M15x Upgrading (Sorry if this is in the wrong section, I'm new :P)

Hello everyone,

I've looked around this site for a few years just to browse and I'm finally thinking about upgrading my laptop.

I purchased my Alienware M15x in 2007 around Christmas time and I haven't upgraded a single piece of it since. (Aside from converting to a Samsung EVO SSD and running a 1TB External HDD)

I'm very much the opposite of a computer/tech-savvy individual, so please be gentle I'm pretty slow with terms and have minimal experience with the know-how of computers and their components.

Here are my current components:

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU Q 720 @ 1.60GHz

Memory : (RAM) 6.00 GB

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M

Gaming graphics : 3834 MB Total available graphics memory

Primary hard disk: 34GB Free (233GB Total)

I started to realize how outdated my computer was as I am unable to run Crysis 3 while barely managing to run Med-High on Crysis 2 as well as Skyrim.

I am a pretty broad gamer; I'm interested in shooters, rpgs, rts, moba and just about any other game I can get my hands on. I am also a free-lance artist and I tend to use programs such as Photoshop or other form of image/video editing program (I've found that photoshop tends to lag/freeze or forcequit WITHOUT saving, to my extreme frustration.)

My request (and an advance thank you to all the fine helpers out here in the forums):

- Suggestion of what I should be upgrading (preferably in the order of which I should upgrade)

- Approximate price range (I'm a Canadian, Alienware owner so I'll be purchasing the products in CAD$)

- Any and all tips on how I should keep myself updated or aware of how my components will affect one another. (I think I've read that some components may or may not be cross compatible or there may be issues with voltage or something of the sort.)

Again, thank you all for taking the time to read my post and excuse my lack of computer/tech knowledge

P.S.- If there is any other information about my laptop you need in order to determine compatible parts, I'll be more than happy to check it out for you!

 

I would quite honestly say you need to upgrade everything. Better XM CPU, better GPU, 8 or 16GB RAM, SSD and a better PSU. That may be pretty pricey and you might find it easier to buy a new laptop/desktop with newer features such as native USB3.0, SATA3, better wifi and higher resolution screens. Also the aging nehalem architecture will soon lag behind, even when overclocked and I doubt broadwell will offer much improvement in IPC over Haswell, in other words a Haswell processor would be a good choice. The Lenovo Y50 with 4K display is a beast, with an i7 4700HQ review here. Depends if you really want to upgrade everything, what matters most to you and how long you want your system to keep going.

My first upgrades would be:
1. GPU -> 7970M, 680M, 770M, or similar but these would be bottlenecked a bit by your CPU.
2. SSD -> Don't need the fastest due to SATA-2 limitations
3. More RAM for photoshop. 8GB minimum, 16GB would work fine. You want 1333Mhz CAS 9 or 1600Mhz CAS 9 which would auto downclock to 1333Mhz CAS 8.
4. CPU -> i7 920XM or 940XM
5. 210W or 240W PSU.

 

Wow, that was quite a fast reply haha!

When you say buying another laptop would be easier, are you referring to the price being cheaper or the components being difficult to find? What type of price difference would we be looking at? A rough approximate would be fine!

I'm in love with my M15x, but if it comes down to just using it as a desktop replacement for my Photoshop and art purposes and purchasing a new computer for gaming, I'm totally fine with that.

If that is the case, perhaps solely upgrading my RAM should be fine, no?

Edit: Sorry for the slight change in topic but; would buying a desktop or building one up from scratch be cheaper? I've always heard that this was true but I've never really looked into it personally. (Mainly because I fear that I'd be buying all these "cheap parts" and realizing none of it is compatible with one-another)

 

Considering the cost of the components fatboyslimerr listed, it would be cheaper just to purchase a laptop with comparable or greater specs of the components, and even cheaper to build a desktop.
i7-920XM = $239.99 (new because I don't trust used more than new)
GTX 680m - $498.00
16 GB RAM would contribute at least $150
210w charger - $44.09
So that is about at least $882.09 in US dollars, or 984.02 in C$, and I didn't include TIM or anything like that, which might add $10 or more. Could be cheaper by going for a 7970m, but for $800 for an upgrade... that's a bit overkill in my opinion.

 

Thanks a load you guys. That really opened my eyes to the tornado that could have obliterated my wallet.

I think I'm going to retire my laptop and have it serve me as my portable art station (Only going to upgrade my ram from 6GB -> 8GB/16GB)

Lastly, which sites would you recommend I do research and/or purchase from with regards to building a desktop from scratch?

Again, I'm beyond grateful for all the input so far!

 

pcpartpicker.com is the best way to buy desktop components. It just makes searching for the cheapest and greatest easier. And I think Newegg has tutorials on how to do a DIY desktop (maybe NCIX too, but I would need to check).

