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[K.Jack]

Thanks for the help.

I was always under the impression that Acer was not the best brand (friends have had reliability issues with them, but granted, that was in the past). What's the word on Acer?

Other than that, it does seem very good. My only gripe is the truly awful screen resolution. My netbook is 11,6" wide (that's 4" less than this one!) and it's the same resolution. What about the actual screen quality (especially the colors)? Is it any good? Also, is it durable? What about the keyboard?

The problem is that my father himself doesn't really know what he's going to need. A decent CPU is a given, but that's pretty much as detailed as I can go. His boss/partner hasn't been able to go into much detail as far as CPU/GPU requirements are concerned for the software his company uses. We should get a more accurate picture once he gives us the specs of his own laptop.

At any rate I wouldn't be surprised if it is overkill, but I get the sense that the price/quality ratio is good enough that it's not important if it's a little too much, right?

1. Acer has come a very long way. They're the Kia of laptop manufacturers, in a way.

2. Yes. The resolution sucks. All entry level notebooks come with a 768p LCD, and most of them are mediocre, some downright shameful. This is the #1 component which will require one to spend more to get better.

3. I can only recommend that you look for reviews on any notebook I show you, just in case. Most of the complaints I've seen about this machine deal with screen resolution, which I covered previously.

Whenever you get more info, I'll help you out.

Okay I'm definitely going to wait. $1250-$1300 is probably too high. I guess we'll see what comes around by May 5th or so. I'd really like to keep it around $1100 max (orig budget was $900 but I feel I can stretch it a little bit).

I hear you.

Consider that Sager I linked earlier. It can be had for less than $1k, if all you select is to have Windows 7 installed. I'd also add the quad core for the additional $70, but that's pretty much all it needs.

It's got an i7 2670QM, which is basically equivalent to a 2500K for a desktop.

Whoa, slow down there. The 2670QM is somewhere down with the previous gen's desktop i5 quads, at best.

The 2500K just laughs at it.

I was thinking about getting that new Samsung gaming notebook, but now, I may see what this ASUS G75 has under the hood.

Are there multiple configurations of the G75? I would like one with two 750GB hard drives, if possible. Does it have Blu-ray? This might be a deciding factor for me.

You can always add HDDs and Blu-ray yourself later. Those are the easiest parts to upgrade and replace on any notebook.

Would you recommend I use the optical bay for an SSD to store the OS in? Is it worth the money and if so, what size of SSD is sufficient enough? Would a 60GB Intel 520 Series Solid State Drive (SSD2 Serial-ATA III) work?

No way do you use a SATA II port with that SSD, unless your machine has no SATA III ports at all.

ODD bays are best used for mass storage drives, while you place the speediest drive in the main drive port.

Okay guys here we go.

ALIENWARE M14X For $800



Good deal?

With the new revision coming within a week? Lol no.

 

[K.Jack]

Oh look....

7970M

TDP: 100W
1280 Shaders
Core Clock: 850 Mhz
Memory Clock: 1200 Mhz
256 bit Memory Bus
Memory Bandwidth: 153.6 GB/s
Proof

Just 150MHz (or 85%) slower than the desktop 7870. Three words:

Might be faster than 6970M Crossfire.

 

[twinturbo2]

lol, there's no way I can afford an Alienware with that card.

Also, I think you mean 15 percent less powerful, not 85 percent.

 

[twinturbo2]

Okay, I looked at the prices for Alienware there. Maybe I can afford one.

But I might need to take out a loan for one, and I already have a car payment to worry about.

But I can get an employee discount where I work. They have an employee purchase program with Dell that's good for about three percent off the purchase price. The Alienware with the Radeon, Blu-ray, 8 gigs of RAM and the fastest processor they have available is about $2600, before applying the EPP discount. The EPP discount can slash off $78 from the price.

Wait... shit, back to square one...

 

[Kilrogg]

1. Acer has come a very long way. They're the Kia of laptop manufacturers, in a way.

2. Yes. The resolution sucks. All entry level notebooks come with a 768p LCD, and most of them are mediocre, some downright shameful. This is the #1 component which will require one to spend more to get better.

