NP8 Series vs....

I have a question that I have yet to see asked. I apologize in advance if I missed it somewhere, but I could not really think of an effective way to search for this question.

The NP8170 looks awesome and I am right on the edge of buying it, but I have to wonder...what if the next Gateway 7811FX phenomenon occurs? Isn't it possible that all of this awesome new technology could be thrown into a machine for $1200? Is there any way to find out what is on the horizon with the mainstream (and pseudo-mainstream) companies? I'd hate to pay $2k now to see a Toshiba with the same stuff in June for significantly less.

As someone who only keeps up with technology closely when considering a new purchase, I am unsure of how the last few cycles of tech have played out. Does Clevo always get the best stuff first, then it trickles down and can be attained at a lower price through big name companies? Is there a discernable pattern, or is it pretty random from tech generation to generation?

 

Interesting question... I find it unlikey the prices to be close. For example the 81x0 line is more affordable then alienware laptops. The 51x0 line has the same target group as the XPS line... But with much better features.
Every brand has their own perk or creative idea planted in the laptop.
The new HP laptops will be around $1200 but will have much lower specs then the 81x0 line.

 

But xps is slightly cheaper... Even if specter considerably lower.

 

I just find it crazy that it seems no other companies are jumping on using 485m's, and if any are, that they are not being vocal about it.

Although it might be nice if a Toshiba or Gateway came out with similar specs for a lower price...after all the trouble I have had with my Gateway I might prefer to pay more for a better build anyway.

Seriously though, when you google "laptop" and "485m"...NOTHING we don't already know here.

 

Well it could be that maybe nvidia is charging so much for the 485m that no one else thinks they would have a market for it... It'd be the cost of most laptops by itself.

 

Clevo has a trend where it takes advantages of newly released technology, striving itself to be at the peak. Kinda like a standard; Clevo sets a standard, the rest follows.

If there is a same laptop different brand, lower priced but with the same specs in the future, I'd still go for Clevo, because I have faith in their cooling system.

 

The only other brand that might see the 6970M and 485M will be Alienware.

 

Well if that's the case, that settles it for me. F Alienware in the A.

But how do you know this? Why would other vendors not use them? Price? Asus, and 3 years ago, even Gateway put the top-tier video cards in.

 

They very likely will in a few months if nvidia drops their price but it's a significant investment to test out builds and make sure that they have sufficient power/cooling for them to realistically stick the card in. Most laptop psus are on the scale of the 8130 not the 8150 so they won't run the card. Asus would have to decide if their chassis would fit it and then decide if they could sell enough to recoup the man hours in engineerin and testing. More permutations more testing.

Then you look at their normal target audience, the $1000 range and a $500 upgrade maybe more for psu etc and is it still worth it?

 

Ah, yes. Good thoughts. You bring up another concern I have... Do the 8170 and 8150 come with the same PSU? Will it actually provide sufficient power with some to spare, in case of future CPU upgrades and overclocking?

My 7811FX came with a PSU that was barely enough for the factory setup. Upgrading and OCing the CPU caused a mess of problems for me.

 

I might be wrong, but I distinctly remember reading somewhere that Gateway might not survive the year. So, something to be mindful of there.

 

I might be wrong but I think the 8170 does have a stronger PSU due to support for more drives, maybe with less drives installed you can squeeze a bit out to OC some...

For myself I probably won't OC it because I am using it on the road most of the time, with my wallet as a ghetto stand to elevate the back for better cooling Actually who else has unorthodox solutions for cooling a laptop??

I've heard you can OC the 485 a lot though, so who knows...

 

What I am about to say is hearsay, but sometime ago heard that HP absorbed Gateway and VoodooPC.
I am probably wrong about this.

 

I thought Voodoo was behind the Envy line for HP...

 

You'll have the 180W adaptor. That's already enough to power and overclock let alone throwing that brick at someone's face when someone's going to steal your laptop