Questions about V6V

I have asked a few questions about which Asus lappy would fit my needs on this forum once before and i've decided to extend my budget (which was about $2000) so that I could, hopefully, get the v6... I decided to get some overtime in at work!![ ]
However, I have a few more questions...

1)why did they put the ddr2 400 into this laptop and not the 533? Does it make a big difference either way?

2) Also, I plan on putting Cadd R2005 into this, will it "bog" the laptop down in any way if I do 3D renderings or simple Cad functions?

3)I would also like to play Sims 2 and HL2 sometimes(not simultaneously, obviously)without having to actually buy a "gaming" laptop... how will the 68mb graphics card handle all this stuff? I asked about this card before but I just want some reassurance for my own peace of mind and I'm not qualified enough to understand what the 3D mark numbers mean.

Other than that, I have heard NO negative feedback on this laptop. Lord knows I have searched just so I can be educated in my investment.[:I]
Thanks so much for all your time in answering these questions!![ ][ ][ ]

 

In terms of gaming the X600 gpu will cope well with HL2 and sims, you should be able to play on high settings at reasonable resolutions. On 64mb really isn't that much of a problem, on most games and benchmarks the extra ram does bugger all, its not like things are twice as fast with double the ram, maybe 1-5% at most.

I can't answer cad, but would be surprised if it couldn't run it. I could be wrong but DDR2 533 so-dimms are in v.short supply, while DDR2 400 are plentiful and thus cheaper, so ASUS chose to keep costs down with the slower speed ram. Again in real world experiance I personally don't think that the faster ram will equate to huge differences maybe 5-10%, but then they will probably use more power and battery life will be shorter. You will see bigger performace gains by increasing the amount of ram rather than the small speed bum...ie 1Gb of DDR2 400 will be as fast if not faster than 512 of 533.
Hope this helps
a




ASUS M6Ne 15.4" WSXGA 1.7 PM ATI9700 80Gb HDD 1Gb RAM

 

So, all I need to do is upgrade to 1GB DDR2 400 and put in a 7200RPM drive and I should be good to go, right?
You helped immensely! I appreciate your answers.... Now, more than ever, I am very excited about ordering my V6.

P.S. What's Australia like? It's my dream place to go for a vacation... [ ]

 

That would make a very nice and fast lappie.

re australia: I'm pretty biased, I love it, there is somuch diversity from wasteland deserts to lush rain forest, great food and culture in melbourne, great weather in queensland. Pity I'm moving to france in a few days...lol
a

ASUS M6Ne 15.4" WSXGA 1.7 PM ATI9700 80Gb HDD 1Gb RAM

 

I don't blame you, I'm like that about Puerto Rico. However, Australia.... here I come...[8D]

Thanks for all of your help.... I need all that I can get!

 

Hey Lanena,

To answer your question...

In your question #1 -> you could further understand it by reading these threads:

http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?p=744786#post744786
http://www4.tomshardware.com/mobile/20050119/sonoma_alviso-03.html

In summary from it, given the current bus of the new centrino (sonoma) and the speed of the memory, using dual channel 533 wouldn't be able to fully utilize the memory potential.

As you can see from Tom's Hardware Guide, the new bus 533Mhz output @ 4.2 GB/sec. The single channel 533 memory output @ 4.2 GB/sec and the dual channel output at 8.5 GB/sec. So meaning it is outputing faster than the bus could take in, which is pretty much of a waste.

Ofcourse you will see some overall speed differences between DDR2-400 vs DDR2-533, but the differences doesn't really justify the cost. In addition, the DDR2-400 has a better latency rate than the DDR2-533. You could read those post for more info.

To answer your post #2 -> It will be able to run your CAD program fine, however if you are a serious CAD user and MAYA 3D etc, I highly recommend something with ATI FireGL, such as the Dell m700. There is a 35% coupon floating around for it in the DELL forum @ notebookforums.com

To answer your post #3 -> Ofcourse this will be able to handle it find as well. Look at this post: http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?p=717472#post717472

It has links to those who have purchased the V6 model and written review about them. It will give you an idea and you could make your final decision then.

In my opinion, the V6 model is a nice machine and elegant designs, however if you are looking for the best bang for the buck, this isn't the laptop. Though it is sleek, light, thin, and elegant, there are other laptop out there that offer much more superior performance for the buck. Such as the Acer 8104.

Good luck on your decision.





