Do you have any questions about the HP Spectre x360 - 15t ? and Intel® Core™ i7-6560U vs i7-6500U

Recently purchased a Openbox model from Best Buy. If you have any questions feel free to post them while I have the unit I will do my best to respond.
I am not planning on keeping this particular model and building a custom one. I am hoping someone can help me as I am quite stuck on Intel® Core™ i7-6560U vs i7-6500U , should I pay the extra $119 for the 6560U that has IRIS or stick to the 6500 with HD Graphics 520. My main concern is battery life, heat and speed processor vs the 2 CPU.

 

they are both 15w parts so while they will have different power profiles it should average out more or less. If graphics aren't a concern the 6500u will likely do you fine. Personally if i was building one custom It the 6560u would likely be in every build. Iris is a nice boost in cpu power without the heav power toll of a dedicated gpu brings to the game.

 

That's a good point, if the total package TDP is the same, then you are trading off CPU for iGPU - 540 vs 520.

But, there is one other TDP measure where the 6560U is better, the configurable TDP Down, the 6500U is 7.5w and the 6560U is 9.5w, so your performance will be better with the 6560U on extended usage - it will also get hotter.

Specification comparison between 6500U and 6560U
http://ark.intel.com/compare/88194,91163

All the parts are soldered in, so I am getting the max config available at order. If I could, I would get a smaller SSD, but so far the custom selections don't really let you do that, so I might as well get the top SSD - warranty support will cover it too.

I am waiting for the new colors, non-silver, for the 15T

 

I am considering the HP Spectre x360 15t. Did you look at it vs the Dell XPS 15 or any of the Lenovo Thinkpads like the T560 or T460 or P50? If so, what were your thoughts, pros and cons of the different machines?

 

If you are looking to have only 1 laptop / portable device, then you would want to go with a more robust system than the x360 15T - at least I would.

The ULV CPU's are too low power for heavy duty work, gaming, etc, but I already have that covered.

So for me the x360 15T will be a light carry laptop for meetings and media consumption - not necessarily at the same time

If you only want 1 all around laptop, then you need to decide if your CPU requirements can be met by the Dual Core ULV CPU.

 

I am not sure. Right now, it would be my only device. Maybe that is part of my issue. I want power and screen size, but light weight and I can't have it all! Maybe what I should really do is have a desk top with real power and then get a 13" ultra like the HP spectre or dell xps13 or yoga 900.

But it seems like with the Dell XPS 15 I can get a quad core i7 at less than 5 lbs. Maybe that is the answer, but the reviews and litany of problems I have read on this site scare me.

Thoughts? Thanks!

 

It's tough finding a low priced laptop with a full 4 core i7-6700HQ, everything now has a 6500U/6560U/6600U all ULV's that can't hold a clock but for a brief moment.

Why a desktop? Why not a 2nd laptop? Get a really nice portable like the x360 + a powerful laptop?

You can even get a 6700k 95w CPU model in the Clevo sourced laptops if you need the pure CPU crunch.

Nothing wrong with a desktop, you just have fixed mobility limits.

1 ULV + 1 Mega-laptop + a nice desktop seems like a good balance

 

good points. What would you recommend for the Mega-laptop? (just so I know what you are referring to). For the ULV, I assume you suggest the x360? Thanks!

 

There are lots of great choices for a Mega-laptop, and the range is very wide.

You need to decide what level of Mega you need. Mega CPU, Mega GPU, or both. And, then the budget limits purchase of what we really want, and you need to focus on what you need.

The MSI GT80 SLI-263 I have in my signature I have had for 8 months, but I waited 8 months after initial release before buying the GT80 in the configuration I was waiting for.

It's often good to miss the early configurations and problems they have are worked out early in a new production line, if you can stand the wait

The GT80 SLI-263 has a top laptop level 5950HQ CPU, which benches as well as the "desktop" CPU's at the same top speed as the 5950HQ, the "desktop" CPU's have 2x the TDP at the top end, and can run 600-800mhz faster.

