Thoughts on my spec

[keithbucknall]

Hi all,

Just wondered if I could get your thoughts on this spec, just not sure on the 20GB SSD cache for the XT drive - maybe I should go for a 480GB SSD - thoughts?

Chassis & Display
Vortex Series: 15.6" AUO Matte 95% Gamut Widescreen (1920x1080) (£79)

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-3840QM (2.80GHz) 8MB

Memory (RAM)
32GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (4 x 8GB)

Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 680M - 4.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11

Memory - Hard Disk
750GB SEAGATE MOMENTUS XT HYBRID, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB CACHE (7200 rpm)

mSATA SSD Cache / Storage Drives
20GB INTEL® 313 mSATA SSD - SLC CACHE DRIVE- SPEED UP HDD

DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
6x BLURAY WRITER, 8x DVD ±R/±RW & CYBERLINK SOFTWARE

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 & KILLER™ 1202 WIRELESS GAMING 802.11N + BLUETOOTH 4.0

USB Options
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD

Firewire
1 X 1394a FIREWIRE PORT

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

Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 180W AC Adaptor

Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)

Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE

Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE

Laptop Cooling Stands
Zalman ZM-NC11 Ultra-Quiet Laptop Cooler, upto 17.3 inch (£25)

Keyboard Language
INTEGRATED BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD

Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE

Gaming Mouse Pad
ROCCAT™ Taito Mini Gaming Mouse Mat (£9)

Webcam
INTEGRATED 2.0 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM

Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£69)

Dead Pixel Guarantee
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs (£19)

Intel Anti-Theft Technology
FREE 90 Day Intel Anti-Theft Trial - Prevent Data Access upon Theft

Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft

Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)

Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Quantity 1

 

[ilike2burnthing]

The Seagate Momentus XT is a hybrid drive, it already has a SSD cache, so the mSSD you've selected is wasted on this drive. I'd either go for the WD Scorpio Black with the mSSD, the Momentus XT on its own, a small SSD as your main drive and a small WD Black as storage (though you'll have to remove the BluRay drive), or a large SSD (though that will jump the price up).

In terms of the CPU, GPU and the RAM, what are you using the laptop for? All of those are fairly high spec which doesn't tend to be needed unless you'd doing HD video editing or 3D design.

 

[keithbucknall]

I plan to run VMware when not playing games.

 

[Toxophilix]

If a 480GB SSD is within budget then I'd just go for that.

Would be useful to know what you intend to use this for, as ilike2burnthing says.

Edit: Sorry, our replies crossed in the post. VMware + gaming: it will be a luxurious spec for both.

 

[keithbucknall]

Thanks is it worth going for the SLI 680 GTX on the 17"???

 

[Toxophilix]

Thanks is it worth going for the SLI 680 GTX on the 17"???

Here's notebookcheck comparing the 680M and 7979M and then on the 680M in SLI and the 7970M in CrossFire:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-GeForce-GTX-680M-vs-Radeon-HD-7970M.77110.0.html
http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-680M-SLI.76545.0.html
http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-7970M-Crossfire.74305.0.html

It would appear that you do get some noticeable benefit from 2 x 680Ms, which is what you'd expect, given that it's not as powerful as it's desktop cousin. It is going to be hot, noisy and very heavy though. But it will be those things anyway, tbh.

7970Ms would be a lot cheaper and give similar performance, in theory, but there are the driver issues to think about. If AMD have finally resolved those - and I think they are releasing an update any day - then it could be something to look at.

My only other thought is to ask if it wouldn't be possible to plan around using a desktop for the most demanding stuff and get a lighter, cheaper, cooler but less powerful laptop. I know that's not always possible but my own experiences with desktop-replacement laptops haven't been a lot of fun. (Not talking about PCS specificially - I haven't used one of their laptops.)

 

[keithbucknall]

Toxophilix - thanks for the great feedback I am looking for a portable solution to replace by shuttle desktop build that can play the latest games, Fry Cry 3, COD etc and then be able to spin up a number of virtual machines for my testing and development really.

 

[Torgan]

It would appear that you do get some noticeable benefit from 2 x 680Ms, which is what you'd expect, given that it's not as powerful as it's desktop cousin. It is going to be hot, noisy and very heavy though. But it will be those things anyway, tbh.

Hi,

I just thought I would give the benefit of my experience with 2 x 680m's in SLI. I fully expected the laptop to get roasting hot and noisy, but that is just not the case. The case hardly shows any temperature rise when gaming, and the fans are not as noisy as my old Vortex II using a GTX 580M. I have attached a screenshot of the CPU and GPU temps taken during a snowed in afternoon of playing Far Cry 3/Guild Wars 2 and Painkiller Hell and Damnation, all on maximum graphic settings.





Hope this is of some use to you

Torgan.

 

[Toxophilix]

Holy ... that is the Laptop of the Apocalypse.

Perhaps it's the case that with 2 680Ms they are not at maximum load the whole time and so are quieter than a single high-end GPU would be?

 

[Torgan]

I definitely think that is the case mate. They have basically chewed up anything that I have thrown at them so far without really braking a sweat so am extremely happy to have shelled out the extra cash SLI cost me. I also wanted to "future proof" myself for as long as possible and figured that paying now in one chunk was better than upgrading time after time

The improved power consumption rate was one of the major selling points that attracted me to the 680m's and I am definitely seeing marked temperature differences over earlier gaming laptops I have used.