Choosing between the W350ETQ and P151EM

Hi Girls and Guys

Before I continue: I was not sure whether to post this here or in the "What notebook should I buy" section. Since its about Clevo Models only, I guess the Clevo section is the best fit.

I am having a hard time to decide what laptop I should buy. I have narrowed it down to two different Clevo models. I will mainly use the laptop for work: Photoshop, Fireworks, SublimeText2, a VM and few other tools that I require for web developing.
I actually dont do a lot of gaming, however I would like to have the resources to play some of the new games when I want to. I will mainly use the laptop in combination with an external 1.920x1.080 Monitor.

I am going right to it and start with the two different models and configurations I have in mind:


Clevo W350ETQ

Code:

15.6" FullHD NonGlare LED
Intel Core i7-3630QM
NVidia GeForce GTX660M
256GB Samsung 830 SSD
Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600 MHz
2.5" 750GB 7200rpm (as a second drive)

=> Costs: Around 1150€


Clevo P151EM

Code:

15.6" FullHD NonGlare LED
Intel Core i7-3630QM
NVidia GTX670M
256GB Samsung 830 SSD
Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600 MHz

=> Costs: Around 1220€


As you can see, the specs are very similar except the graphic card and the extra HDD.


What I would like to know:

1. Are there any major flaws in one of the builds?
2. How is the build quality, the cooling and the noise? Will I notice a big difference between the two models?
3. Is the difference between the GTX660M and the GTX670M that big, that I will notice it a lot when playing games? By a lot, I mean: will there be games that are absolutely not playable with the 660 while they are playable just fine with the 670?
4. What do you generally think about the two models? Which one would you choose and why?

I am sure I missed something, so please let me know what else you need to know in order to answer my questions!

Thanks

What I forgot to mention:

I Have also considered following build:

Clevo P150EM

Code:

15.6" FullHD NonGlare LED
Intel Core i7-3630QM
ATI HD7970M
256GB Samsung 830 SSD
Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600 MHz

=> Costs: Around 1400€


I came to the conclusion that its an overkill for me. Nevertheless, I´d like to know if you guys think that it would be worth it in comparison to the two builds from above? And if so, why do you think it is worth it?


Edit: A few more questions came up and I decided to include them in this post:

1. Are the differences between the W350ETQ and the P151EM regarding form factor, thickness and weight notable when handling/looking at the laptop? Does the P151EM look like a real gaming machine, while the W350ETQ looks more like a "standard" business notebook or are the differences not notable at all? Its hard to tell from the videos and therefor I was wondering if any1 has some real life experience with it?
2. I heard that throttling is an issue with the W350ETQ. Can any1 confirm that? Is this an issue with the P151EM aswell? Is it safe to use ThrottleStop with the W350ETQ, even though it has only 1 fan for cooling?

 

For your needs, Clevo W350ETQ is perfectly adequate. Small form factor, lightweight, small powerbrick and lowest price.

Clevo P151EM is also a nice option, but I wouldn't buy it with a gtx670m, since this is a rebranded old gtx570m card, negligible performance lead over gtx660m that can be fully ignored and a small bump in the price - its not worth it.

The third option with a 7970m is the best bang for the buck. Problem is, Enduro is still inadequate in terms of driver support and if you don't game heavily, you will be perfectly fine with Option Nr. 1.


Really, its always the same with the recommendations threads. I myself have asked for community opinions on what should I buy and in the end, it all needs to come from your personal taste.
All the info you might need about build quality, pros and conns, is better explained in the video reviews of these models in youtube.
Sager NP6370 (Clevo W370ET) Video Review by XOTIC PC - YouTube
Sager NP9130 (Clevo P151EM1) Video Review by XOTIC PC - YouTube
Sager NP9150 (670M) vs. Sager NP9150 (7970M) - XOTIC PC Review - YouTube

I am still having a hard time deciding between a Clevo P370EM with one 7970m card versus a W370ET model with gtx660m.

