Questions about stock NP9170

1) What's the crucial difference between 8 gigs of RAM at the two different speeds? Is it going to be a visible change or difference for gaming, programming, or editing footage?

2) How is the stock screen? I heard that last gen's stock 8170 screens were kind of decent but no where near as great as the 95% Gamut 15.6 inch screens for the smaller models.

3) The stock card should last a while, right? No need to drop $200 on a 7990m? I do plan to game and play with art / animation but there's no need to get anything more than the stock card, is there? I still need to play older PC gems. Even more recent ones like the Mass Effect trilogy, which isn't a problem for a 670m even at max settings IIRC.

4) 8 gigs of RAM is more than enough for these tasks correct? So RAM is the LAST item to upgrade down the road?

5) Is the stock CPU sufficient for the near-future? Is an upgrade advisable?

Edit - and Hi guys. Been a while. Planning on ordering a unit tonight or tomorrow. Still debating on the 9130, 9150, and 9170. Issues I'm struggling with - steelseries keyboard and 95% Gamut Matte Screen.

 

I'm in a similar boat, looking to order a unit this weekend (same model), but I'm set on the 9170. I'm looking to get a presence on this forum and get some help/discounts from resellers, so I'll give you what I've discovered based on plenty of research:

1) 1600mhz is superior to 1333, synthetically it is quite a bit different, though as far as gaming is concerned I'm not entirely sure you'd notice. For non-gaming, 1600 may be more noticeable. The general concensus is you're better off still going with less RAM (8 is fine) at 1600mhz rather than more RAM at 1333mhz.

2) I've spoken with various resellers and done some searches, the stock screen is basically "good", but the 72% and 95% screens basically kill them in every way. I'm going with the 72% matte screen, personally. This is especially true if you do any kind of photo editing or even just want to view photos on your screen (or photoshop in general).

3) Did you mean the 7970m? If so, I'd absolutely (and am going to) drop 200 on it. In gaming the 7970 blows away the 670/675, and in other apps it does even better. There have been known to be driver issues with the 9170 and the 7970m, so make sure those were cleared up before taking the gamble. I would just get it if it fits into your budget.

4) I'd say yes. For now go 8, and if you need more just pay $50 on newegg/amazon to get another 8gb down the road.

5) For gaming, the stock is perfect. The upgraded version is a bit better for other tasks, but I doubt it will be a game changer and probably isn't worth the significant cost (just get a radeon for the $200).

I'm not getting the steelseries, and I have heard that it isn't really necessary, but I can't really say much about that. Good luck, hopefully I'll be back with my new laptop for some hands on experience!

 

I'm thinking of the 9130 too. Cheaper, has the screen upgrade. No annoying rubberized finish. Thoughts?

And thanks for your very valuable input.