Sager 5160?

I'm interested in buying a laptop for myself in the next few weeks. I'm a computer science major/graphic designer, and was thinking of getting the Sager 5160 from XoticPC. First of all, what do you think of that laptop for those uses (and no, I wouldn't do much gaming on it)? I'm hoping not to need another laptop at least until I graduate in 3 years, and I want the laptop I get to be able to easily handle anything I throw at it. I'm also on a rather tight budget.

The main specs I'm currently looking at are:
-screen: 1920x1080 glare type or 1920x1080 Matte-type w/ 95% NTSC Color Gamut
-processor: i5-2520M, i7-2630QM, or i7-2670QM
-thermal compound: IC Diamond
-ram: 8GB 1333MHz
-hd: 500GB

Is it would be worth it for me to get one of the i7 processors? I do a decent amount of multitasking and I also use a few programs that tend to run pretty slow (Adobe Creative Suite, different virtual machines, etc). Also, any opinion about the two screens/is there a significant difference between the two? I currently tend to work indoors, but if I had an anti-glare screen I would probably enjoy working outside/near windows a lot more (but it significantly pricier). Any other suggestions on the setup? Also, I don't know that much about the different wireless cards -- would there be any reason to get something besides the default/built-in wireless card for normal use?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions/feedback!

 

The upgrade from 2520M to 2630 is $5 and to the 2670 is $55. For a $5 upgrade i'd definitely take it.

If budget is tight opt out of the IC diamond compound, you really don't need it in a machine like that. But if temps are a major issue where you live go for it.

As far as the screen is concerned the 95% Gamut is quite remarkable and highly recommend it, the colors are so crisp and vibrant. This option should be your only hard decision in my opinion.

 

If money is tight, don't go with the $40 IC7 application. You can apply thermal past yourself quite easily (<15 mins), plus you'll have a whole tube to reapply for years to come.
Go with the i7. Like NovaH mentioned, the cost premium is minimum. Who knows what programs could take advantage of the extra cores 3+ years down the line.
I've never seen the different screen types in person so I can't say if they justify the cost. I went with the regular "glare" type with my Sager 8150. Maybe head down to a big-box store and check out the different screen types in person before deciding?

 

I agree with everything NovaH said. Here are some other thoughts or money saver ideas:

The screen option is especially a "hard" decision for you, since the matte is so nice for notebooks that are on the go a lot. Your base options are both glossy.

The memory upgrade for $50 is OK, but you could (depending on what you're doing, you really might not need more than 4) try to save money by just going @ 4GB for a while, and catch something on slickDeals.net in the future easily for ~$35.00 for 8GB if you really felt like you needed it at that later point.

As another "option" to build into the mix, check out the NP5165. If you're upgrading your screen already, you're basically looking at $75 to get about a 10% bump in video card speed. (GT540 > GT555). Skip though if you're really not gaming / doing anything that would use it:
NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M - Notebookcheck.net Tech
NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M - Notebookcheck.net Tech

Make sure to PM Xotic / talk to them before placing your order. Ask about specials / things they are currently doing. You may save more money to give you wiggle room to pick an extra one of the things you're considering!

 

With the kind of needs you have in running software, I'd definitely invest in the quad core.

For wireless, I'd at the very least get a Intel 6230. You get one extra antenna for increased reception without sacrificing Bluetooth. And it's cheap =P

 

Listen to this guy!

But seriously, feel free to shoot us an email or PM if you have any questions whatsoever.

 

Haha. Well, I mean... I was trying not to say EXPLICITLY that there are deals for NBR members, and disclose all of what they were... but then I saw your banner ad on the side just yesterday that links me right to a page that spells it all out... so.... I'm imagining I can feel free to drop the link to the .PHP page here in the future?

 

Forum rules don't allow linkbacks to our website but hey that's why we advertise right?

 

Ah, well, looks like I'll have to find a different way to convince you to hire me as your NBR advocate....