Longetivity of this laptop?

I have a very general question. In your opinion, how long can I expect to be able to play the latest games, at least on medium settings?

Specs:

2nd generation Intel Core i7-2630QM processor 2.0GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.9GHz

Processor speed: 2.0GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.9GHz

Memory: 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 DIMM)

Video card: Radeon HD 6850M Graphics with 1024MB GDDR5 and up to 4083MB total graphics memory

Thanks for your input!

 

Is that an Envy 17? I'd say avoid the Envy line. You will find so many problems with that gaming would be the last thing you want to do on it like cooling and CPU throttling woes.

However, the 6850M is no slouch and would keep you running for about 2-4 years decently if you are medium and 720p towards the later years.

However, I'd just avoid Envys and go with another gaming or performance laptop. The cooling, build quality and throttling issues makes the Envy a pain in the butt to work correctly for what you want it to do.

 

For even better longevity, go for something like the Sager NP8150 with the 6970M graphics upgrade.

Sager NP8150 (Built on Clevo P150HM) Custom Gaming Laptop

I'd also suggest the 95% gamut screen upgrade since it's now cheaper than ever, and will give you brilliant colors (apparently Sager has sourced some more B+RGLED panels rather than the letting the resellers who used to perform this screen upgrade deal with dwindling supplies of the B156HW01 V4 panel), and be sure to scroll down and select an OS.

I'm not sure how the price of this laptop compares to yours though.

 

It is in fact an Envy 17. I read the reviews, and all the issues with the heat from the CPU and GPU, but decided to try it out because of the 21 day return period. I've been monitoring the heat pretty closely since I got it yesterday. During idle, it's in the mid to low 40's. During casual music playing on zune, internet browsing, and you tube, it is in the mid 50's. When Playing the Witcher 2 (graphics on High, 1920x1080 resolution) it stays in between 67-75. It has peaked at 81, but quickly drops back down. I won't pretend I completely understand what you mean by "Cpu throttling," however. Care to explain?

 

If you read the HP Envy 17 Owner's Lounge, many owners were complaining about how the SB CPU would downclock itself on a low clock speed when it shouldn't. Therefore, that causes performance to degrade. It gets annoying and many owners got dissatisfied on why it was happening. I think HP just released a new BIOS to address the issue, but the Envy 17's track record in reliability and user satisfaction hasn't been a stellar one, which I totally agree with them. The entire Envy lineup is a total disaster in my honest opinion and having owned the predecessor of the Envy 17, the Envy 15, I have my fair share of horror stories to share about the terribleness of this supposedly "premium" lineup.

 

Boy oh boy. So it is your opinion, then, that I should return this and get another "premium" gaming laptop. What would you recommend?

 

If looks doesn't matter, what edit1754 recommended is the best way to go at the moment for your money. You will find the 6970M to have a longer lifespan than the 6850M and more powerful too for roughly the same money you paid for your Envy 17. Plus their GPU's are upgradable, unlike the Envy's which is soldered on the motherboard. You could also go with the Alienware m17x-R3, but those can get pricey though...

However, your mileage may vary. I know some people still use the Envy 17 and found them to be decent, but the overall mood over the model hasn't been majority positive.

 

NP8150 with the 6970m upgrade

Although star forge will disagree, the best envy was the 15'', and yes it had its fair share of problems. I had one for a limited time, the first gen.

 

I didn't say I disagree. I had a Gen 2 Envy 15 and on paper it was really good and out of all the Envy's it was the best. However, it did reek with problems, but the Envy 17 was just as bad in that department as of today.

 

If you're within the return period, then it is something to consider. If not, and if you have not had the problems that posters have brought up, then why worry yourself unnecessarily?

To answer your original question: for medium settings at a medium resolution, you should be fine, tentatively, for the next two or more years. Obviously, there can be exceptions like Crysis was more than three(!) years ago.

I don't know about "best," but it definitely was the most radical. Even though I don't agree with many of the design cues (ie, buttonless touchpad), it broke a lot of new ground. The quality metal casing, lack of an ODD (a boon that I have yet to see replicated in a 15" laptop), great power in a slim and relatively portable package, great screen options, etc.

 

This is tough, I really like the Envy 17, but I also want to make the wisest investment. I have never heard of Sager, is the customer service etc good?

 

That is probably their weak point. You need to buy from a vendor that is solid and reliable and work with them when you need to undergo warranty repairs. XoticPC, GenTech PC, MALIBAL and Mythlogic I heard have stellar customer relations to get a Sager repaired if needed. You don't want to deal with Sager directly as I heard directly dealing with Sager is very problematic. However, dealing from the vendor you buy from is much better and they usually can get it fixed in their own shops with Sager-sourced parts instead of going directly to Sager. Also, they will allow you to undergo proper upgrades if you want to. The key is to always buy from a good Sager reseller/vendor and stick with their warranty options and work with them when RMA or Upgrade time comes.

 

That makes sense. Thanks for answering all these questions for me. How much more powerful is the Sager NP8150 than the envy 17? My thinking right now is that if I can find a shop locally to deal with, i'll return the Envy and get the Sager.

 

6850M is essentially a slightly higher clocked 5850M, which is slightly downclocked from the 5870M, meaning the 5870M has a 10% advantage of the stock 6850M. People are reporting around a 20-30% performance increase on the 6970M from the 5870M. so at that rate, nearly 40% boost in performance on GPU alone.

 

Star Forge: Thank you so much. I have a few general questions before I stop bothering you!

1) What is your essential view on the 6850m? Is it a sufficient video card if the aim is to get 2-3 years of gaming out of it?
2) in regards to heat from the CPU and GPU, what are acceptable ranges while under stress (so, for example, while playing witcher 2 at the settings I mentioned above)?

Again, thank you!

 

1) It is not bad and you can squeeze out 2-3 years on it, but don't expect it to max out games three years from now on 1080p and all high. In fact if this generation of the Envy 17 allows it, you can try to overclock the GPU towards the speeds of a 5870M to give it even more headroom for games.

2) Try to not make it spike higher than 80C for both processors. In fact, I try my best to keep it cool on the lower 70's on my computers if I can. However if it starts to hit over 85C, I fear danger might lurk in the long run.

 

I'd recommend the Sager NP8150 or NP8170 as well with 6970m GPU. I had an Envy 14 for a short while with what was supposed to be the best screen out there at 1600x900. It had numerous issues, not to mention the fact that HP stopped selling the 1600x900 screens just weeks after it launched, so the one large selling point for the machine was moot.