i7 3630 or i7 3720?

Hi,

I'm getting a Clevo system with the following specs and after hours at starting at benchmarks and numbers of CPUs, I still have no idea about which CPU.

P150EM
Intel Ivy Bridge i7-3630QM 2.4-3.4Ghz Turbo
Crucial M4 128GB SSD mSATA 500/175 Mbs Read/Write
nVidia Geforce GTX680M with 4GB GDDR5,
16GB 1600Mhz RAM, ,
ODD Conversion Kit for Extra Hard Disk [750GB 7200rpm HDD] ,
Intel Advanced-N 6235 Wireless Card + Bluetooth v4,
95% Gamut 1920x1080 Premium Glossy Display,


From benchmarks on Notebookcheck and passmark, the 3720QM has a 5-20% performance increase compared to the 3630QM.
But then, on a similar note, I found that the 3740QM is overall rated LOWER than the 3630QM. Which seems weird.
The 3720 also has trusted execution, which the 3630 doesn't. But it doesn't seem like much of a feature-add.

On Passmark the CPU's are overall rated:
CPU-Rank-Score
i7-3720QM - 58 - 8580
i7-3630QM - 80 - 7564
i7-3740QM - 91 - 7176

I will be doing gaming, Photoshop, After Effects mainly.

Would I see any real benefits from going for the 3720 instead of the 3630? Is this the best 'upgrade' for performance for the machine?

Thanks

 

You can flash the 170EM EC and BIOS to unlock XTU, that will enable a 400MHz OC for the 3720QM

 

If you're looking the best bang for the buck AND you'll be keeping the system for a long time AND/OR using the system for work/income:

I would be looking at the i7 3840QM range of processors (depending how well designed the cooling system is of your selected notebook).

See:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...-newbie-processors-need-help.html#post8924182


I would also be considering the AMD GPU instead of the NVidia if you want a real speed up in PS - in After Effects you need a very specific NVidia card to accelerate that program and again, only if you are doing Ray Tracing with AE...

See:

See (source for above quote):
CreativeCOW

See:
GPU (CUDA, OpenGL) features in After Effects CS6 « After Effects region of interest


All other features are supported by the AMD gpu's - but Ray Tracing is still NVidia dependent in CS6 (and even then; with a very specific gpu list). I would also consider upgrading the RAM to 32GB (or whatever maximum the notebook supports) - note that I would be buying the system with no RAM or 1x 2GB/4GB stick and then put in 4x 8GB DDR3 12800 1600MHz Sodimms myself). Also, that small, lowly M4 is way outclassed by the rest of this setup; either get an Intel 520 Series or Sandisk Extreme 240GB drive and partition it to less than full capacity for maximum, sustained performance (I partition my system drives to 100GB and leave the rest as 'unallocated'). Even a 256GB or a 512GB Crucial M4 is much better than the 128GB M4 you now have configured for getting the maximum performance possible over time (you do not want to ever fill up an SSD...) and still be able to use the system any way you want (with lower WA, better sustained performance and the best possible reliability possible today).


While the jump to an i7 3840QM is decidedly more $$ - it also features 8MB cache which helps greatly when running an optimized multi-core, multi-threaded program like CS6 PS and AE. And, the increase in performance is equal to or better than the increase in $$ (based on the total cost of your system setup - not the costs of the processor upgrades).

So, your call;
is this for work? Is this system intended for long use (more than ~18 months)? Is the system up to cooling the i7 3840QM to allow it to run at it's maximum turbo's as long as possible (more importantly; it should at least not throttle the processor in any way...)?

And the most important: how much can you actually spend on this setup? (Beg, borrow or steal... uh, not steal... ).

