Considering the 6860FX... need advice!

Hi everybody. This is the first time I've come to these forums and my first time posting, so please excuse me. =)

I'm searching for a new laptop. I'm a college student with a heavy interest in gaming, and my budget is anywhere at or under 1500$. I've come across the 6860FX in my searches for laptop choices, as well as a few other laptops.

What I'm not sure of is how best to compare this laptop to my other choice, an ASUS M51Sn-X2. ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220308)

From what I'm reading, the Gateway is superior because the parts are interchangeable, making it very "future-proof", which is not something I saw on the ASUS. However, is the ASUS's video card and processor superior to that of the Gateway? I see a lot of people immediately replacing the CPU to the Gateway, is this pretty much the best way to go with this laptop or will the stock hold for a while until I'm ready to upgrade.

Just some advice on what I should go with would really be helpful.

Also, how difficult would it be to add another HDD and go through with a RAID set up if I follow the sticky guides? Would that help efficiency and speed or is it just one of things that most people don't notice a different. In terms of storage space, I have a 500GB external HD so I'm not too worried about space, but I'd like to optimize loadtimes and speed.

Thanks!

 

For the price the 6860 is one of the best buys (no pun intended) out there right now.

It was a fine machine to me, and i havent found anything that i would ever throw at it that it cant do.

The CPU is a bit on the weak side. its perfectly fine for most every day situation but most everyone opts for the t8300/t9300/x9000 upgrade pretty much instantly. That GREATLY helps the machine out. Putting it alot closer to the higher end machines for still a fraction of the cost in most cases.

As far as adding hard drives. its really simple. If you've never done it before it should take about 5-7 minutes. Its honestly just open the case, install new drive, close the case, and boot the system.

Raid set up is also pretty easy, the stickies should get you through it with out a hitch.

Goo dluck with either choice you make and if you choose the 6860 welcome to the wonderful little gateway community

 

the processor in the asus is better than the stock one that comes in the 6860, but the video card is about the equivalent of the 8600m GT, just with a die shrink of the gpu core. NOTE:heat from the gpu core is NOT a problem at idle. mine idles at about 41C. in laymens terms...the 8800m GTS in the 6860 is superior.

as for the raid setup going from one drive to two, ill let you know how that goes when i upgrade to a 2nd 320gb western digital drive on tuesday/wednesday.

from what i'm told by dook_in_the_urinal, raid absolutely makes this machine FLY. i can attest to him telling me he has to reboot and less than 2 minutes later, he's signed on telling me hes back. with the stock processor.

 

So looking at what you guys are saying is that they are comparable, but since the Gateway has a lot more hardware customization options, it might be better for me to go with that. I'm pretty sure that if I buy the Gateway, I won't be replacing the CPU for at least a few months, but as long as it doesn't cause a problem then I'll definitely be more than able to handle what it gives me, because it's about 3x as fast and powerful as the laptop I'm using now.

Keep me updated on the RAID set up, because I'm definitely curious as to how much that may help improve performance.

Thanks!

 

I dont know why everyone is in such a hurry to upgrade the cpu, I play Supreme Commander maxed out with no lag and that is very CPU dependant. The only game my 6860 struggles to max is Crysis so I have to play it on med/high. Some other games I play maxed with no lag-
Dawn of War Soulstorm
Grid
Assasins Creed
Vegas 2
C&C3

There is NO need to upgrade the CPU at all unless you just HAVE to have the best then you are wasting your money buying a T9300 or whatever at the price it is now for the minor gains you are going to get in reality. Yes your scores might go up but if you can play any game maxed what is the point in upgrade the CPU other then to be able to say "oh yea mine has a T9300" when the laptop needs the upgrade im sure tech will have advanced a bit more and it wont be but dirt cheap to buy that new proccessor.

