Need help with 8170 purchase

Hi guys, hoping for some thoughts and advise before pulling trigger on 8170:

* can I easily swap out WiFi card to 6300 myself to save $70. Did so on my dell xps 16
* will decision of 485 vs 6970 keep me stuck with one brand for future upgrades or same port?
* anyone use 8170 on lap for games ? I have a cooling pad or logitech lapdesk and it fine for dos 16 with 9 cell ok lap. Just wondering if 8170 will be too bulky or heavy on lap?
* I have Intel g2 ssd I plan on using as main drive, so going to order single drive and put ssd primary an 500 secondary. Will the 1.8 fit or I need bracket?
* have spare win 7 license too, any issues finding drivers etc if I buy no OS

Think that is it for now, appreciative of responses, seems like an awesome supportive forum and I'm excited to ditch dell forever!

 

* Yes, but where are you buying from such that it's a $70 upgrade?
* Yes
*
*
*

 

Updated in Blue

 

For laptop gaming, keep in mind that the two main exhausts are at the left and right side (closer to the back than front).

So get a hard textbook, put it on your lap, plop the laptop on the book, and your nuts won't be fried.

HOWEVER, 17" 16:9 laptops are WIIIIIIDEEEEE!!!

 

Thanks for the inputs. Aussie resellers all do the 6300 for $99 when I can buy it on ebay for $30. Agree on keep the boys alive, logitech lapdesk does Tue job nicely, hard top and did bottom for comfort, love it. The wide comment was my main concern, think its an extra inch on what I have now .... hence dancing around the 8150 vs 8170 decision...

 

According to Sager, buying one GPU brand locks you into that brand moving forward, but that makes zero technical sense, and I'm in the camp who feels that is gross misinformation.

Choose the 6970M.

 

Thanks jack, going the 6970 and matte screen . Now 15 or 17 aghhh...

 

Only real difference spec wise is the number of HDDs, so basically you need to figure out how many you need and if you're willing to give up an internal ODD for a second HDD in NP8150.

 

Not even specs or extra storage that is causing grief, it is size and weight for use on lap with lapdesk. Only 500 grams more than my current rig so probably won't be an issue. Just always had 15" or 16"s so a little nervous for the jump to 17"...

 

I originally was going for the NP8170, but switched over to the NP8150. I can always hook it up to an external monitor if I really need the extra screen. You can get a second HD and put it in your optical bay. (I really don't use CDs that often.) I don't know about your circumstances, but I have heard a 15" is a lot easier to carry around in general, especially in college. (Desk sizes). Also you will have a lot more backpack options with the NP8150.

 

I chose the 17", because of screen size. I have no external monitor, and gaming on 15" just doesn't satisfy my field of vision.

 

My situation... I move it between the kitchen table and the couch to play games on. doesn't get lugged around at all . Work full time so it is just a toy for me. Like Kevin, I think 15 will be too small. Plugging a monitor into it isn't really an option for me. Leaning toward 17 at this stage

 

For your situation, I would agree. To be honest, if you are keeping it inside your house at all times, I would look at a desktop. In the $2000 range on a desktop, you could get a rig that will destroy any game on any settings for a very long time. I would get a desktop if I could, but I move back and forth between houses because of divorced parents :/

But yeah, 17" makes more sense for laptops. I do believe the 17" is more expensive by a hundred or two with equal configs to the 15". There is a special discount on the 15" at the moment I believe. I would double check that though.

 

just note that this^^ is only for the 8170.. maybe this has something to do with the 3D 17" they've got in the works? making diff system boards for nvidia to support 3D?

 

According to Sager support, there are different models for the NP8150 too.

I don't really trust their support as they have told me contradicting things before, but it wouldn't be surprising to see two different models.

 

huh, interesting.. maybe one of the resellers can chime in on this? weren't there a bunch of people that were going with the 460 and planned to upgrade to the 6970? did this ever happen?