Opinions regarding this laptop I'm eyeing?

Hello everyone.
I'm considering getting a new maxed out laptop so I can do gaming, work in 3ds Max, etc.
Plan to keep the thing for about 4 to 5 years before upgrading again (the Acer in my signature still works and I've been using it for 6 years and 3 months now -mainly because until now I could afford a new laptop ).

I don't do pro gpu's due to them being cost prohibitive, and besides, Max supports CUDA, so it should be simple enough to accelerate the workflow and rendering via the gpu.

My primary question was around this laptop:
http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/octane-15/

Main resolution might be 3K (and I'm thinking that 980M would be able to handle that in games?).
The CPU is i7-4790S.
I was wondering if you have any indications on the temperatures this thing would output on a consistent workload and if the cooling would be adequate?

Also... regarding the RAM... considering the laptop would have a dGPU (980M), is there any point in getting the more expensive Hyper-X memory with tighter timings?
Other than that, it would be 32GB.

As for the drive section... was thinking on selecting a 1TB SSD for that thing - Samsung 850 Evo.

Alternatively... I was also eyeing this one which would be cheaper:
http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/VortexIV-15/

Differences between the two:
The Octane has a 3K resolution and more powerful CPU vs the Vortex (3.2Ghz vs 2.8GhZ)... everything else would be the same (1TB SSD, 32GB RAM, 980M, etc.).

I could save up some cash by getting 250GB SSD and 750GB 7200rpm secondary HDD as opposed to just getting 1 TB SSD (very attractive I must say, and I CAN afford it, but saving some cash is not exactly a bad thing because you never know how the situation might change).

 

I would say you're betting against yourself with sTLC based drives. Especially considering how long you expect the system to last you. Drop any EVO considerations.

The more powerful cpu will never be a regret. 3K or 4K screen won't matter in the long run either.

Bad idea to get a smaller SSD and a HDD, imo, for a mobile system at this point.

Get at least a 480/500/512GB SSD and two (or more) external HDD's (or better yet: a NAS) instead.

Saving some cash now is an imaginary savings when building the core of your new platform. All it will accomplish is force you to pay more than double for those components when you upgrade to in the short term, what you tried to cheap out on now.

How much is the higher spec'd RAM vs. the cost of the whole system? Less than 5% I'd consider doing, especially if it helps in your work, workflows.

 

I already have an external HDD... 1 TB to be exact but will upgrade that to 2TB (portable one that does not require a separate power supply).
As for the laptop... since I keep some stuff on the laptop, my primary concern would be to get say 250GB SSD for Windows, programs and games (which is more than enough for my uses), while the HDD would be there to store some files (all of which would be backed up to the portable drive of course).

I was considering a 1TB SSD so I can partition it and have faster access to files on the D partition (which usually holds most 3d files, media, etc. - since C drive is susceptible to viruses and problems, having stuff on the D partition is preferable for me - not that I experienced issues with infections that forced me to kill the OS and do a full reinstall - but one cannot be too sure).

As for the resolution... what did you mean that 3k or 4k won't matter in the long run?
I was merely inquiring about which one would be more sensible to get for 980M (1080p or 3K) considering I do NOT plan on using the laptop on an external TV for example, and whether 980M would be able to handle say 3K when it comes to games like Dragon Age Inquisition.
There's also a matter of scalability in Windows... so I'm not sure if a 15 inch screen is suitable for 3k.

 

Neither. Get a Clevo P77xZM based machine, e.g. the Octane 17, but from another reseller that lets you configure a 4790K. Time is money in DCC workflows and the slightly pricier but much faster 4790K is worth every penny.

1080p internal display with an external monitor or two for working is the way to go. 4-5 years is an awfully long time to keep a gaming notebook, esp. if you're playing new releases, and a 1080p screen will increase longevity substantially compared to a 3K or 4K screen at 2.5-4x the resolution. There's no productivity benefit to having such a dense display at just 15.6" as you wouldn't be able to utilize the additional real estate anyway due to having to use 150-200% scaling to be readable.

 

Deks, you should order with minimal amount of RAM and cheapest HDD/SSD option, and upgrade yourself - it will save a lot. Since iGPU is disabled anyway, there is no reason to buy expensive RAM. P751ZM (its actual name) is great machine. Its only major flaw is extremely limited battery life, but people who buy such notebooks don't usually care. Oh, and consider other resellers and 17" option as well, as octiceps suggests.

 

I cannot work on an external display like a TV.
Its positioned at a very inconvenient angle on a wall and I simply find it easier to work on the internal display of a laptop which is much closer so I can read stuff properly.

As you said, 1080p would likely be a better option due to still being able to use the UI at that resolution without increased scaling.

As for CPU... I'm not familiar with another reseller in UK that gives an option of putting in 4790K.
PcSpecialist had it in Octane I think for a bit, but they seem to have removed the CPU as an option completely last week.

Any ideas of another reseller in UK that sells configurable laptops like PC specialist?
If not, I might just go for the Octane 15 inch and 4790S.

 

An external PC monitor, not a TV. If space is at a premium, even a $100 AOC 21.5" 1080p IPS from Best Buy makes a world of difference when working.

 

As for other UK-based Clevo resellers, look here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/clevo-resellers-in-the-european-union-v1.652403/

 

http://mysn.co.uk/shop/xmg-u505-gaminglaptop.html
http://www.scan.co.uk/3xs/configurator/15in-gaming-laptop-geforce-970m-980m-clevo-p751zm

 

Scan.co.uk/3xs is a good option.
There's a 15' and 17' I managed to max out with a price tag of £1793 for the 17'. and £1759 for 15'.
Both have the same specs (32GB RAM, 980M, 4790K cpu, 250GB EVO SSd and 1 TB Hitachi 7200rpm hdd).
Cheaper compared to PCSpecialist and other clevo distributors.

Considering that the 4790K is quite power hungry... would a 17" one be better in terms of cooling, or would the 15" suffice?
I'd personally like to stick to a 15" form factor, but if the cooling is better on the 17"...

 

Either one will be fine. Check the P751ZM and P771ZM threads on the Clevo/Sager sub-forum.

 

Hm... except I just checked some youtube videos on P751ZM and 4790K and the temps were well in the 90-ies... went up to 103 degrees C.
Don't really want to mess about with such high temps.
Maybe going with a 65W 4790S would be a better option.

 

Deks, 17" also has a subwoofer which 15" hasn't. No reason to go for larger one if you want to keep it more compact.

 

The 17.3" version has better thermals

 

A subwoofer is not exactly a big deal... though the over 6 years old Acer in my signature (15") has one (seems to have degraded in quality though).

octiceps... do you have any indications by how much better the thermals might be in the 17"?
If for instance the temps in the 15" reach about 95 degerees C for the CPU, how might this translate to 17"?
I like 15" since it would be obviously more portable than the 17"... and less heat would also be a good thing... though, weight-wise, there ain't too much of a difference (3.4kg for 15" vs 3.9km for 17").

 

You should ask in the owner's lounge: http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...70zm-sager-np9772-owners-lounge.768770/unread

 

The 17.3" has much more chassis space so cooling is better overall... I would say 5C lower.. The thing with the Clevo is it's your luck with the heatsink.. Whichever reseller you get it from, make them check your heatsink/temps... if your heatsink is good and you apply some good Gelid GC Extreme etc, temps stay in the 80s in prime 95 stress tests...

 

pc specialists now have a 6700k in their clevo which seems pretty sweet