Laptop: TBD
My Website: http://www.smilepak.com

 

What is ATI FireGL? [ )]
As far as the DDR2 400 vs 533 is concerned,thanks for the links and clear responses! I'm not a super duper serious user in CAD as I am about to get my Civil Engineering degree in August and I am learning Paper and Model space stuff on my desktop and at work currently. My main goal is to have a laptop to enjoy (games and internet) and bring work home when I need to. At this point it's usually 2D drawings, topography, site plans, proiles, etc. But I am going to start a LITTLE 3D rendering here hopefully pretty soon.
.... but the V6 is gorgeous....[:I] However, I do understand what you mean. I was hoping to have a laptop that would fit all my needs AND look sexy.[^][^] Isnt the ACER 8104 in high demand and low supply right now? Thanks for your help smilepak!!!![ ]

 

FireGL is the professional graphics card that ATI makes.. similiar to Nvidia' Quattro....... way more expensive, but better.

I can and do run AutoCAD ArchDesktop 2005, 3Ds Max 6, Photoshop CS, constantly.. all day and can run them well even on a W1 with 64mb ATI 9600 graphics...... If you go to the W3/V6 w/ the 64mb ATI x600... they are marginally better and you can do just as much, but the system on a whole is better suited to the type of work you do.

If you want the ulitmate in what Asus has to offer graphics wise.. something I think you might be interested in (if it's not too big) will be the W2.... 17" widescreen....... and a 128mb ATI x700... I wouldn't say it's overkill, but it's better, obviously.... but also about 7.25 pounds, atleast...... You can do more than survive on a V6.... the lighter weight is really what'll set you off... but like with anything, you have slight compromises...... The bigger graphics card will basically do this.... if you're rendering a 3D studio max model and say with your desktop 256mb ati x800 or something.. it'll render in 45 minutes..... the 64mb x600 will still do it, but it'll take an hour... You can't get true desktop peroformance, but thats how you'll notice it.. it'll just take longer for the system to render it. The W2 with it's 128mb x700... would probably do that same thing in about 50 some minutes..... so when comparing laptops...... if you want the lower weight and the screen size is good enough for you, then that is what you're going to notice the most.

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

Thanks Justin. So, the W3/V6 system is better suited to my needs? I didn't want to go with a 17" screen because of the weight issue. My friend bought a DELL i6000 and it seems pretty heavy. She let me hold it and factor in the bag it was in, plus whatever else was inside the bag other than the lappy, and my own bookbag with our 100lb engineering books... it seemed like a lot of luggage. So, I'm pretty determined to stick to lightweight. However, I don't want to be ignorant about it and end up compromising SIGNIFICANT quality for a couple of extra pounds. But it seems that the V6 will still make me happy without getting outdated too quick. What do you guys think?
Well, from what I've been reading, it seems I'll be happy with whichever ASUS lands in my lap....can't wait....

 

HaHa[ ] That doesn't surprise me!
I'm in the states now. But I go to Florida State University... I hope to do a lot of traveling after graduation (put my engineering skills to the test). So, buying my very first laptop is really important to me. I just don't want to get jipped, know what I mean[?]

 

Lanena,

Trust me, I know about the books issue... I was an architecture student and our books weren't any lighter..... Are you in school in the US or back in Puerto Rico? I only ask that because I think the entire population of PR that went to arch or engineering school in the states went to my school in DC........ just curious.

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

haha.. ok. Well all I can say is that we put the options on the table and lay it it out for you to make up your own mind. Asus' units are worth every penny and I don't think you can make a wrong choice.

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

I think I said this in here somewhere today.... you've got choices with computers like you have with cars....... we're not talking about just getting you around..... for that you buy a honda or something (insert cheap computers here.). When you want to go high end performance, you might get a cheap car that goes fast and looks ok.. something like a nissan 350z or something(the Z71v fits that)... If you have a taste for the finer things and you can afford nicer design, materials and quality, you look at audi, ferrari, um... mercedes, what have you... The 350z can go just as fast, maybe faster in certain things, but if you want a good mixture of quality, performance, design, weight, features, nice materials... there isn't another option when it comes to computers. For the most part (they do have their high end systems that are tailer for lower cost), but for the most part, the systems are all that higher end. Some other companies do make nice systems every once in a while.. maybe one model or another... but on the whole there isn't a company who has this kind of array of high quality stuff. It just depends on what you can afford, what you need it for and what your tastes are.

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

I agree with him. I don't think Asus is a wrong choice if you decided to go with it.

It is like buying a car, there is usually not a wrong choice as each car is tailored to a certain audience.

If you want something with the best bang for the buck on the Asus end, the Z71V is the best bang for the buck as well. It is not elegant and sleek like the V6V or the W1/W2 series, but it have a comparable video card to the Acer 8100 series. The weight and feature on it is very nice as well.

Something think about if you want that extra option to stick with Asus.

