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    7900 vs 8600m - help please!

    Discussion in 'Gaming (Software and Graphics Cards)' started by mouthus, Aug 26, 2008.

  1. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi there, firstly I'd like to admit that I don't know too much about the technical side to computer hardware.

    I am about to buy a new Dell laptop. Basically, I'm stuck between two. The more expensive one (by about £90/$180) has these specs:

    Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7400 (2.16 GHz, 667 MHz FSB, 4 MB L2-cache)
    2048MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x1024]
    256MB DDR3 nVidia® GeForce™ Go 7900 graphics card

    The other one:

    Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T9300 (2.50 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 6 MB L2 cache)
    3072MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [1x2048+1x1024]
    NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 8600M GT with 256MB dedicated graphic memory

    What I want to know is, which is faster and/or better for games?

    The first, more expensive one has a 17inch screen, and the other one has a 15inch screen, if that makes a difference.

    Reading the forum a bit, it seems to be the case that not many people are rating the 8600M GT card and prefer the other one. How much difference is there going to be? Will the first laptop, with slower processor and smaller ram, still be better at games? Is the difference in processor and ram going to be big, though? For general use, will the second one be better?

    So yeah, please help! :)
     
    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  2. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    There is also the outsider. An Alienware laptop with 17inch screen:

    Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7200 2.0GHz 4MB Cache 667MHz FSB

    512MB Nvidia® GeForce™ Go 8700M GT

    1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz - 2 x 512MB
     
    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  3. Thaenatos

    Thaenatos Zero Cool

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    If the 8600mGT is ddr3 then go for that.
     
    Thaenatos, Aug 26, 2008
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  4. HTWingNut

    HTWingNut Potato

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    How much are you spending? Get the Gateway P-7811 FX for $1449 at Best Buy. It has P8400 (latest Core 2 Duo @ 2.26GHz), 9800m GTS 512MB, 4GB 1066MHz RAM, 200 GB 7200RPM HDD, 17" 1920x1200 screen, PM45 Express Chipset, Vista Home Premium 64-bit
     
    HTWingNut, Aug 26, 2008
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  5. Althernai

    Althernai Notebook Virtuoso

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    If you need to compare graphics cards, look at the big chart here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=291350 . The Go7900GS is slightly better than the 8600M GT while the Go7900GTX is substantially better, so to answer your first question you'd need to specify which 7900 you're getting. Also, you can quite likely get a better deal than either of those two laptops (though this depends on where you're buying).
     
    Althernai, Aug 26, 2008
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  6. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    I would probably upgrade to the 512MB DDR3 nVidia® GeForce™ Go 7950 GTX graphics card, but keep the 2.16ghz processor. Would this be significantly better?
     
    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  7. Thaenatos

    Thaenatos Zero Cool

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    What is your budget?
     
    Thaenatos, Aug 26, 2008
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  8. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    Well, I've decided to stick to £1200. I am looking at Dell, Alienware.. possibly Acer.
     
    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  9. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    What about downgrading the Alienware's processor to 2ghz, but improving the graphics card to a Dual 512MB Nvidia® GeForce™ Go 8700M GT - SLI Enabled? That would be within budget.
     
    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  10. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    So after a fair bit of thought, I'm veering towards the Dell XPS M1710. These are its specs:

    Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7400 (2.16 GHz, 667 MHz FSB, 4 MB L2-cache)
    4096MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x2048]
    512MB DDR3 nVidia® GeForce™ Go 7950 GTX graphics card
    Hard Drive 250GB Serial ATA (5400RPM)
    17.0" UltraSharp™ Wide Screen WUXGA (1920x1200) TFT Display with TrueLife™

    Is this a good gaming laptop for the money? Better than the Alienware?
     
    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  11. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    There is also a Toshiba Qosmio laptop for a similar price:

    Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 / 2.2 GHz ( Dual-Core )
    3 GB DDR II SDRAM - 667 MHz ( 1 x 1 GB + 1 x 2 GB )
    NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT TurboCache supporting 2303MB - 512 MB
    Hard Drive - 250 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
    17" TFT 1920 x 1200 ( WUXGA ) - 24-bit (16.7 million colours) - TruBrite
     
    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  12. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    What it really boils down to is whether the 7950 GTX is going to be considerably better than the 8600M GT.
     
    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  13. Althernai

    Althernai Notebook Virtuoso

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    Yes, it will. There is practically no comparison there -- the 8600M GT is a good mid-range card, but the Go7950 GTX is the most powerful single card of the previous generation.
     
