Purchasing a NP5796(Aug) Couple Questions for the Veterans (Gaming)

First off I'd like to take my hat off and thank all of the regulars that post here as well as Justin from Xoticpc for providing invaluable resources and a solid supplier.

The discussions contained in this website have been a priceless asset in my quest to understand and purchase a DR notebook.

Here are my goals and current budget.

Budget: $2,000 - $4,000

Gaming Goals: I'm specifically looking to mop the floor with these three games: Fallout 3, Starcraft II, Diablo III. High-end FPS are a plus but unnecessary.

Portability Goals: I'm looking for something that I can be stealthy with.

If something comes up at home or work it would be nice to have a machine that I can pack up and move with. I'd also like something that has portability so I can go to lans or a friends house but I don't want to sacrifice performance in doing so. Finally I'm looking for something that every now and then I can take to a coffee shop or the school library and knock out some papers and graphics. Honestly my home life isn't the most stable so it would be amazing to have a machine I can quickly transport when necessary.

Home use: 60%
Lan: 25%
Coffee/College: 15%

Lifespan Goals: 36-48 months of heavy use (60+ hours a week of designing, gaming, and multitasking) without any form of heat issues while using a NZXT Black Aluminum Notebook cooler roughtly 90% of the time.
( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834997340)

Initially I thought the np9262 was answer to my needs since I wanted to build a computer with the q9450 Yorkfield chip anyway why not just purchase a laptop with one. However, after debating the 3500+ price tag for a few days and looking at my gaming and application goals I started to question the logic and necessity of such an expensive investment.

Then I decided if I was going to spend 4,000 dollars on a laptop based on sheer performance and not mobility then I was better off spending half the amount on the equally powerful np5796 and the other 2,000 on a high-end custom built desktop... literally the best of both worlds.

Finally I've evolved my train of thought to this: if I can save 1,400 dollars and purchase a 2,600 np5796 desktop replacement that has the mobility (and longer battery life), performance and lifespan then perhaps it is the most logical and cost efficient choice. I don't mind spending money for performance but the last thing I want to do is spend money on incompetence and inefficiency.

Here are the specifications of the np5796 I plan to purchase in September

Sager NP5796 Custom Notebook (Built on Clevo M570TU)
- 17" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® P8600 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.40GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- 1,024MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 9800M GTX DDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable) (ETA Early August)
- Matrox DualHead2Go External Monitor Video Controller
- ~ 4,096MB DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
- None Standard
- Custom Laptop Skins [Choose from our designs or your own Graphic or Logo - (artwork set up fee for custom skins) ]
(Details of design made after order)
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 250GB 5400RPM (Serial-ATA 150)
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- None Standard
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- None Standard
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- None Standard
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- None Standard
- None Standard
- ~Windows XP Home SP2 with Drivers and Utilities CD
- None Standard
- None Standard
- 2 Year Parts & Labor Warranty 24/7 Tech Support

The questions I have are directly related to clarifying forum discussion I've been reading over the past few days.

1. 1680x1050 or 1920x1200? I've read that you reap greater preformance with the 1680x1050 however I wonder if I'd be gimping myself by not going 1920x1200 since I'm purchasing a 9800m GTX.

2. Ballpark information on the 9800m GTX, obviously no one knows for sure but from a guessing standpoint how would it compare to the 8800m GTX, 9800m GT, and what is the desktop equivalent... a 8800 GTX?

3. Is heating going to be an issue with the lifespan goals I've set for this computer? I'm worried about the heat generated by a 9800m GTX in a notebook that I've read has slightly less cooling capabilities than its 9262 cousin.

4. Will I really notice much difference from a Montevina duo 2.4ghz versus a 2.53 or even a 2.8 as specifically relates to gaming? (I've read that one should focus on GPU/RAM and not so much the CPU)

5. Turbo Memory... I've read a little bit about it but it seems as though the performance boost is negligible unless using vista? The price isn't that expensive, if I choose to go the Vista route does it become a necessity?

6. How noticeable would the difference between 2048 and 4096 DDR3 be? If I wanted to play a newer game windowed with an anime show running in the background would it be essential to go the 4096 route? I enjoy multitasking and an inquisitive nature + OCD makes me minimize / maximize applications quite often to browse the internet.

7. While at home I plan to keep my laptop closed and running exclusively on a standard monitor is Matrox DualHead2Go the only way to achieve this? (Can it be done without? If so do you sacrifice graphical power?)

8. Initially I had windows XP when purchasing 2048 DDR3 but now that I've upgraded to 4096 is Vista a necessity? I'm not sure if the games I've listed will contain DX 10 (most likely not) however with my current setup am I at a disadvantage running XP (i.e. gimping myself out of fear) would the increase in FPS from XP I've read about be negligible with a 9800m GTX and 4096 DDR3?

9. I plan on using the Sennheiser HD-555 headphones with this laptop. How important is purchasing a Sound Blaster X-Fi audio card? I wouldn't consider myself a full on audiophile but I wonder if I'm doing myself a disservice by having such nice headphones and no sound card.
( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106392&Tpk=hd-555)

10. Backpack... I know many of the forum members swear by the TargusXL however I feel the Alienware looks a little more sleek and boasts a carrying capacity of up to two 17 inch notebooks. I feel like this bag would be more than adequate to carry the np5796 + nxzt cooler and accessories. My only concern is that I've never read a review or talked to anyone with hands on experience. Anyone familiar with Alienware gear I would appreciate your insight.
( http://www.alienware.com/accessories/gear-shop-Detail.aspx?ItemId=17073&CatId=1288)

11. Custom Skin: I'm sure everyone here would love to have a custom painted, chromed out Sager notebook but the price is a little out of my reach especially for something that adds only flash. However, the skinning option seems to be an affordable alternative but I'm curious if it is cheap looking / feeling? I've seen the rambo review of his terminator skin and it looked pretty cool! Personally I wanted to include the old Fallout 2 skin but am a little worried it will appear cheap or "stickerish". Would be interested in hearing from someone who has purchased a skin.



11. My last concern is this... I've ran my current desktop for thousands of hours over the past four years and I've never really encountered a problem.

Even with the added NZXT cooling I question whether or not I can really expect the same from a sager high performance gaming notebook. Would the safer alternative be to purchase a 2,000 laptop and a 2,000 desktop or am I just throwing away money based on a misconception of the np5796? (Looking for an honest unbiased opinion on this one)


Thanks in advance to anyone that can answer a question or two and I apologize for the length of my first post but this is the most expensive electronic investment I have ever made so I would like it to be well thought out and appropriately researched.

 

1) go for WUXGA, as you can always downscale the resolution, you won't get blur in games.
2) I think one of the retailers on this forum said 25%
3) heat is the last thing you should worry on this monster
4) you won't, there are very few games can utilize 2.4ghz
5) wait for reviews, you can always add them later by yourself
6) 2GB is not enough little for vista + newer games nowadays.
7) Matrox DualHead2Go is for 2 external monitors, you only need a HDMI or VGA cable for a single monitor.
8) 64-bit Vista is the way to go, some games have started taking advantage of 64-bit already.
9) You can buying it later, but creative x-fi is well worth IMO. I also have some nice earphones, B&O A8, UE super.fi 5 pro, Sennheiser HD280 pro.
10) I used what xoticPC gave me.
11) no harm to try, you can always take them off if you don't like them, plus they are cheap.
12) If you live at home mostly, I'll get a portable 15" for $1000 and a SLI GT280 desktop.