I can't decide...

At first I wanted the M850 because it had SLI. But then I shifted over to the D900F because of the awesome i7 Extreme. But now I can't decide on the i7 Extreme or an actual desktop.

This being the desktop:

Digital Storm 1050Si

-AMD Phenom II X4 955 (3.2GHz) (Quad Core) (Black Edition) (8 MB Cache) AM3 Socket
-8GB DDR3 1333MHz Corsair DHX
-1x (1.5TB Seagate Barracuda (7200 RPM) (32 MB Cache) (SATA)
-Blu-Ray Player
-2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 2GB)
-H20: Stage 3 : High-Preformance Liquid Chilled FrostBite System for CPU and Two Video Cards w/Blue Non-conductive High-Performance Fluid
-Upgraded Chassis w/ Blue LED Performance Fans w/ Blue Internal Lighting system
-Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate (64 Bit) w/ Windows 7 Upgrade Coupon
-Samsung 24 inch (Widesreen) (High-Performance Gaming display)

Or the D900F with:

Sager NP9280 (Built on Clevo D900F) Ultimate Custom Laptop
- 17" WUXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1200)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Intel Core i7 Quad Extreme (Nehalem) 975 3.33GHz 8MB Cache 130W
- nVidia GeForce GTX 280M 1,024MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable)
- ~ 6,144MB DDR3 1333MHz Memory (3 SODIMMS) (w/ i7 975 CPU Only)
- Standard Finish
- ~ 2X Blue-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
- ~ 160GB Intel X25-M Solid State Drive (SSD Serial-ATA II)~
- ~ 500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)~
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- Integrated Digital Video Camera
- Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Channels 24-bit External USB Sound Card
- ~Windows Vista Ultimate 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) +
Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Upgrade Coupon w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's

I like the laptop for portable reasons and it has a lot of power for a laptop but it is not as upgradeable as the desktop. Roughly, they are around the same price range.

 

Isn't the i7 >> quadcore?

 

Yes it is.

 

Laptops are only better for their portability. Desktops are stronger in terms of performance, better 'bang for the buck' and highly upgradeable.

I would get a desktop, if I wasn't travelling every month to work in another town.

 

I like the idea of the laptop because of portability and wifi.

 

You can always get wifi for your desktop, if thats a selling point for you.

 

Holy crap Jack lol... you gotta make up your mind friend... first I thought you were getting the M980NU... I7 will make difference for you over the Qx9300... Are you planning to do serious video encoding? there are very few people who need an I7... and people who are gaming definitely don't need it... anyways desktops are always going to be more powerful than a laptop, so it's up to you... although I would recommend getting an SLI laptop with the Quad core... so you can game and multi-task like I do ( I can play anything Fluently) and If I need the battery life I have it... we are in a constantly increasingly mobile society, but that's all up to you.

 

hehe

I cant have a desktop where i live due to living arrangements which is why i always want a very high performing laptop.

you just cant beat when you turn up for a LAN and your laptop smashes everyones desktops

 

Wel yea at first I wanted the M980 but I think the D900F is better not only because of the better CPU but also because not all games support SLI, I don't even think I play any games that support SLI so paying aboug $200-$300 more seems pointless to me. Thats Why I like the D900F and having an i7 in a laptop well that is something to brag about right there. But on the other hand laptops aren't as upgradeable as desktops and that desktop that I have been looking at is pretty damn cool. So I am at a half way point it seems...

 

if you are planning on gaming than the SLI machine will get u much farther. i7's especially in a laptop are huge overkill if all you are doing is gaming. If most of your games dont support SLI than i would assume that they are not advanced enough to take advantage of quad let alone an i7 cpu.

Based on your personal needs (my personal opinion), since you seem to be playing older games might i suggest that you get neither and perhaps focus on a lower laptop. If your games dont support sli and certainly dont quad or even an i7 then why get a laptop that has either of those two qualities. Reading you OP and your replies afterwards it seems more and more obvious that both of those laptops are overkill for the games you describe that you play.

Anyway if you have your heart set out on one of those, thats all fine and good , im not trying to change your mind. But this does seem like a colossal mistake.

