No DX11 with Sandy Bridge?!?! :(

Thanks to cam121 I was made aware of this in the Envy 17/Envy 17 3D thread. If Sandy Bridge does not support DX11, what does it mean for those of us waiting for the new SB refresh of the Envy 17 and Envy 17 3D?

See Link: Intel: Sandy Bridge doesn't have DirectX 11, but Ivy Bridge will - TechSpot News

dlleno made a good point. Will the HD 6850 discrete GPU provide the DX11 support when not in power saving mode? If not, then, what does this mean for us who want to game on the Envy 17s???

Anyone who is knowledgable please let us know. Can we still play DX11 games or do we just have to wait until 2012 for the Ivy Bridge to enjoy the newer DX11 capable games?


KJ

 

I think what they mean is that if you use integrated graphics to play games, it won't be able to run on DX 11 (Not that you will EVER attempt to anyways). However, if you run with the discrete card as the dominant GPU, then obviously it will since the 6850M can.

 

StrikeSaber47, good.... So with that, I see no problems in going ahead with my Envy 17 3D SB purchase when it becomes available.

If you can help me with one other matter. When I ordered my first Envy 17 3D with the i7-840QM and 8gig ram, I'm not sure if it even helped any with gaming performance, but it sure cost me almost $1,000 more if I just went with the basic system. Does it make any real sense to get the top of the line specs for this laptop, eventhough its not really a gaming machine?

I wonder if it would make more sense to just keep it basic, maybe no more than 6gig ram with a mid processor and save some money and for my gaming laptop getting the Alienware M18x

KJ

 

As you see with my new setup, I opted for dual core because it runs cooler and many games that utilize tri-core still runs efficiently with the Arrandale. In the case of SB, even the lowest grade SB should sufficient enough to run games, even the ones more demanding on the CPU side. So yes, for the CPU the i7-2630M sounds sufficient enough (it is a quad still after all).

6 GB of RAM is sufficient as well, but I always found it cheaper to get 4 GB and buy my own 8 GB of RAM (got mine here from a member on NBR for $80). However if you stick with the base 6 GB (I believe that is going to be the new base standard for the E17), then it should be fine as well.

So in conclusion, yes. The base model should be sufficient for your needs. However, if you now consider the E17 to be not a gaming machine anymore and you are saving for the m18x as a gaming laptop, why just go get an E14 for your mobile entertainment needs. You can a lot more that route as well (assuming SB will show up for it soon).

 

yea that was my point, essentially: what will you be using the laptop for when the GP is switched to Intel mode? for me it won't matter because I'm not heavy into gaming anyway -- I'll be editing photos. Moreover, no one has established that outboard GP will NOT be available if you really wanted to take your heat chances and set up your profiles to utilize the outboard GP even when "on your lap"
I'm also questioning the value of on-chip DX11 support for gaming. If you are running a GP-intensive game, things will still get hot. I'm not saying 'no advantage' i'm just saying (1) Do you really require DX11 support under low-power heat-saving conditions, and (2) if you do require it, and it is present in the processor, will the ultimate power/heat saving advantage of on-board graphics really be that significant?

and speaking of bleeding edge technology, so you really want to run an intensive game on a new implimentation of on-board DX11?

 

StrikeSaber47, thanks for all the great advice... def earned your +1 rep. Cheers.

I think I'll still consider the Envy 17 3D because I want to see 3D Bluray movies/games on the nice 17.3" display and on external TVs. But so far I'm feeling better about coming to a decision. Ultimately I still want the Alienware top gaming machine, but that is more in the future...now I want a classy, sleek working laptop that can display movies beautifully, and still play games in medium settings if need be. Thanks again.

KJ

 

Yeah, no problem.

For RAM, I can assure you that if you don't think 6 GB is enough, getting 8 GB of RAM nowadays is still cheaper from a site like newegg over getting it directly from the folks at HP, but I think 6 GB is still sufficient for what most people need to use for a computer. The base SB should be sufficient for power as well.

 

Well, I'll see how HP has the configuration tool, but then maybe it would be better to get it with 4gig and then get the other 4 gig strip for newegg? Hmm I'll wait and see....

KJ

 

depending on how you feel about formal product support, note that HP will support the laptop in its "shipped" configuration. having said that, I bought kingston memory for my dv8000t -- I'm just saying if you really want to take the letter of the law on the warranty, and the price difference is not that much, I'd let HP put the memory in.

 

dlleno good point on that...I'll see the price diff. if not much I'll just let HP do it.