Vortex II: 17.3 new build and queries

[Dioltas]

Hi, I'm a longtime lurker of this board just gathering a lot of information before I decided to finalised my build and with my previous laptop on it's last legs I'm curious to see what you all think of the below spec. It's purpose will be very vary from some gaming, photoshop design or video editing occasionally to more general browsing and a mix of work and fun. I probably want this laptop to last at least 3 years before it gets completely left behind by new technology.

Chassis & Display
Vortex II: 17.3" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080) (£89)

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-2720QM (2.20GHz) 6MB Cache

Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 4GB)

Graphics Card
2GB AMD® Radeon® HD 6990M - DirectX® 11 (17.3" Vortex II)

Memory - Hard Disk
160GB INTEL® 320 SERIES SSD, SATA 3 Gb/s (upto 270MB/sR | 165MB/sW)

2nd Hard Disk
500GB WD SCORPIO BLACK WD5000BPKT, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE (7200 rpm)

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

Sound Card
Intel 5.1 Channel High Definition Audio + SPDIF/MIC/Headphone Jack

Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & KILLER™ 1102 WIRELESS 802.11N - IDEAL FOR ONLINE GAMING

Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED

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


My budget is being a bit stretched by potentially contentious issues such as the whole Matte vs Glossy debate and while im leaning towards Matte I'm still not totally sure of how the end result will fare. I've did a lot of research into this and there's very mixed reviews on the issue of colour accuracy vs reflection or vivid displays and whether Matte's can help reduce eye strain (a primary concern for me as I will use this laptop a lot for work and at home and I'd like to avoid needing glasses for a while :winkiss: ).

I also have opted for an SSD after much thought and chose the Intel 320 160gb over the Intel 510 120gb largely due to the marveaux controller of the 510 and also that a larger size SSD should help extend the life and performance of the 320 even if the 510 is significantly faster overall. I will most likely just have OS, some Key applications and Games on the SSD but will use my secondary drive to hold most data and things like temporary files to try to prolong the SSD's lifespand and quality.

In trying to cut costs I managed to get a legitimate additional license for Windows 7 Premium 64bit, however I'm wondering whether choosing no OS might affect the testing and quality control of the laptop or could I end up having serious issues trying to resolve driver issues (I'm looking at you 6990m!) upon a new OS installation? Perhaps it might be possible to have a free Windows 7 Premium trial on the computer used during testing so then I would only need to use my license key to make it official?

I would appreciate any feedback or alternative ideas anyone might have for my specification and apologies for the mountains of text here! In particular queries about the Screen type, Harddrives, Ram, GPU and Operation system are welcomed and I'm considering upgrading the warranty further.

Many Thanks

 

[Wozza63]

They already put on the trial for you because they need windows for some testing and drivers all oyu need to do is put in your code

 

[Mulligan]

I also have opted for an SSD after much thought and chose the Intel 320 160gb over the Intel 510 120gb largely due to the marveaux controller of the 510 and also that a larger size SSD should help extend the life and performance of the 320 even if the 510 is significantly faster overall. I will most likely just have OS, some Key applications and Games on the SSD but will use my secondary drive to hold most data and things like temporary files to try to prolong the SSD's lifespand and quality.

Looks like a great machine, I'm looking at a very similar build. But I was thinking of the intel 510 120Gb instead, just because of increased speed. Is there a problem with the marveaux controller? I don't think my research went as deep as yours.

 

[Dioltas]

They already put on the trial for you because they need windows for some testing and drivers all oyu need to do is put in your code

Thanks for the quick response, I presume they just put on a standard home windows 7, but my code would just enable me to upgrade it to premium anyway?

Looks like a great machine, I'm looking at a very similar build. But I was thinking of the intel 510 120Gb instead, just because of increased speed. Is there a problem with the marveaux controller? I don't think my research went as deep as yours.

No I didn't find any concrete reason to distrust the new controller but there are suggestions that because the 320's are all Intel components they might be more reliable but only because there hasn't been enough time to tell whether the new Marveaux controller is good. I wouldn't let this alone dictate your decision, my primary motive was to get that extra 40gb at a similar price in the hope that it would allow for greater quantity of GB's to write per day before the SSD degraded in quality since having more free space helps support their life.

It seems a really close decision in my mind but I've never had an SSD before so I predict having any SSD will appear a major performance improvement.

 

[Wozza63]

I think it is a home premium trial anyway, after 30 days ( probably less than 21 as it is activated during testing) you will be asked to put in a code, do this and it should be fine

 

[vanthus]

PCS will put there own OEM windows7 OS on the PC whether you order an OS or not,this can only be activated with an OEM product key from PCS.to install your own OS you will need a legitimate OS disk and product key,unless you already have a legitimate OS & purchase a windows anytime upgrade key.