3. I can only recommend that you look for reviews on any notebook I show you, just in case. Most of the complaints I've seen about this machine deal with screen resolution, which I covered previously.

Whenever you get more info, I'll help you out.

Thanks again, you've been really helpful.

1. By that I assume you mean KIA has come a very long way too? I don't know much about car companies, much less KIA. The more you know...

2. That's what I thought. What about color fidelity though? Is it a cheap TN panel or have they been doing something nice on that front?

3. I see. Reviews for this particular model seem hard to come buy, but similar models are getting good reviews. Why is Acer make so many versions of the same laptop? Ugh.

I actually got more info. Turns out my father's partner's recommendations are all over the place: first he recommends top-of-the-line workstation laptops from Dell (which are equipped with Nvidia Quadro GPUs and i7 CPUs and all go for at least 1500€), then he goes on to say his trusty ASUS K72JR laptop does the job fine. That model isn't made any more and features an i5 430M (2.27GHz) with a GeForce GT540M. Correct me if I'm wrong, but performance-wise everything in the Acer you recommend is better, right?

Since my father will never spend upwards of 1000€ for something he might never use it's even more likely that we'll go for your recommendation now.

 

[SteveWD40]

So with the m11x being shitcanned I think I am set for the refresh of the m14x with Ivy Bridge whenever that hits.

I know, it's an Alienware, but if I am going to have an optical drive I want that shit to be a slot loader and some of the competitors you guys post don't have a strong UK presence in sales or after-care, Dell do.

 

[Banglish]

So with the m11x being shitcanned I think I am set for the refresh of the m14x with Ivy Bridge whenever that hits.

I know, it's an Alienware, but if I am going to have an optical drive I want that shit to be a slot loader and some of the competitors you guys post don't have a strong UK presence in sales or after-care, Dell do.

At first when I just started digging into gaming laptops I was like "Alienware is awesome and the only one, the best one!", then I found brands like Asus, and Sager and was like "Eff that shiz, I can get the same quality/performance for a bit cheaper!". I'm back to considering the new M14.

 

[K.Jack]

The M11x has not been "shitcanned"; from what I hear, the issue is simply that the Ivy Bridge dual core processors are not close to release, so there's nothing to refresh it to, at this moment.

lol, there's no way I can afford an Alienware with that card.

Also, I think you mean 15 percent less powerful, not 85 percent.

Yeah, I meant that to mean "it retains 85% of the 7870's clocks", but the hype got me.

A 15.6" Clevo with that card will be ~$1.5k, from what I'm hearing.

Okay, I looked at the prices for Alienware there. Maybe I can afford one.

But I might need to take out a loan for one, and I already have a car payment to worry about.

But I can get an employee discount where I work. They have an employee purchase program with Dell that's good for about three percent off the purchase price. The Alienware with the Radeon, Blu-ray, 8 gigs of RAM and the fastest processor they have available is about $2600, before applying the EPP discount. The EPP discount can slash off $78 from the price.

Wait... shit, back to square one...

Best CPU available? So you mean the 2860QM or 2960QM? Sir, either of those is a massive waste of money. Shave that lump off of the price immediately.

Which machine are you configuring? Let me help you maximize your money.

Thanks again, you've been really helpful.

1. By that I assume you mean KIA has come a very long way too? I don't know much about car companies, much less KIA. The more you know...

2. That's what I thought. What about color fidelity though? Is it a cheap TN panel or have they been doing something nice on that front?

3. I see. Reviews for this particular model seem hard to come buy, but similar models are getting good reviews. Why is Acer make so many versions of the same laptop? Ugh.

I actually got more info. Turns out my father's partner's recommendations are all over the place: first he recommends top-of-the-line workstation laptops from Dell (which are equipped with Nvidia Quadro GPUs and i7 CPUs and all go for at least 1500&#8364, then he goes on to say his trusty ASUS K72JR laptop does the job fine. That model isn't made any more and features an i5 430M (2.27GHz) with a GeForce GT540M. Correct me if I'm wrong, but performance-wise everything in the Acer you recommend is better, right?

Since my father will never spend upwards of 1000€ for something he might never use it's even more likely that we'll go for your recommendation now.

