FPS (he claims) Why the big discrepancy? Am I missing something obvious? I am perfectly fine trimming the settings but it seems I should be able to run it slightly better..

It's a hard call, just from what a guy claims on Youtube. Try posting this in the Notebookreview XPS section.

Are any of the processor upgrades worth it on the NP9170? I was talking again to my friend about the bulkyness and he got over it, just trying to narrow down the specifics now

Nope. Stick with the 3610QM.

Does anyone prefer a lower res screen for performance benefits? Or can you run a 1080p screen at 720p and it scales without looking too bad? And is the desktop ok to use at 1080p on a 15" display? Lastly, the acer V3 has a 650M but only a ddr3 version, how badly will that compromise performance?

1080p looks great on the 15.6" LCD.

the DDR3 version is like 25% slower.

I'm looking for a laptop for around £800; I realise I won't get a laptop that's anywhere near maxing, say, The Witcher 2, but hoping to get the most bang for my buck. http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/optimusIII-15/ I'm looking at this- which I believe is a Sager/Clevo- with this configuration: i7 Quad Core 3610QM (2.3 GHz) Processor 8GB Samsung 1333Mhz DDR3 Memory NVidia GeForce GT-650M Standard everything else, except Arctic Thermal Compound, because the last two laptops I bought the makers forgot to actually put thermal paste on anything. -Is there anything better around for that price range, preferably also with 1920x1080 screen with HDMI output? -Worth it to have faster RAM or a Solid State Hard Drive?

1. No, nothing else is comparable, at this time. Other than the HP DV6/DV7.
2. Faster RAM is pointless; SSDs are awesome.

[KoruptData]

Whats the amd and nvidia desktop equivilant of a 660m?

[EndcatOmega]

1. No, nothing else is comparable, at this time. Other than the HP DV6/DV7. 2. Faster RAM is pointless; SSDs are awesome.

Thanks!

I think I might know the answer already from what you said to Mairu, but do enough games nowadays use quad cores that I should stick to the i7 QM over a slightly faster dual core?

[LeCapitan]

No danger in overclocking, just keep the GPU temps below 95C. Use HWMonitor to... monitor.

95C... that's hard core. Your GPU will weep. I guess as long as you're not getting shutdowns you're OK but anything over 80C is detrimental to the life of the processor.

[bigmit3737]

1. Yeah, I know what they show. But if you look at the 17" NP9170, you'll see that there is yet another premium screen in that notebook size: 17.3" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Anti-Glare Screen w/ 72% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080) (Will add 4-7 business days to build time) (SKU - X1R552) ( + 149 ) So, what I'm saying is, contact them and state that you'd like to have this option in your 6175. I'm sure that they'll oblige your request. RE: the HP - Which one are you talking about? Link? What's your configuration and price.

Thank　you, I understand now.
As for the HP, I listed it above but I will cut and paste again:

HP Pavilion dv7t-7000 Quad Edition Entertainment Notebook PC
Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit edit
Processor 3rd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3610QM Processor (2.3 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) edit
Graphics card NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT 650M Graphics with 2GB GDDR5 memory [HDMI, VGA] edit
Memory FREE UPGRADE to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) edit
Hard drive FREE Upgrade to 1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive edit
Hard Drive Acceleration Cache NO mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache edit
Office software Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel(R) only, No PowerPoint(R)/Outlook(R) edit
Security software No additional security software edit
Primary battery 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery - Up to 5.75 hours of battery life +++ edit
Display 17.3-inch diagonal Full HD Anti-glare LED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080) edit
Primary optical drive FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner edit
Personalization HP TrueVision HD Webcam edit
Networking 802.11b/g/n WLAN edit
Keyboard Standard Keyboard with numeric keypad edit
Included Warranty Services Included 2 Year Warranty edit


Total Price: $1,174.99


Thank you so much for your help!

[K.Jack]

Whats the amd and nvidia desktop equivilant of a 660m?