 

[Dioltas]

PCS will put there own OEM windows7 OS on the PC whether you order an OS or not,this can only be activated with an OEM product key from PCS.to install your own OS you will need a legitimate OS disk and product key,unless you already have a legitimate OS & purchase a windows anytime upgrade key.

I see, well I have the disc sitting in front of me but I just don't want to find out I need to reinstall the entire OS and lose any settings PCS might have established initially when I have the same OS and a legitimate key at hand. Having said that saving £109 which I can reinvest in hardware at the cost of a few hours lugging through drivers and setup's is a reasonable price to pay I guess.

Thanks for all your responses

 

[vanthus]

Shouldn't take that long,instructions on how to do a clean install are given in the welcome booklet & driver disks are provided.

 

[Teaz]

I see, well I have the disc sitting in front of me but I just don't want to find out I need to reinstall the entire OS and lose any settings PCS might have established initially when I have the same OS and a legitimate key at hand. Having said that saving £109 which I can reinvest in hardware at the cost of a few hours lugging through drivers and setup's is a reasonable price to pay I guess.

Thanks for all your responses

since you have the OS with the key, it should be fine and shouldnt lose anything as its just an upgrade. Unless youre doing a clean install, you will have to invest some good hours on adjusting and downloading everything back.

the 160gb ssd is fine to go for, the lifespan for both ssds are pretty unoticeable as speeds should feel similar unless youre doing some benchmarks on it which isnt recommended. some prefer speed over capacity and some prefer a balanced speed with more capacity, depends from person to person. the 160gb ssd has fine speeds for your use

As for the spec overal, its real solid, something similar id go for myself if i had the money Not sure on the killer wireless card though, i hear some mixed reviews on this laptop version too. personally i wouldnt go for it, you will still get some real good gaming overal from the spec, i would go for the ultimate N wireless.

Cant give much info on the 6990m as its still new and havent got much good proper in depth details on it yet.

 

[vanthus]

You can't upgrade from the OEM installation & a clean install wont take hours.

 

[Dioltas]

Shouldn't take that long,instructions on how to do a clean install are given in the welcome booklet & driver disks are provided.

True that should make the process much smoother and I've done clean installs countless times on previous computers, I was just being thorough due to the investment size. Thanks.

since you have the OS with the key, it should be fine and shouldnt lose anything as its just an upgrade. Unless youre doing a clean install, you will have to invest some good hours on adjusting and downloading everything back.

the 160gb ssd is fine to go for, the lifespan for both ssds are pretty unoticeable as speeds should feel similar unless youre doing some benchmarks on it which isnt recommended. some prefer speed over capacity and some prefer a balanced speed with more capacity, depends from person to person. the 160gb ssd has fine speeds for your use

As for the spec overal, its real solid, something similar id go for myself if i had the money Not sure on the killer wireless card though, i hear some mixed reviews on this laptop version too. personally i wouldnt go for it, you will still get some real good gaming overal from the spec, i would go for the ultimate N wireless.

Cant give much info on the 6990m as its still new and havent got much good proper in depth details on it yet.

Yeah I took a long time to decide between the SSD's and I don't think I would be disappointed with either option anyway but an extra capacity for games or programs wouldn't hurt. I had been waiting for 6990m to release since it should offer the best value per pound and while I realise the potential headaches with drivers that typically affects ATI cards, hopefully it will be worth it.

I was torn between the Intel 6300 and Killer, I don't need bluetooth or even really online game that much but while digging up I found a few benchmarks which suggested Killer outperformed the 6300 in general and also it's software management would be a lot handier than standard firewall filters for quickly adjusting bandwidth and prioritising apps etc. You can get more information at http://www.anandtech.com/show/4590/bigfoots-killern-1102-wireless-networking-vs-the-world/4 I'm leaning towards the killer based on that but not totally ignoring the 6300 before I finalise my order, of course my home internet isn't actually that good so I'm only going to see minor improvement anyway.

 

[Teaz]

You can't upgrade from the OEM installation & a clean install wont take hours.

eh? i remeber you could when i last looked? there was two options when you pop the disc in where you pick upgrade or custom wasnt there? it wont take hours but a clean install to get everything you have including updates could take a few hours depending how much there is lol then again i have a slow broadband area.

 

[vanthus]

Oh by the way Dioltas if i rememember correctly from another thread,PCS will install the OS for you if you arrange to send it in.

 

[Quattrix]

Hrmm, I would recommend going for the glossy screen if your budget is being stretched.

If you don't like it you can always upgrade it yourself (please not that while the risk is rare you might void your warranty), it is fairly easy and the option I'm going for myself.

If you like the screen yay you've saved yourself some money. If not then it spreads the cost of the laptop out a bit by getting the screen later.

