Laptop Configurations (GT 555M - 2GB DDR3 vs GT 650M - 1GB DDR5)

[VikingDrummer]

I have a few questions to ask regarding Graphics Cards and Processors.
Being on a budget of £800, I have configured two laptops, that have both been valued at £792.00
Both follow the same configuration with the exception of the processors and graphics cards:

17.3" Optimus II:
Intel® Core™i7 Dual Core Mobile Processor i7-2640M (2.80GHz) 4MB with NVIDIA GT 555M (2GB DDR3)

15.6" Optimus III
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-3610QM (2.30GHz) 6MB with GT 650M (1GB DDR5)

The questions I have are:

1. Theoretically, how well will these configurations perform in comparison to each other when playing demanding games such as Skyrim and Battlefield?
2. Model vs Memory of Graphics cards - which is more important + how are they factored with performance? (I.E will the 2GB cause the 555M to outperform the 650m?)
3. How does the Ivy Bridge configuration affect the abilities of the processor?

Finally, is there alternative setup that could outperform these configurations, while still keeping within my £800 budget? (Desktops are unfortunately out of the question, due to portability being an important factor here)

I'm sorry for all of the questions, this will be my first serious computer purchase and I'd like to get the best I can afford

[1zikki]

Hi there, I'm going to try to answer you're questions to the best of my ability so lets get started
1. You can check the FPS of the games you want to play on these cards at http://www.notebookcheck.net/Compute...s.13849.0.html, As you want to play games on this system you always want to go for the better GPU that your money can buy which is the GT 650M
2. I'm not sure how that all works, but as you can see from my post above, I don't think it's about the RAM the graphics card has, more to due with the other variables
3. This is what I found on another forum about the difference between the two: Ivybridge is essentially the same as Sandybridge, but features slightly faster cores, better integrated graphics, less power consumption, and better on board graphics. It also has pcie 3.0 natively supported, however this does not do anything for current graphics cards. Unfortuenatly ivybridge runs much hotter than sandybridge, and offers only 3-5% overall performance increase.

Hope that helps, 1zikki

[tom6561]

The 650M is a much faster card, (just about as fast as a GTX560M), the 2gb vs 1gb shouldn't make too much of a difference, current games don't usually require that much. Also as an aside, when you click on the ?, it says the GT650M has 2gb anyway, not sure what it actually has so need PCS to confirm. The Ivy Bridge processor you have selected is quad core as opposed to the dual core, and ivy bridge processors are more powerful per GHz as it were, so use less power. The Optimus II will definitely outperform the Optimus II by a reasonable margin. The Optimus III is a pretty good spec for £800 and I doubt you'll find better elsewhere .

[VikingDrummer]

Thanks for the replies

It seems like this is most likely the best option available to me:

Chassis & Display
Optimus Series: 15.6" Glossy Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-3610QM (2.30GHz) 6MB
Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M - 1.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - Hard Disk
500GB SEAGATE MOMENTUS XT HYBRID, SATA 3 Gb/s, (7200rpm)**SPECIAL**
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)
Memory Card Reader
Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND (£9)
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® N130 802.11N (150Mbps) + BLUETOOTH
USB Options
2 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS AS STANDARD
Battery
Optimus/Voyager Series 6 Cell Lithium-ION Battery (48.84WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 90W Adaptor (GT 540M) / 120W Adaptor (GT 555M)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Keyboard Language
INTEGRATED UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1.3 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
PCS EXTRA-CARE DIAMOND DELIVERY - MON-FRI, PRE-NOON (£9)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days

[1zikki]

Thanks for the replies

It seems like this is most likely the best option available to me:

Chassis & Display
Optimus Series: 15.6" Glossy Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-3610QM (2.30GHz) 6MB
Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M - 1.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - Hard Disk
500GB SEAGATE MOMENTUS XT HYBRID, SATA 3 Gb/s, (7200rpm)**SPECIAL**
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)
Memory Card Reader
Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND (£9)
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® N130 802.11N (150Mbps) + BLUETOOTH
USB Options
2 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS AS STANDARD
Battery
Optimus/Voyager Series 6 Cell Lithium-ION Battery (48.84WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 90W Adaptor (GT 540M) / 120W Adaptor (GT 555M)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Keyboard Language
INTEGRATED UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1.3 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
PCS EXTRA-CARE DIAMOND DELIVERY - MON-FRI, PRE-NOON (£9)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days

Couldn't find a better build for the budget you have, shame you can't afford a SSD but this laptop should be able to play all games at medium setting atleast, enjoy