Performance question -please help-

hi, im trying to decide which laptop to buy and the best deal but wanted to ask a question
i am currently deciding between the sager 2098 and the MSI EX625-227US
here are the specs

Sager 2098
p8600 (2.4ghz, 3mb, 1066mhz)
4gb DDR3 1066
ATI 4650 with 512MB DDR3
15.6" (16:9) WXGA (1366x768) Super Clear Glare Type LED Screen
Total is about $910

MSI EX625-227US
p7350 (2.0ghz, 3mb, 1066mhz)
4gb DDR2 800
ATI 4670 with 512MB DDR3
16" (16:9) WXGA (1366x768) Glare Type LED Screen
Total is $700!

so the only real difference is that the MSI has a inferior processor but a better graphics card. how do you guys think the performance will be affected, is the p7350 enough for multitasking/gaming? how big is the difference in the video cards?
the msi is much cheaper and probably have better speakers/design based on what i have read but the processor may be too much to sacrifice.
any input is appreciated.

*Also the sager gets good battery life with the ddr3 memory but this shouldnt make that much of a difference right?*

 

The difference in GPU performance is negligible as the 4670 is basically a 4650 with slightly higher clocks. Note that another difference between the two laptops is the screen size; the MSI has a true widescreen display, which would be more suitable for watching movies (it would reduce or eliminate the black borders over top and underneath a playing movie). Then again, choosing which laptop is more suitable really depends on what you plan to do with it as well as cost considerations.

And no, DDR3 memory will not make a big difference in terms of battery life.

 

Both are 16:9, both are LED...DDR3 isn't that big of a deal, and the CPU won't make much of a difference. The Compal is a good build, but I'm gonna go with the MSI. It's cheaper, and the 4670 is a bit faster. Build quality should be similar, but I bet the Compal is tougher.

 

I also would take the MSI that GPU is a very good performance card and i dont think you will notice to much difference between the CPU's....the MSI is a very good price for what you are getting.
Goodluck with your choice.

 

thank you for your opinions they are much appreciated, i think i will go with the MSI, i can always upgrade the processor anyways, but not the video card right
and the design of the MSI is nicer even though it seems to be less durable

 

I think its a good choice, from what ive heard it performs very well, i hope you enjoy it.

 

Hm does anyone know if I woul be able to overclock the p7350 cpu on the msi, and if so how? I am not experienced with overclocking very much but I can learn quick. The 2GHz is quite a drawback

 

It isn't as much a drawback as you think it is, but you probably can overclock it. MSI has a turbo function built into a lot of their gaming laptops for 10-20% more clock speed. And if it doesn't have that, maybe you can overclock with SetFSB. Check out the MSI forum for more details.

Or you can just ebay a faster cpu, a p8700 should be cheap and has 2.53ghz clockspeed. A little more money could get you a P9500 with same clockspeed but added cache.

 

Yea you should get the MSI because you can change the CPU.

 

im a sager fan so i say sager

 

Hi there, I appear to be in the same pickle as the TS. Having read through what people have mentioned they are very nonchalant in the ease of replacing the CPU. Is it really that easy? My only aversion to the MSI is being stuck with a subpar processor for the duration.
Thanks for any and all the help

 

yes, changing the cpu should be particularly easy with these laptops. just look around the forums for guides or google it.

I also love Sager, but i would choose MSI on this particular decision. go for it, saving the $210 could get u better upgrades (or 72 pcs of mcdonald Big Macs to treat your friends with)
___________________
Gateway P-Series FX (Santa Rosa - Crestline)
Intel T9500 Core2Duo 2.60Ghz 6mb L2 (Penryn @ 1.02v)
4GB Dual-Channel Kingston HyperX (4-4-4-12) RAM
Nvidia Geforce(m) 8800 GTS OC 512mb @ 600/825/1350
820GB Seagate Momentus 5400rpm (500GB+320GB)
IC 7 Carat Nano-Diamond Thermal Grease’d Heat Sink

 

ah! thanks for the quick reply. I had my eye on the sager for a while, but it's beginning to look impossible to overlook 72 big macs and a comparable laptop

 

Make sure you check both reviews...

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-MSI-EX625-Notebook.16060.0.html

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Compal-KHLB2-Notebook.14963.0.html

The Sager is built on the above Compal barebones... so same thing pretty much