Also these glossy screens aren't like mac glossy screens, those things will blind you, but looking at the show off your pc section you can find a few people who have uploaded there screens and they don't look bad at all.
EDIT: picture of screen here Note that the image was taken with a very bright flash, but you can't see any reflections apart from that.

As for the ssd, I believe the crucial M4 or intel are the best to go for with regards to not having issues with the clevo p170hm. Again if money is tight right now, can you not upgrade to an ssd later this will spread the cost of your laptop?

 

[Dioltas]

eh? i remeber you could when i last looked? there was two options when you pop the disc in where you pick upgrade or custom wasnt there? it wont take hours but a clean install to get everything you have including updates could take a few hours depending how much there is lol then again i have a slow broadband area.

Oh by the way Dioltas if i rememember correctly from another thread,PCS will install the OS for you if you arrange to send it in.

Thanks for all your help guys either option looks like it could be a great solution and as you both said if it did come to a clean install it would only take up a few hours downloading updates and using the install discs for drivers. I'll probably end up geeking out and actually enjoy doing the setup process anyway

 

[vanthus]

eh? i remeber you could when i last looked? there was two options when you pop the disc in where you pick upgrade or custom wasnt there? it wont take hours but a clean install to get everything you have including updates could take a few hours depending how much there is lol then again i have a slow broadband area.

Ah,I see what you mean Teaz,I thought you meant just entering the product key in the preinstalled OS.still,I dont think choosing upgrade would work , as it's not really an upgrade.

 

[Quattrix]

Hrmm, to save money you can always get the glossy screen and if you don't like it you can upgrade it later, that is what I'm planning on doing. It is not hard to upgrade the screen if you are worried and if you need help pm me, please note that like any upgrade this may void your warranty, But really anyone with a screw driver can do it .

This will let you save some money upfront, and if you hate it get a new screen later thus spreading the cost. Also these aren't like mac glossy screens, my god they blind you. have a look here at an owner http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?7453-Gaming-Laptop-Arrival note how even though its a glossy screen you can only see the reflection of that high flash coming off the camera and no other reflections (like the owner).

Also to save money, I would get a single harddrive now and upgrade to an ssd later. This of course is going by you saying you are at your limits budget wise .

 

[Dioltas]

Hrmm, I would recommend going for the glossy screen if your budget is being stretched.

If you don't like it you can always upgrade it yourself (please not that while the risk is rare you might void your warranty), it is fairly easy and the option I'm going for myself.

If you like the screen yay you've saved yourself some money. If not then it spreads the cost of the laptop out a bit by getting the screen later.

Also these glossy screens aren't like mac glossy screens, those things will blind you, but looking at the show off your pc section you can find a few people who have uploaded there screens and they don't look bad at all.

I took literally ages trying to decide between Matte or Glossy, reading multiple forums and looking at benchmarks and general discussions on comparing each screen type. I agree the cost is quite a major factor since I could potentially upgrade another major piece of hardware for the same cost. Do you think the process of upgrading the screen is easy enough to do at home without voiding warranty so long as I go through the typical safety checks like making sure I'm grounded and avoiding static?

Glossy would be great for gaming or watching videos although I also need to consider having accurate colours for design purposes. I currently use photoshop and adobe premiere, flash and other programs quite regularly in work though this may change soon as I'm jobhunting, still it warrants consideration and I believe this is a major plus for the Matte screen. I would also say that reflections can be quite annoying but their not a total deal breaker as I usually can fidget about enough to avoid this, but closing curtains and turning off lights isn't great and probably compounds potential eye strain. I'm young and have 20/20 vision but my eyes have been definitely suffering from Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) so I had hoped a Matte screen might be easier on the eye especially as I will be using this laptop for exceedingly long periods in work and at home and I'm trying to avoid buying glasses just for computers

I realise the debate between Matte and Glossy is almost all about personal preference but I would love to hear from anyone who has personal experience from these particular models that PCS offers and in particular if the theory behind anti-glare/matte screens can help reduce eye strain. I presume it's something you have to see in real life to notice the difference as I have looked at many comparative screenshots and while Glossy does appear more Vivid, Mattes also seem to look perfectly good, despite potential complaints of 'graininess'.

 

[Quattrix]

Hi, I'm a longtime lurker of this board just gathering a lot of information before I decided to finalised my build and with my previous laptop on it's last legs I'm curious to see what you all think of the below spec. It's purpose will be very vary from some gaming, photoshop design or video editing occasionally to more general browsing and a mix of work and fun. I probably want this laptop to last at least 3 years before it gets completely left behind by new technology.

