7950 GTX w/XP or 8600M GT w/Vista?

I don't know of a place that lets you customize. I'd just install the HDD after I got it, and keep the original as an external or sell it on ebay.

I'd take the HP over the Sager because the HP is more powerful, better built, and thinner/lighter.

 

I found the 8510w on www.keenzo.com for $2,620.97 w/ 2GB RAM, a 120/7200 HD, and the T7500.

Is that definitely a 256MB GDDR3 DX10 card on the 8510w?

Why is it so expensive? I can get an T7500 Inspiron w/ 3GB RAM, a 160/7200 HD, 8600m GT, and 3 years service + support for under 2K...

 

It's expensive because HP business laptops are almost always expensive, especially the ones with Quadro cards in them. Their workstation certified, and cost significantly more than Geforce cards (even for desktops).

Also check out this one:
http://keenzo.com/showproduct.asp?ID=1057374

And yes, it's definitely a 256mb GDDR3 DX10 card. In terms of hardware, it's a little higher quality than the Geforce 8600M-GT (because it's tested more rigorously), and in terms of performance it's the same (assuming you install gaming drivers.)

 

If you want the possibility to upgrade your graphics card to a high-end one than go for the Sager one. If you don't care then go for the Asus one or the Dell one.
Wow 11 pages of discussions and you still can't decide on which one you're getting?

 

Every time I decide another point is brought up. DX10 + buying a laptop now = frustration. I'm sure both Microsoft and nVidia will profit from all the confusion. I should have just kept that Inspiron 9400 T7400 7900GS for $1,3000!!!

The Inspiron 1520, Sager NP5790, and Asus G1S all have good features which make a decision difficult.

I like the Sager but I'm a little skeptical going with an unknown company. I also don't like how it looks and I was worried about the heat/noise, build quality, + service/support.

Like I said, my last Dell Inspiron 8600 was great for what I needed and lasted me 3 years. I would like the next laptop to last until at least DX11...

 

i'll make this easy.

do you value portability?

if yes:

8600m gt

if no:

do you need to buy it now?

if yes:

get a 7950gtx

if no:

get an 8800m

 

I'm thinking about just getting a laptop with a 7950 GTX and XP and forgetting about DX10 for a 2 years. I should be able to enjoy current games until then...

I'm sure in 2 years I would probably rather get a new laptop then pay $900 to upgrade a Sager to an 8800M.

The other option is to try and hold out with my Inspiron 8600 until the holy grail 8800M is released 2008...

 

or go 7950/vista like i did... in a sager.. upgrading this baby will cost a helluva lot less than a whole new high-end system altogether, plus having vista already means no need to upgrade the OS, just the gpu.
if this was already mentioned, sorry... didnt read all 11 pages!

 

Yeah, since it sounds like you wouldn't mind carrying the 17" too much, and you really want the notebook to last, a 7950GTX might be the way to go. And then in 2-3 years you can always assess whether you want to get a new notebook or upgrade, but at least you'll have that option.

 

I just talked to someone from Dell and they said they would be offering the Inspiron 1720 with the 8700M GT in the near future...another option to consider...

 

Yeah, it's been confirmed for the XPS M1730, which will likely use the same motherboard as the 1720. It should be shipping by mid-September, I believe.

 

I'll probably go with a Sager 5790 with the 7950 GTX over the 8700M GT. I want to be able to play DX9 games at max for a while, and I don't know any DX10 games that I want in the near future.

It looks like Xotic gives you a choice between 64-bit Vista or XP Pro. Does anyone know if the "Warhammer: Dawn of War/Winter Assault/Dark Crusade" series will run on 64-bit Vista (I know they run on 32-bit Vista)? I would like to continue playing, so I may have to go with XP if they don't run on 64-bit...

Lastly, has anyone compared a 17" 1680x1050 matte WSXGA vs. a 17" 1920x1200 glossy WUXGA? I don't want to strain my eyes at the default resolution, however I want to run games at the optimal resolution for the 7950 GTX.

 

If you like running games on high settings, then 1680x1050 would be the optimal resolution.

 

I went to order the Sager NP5790 from Xotic and saw that it only comes with 64-bit Vista or XP. I wanted to play some older games which I'm not sure will run on 64-bit. I also read that the Sager runs hot and is noisy.

I called Dell sales back about the 8700M GT in the Inspiron 1720 and they were clueless. I don't feel like waiting a couple of months until it's released.

I'll probably order the Asus G1S with the 8600M GT DDR3. That would give me close to 8700M GT performance in a 15.4" package with a price just over 2K. It looks like the only other 15.4" that can compete with that is the Macbook.

Which brings me to another point: How much farther can technology advance in 15.4" laptops? You can only fit in so many cooling fans and so fast a processor or the laptop will have a meltdown, and 15.4" can't take a 256-bit GPU either. It looks like a maxed out Asus G1S will be a decent laptop for a few years to come.

If I really wanted the fastest technology I would rather have a desktop than something like the huge Sager NP9260, as it almost defeats the purpose of having a "laptop." (Although I realize there is a market for "portable desktops.")

 

I really think you should buy one at this point because I have never seen a person debate with themselves for so long over something.

It is not the end of the world if you dont get the MAX performance possible (since that is virtually impossible with technology today). Just find a laptop you will enjoy and will perform well enough for you to play what you want. I certainly know I would be going insane If i debated as long as you have about graphics cards in laptops.