Yeah the KIA analogy goes something like that. Within their respective industries, KIA and Acer each went from absolute trash to very respectable, but they still battle with .

A huge plus with this machine, which some budget notebooks lack, is that it does have an HDMI port. If anything, your father can hook it up to a high quality, higher resolution panel, when he needs to do serious desk work.

As far as SKUs, if one get good reviews, they all do, because it's the same exact chassis with slightly different RAM, HDD, CPU configs.

RE: the Acer vs the Asus - The Sandy Bridge i5 is significantly faster than the Clarksfield i5-430M, because the advanced Turbo Boost technology. GPU-wise, the GT 630M is a direct rebrand of the 540M, so there's no change there. FAKE EDIT: Doing some research, I just learned that the i5-2450M does not support VT-d and Trusted Execution. Make sure these functions are not needed, otherwise we need to look at a different model.

 

[SteveWD40]

The M11x has not been "shitcanned"; from what I hear, the issue is simply that the Ivy Bridge dual core processors are not close to release, so there's nothing to refresh it to, at this moment..

I was just responding to this:

Posted on the last page

Dell's Alienware M11x is set to be discontinued, after the company told us it has no plans to refresh the smallest member of its gaming laptop family. The M11x was and remains a truly unique product in what is otherwise a thoroughly saturated market — never before it had we seen a gamer-centric aesthetic and spec sheet brought down to the 11-inch form factor. Unfortunately, as well-received and successful as this product has been for Dell, the company says it no longer has a logical place in its product portfolio. Users are said to be demanding full-sized keyboards and optical drives from their gaming PCs, mobile or otherwise, and the Alienware M14x is the model to satisfy those needs.

The newly updated M14x, M17x and M18x will form the entirety of the 2012 Alienware laptop range, which Dell is confident will provide enough variety for gamers of all creeds.

 

[K.Jack]

I was just responding to this:

Posted on the last page

Oh wow, I definitely missed that announcement.

Dell is making a clear miscalculation, imo. How can you say the M14x bridges the gap between the demand for highly portable gaming and feature rich machines, when it's thicker and as heavy as some 15" gaming notebooks?

Going this route, I think Dell needs to axe the M14x, to expand the line into an M13x and M15x.

 

[twinturbo2]

Okay, K.Jack, thanks for the suggestion. I'm configuring the M17-X with the Radeon card. If I can save $350 by just going with the base i7 available, I'll do it.

It just means more money foe extras like MS Office.

 

[Kilrogg]

As far as SKUs, if one get good reviews, they all do, because it's the same exact chassis with slightly different RAM, HDD, CPU configs.

RE: the Acer vs the Asus - The Sandy Bridge i5 is significantly faster than the Clarksfield i5-430M, because the advanced Turbo Boost technology. GPU-wise, the GT 630M is a direct rebrand of the 540M, so there's no change there. FAKE EDIT: Doing some research, I just learned that the i5-2450M does not support VT-d and Trusted Execution. Make sure these functions are not needed, otherwise we need to look at a different model.

Awesome. From what I understand, VT-d is a type of advanced OS virtualization technology, and Trusted Execution helps with security, is that right? If so, I don't think my father will need it, so I think we're good to go.

Thank you for helping me out .

 

[dLMN8R]

Sad that Alienware is cancelling the very machine I made this thread for more than two years ago :-/ so much potential in this form factor if they paired it with Ivy Bridge and the latest NVIDIA mobile chips. Nothing else like it on the market.

 

[K.Jack]

Okay, K.Jack, thanks for the suggestion. I'm configuring the M17-X with the Radeon card. If I can save $350 by just going with the base i7 available, I'll do it.

It just means more money foe extras like MS Office.

Honestly, the only point in ordering now is to get in line. All of the current CPU options will be replaced with Ivy Bridge models next week. But definitely stick with the base CPU, be it a Sandy or an Ivy.

The 7970M is where you'll pay dividends. Don't be fooled by the 675M being more expensive. The AMD card is going to be at least 50% faster.

Sad that Alienware is cancelling the very machine I made this thread for more than two years ago :-/ so much potential in this form factor if they paired it with Ivy Bridge and the latest NVIDIA mobile chips. Nothing else like it on the market.

