Vortex III Specification - Questions and Advice

[Simon]

Hi Forum

Still considering a replacement for my ageing HP DV7-1055EA and glad that I didn't order before the i7-3940XM came out.
I had a few responses to a previous post along these lines, but had hoped for more and better advice than was forthcoming at the time although thanks to those who did contribute.
I'm considering this laptop as a partner to my two year old desktop (order number 345023 - in case and PCS are reading - and see below for updates) for heavy duty general purpose use including photo/ HD video editing with the ability to run multiple resource intensive processes concurrently and to never have to wait for anything. I have a phobia of egg-timers.
I need a lot of disk as I make extensive use of offline files to cache a copy of my desktop files and these run to way over 1TB but I'm opting for speed over space as disk is always almost the limiting factor on performance in my world. I've opted for a fast wireless card in the hope that this will significantly improve the speed at which offline files synchronisation takes place.
Some specific quesions/concerns include:

• is it properly balanced (cpu, graphics, memory, ssd) - if I ran the W8 WEI would I see similar scores for each of these and how far above 7.9 might these be
• how hot is it likely to run - 55W seems like a lot of power to dissipate with no water cooling - is it going to be too hot to run on my lap WITHOUT the cooling stand
• on the subject of cooling, anyone have any preferences for the stand - mostly I'll be using it on my lap so comfortable, quiet, sturdy and cool are what I'm after
• how worried should I be about reports of poor audio quality and keyboard build quality - are there any other known weaknesses with the Vortex III
• what expectations are there for Haswell - I wonder if I should wait for it
• is there anything else around the corner that I should be considering - don't mention W8 (I downloaded the RC and as far as I'm concerned its a big step backwards so I'll be staying with W7)

Thanks in hopeful anticipation ...
Simon

PROPOSED LAPTOP BUILD

Chassis & Display
Vortex Series:17.3" AUO Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080) (£85)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Extreme i7-3940XM (3.00GHz) 8MB
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (4 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 675M - 2.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
480GB INTEL® 520 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
480GB INTEL® 520 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
RAID
RAID 0 (STRIPED VOLUME - 2 x same size & model HDD / SSD) (£9)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
SONY BD-5750H 6x BLURAY WRITER & 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 5.1 Channel High Definition Audio + SPDIF/MIC/Headphone Jack
Network Facilities
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® ULTIMATE-N 6300 (450Mbps)
USB Options
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Firewire
1 X 1394a FIREWIRE PORT
Battery
2 x 17.3" Vortex Series Battery Pack, 76.96WH (One Spare) (£49)
Power Lead & Adaptor
2 x UK Power Lead & 220W AC Adaptor (£55)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Laptop Cooling Stands
Antec Notebook Cooler 200 + Antec Big Boy 200mm Dual Speed Fan (£52)
Carry Case
TARGUS XXL NOTEBOOK CASE TCC008EU (£46)
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
Logitech® Portable Webcam C905 Carl Zeiss Optics, Autofocus (£66)
Headsets (VOIP)
LOGITECH® WIRELESS GAMING HEADSET G930 - 7.1 SURROUND SOUND (£129)
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)
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​

EXISTING DESKTOP SPECIFICATION ...

