5796 vs. 9262

I've been waiting anxiously for the release of the NP5796. But then I took another look at the NP9262 and couldn't help but notice how awesome it was that a 3.0 Ghz desktop processor came standard. However, I don't really have the budget for two graphics cards in SLI, and weight isn't really an issue.

So I wonder, would the raw processing power of the 9262 be a better investment than the Montevina of the 5796? I understand we probably won't know for sure until release, but what are your initial thoughts?

 

The 9262 is built with desktop parts, the 5796 with laptop parts. Montevina is a laptop platform and more a tweak to the current proccessors than massive upgrade. The 9262 should still beat the 5796 in pure power. Which of the two to buy is really a different issue as these laptops are for entirely different consumers.

 

Let me go into a little more detail.

I'm looking for as much power as I can get (at least, without falling into the Intel Testosterone Trap™). The E8400 in the 9262 is plenty for me, and obviously much more powerful than the P9500 that I'd probably order the 5796 with. However, I would like at least some degree of mobility, which means battery life over an hour, and not just idling.

I'd also want eSata, which is only on the 5796, but this is mostly for an external hard drive. The 9262 has no eSata port, but in this case, it's not really needed as I could just configure it with two hard drives.

As for graphics, both would have a single 8800M GTX.

There's also the price issue. Normally I'd want to stay under $2500, but I could go maybe $100-150 over if I had to.

I also figure that with Nehalem coming out in a few months, which abolishes the FSB, and nVidia's GTX 280 line of cards emerging, neither of these laptops will be top-of-the-line for too long. Obviously they'll be capable of handling things for the next couple of years, but I'd rather buy a lesser machine now and spend less money than buy a monster now for more money and have to upgrade fairly soon.

I'm just not sure which one to pick.

 

Get the 5796 then. It should be more than powerful enough for what you need in your price range as the 9262 is really a small desktop that can be moved in a pinch. Oh and I doubt you will see Nehalem readily available for at least a year and those may not even be more powerful than a dedicated 8800gtx system when released. And either machine will last for years. Don't sweat it. Technology is to fast to keep on waiting. Wait for Monte because they will be out in a week, not a year.

Oh and keep in mind that the new Nvidia cards are destop cards. The 9800 gtx that may be available on the 5796 will likely be the most powerful card for available for a little while at least.

 

go for 9262

 

The NP9262 is, as Senor Mortgage said, a desktop that you can take with you. It's absolutely not the perfect definition of mobile. You cannot do intensive tasks while the notebook is on your laps. Battery life with not many power saving options on is about 1 hour and 20 minutes just browsing the web with my setup. To resolve your e-Sata worry, you can get an e-Sata expresscard adapter. I believe Rosewill makes one. Although, the NP9262 supports up to 3 internal hard drives, so an external drive might be pushing it a little (unless you want to have a nice backup in case a drive fails).

There is no doubt that the NP9262 is heavy. You do adjust, however. It's not too bad. I used to carry my ps2 with the HDD installed around town in a bag to friends' houses. The console plus accessories was about 15 pounds.

About the only thing I would upgrade in my 9262 is the processor in a year or so, and get an Intel wi-fi card with finalized wireless N capability once it is released to replace the draft-N one.

 

That's another thing I was wondering about; how hard is it to upgrade things in each notebook? I figure the graphics card or wireless card is just a quick swap, but if I wanted to upgrade the processor, would I be able to? Would it just require a BIOS update, or more than that?

Thanks for all the replies, too.

 

Depends on the processor you choose. Let's say you get the E8400 CPU with your order, and in say 6 months you decide to go quad core. You can get the Q6600, Q9450, Q9550, or the Q9650 which are officially supported without any BIOS updates (I'm not too sure about the Q9650 though). The NP9262 is almost (if not completely?) upgradeable.

 

If you want a potable desktop that packs a punch, go for the 9262. If you want a powerful laptop, go for the 5796.

 

How upgradeable is the 5796, though?

 

You can upgrade the ram, gpu, HD

Upgrading anything else on your own will void the warranty.

 

You can also upgrade your optical drive for that matter.

 

for high-end clevo systems:
- CPU
- RAM
- HDD
- Optical Drive
- videocard module
- mini-PCIe cards (wifi and tv tuner)