I guess Clevo has good timing. The W110ER was to be the M11x competitor, and Dell just bowed out of the fight.

 

[Azure J]

Oh look....

7970M

TDP: 100W
1280 Shaders
Core Clock: 850 Mhz
Memory Clock: 1200 Mhz
256 bit Memory Bus
Memory Bandwidth: 153.6 GB/s
Proof

Just 150MHz (or 85%) slower than the desktop 7870. Three words:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/killer-ra/mother-of-god.jpg

Might be faster than 6970M Crossfire.

I'm in love. :lol

I will have a laptop with this card. *Starts budgeting the fuck out of everything*

 

[asdad123]

So Im looking for a small laptop (Preferably 13-14 inches) with a 640m or 650m.

I know the new clevo has a 650m, but I can't really find any info on any other laptops with these cards (I know its just a recently released chip).

Do you guys have an idea or recommendations for laptops that may get refreshed with these cards? I don't need a crazy laptop for gaming on the go since I have a desktop, but it'd be nice to have from time to time.

Looking to keep under $800.

 

[K.Jack]

There will be many announcements over the next couple of weeks, as Ivy Bridge trickles through the industry.

Just stay tuned, I guess.

GT 650M under $800 is not likely, just imo.

 

[twinturbo2]

Honestly, the only point in ordering now is to get in line. All of the current CPU options will be replaced with Ivy Bridge models next week. But definitely stick with the base CPU, be it a Sandy or an Ivy.

The 7970M is where you'll pay dividends. Don't be fooled by the 675M being more expensive. The AMD card is going to be at least 50% faster.

If the prices for the Ivy Bridge don't go up much, if at all, then I may have my decisions locked in.

 

[X05]

Oh look....

7970M

TDP: 100W
1280 Shaders
Core Clock: 850 Mhz
Memory Clock: 1200 Mhz
256 bit Memory Bus
Memory Bandwidth: 153.6 GB/s
Proof

Just 150MHz (or 85%) slower than the desktop 7870. Three words:

Might be faster than 6970M Crossfire.

WHOA


Holy shit.


Unless the GTX 680M is miraculously awesome, this will crush everything.
Shame that the ~70W TDP rumour wasn't true though

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

What's the likelihood one of these notebooks/netbooks with a 1 GB video card gives you 4 good years if service (good graphics now and decent to average graphics by year 4)?

 

[Drinky Crow]

can i replace tne 6990m in my m17x r3 with a 7970m?

 

[X05]

can i replace tne 6990m in my m17x r3 with a 7970m?

Yes.

It reportedly works with the m15x as well.

 

[Glass Rebel]

This might not be the right thread for this question but since the laptop heads are actually visiting the thread I thought I might give it a shot:

My Lenovo T400 (no gaming laptop by all means but old stuff and indie games work) has been overheating for quite some while when I do "intensive" stuff (It actually shut down when I was playing SpaceChem) and has gotten considerably slower. Using a CPU program I found out that my CPU is constantly around 75-80°C and the GPU ~70°C. This can't be healthy.

Some googling lead me to threads of people having had the same issue and solving it by applying new thermal paste. This seems like the most apparent solution since I haven't touched the hardware and my usage hasn't changed considerably over the last few weeks or months.

What do you guys think?

 

[DTKT]

This might not be the right thread for this question but since the laptop heads are actually visiting the thread I thought I might give it a shot:

My Lenovo T400 (no gaming laptop by all means but old stuff and indie games work) has been overheating for quite some while when I do "intensive" stuff (It actually shut down when I was playing SpaceChem) and has gotten considerably slower. Using a CPU program I found out that my CPU is constantly around 75-80°C and the GPU ~70°C. This can't be healthy.

Some googling lead me to threads of people having had the same issue and solving it by applying new thermal paste. This seems like the most apparent solution since I haven't touched the hardware and my usage hasn't changed considerably over the last few weeks or months.

What do you guys think?

First step is cleaning the dust and anything that might obstruct the air flow. Then, you look into applying thermal paste.