 

6GB of ram should be enough for photoshop. I work with a Nikon D800(36MP RAW images!) and I can't get 8gb of ram filled let alone 6gb.

If you were to upgrade the computer I'd go with:

1) A 680m graphics card ($350-400 used, $450-500 new)
2) A 920XM or 940XM processor ($150-200 used, $300 new) [get the cheaper one, they're almost identical]
3) 210w or 240w power supply (if you get the 680m of course)

Since you already have a samsung evo ssd, there's no need to upgrade to anything else.

Like the others have said, just get a new laptop or desktop.

You can buy a Alienware 17 with decent specs for $1,399 which would actually be faster than your M15x. Just put the ssd in it(it can hold 2 drives) and you're golden. Or you can build a really good desktop for about $1,500.

You'd be putting $550 minimum towards your M15x and that's if you find good deals. I recommend leaving the m15x the way it is and move on to a newer machine. The m15x has components (gpu/cpu/chipset) that are four generations old (almost five)!

I think it's served you well. :thumbsup:

 

What is your budget? I will happily suggest a desktop PC build for you if you go down the desktop route. Definitely the best bang-for-your-buck-option.
Most of us here updated our M15x 1-2 years ago when parts like 940xm and 7970m/680m were still quite current. Components have moved on, prices have come down a bit (comparatively) yet these mobile parts remain disproportionately inflated.
I wouldn't advise upgrading everything now. Desktop, desktop desktop and make sure you get some Bitfenix Spectre Pro fans with cool LED colours.

 

Yeah for your uses your system would a complete overhaul which is costly. The 920/40xm does not bottleneck the 7970m or 680m though. Also with the advent if mantle api and dx12 more and more if the work is done by the gpu while keeping the CPU load much more stable across the cores. Not even the 980m will bottleneck these chips unless you turn the graphics settings down until your hit the max frames the CPU can put out. Obviously with a powerful gpu you are gonna enable high settings the gpu will remain the bottleneck.

 

Thanks a lot for everyone's input! My budget range is around 1200-1300 (excluding monitor/keyboard as I already own those)

I've checked pc part picker and it recommended the following:

Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
(est. $69.98)

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
(est. $99.99)

HDD: Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
(est. $42.00)

SSD: Transcend SSD340 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (***I will probably just put this into my Alienware and swap the 840 EVO into my new desktop after I back it up and wipe it)
(est. $59.99)

RAM: Patriot Viper 3 Low Profile Blue 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 memory
(est. $72.99)

Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
(est. $119.99)

CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC12DX_BK 68.5 CFM CPU Cooler
(est. $59.99)

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
(est. $244.98)

GPU: Gigabyte
GV-N970G1 GAMING-4GD (est. $369.99)

(Total est. excluding tax & shipping 1139.90)

Any further input on this would be great.

P.S. Considering it's October and I'm a rather patient person, would it be best to wait for December boxing day for sales?

 

I like my build better, few alternations and mATX form factor. The Asus Strix is so efficient at cooling the GPU that the fans don't spin at idle!
Obviously take off price of SSD if you decide to swap your 840 EVO into this build.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($256.98 @ Newegg Canada)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H80i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($97.98 @ Amazon Canada)
Motherboard: MSI Z97M Gaming Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($189.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($85.32 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($82.99 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.95 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($379.99 @ NCIX)
Case: Cooler Master N300 ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ NCIX)
Total: $1288.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-01 13:59 EDT-0400

 

alright! thanks a lot! I'll give a little update around early January with pictures and a little thank you note haha!
I'm going to wait until cybermonday/boxing day hits and hopefully the prices will drop!

 

Hey, sorry for the thread revive. But after all the research and your suggestions; I would like you all to meet Clifford the Big Red Rig.

geosting's Completed Build - Intel Core i5-4690K, Asus GeForce GTX 970, Cooler Master N600 Windowed - PCPartPicker Canada

Thanks again for all the advice guys!

 

Nice build and pretty clean cable management! Not bad for a first build! What overclock have you managed on your i5? Hyper Evo 212 should be pretty comfortable with 4.3 or 4.4Ghz with only a slight increase in voltage.
The Asus Strix is such a great card! Fans don't even spin below 60 degrees! I also love how much you spent on red LED fans!

 

For me there is now price that lets me forgot about my m15x.... , but your right a new one is a idea as wel.

 

That reply was rubbish. 920xm now 200 dollars? More like 200 at best.

680m if you hunt is around the same.

16gb of ram unnecessary for most. And cheap you just buy standard speed 8gb modules.

Someone with a little nounce could transform their m15x for 500 dollars or less. Especially if they could find 4gb 680m of 8970m.

 

proberly depending on where you are on this world a 7970m still around 400 dollar in the Netherlands........16 gig about 100 dollar and a 920xm 200 dollar.
buying in the states is cheaper but we have to pay a lot of taxs..............