M17X, how would a single ATi HD5870 graphics card perform ?

I`m still weighing up what notebook to buy, i like the look of the M17X so i`m leaning towards one of those.

I`m an occasional gamer but not a huge one, to save a bit of money how would one ATi HD5870 graphics card perform ? Will it run most games and how will it perform in general for other pc tasks ?

Over here in the UK its about an extra £345.00 to have dual 4870 cards, i`m struggling to justify that really as i wouldn`t game enough on the laptop, i have a PS3 for playing games so my notebook would be mainly used for my work.

 

A single 5870 has no issues with games but there are cheaper and lighter alternatives for a single 5870 system.

 

With the i7 920XM ? What other alternatives are out their just out of interest ?

 

There's the notebook from the company that should not be named on the AW forums.

There's also ASUS G73 and MSI GX740.

 

Without saying the forbidden name the models are the W860CU W870CU.

 

This

made me lol

 

And they would certainly welcome inquiries from a discriminating gentleman such as yourself.

On the original question, the 5870 kicks @ss and excels at almost anything you can reasonably do on a laptop.

 

I'd downgrade to i7 720 and for the change get dual video cards. There's not much justification for that CPU.

 

lol. I always thought it was the other way around, and AW was the forbidden name in the other forum. Any time something positive is said about AW over there, the trolls come out of the wood work and insults start to fly.

 

I can't imagine it being THAT great, because the screen is 1900x1200.

 

This is currently the only WUXGA option that supports the 5870m as far as I know

That may be appealing to some, also the collection of ports are a nice touch (something the Asus has nothing on)

The 5870m is an excellent GPU and should meet all of your gaming needs (at least as well as the PS3 I will add)

 

lol, consoles graphics are horrible, i have been thinking very hard myself to get a R2 with a core i5 and upgrade to a i920 and have that as my workstation, rgbled, single 5870, blu ray drive yeah man, i have the R1 and it just serves as a back up gaming machine and blu ray machine but i haven't been able to enjoy those things since because of school which is not a problem anyway lol. So scook9 are you going to change now to a R2? I really dislike the screen with only 7 levels of brightness.

 

Vice Versa I have to say, Vice Versa. It's 2 directly competing brand for world's most powerful laptops so this much is expected.

Anyways, to the OP, 5870MR performs very well, but I won't bother getting a single card config in laptop made for dual cards.

 

I won't mind having only one HD5870 in my M17x, only the big gap in it, will wake me up, sweating, in the middle of the night. Whereas I am having nightmares about the gathering of dust and mouse droppings in cavity. So to prevent this from happening, I want to have it stuffed...(and I don't mean with cushion fill)

 

It'll run anything you throw at it. The 4870 Xfire setup, however, will provide approximately 25% increase in performance.

 

25% increase in performance if the game actually uses CF that is, not to mention the micro stuttering in dual GPU setups.

I won't bother getting either a 5870MR or 2x4870MR though, if I really need a 5870MR I will just get a single card laptop because I can't stand having empty spaces, if I want a dual card setup, I will just wait a while, no point getting 1+ years old card in CF when a dual GPU refresh is coming in 1-2 months.

 

If you did order the Crossfire setup I'm guessing you will get it. It just might be and extra couple weeks for the wait.

 

Drake, how did you manage to order 5870 CF? Did you order from Europe or buy the cards separately ?

 

That's just a sig but I do have a way to get them. Unfortunately it's not a way that can be used by just anyone. Nothing is official until I get my M17x. I would prefer to reorder with the 5870s and have them as part of the warranty with the system but it's looking like it will be faster to keep my exiting order with 4870s and buying the 5870s separately.

 

oh.. ok.. so if your way is at all shareable do not hesitate to PM me with it

 

It's definetely not worth buying the M17x at all if you're looking for a single GPU.

As others have said, there are better solutions for a single 5870.

On the other hand, wait for Crossfire 5870s to become available, and then you'll have the most powerful laptop. In the world.

I'd actually drop down the processor. Is there any reason you need the 920? For nearly everyone, it's not worth that extra cash for the 920. It's DEFINETELY worth the extra £400 or so that it'll be for an extra 5870, because that will SERIOUSLY boost up gaming power.

 

If I end up reordering the system with 5870s then I might have another pair for sale.

