G51Vx-X1A -- 8 GB RAM or Q9000 for gaming performance?

I tried the search first, but got an "Could not find phrase 'invalid_search_query'." error.

At this point, with my budget, I feel like I have two options -- I could get the G51Vx-X1A with the P8700 and then buy 4 GB x2 for 8 GB RAM, or I could get the G51Vx-X1A with the Q9000. They would end up coming to roughly the same price... but I do have some worries.

1. Which would be better for gaming performance?

2. Which would be better in terms of longevity/upgrades? I feel like the Q9000 would be better in this respect, since I can always just buy more RAM...

3. Which would be better in terms of heat?

4. Does the Q9000's slower clock speed impede gaming performance compared to the P8700?

And two non-comparison questions...

Should I get a cooler? If so, is there any particular cooler recommended for this laptop?

How is the screen in terms of color/viewing angle? In addition to gaming, I'd also like to use this to watch movies and do my photo editing, so colors/blacks are something I pay attention to.


Thanks in advance! I look forward to learning as much about the G51Vx-X1A as possible.

 

Right now I will be blunt... neither matter. You won't need over 4gb RAM, and games aren't optimized for quads. DOwn the road that might change but right now it's the simple truth

That said, if you get the quad you know that you have a MB that supports quads.

 

To be honest it's better to get the top end laptop if you can get it now. Getting 8GB, with 4GB sticks being so expensive now doesn't make sense, ram prices always fall in price over time.

Like madpoet said you don't really need all that memory, and if you did you should probably look into a desktop not a laptop.

 

Well, a desktop simply isn't an option given where I am and how often I have to move... so I'm looking for a desktop replacement that's easy to pack up and move with. I do lots of RAW editing in multiple programs, but I guess 4 GB would be enough for that. Processing speed is always nice so I spend less time staring at progress bars, though I'm not sure how Adobe plays with quad cores.

I completely agree with the idea of getting a top end laptop -- even though games don't really support quad cores now, it'd be nice to buy it now and have it for later; I'm not so rich that I can afford to splurge on a new, good computer every year, or every two years, even.

The two things keeping me from the Q9000 are the heat and gaming performance, though. I don't really want to go down that road if either are worse than the P8700.

 

In today's world, the P8700 will probably handle most games as well as if not better than a Q9000. Just the truth. 2 years from now, that probably won't be the case.

 

All right. It sounds like the clock speed difference isn't as major as it first looks, then... and the Q9000 would be a good long-term investment.

Any idea about the temperatures?

I was reading past pages and saw some threads about the screen -- is the screen good or bad on the non-Best Buy versions? It's a bit hard to tell with so many conflicting reports and no actual pictures.

And... I'm not really planning to overclock anything, so... cooler yea, cooler nay?

 

I have the Best Buy model and I prefer the screen to its 1080p counterparts. 1080 on a 15.6" screen would just make my eyes bleed; 1366x768 is HD, easy on the eyes, and good-looking.

That's subjective though. You might want to go to your local Best Buy and check the laptop out for yourself.

Temperatures on the Q9000 are going to be just fine; nothing is going to melt. You're not going to need a cooler, either (at least I don't on mine and it's OC'd to hell); if the temperatures worry you, undervolt using Tev's guide.

 

1) If the game supports multiple cores, the Q9000. Ram hardly makes a difference if you have enough.
2)Q9000
3)8GB Ram
4)Depends on the game, but in the future, the Q9000 will likely have a distinct advantage.

Probably, the G51 runs quite warm and lower temps are always nice. The GPU in the BB model hits 90Cs, ( not sure about the CPU ) and thats with a 25W TDP CPU. I mightve read somewhere ( so I could be wrong ) that the GPU and CPU share the same heat pipes, so a 45W CPU should definitely have a negative effect on the heat.

Nothings going melt no, but it will get hot, thats for sure, and a while a cooling pad isnt needed, you may find it nice to have. So maybe get it and try it for a few weeks or so to see how it runs?

 

I'll add a +1 to getting the A1 variant.

Down the road you can have a quad AND have 8 GB RAM.

 

Why do people keep assuming that 1080p on a 15.6" must mean that text is small? IT'S CALLED A FONT DPI UPSCALE, PEOPLE. A lower resolution is never better, except in terms of gaming performance (not quality).

 

Don't listen to this nonsense. Many games already favour quads over dual core processors. Multithreaded apps and games are the present and future so get the quad core option and upgrade the ram at a later date when it becomes more affordable.

Besides the Q9000 is proven to be a great overclocker so 2.5ghz+ should be easily attainable. Ask yourself what is better: less than 6ghz or 8ghz+ of processing power?

 

Many games do, but most games still dont. I would still say go with the Quad to utilize the games that do, and be ready for the games that will. 8GB of memory seems like kind of overkill, but if you really did want it It would be a much better add for later.

PLUS adding RAM later wont void your warranty like swapping processors would!

 

Higher resolution is higher but you must weigh the increased cost of upgrading to 1080p against the benefits you will receive from such higher resolution.

Also, DPI upscale is never perfect.

 

Whoa, take a deep breath .

In addition, when you upscale the DPI, text gets *fuzzy* due to the lcd dithering involved in creating the lower res. This gives some people headaches (including me), or is just annoying to others.

 

Better invest in a SSD. It's cheaper and would offer far more noticeable difference in user experience.

 

The performance difference wouldn't be as huge as having a four core processor.

 

I second this and to the OP this would make the most sense as to where to spend your money right now. Everyone else also makes valid points but to answer your question best, I agree with Forge.