Advice on non gaming laptop with FHD Screen

[stewa]

Hi

I am looking at replacing my Dell Inspiron 1720 which is showing its age. I was looking at the 15.6" Optimus with i7 2630QM and 8GB of Ram. I tend to use my laptop for Software Development, SQL Server, VMWare ( running windows and Linux VMs ), Remote support using Remote Desktop, Internet, Video and some photo work.

My current laptop weighs 4.3Kg so I tend to use a Samsung NC10 when not at home but find it very limiting.

I am looking at a 1920x1080 ( my current screen is 1920x1200, not a great screen very washed out colours ) as I tend to do quite a bit of remote support and when connected through several servers to my destination a lower resolution screen makes for a lot of scrolling around.

I have a couple of concerns that someone may be able to answer or have an opinion on.

1) Is text legible on a 15.6" FHD screen as text on my current 17" Dell is already small ( Remote Desktop does not allow font scaling ). Should I go for a 17" Optimus/Vortex ?

2) I noticed last night that the Optimus II does not have DVI or a Firewire port. The price jump to the Vortex seems quite high for just these features as I won't make use of the uprated graphics card. We have a camcorder that has a firewire port so I would still have to use my wife's Sony laptop or a 2 year old iMac ( running XP, I'm not a fan on OSX). I did notice that the Vortex machines allow 16GB of ram which may be usefull when runnig several Virtual machines. However the lower battery life would be a concern ( Well at least on the a 15.6" model, a 17" model might be a desk bound as my current Dell )

3) I was looking at the Dell XPS 15 but have been swayed away from it as it looks very bulky and the keyboards seemed very warm on the display models in a local store ( I was unable to see a FHD screen on any laptops ). How do the PCS models compare ?

4) How reliable are the PCS/Celvo laptops ? My previous Fujistu 17" laptop had about 5 ports fail on the motherboard overtime ( which I think was down to bad cooling as the unit eventually started to turn off after an hour of use ), however my Dell has not had any issues ( apart from the fact the design is ugly, the screen is grainy and colours are very washed out and it weighs a ton )

I have almost purchased two laptops a Dell XPS 15 and an Optimus II in the last few days but both times I chickened out as I was concerned about text size on a 15" screen and exactly which model to buy.

Thanks

 

[Dealmaster13]

I have a 15.6" Optimus II and at first I was stunned by the DPI.

There are clearly a lot of pixels packed in there, but thanks to the screen clarity I can read normal small sprint without a problem, such as the text on these forums, say from around a metre away.

Note that DVI to VGA adapters are cheap; can't say the same about firewire, but perhaps there's a solution.

The XPS 15 sounds like a great laptop on paper; it's just a touch pricey and its main feature is its battery life.

Can't comment on realiability, but I would've thought the warranty PCS offers would sort you out.

 

[stewa]

Thanks for the reply

I was looking at a review http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Schenker-XMG-A501-Notebook-Clevo-W150HRM.53559.0.html which I believe may be the same chasis. However there are are number of reviews of Clevo based machines on the same website. The issues that seem to come up , at least with some of the reviews are

a) Heat
b) Fan noise
c) Rough touchpad

Any thoughts on Heat and Fan noise when not gaming ? Can you always hear the fans ?

Is the touch pad as rough as the new Sony ones, which seem very uncomfortable and made me dismiss the F Series laptops.

Thanks

 

[Dealmaster13]

Yep, same chassis.

I concur with the heat problems as my 2630QM got to 97 degrees after playing GTA IV on max settings for an hour. I haven't gotten round to checking my GPU temps for anything yet. This is with my laptop firmly propped up with a desk fan blowing across the GPU vent (obviously you want underneath cooling).

As for fan noise, although I use earphones, I'm pretty sure it's not significantly loud. Perhaps not even as loud as my gaming PC on idle.

The touchpad does have a 'rough' touch, however I like it. Personal preference.

Unfortunately I can't compare it with anything else.

Finally, the noisiest thing on idle with iGPU is my Momentus XT when you put your ear above the bay area and it's noticable when it's very busy, like most other hard drives.