Getting a 920xm, PSU Questions.

So I was searching on ebay for a laptop for my mom. I was searching for a used but solid laptop for basic tasks and ran across an auction for a Precision m4500 with a 920xm. The seller was asking $170 for it, so I sent him an offer of $140 and he accepted . Needless to say I will immediately put the 920xm in my M15X and put my i5-560m or i7-740qm in the Precision.

My question is, if I only do a mild overclock, or no overclock at all, and my 460M GTX (soon to be replaced with a Firepro m6000) has a 72W tdp, will the stock 150W PSU be enough or should I think about getting an M17X power supply.

 

150W is not enough if you want to overclock CPU but you can use it for some time as it will try to output more like 160W or so.

 

You might get away with a bit of overclocking on the CPU if you don't touch the clock speeds on the GPU. My GPU starts throttling the instant I try to overclock my CPU on the stock 150W PSU (with centre pin in place). A 210W PSU shouldn't cost you too much and they are much higher quality than the stock 150w PSUs. I recommend getting one of those anyway (removing the centre pin) and keeping it at your desk then use the 150w PSU for charging the battery and travelling.

 

Thanks for the replies.

So theoretically, if I do not overclock either the 920xm or my GPU, then I shouldn't need a new adapter right? How about those people who bought the M15X configured from Dell with a 920xm and 260m GTX or 460m GTX. Did Dell ship those people a bigger power supply or did they also get the stock 150W adapter.

 

The stock 150w adapter would allow a bit of overclocking if you leave the 260m/460m or whatever <75W GPU totally at stock. If you aren't bothered about gaming this should be fine but it seems a waste as you really can unleash a lot more potential by overclocking this processor to 3.4Ghz from the stock 2.1Ghz. Not a good idea to run a PSU near it's limit for a long time though. Will decrease it's lifespan. I think my 210w PSU is great! It runs cool and has so much headroom even when my CPU and GPU are maxed out. It is huge and heavy but its worth it.

 

A stock 920xm is quite simply sluggish. When i load up throttlestop and jump from 2.2ghz to 3.7 the difference is literally night and day.

You get a 920xm and you must OC it. These days the performance at stock of any 1st gen is pitiful due to the slow speeds.

Get yourself a dell 180w adaptor. Cheaper than 210W really compact and small form factor. Then OC 920xm to 3ghz all cores minimum.

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I'm doing the EXACT setup as kosti.

Should I get a 240w power brick.
I refuse to get 2 different power bricks for different uses, and I don't wana blow my 150w up so should I get the 240w so I can have some headroom?

 

240W is the safest bet IMO.
210W is more chunky and more reliable and can also output 240W but also perhaps more costly.

The PSU won't blow up. If you exceed it's limits it will simply shutoff your laptop with it. The laptop has safety circuits to prevent hardware damage in this event so I wouldn't worry. It has happened numerous times to me in the past.

You will OC the 920xm at least a moderate amount right? It is a total waste otherwise!

 

I will probably be doing a mild overclock...certainly not anywhere close to your 4.52GHz ...I'm gonna keep a lookout on e-bay for the 240w adapter. I found one for $50 shipped, but I'm gonna wait for the laptop with the 920 to arrive before I order anything.

 

I think you cancould find one for 25$ some time ago.

 

Lol 4.52ghz was just for the screenshot. I did run 4.2ghz in games for a bit LOL now that was pushing the limits!

Now I just run 3.7ghz. I recommend about 3.2ghz across all cores for a nice OC. 1ghz increase over stock 2.2ghz boost clocks and not pushing the chip to its limits.