 

Wow, thanks for the great advice!!! I am intending to use this system for the next 3 years.
I've modified the system to the following:

P150EM
Intel Ivy Bridge i7-3720QM 2.4-3.4Ghz Turbo
Crucial M4 256GB SSD mSATA 500/260 Mbs Read/Write
AMD 7970M 2GB Graphics Card GDDR5
16GB 1600Mhz RAM,
750GB 7200rpm Hard Disk Drive
Bluray Reader / DVD Burner Combo,
Intel Advanced-N 6235 Wireless Card + Bluetooth v4,
95% Gamut 1920x1080 Premium Glossy Display,

The jump from the i7-3720 to 3820 is to big pricewise to fit in my budget, $350. Sorry, no stealing today

They only offer the 128Gb or 256Gb Crucial M4 mSATA, so will go with the 256Gb mSATA and the 750Gb HDD.
And...you partion your 256Gb drive to 100Gb?? Does having such a big buffer make such a big difference??

But by changing from the GT680M to the 7970M, the price difference paid for the CPU 3720 and SSD 256Gb upgrade within the package.

RAM-wise, they offer 8Gb, or 16Gb for $49 more. So I'll keep the 16Gb optioned, and grab some 8Gb sticks sometime down the track. I mean, the local computer store sells 8G DDR3 Single 1600 Patriot/G.Skill/Kingston for $42. I can't believe the Clevo reseller charges an extra $449 to upgrade from the 16Gb to 32Gb!! Any recommendations for brand of RAM?

Thanks heaps for your great advice!! (^-^) :smile:

 

Kingston memory is well known.

Also, what is the price difference between a SSD purchased off the net or at a store and the upgrade option they are providing you?

 

Here is what i would do:

cpu: 3740qm
gpu: 7970m
RAM: you either go for 16gb using 2 sodimms or just get the 8gb that comes already with it. 1333mhz to 1600mhz wont make a difference. I say this because there are 4 sodimm slots, thus if you want to upgrade in the future, there is a possiility of less waste
SSD: you can get the crucial m4 256gb msata for cheaper elsewhere.
HDD: I would grab the 1tb HDD

that will save you around 100 or more.

 

Sorry, I didn't mention it, but I am in Australia, so I will be getting the laptop from Horize Clevo reseller.

The options are quite limited,
i.e. no 1TB hdd if you want to keep the DVD player, and the m4 mSATA is meant to be on special.
RAM options are only 8Gb or 16Gb or 32Gb
Logical Blue One - Horize P150EM Clevo Notebook

I will have to check the retail prices of the upgrades for mSATA etc here in Australia.

 

ahhh I was looking at xoticpc for prices, sorry about that

I would look at the retail prices for the msata, ram and HDD.

but that msata "free upgrade" costs you 100 bucks already

 

OP, glad to be of help.

'Does such drastic overprovisioning really provide a benefit'? In my workloads, yes. (Please note I'm not a 'casual' user... ). I even notice that SSD's get slower as I'm installing Windows on them (this is since late 2009)... The more 'work' you do on the SSD, the more the overprovisioning will help.

Intel just released a Datacenter (Enterprise-level) drive that combats this very issue (variable SSD performance) - but we won't be installing one in our notebooks any time soon (because of cost and the high power requirements). However, it directly affects the minimum performance of the SSD (past SSD's have failed miserably for me at providing 'sustained high performance' - early this year (2012) is when they became usable - but only with the 'drastic' overprovisioning).


See:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sol...l-back-controller-business-2.html#post8936705

See:
AnandTech - The Intel SSD DC S3700 (200GB) Review


BTW, getting an M4 mSATA 256GB drive is a great price for $100 - well worth any 'extra' cost for you with giving more capacity and freeing up a drive bay too? At the moment, there is no better mSATA SSD to get when low power, high performance, capacity and price are all considered.

As for the 16GB RAM - hmmm... seems reasonable enough; but even you mention that you can get an 8GB module for $42? Your call: But; make sure you're getting 2x 8GB Sodimms and not 4x 4GB Sodimms (so that you can upgrade to 32GB as painlessly as possible when the time comes). With 32GB RAM; I would also highly recommend 4x 8GB Identical modules...