 

Yea.... I haven't played a game on my lappy yet that isn't Sli supported... Arma2, gtaIV, fallout 3, empire TW, crysis etc... Most games nowadays have Sli support... Really the only game that does is GTA IV and that's a crappy port... My point in all this being I really don't think you need an I7 Jack... Now go get your m980nu or M17x!

 

What do you plan on doing with a portable laptop? Do you need it for gaming on the go, or will it be mostly for work and browsing capabilities?

Desktop and netbook seems to be a great solution. You can spend less on a desktop now (upgrade in the future) and put that money towards a netbook, which aren't very expensive nowadays as it is.

 

Pure gaming. Thats why I cant decide on a laptop or desktop...

 

Ok here are my thoughts, I am an avid gamer as well... I picked up an M17x over a new gaming desktop... I can play Crysis, Warhead, GTAIV whatever game you name it at highest settings very playable... the next time I think we will see a big jump is when the next generation of DX comes... So this laptop will be able to allow me to "game" for quite a while.. and being an avid gamer yourself, the next time you upgraded your comp you would buy a new dektop anyway wether it be from a site or build it yourself piece by piece... my point is the gaming laptop gives you the portability that you want, the power you need and now even upgradeability... Gaming laptops are the future as we continously become a more mobile society... of course gaming desktops are better.. but IMO they are way overpowered for what even gamers need now... you see these people with 285's in SLI or whatever getting 30k in 06 or whatever... why would you ever need that kind of overkill performance?...answer is benchmarking my point is we can get what we need out of a laptop becuase of todays awesome technology... anyway just my two cents

 

Then that leads me back to the M9850 or the D900F... ahhhh!

 

Damn this is really driving me insane haha.

I have the M9850 which is an amazing laptop cuz it has SLI but it will cost me around $4200.

On the other hand I got the D900F which on the other hand doesn't have SLI but it has an i7 for about $3900.

Or I can get that crazy desktop from Digital Storm with a monitor for about $3900 as well.

My main issue is I love the idea have having a portable gaming rig. (Laptops)

I love the idea of having WiFi and be able to play pretty much anywhere (Laptops).

I love the idea of upgradeability, a computer that will actually last me. (Desktop)

I will probably not be able to upgrade the CPU of the M9850 past the Q9300 Quad. However, on the other hand if a better GPU comes out I will be able to upgrade that. I will be able to upgrade eventually past the i7 Extreme and the GPU but still it will not match SLI... the choice is tough between these three because all are great.

With the desktop I can upgrade everything...

 

What about the new Deal Dell release for 2 280m's 1900x1200 screen, Q9000 proc HDD Built in DVD drive etc.. for 2400 it starts there and you can work up... you can probably get a very very nice M17x for under 3k

 

I dont know what to do.

 

I already looked into it. With my set up its like $4100 and that is with the cheapest warranty and without tax. With Tax add about $500 more. If Dell's didn't take I would probably go with the M17x.

 

Holy crap lol... oh wait do you want SSD's? becuase my system was 3,400 total man

 

Thats without SSDs. With them it will prolly be like $5000 before tax. Thats with a 250GB 7200RPM.

 

I think I am just going to go with the Desktop... I mean I can still bring the rig to LAN parties and stuff.. it just won't be mobile and with no WiFi (which is a huge let down! ) I have always liked AMD processors better anyways... supposedly they are releasing better mobile processors so I can always check that out in a few months.

 

D900F is a beast, and you don't need to spend 4 grand to make it a monster. Take the standard i7 920, that's more than fast as it is. The single 280M is fine for now, but down the road you can upgrade to mobile GT300 or RV870 and the 32nm i7. You've got 3 HDD bays, just take a stock drive and nab a 2nd gen intel SSD for ~$250. If you need more storage get another HDD. 6GB of 1066 DDR3 RAM is a no brainer. It's as desktop-like as a laptop gets. Yes you do give up sli, but you gain the best cooling system on the market, LGA 1366 socket with i7 and future high-end CPU support, and the D900F will be the very first system to get new GPU's, I kid you not. Plus you won't have to fork over the dough for 2 of em

Mobile GT300 should be enough to max Crysis at WUXGA on its own, basically how a desktop GTX 280 does now. Well, at least we can hope so.

