How Future proof is the hel80?

Hey all,

First time laptop buyer. Im pretty sure I will be choosing the hel80 and ordering from powernotebooks. I will be getting a 0% loan from credit card for it and will be able to pay it off over the next 8 months real easy but the point is I dont really have all that much money. Was looking at acers and all that for $800 to $1000 but since I pretty much live on my desktop I am thinking I want a computer that I will really enjoy using for years to come. I dont game much but no idea what I will end up doing on this thing so my question is if I am programming a lot, watchin tv and movies on it, playing some games... with all the new technologies coming out will the hel80 last and last well over 4 or 5 years? Or should I just go cheaper and maybe upgrade in 1 or 2 years?Thanks for any feedback.

Josh

 

Well, It would be a stretch for any computer to last 4-5 years and work "well" with evolving technologies, WITHOUT updating your hardware. A desktop is by far the easiest to adapt.. Notebooks unfortunately don't share the same ability. However, if software is a concern, you will probably be OK unless a) it requires more than 2 gigs of mem or b) it requires more horsepower than the 7600 can give. Games will undoubtably become unplayable 4-5 years down the road, and perhaps long before. Granted, a computer will always do what it is designed to do today.. and do it well 4-5 years from now if it's still in tact. Just don't be surprised that it may become partly or completely "obsolete"

 

I'm not sure I answered your question... But basically you're saying.. what makes more sense.. 800 now, and 800 two years from now.. or 1600 now and try to make it last 4 years.

IMO, I would spend 1600 on a good laptop, rather than 800 on two lesser notebooks. Since you're not a huge gamer.. the nvidia 7600 will probably be adequate for the life of the notebook. It will surely be FAR more capable than an integrated graphics now, and almost definitely 2 years from now. If you pay only 800 that's all you will be able to get. A cheaper laptop will have many corners cut, most of all on warranty. Your 1600 hel80 can have a 3 year parts/labor warranty included. PLUS you'll know what's inside, and what the potential is. I would nearly gaurantee that this hel80 will still be more capable than a new budget laptop 2 years from now, and at the very least, be economically upgradable to stay near par, minus graphics unless an act of god blesses it. Get the Hel80

 

What I think makes a computer futureproof these days is the following:

Can it support the latest processors?

Yes

Can it support 64 bit processing?

Yes

Is the video card adequate?

Yes it is the strongest model in any 15.4 inch notebook atm (to be replaced by the 7700 soon (as soon as distributors have a good supply of those asus ones).

Can it fit a good amount of memory?

Yes! Hell some servers I bought 1 year and a half ago don't even have 2 gig....


Also you have to take into consideration the price tag. You can get a core 2 duo HEL80 with 2 gig of ram for around 1600. Now try to come close to that with any of the geforce 7600 - 7700 notebooks on the market. Good luck hehe. Also to note is that the 7700 is only an upgrade for video encoding, it won't make games run faster.

Otto.

 

Yeah I didnt mean to write at least 3 to 4 years.. i meant around 4 to 4 years. And your both right.. the 7600 should really meet my needs for the next few years. If i do get back into gaming and some of them are graphically demanding... im sure the 7600 will play them at default settings.. dont need to play max. I am on the computer for hours everyday... i am looking for something that I will really enjoy using for a few years.. i think the hel80 is it. Thanks for the feedback guys.

Josh

 

I bought my laptop to replace my desktop (turned into a fulltime file server.. what a waste of 2gb ram and 2.4ghz dual core amd64) lol...

For me, I went "How much do I spend on upgrades a year?" lets say... $600 (about right for my case)...

How long does the warranty from my power pro last? (basically, I expect I'll be using the system for the life of the warranty atleast) "3 years"

$600 * 3 = $1800...

So I made that my budget, and for what I purchased it for, I'm sure it will last the life of the warranty.. I play BF2, and BF2142 without going below 35fps 99% of the time(35-78fps depending on whats on the screen). (using default "medium" 90% draw distance, and 1400x1050) on stock drivers set for performance and 0 render ahead. If you are into MMO's, they tend to fall behind graphically a bit because of how long they take to make, how many people they want to pay to play... and how long the engines tend to be in use.. So I'd worry less if that is your thing..

 

Well I bought my desktop over 2 years ago.. probably going on 3 and havent updated it at all because I havent really played any games. Hopefully Ill get back into a little when I get the laptop but its possible I just lost interest I know I havent but most of my time will go into coding and its very possible I will barely game with my laptop. Thats a huge reason why I have been hesitant in spending almost 2 grand on my first laptop.

On the othe rhand though I might play some games and I am on the computer all the time. I use it for everything and want something that I will love using for the next 4 years. Now any core duo will be fast enough for the next few years for most apps with 1+ gig of ram.. i know that but the nice matte screen and powernotebooks warranty and customer service and the possibility of maybe wanting to play a semi new game and only having embedded graphics or a 7400 is pushin me towards the hel80.

Its real possible I should just get some 800$ lappy for my first time and in a year or so I will know exactly what I need and splurge then but i definitely have a good feeling about the hel80.

So I guess at this point should a non gamer get the hel80? I will live on it.. it will be next to me all the time so I want something great but would there be any point to buy something over $1200 if very little gaming?

 

It kind of depends on whether or not you really think that you're going to play games or not. Even if you do, the go 7400 is not a worthless card. Something like the HP dv6000t may be more up your alley and for less money since cost is a major concern for you.

Bottom line, get something you'll be happy with. If you think the gaming power that you may or may not use is important--get the HEL80. It's a wonderful quality system and won't let you down. If you really want to save the extra money--go for something with a smaller GPU. Non-gaming systems are cheaper as a whole.

 

I've tossed around the issue of a go7400/x1400 also.. Do i need the graphics? I'm not much of a gamer, but if I had the horsepower.. I would use it eventually and appreciate it being there. The overall difference, specs being equal except for the 7400 vs the 7600 is around 150–200 dollars (and possibly more with a good discount/coupon). I mean as in comparison to like an HP or Dell. It is a little more money for the go7600,( you'd also get better quality components and support with powerpro), but the performance will be night and day on any TRUE 3-d game or application. nobody really NEEDS more power, or technology for that matter.. all we need is food, shelter and love. =P But a Good Lappy could be #4.. so make it a good one.

 

I always recommend against cheaping out on most anything. Go with the best deal, but don't just get cheap. You get what you pay for, and it's not a linear scale.
If you're going to get a laptop, I'd suggest getting a good one. If you want to save money, cut some of the options like using a smaller hard drive or less RAM. I wouldn't go with an $800 laptop unless you really want something that's disposable.
I'd suggest going with PowerNotebooks. For the price, their warranty, and definitely customer service, they just can't be beat, and you'll have a faster, more portable machine than Dell or HP can sell you. It's something you'll be using a lot. Same as with shoes. You shouldn't just go for cheap on something that will be such an integral part of your life. Make sure it fits, and it fits well, and you'll get much more pleasure and function out of it.