The GT80 SLI-263 also has 2 x 980m's, which gives you as much as a desktop 980Ti in performance. Some benchmark results in my signature. That GPU configuration @ 2 x 120w => 240w + CPU @ 47w is drawing right at the limit of the top sized mobile PSU @ 330w.

Going higher than 330w, namely 2 x 330w => 660w to gain enough power to run a 95w CPU + 2 x 120w 980m GPU's or even 2 x 165w 980 "desktop" GPU's put's you into the top end of the Mega laptops.

The single GPU models are similar, but can all OC fully with 1 330w power supply. Some only need 230w/180w.

So, the short list is 47w CPU MSI GT72S single GPU, MSI GT80S with either 2 x 980m or 2 x 980 - (single 330w power limited, but still fastest), or the Clevo 95w CPU models P870DM dual 980m or single 980 - or even single 980m / 970m, or the P775 models with single 980m / 870m.

There are also new models coming from Lenovo / Acer Predator lines with 980m's. So far no new SLI models.

The Alienware's are dead in the top end, and are now coming out with much weaker configurations - and lots of complaints on production problems, performance, and still way too high priced for what you get. I would stay away from Alienware / Dell for now.

Dell XPS 15 (9550) list of hardware and software problems
http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...ist-of-hardware-and-software-problems.784691/

RIP - Alienware 18
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/rip-alienware-18.768765/page-52#post-10217033

Asus also makes nice laptops in the same Class as MSI. Asus has been doing it better longer than MSI, but are priced higher too, for the same performance overall. Asus are still a good choice for the mid-level Mega-laptop.

It eventually all comes down to $, so work that out first, and then start pricing what you can get in each model line

 

Its actually pretty easy finding an affordable 6700hq i7 quad core notebook... you can get an HP envy 15 slim 6700hq machine for about $600-650. They just don't have high res screen options or the best options available. You can get a lenovo y700 gaming rig starting around $750.

The problem comes in with wanting form factor, power and battery life. I haven't found a single 2-in-1 360 hinge with a i7 quad processor available. The closest is the Vaio canvas Z which is essentially a fat surface pro 4 with a 4th gen i7 quad processor.

It seems pc vendors see quad cores in 3 places... gaming rigs... mainstream notebooks... and 'professional' rigs... macbook pro/asus 505vw/xps 15 etc.

 

What I mean is when I look for a $800-1200 x360 like - 2 in 1 - slim laptop, almost all of them are ULV 2 core based.

I know about the non x360 like - 2 in 1 - slim laptops that have the 6700HQ and they aren't of interest to me.

The Vaio Canvas Z was way over priced, there was a brief sell out of them on Microsoft Store which put them at up to 70% off, but they sold out before I got an order in

All the slim form factors I like, even the larger screened ones - I prefer 17"/15" even for slim laptops - are all ULV's right now.

So we are saying the same thing.

Asus showed the ideal laptop at CES 2016, they didn't even name it, but it has a 6700HQ. IDK if I need the Asus GX2 eGPU, but the laptop looks good.

Spoiler

Laptop comes in @ 3:05


Laptop comes in @ 1:10


Laptop comes in @ :55

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/asus-mystery-ultrabook-w-external-gpu.786659/

 

I almost got a Z as well... I found the middle model for $1200, they had several. They offered me a 5% off if i got their $199 protection package, gave me a really vague list of what was included so i told them id think about it and read up on it at their website... next day price went up like $1000. Funny thing is I probably would have got it if they hadn't offered the accident plan... once those are on the table my mind goes... i don't want to spend the money, never needed it in my 30+ years developing software but sure enough if i don't buy it i'll drop it on the way home. lol. So i didn't pull the trigger, next day it wasn't an option at all. lol.

I like 'big' screens as well. My daily carry is an XPS 18 all in one portable. 5lbs, 1080p 18.4" screen. If only it had some horsepower. Its 4th gen i3 is dated. Thats another category screaming for a 6700hq.

 

The other 6700HQ thin laptop I am looking at is mentioned, but not released yet, it's the UX501VX - with full speed 40gbit/sec TB3 port.

