Looking for IMPROVE gaming reference topic

I already checked gaming thread ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m11x/462632-m11xr1-r2-gaming-discussion-thread.html) and still can't decide between best option from price and performance.


There's few benchmarks about M11x R2 Core i5 and I really want to know about battery life and performance versus Core i7. I think everybody that want to buy M11x want to know it. This is most doubt discussing with friends before buy it.

They are same processors i7 is a few Ghz upgrade from i5 so my ask is:

1. Can you post your battery life under few scenarios Core i7 and Core i5?
2. Can you use a default game bench so we can really compare each other?
3. After answer above we can decide if 150U$ worth upgrade to i7 or better save for warranty/SSD.

I don't care If your info here feed main gaming topic I would like you do that. That's because I'm here. I really miss a "serious" comparision about these two processors.

When you post your benchmarks I will update this topic. So OP from main gaming topic and copy paste there. Thank you!

 

Why are you worried about battery life... you are not going to see a difference by comparing processors... If you want better performance go with the i7. Its not going to be a drastic difference in performance either way. Your thinking about this the wrong way. Just make your decision.

 

1) The battery life is going to be the same. Both chips are using the same manufacturing process, running the same core architecture, using the same voltage, running at very similar clock speeds. You will not notice any difference in battery life. This is why you do not find any benchmarks online for Core i5 s Core i7 battery life - it's because they are the same.

2) Benchmarks over the past 15 years have repeatedly shown that minor clock speed differences between two CPUs of the same architecture has very little impact on actual real-world performance of applications or games. The Core i5 and Core i7 in the M11x follow the same story. You won't find gaming benches online, because the performance is nearly identical.

The only time when the Core i7 shows any kind of performance benefit is if you are running applications that bottleneck the CPU, such as video encoding. If you are using games and general applications, then you will bottleneck on the GPU and storage system, respectively.

3) If you are not running video encoding, then you will notice absolutely zero difference between the Core i5 and Core i7. If you want to put that $150 towards something that will actually make a difference, then put it towards an SSD.





And just FYI, two separate people running benchmarks on two separate systems does not give you any useable information. Those two people will have different software loads on their machine, so you cannot directly compare results. The real way to test differences in CPU is to take the same identical hard drive image and run it on two systems, where the only difference is the CPU. And, to my knowledge, nobody on this board has an M11x R2 Core i5 and M11x R2 Core i7. Even if they did, nobody is willing to take the time to run the benchmarks, because it will just tell us all what we already know - there is absolutely no noticeable difference in gaming.

 

Not to be rude but this subject has been hashed over and over and over. It all comes down to budget. If you have the budget for the I7 and want it, get it. If you dont then dont worry about what you can't have. Just be happy with what you can afford. I can't afford a Ferrari 430. I dont kick my feet everyday and say "woe is me.. no 430". I am just happy with the car I have... Performance wise.. in every game if you can make the necessary adjustments to the I7 to ensure turbo is activated and you have a decent overclock then you may see a 2-4 fps increase in a FEW games. Specifically BFBC2 and maybe ARMA 2 and OA. These games are more CPU dependent.

Thanks,

StevenX

 

Thanks for explain kent1146 and stevenxowens792.

That will be my main computer for 2~3 years so I wanted to get best for money asking you my doubts.

I gonna choose SSD or extented warraty.

 

2-3years so go with warranty

 

I second that. Get ADVANCED. It's so much better than the basic, trust me!

Advanced covers your m11x screen... basic doesnt :] who knows what will happen in 2-3 yrs

 

I'm not sure why you would believe the standard 1 year warranty would not cover the screen. Suggest reviewing the terms of the warranty again. Anything which should fail within the first year is covered. I have owned several dell products over the years and this is simply the case. Now, if you have have 2+ years, the only item which will not be covered is the battery as the battery is only covered for 1 year.

Anyway - just wanted to correct you there so there is no misconception. I will always advocate a longer warranty than basic if you are interested in protecting your investment.

 

I think he is referring to accidental damage to the screen. E.g. if he were to drop, scratch, or otherwise damage the screen, then the Advanced Protection warranty would cover him.

I think you'd agree that the screen is the easiest component to damage in a drop/fall, and also one of the most expensive to repair.

 

Well, in that scenario - yes, agreed. Accidental Damage coverage has to be a factor if you want the system covered for drops, spills, etc.

Thanks for clarifying.