which upgrade should I choose?

Hey, I am really interested in getting a Hp dv9500t right now, I have max $ 1800 dollars that I can spent on the system.

Right now I have:

Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo T7300 (2.0GHz/4MB L2Cache)
17.0" WSXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1680x1050)
2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS
HP Imprint (Radiance) + Fingerprint Reader +Webcam
Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network w/Bluetooth
160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
LightScribe DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer

For 1,536.35 dollars without tax.

I can't decide wheather I should upgrade:

the process to Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz/4MB L2Cache) for 100dollars

Or

The hard drive to 200GB 7200RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (100GB x 2) for 150 dollars.

Since I can't spent over 1800 (approximately 1700 with tax), so I have to choose between those two upgrades.

I will use this laptop for gaming and everyday computing, I play WOW, Half-life 2, C&C3 and Supreme Commander. I am not worried about the size of hard drive since I have a external hard drive to store musics and movies.

I am wondering which upgrade will be better for the performance, a faster cpu or a faster hard drive?

please give me a little advise, or any suggestions and comments on the system that I have right now.

Thanks!

 

A faster CPU by far will give you better performance with Applications. If you want to access files faster, and maybe get a faster load time then go with the HDD. I recommend the CPU because it will help you get more framerates in games. Well...i've heard.

 

well yes it might give u faster times but the difference is in a few seconds which u will barely notice. 200mhz for $100 thats a waste frankly

you will notice faster load times in games with a 7200rpm drive and more storage space for those games. with a CPU these days, its impact on games is far less than it used to be so it doesnt matter which CPU you chose out of the two, it will not impact the games by anything significant. the hard drive will give u faster load times when loading the OS and the games and that will be more noticeable.

 

Even with the 8600M GS, you're very likely to be GPU limited while gaming - making the CPU upgrade largely unnoticeable. You might want to consider another option - 320GB (2x160GB) 5400RPM. I believe it's the same price as the 200GB (2x 100GB) at 7200RPM, and should give you very similar performance, as the 160GB drives have perpendicular recording, a feature the 100GB drives lack that I can tell you from experience makes a lot of difference in average throughput (at least on desktop drives). Plus modern games takes up a lot of HD space - I have 320GB in my desktop, and my 180GB games partition is something like 80% full (and you need 15% free space to defragment).

Edit: I see the 320GB option is actually $50 more than the 200GB. Might still be worth it, though. It'll pull you to right at $1700 before taxes w/APP discount if you drop the fingerprint reader, which I doubt you'll need for "gaming and everyday activities." Nonetheless, armed with this new knowledge, I'd say the 200GB option of the two you mentioned - the processor upgrade will be marginal at best. It'll also be right at $1700 with everything you listed, the 200GB 7200RPM option, and the high-capacity battery using APP - not too shabby.

 

yup i personally would keep the fingerprint reader option simply because if u ever decided u wanted such a contraption, i dont think u wud be able to get one built-in like in the HP, you would have to buy it and connect via usb or something. the 320GB option is a good idea only if these drives are really as fast, otherwise perhaps not.

 

Get the faster CPU you can upgrade the HD later for a cheaper price

 

Thanks for all the information.


I think I will just go for the 1,536.35 built up, and then just buy another hard drive off newegg, since Hp charges 200 dollars for a extra 160g 5400RPM hard drive.

 

It is much easier to replace a HD than a cpu, so I would opt for the cpu.
Get the HD later when you can afford it or need it.