Case
COOLERMASTER COSMOS 1000 SILVER SILENT CASE (£159)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Processor Extreme Edition i7-980X (3.33GHz) 6.4GTs/12MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® RAMPAGE III EXTREME: 3-Way SLI & CrossFireX, SATA 6.0GB/s, USB 3.0
Memory (RAM)
24GB SAMSUNG DDR3 TRI-DDR3 1333MHz (6 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
1536MB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX480 GDDR5 PCI EXPRESS - DirectX® 11
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
240GB OCZ VERTEX 2 SATA II 2.5" SSD (upto 285MB/sR | 275MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
600GB WD VELOCIRAPTOR® SATA 6-Gb/s, 32MB CACHE (10,000rpm)
3rd Hard Disk
600GB WD VELOCIRAPTOR® SATA 6-Gb/s, 32MB CACHE (10,000rpm)
4th Hard Disk
600GB WD VELOCIRAPTOR® SATA 6-Gb/s, 32MB CACHE (10,000rpm)
5th Hard Disk
600GB WD VELOCIRAPTOR® SATA 6-Gb/s, 32MB CACHE (10,000rpm)
6th Hard Disk
600GB WD VELOCIRAPTOR® SATA 6-Gb/s, 32MB CACHE (10,000rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
10x BLU-RAY RE-WRITER DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW (£99)
2nd DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
10x BLU-RAY RE-WRITER DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW (£99)
Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (READS XD, MS, CF, SD, etc)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W MODULAR PSU (HX1000) 80+ ULTRA QUIET (£175)
Processor Cooling
COOLIT ECO A.L.C (ADVANCED LIQUID COOLER) (£62)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
ONBOARD 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
USB Options
6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL (MIN 2 FRONT PORTS) AS STANDARD
Firewire
1 x IEEE 1394a FIREWIRE PORT ONBOARD
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£148)
Office Software
Microsoft® Office Pro 2010 (Incl Disc & 1 License for 2 devices) (£339)
Anti-Virus
MICROSOFT SECURITY ESSENTIALS - Free Basic Protection
Speakers
LOGITECH Z-5500 Digital 5.1 THX-certified digital surround (£252)
Webcam
Logitech® Webcam Pro 9000 - 2.0Mp, AutoFocus and Carl Zeiss Optics (£55)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, Lifetime Tech Support) (£5)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Miscellaneous
FREE Just Cuase 2 Game (RRP: £34.99) with any GTX 4xx Series GPU!
Quantity
1​

 

[PCS]

1. The specification is very well balanced - you've chosen a powerful specification here and there is not much that can be improved.

2. The chassis is designed to dissipate the heat effectively without over-heating so there is no need to worry here.

3. The reports about audio quality are varied - some of our customers are very happy and others have stated that it's a weak point. However, if you're looking for professional studio quality audio will you not be connecting to an external speaker set? Also consider an external soundcard.

4. Haswell is a long time away yet, perhaps a year for the high end stuff, and by the time it is released Intel will be developing Broadwell then Skylake.

5. There are no new major changes due to the Vortex III series. There may be a 4GB GTX 675M released but it is not confirmed if we will stock it, nor when it will arrive. And 4GB is not required by most games...

 

[Simon]

Dear PCS

Many thanks for the timely and helpful reply.

1. If the cooling is so effective, I wonder if I need the stand?
2. I'm coming round to the view that Ivybridge seems like a perfectly good CPU, albeit we don't seem to know that much about Haswell to work out whether it would be worth the wait. I do understand that one has to jump in somewhere/sometime as otherwise you'd wait for ever.
3. I'm not sure that I need 4GB on my graphics card, so not too concerned as to whether the GTX675M gets released/stocked but thanks for the information.
4. No comment on keyboard quality issues? This would be a big deal for me, as I have experienced a broekn key on my HP and would not like this to happen again.
5. The audio doesn't need to be studio quality, but it doesn't need to sound tinny either. I do have the LOGITECH Z-5500 but it's not very portable - is it the audio on the MB or the speakers or both that are so disappointing? If it is the MB then an audio card will help. If it is the speakers, then an audio card won't improve things and the laptop will not work that well when it isn't stuck to my desk.
6. mSATA is new since I last purchased a laptop. If there was a 240GB mSATA then I'd be asking questions like how does its speed compare to the Intel 520 SSDs that I've specified and could it be included as well to be used as the system/boot drive, freeing my 520 SSDs for use as a single partition for use with offline files. Come to that, is it possible (and not too difficult) to fit an mSATA SSD at a later date when a bigger one becomes available?
7. Any issues with the fragility of the hinge on the Vortex III - often a source of problems for laptops, IMHO.

Thanks again ...

Simon

 

[PCS]

1. The laptops does not "require" a stand, this is optional. Perhaps you can order one at a later dtae if you feel it is necessary.

4. The backlit keyboards do have a higher failure rate than the standard keyboards, because they are a much more advanced piece of technology. However the failure rate is still lower than 1% and of course you have a warranty, if any problems occur we'll put it right straight away.

5. Personally I don't feel that the audio is ppor, but that's just my opinion. Some members have said it is excellent, others have said it could be improved. Again before buying an external soundcard you can test the audio first so see whether or not it is satisfactory for your requirements.

6. mSATA SSDs can be fitted at a later date without too much difficulty - they just slot into a slot inside the chassis.

