Between these two...

I figured I'd post this here because it mainly pertains to gaming.

Going to university, need a decent laptop to play games on. Between the M50VM-B1 and the GX620 here are the specs:

M50VM-B1:
WXGA+/ T9400 2.53Ghz/GeForce 9600M GS 1GB/4GB 800/320GB/BT/WiFi/DVDRW

MSI GX620:
P8600 2.4G,VHP 4G,320B,DVD+-RW,15.4"WSXGA+,BT 802.11N,NVIDIA 9600 512M,1.3MP

The GX620 has a 9600GT with GDDR3
The M50VM has a 9600GS with GDDR2

So the difference between the two cards is significant? The two computers are in the same price range, so is it better to sacrifice the extra 3mb of cache and 0.13 Ghz for the better graphics card? (I rarely do extreme processor heavy tasks like video editing and stuff, just maybe once in a while for a fun project. Photoshop is a bit more often, but I'm going to major in Medical Science so yeah, the most graphics intensive thing I'm going to be doing for school is probably rendering molecules)

Also, the P8600 means that it's a 25W montevina chip right? T = 35W? So the G620 will run cooler and longer battery life?

I DO game quite a bit, but am not that crazy about having high resolutions and stuff, just want a future proof laptop for the next couple years.

It seems in gaming, the 8600 will have no difference between the 9400. Will the 3mb of cache make any difference? How noticable?

Thanks in advance.

 

the p8600 should be more than enough for your processing needs, the better GPU is the better choice imo.

 

I would go for the better GPU, I think there quite a big difference between those too (Could be wrong though), And Yes, P = 25W, T = 35W, so GX620 would get better battery life and be cooler. I'd go for the GX620, but I'm not a gamer so my advise counts little.

 

You're not quite there. The power dissipation you stated is under maximum load, so, if you idle lots, like when taking notes, the difference will be very minimal, though it will definitely run cooler and extend battery life when the CPU is being heavily taxed.

Another vote for the GX620 if you intend to game, it will help extend the useful life of your laptop.

 

Then the DDR3 is your only option here. I'd recommend looking at the Clevo line though (assuming you're in Europe).

 

those aren't your only options, what is your budget?

 

I'm in CANADA, I want to spend about 1400-1600 including tax and shipping.

 

Any other opinions..?

I guess now I have to take into consideration the warranty, build quality, and support of MSI vs ASUS.

 

What do you think of the Eurocom M860TU Montebello?

 

I vote for the MSI, it's what I'd get if I were in the market this year. :]

 

The Eurocom M860TU is too pricey after you spec it up... the base specs are not good enough.