 

And I want to go with the i7 Extreme if I go with the D900F. I saved up $4300 so I want to spend it. haha But there will be more an better processors in the i7 lineup to upgrade to if I do go along this path right? I think a great CPU with a great GPU is perfect!

 

I just don't get it.... why do you need an I7? But yes if you go with the D900F given it supports Desktop processors.. as long as the CPU is supported by your chipset it will work

 

An i7 in a laptop is merely for bragging rights. The M9850 is till like 10-15 FPS better. And I could only imagine how well the desktop is with a processor better than the Q9300 and with two SLI GTX 285s...

 

The i7 Extreme is really just that...extreme. It's wasted power for a gaming laptop restricted to a single G92 GPU. That's why I say take the 920, which is still extremely fast, with the G92 already lagging behind. Then when 32nm i7's are released, you can pick up a cooler faster CPU than the 975. Right now CPU heat is the D900F's worst enemy, Gophn's overclocked 975 was approaching 90C. Granted that's testing the system at its limits, but that could just as well be during a raid in WoW (no I don't play WoW). A 920 will be easier on the cooling system, and 32nm i7's will be as well.

 

the M980NU is 10-15fps better becuase of the additional GPU... and the M980NU the processor won't mater in the slightest as it has a locked multiplier (can't really overclock on it) even now my GPU OC and my CPU OC I don't bottleneck.. it won't help you with gaming over a Good dual or even a good Quad... I am confused who told you that a I7 would signifacantly impact your gaming performance... while the truth is it might impact it by a few fps when highly OC and that is only becuase of the speeds not the I7 itself

 

Maybe I worded something wrong? I thought that the GPU was for gaming performance hence the SLI with a Q9300 Quad Core being better for gaming than an i7 Extreme with a single GTX280.

Anyways as tempting as the M9850 probably never being able to upgrade the CPU and only GPU is a let down for me because that will decrese how long it will still be a beast of a laptop.. unlike the D900F being able to upgrade both is a huge plus... IMO/

 

Do you think the Extreme will be okay with a cooler?

 

True I guess.. but you have to remeber it isn't gauranteed you can upgrade the CPU in the D900F either... even desktops have CPU's that can't be used... like I was saying it all depends on the Chipset, MOBO... It sucks I wish they would make more mainstream slots... we can hope that more MXM 3.0 compatible cards are released!

And yes it will be ok With and without a cooler.... the only reason Gophns got so damn high is becuase he OC the crap out of it!!! LOL

 

I am leaning towards the D900F... but will the Extreme add to my gaming performance?

 

Of course it will be okay, even without the cooler, but the thing will be hot at times. It's hot in desktops too... Clevo's cooling system is a real achievement.

When GT300 arrives, D900F will be a more complete gaming rig. But it's nice to know you can buy it and enjoy it now and upgrade to that stuff later

As I said, i7 920 is more than fast enough for gaming, 975 won't make much of a difference. And there's no doubt in my mind you'll be able to upgrade to next gen CPU's. LGA 1366 isn't going anywhere.

 

!!! Exactly, but no IMO it won't add to your gaming performance.. in GTAIV it would a little bit but not a no go without... I am running it at 50fps

 

Hmmmmm.... and what about the Digital Storm 1050Si desktop?

 

975 Extreme never breaks 71 in raids or under heavy load anywhere in WoW. I left HW Monitor running while I pulled a long WoW session including Naxx25, OS25 (raids) and dailies/farming. Outside of OCCT, even the extreme rarely approaches 80 with everything I've tossed at it so far and that's with fans set to auto.

But price wise / bang for buck, it isn't a good deal. I built mine from a pure bare bones from RJTech, and my cost for a 975 ended up being more than $300+ cheaper than going with a pre-built model. If I didn't get the chip for such a decent price, I would have went with a 950 most likely.

Another good option, if cooling is paramount (even though it cools the 975 excellent) are the Nehalem Xeon i7 chips which have great 80w/95w versions.

But in regards to the 280M, even a decent Core 2 will be held back by the 280M let along an i7. If gaming is such a huge priority over everything else, I would go with a M17X, M980NU, NP5797 or GT725 in that order.

