Processor Upgrade on P-6831FX

Hi,

I have a few questions about this notebook. I'll spare some text and go directly with my questions. This notebook can be found here :

Clicky Me

1- How is the build quality of this notebook compared to like.. HP, Asus, Clevo etc?
Edit : I know it isn't out yet but how are Gateway products in general?
2- Is it possible to upgrade the T5450 found in this notebook with a T8300? Wiki says something about Socket FCBGA6 which I have no clue what it means and Googling didn't help. But I think both are Socket P??
Edit : Will the T8300 be available for purchase from any resellers here in Canada other than NCIX? Not that I don't like NCIX, I love them but just to have multiple choice to choose from.
3-Is it wise buying this notebook? I really like it because I of the nice design/color (Looks like the DV9700T), it has the 8800GTS which is better than the 8700M GT (Maybe I'm wrong) and a lot cheaper than the GTX version. If I can upgrade it with a T8300 then I don't think I will consider buying a new notebook for the next..hmm.. like.. 5 Years+?

I am running on a Athlon 64 3000+ w/512MB of RAM and an old Radeon 9200 and it's still running great but sometimes I feel like something more powerful is needed. I had this system for about 4 years now and I want to have a desktop replacement because of my study field and also for personal use ( Gaming, Movie encoding, DvD Burning etc.. ). I hate it when it takes more than an hour to encode a movie and I can't even use my computer while it's working. But still, I feel like this old crap can last me another 2 Years of abuse

I've been searching for a notebook for a while and never found what I wanted and this seems to be the perfect choice except for the processor. Notebooks I've been interested in are the Asus G1S-A1 but I hate the design/colors, the Asus F8SV-A1 but because of the DDR2 graphics memory I wasn't completely sold on it, the Sager 5792 but there are no reseller here in Canada except for Eurocom but it's damn expensive, and maybe some other Notebooks with a T7500 and 8600M GT..

Thanks

 

#1 - It's OK but definitely not as good as some other laptops. Has an overall mushy feel to the case and lid and lots of flex compared to magnesium based laptops. Anyone's guess as to hinges or how long this will last, not sure of the OEM. The $140-3 year Gateway warranty may be an option for some. NOT available for notebooks from BB.

#2 - Yes! Socket P. The T8300 should be a great choice. I opted for the 9300 but hope to see some bench marks between the two. Can't help you with Canadian dealers.

#3 - Wise? No, for any notebook for 5 years. Get a desktop. The notebooks of five years ago were heavy, built like tanks, and sooo slow.

All in all I like mine. For the price and performance, very good!

 

Thanks for the excellent response!! Exactly the kind of response I wanted
About the build quality, I guess it's not as bad as my dad's Acer which is made of plastic is king at flexing, I'll probably get used to it. xD But does the hinges look that weak? Other than that, it looks really great considering the price (1350$C) when comparing to other notebooks with slower components and costing more than 1500$.

Oh and another question, Is the track pad lockable? I hate it on my Dad's laptop when I play games and I would accidentally push too hard near the track pad or touch it, the camera would go in another direction when using a mouse, the most annoying thing in a fast-paced FPS (Soldier Front, anyone plays it? xD).

 

One guy I spoke with at Gateway said I could upgrade to a three year warranty for $129 on the Best Buy model so YMMV.

 

YMMV, well there you go. I've spoken to two reps who told me no. Can you post his name please?

tia

 

I don't have his name as I was asking more in passing as I was trying to find out some smaller details of the HDMI port on the laptop. I didn't try to add it at that point, but the guy knew i bought it from Best Buy and said it could still be added.

Granted, Gateway Level Techs aren't exactly the greatest source of information in the world.

 

First the hinges... This notebook is very similar to the MP8708 I sold to GET this one. I used it daily for over a year, opening and closing it multiple times. I guess you could say I "abused" the hinges. I sold the 8708 to a good friend of mine, and the hinges on that were just as tight and solid as the day I took it out of the box. Older Gateways had hinge problems (I have one here that the kids now use... there are 3 or 4 crazy glue "spot welds" on the casing) but the newer Gateway hinges are about 2" wide and seem very sturdy.

As far as the touchpad goes, there is no hardware switch to disable it. There may be something in the software, but I did a clean Vista install and haven't gotten around to reinstalling the touchpad driver, so I can't say.

 

Rep for you venkol! I called back and this Rep says no problem! I bought the 3 year for $189. The first two kept telling me I had to go thru BB

If you buy from Gateway direct, it's quoted at $149.

phone - 408 273 0808

 

Is the mp8708 and the p6831 from the same OEM? I have an older 6807 with hinge problems but works fine after GPU (m10-9600) replaced.

