Looking to buy a Sager 2096 from PC Torque

Sager 2096
Config page

I'm very much a point-form person, so here they are.

1. Configuration options for the processor; which ones are worth getting? (how much of a boost is there from T6400 to P8600, or P8700?)
2. Will I be able to install a 64-bit OS on this machine?
3. How does this compare to Sager 7680?
4. DDR2 RAM and DDR2 video card. Is this outdated technology by now, should I be looking at DDR3?
5. I'm buying from Canada. Is there a better retailer for notebooks such as these? (low cost, high performance, not caring much for style or brand names)

Many thanks to everyone in advance.

 

depends on your budget really... but 2.2GHz to 2.4GHz is the bang for the buck at the moment.

yes

the 7680 is a low-end gaming system with a Nvidia 9300M dedicated card

the 2096 is a mid-range system with a Nvidia 9600M GT which will perform twice as fast.

Not really old technology.

System memory is different than video memory.

As far as system memory goes, there is no performance difference between DDR2 and DDR3.... DDR3 is just a new standard that has large capacities.

As for videocard memory, GDDR2 is still used often for mid-range cards and GDDR3 (and GDDR5) are for high-end videocards.

There are a number of vendors for this notebook, which is really a re-branded:
- Compal JHL90

Sager resellers like PCTorque, Powernotebooks, XoticPC are good to deal with, but there are some decent Canadian vendors:
- www.mtechlaptops.com
- www.pro-star.com (US based, but no hidden taxes or shipping costs for Canadians)

 

I bought my NP2096 from PCTorque this past fall. Here's a post I made in the Price Check forum that has alot of info you might be looking for.

Note, the system price around that time was $999 I think, though the exchange rate was also alot more favourable for us in Canada.