Somewhere around the GTX 550 Ti and AMD 5770.

Thanks! I think I might know the answer already from what you said to Mairu, but do enough games nowadays use quad cores that I should stick to the i7 QM over a slightly faster dual core?

Quad core only from here on out. The next-gen consoles in 2013 will be upping the ante, on CPU and GPU requirements.

but anything over 80C is detrimental to the life of the processor.

That isn't true. Mobile GPUs are rated above 100C.

Thank　you, I understand now. As for the HP, I listed it above but I will cut and paste again: HP Pavilion dv7t-7000 Quad Edition Entertainment Notebook PC Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit edit Processor 3rd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3610QM Processor (2.3 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) edit Graphics card NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT 650M Graphics with 2GB GDDR5 memory [HDMI, VGA] edit Memory FREE UPGRADE to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) edit Hard drive FREE Upgrade to 1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive edit Hard Drive Acceleration Cache NO mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache edit Office software Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel(R) only, No PowerPoint(R)/Outlook(R) edit Security software No additional security software edit Primary battery 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery - Up to 5.75 hours of battery life +++ edit Display 17.3-inch diagonal Full HD Anti-glare LED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080) edit Primary optical drive FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner edit Personalization HP TrueVision HD Webcam edit Networking 802.11b/g/n WLAN edit Keyboard Standard Keyboard with numeric keypad edit Included Warranty Services Included 2 Year Warranty edit Total Price: $1,174.99 Thank you so much for your help!

If reviews are good, that's a nice build.

[Milchjon]

OK, I'll try here too:

Basically, I'm in the market for a notebook <€1000. Long battery life, portability (not too big, 13-14") and maybe a nice design are primary factors. Don't need gaming capabilities.

MBAs seem to be pretty great, but they're a few hundred bucks above my budget and I'm not sure I'm ready for the Apple ecosystem.
I'm willing to compromise a bit, but every remotely comparable Ultrabook seems to have fatal flaws, whether it's Lenovo, Asus, HP, Samsung...

So my questions are:

Is there anything that fits my criteria? I only really looked into ultrabooks, are there any nice "conventional" machines?

Are there any models coming out within the next 1-3 months that are promising enough to delay my decision a bit?

Or should I just go with something like the Lenovo IdeaPad U410 for ~€750?

Thanks in advance.

[Mairu]

Nope. Stick with the 3610QM.

Thanks! What about going from the default GPU option to the 675M or 680M? I saw benchmark comparisons on notebookreview but I don't know how to translate the benchmark numbers to real world results to know whether those options are worthwhile.

Also, not sure if you know the answer to this, but is getting a Sager through Xoticpc a good option considering warranty/service problems? I see they offer support, but I'm not sure of their reputation and considering my buddy is in the military he probably won't have the time to fix issues himself. Thanks again for answering all the questions.

[LeCapitan]

That isn't true. Mobile GPUs are rated above 100C.

I take it back.

[Unknown Soldier]

Whats the amd and nvidia desktop equivilant of a 660m?

The 660M seems to get similar benchmarks to the desktop GTS 450 I have in my media PC. So, I guess it's about like that.

Thanks! What about going from the default GPU option to the 675M or 680M? I saw benchmark comparisons on notebookreview but I don't know how to translate the benchmark numbers to real world results to know whether those options are worthwhile.

The 680M is Kepler. The 670M and 675M are Fermi. Go for Kepler.

[Milchjon]

OK, I'll try here too: Basically, I'm in the market for a notebook <€1000. Long battery life, portability (not too big, 13-14") and maybe a nice design are primary factors. Don't need gaming capabilities. MBAs seem to be pretty great, but they're a few hundred bucks above my budget and I'm not sure I'm ready for the Apple ecosystem. I'm willing to compromise a bit, but every remotely comparable Ultrabook seems to have fatal flaws, whether it's Lenovo, Asus, HP, Samsung... So my questions are: Is there anything that fits my criteria? I only really looked into ultrabooks, are there any nice "conventional" machines? Are there any models coming out within the next 1-3 months that are promising enough to delay my decision a bit? Or should I just go with something like the Lenovo IdeaPad U410 for ~€750? Thanks in advance.