-Mike

 

That's a really good point. I don't mind running games on Medium/High if the performance is great. If the stock processor works just fine, then I see no need to upgrade it immediately. I just saw a lot of people suggesting to upgrade it quick, that's why I was asking. Thanks for that. =)

 

Im going to throw out another thing I dont see many people mention and that is the HDMI out port, the ASUS as far as I can see dosent have one. This isnt just a gimmick I use it all the time. I have my laptop connected to my 40 inch 1080p and am able to use the tv as my monitor. Its something to think about and beyond gaming you can download movies and especially HD movies and output them through the HD Port and watch them on an HD television through the laptop. So its definetly something to think about if you have the opportunity to hook your laptop up to a television. C&C3 is AWESOME on the larger display. Just something to think about I dont see ever talked about. I know it is one of the main things that made me go for the 6860.

-Mike

 

Well unfortunately I don't have an HD TV to do that with. I know my old roommate used an S-Video cord to do the same thing for his computer, which was really nice. Except the resolution sucked.

If I did end up getting an HDTV someday, then this would be real helpful but it's kind of a non-issue for me atm.
Thanks for the input though, I appreciate ALL of the commentary I can get. =)

 

why the gateway :
1. the video card (the 9500m gs is just a shrunk up 8600m gt which is no way near the 8800m performance)
2. battery life 9 cell vs. 6 cell (asus laptop are notorious for short battery life)
3. hdmi (its the future...)
4. esata(much much faster than usb2 for external storage)
5. raid upgrade route
6. 64 bit OS support all 4GB
7. 1440x900 display (however that doesn't say which screen is better looking)
8. very easy to upgrade the cpu (much easier than a desktop)
9. the guys in this forum

why not? :
1. 17" is big and heavy
2. stronger cpu t8300 vs. t5550

only thoughts, no facts stated

 

LOL.good one royko!

 

I for one do not mind lugging around a big heavy laptop if it'll play the games I want to play.

 

Thanks. This definitely helped me quite a bit. I think I am going to go with the Gateway, now just to see if we can get a deal from Best Buy of any kind. =)

 

Your p6860fx maxes out sup comm at 1920 x 1080?

 

i think you need to enable sound over hdmi
right click your speaker icon in task bar / playback devices....

 

Dtwn83 it maxes all those games at its native resolution not while hooked up to the television, at least I havent tried.

And yes to get the mic to work (alot of people seem to think its broken) and to get the sound over HDMI you need to go to the IDT Audio Control panel and enable them its pretty simple.

-Mike

 

thanks for the audio info. I appreciate it greatly. Now onto getting my CPU upgraded hehe.

 

I have no problem running Crysis on high, though at 1280x800.

Yes, the Gateway is far superior to the Asus in every way, aside from the CPU. The T5550 is nothing to laugh at, and will still handle everything you throw at it. If you want, watch eBay for a while till you can catch a good deal on a T8300/9300.

 

video out was important to me. and for when i travel away from my trusty hd tv, i carry this with me. it is a vga - Svideo or RCA output. to be honest, i havent tried it yet, i just use the hdmi, but i cross my fingers that it will work when i need it.

 

With all the cost of the upgrades to the Gateway you can get a 20" HP HDX 8800m GTS WSXGA+ for $1200.00 if you do not mind the huge size.

 

Who would want to carry a 20"+ notebook around? That thing is just hilarious. I mean, it's nice, but it's more of a novelty to the notebook community. And what do you mean "all the upgrades"? It comes with an 8800m GTS, 4Gb RAM, and a 320Gb HD. All you need to do is upgrade the CPU. ($250 on ebay)

And I don't know where you got the $1,200 price tag from. The cheapest config is $1,599.99.

 

Ah, I see, I get occasional lag spikes on native res without texture details high, and the other detail on med with 2 x AA.

HP dropped the price on the HDX quite a bit, it's actually quite competitive now.

Also, if you can actually get the HDX for 1,200, it's an excellent buy.

The P6860FX is a little large for classroom use. More accurately, the P6860FX is just as upgradeable as the Asus. Both of them are restricted to the same line of CPUs. The Asus and the Gateway's GPU are both non-upgradeable. The advantage of the Gateway is that its CPU is really easy to reach and change out. I'm not so sure about the Asus.