Chassis & Display
Vortex II: 17.3" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080) (£89)

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-2720QM (2.20GHz) 6MB Cache

Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 4GB)

Graphics Card
2GB AMD® Radeon® HD 6990M - DirectX® 11 (17.3" Vortex II)

Memory - Hard Disk
160GB INTEL® 320 SERIES SSD, SATA 3 Gb/s (upto 270MB/sR | 165MB/sW)

2nd Hard Disk
500GB WD SCORPIO BLACK WD5000BPKT, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE (7200 rpm)

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

Sound Card
Intel 5.1 Channel High Definition Audio + SPDIF/MIC/Headphone Jack

Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & KILLER™ 1102 WIRELESS 802.11N - IDEAL FOR ONLINE GAMING

Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED

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


My budget is being a bit stretched by potentially contentious issues such as the whole Matte vs Glossy debate and while im leaning towards Matte I'm still not totally sure of how the end result will fare. I've did a lot of research into this and there's very mixed reviews on the issue of colour accuracy vs reflection or vivid displays and whether Matte's can help reduce eye strain (a primary concern for me as I will use this laptop a lot for work and at home and I'd like to avoid needing glasses for a while :winkiss: ).

I also have opted for an SSD after much thought and chose the Intel 320 160gb over the Intel 510 120gb largely due to the marveaux controller of the 510 and also that a larger size SSD should help extend the life and performance of the 320 even if the 510 is significantly faster overall. I will most likely just have OS, some Key applications and Games on the SSD but will use my secondary drive to hold most data and things like temporary files to try to prolong the SSD's lifespand and quality.

In trying to cut costs I managed to get a legitimate additional license for Windows 7 Premium 64bit, however I'm wondering whether choosing no OS might affect the testing and quality control of the laptop or could I end up having serious issues trying to resolve driver issues (I'm looking at you 6990m!) upon a new OS installation? Perhaps it might be possible to have a free Windows 7 Premium trial on the computer used during testing so then I would only need to use my license key to make it official?

I would appreciate any feedback or alternative ideas anyone might have for my specification and apologies for the mountains of text here! In particular queries about the Screen type, Harddrives, Ram, GPU and Operation system are welcomed and I'm considering upgrading the warranty further.

Many Thanks

If you are cutting costs I would recommend downing to the glossy screen, then if you find you hate it you can upgrade later thus spreading the cost of the laptop out, it is really easy anyone with a screw driver can do it . If you do find you like it though, it saves you some money. If you find you can't stand it pm me or post and I can help with how to change the screen. Also look at the screen shown here it isn't like the mac glossy screens that can blind you, they seem of good quality and barely any reflection even from that user using a very bright flash.

I would also drop down to one hard drive and upgrade to an ssd later on as well, again spreading the cost of the laptop out. With regards to recommending I would go for a crucial m4 or an intel 510. They seem to be the least prone to failure / issues in the clevo P170HM which is what the vortex II is based from.

Please note like all upgrades, however little the risk is, you might void your warranty.

 

[Dioltas]

If you are cutting costs I would recommend downing to the glossy screen, then if you find you hate it you can upgrade later thus spreading the cost of the laptop out, it is really easy anyone with a screw driver can do it . If you do find you like it though, it saves you some money. If you find you can't stand it pm me or post and I can help with how to change the screen. Also look at the screen shown here it isn't like the mac glossy screens that can blind you, they seem of good quality and barely any reflection even from that user using a very bright flash.

I would also drop down to one hard drive and upgrade to an ssd later on as well, again spreading the cost of the laptop out. With regards to recommending I would go for a crucial m4 or an intel 510. They seem to be the least prone to failure / issues in the clevo P170HM which is what the vortex II is based from.

Please note like all upgrades, however little the risk is, you might void your warranty.

I had replied to your previous post but maybe it was deleted or server issues... or I'm just going insane

To summarise my original long response I had preferred Matte for it's more accurate colours for design purposes and also potentially reducing eye strain and Computer Vision Syndrome. Supposedly Matte can help with this but it's not definitive, whilst I appreciate glossy can appear more vivid and better for Games/Films I wonder if it's worth the slight boost to further strain your eyes and deal with reflections. £89 is a significant price though and It could save me money or go towards boosting another part of the system, but my primary motive at the moment is considering that I will use this new laptop for a ridiculous amount of hours per day and week so eye strain is a sensible investment. I totally appreciate your feedback though and the thought of manually upgrading in a way without voiding warranty is an interesting option to consider and like you say spreading out the cost could be handy. I've looked at a lot of comparative screenshot's with the screen types including Macs and Pc's but I presume it's something that really needs to be seen in person to judge and I would be wary of a potentially grainy display from a Matte coated screen.

I could save quite a bit by dropping the SSD but It's something I'm set on now Reading posts in this thread I'm going to further consider whether to change my order to a 510 120gb since the prices are near identical with the 320 160gb. I can't foresee myself manually upgrading this potentially until it is out of warranty anyway so I would prefer to pick options that will be strong for approx 3 years.

Thanks for all your ideas and feedback, you have definitely given me more ideas to consider .