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    What would you do??? CPU vs SDD conundrum

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by Eric618, Apr 6, 2009.

  1. Eric618

    Eric618 Notebook Consultant

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    hey guys,

    I have a Gateway P-7811fx laptop that I'm itching to upgrade. It currently has a P8400 CPU and the OS and apps are stored on a partitioned 200gb Seagate Momentus 7200rpm drive.

    If you were going to upgrade, what would you choose, and why? I've pretty much narrowed it down to a T9600 cpu or a 64gb OCZ Vertex SSD. I figure 64gb is more than enough for my OS and apps. I have a second Seagate Momentus in there for my data.

    Thanks much! ;)
     
    Eric618, Apr 6, 2009
    #1
  2. mechrock

    mechrock Notebook Evangelist

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    How much does each cost?
     
    mechrock, Apr 6, 2009
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  3. surfasb

    surfasb Titles Shmm-itles

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    SSD. CPU upgrades rarely give significant performance boosts.
     
    surfasb, Apr 6, 2009
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  4. Clutch

    Clutch cute and cuddly boys

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    The SSD would be the most noticeable
     
    Clutch, Apr 6, 2009
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  5. Jlbrightbill

    Jlbrightbill Notebook Deity

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    You would not even notice a difference with a T9600.
     
    Jlbrightbill, Apr 6, 2009
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  6. jackluo923

    jackluo923 Notebook Virtuoso

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    Depending on what he use the laptop for, he might notice a lot of difference. E.g. when encoding videos for multimedia purposes, faster processor = faster encoding time.
     
    jackluo923, Apr 6, 2009
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  7. Jlbrightbill

    Jlbrightbill Notebook Deity

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    15% is negligible.
     
    Jlbrightbill, Apr 6, 2009
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  8. jackluo923

    jackluo923 Notebook Virtuoso

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    15% is better than 0%. If he does multimedia work, SSD would have 0% improvement where as if he had the faster cpu, 15% faster encoding time would be infinite times better.

    Anyways...which upgrade he chooses really depends on what he's planning to do with the laptop.
     
    jackluo923, Apr 6, 2009
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  9. Jlbrightbill

    Jlbrightbill Notebook Deity

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    No, not really.

    If you're doing media work, you're going to buy an X9100 or a T9800. You won't buy a mid-range CPU. An SSD will improve 100% of your system usage, and you'll actually notice the speed difference.

    I completely understand your point about media encoding, I do media encoding myself (Both lossless audio work and x264 encodes), and I sure wouldn't be going for a paltry 15% increase.
     
    Jlbrightbill, Apr 6, 2009
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  10. Eric618

    Eric618 Notebook Consultant

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    Hey guys, thanks for all of your input so far! My usage consists mainly of lots of surfing, some gaming with high system-requirement games like Crysis, and a moderate amount of PS and Fireworks work.
     
    Eric618, Apr 6, 2009
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  11. User Retired 2

    User Retired 2 Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    35W T9600 CPU will drain your battery faster than 25W P8400 CPU. The SSD may be able to extend your battery life. T9600 + slow mechanical drive will drain your battery even more. So for battery life, P8400 + SSD. Means you have more time to do what you need on the road.

    25W P9xxx gives performance and battery life, but adds more $$ than T9xxx.
     
    User Retired 2, Apr 6, 2009
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  12. sgogeta4

    sgogeta4 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Ssd Ftw. OP never mentioned anything about needing battery life. The CPU will not be worse for power consumption since they never reach TDP on normal use.
     
    sgogeta4, Apr 6, 2009
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  13. yuio

    yuio NBR Assistive Tec. Tec.

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    SSD long shot, but if you can try and get the 80GB intel M-25X it's WAY faster than the OCZ.
     
    yuio, Apr 6, 2009
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  14. Eric618

    Eric618 Notebook Consultant

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    I'd love the Intel drive, but it's more double the cost of the OCZ. :(
     
    Eric618, Apr 6, 2009
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  15. yuio

    yuio NBR Assistive Tec. Tec.

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    yah, I know, that's why I have G.Skill(same as the older OCZ)
     
    yuio, Apr 6, 2009
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