 

[Glass Rebel]

First step is cleaning the dust and anything that might obstruct the air flow. Then, you look into applying thermal paste.

Yeah I tried that to but it didn't help. Took a look at the paste and it's exactly the same as described on the Lenovo forums, completely dried up. Gonna buy some Arctic Cooler 5 later and try that.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

Yeah I tried that to but it didn't help. Took a look at the paste and it's exactly the same as described on the Lenovo forums, completely dried up. Gonna buy some Arctic Cooler 5 later and try that.

I went through two Lenovo T42s at work because the fan burned out. The thing got so hot that it just kept shutting off, like yours. I actually picked up a USB-powered fan and that did the trick.

 

[Glass Rebel]

Okay, the operation went well and the CPU is around 50°C now. Don't know if that's ideal but it's certainly a lot better.

I went through two Lenovo T42s at work because the fan burned out. The thing got so hot that it just kept shutting off, like yours. I actually picked up a USB-powered fan and that did the trick.

What fan are you using? Just in case :lol

 

[twinturbo2]

So, when exactly this week will the Alienware notebooks be updated with Ivy Bridge CPU's? Or is "this week!" the only timeframe we know of?

I really know what I want, and I'm certainly going to buy once Ivy Bridge becomes available.

 

[K.Jack]

The final Ivy Bridge NDA ends tomorrow.

So far, I know Dell/Alienware is scheduled to reveal its entire lineup in the morning.

This will be a fun week.

Okay, the operation went well and the CPU is around 50°C now. Don't know if that's ideal but it's certainly a lot better.

What fan are you using? Just in case :lol

50C at idle is well within normal expectations.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

Okay, the operation went well and the CPU is around 50°C now. Don't know if that's ideal but it's certainly a lot better.





What fan are you using? Just in case :lol

No idea. I finally got a W520 from work (the speakers don't work out of the box though; don't understand why anyone would buy a Lenovo) and the USB fan's little legs finally snapped off, so it went in the trash. It was like $20 from Target.

 

[kagete]

After chatting for almost an hour with an XoticPC rep it just made the wait harder. They said there won't be availability (and configuration options showing up online) of the new IB laptop cpus until 4/29. Instead of their typical 2-5 business day processing they're quoting 7-12 now, with more and more advance orders coming in for IB. That's 12 business days before May 15, and even with 2 day or overnight shipping it will be too close a call. Alienware is showing 5/21 as their earliest ship dates so that's not coming anytime soon too.

They were listing the 7970 at +$100 over the 670 this morning but now it's at +$200. I'm not sure if that's a Clevo price hike or an AMD one but if the leaks are to believed it might be well deserved. I'm not configuring anything in that price range though as I have a great gaming PC and just need something semi-capable (650m) with the largest SSD I can afford for LAN gaming. At this point though it's starting to look like I'd be better off creating an mATX 2nd PC plus buying the cheapest laptop I can get for the same amount of money as the Clevo I want configured but I was never much for common sense with electronics. Sigh I can't think clearly right now and wish these laptops were just in stores already so that I could try/buy them.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

The wait is killing me. I am seriously considering pulling the trigger on this ASUS N53SM-ES72.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007BY57Y2/?tag=neogaf0e-20

With shipping between 8-9 days, I need to order it sooner rather than later. Decisions, decisions... wait for April 30th to see what happens with prices, or pull the trigger on the $900 model now? Ugh.

 

[K.Jack]

It's pretty much down to Intel not allowing any Ivy Bridge sales until the 29th, and then the floodgates open and the feeding frenzy begins.

I've received an estimated delivery of May 21st from a couple different manufacturers, including Dell and Sager.

 

[DTKT]

So, Ivy Bridge aside, how is the market for 11.6 screen size gaming laptops?

 

[twdnewh_k]

So, Ivy Bridge aside, how is the market for 11.6 screen size gaming laptops?

New sager/clevo model coming any day now.

650m

 

[sk3tch]

So, Ivy Bridge aside, how is the market for 11.6 screen size gaming laptops?

Yeah, I pre-ordered a Clevo W110ER-based system from Mythlogic. Quad Ivy Bridge (i7-3612QM), matte screen, Killer WirelessN 1103...at 768p the GT 650M should be pretty potent.

