Ordering the M15x - Help with spec?

Hi,

I'm looking to order the M15x and I was wondering if I could get some advice on what parts to order? I'm not very techy and the inner workings of a computer are a bit of a mystery to me but I know what I want. I'd like to "future-proof" it as much as humanly possible.

I mainly play World of Warcraft but I would be looking at other newer games once I had it too. Is the default config enough (at £999) or should I be looking to upgrade anything?

Thanks for the help.

 

Future proofing is pretty much impossible if you are playing games - its the most software led sector of the industry, so game's demands tend to grow steadily.

Its especially an issue if you are going for a laptop, as fewer parts are upgradeable than a desktop/tower.

Finally, id say its pretty safe to assume that the base specification with any manufacturer is not only future proof. it is already outdated.

How much you upgrade depends on your budget, but in terms of what Id focus on if I was looking at the £999 base spec and trying to keep from adding too much - Id think about going for an i5 processor, and 4096mb of ram - that would add £120 to £190 to the base cost.

If you are feeling a but richer, consider an i7, and the GT260 video card

Hope this helps

A

 

It does help, thank you.

I'm aware I can't really future-proof it, I just want to buy the best I can and try for it not to be outdated and laggy by the time Christmas rolls around (I'm probably asking for too much! ). So any steps that people can recommend for a bit more life out of it would be great.

Can I ask in terms of the processor:
Intel® Core™ i7 Processor 720QM (1.60Ghz, 6MB L3 cache) £169.99
Intel® Core™ i5 Processor 540M(2.53GHz,3MB cache) £150

What do the numbers really mean? Like for example there is only £20 in those two and the bracketed numbers are quite different. What would be the difference performance wise between those?

Thanks again

 

I"m not sure about over there, but in the US if you want the 1GB 260m graphics card then you'll have to get the i7-720qm at the least. If you want the 240m graphics card then you can get any processor you want.

I'd definitely go with the 260m though if you plan on playing a lot of newer games, it'll work more nicely than the 240m.

Here are some links for each card. You can find some FPS for a couple games if you scroll down.

GTX 260m - http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-260M.14559.0.html

GT 240m - http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-240M.17654.0.html

For WoW the processor is maybe even more important than the graphics, but the i5 and i7 should both be fine for it. Take a look at some of the fps on the games from those links to get an idea for how well each performs on certain games. Maybe someone here can tell you their experiences with WoW and these cpu/gpu's too.

Don't forget to look at the Ordering Advice thread that's in this forum, you'll get tips on coupons,epp,and other discounts that'll help drop the cost for you.

 

Dell have a deal atm for those in the UK on the M15x.
You can get it with the i7 720 and 260 card upgrade for a total price of £1129 saving you £100.

 

Just follow the link and you can get everything for £1129. Just upgrade the ram to 4gb 1333mhz and u'll be fine. For now you can play any game with maxed out setting with this beast(exception 16AA in crysis). You might also want to upgrade the LCD to HD 1920 x 1080 for £20. You might call the sales team and give them the E Value code i.e.N00W1504 and haggle with them for further discounts. It usually works. Or you can order it online by following the following link..


http://configure.euro.dell.com/dell...d=122756&acd=cbccbd5637a8319df13d33594f7903a3

 

Amazing offer!! +1 rep!

Do you know how long that offer lasts for though?

 

It won't be valid for long .... Because you do not get deals on M15x usually. Its like once in every 2-3 months you get like 100 -150 pounds off. Last time something like this came up was last week of December 2009. It usually lasts 7 days but I do not know when was this deal first available..

 

Thanks for all the help. I'm actually not ready to order yet (so unfortunately the discount is no good - I'm gutted) I'm just doing plenty of research, so when I am ready to order I get it right. I'll be looking to buy in the next 2/3 months sometime. I'd love to order sooner but I have a holiday to save for and so trying to be sensible.

 

This deal applies to Ireland as well...wow thats pretty nice considering its a m15x.
i7 plus a 260m. With a 4GB upgrade it comes down to €1308.83

 

you definitely want the 260m, no matter what.