 

In a Holy War it's always the other side that's perceived as the infidel/heathen.

If you've got the bit of know-how you can add a WUXGA screen to the MSI GX740.

There's also the EliteBook 8740w if you don't want to get overly specific on what a 5870m is.

 

This is all based on what? Believe it or not, some people don't want to cash extra to have "most powerful laptop. in the world." since if they wanted something that powerful they would upgrade their desktop! Or bought a new one with twice the power for the money of m17x.

What do you mean "solutions for a single GPU"? What does this statement even means? I don't care how many GPUs are inside, just want something in the range of 4870 CF. 8600GT is also a single GPU..... (e.g. and 8800GT still runs pretty much anything...)

CF 5870 will "seriously boost gaming power"? Reference? Benchmarks? Again... what I am supposed to get from all this?

 

He means that there are smaller systems that are much more practical for a single gpu.

Half the reason people buy a large and heavy 17" gaming laptop is for the power, specifically the dual gpu setup.

If you aren't using 2 gpu's than you could save yourself some money and buy something else (M15x + 5870, or W860, etc).

Now, does that mean it is pointless? Absolutely not. The M17x still offers a great screen and superb cooling so I can't say 100% that it is pointless with a single gpu.

Hope that helps explain. The rest of your questions are rather common sense (ie CF 5870's will indeed decimate all and "seriously boost gaming power" like was said, etc).

 

Microstuttering? Never had it in a single game. And the gap between a single 5870m and dual 4870m is more like 35-50%+ in games (vantage isn't a game). The OP is better off buying a single 5870m + M17x for now and upgrading to dual later should having the new shiny machine all of the sudden turn him into a gamer (which does happen). I'd never point the guy to Clevo though, that's just wrong. Cheap plastic build, boring design, inferior display, no backlighting or fx..why bother? Those of you that had Clevo's and came back to AW know better....

 

the M17x also has the best keyboard I have seen on a laptop in a while....a FULL sized keyboard and a PROPER numpad that is

 

Very true....micro stuttering is pretty much a thing of the past as the drivers correct it in the present day for the most part

 

Only if it is used right.

Honestly, I don't see how you can get any better performance than the MR 5870 right now, ESPECIALLY from a single card.

When mobile fermi comes out then I will re-evaluate that statement but I still think it isn't going to happen. Heat and power are going to limit those cards to large and heavy systems.

 

I'd say almost every modern game has crossfire/sli support. Here's the following games I play flawlessly with crossfire:

1. BFBC2
2. MW2
3. Frontlines Fuel of War
4. Dirt 2
5. Metro 2033
6. GTA IV
7. Batman Arkham Asylum
8. Team Fortress 2
9. Left 4 Dead
10. Left 4 Dead 2
11. Counterstrike Source
12. Far Cry 2
13. Street Fighter 4

Not a hint of microstuttering (sounds like an ancient nVidia issue) and the performance boost from crossfire is quite substantial in each game. The dual card system simply works as good as a single card in my experience so far. The biggest issue I had was with street fighter 4 slowing down after the 3rd round but the latest Catalysts addressed that issue. With AMD now focused on performance profiles for crossfire solutions, the technology is just going to get better and better with the compatibility gap between a single card and dual card setup dropping significantly. If someone is serious about buying a top end notebook, M17x is the only way to go.

 

Just screen tearing from going too fast. Borderlands is a good example. Needs to be played with vsync.

 

1. m15x doesn't come with 5870. 2. It's not 17" screen. From what I've seen it needs to be bought separately and put in manually. I don't have a problem with installing it but do have a problem with voiding warranty. Then there's the whole thing with whether the cooling in m15x is actually good enough to support 5870. I'm still a bit iffy about it even after the thread where the guy did it. I can't really care whether there are 1, 2 or 7 GPUs if the performance is good.

I've yet to see any benchmarked comparison between single 5870 and 2x 4870 CF. With a *similar* other components. A lot of talk and no benches. Joker mentioned some 35-50% difference... I'd like to see numbers / screenshots please.

BTW, Clevo? Yuck, no thanks.

 

Silly as it sounds, this was for me actually something I considered. There are too many times that a full keyboard for hours on end will work where a typical lappy keyboard is just too small for comfortable work.