Email or call them if you want to "custom" order the i7-3612QM. It's only around $25 more than the current top-end Sandy Bridge dual-core CPU on their configurator.

 

[DTKT]

Yeah, I pre-ordered a Clevo W110ER-based system from Mythlogic. Quad Ivy Bridge (i7-3612QM), matte screen, Killer WirelessN 1103...at 768p the GT 650M should be pretty potent.

Email or call them if you want to "custom" order the i7-3612QM. It's only around $25 more than the current top-end Sandy Bridge dual-core CPU on their configurator.

God damn! That's really nice. I might just go with them. Thanks for the link.

 

[twinturbo2]

The final Ivy Bridge NDA ends tomorrow.

So far, I know Dell/Alienware is scheduled to reveal its entire lineup in the morning.

This will be a fun week.

My limit is $2500 and I think I know what I want now. I just need to see the price changes, if any, for the Ivy Bridge processors. Otherwise, Radeon, Blu-ray, 8 gigs of RAM, and let me see if they offer twin 750 gig hard drives- otherwise, I'll upgrade later on.

If this lasts me three years, it'll be worth it.

 

[DTKT]

My limit is $2500 and I think I know what I want now. I just need to see the price changes, if any, for the Ivy Bridge processors. Otherwise, Radeon, Blu-ray, 8 gigs of RAM, and let me see if they offer twin 750 gig hard drives- otherwise, I'll upgrade later on.

If this lasts me three years, it'll be worth it.

To be honest, at the rate things are changing, it seems that you should stagger such an investement. Take 1250, buy something really nice. Then, in 2 years, buy another laptop at the same price.

Blowing 2.5k right now seems like a bit of a waste.

Just sayin'!

 

[LonelyIsland]

To be honest, at the rate things are changing, it seems that you should stagger such an investement. Take 1250, buy something really nice. Then, in 2 years, buy another laptop at the same price.

Blowing 2.5k right now seems like a bit of a waste.

Just sayin'!

That's what I plan on doing.

bought a Dell XPS 17 last august, and it should last me for a couple years.

 

[twinturbo2]

To be honest, at the rate things are changing, it seems that you should stagger such an investement. Take 1250, buy something really nice. Then, in 2 years, buy another laptop at the same price.

Blowing 2.5k right now seems like a bit of a waste.

Just sayin'!

I'm of the mindset that my stuff should last for a while. My current Dell notebook was purchased in 2005, and lasted me for a while. It's slow as hell now, but it still runs.

 

[K.Jack]

I'm of the mindset that my stuff should last for a while. My current Dell notebook was purchased in 2005, and lasted me for a while. It's slow as hell now, but it still runs.

I strongly agree. And are you TwinTurbo on NBR?

I believe in buying a machine which will game at high settings for two years. The enthusiast class machine I buy in Q1/Q2 of this year will have a faster GPU than the mid-range machine you buy this year, and maybe the one you look to buy next year too.

Spending $1.6k-$2k once every 2 to 2.5 years is the much smarter move, because you get worry free experience with the latest games at max settings for a good deal of time, as opposed to the person who lives off of the yearly or bi-yearly ~$1,000 machine, who has to start up the game, go to options, then spend their early time with the game adjusting settings to balance eye candy and framerate. I say no doing that every year. I launch the game -> go to Options -> choose the High or Ultra preset -> start playing.

Maxing the GPU early in the year allows you to skip generations. I do not upgrade every time AMD/Nvidia release new graphics cards. Upgrading in 2-3 years guarantees that you real real, tangible advances in technology every time you're shopping.

tl;dr - you end up spending as much, if not more money than me, and I'm the one who has better gaming experiences during that time frame.

The 7970M is out there for $1.5k, and is 3x faster than what you'll get in a $1,200 machine. Not spending that extra money is crazy to me. This is a 3 to 4 year GPU.

p.s - 7970M benchmarks, vs the 580M/675M:

Damn!

 

[AngmarsKing701]

The wait is killing me. I am seriously considering pulling the trigger on this ASUS N53SM-ES72.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007BY57Y2/?tag=neogaf0e-20

With shipping between 8-9 days, I need to order it sooner rather than later. Decisions, decisions... wait for April 30th to see what happens with prices, or pull the trigger on the $900 model now? Ugh.