Last comment: get whatever you like most. Watch the videos and decide. I'd get the first option with gtx660m, that would fit your needs IMHO.

 

As b0b1man mentioned the 670M are rebranded cards, but many places offer the 670MX now which uses the new Kepler architecture so grab that card if you can.
Cooling will also be better on the P151EM as it has separate fans for the GPU/CPU instead of sharing one as the W350ETQ does.

 

First of all: Thanks for your opinions!

The 670MX sounds like a real alternative - I have to ask the reseller if he plans to offer it. As of right now, the only available graphic card (that he has in stock) for the P151EM is the 670M :/ If he for some reason cant offer the 670MX, I will go with the W350ETQ and a 660MX.

Thanks for this links - awesome videos!

One more thing about the better cooling and the two fans: Does this influence the noise level by any means? Is it rather louder (since there are two fans working inside) or more silent, since the fans dont have to work that much compared to a single fan? Will this noise even be an issue when I am not gaming, but working and/or watching movies?

 

I would think it would be more quiet since the 2 fans would spin at lower RPM's than 1 fan at high RPM's.

Just my thought.

 

Two fans is going to be a little louder then one but its not going to be very noticeable. Think of it like this, if you have one fan running and lets just say its producing 50db of sound, compared to 2 fans producing 50db of sound each you're only going to hear around 50db. Those numbers are accurate just used for example. When you're not gaming the sound wont be an issue.

 

I didnt consider that, but it makes perfect sense. Following that, it means that 2 fans might be more silent, because: Say the fans want to keep the CPU below 80° C and to do so, they each need to come up with 30% of their power. That would mean, that a single fan needs to come up with ~60% of its power to keep the 80° C and therefor be louder, right?

Good to know. I really dont care about the noise when gaming, but it could have been an issue when I am working and I constantly hear the fans, but since thats not the case, the noise discussion is kinda irrelevant now.

Thanks for the insights! I will now await the response regarding the 670M X and than decide.

 

The P151EM is the ultimate choice, it'll always win, just too many advantages

 

Would you care to explain why? From what I know now: It has better cooling due to two fans, but its a bit bigger and heavier than the W350ETQ or am I mistaken here? I can only guess from the videos (posted above), but the W350ETQ looks quite thinner. I also guess the build quality is more or less the same with both models?

Since I dont plan on getting a gaming monster, I can also live just fine with the 660MX, although a 670MX is tempting. After all, I dont see any K.O. criteria that would make the W350ETQ a No-Go, do you?

 

Most people here prefer the "P" Series because it has an interchangeable GPU.
The W series has the GPU soldered to the motherboard.

 

Yeah. And IMO the p151em looks nicer too (saying that as someone whos owned both). The physical size of both of them are around the same, but the p151em is like .4kg heavier.

You really can't wrong with either and they will both be very similar in performance, but I think having an upgradable GPU warrants the extra price that the p151em commands.

 

Sorry to bump my own thread, but I have just got a response from the reseller regarding the 670MX: As of right now, he is not offering that card, but he will do so in December. Unfortunately, I cant wait another month for the laptop, since I will be needing it in November.

Now I am confronted with following decision:

Buy the W350ETQ with the 660M.
Buy the P151EM with the 670M.

Do you think it is worth it to buy the P151EM now and than maybe upgrade to the 670MX in a few months? How much do you think an update will cost me? I am asking, because I couldnt find prices for single mobile GPUs.

 

TBH, upgrading the GPU is a rather costly task. Individual mobile GPU's are very over priced. If you can sell off your 670M this might help cover some costs but it's far more cost effective to get the best GPU you can afford with your chassis.

With the release of the Enduro fix (today?) I would wait to see what the results of that are as an enduro-fixed P150EM/7970M combination wins hands down. No need to upgrade GPU for a very long time and not that much more in price over the 670M. Best bang for buck for sure.

 

I agree with ^ especially now that gtx 670m prices are low on ebay and I can only see it going even lower by the time the new ones come out.