Standard M15X performance?

Hi,

I´m actually considering buying the M15X with the standard configurations just because it´s so cheap here in the US, would only add the 1 year advanced warranty. I´m telling myself that I really don´t need anything better which I think is true but maybe you would want to upgrade to the i5 procssor? At the same time I´m looking at the i7 with the GTX260M and 4gb of ram, lol.

Right now I´m using a Lenovo T60. It´s my host father´s laptop from his job so he´s letting me use this so I wouldn´t need to buy a new one when I came to the US(exchange student). If I´m playing a game I´m playing older games like Warcraft 3 with some friends and if I would play a new game I don´t need or want the highest settings from a notebook/laptop.

So basically my question is how well it would perform with the standard configuration and what would be the difference between the i3 and i5 processor? Searched on google on how well it would perform but could not find anything :S...

/Rasmus

 

here is a link for comparasion between the 2 cpu:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Intel-Core-i3-i5-i7-Processors-Arrandale.25085.0.html

but i highly recommend saving up and getting i7 and the 260m for gaming.

 

Ok cool! So basically if I´m only playing wc3 and using photoshop cs4 the i3 is pretty legit? Btw do you think it could run Diablo 3? Maybe I´m gonna play it, don´t know yet .

 

You can run WC3 on just about anything these days. D3 is a different story.

 

Yeah I know, played WC3 on the Lenovo twice haha. Do you think it can handle D3 or should I get the i5 processsor just to make sure? Photoshop is not a problem right?

 

photoshop is fine on all these cpu's. but gaming really relays on the gpu. i don't know the recommended specs for d3 but it should be playable. but don't expect to play it with high settings.

 

Tried googling min. requirements for D3, and they're not released yet.

 

I'd HIGHLY recommend dishing out that extra bit for a 260M. The 260M is what will make all the difference in gaming.

I'd recommend paying a bit extra for an i5 (or i7 if you can) as well however the GPU is more important.

 

Okey I see. The thing is not the budget, if I want to I could get the i7 and the GTX260M but I was thinking that it would be overkill for what I use a computer for you know. I´ve always wanted the best even if I don´t need it so thought I could be smart this time and ask first about the standard config on the M15X. If I would like to play D3 I don´t need high settings, I´d be satisfied with med-low settings I guess because I´m not a big gamer or whatever you say.

So it depends on gaming , this is hard. Another question, what would it cost to upgrade the ram to 4gb later if you buy the m15x with 3gb?

 

$100. Or $50 if you just buy another 2gb stick. But people sometimes say don't mix sticks.

 

Upgrade to 4GB memory > +$50
Upgrade to i7 720QM > +$300
Upgrade to GTX 260M > +$200

Minimum reasonable configuration for a M15x. Less than this, probably better off with something else.

 

Why would it be better with something else? I mean, you get great quality, support and you can get great discounts on the system . But I guess it´s a bigger deal for me because in Sweden you have to pay 1900 USD for the standard configuration except that it comes with a 320gb hard drive, big deal... So I could buy one here and later sell it for almost the same price or more back home you know ^^. If I can get one for around 1150USD incl. tax (done some math) that would basically be a 750 dollar discount for me. But as I said that is for the standard configuration, think I´m atleast going to upgrade the memory because it´s only 45 USD and seems to be more expensive for me to do it later.

Do you guys know if there is going to be a new version of the m15x pretty soon? Like in June or beginning of July at the latest? Was thinking about it because I´m going back home in July and maybe it would be smart to wait.

Btw I have access to the EPP discount, that´s why it would be 45 USD to upgrade the memory.

 

Did just see that the only gpu you can get in Sweden is the 240m :S.

 

Can you upgrade the 240M to a 260m?

 

Yea it worked when I choosed the i7, you can´t even see the 260m if you don´t :S

 

I'd say get the i7 and 260M. It lets me play SC2 Beta on Ultra and I figure it'll let us play D3 pretty high too!

 

Pretty accurate IMHO