The UX501VX otherwise has similar specs to the UX501VW model listing at Asus, and it mentions the UX501VX once in the TB3 reference, search for it:
https://www.asus.com/us/Notebooks/ASUS-ZenBook-Pro-UX501VW/

Spoiler

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/asus-zenbook-pro-ux501-owners-lounge.772953/#post

It's a tad more than I am looking for (has 960m), but it's in the running for performance / size.

 

OK, so I have digested the comments here and elsewhere on this site and I think I have a few alternatives to consider. I recognize these are not all mega laptops, but they are more in line (or much more) with my needs. High quality graphics are less of a priority for me.

I would love to get everyone's thoughts and recommendations so I can make a decision finally.

Dell XPS 15 i7 6700HQ 16GB/512 4K touch screen -- Signature edition at the Microsoft store (I have one locally so I will have the benefit of the 30 day return policy and store support program): $1,899

Asus Zenbook UX501VW i7 6700HQ 16/512 UHD touch for $1,499 at B+H. Note: concerned about the weight at 5lbs
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...501vw_ds71t_15_6_zenbook_pro_multi_touch.html

HP ZBook Studio G3 i7 6700HQ 16/512 3840x2160 screen for $2,199 at B+H
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1209893-REG/hp_t6e17ut_aba_15_6_zbook_studio_g3.html

Others in consideration: Lenovo p50s (but weight is 5lbs), Lenovo Thinkpad T460, and maybe the Dell Precision 5510.

Would love to get thoughts and recommendations. I think each of these will work for me, but somehow need to make a decision soon. Thanks in advance!

 

The XPS 15 is a nice machine... small form factor for a 15", and it has everything including the kitchen sink. With the 512k drive you also can get the 91wh batttery... and you will need it with all that stuff to power. the 6700hq runs about 8k on passmark... the ULV chips in 2-in-1s run 3.9 - 4.5k. so definitely getting more horsepower.

The Asus is similarly speced to the XPS. Personally I would probably chose the Asus for price... they both make very good product.

Have zero experience with the ZBook... its lack of touch would rule it out for me. I'll leave that one to others.

The Thinkpad T460 (or T560 if you can handle the weight) are nice options... they can be had cheaper but your going back to 15w ULV chips. They also don't have dedicated video options available yet and their touch screen versions are limited to 1080p screens. Also their touch screens are unique in that they are matte screens and the touch is in the screen itself... not a glass layer placed on top. The p series are more in line with the Asus and XPS on power and but don't give you as much bang for the buck as the others.

 

Well, I jumped on the Vaio Z Canvas deal on Amazon for $999 last week. Fantastic machine, plenty of horsepower and its very power efficient. At 75% screen brightness it pulls less power on idle than most 15w U series skylake CPUs i've tested. Unfortunately it has two issues which really have me leaning toward a return.

#1. Keyboard
The keyboard disconnects frequently, I'd say 6-7 times an hour it loses connection to the Canvas and you must turn it (the keyboard) off and on again to get it working. To make matters worse the keyboard itself isn't that great. No backlight, no way to angle it for typing, you can hold it on your lap which could be great if it was more rigid, but the aluminum is too thin so it flexes easily while typing making it uncomfortable to 'lap'.

#2 Screen Lighting
Everyone who has seen a Vaio knows it has light bleed issues along the ediges... to a greater extent than most IPS displays out there. I knew that going in... not a big problem because the screen is gorgeous with fantastic color. But the thing you don't find out until you play with it for a while is how uneven the backlight is. The lower left quarter of the screen is quite noticeably dimmer and the upper right quarter is noticeably brighter when viewing a white background. I found a post from someone who used a light meter on it and found a 46% difference in brightness between the two which seems fairly accurate to my unit. If your creating artwork, video editing, playing games, etc. you will never notice this. If you work in apps with a white background or in my case do a lot of Desktop publishing work then you will notice it every minute you are using the device. This is my biggest reason that its likely going back.

Otherwise quite happy with it. Its a dream machine as long as you don't need consistent brightness on the screen.