 

HP base config for the HDX is still $1,599-$2,199.

 

What do you mean about a little large for classroom use? As in, it's a b*tch to carry around and use to take notes on? (Because I do this quite a bit.)

I guess when I wipe this old laptop I can always use that for notes...

 

It's 17". It isn't small.

 

If you upgrade the LCD and CPU to match the HP HDX, it will cost you as least $400.00 plus $1100.00 - 6860 if on sale.

 

There has been a $400 off coupon going on for a while for the HP notebook because HP is starting to release a new line of notebook with the Montevina and Puma, so HP is giving a huge discount on current notebooks.

The base HP HDX comes with SWXGA+ with 2.0 Ghz vs Gateway WXGA with 1.8.

If you carry your notebook around, get the 17" Gateway, it is the best bang for the buck. If the notebook is on sale.
I use my notebook as a desktop replacement, and I rarely carry it around. I move every 6-12 months, so I can not get a desktop. I just get a desktop replacement. Basically, I live out of 3 suit cases. I move from apartment to apartment, and each time I buy new furniture, because it is cheaper than hiring a moving company.


HP Pavilion HDX Entertainment Notebook w/Intel Core 2 Duo 2.10GHz, 20.1-inch WSXGA, 2GB RAM, 240GB, 512MB TV Tuner, Wi-Fi
# FREE Upgrade to 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS [add $0]
$1,799.99 - $400 Off $1299 Coupon Code NB7530 (Ends after 2790 uses) =$1399.99 + Free Shipping

 

Just upgrading the CPU of the 6860 doesn’t match what the HDX has to offer at its base configuration, and the CPU upgrade would put the 6860 in the price range of the base configuration of the HDX. The HDX is not a notebook you want to walk around campus with, but it would be perfect sitting in your dorm room when you do leave the class room. And since the OP wants to walk around campus with the notebook, the HDX should not be an option. A 17” notebook would not be my option either for walking around campus toting it, but it would be hard to pass up on a 6860 packing an 8800m GPU. What is hilarious… is when I see 17” notebooks being sold, the user specify that the notebook was not moved and is in perfect condition. Hell, then why not opt for the bigger screen if the laptop is not going to be moved much? Anyway…The 6860 is the best bang for the buck 17” notebook out there, even when it’s not on sale. And since the OP doesn’t mind carrying a heavier notebook as long as it plays the games he wants, then it should be a no brainer as to which notebook he should choose laterz!

 

Thanks to everybody on these forums! After doing a lot of research and reading the responses, I've decided that the 6860 is exactly what I want. I went to Best Buy yesterday, and got to take a look at the laptop. It's exactly what I need / want and I'm going to be very happy when my dad and I go purchase it next week. The ONLY downside i saw was the placement of the ctrl key, but I'll get used to that.

Apparently it might be going back on sale when the back-to-school stuff starts, which is why I'm waiting a week or two.

Thanks again!!!

 

Nice choice Kovahig, enjoy!
Just make sure you’re doing more studying than playing!

 

ctrl / fn fix

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=272046

who dares ?

 

Good point Kobe, I guess if you wanted a desktop replacement, why not go with the bigger screen, instead of buying a monitor. I think I was just grumpy, but I admit defeat.

 

There is no winner or loser KGann. We put out what we think and know, and try to make that accessible for the one who’s posting the question. And since most of the things someone is posting are based on needs, then it’s up to the one who’s asking the question to take what he or she wants from what’s being laid out to them. As we both know, what’s good for me doesn’t mean it will be good for you. Just going on that principle alone, a winner can’t be decided.

 

Out of curiosity, one of the biggest complaints I heard about the HDX was the fact that it wasn't very well designed for carrying around. The Dell M2010 has the built in carrying handle, what about the HDX?

The HDX has gone down in price remarkably since its inception, and its a very decent buy right now.

With the traveling I do, the HDX, albeit priced very nicely now (especially with the free 8800M GTS upgrade), isn't for me.