    Althernai, Aug 26, 2008
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  14. narsnail

    narsnail Notebook Prophet

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    I second the Gateway, in htwingnuts post, your wasting your money if you consider an alienware with a completely inferior GPU, etc for more money.
     
    narsnail, Aug 26, 2008
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  15. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    How does the Nvidia 9600M GT 512MB GDDR3 Graphics compare? It's not on that chart linked to earlier.
     
    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  16. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    Not sure where I can get a Gateway in the UK, though.
     
    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  17. narsnail

    narsnail Notebook Prophet

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    ahh ok, ebay? do you guys have tiger direct over there?
     
    narsnail, Aug 26, 2008
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  18. pogitz

    pogitz Notebook Consultant

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    The 7950 gtx is already older generation. Its a strong card, but wouldnt it be advisable if you get something newer since your gonna spend anyway ? More so if they cost almost the same as the new systems being sold now. Like what people said, try to search and study ur options carefully. The gateway offers good bang for the buck. Im sure there are still others out there that is DEFINITELY within your price range. Read forums, reviews, especially here in NBR. goodluck !
     
    pogitz, Aug 26, 2008
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  19. pogitz

    pogitz Notebook Consultant

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    yeah. just check ebay, last time i checked, gateway 6831's and 6860's are mostly on sale. A lot of sellers even offer to ship internationally.
     
    pogitz, Aug 26, 2008
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  20. narsnail

    narsnail Notebook Prophet

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    even the 6831FX would be good, and im sure the CPU speed will turn you off, but by no means is it a slow CPU.
     
    narsnail, Aug 26, 2008
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  21. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  22. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thoughts on the NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS (256MB DDR3 Dedicated)?
     
    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  23. narsnail

    narsnail Notebook Prophet

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    stay away from any 7 series(except the 7950GTX), anything below an 8600m GT, and anything below an 9500m GS if you want to game often at comfrotable settings.
     
    narsnail, Aug 26, 2008
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  24. Althernai

    Althernai Notebook Virtuoso

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    That's way, way less powerful than the other cards you mentioned in this thread (it's similar to the 8400M GS which is substantially weaker than the 8600M GT).

    Look, you're jumping all over the quality spectrum here. What exactly do you want to do with this laptop?
     
    Althernai, Aug 26, 2008
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  25. narsnail

    narsnail Notebook Prophet

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    exactly, what do you want? portable? powerful? gaming?
     
    narsnail, Aug 26, 2008
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  26. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    Haha ok. You're right, I'm straying.

    I want a fast, gaming laptop.

    Would the Dell XPS with Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7400 (2.16 GHz, 667 MHz FSB, 4 MB L2-cache) and 512MB DDR3 nVidia® GeForce™ Go 7950 GTX graphics card be better than the Toshiba Qosmio with Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 2.40GHz 3MB Cache (1066MHz FSB) and Nvidia GeForce 9700M GTS 512MB ??
     
    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  27. narsnail

    narsnail Notebook Prophet

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    the 9700m GTS is better, id say they are *almost* equal, but the 9700m GTS has the edge for sure.
     
    narsnail, Aug 26, 2008
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  28. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    Ok what about this:

    Intel Core 2 Duo T8300 2.4GHz,3MB Cache,800MHz
    NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX 512MB (DX10)

    Apparently this 'Rock' laptop matches to the Clevo M570RU.. if that means anything! Again, same price as the others, with 4GB Ram.
     
    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  29. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    And another, by Kobalt:

    Intel® Core™ 2 Duo P8600 Dual Core Processor 2.40GHz
    NVIDIA® GeForce® 9800M GTS 512MB DDR3

    This, however, has only 2gb ram and a smaller 15 inch screen. The screen size isn't a priority.
     
    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  30. narsnail

    narsnail Notebook Prophet

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    that Rock laptop is the Clevo M570RU, and im guessing the kobalt one is another Clevo laptop, the M860TU, the 8800m GTX is faster then the 9800m GTS.
     
    narsnail, Aug 26, 2008
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  31. mouthus

    mouthus Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thanks for your help, narsnail. I think I'm probably going to go for the Rock one. Will report back when I have it!
     
    mouthus, Aug 26, 2008
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  32. narsnail

    narsnail Notebook Prophet

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    no problem, posting in the Sager Forum as well will help as well, the Sager experts are in there and will help you more then I can or could.
     
    narsnail, Aug 26, 2008
    #32