Genesis IV help

[Fluorspar]

Hi all, new here

I'm looking for a laptop to take to uni. I'm a pretty intensive user, but don't need anything too specialist - I do a bit of digital art, some retro games (like Red Alert ) but mainly tab-heavy browsing and video watching. However I would like it to last - the desktop I'm on at the moment is 7 years old and still going! So I've got what looks to me like a very nice build, but would like some opinions before I commit £700.

Genesis IV: 15.6" Glossy Full HD LED 16:9 Widescreen (1920x1080)
Intel® Core™i3 Dual Core Mobile Processor i3-2370M (2.40GHz) 3MB
8GB SAMSUNG 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 4GB)
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 630M - 1GB DDR3 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
180GB INTEL® 330 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 500MB/sR | 450MB/sW)
The rest is standard

Also a few general questions due to my computing ignorance:
Is the i5 worth the extra £25 over the i3?
Is an SSD worth it? I've been told by some they're invaluable, but they are much more expensive and smaller. I originally had a 120GB SSD and 320 HHD, but that's incompatible with a DVD drive, which I really want.
Why is MS Office university cheaper than Student when it has less stuff?
How does a 64bit OS affect performance?
Can I still play old games on Windows 7?


Sorry for the absolute ton of questions, any help is appreciated ^^;;

 

[Tom DWC]

Hey there, welcome to the forums.

Q1. I would say so, one thing the PCS information section doesn't mention is the fact that the i5 has Intel Turbo Boost technology and the i3 does not. Basically what this means is the i5 can increase its clockspeed up to 3.1GHz when non-multithreaded applications are being used, which is a healthy boost considering how many apps still don't make use of more than a few cores. It will always scale accodingly so you'll usually get a small boost of some sort.

Q2. Definitely, they improve the overall operating speed of Windows noticeably and boot and loading times are considerably improved. Given how expensive they are though, it's worth having a smaller SSD as a boot drive to install Windows and programs on, and then have a secondary hard drive for storing large files and folders (and to install games on if you're running out of room). This helps to keep the cost down, at the moment I feel too much of your budget is going on the SSD at the expense of the rest of the system. That said if you really want the DVD drive, I would recommend a fast individual hard drive such as one of the hybrid models, which still perform well enough.

Q3. Good question, I honestly have no idea. Maybe because of the extra licence perhaps? (3 instead of 2)... But you're right, less content included, so I don't really know.

Q4. A 64-bit OS is able to take greater advantage of modern hardware, for example, a 32-bit OS cannot make use of more than 3.5GB of RAM. Many programs are now written natively for 64-bit as well as 32-bit and these versions of the programs will see performance improvements. I would recommend almost all modern PCs have a 64-bit OS installed.

Q5. 99.9% of the time, yes. There's a compatibility mode available for older games that won't work out of the box (but they usually do) and if this fails even then a workaround can usually be found. If you have any specific titles in mind post them here or in the games section and another forum member may be able to confirm for you. You can usually find out from Google easily enough too.

With all of this in mind, I would suggest the following build. It is only a suggestion though and your original build is still sound and will perform well, as long as the 180GB will be enough in the way of internal storage for you:

Chassis & Display
Genesis IV: 15.6" Glossy Full HD LED 16:9 Widescreen (1920x1080) (£35)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Dual Core Mobile Processor i5-3210M (2.50GHz) 3MB
Memory (RAM)
4GB SAMSUNG 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (1 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 630M - 1GB DDR3 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - Hard Disk
750GB SEAGATE MOMENTUS XT HYBRID, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB CACHE (7200 rpm)
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)
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® ADVANCED-N 6235 (300Mbps) + BLUETOOTH
USB Options
2 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Battery
Upgrade to 62.16WH 6 Cell Lithium-ION Battery (£39)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 65W AC Adaptor
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
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
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £729.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/genesisIV/6_JFbMxVKH/

 

[Fluorspar]

Wew, thanks for the comprehensive reply!

A couple of things I noticed in your build:

Considering, as you explained, that 64bit OS can use more than 3.5GB of ram, why did you pick the 4GB of 1600 over 8GB of 1333? Would the extra 4 go to waste? Is there a big difference between 1333 and 1600 RAM?

Are the battery and 300Mbps wireless worth it?

Thanks very much for all your help =]

 

[Tom DWC]

4GB of RAM is still plenty. The difference between the 1333 and 1600 frequencies will be small in this case, but it is only ever so slightly more expensive (at least when buying 4GB). I would recommend the 64-bit OS regardless of how much RAM you go for, as long as it's over 4GB. Generally it will be faster and more stable, future-proof etc.

8GB of 1333MHz DDR3 would be a great choice too if you don't mind spending a little extra, though.

I would say the extra battery capacity is well worth it, unless you never plan on taking it away from the mains of course! Again the 300Mbps wireless card is more future-proof than the 150Mbps model, but it really depends on how fast your connection is and whether you'll be using WiFi frequently or not. I know Virgin Media connections can take advantage of the faster transfer speeds, not sure about others such as BT though. But if you don't need these then save some of the budget here and boost your RAM.

No problem.

 

[Marks]

When you start adding nvidia gpu's and 1080p screens to the cheaper models it can be cheaper to get a better base chassis as these things come as standard.

I've chosen an optimus 4 15" model, with an i5 to allow turbo boost to give you extra performance for not much extra, 8gb of ram for future proofing, 120gb kingston ssd drive, intel 330 and 520 drives would be upto £40ish more, £5 silver warranty and £9 thermal paste upgrade.

You also get a 2gb 660m graphics chip instead of the 630m, and you can add a 2nd HDD in the future, either another ssd or a hybrid or standard hdd when you need the space.

It also seems to have a larger battery as standard as well. All for under £750.

Chassis & Display
Optimus Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Dual Core Mobile Processor i5-3210M (2.50GHz) 3MB
Memory (RAM)

8GB SAMSUNG 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card

NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 660M - 2.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11

Memory - Hard Disk
128GB KINGSTON V200 SSD, SATA 6 Gb (300MB/R, 190MB/W) (Special Offer)

DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)

Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND (£9)

Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® N135 802.11N (150Mbps) + BLUETOOTH

Battery
Optimus Series 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (5,200 mAh/76.96WH)

Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence

Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)

Price: £747.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/optimusIV-15/nvpO_t22Kx/