Laptop: TBD
My Website: http://www.smilepak.com

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by PROPortable

 

Yeah, I need something fairly soon though. But can you suggest which 7200rpm drive to get or does it really matter? I saw a Hitachi 60gb 7200rpm drive on newegg for about $220. And, just for kicks, how much do you think that 100gb 7200rpm drive will cost (your best guess, of course)? about $400?

 

Well, I think I want to stick with an ASUS. Plus I feel I can trust Justin[^][^]to tell me what's what...
So, now that all of my questions have been answered *thanks guys* it's just a question of which one. But hey, as long as the V6 can handle everything I've presented in this thread then that's the one I think I'm going for. It has the exact screen size I want, easy on the eyes (as far as looks go), I've heard good things about the screen resolution (not too glossy and not too matted), good... possibly great... video card that will give me awesome gaming graphics, and like I said, weight is an issue. If it does more than what I've asked then that's just a bonus (after I add the 7200rpm drive)[ ]

 

The only thing the 7200rpm drive will do is eat into the battery, but performance will go through the roof.... Personally, I'm waiting on 100/120gb 7200rpm drives.. but they are still months off.

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by lanena

 

Would something like this fit the v6: IBM Hitachi Deskstar 7K80 80GB ATA-7 7200RPM Hard Drive? or would it be for a desktop? How would you know which one to buy? I'm not sure how to choose a hard drive by brand or make. Can you tell I'm laptop illiterate?[xx(]

 

Performance is from a 5400 to a 7200 is very significant. I don't know why I was thinking about 4200rpm when it came to me thinking about battery life.... but I was thinking about a W5.....

Also, yes, a hitachi 5400 and hitachi 7200 is not that much a difference battery wise, which is one reason for most of our 5400rpm drives in our custom machines, we use Seagates..... which have battery lives of more like a 4200rpm drive.

I aggree, $220 is crazy, but $150 is pretty low. I'd say we'd sell you one, but right now our 7200rpm drives are basically all allocated towards z71v pre-orders and future orders of complete systems...... 60gb/7200rpm drives are in super short supply right now and most distrbutors don't even have more stock from Hitachi until mid April..... since system builders and just stores like newegg buy through distributors... supply is short. Anyone with them will be selling them for a premium.

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

Thanks for the tip mclassic... I'll keep looking... and thanks for the thread.

 

I don't think so. You should be looking at the Hitachi Travelstar line. 2.5 inch IDE drives are standard for laptops, that's until 2.5 inch SATA drives start becoming common.

 

Thanks. I'll continue looking.....

 

Sorry, the Travelstar 7K60 goes for about $170. Price have gone up since I purchased mine in December. I got mine for $155 from Newegg. Maybe they're in short supply.

Hitachi has the only 7200 RPM notebook drive available to the market presently. Others should be following soon, including larger capacity models, but the timeframe is unknown.

 

Justin, Hitachi isn't in short supply. They're in smart supply. They're the only manufacturer with a 7200 RPM drive on the market.

Benchmarks show there are benefits to a 7200 RPM noteobok drive in terms of battery life and performance. And, 60GB is fairly sweet spot in terms of notebook capacity. So, they can manipulate supply and reap the benefits until someone offers a competing product.

I'm sure when prices were low it was anticipation of competitive products. But, it hasn't happened. Add fairly healthy demand for 7200 RPM notebook drives into the equation as well. So, they can adjust their prices upward with very little risk.

 

[ ] Thanks Mark... what'd I tell you? I was going to say, for us, I'd have to tell you $170-$175 atleast because they are in short supply to us and our supply is dwindling down... But prices on these drives hit a low in about January at $120..... hitachi stopped sending more shipments in and now they are virtually exsinct everywhere.... we have to take them where we can get them until hitachi can get more into the states. I think 80 and 100gig drives are on their way shortly....... we were supposed to have them in September, but that never happened.

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

hmmm... great... well, that's comforting.... I appreciate all your time. I guess I'll continue my search for a drive. Maybe I'll get lucky[^] I won't hold my breath though. At least I know better of what laptop I want and what to put in it. If anything, I'll deal with the 5400rpm drive until this dry spell is over...[ ]

 

You're right.... 100% I'm sure. My only problem is that we had tons and tons of drives and we saw that supply was great with the distributors and we didn't even worry about supply on that drive for a long time..... then supply got short.. and I mean a couple dozen, and we went to put an order in and nothing...... nothing here, there, anywhere. Some of the distributors are selling them like crack on the corner.... like our supply says nothing, but I know where you can get some...... Luckily, we got enough to get our fix, but likely will have to do it again before our big supply comes in from Hitachi............ then, guess what? I bet 80/100gb drives will be here and we don't sell another 60/7200 ever.... so we have to play our cards right.

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]