Gaming laptop - thoughts?

[fadagaski]

Hi guys,

New to the forum, not new to PCS. Am toying with the idea of a new laptop purchase in the New Year. Whaddya think of these specs?

Chassis & Display
Viper II: 18.4" HD+ LCD Backlit Widescreen (1680x945) Super Clear Matte
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Mobile Processor i7-720QM (1.60GHz) 6MB Cache
Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5165 - 1GB GDDR3 Video RAM - DirectX® 10
Memory - Hard Disk
500GB WD SCORPIO BLACK WD5000BEKT, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE (7200 rpm)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD, MS PRO, MMC, MS)
Network Facilities
INTEGRATED GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS 802.11N CARD (AS STANDARD)
USB Options
3 x USB 2.0 PORTS AS STANDARD
Bluetooth & Infrared Options
Integrated V2.0 Bluetooth Adapter + EDR Capability
Battery
Viper Series 9 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (6,600 mAh)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 90W AC Adaptor
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE


I consider this a desktop replacement rather than a notebook, so size/weight/battery life aren't that important to me. What does matter to me is:

• ability of the motherboard to handle the processor
• ability to upgrade the RAM in future if necessary
• whether there's a better processor on the near horizon I should wait for (Sandy Bridge, anyone?)
• whether there's a better graphics card I should plug for (and whether PCS will let me ask for a specific type instead!).
• randomly, the keyboard/mouse functionality on this chassis
• anything else anyone can think of that's worthy of note!

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom.

Ally

 

[Nightstalker]

I'd change to the Vortex i7: 17.3" only because its full HD with a 1080p screen. You wont miss the extra inch either. I'd lose the operating system too and go for a 840QM.. But if you have no other way for a OS they obviously you're going to need it.

 

[PCS]

I'd change to the Vortex i7: 17.3" only because its full HD with a 1080p screen. You wont miss the extra inch either. I'd lose the operating system too and go for a 840QM.. But if you have no other way for a OS they obviously you're going to need it.

I wouldn't recommend "losing" the operating system - Windows 7 is important to be installed.

Hi guys,

New to the forum, not new to PCS. Am toying with the idea of a new laptop purchase in the New Year. Whaddya think of these specs?

...Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom.
Ally

The spec you've put together looks great, but I don't think you can upgrade to anything higher than 8GB available for this laptop. Huron River mobile CPU's will be launched in January/February, but it depends on exactly what you're looking to order as to whether it will yield and extra "bang for buck". At the moment we won't have any stock until at least February, and an 18.4" Viper version will not be released, so this chassis will eventually be discontinued, which is a shame as it's very popular...

 

[fadagaski]

18.4" Viper version will not be released, so this chassis will eventually be discontinued, which is a shame as it's very popular...

That is a great shame. I would want this chassis because of its matte screen. Even operating indoors, a glossy screen is the bane of my life!

I should've said that it would be a gaming laptop, playing nothing massively strenuous for today's systems. I like my sims and strategies, and some RPGs - Oblivion, Fable II, The Sims 2 & 3, Sim City 4, Civ V, etc. Most of those are more RAM-hungry than anything else, thus the question about RAM upgrades.

Thanks for the response, anyway!

Ally