Better Processor, or 3GB more VRAM?

I'm in a little dilemma in getting a MSI GS60. Both the same price at $1699, one has 4710HQ and a 970M 6GB, and the other (just released) has a 5700HQ and a 970 3GB. What is the better buy!?

 

I'd get the 5700HQ and 970M 3GB. I can see the faster CPU and iGPU being more useful than what I think is an excessive amount of VRAM for the 970M.

 

Thanks. Do you think the GS60 is a good laptop? Basically my only worry about it is if it has excessive heat output and I heard about the loud fans.

 

Depends on your requirements

 

5700HQ? Has quad core Broadwell been released for notebooks? I completely missed that announcement!

But I agree with Octiceps. Faster and more power efficient processor (i.e. cooler temps, less fan noise and longer battery life) will offer more tangible benefits than the larger VRAM, which will only come into play with very select few games (if at all).

 

Play games on my laptop 80% of the time, on the desk. 20% I like to use it on my lap. I take it places here and there, just wanting a quality 970M laptop that can do everything I need it to. The only game I play is league of legends, though I found that 970M performs best on it. I tried with the Alienware 15 but the heat output was way too much (especially for 7lb laptop) and I returned it. Looks like the GS60 and maybe the GE62 apache pro is my only options

 

I would get a Clevo P150SM-A instead, or a P650SE/SG if you want thin-and-light and don't mind soldered CPU & GPU

 

Eh not really sure I want a Sager. If it's between the MSI gs60 or GE62 Apache pro (same specs) which would U choose?

 

Like I said, neither. Both have too many drawbacks for me to accept. I suggest asking in the MSI section for a second opinion.

 

To the OP's original question; in general a CPU has almost always been the better choice except where vram type changes. If there is a large speed boost to the 6GB over the 3GB then the question can get a bit blurred.

 

I can't imagine there'd be much difference between 5700HQ and 4710HQ. 5700HQ has base clock of 2.7GHz where 4710HQ has base clock of 2.5GHz, but they both boost to 3.5GHz. I'd say it's a wash.

 

3Gb VRAM is pretty conservative these days! Even the lowly 680m can utilise that much as I always max out my 2gb!

Perhaps 6gb will come in handy more than people aeem to think particularly if win 10 and dx12 improve CPU ipc use in games.

 

With more than 8% better performance before the chip turbos and an anticipated lower temp running at full load, I think this difference in itself is worth choosing the CPU over more VRAM for the otherwise same GPU. Less heat at the same or higher loads is a real benefit for mobile systems. Always.

What this thread asks (to me) is not cpu vs. vram, rather; what platform old/new (Haswell/Broadwell) with the doubled VRAM for the GPU being a moot point when the games/workloads available today do not push the VRAM to those levels for a notebooks screen resolution. And even when games will need that kind of VRAM capacity, the base GPU will inevitably be insufficient to run those games then anyway.

Always buy the best/newest cpu/platform you can afford. Max out the RAM. Use the latest O/S (Win10x64Pro... soon). That is what will give you the most performance from all of your components. Including the GPU, SSD and any other component you can directly attach to the motherboard.

Opting for the Broadwell CPU is like having a 2015 model of a vehicle. Opting for the 3GB extra VRAM is like having a 2013 vehicle with a bigger gas tank. Yawn.

Yeah; Haswell is 2 years old, tomorrow.

 

Because.... newer is always better? Tiller has bought the marketing gods' ploy, hook line and sinker.

How do you know it's 8% faster? Does actual work performance, benchmarks, and measured clock speed show this? Oh wait, it's a simple calculation of spec clock speed. Maybe the Haswell can sustain 3.5GHz where Broadwell cannot. Broadwell won't necssarily be cooler, it will likely be hotter. Smaller components in a tighter package. Broadwell is simply proving out the smaller die process for Skylake. In this case, the ONLY difference between Haswell and Broadwell is the name and die size. Nothing else is different about the "platform". It's simply implementing Intel's latest CPU.

I don't think the 3GB vs 6GB vRAM will really make a whole lot of difference, and I've proven this myself with 6GB and 3GB 970m with recent titles. That is up to the user to decide if they think it might be necessary for future performance.

Anyone who buys the latest and greatest because it is the latest and greatest without doing a bit of research, is just a lemming. I sure hope you don't just buy the 2015 model year car without investigating the 2014 model year which frequently is the same thing but with more features or better gas mileage even...

In any case, it's a wash any way you look at it. You can't go wrong either way.

 

Newer is usually better, but my point was in this case newer is probably running cooler.

No falling for the marketing ploys here... I am still the same cynical 'tiller after all with regards to manufacturer's claims...

As you allude to, more VRAM today is simply a waste if more $$$ are spent towards it and I'm suggesting future titles will need more performance than today's GPU's can offer. Even if the GPU's available today have 3/4/6GB VRAM.

With nothing on the market yet and no reviews out, yes, the OP needs to do their due diligence to ensure that if they do buy this new model, they should test it fully and be completely satisfied with the performance, of course.

Edit: There is a review out.

See:
http://www.hardwareluxx.com/index.p...intel-core-i7-5700hq-benchmarks-revealed.html

So at least for this review, it seems my predictions were spot on?

New may not always be better. But 2 years old is always too old to buy today.

The i7-5700HQ may just be a drop in cpu on the same M/B (which I still doubt)... but the platform as a whole is still elevated to 2015 levels (as expected).

Skylake is very, very close though. If the OP can wait, they should. But the i7-5700HQ is something I would buy if I needed a new system right now.