Gonna bump this one. Sorry. Looking for a little advice. It's 1080p which is nice, 750 GB HD (7200 RPM), has 6 GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M 2G in it. I am back to trying to keep this under $1k, and Amazon has it for $900.

Smart move? Dumb move? Wait til next week, AngmarsKing, you knucklehead?

 

[K.Jack]

Gonna bump this one. Sorry. Looking for a little advice. It's 1080p which is nice, 750 GB HD (7200 RPM), has 6 GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M 2G in it. I am back to trying to keep this under $1k, and Amazon has it for $900.

Smart move? Dumb move? Wait til next week, AngmarsKing, you knucklehead?

By what date do you absolutely have to own a new notebook?

 

[fluffydelusions]

Gonna bump this one. Sorry. Looking for a little advice. It's 1080p which is nice, 750 GB HD (7200 RPM), has 6 GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M 2G in it. I am back to trying to keep this under $1k, and Amazon has it for $900.

Smart move? Dumb move? Wait til next week, AngmarsKing, you knucklehead?

I think 630m is essentially a rebranded 540m? I had an i5 w/ 540m laptop and it played games _OKish_ depending on the game at 1366x768 resolution...not sure how well it will hold up at 1080p if that concerns you.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

By what date do you absolutely have to own a new notebook?

By 5/15 to play Diablo III.

 

[twinturbo2]

I strongly agree. And are you TwinTurbo on NBR?

I believe in buying a machine which will game at high settings for two years. The enthusiast class machine I buy in Q1/Q2 of this year will have a faster GPU than the mid-range machine you buy this year, and maybe the one you look to buy next year too.

Spending $1.6k-$2k once every 2 to 2.5 years is the much smarter move, because you get worry free experience with the latest games at max settings for a good deal of time, as opposed to the person who lives off of the yearly or bi-yearly ~$1,000 machine, who has to start up the game, go to options, then spend their early time with the game adjusting settings to balance eye candy and framerate. I say no doing that every year. I launch the game -> go to Options -> choose the High or Ultra preset -> start playing.

Maxing the GPU early in the year allows you to skip generations. I do not upgrade every time AMD/Nvidia release new graphics cards. Upgrading in 2-3 years guarantees that you real real, tangible advances in technology every time you're shopping.

tl;dr - you end up spending as much, if not more money than me, and I'm the one who has better gaming experiences during that time frame.

The 7970M is out there for $1.5k, and is 3x faster than what you'll get in a $1,200 machine. Not spending that extra money is crazy to me. This is a 3 to 4 year GPU.

p.s - 7970M benchmarks, vs the 580M/675M:

Damn!

No, I don't post over at NBR. Why bother with informative posts like this?

 

[dragonflys545]

By what date do you absolutely have to own a new notebook?

Me too(When D3 comes out)! I'm willing to spend 1.5k.

 

[K.Jack]

By 5/15 to play Diablo III.

Well, it makes a lot of sense, imo, to wait until the 29th/30th, to see what is put up for sale on Amazon and/or Newegg and their like.

Part of me understands why you don't want to risk it, but the opportunity of having the GT 650M instead of the GT 630M is a dividend which will pay off long past the launch date of D3. I mean, D3 may be one of the only 2012 releases which the GT 630M even has a chance to play decently at 1080p, and games look ugly as hell below the native res on a laptop's LCD.

I'm not sure I can tell you what to do.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

Well, it makes a lot of sense, imo, to wait until the 29th/30th, to see what is put up for sale on Amazon and/or Newegg and their like.

Part of me understands why you don't want to risk it, but the opportunity of having the GT 650M instead of the GT 630M is a dividend which will pay off long past the launch date of D3. I mean, D3 may be one of the only 2012 releases which the GT 630M even has a chance to play decently at 1080p, and games look ugly as hell below the native res on a laptop's LCD.

I'm not sure I can tell you what to do.

You haven't steered me wrong yet. I trust you. I'm gonna wait to see what the end of the month brings.