Good NP2098 Build?

I have a budget of $1300 and I am mostly going to be using a notebook for video editing, photoshop/illustrator, movies, and some programming.

I'm looking at a Sager NP2098, trying to get the processor and HDD as close as possible to $1300 since my uses are more processor heavy than graphics heavy. I have a 22" LCD monitor so I am not too worried about the screen being amazing.

Right now I have everything default except that I have upgraded from a T6400 to a T9600 processor and I have substituted a 320GB 7200rpm HDD for a 540GB 7200rpm HDD.

~Intel® T6400 45nm Core™2 Duo 2.0GHz w/2MB L2 On-die cache - 800MHz FSB 35W
upgraded to a
~Intel® T9600 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.8GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 35 watt

and

320GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
upgraded to a
500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)

I still have about $130 or so (including the price of Vista Home premium so I can get the Windows 7 upgrade) remaining... Are there any other upgrades that could be useful for my situation? Or would a different notebook be better for my situation? Thanks.

 

I would recommend getting the P9700 25Watt processor for only $35 more. It will run cooler, quieter and give you longer battery life.

You could also get the 2 Year Warranty + 30 Day No Dead Pixel Warranty for $99.

You could also download the Windows 7 RC1 for free now and then just buy the retail version once it is in final release (say, for Christmas). If you buy the OEM Vista now, you will not be able to "Upgrade" it to Windows 7 later, you will still have to buy the retail version, so there is no reason to invest in VISTA now.

 

Thanks a lot for the response. I wasn't sure whether or not the 10 watt TDP difference would effect the system much, but I will definitely check it out.

I just need to make up my mind between the NP2098, with a nice processor and a larger HDD, and Asus G50VT-X6 with a better graphics card and maybe a better screen (though it isn't LED.)

I'm leaning heavily towards the NP2098 though, since I don't see myself playing any taxing games ( maybe Starcraft II) in the near future... and the processing power and larger HDD would complement my uses better...

Also would the 500GB 7200rpm HDD slow down the computer a very noticeable amount over the 320GB 7200rpm HDD?

 

There are basically 3 things to look at when considering hard drive performance.
1. Data transfer rate - SATA II is faster than SATA I
2. Density (size) - The larger the hard drive the faster it is.
3. Rotational speed - hehe...faster is faster.

The 500GB 7,200 RPM hard drive will almost always outperform the 320GB 7,200RPM drive.

 

Thanks for the explanation.

This is what I'm thinking of getting...

- 15.4" WXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1280x800)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® P9700 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.8GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- nVidia GeForce 9600M GT 512MB PCI-Express DDR2 DX10
- No Video Adapter
- ~ 4,096MB DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to utilize Full 4GB)
- None Standard--
- Standard Finish
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- No Back Up Hard Drive
- No Floppy Drive
- Internal 3-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5100 802.11 a/g/n
- No Network Accessory
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- No TV Tuner
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- No Carrying Case
- Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell)
- No Car Adapter
- None Standard*
- No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- No External Keyboard or Mouse
- No Notebook Cooler
- ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- No Office Software
- No Software Bundle
- Sager 2 Year Parts & Labor Warranty + 30 Day NO Dead Pixel Warranty, Lifetime Sager Toll Free Support

Does this look good? Also I've read that a 10watt difference in TDP would not make a staggering change in temp/sound/etc., but I guess I will get it anyway since my dad wants to be fair between my older brothers and I. Thanks so much for all the help!

 

Yes, you have hit all the "sweet" spots.

 

neat

Imma order this at the end of the month or at the beginning of next month so I can take advantage of the Windows 7 free update.

 

I agree with Donald. That's a pretty solid configuration. You wouldn't gain much more by upgrading anything else.

The 25 watt CPU's will give you around 10-20 minutes of extra battery life in comparison to a 35 watt. The 25 watt will also run a little cooler so your notebook won't get as hot if you're gaming for extended periods of time.

 

there is nothing that i really see wrong with teh build except the processors. Im not really sure what you would need a 2.8ghz dual for. That is in the heavy side of the gaming spectrum. Since you are not performing any high level games then you would not need such a high end processor. For your needs i would personally recommend a p8600 (or new replacement for the p8600) most people who have a laptop with a nvidia 280gtx dont use as high a cpu as the 2.8 ghz dual. However the computer will run perfectly and everything the onlything that im really debating is the price, ya know? if you dont need such a high end cpu then why pay for a really high end one? But either way you laptop will run great.
-cheers and good luck with your purchase.

 

So a p8700 or so processor would be fine for encoding video, etc.?

 

For video encoding what you have is perfect, blueman obviously didn't read the vid editing part as he was referring to gaming.

 

Thanks for clearing that up

 

ahh, my apologies i somehow missed that in his original post. The cpu that you had in your original post is fine.
-Good luck