My dell has had two problems, my old HP had key pad problems and broken power jack.

I guess you might say I'm a bit paranoid on the latest builds

 

Yeah, I bought the 3 Year Warranty for mine. It was $189 and I did it through the Live Online Chat. It doesn't include full accidental damage, but it does include accidental screen damage.

 

1- How is the build quality of this notebook compared to like.. HP, Asus, Clevo etc?
Edit : I know it isn't out yet but how are Gateway products in general?

Build quality is acceptable, there's quite some flex on the lid and above the keyboard, but palm rest and keyboard are pretty strong. The hinge, as it stands, is superb. How long it takes for it to break, if ever, is anyone's guess as mentioned above.

2- Is it possible to upgrade the T5450 found in this notebook with a T8300? Wiki says something about Socket FCBGA6 which I have no clue what it means and Googling didn't help. But I think both are Socket P??
Edit : Will the T8300 be available for purchase from any resellers here in Canada other than NCIX? Not that I don't like NCIX, I love them but just to have multiple choice to choose from.

It's proven that it is upgradable to Santa Rosa Penryns. And also, theoretically, it is upgradable to Santa Rosa Quad Cores (*excited*), but no promises. I would look at Canada Computers and TigerDirect also. Since these 3 tend to be the most well-known Canadian computer stores.

3-Is it wise buying this notebook? I really like it because I of the nice design/color (Looks like the DV9700T), it has the 8800GTS which is better than the 8700M GT (Maybe I'm wrong) and a lot cheaper than the GTX version. If I can upgrade it with a T8300 then I don't think I will consider buying a new notebook for the next..hmm.. like.. 5 Years+?

It is very cost-effective and I consider it an amazing buy. The 8800GTS can kill 8700GT several times before it drops to the ground. (*Wondering if an overclocked 8700GT can even compare to a stock 8800GTS*)
This laptop will not last you 5 years, no. But think of it as saving money for your next laptop in 2-3 years since this beast is actually unbelievably cheap.

An overclocked Asus G1S-A1 will achieve performance of around 8700GT.

Asus F8SV-A1 is one of the kings of 14" laptops right now. Only Zepto 6224W, Lenovo 14" T61p and itself can achieve 8600GT GDDR2 performance. I was initially set on getting a Lenovo T61p until I saw this baby.

You'll be looking at 15"ers if you want 8600GT GDDR3 and above. Dell XPS 1530, Lenovo 15" T61p and Macbook Pro come to mind.

And of course you have the ridiculously priced but at the same time ridiculously decked out Alienware m15x, featuring a 8800GTX in a 15" form factor (which actually made me consider carefully between the m15x and P-6831FX, but the m15x is double the price and chances are I can use that money to buy a shiny new decked out Gateway that can outperform the m15x single-handedly in a few years.)

Is the track pad lockable?
Unfortunately, there is no way to lock it from hardware. I won't be surprised that you can through Synaptics Touchpad drivers though. That is, if this touchpad supports it -- I have yet to try. I did a clean install of XP and only installed the essentials so far.

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About processors, I would just get the cheapest Penryn available, which is 2.1Ghz and 3mb L2 cache IIRC.
2.1Ghz is plentiful unless you use it for engineering calculations or play the most modern of RTS games.
3mb L2 cache, as suggested by the freshly baked Processor Review on the front page, is "the sweet spot right now".

 

here's A quick benchmark that I found on the 8700 SLi vs A single 8800 GTS, so unless your rolling with 2x7950GTX in SLi or an 8800 GTX you're pretty rocking..

I mean it pretty much owns an XPS 1730 (before they tossed in the 8800 GTX's) for roughly half the price price/performance this laptop is incredible

 

Yeah, sorry. The MP8708 is a 17" Gateway notebook from about a year ago. The shell was a little sturdier, I think it was made out of a firmer material, but the hinge design was VERY similar to the 6831. If it wasn't for the damn Intel 950 graphics adapter and the INSANE price of the 6831, I would have kept it forever. Anyway... I sold it to my friend, and my girlfriend still has hers (we bought 2 of them) and the hinges are still ROCK solid. I don't think we have any worries there. In other news, the 6831 got it's first real test the other night when a drunken GF stumbled and lost her balance and caught herself by leaning her palm ON MY 6831!!!! It escaped unscathed

 

Yeah, as far as build quality I'd say it is average. The one, and really one of just a few good things about my previous Dell E1705 was the magnesium case. The thing was absolutely SOLID. The FX line is a plastic exterior, but it is fine.

My old 2002 vintage Gateway 450 series laptop is still going strong!

 

Upgrading the processor, does it null warrenty?

 

I'm glad her palm escaped harm!

 

LOL! I don't know what to say to that