5400rpm HD + i7 Quad vs 7200rpm HD Q9000 Quad for Laptop

Hey guys, i'm basically looking for laptop specs for gaming.

I was wondering if 500GB 5400rpm (with i7 processor) is will be better than
320GB 7200rpm (with Q9000 processor)

i heard some say 5400rpm performs almost as good as 7200rpm, but some say they dont. is it worth going for Q9000 for better rpm on HD?

their video, ram, all the other goodies are exact same spec, just processor and HD difference, which hardware would u go for?

 

From what I have read here, the i7 owns the Q9000.

As for the HD, some 5400 RPM drives are better than some 7200 RPM drives. The specific model matters here.

I would get the i7 model and also buy the Hitachi 7K500 500GB 7200 RPM HD.

Remove the system drive before you install anything on it (especially your data) and do a clean install on the Hitachi. If/when you sell this notebook - put in the original HD you've kept for warranty problems or when you're ready to sell it and use the 7K500 in your next notebook or an external enclosure as a 'data' drive as SSD's will be mainstream (and much faster and capacious) by then.

Good luck.

 

Thnx for the advice, I was actually planning on upgrading the HD with i7 laptop, but it will come with pre configured OS (Win 7) Know anyway to transfer the OS to the new harddrive?

And further advice would be great, still havent picked one for sure yet.

 

You can download a trial of Acronis or any other number of 'cloning' software and once 'transfered' you can simply uninstall it.

You'll need an external enclosure to house the new HD (eSata is preferable if your computer has that port or if you have an ExpressCard adaptor already - the cloning will go much faster than through a USB connection).

Myself, I would do a clean install - with only the drivers/software I want/need on the machine, but many say that cloning saves so much time, it is the 'only' way to go. The choice is yours!

When I answered before (I was coming back here to edit my response, actually) I didn't ask what version of the i7 you're considering? If the 820qm then it is definitely above the Q9000, if it's any other one, then others should be able to help you more authoritatively.

Glad I was able to help a little.

Cheers!

 

If you want a laptop for gaming then the GPU is far more important than you harddrive - for gaming you could use a 4200rpm disc...
It would work.


Now on the processor - most games aren't optimized for Quadcores - more single and dual cores - in that respect the i7 may be better with its "turbo boost" - however, if your game isn't CPU heavy in the first place that doesn't matter.
(If you play the Windows game Freecell you can have an i7, a DualCore or the slowest Celeron, all will perform the same)

 

basically for heavy duty games go with i7 rightt

 

Not neccessarily.

 

actually, det, for most any, i7 is right.

get the i7. the disk can easily be upgraded in the future. the cpu, not so much. the i7 has the newer socket, so you can upgrade more in the future, if needed (most likely, never needed).

get the i7, and in half a year or year latest, get one of the ssds available then.

 

The question is, do you need to spend more money on an i7 vs a Dual Core for example?

If you do heavy rendering CAD, maths, Photoshop etc. then possibly yes, gaming, not necessarily, a better grphics card would gain you more.

 

yeah, but graphics where not noted here. and the i7 is the best dual core you can get, and the best quadcore, as it balances its clock depending on the workflow.

and games like those quadcores, even now, and even more in the future.

but yeah, great gpu is important, too. but as i have no info about what those options are, i chose from what i know: i7 wins then.

 

Just want to note that the OP did mention GPU = identical on both CPU options, hence my 'nod' towards the i7.

 

oh he did. then yes sure the i7. it's new, it's faster, it's more balanced, it uses less power.

that's a a WIN WIN WIN WIN situation

 

Okay! That's what I thought too.

 

This has not been answered yet, what GPU is with what laptop?

The GPU is far more important for games than the CPU.

 

it got answered:

 

Thanks davepermen, in that case, price being the same, i7 is the better solution

 

get the i7... way better and the hard drive doesn't matter much in gaming except for how fast it loads the game... if u really want a 7200rpm drive , u can remove the old one and put in a new one after buying the laptop...

 

I second this. It is true, the HDD is very easy to upgrade, as in almost plug-n-play (not really but it is REALLY easy) as for going C2D to i7 cannot be done.

 

Hey guyz thnx for all the info and i7 right now is feeling hot for me

and next big question is the company (forgot to mention sorry >_<)

i7 processor laptop is form Lenovo
Q9000 Processor laptop is from Asus

from what i heard Asus laptops are better for gaming (i don't understand from what i see Lenovo laptop that i want is better than asus)

I know lenovo and Asus are both good company, is that an issue? should i go with asus cuz it's a better company?

 

For gaming, I'm not the one to ask, but for ThinkPad/Lenovo vs. Asus - ThinkPad's are an order of magnitude better than any other notebook maker I know of.

Now, I'll shut up and let the gamers speak!

 

You can't say company x is better than company y - its the specs that count, the components.

So compare, and chose the better hardware

 

More importantly Lenovo != Thinkpad.

This is because Asus has machines and designs for gamers, unlike Lenovo, whose closest offering has a higher end mid-range card, unless you go with their business line.

It's not about the reputation of the company. For example, Alienware has the reputation of producing gaming notebooks, however, I'm still betting my workstation HP would outperform a M17X with a single GTX260m, purely due to better performing hardware.

Reputation of the company doesn't make a laptop go any faster.

 

I am guessing options are the Y550p and the N61 right?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=443820

That would be correct.

 

If these are the 2 options , the lenovo is a steal.. but seriously if u want to game , u'll need a better card then a GT240M... if u're willing to spend $1499 get the Asus G51J , comes with core i7 , NVDIA GTX260M , Full HD screen etc... u might get it cheaper on some online retailers... it will certainly be more future proof especially with the graphics card so the extra cash is worth it...

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but are the Asus G51J's not currently experiencing issues with BSOD's? Something to look out for.

 

G50 Range were notorious for hot GPU temps, even when underclocked, but that was the g50, dno if they redid g51.

 

well with undervolting and new thermal paste , i heard that the temperatures are ok... anyways if u want a real gaming machine , which should have no problems , get a Sager NP8690 or 8760... they start at $2K.... and they hardly have heat problems... like i always say , u get what u pay for.