7. Not that I am aware of.

 

[Simon]

Dear PCS

Thanks again for a quick and helpful reply. I am somewhat reassured, although I still have a few reservations.
In general, I'd prefer to get the specification correct up front and avoid supplementary orders.

1. I'll probably order a stand. Clearly it isn't "required", but I'm hoping they're not manufactured purely for fun, or do I mean profit, and I'm still interested in views on whether the one I've chosen is the best candidate for sturdy, comfortable, cool, quiet operaton on my lap.

4. A 1% failure rate sounds quite high to me and since I'm not very enthused by the backlit nature of the keyboard then it's a shame there isn't a less hi-tech one available. I appreciate that if it is DOA or fails within warranty then I can, at some inconvenience, have it replaced. However, do you have any MTBF numbers? I can live with a risk of a DOA, but the thought of having a dead keyboard when the rig has just gone out of warranty is a big worry for me. Any idea what the repair cost would be?

5. I'll take your advice on the audio and try it and see. It will be a shame if I find the speakers to be inferior, as there is no sensible way to fix that whilst the laptop is away from my external speakers (which is most of the time). However, if I find myself dissatisfied with the audio quality of the MB then it is reassuring that I could purchase a sound card at a later date.

6. I will not be selecting an mSATA SSD unless/until they get a lot faster and a bit larger. However, it's nice to know that one could be squeezed into the chassis alongside the twin Intel 520s at a later date.

8. I'm also considering swapping my memory specification from 4x4GB Kingston to 2x8GB Samsung just in case I need to add any more. Hopefully this is 100% genuine Samsung and I won't be losing out on performance too badly by reducing the number of channels in use, if that makes any sense.

9. Would I be right in saying that the i7-3940XM is in short supply at PCS? It seems to have disappeared from the configurator this morning ...

Hopefully I'll stop running out of questions and start firing up my online banking software soon.

Simon

 

[PCS]

1. The higher the power of the laptop you choose = more heat produced and more heat to dissipate. it's not going to be silent but if you read reviews on our forums you'll see that our users are very satisfied with the heat and noise levels produced by the Vortex III series.

4. The failure rate is below 1% and very minimal. As is always the case, if you sell thousands of laptops you're not going to hear about how fantastic they are from the 99.9% of customers, you will only hear about the problems from the 0.1%. Even if your laptop is just out of warranty we will still carry replacements - I think you are over-worrying here, the keyboard hasas much chance of failing as any other component.

8. The Samsung memory we sell is Samsung on Samsung (Samsung original) straight out of the factory...just like the memory inside your desktop computer that you purchased from us!

9. The 3940XM is not launched until 30th September, we listed in early in error. However if you order a 3920XM I can assue you that you will received a 3940XM. Stock on this SKU is tight at present.

 

[Simon]

Dear PCS

Thanks so much for continuing to answer my questions - I assure you, we are getting ever closer!

1. If I really want to have a cooling stand, which one would deliver the most comfortable, cool, quiet, sturdy operation when balanced on my lap? I've read a few reviews and most (all?) are based on a CPU less powerful than an i7-3920, so not yet convienced that a stand is a waste of money. However, I hope the rig does run cool (with the MX-4 correctly applied) so that the stand is less "required" than I fear.
4. So, if I asked for an out-of-warranty keyboard replacement today, what would be the cost? I may be worrying needlessly, but I don't think it's true that all components are equally likely to fail. I take your point about the feedback, though.
8. Great! But apart from price, is there any other downside (performance?) to 2X8GB versus 4x4GB?
9. Also great - I definitely want the 3940XM, so will order a 3920 and hope to be amongst the first to receive the new CPU soon after 30th September!

Hope to order this week ...

Simon

 

[PCS]

4. We currently offer replacement backlit keyboards for £39.

8. There is no performance loss in 2 x 8GB vs 4 x 4GB.

 

[Simon]

Dear PCS

Impressive as ever! Happy to go with the Vortex III in view of the (minimally likely to be required) out of warranty keyboard replacement cost.
I'll place my order very soon with the 2x8GB memory configuration, no mSATA SSD, no audio card and no cooling stand.
Hopefully (I can't remember) I can add comments to the order to ensure it doesn't ship with a 3920 and to specify partitions even though I will be specifying RAID 0 (the partition sizing feature of your configurator seems to assume that you don't opt for a RAID configuration).



Simon