Anyone?

[vincent vega]

Does anyone have any experience with the zenbook prime or the thinkpad x230?

I'm going to upgrade to one of these for school (i run programs like matlab).

I'm leaning more towards the x230 because of the full powered cpu, but is there really that much of a difference between the two? I'm relativley new to looking up laptop specs.

Also, I will probably only do minimal gaming, maybe checkout starcraft 2.

[vincent vega]

Anyone?

I've read some reviews for the sony vaio T series, they seem pretty solid.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Series-SV.../dp/B0080C225Q

Also, if you're a student and buy through sony you can get a free ps3 or vita.

[Unknown Soldier]

That isn't true. Mobile GPUs are rated above 100C.

Desktop Fermi will hit 100C+ before throttling too. I bought an eVGA GTX 470 at launch and that thing would routinely hit 90C while gaming and sound like a hairdryer until I replaced the stock HSF combo with an aftermarket cooler.

[K.Jack]

Thanks! What about going from the default GPU option to the 675M or 680M? I saw benchmark comparisons on notebookreview but I don't know how to translate the benchmark numbers to real world results to know whether those options are worthwhile. Also, not sure if you know the answer to this, but is getting a Sager through Xoticpc a good option considering warranty/service problems? I see they offer support, but I'm not sure of their reputation and considering my buddy is in the military he probably won't have the time to fix issues himself. Thanks again for answering all the questions.

The 675M (desktop GTX 560 Ti) is 30% faster than the 670M (desktop GTX 550 Ti), the 680M (desktop GTX 670) is 50% faster than the 675M, and is beyond comparison to the 670M. The problem is that the 680M is almost exactly equal to the 7970M (desktop 7870), but $295 more expensive. If you really just hate AMD and have the money, I guess the 680M is the one to choose.

And Xotic is the most trusted reseller out there. I've bought laptops from them, with no issue.

[Giard]

The 675M (desktop GTX 560 Ti) is 30% faster than the 670M (desktop GTX 550 Ti), the 680M (desktop GTX 670) is 50% faster than the 675M, and is beyond comparison to the 670M. The problem is that the 680M is almost exactly equal to the 7970M (desktop 7870), but $295 more expensive. If you really just hate AMD and have the money, I guess the 680M is the one to choose. And Xotic is the most trusted reseller out there. I've bought laptops from them, with no issue.

So you would recommend the 7970M, even with the driver problems it's currently having?

Another question.... I want to get a new laptop for Guild Wars 2. Here are its' system requirements:

Windows® XP Service Pack 2 or better • Intel® Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz, Core i3, AMD Athlon 64 X2, or better • 2 GB RAM • NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800, ATI X1800, Intel HD 3000, or better (256MB of video RAM and shader model 3.0 or better) • 25 GB available HDD space • Broadband Internet connection • Keyboard and mouse Note: Due to potential changes, system requirements may change over time and you may be required to upgrade your current system (or obtain a new system) to continue to play the game.

Is the 7970M overkill? I'd like to play the game with medium-high settings at 60 FPS.

[K.Jack]

So you would recommend the 7970M, even with the driver problems it's currently having? Another question.... I want to get a new laptop for Guild Wars 2. Here are its' system requirements: Is the 7970M overkill? I'd like to play the game with medium-high settings at 60 FPS.

Looking at those specs, everything modern is "overkill". anything GT 650M or above should max the game.

I'm not exactly recommending the 7970M. It's just that the options right now are to go for the 7970M with the knowledge that its driver issues are supposed to be getting worked out, or pay buckets for the safer, more stable GTX 680M.

I've decided to just wait for whatever comes after them. But I have a notebook w/ 6970M, which is still faster than all but four mobile GPUs, to tide me over.