 

Good point, again. Well, it's good to see the OP getting the notebook he wants, and I'm still hoping you land that HDX!

 

The M2010 from Dell would have to have more than just a handle for carrying, to equal the performance level of the HDX.


For one, I wouldn’t want to carry around my expensive notebook without any carrying case, which would make a built-on handle useless for me. There is a very nice case built just for the HDX that would fit the need to carry it around perfectly. If you read the discussions on this thread that I’m having with KGann, you would see my view of the situation. Which is, the HDX is not for everyone?

@KGann

We both make good point’s bro, and I’m just as glad as you are that the OP got exactly what he wants.
Keep up the good work!

 

Note that in no way did I mentioned the performance of the M2010 when compared to the HDX.

You will, however, realize that I mentioned the portability issue. This was something I wondered about the HDX, as most laptop cases aren't designed for 20.1 laptops. It's good to hear that the HDX has its own case.

If you read my post, you will notice that I espouse none of the laptops mentioned. Each of the models that came up in the discussion, including the Asus mentioned by the OP, have their own advantages. I merely seek to clarify certain points.

 

You know, I'm very impressed with this forum so far. Usually on internet forums, you see a lot of pointless bickering and arguing, rarely are people THIS helpful. Just wanted to say Kudos to ya'll for disagreeing and debating with eachother without being jerks and for being so incredibly helpful and answering my questions!!!


As far as doing more studying than gaming... heheh. Yeah I'll behave. =)

 

For a taste of good old internet action. Particularly the later pages.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=270740

This happens everywhere.

 

That's how this forum works. As long as we set our ego's aside, we can further help people. I will openly admit when I am wrong, or my view is jaded, as will most of the others. It's a great forum to be a part of!

 

Indeed it does, but it seems to be a lot less of an issue than other places I've tried. =)

 

I actually read what you said, that’s why I kept my reply to the mobile issue and didn’t address the performance difference between the two. Which is quite clear, 8800m destroys an x1800 no matter how you look at it. And since you did say the “HDX” is not for you, I wanted to make it clear I said it’s not for everyone.
It’s very nice to have a discussion about certain advantages and disadvantages one model has over another, it helps us all in the long run in determining what’s best for us.
I have a feeling Kovahig will have a game on during class (window mode), and miss out on something he needs to being paying attention to.

 

Hahah this is NOT true! I use my laptop to take notes. I did play a game once during my Bioethics class (which I had an A in already), and somebody behind me started laughing and I got a dirty look from the teacher. He then asked me about it after class, I admitted I was playing WoW, and he told me about his level 70 paladin on another server. He's like a 68 year old british dude, last person I expected to be in an Illidan-farming guild. lol

Go figure. =P

 

lol thats a good story

 

Somebody mentioned being able to switch the function and the ctrl keys with software, as there's no way I'm daring enough to rewire the two keys. Anybody know if this is possible with the 6860?

 

Now that's an awesome professor!

 

Yeah he was pretty cool. Everytime I brought my laptop he'd ask if I was playing in the middle of class, but he knew that my grades were good and I always paid attention after that, so it was mostly a tease.

Pretty awesome guy. Especially since he's now raiding Sunwell and my guild is just breaking in, so he gave me some great advice on some of the pulls and stuff.


Anyways, still wondering if it's possible with the 6860 to switch the control and function keys, since ctrl is in such a strange place, using software. I looked at that thread, but I didn't see anything about a program compatible for the 6860 and there's no way I'll go and do it the hardware way.

 

Don't know about a software... it only took me about a day to get used to it.

 

So it's really not that big of a deal?

 

Not at all, unless you are just extremely picky. I have been using computers for 18+ years, (First Apple when I was 10) and this is the first one I've had with the Fn key where it is. Not too big of a deal.

 

I guess you're right. It's probably easier just to get used to hitting the key instead of finding and DL'ing software to change it around. =P


Hopefully I'll have it by the end of next weekend or so, I'll let you guys know. Thanks for all the help!