Very close to buying this Optimus IV:

[teuchter]

Hi there folks, I'd appreciate a little outside input on these specs. A few people have told me to go for a desktop, and while I see the logic, I like the basic portability of taking my laptop around the house or throwing it in a bag to take with me on trips (I don't drive, nor work anywhere I need a computer).

It will mostly be used for internet browsing, watching films and gaming. I like my indie gaming mostly, also RPGsand strategies (eg Rome 2 and Diablo 3) if I'm lucky) so I'm hoping it will be relatively future-proof. Other gaming I do on my PS3, which is also the reason I haven't bothered with Blueray.

I have also been learning to code lately, and I'll be working at that over the next few years, Java to begin with, after that no idea - will I hit a wall with this machine?

A colleague advised me to buy an SSD as my main HD for the speed. I've never used one though. I'm so used to my current, pithy 80GB (effectively 35GB by now) that I don't make a habit of keeping files around too long. And theres an empty SATA port if I want to upgrade later.

I've gone for the 17.3" largely because my partner is very short sighted, but I'm unsure whether to choose a matte or glossy screen in that regard. Anyone have experience there?

OK the specs, please let me know if I've gone way off track based on my needs, or if my reasoning is just outright stupid. Thanks!

Chassis & Display
Optimus Series: 17.3" Glossy Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-3630QM (2.40GHz) 6MB
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 660M - 2.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - Hard Disk
120GB INTEL® 330 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 500MB/sR | 450MB/sW)
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® ADVANCED-N 6235 (300Mbps) + BLUETOOTH
USB Options
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Battery
Optimus Series 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (5,200 mAh/76.96WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 120W AC Adaptor
Operating System
Genuine Windows 8 Standard Edition 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
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
External Speakers
Microlab B18 2.0 USB Speakers (£9)
Webcam
INTEGRATED 2.0 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 9 to 11 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £856.00 including VAT and delivery.

 

[beaver]

I'd hate to take a potential sale away from PC Specialist but that might be a little more overkill for what you'll need TODAY - but in regards to future proofing it then, if you take care of this laptop, it could easily last a decade.

 

[Corfate]

Im not that clued up on laptop processors and GPU's, but i am with SSD's, i think Go for the 120gb Intel 330 SSD. It's got faster read and write speeds (basically a faster SSD, for a little bit more money) 8GB is nothing to lose really.

 

[crawoo145]

Yeah I would upgrade your SSD for a couple of quid. And do you need that network card, can your router output that speed?

 

[teuchter]

Thanks very much! I've edited a few of the specs.
crawoo145 you're absolutely right I don't need that network card, I've gone for the 300Mbps, is that more like the current standard?
Corfate I was going for the Kingston SSD because they are cheap on PCS at the moment, but you're right, the extra speed could really make the difference in the long run.
beaver I had the 'overkill' thought myself, and you're probably right as well. This is the only time I foresee I'll have this kind of disposable cash for a good few years. My current machine is a brick, and has been a brick since I got it in 2008 (Acer Aspire 5715z if you're interested), I'd like something to last. Am I being an idiot? I do generally take good care of my stuff.

 

[vanthus]

With the changes suggested it's a very good spec.
Personally I don't see it as being overkill really.