If I get the NP8150...

If I purchased the NP8150 with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD6970 will I be able to switch switch and put the High Tech Nvidia Video card that will probably come out next year ?

 

Unfortunately nobody will be able to answer this question. Depending on thermal and power requirements that are yet to be known it may or may not be supported. You can switch to a NVIDIA based card that is now offered down the road from the HD6970. (i.e. 485M)

 

So if I purchased the Nvidia GTX 485M with this laptop and than a year or two later Nvidia releases the new Nvidia card with "Kepler" technology for Laptops theres a chance I wont be able to upgrade?

 

^^^This is just unknown at this point. You may or may not be able to.

 

babyhemi

any idea if there is really no difference between the 485m and the hd6970
is the 485 that much better/faster? i figure if im getting an expensive laptop i might as well put my tail between my legs and spend a lil more on the better video card

 

It only comes out to about a 3-5% difference (with the 485m being the faster one). The only deciding factor is if you want CUDA or physx support- but otherwise, they're close enough to being equal as to make no big difference.

 

Most will agree that the 485M will slightly edge out the 6970M benchmarks and such. Many may also say that the 485M is not worth paying the $250 more to get it. Many would also say that the 6970M is the best bang for your buck right now. If ones budget allows you might opt for the 485M, if not you will probably be very happy with the 6970M...
_

 

i need some sort of a minor discount while keeping the parts i like inside, will xoticpc.com budge on any coupon code to help seal the deal for me? otherwise i may need to think about it for a longgg time..

 

Depending on your configuration, you can possibly save by getting the S1 Special and/or by making a cash payment. Most resellers (including us) offer a 3% cash discount.

 

what is the difference between S1 Special and the standard NP8150 ? thanks

 

The 8150 / P150HM and 8150-S1 / P150HM-S1 are the same notebook. The S1 is simply a discounted configuration of the 8150 / P150HM.

 

whoa....Xotic, Malibal, and LPC-Digital all in one thread. It's like seeing a blond, a brunette, and a redhead standing together and you wonder which one has the handcuffs at home.

 

Lol, i know its rare seeing them together as if they were all trying to get the OP to buy from them! i have yet to see the day dell or alienware representatives reply to potential buyers here. Well done guys!

And back to topic, it would be nice to know if there will be forward compatibility, but only time will tell! it seems that some older Sagers and Clevos do support new graphics cards, but they may have problems with the heatsink design as not every card has the same arrangement of components. Also power distribution may play a role here.

 

Forward compatibility is always a possibility, but it depends on what the hardware manufacturers do.

If Intel decides to change the socket in Ivy Bridge, or not allow older HM65 or HM67 chipsets to use it- then you're out of luck. By the same token, if Nvidia or AMD release newer MXM cards running on a new standard (say 4.0 instead of 3), and require a higher TDP- then current machines wouldn't support them natively. These are examples, but this is what could potentially break the upgrade path. On the flip side, they may keep introducing hardware at the same standards leaving that path open. It's hard to tell as it's the nature of the business.

Hardware is always progressing and the nature of laptop hardware especially means that it often has quicker upgrade cycles where older tech is incompatible.