 

Yeah, it is. The roadmap is out and outside of LGA-1366 getting the cream of the crop i7's (most importantly the 6-core monster), it also fully support Xeon Nehalem chips which comes in all types of speeds and thermal ratings. D900F is a beautiful thing CPU wise.

 

Not to wonder off topic but arent the M17x and the M9850 pretty much the same spec wise?

 

yeah very very similar

bar the 3rd hdd and the 18.4" screen, but the m17x has the 9400m in it

but in answer to your question i wouldnt reccomend for gaming anything other then the m980

The I7 will beat the qx9300, that is a given but what impact will that have on gaming, minimal -- as it is based primaily off the GPU.

The m980 has 2 of them vs the D900's 1

SLI >> non SLI

and whichever gpu the D900 gets which might put it ahead, the m980 will get 2 of em

thats all you really need to think really, doesnt matter what future cpu the D900 gets, in gaming? GPU >> CPU

Pete

 

I think I am just going to go with the Desktop...

 

"shrugs" meh your choice

 

It's a difficult decision whichever way you go and you don't seem ready so do more research and spec each type of machine out, laptops and desktops. Just remember whatever you get there will be something newer in less than 3 months so don't regret your purchase as long as you make it informed and don't impulse buy.

 

I wouldnt regret any decision I am just confused because I have been bouncing all around. I wanted a gaming laptop because I am a gamer. The main choice for a gaming laptop is the M9850 IMO. D900F isnt really a gaming rig but it can game. M9850 just seems so close minded to me... like it won't last as long as the D900F but I mean for games the GPU is what counts... But the desktop is pretty cool and ahhh I dont know.

 

I know that I am pretty terrible when it comes to making my mind.

Since I am a gamer... the M9850 appeals more to me even though the D9005 has a sweet processor.

Lets just say that I got the M9850... would it be possible that if I got 4GB of ram that I could always upgrade to 6GB? And since its all about the GPU for the M9850 I could upgrade the GPU (hopefully) if a new one comes out and that should keep me going for awhile ya?

 

The 280m's will keep you going for A LOONG while... yes you can upgrade to 6 or 8... possible even more as the higher ram ddr3 sticks necome available... and since it has the MXM 3.0 slots GPU upgrades are very plausible

 

So like a few years?

 

Yea they should be able to handle most stuff for the next few years... should.... but then there will hopefully be new cards I'll be upgrading to anyway!

 

Yeah so I could just upgrade the GPU... ok how does this look?

18.4" FHD WUXGA Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Dual Lamp Screen (1920x1080)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® QX9300 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Quad 2.53GHz w/12MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB
- SLi ENABLED DUAL (2) 1024MB PCI-Express nVIDIA GTX 280M's (2048MB Total) w/GDDR3 DX10 Video Cards (User Upgradeable)
- No External Graphics Card
- No Video Adapter
- ~ 4,096MB DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (Requires Vista 64-Bit to utilize Full 4GB)
- Standard Finish
- ~ 2X Blue-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
- ~ 320GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- None Standard -
- None Standard -
- HDD Raid Settings - OFF
- No Back Up Hard Drive
- No Floppy Drive
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- No Network Accessory
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- No TV Tuner
- Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Channels 24-bit External USB Sound Card
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (12 Cell)
- None Standard*
- No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- No External Keyboard or Mouse
- No Notebook Cooler
- ~Windows Vista Ultimate 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) + Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Upgrade Coupon w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- No Office Software
- No Software Bundle
- Sager 2 Year Parts & Labor Warranty + 30 Day NO Dead Pixel Warranty w/ Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Customer Support

Eventually I will have a 160GB SSD has my primary and the 320GB for data... thats pretty good ammount of space I think. And I will upgrade the 4gigs of ram to 6 or 8 eventually. I promised myself back in November that that in 2009 I would get a gaming laptop... I cant get cold feet now. I am going to get this. And besides I can just build my own desktop later...

 

How much is this total?

 

the point is he was @ 4 ghz lol


the CPU heat stays 75c+ usually


For PURE gaming its m98nu ....