Purchase the P170EM or not...

So I have the 15.6" P150HM, specs in my sig.

Why I want to buy the P170EM:
-Want 17.3" matte screen. 1920x1080 on 15.6" gets hard to read if the distance is greater than 2 feet when I use an external keyboard, at least for me; we'll reserve that for when I get LASIK.
-I paid for some premiums not really too useful for me.
-95% gamut glossy screen--I'm colorblind, and you may ask why I got it in the first place, well because my Lenovo T500 had a pretty washed out color when compared to any other screen, so I thought I could still appreciate the color despite my colorblindness. I've come to figure out that, no, it's mostly all the same.
-6990M kind of overkill for me. I wanted the power just for capabilities and "futureproofing" but nowadays I'm running ATITool and actually run at lower than stock clocks/volt in an attempt to reduce heat and power consumption. Games I play I usually don't mind toning down settings as well as not actually playing many graphic intensive titles. Example: I play DotA 2 with a few settings maxed, but others low or even off that don't really add much for me, like shadows. For that, I'd run at 450 core, 600 mem clocks. I overclocked for fun but generally don't find the need to actually overclock.
-Aluminum brushed look, cooling design, and backlit keyboard are unique to this 17.3" over the 6350 or 6175.
-Want more battery life for notetaking in class*. Nvidia optimus technology and the upcoming 675MX are promising, though I'm debating if I should just get the 675M if the power consumption under optimus/idle would be minimal, save some money. 7970m would only be $50 more from 675MX, but higher power consumption, as well as enduro problems and AMD GPU engineers being laid off, does not bode well for future drivers.
-Hoping to resell my P150HM with the nice screen/6990m and break even or only a bit more for a cheap config of the P170EM, though it still brings me more utility.

*I realize it may seem counterintuitive that I want to get a larger laptop for for mobility, but it's mostly about the battery life. Size/weight hasn't been an issue for me.

Why I don't want to buy the P170EM:
-Isn't "needed" and brings the hassle of reselling my P150HM and setting up laptop/drivers/etc again.
-Intel's Haswell. Big focus on power consumption, but mostly ultra portables. Don't know if it's worth the wait if it won't be very significant for traditional & performance notebooks. While I don't want/expect a gaming laptop to run for 6+ hours, I would like about 4 hours after the battery degrades and simple settings: wifi on, screen at lowest brightness, mostly internet browsing/documents. Reviews seem to indicate the P170EM has been able to reach these standards when new.
-Could just use dual external monitors, but still would be nice to have a 17.3" when traveling.

hmmmmmm. How much can I expect to be able to sell my P150HM for, minus the SSD?

I've sold one laptop on NBR before, the Asus G73JH-A1, but still rather inexperienced with shipping, insurance, etc, and am always afraid of scams online.

 

I would imagine it would sell for $750-900. I got offered $1100 for mine back in March. I can't imagine you'd get much more than $900 at this point.

If you asked me, I would say you really don't need to make the switch. Sounds like you aren't convinced either

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

Same here, wait another year before upgrading if you still want to. 6990M is a beast and your LCD is gorgeous. 17" is fun, but I think it gets old if you like being mobile at all. I did it for years and it was fine, but i prefer the 15"

 

Think a new Clevo model will be out in about a years time?

 

There will be one with introduction of Haswell.

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

Sounds like the only reason for you to get a new laptop is the 17 inch screen. Not sure that is sufficient reason enough to trade up.

 

I am highlighting the 17.3" because the NP9170 is 17.3" and comes with different features than the rest of the laptops b/c of that. But in general, yes, I believe the most significant difference to me would be the larger screen, because the performance difference wouldn't really matter to me if I am still playing my games fluidly regardless of a mid-high spec vs a high spec.

Another big reason would be nvidia optimus tech... I am very fond of the power savings one gets from it and find it will be very nice to have. Necessary? No, but a lot more convenient so I don't have bring my PSU with me or have to find a seat in class with a nearby plug.

 

You don't have to justify it with us The general consensus is that its better to wait for a new refresh.

But if you have moneys to spend, who's to stop you Go with your heart, but don't let it break the bank.

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I have my 6990m under volted tp .9v and clocks at 580/1080. I still get stock 6970m performance and it is beastly power for a laptop. even with the underclock I can run all games highabout 30 fps.. I say crazy to upgrade at this moment in time as games are not exactly demanding like they were during the crysis days

 

Yeah, my concern isn't too much about power efficiency at max though, mostly when idle/low use for class notetaking. That's where the generation falters, as idle consumption from the GPU is still high, and the GPU fan is a bit bothersome when everything else is passively cooling.

 

If you are still able to get by fine at the moment, definitely wait for Haswell. Try to plug in during class if there are outlets near you. As for the 6990m, the card is still a great performer. And, you can always zoom in to make text a larger in browsers as well.

Like I said, if you are getting by fine, don't waste the money or the time. You will see greater advantages in upgrading once Haswell comes around.

 

Clevo is doing the month of speed and you get some bonus options at the moment. I'm getting a bonus 128 crucial ssd with the included 750gig then becoming the secondary.

A quick read on Haswell appears to be atleast 4 months away and offers refinements not necessarily better performance.

I'm very happy that I had to wait an extra 2 months to order my clevo p170em as the processor went up to the 3630qm with an extra gigahertz of power not that it would really equate to more then a few percent performance increase.

I was careful to check the benchmarks from other processors and found that the more expensive processors offered little benefit
in games as the graphics card is doing most of the work.

 

Dang, dislexia, I mean extra 100 mhz which is nothing really. I beat windows 8 coming out too, I really want to stick to 7 since I was a vista user before.

 

I would rather wait. There's some great things coming out soon

 

OP you mention battery life. You'll be lucky to get 4 hours out of the P170EM even with power saving measures so I wouldn't consider it for that.