If you wait for the 8700 then you will be debating about getting the 8700 or waiting for the next card. There is always going to be a new card out after you buy a laptop, that is the way it works. Just find one that you like and get it so you can get on with the games.

 

I found out many games run fine on 64-bit Vista, and it will take advantage of 4GB RAM.

I'm careful after my last laptop. A month after I purchased it a new GPU with twice the memory was released. I had to deal with 3 years of mediocre gaming as a result of a bad choice.

It comes down to these two (both have their pros and cons, so I'll probably flip a coin):

XOTIC / SAGER NP5790 ( Clevo M570RU ) Intel Core 2 Duo "Santa Rosa" DUAL CORE / 17" WS/UXGA / 512MB nVidia GeForce 7950GTX PCI-Express Video / DDR2 RAM
- 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime Toll Free Tech Support (Extra 2 Year Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)
- Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- ADD Car Adapter
- 110/220V 120W Auto Switching AC Adapter - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 4965 802.11 a/g/n
- Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Integrated System Speakers - Included
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Built in 1.3Megapixel Camera
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- 200GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA 150)
- Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- NP5790 Orange Frame Trim Color
- 4,096MB DDR2 667 PC2 5300 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory (w/ Vista 64-Bit Only)
- 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 7950GTX w/GDDR3 (User Upgradeable)
- Intel® Core™2 Duo T7500 2.2GHz w/4MB L2 On-die cache - 800MHz FSB
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- 17" WUXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1200) S
Total: $2,794.00


FORCE 3593s ASUS G1S-A1 Ensemble Core 2 Duo Santa Rosa / 15.4" WSXGA / GeForce 8600GT 512MB Video / DVDRW / 2GB / 160GB / VISTA
- 2 Year ASUS GLOBAL Warranty, 24/7 Technical Support & 2-Way Pre-Paid Overnight Shipping for Warranty
- Windows Vista Home Premium w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's - ENS
- Asus G Series Matching Logitech Mouse
- ADD Car Adapter
- 110/220V 120W Auto Switching AC Adapter - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- Asus G Series Matching Backpack made by Targus
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 4965 802.11 a/g/n
- Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Integrated System Speakers - Included
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Built in 1.3Megapixel Camera
- Internal 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO)
- 200GB Hitachi Travelstar 3GB/S SATA 300 7200RPM Hard Drive
- Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X Light Scribe DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- Standard Finish
- 1GB Intel® Robson Turbo Memory (Vista Only)
- 4,096MB (2 SODIMMS) DDR2 667MHz Dual Channel Memory
- 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 8600GT GDDR3 DX10 Turbo Cache (256MB on Board)
- Intel® Core™2 Duo T7500 2.2GHz w/4MB L2 On-die cache - 800MHz FSB Asus Default Processor
- ASUS Zero Bright Dot (ZBD) Pixel Guarantee
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- 15.4" WSXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
Total: $2,432.00

 

I'm in the same boat. I've had a Dell XPS M170 with a 1920x1200 glossy screen and loved it, but that's just me.. I'm a graphic designer so I'm used to everything on my screen being tiny. The 15.4" would be more portable than the 17", relatively speaking, but realistically you're only saving an inch and a half in your bag and a pound or two (if that) of weight. Unless you're in college and want to prop your notebook up on a tiny desk space to take notes, might as well go with the 17" for those prices. I have a hard time swallowing dropping north of 2 grand on a 15.4" notebook, regardless of how well it may play games with it's 8600M GT. I also have a hard time swallowing dropping 2 grand on a notebook that either A) isn't DX10 compatible (i.e. 7950GTX) or B) isn't future proof for at least the next 2 years (i.e.8600GT which IS DX10 compatible but not powerful enough to run DX10).

Personally, I don't NEED a laptop this instant, so I'm going to wait and see what mid september brings. Odds are I'll end up waiting until we see 8800 Go's available in notebooks this winter. Should exceed the performance of the 7950GTX AND be DX10 compatible. Yeah, there'll always be better technology even as soon as you buy your notebook, but it's cyclical and we're toward the end of the current cycle. Maybe quad cores will come down in price and be realistically available in notebooks at a decent price by this winter as well. That's less likely though.

Just seems like a good time to wait it out, although Bioshock is pretty tempting to upgrade for. Xbox 360 solves that problem for $60 though

 

i'd go for the NP5790 if i were to buy now
ok, i bought now and wet for the NP5790

it's much better value (imo) for just a slightly higher price

 

Yeah, those two laptops would both be great. As far as gaming value, the Sager is the better deal, however the G1s has it's own pros (lighter weight, better battery life, eSata port).

 

I ordered the G1S, as I read on numerous threads that the 7950 was hot and noisy.

I also thought that upgrading the 7950 GTX on the 5790 is an unknown, as the specs + requirements for nVidia's high-end DX10 card haven't been released. It wouldn't be worth spending $400+ in 6 months on the "8800M" and tossing the 7950 GTX.

Regarding the 8700M GT option on the 5790: isn't the 8600M GT GDDR3 on the G1S close to the 8700M GT in 3DMark scores? If so, the G1S would be close in performance to a 5970 with the same processor/ram/hard drive.

In the future there must be a practical limit in terms of what processor/GPU you can put in a 15.4" or 17" laptop where portability, heat, and power use become an issue. I doubt there will be quad-core 15.4" laptops with 384-bit/1024MB GPUs in 3 years.

At a certain point you're better off getting a mid-range desktop with a good GPU. On a price/performance chart for laptops you reach a point where the cost skyrockets with a negligible return in performance.