A little on how to keep your 'little' 100GB mSATA SSD, C: partition effectively managed and give you the SSD performance you paid for:

I use the default C:\Users\USER folders for things like my PDF's (many, many PDF's...), my accounting data (databases love an SSD...) and for other small(er) Word, Doc, Excel and other miscellaneous files. These files I don't normally move; they 'live' here for the life of the system.

I also make a new Library off of C:\ and call it WIP (work in progress). It's important to make this folder a new Windows Library especially in Windows 8 (and not just to be able to quickly switch to it in explorer... see below).

Any current project I'm working on is inside a folder in this 'WIP' folder. As soon as I'm finished working with these files - their folder is moved to the D: (my secondary HDD in my systems) in my 'FW' (finished/final work folder).

This workflow keeps the SSD as clean and tidy as possible at all times and easily within my self-imposed 100GB partition size (for almost all my notebooks). How did I get to this size? I take into account the size of my Windows install, the size of the programs I need installed and the ~10GB 'personal' files I use almost daily (the pdf's, docx, xlsx and accounting data) and then add the typical size of my 'projects' (raw image editing) ~30GB and then add about 20GB for 'free space' (so Windows doesn't complain too much about where all it's free space is disappearing to).



On the HDD (drive 'D:'); I set up these folders and partitions:


First partition: 250GB, second partition: remaining capacity of HDD.

On the Second partition I create an 'FW' folder for finished work - and include it as a new Windows Library for quick navigation.

On the First partition (fastest part of the drive) an 'HWP' folder for 'huge work in progress' that won't fit on the SSD - this folder is also given special treatment with a new Windows Library designation for quick navigation.

I also assign this first partition as a secondary Scratch Disk for PS (I leave the default C: drive enabled too).


I then turn on File History in Windows 8 and tell it to use the Second Partition of my HDD; but to exclude the above two folders on the mechanical drive. It will create a folder called 'FileHistory' and backup all my data in Libraries automatically (Hourly, Keep Saved Versions Until Space is Needed).

In addition: I also run at least a daily SyncToy synchronization from my notebook's Users\USER folder, the WIP, HWP and FW folders to at least two external HDD's (yeah, I love SSD's - but I still don't trust them).


Not saying this is the best workflow for your setup: but I hope this gives you ideas about how to properly (backups of the backups), effectively (let Windows 8 help with File History 'automatic' settings) and reliably (run a synchronization manually with something like SyncToy) keep your computer and your data as fast, lean and productive as currently possible.

Hope this helps a little more? Oh! And the best part about partitioning like this: if you really do need more capacity at some future date - simply 'Expand' the C: SSD drive to the size your new workflow requires (up to the physical capacity of the SSD, of course).

Good luck.

 

Again, wow!! A really great detailed post! I will have to put thought into how I setup my drives and folders to work for me, as I also use Dropbox.
I really had no idea, so thank you for sharing!!

Just a noobie question...When I buy desktop RAM, I get paired DIMMs. However, with the SoDimms, they only sell them individually?? Does 4 of the same brand could as "identical modules"? or are there specially paired laptop memory Dimms available?

And I looked at retail costs...they are providing the mSATA card at retail cost, the 750Gb 7200 HDD at just below retail, but the RAM they are charging a markup of $300+? Weird. I've emailed them asking if I can get a 8Gb DIMM.

Thanks everyone for your advice! It's helped lots! Excited to order my machine now

 

Sure, you can get 'individual' Sodimms - as long as they're identical. There is also 'paired' RAM too for notebooks:

See:
Corsair Vengeance 16GB DDR3 1600MHz SODIMM Kit (2 x 8GB) at Memory Express


As for the outrageous RAM prices: consider that they may be testing the RAM fully before shipping (I test my 32GB RAM setups for up to a week before I 'trust' the system for real work).


For DropBox, simply make sure it is a Library (either on your SSD or your HDD, depending on your specific DB content (multi-media files? ISO's? or small 'work' files - docs?) so that it too gets backed up by File History automatically. (Keep in mind that if you install your DropBox folder inside the WIP or HWP folders; they'll automatically be backed up even if you don't make it a 'Library').

And you're on the right track: Make these tools work for you.