M17x choices choices choices..

Hey I'm new to these forums but I've been reading them for the last 2 weeks or so, picking up on the excitement everyone has for the M17x.

So I'm planning on getting a new computer this summer, I've been using a computer I built about 8 years ago, can't believe it's been that long! But time has it's way with things and parts are beginning to fail, game play is becoming increasing slow as new games are released and the time has finally come for me to make an upgrade.

I don't think I'll be building another rig again, it's too much time and nothing to fall back on and a laptop will suit my mobility issues as I travel a lot. So I'll stop bickering and get on with why I'm making this post.

I don't have the budget to go top end with my M17x, so I'm looking for a good way to balance it, maybe I'm not valuing 1 feature as much as I should be for what I want.

This is what I have in mind.

Intel® Core™2 Quad Q9000 2.0GHz
Single NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 260M 1GB
17-inch WideUXGA 1920x1200 (1200p)
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
500GB 7,200RPM

Is the 2.0GHz Quad a smart buy? Or would a Intel® Core™2 Duo T9600 2.8GHz be better for essentially the same price?

Is a Single NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 260M 1GB going to handle most games in the future at 1920x1200 resolution?

And finally, the extra MHz to the ram isn't much more expensive, is it a big difference? And does the 1333MHz ram perform better with a Quad processor as opposed to a Duo?

I'd appreciate any input you might have on these topics!

Thanks, can't wait to turn one of these on for the first time.

 

drop the slow quad for a faster dualcore. the GTX 260M is a powerful GPU, sure, but don't expect to be running games at WUXGA and high settings in a few years' time. of course, you could always add a second GPU for SLI and more power if you want later on. you won't notice the difference in RAM speed, go with the cheaper 1066mhz stuff.

 

id go with dual core unless your doing heavy multitasking and need it now.
a single 260 will do great for games aside from crysis.
only real reason to get the 1333 is if you plan on overclocking the quad proc.

you can always upgrade later to a quad proc and additional 260 card or even the 280's.

and welcome to the mothership...


edit: bah! whizzo beat me to it...lol

 

Great responses. And fast too damn.

How are these upgradable? I believe I heard somewhere there weren't any screws on this laptop.

Let me know!

And to the guy who lives in Switzerland I'm jealous. I travel there frequently and it's my favorite country in the world.

 

there is a link in the M17x sticky for manuals. the unit is screwless, but still can be disassembled for upgrading.

and what? not jealous of wherever i am? pffft.

 

here's a link to the service manual. the M17x should definitely be upgradable.

http://redirectingat.com/?id=525X83...cs/systems/M17x/en/M17x_Service_Manual_EN.zip

greenland? i dunno, mate...

 

lmao.... +1 cause i had my laugh for the week.
(and just cause your whizzo)

edit: see your edit...

 

+rep back at ya, if only cuz you're stuck in greenland

EDIT: shucks, gotta spread the love first.

 

Thanks Wizzo, you are epic.

Here are a few changes from your advice.

Intel® Core™2 Duo T9600 2.8GHz
Single NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 260M, 1GB
17-inch WideUXGA 1920x1200 (1200p)
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz edit
128GB Solid State Drive

For about the same price as the other build. I've never had a SS drive but I enjoy reading what people have to say about them. Lightning quick load times and the stability.

What do you think grand master Whizzo?

 

well, SSDs really are lightning fast - it's a whole new world compared to conventional HDDs. load times etc will drop significantly. however, 128GB isn't a lot - me personally, i'd get by just fine with that kind of space (if i had the money for an SSD ), but it means you have to be a bit more disciplined with the number of games installed at the same time. still, it shouldn't be a problem to have 3-4, maybe 5 games installed at any given time, so it's not that big of an issue. also, seeing how the M17x has two 2.5" drive bays, you could add a normal HDD later on for storing data, pictures, movies, music, etc - anything that won't really profit from faster load times. the perfect setup would be:

first bay: (small) SSD for operating system, games
second bay: (large) HDD for data, music, pictures, movies, etc.

 

Yeah wizzo I'm the same way, I've been using my 75GB HDD for 8 years and always manage to make room for something.

Also, where does one buy a mobile processor or gpu if I plan on upgrading later?

 

you can get both from AW, but at a comparatively high price. if you don't want to spend too much, ebay is always an option, especially for the CPU. for the GPU, well, they can be hard to find at times. the best method would be to contact some Clevo resellers and see if they're willing to sell you one. just remember you won't get the necessary heatsink from them however, you'll need to get that one from AW. here's a link to eurocom's upgrade list:

http://web.eurocom.com/ec/ecu_pricelist(1,0)