 

I had an OCZ whitebook before my m17x (same as the M17) and could not stand that gimpy little numpad (same one ALL clevos have for some retarded reason)

I like my numpad proper, and the M17x is the only non HP computer I have seen with that in a while (well saw a sony with it too, but still!)

 

What exactly is a proper numpad? My 1720 has a numpad on the right. works for me, but not sure if it's "proper"

 

I'd add that both the games (Champions Online and Star Trek Online) using the Cryptic engine respond well to CF.

One card running at near-full settings might give a frame rate in a busy area of 18~28 frames, with CF engaged it jumps to about 42~60. This with an i7 820qm processor.

I need to try Arkham Asylum btw, I hear nothing but raves about it.

 

Proper is 4 columns, 5 rows

This is the standard layout (that the non laptop world acknowledges)


This shows the more and more common (and less useful to me) one

 

Worse is the W870's numpad.

They could have used a much better keyboard overall, IMO.

And Unreal, the only part not under warranty in my machine is the GPU, SSD, and 6300 (I have put those in myself). The system still has it's Dell warranty and the only way you will void it is if you damage it anything while installing (then there is complete care for that so I can say that Dell's warranty has been the best out of any manufacturer by far).

I have been dealing with Dell for years and they never have given me any problems with warranty work, and that was when they had a return to depot warranty. With these techs that come to your house they could care less. Most of the time I tell them to leave me the part

 

I just completely do not understand this retarded shift to the gimpy ones......almost none of these machines are that cramped for space

And yes, that one is even worse! and with over an inch free space on each side no less.....

 

And that inch of space contains the MOST OCD-inducing material (same crap as the SXPS 16): mesh.

Ugh, stuff gets stuck in there and drives me nuts. lol

The rest of the system, however was pretty good. So I can't complain, was a good system just not for me.

 

Only key for the numpad I miss is the "calculator" button that is often right above the numpad. But that's resolveable with a windows shortkey combo.

5870's - trying to resist and hold out for mobile Fermi and most importantly USB 3. But Nvidia's silence is never a good sign, and they are very quiet just when the 5870 is making it's big splash. If they had a lab chip to give someone a preview with it might be different but silence usually means they have nothing ready to counter with.

5870 single is enough GPU power that years ago people would have gotten SLI to get to that performance level. To then consider that in CF is nearly the equivalent of a single 5870 desktop. These things are going to perform superbly I think.

 

Why is USB 3.0 so important to people? What does it enable that is not already doable?! (I ask since all these laptops have eSata for data transferring...)

And mobile Fermi.....will be so neutered when it does come out it will be pathetic....IF it is even based off the GF100 die - knowing nvidia that wont be the case

 

And for cooling, well my system has been just fine. The 5870, from what I have seen first hand with the G73, runs slightly warm to begin with.

With that said, I just ran vantage with my card heavily oc'd and the max on the core was 79C. Now, the only time my machine went into the 90's is when I ran furmark. That doesn't simulate the idle and temps while gaming (ie normal use).

 

I don't get the USB 3 fascination either. I could understand it if you had an external hdd connected 100% of the time. Other than that is doesn't need to be faster for keyboard, mouse, speakers etc...

 

I'm currently in the upper 70s with the 5870s but I do admit to keeping my system on top of a cooler 100% of the time.

 

You got your system already, drake?

Or are you referring to the G73?

 

Think he means the G73

Seems staying under 80 is good for temps

 

Oh thanks sleey0! I don't know how m15x is built, but on say m11x, you have only 1 metal plate below where you access the hard drive, RAM, etc. I thought that the warranty gets void if you start disassembling the laptop besides that?

Also these pictures that you are linking... that's 3DMark Vantage run right? It looks pretty close to 4870 CF. Can you please give more info for these runs, like CPU-Z, GPU-Z or something?

Thanks a lot!

EDIT: Ah, just noticed ATI GPU tool on these pics. CPU not OC'ed? How much do you get with non-OC GPU?

 

They are good scores...but still 2k lower than stock 4870 CF so I would not call that "close"

And overclocked 4870s are over 14k on GPU

 

OK, you are correct. I got confused a little bit here, what's OC'd and what's not. But well the top (14k) scores are with quad core CPUs. I am simply interested in non-oc'd single 5870 and non-oc'd CF 4870 setups, with "similar" (or ideally same) CPUs.