Soon To Be Sag*r Owner. :) Need Help Customizing X7200...

Hi guys and gals,

So, my birthday is coming soon and I thought I'd treat myself to a nice X7200 laptop. I'm kind of nervous because this is my first time ever buying such an expensive computer, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'm a designer, so I'll be using the computer mostly for design work, 3d model rendering, animation, etc. I also do some online gaming, and I also use the laptop for business but mostly from home.

So I'd like to squeeze out as much power and speed as I can.

I'm not a very technical guy, don't really know all that much about customizing computers, so I have a few questions about my desired build. Here's what I have in mind, along with the questions:

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DISPLAY:

• 17.3" 1920 x 1080 FHD LED AUO B173HW01 V.5 72% NTSC Matte Display

(Umm... I prefer a matte display so as not to get fingerprints on my screen. Don't really mind if it's not as bright as a glossy display. I normally keep my screen brightness at medium anyway. Don't want to spoil my eyes)

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DISPLAY UPGRADES:

• A+ Grade Panel With 45 Day Perfect Pixel Warranty
• Spyder 3 Elite Professional Color Calibration

(They probably do more testing with your system before shipping out when you have these upgrades, so I'm opting for both of them...)

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PROCESSOR:

• Intel® Core™ i7-990X Extreme, 12MB L3 Cache, 3.46-3.73GHz (Desktop CPU)

(This seems to be the most powerful one based on these benchmarks: PassMark - CPU Benchmarks - List of Benchmarked CPUs)

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MEMORY:
(24GB) 24576MB, PC3-10660/1333MHz DDR3 - 3 SO-DIMM

(A bit expensive, but the more the better I guess? 3D model rendering probably uses a lot of memory so...)

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GRAPHICS CARD:
I'm thinking about

• AMD® Radeon HD 6970M 2GB GDDR5

or

• 2 X AMD® Radeon HD 6970M 2GB GDDR5 (CrossFireX)

because based on this list, PassMark Software - Video Card Benchmark Charts - Video Card Model List, these seem to be the best out of all the other available options.

But if so, I'm not sure why the other options are so much more expensive? :S

Can anyone clarify or give some recommendations?

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HARD DRIVE:
Probably planning for 2 or 3 hard drives. Not sure between...

• 1TB 5400rpm 2.5" SATA 300

OR

• 500GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA 300 Hybrid w/ 4GB NAND Flash

(An SSD is too expensive. So probably a hybrid would be the best option. But I'm not sure how good it is, or whether it would be worth it. I'm looking for speed and stability)

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RAID:
Should I go for a RAID setup or no?

I guess RAID 0 provides better performance, but it's a lot more dangerous and risky from what I know? Or am I wrong, and the risk only comes with desktops that are prone to power outage?

RAID 1 seems to provide improved security, but I've heard that it also improves your read times as well.

Or should I go for no RAID at all? I'm just worried about the associated risks. Again, I don't know much about this...

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OPTICAL DRIVE BAY:
8X Multi DVD+/-R/RW RAM Dual-Layer Drive

(I don't watch movies or really use DVDs on my laptop, so I guess just going with the basic should be enough?)

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OPERATING SYSTEM:
I would like to take

• Microsoft® Windows® 7 Home Premium; 64-bit

but I've heard that for 990X Extreme, I'll need either a

• Microsoft® Windows® 7 Professional; 64-bit

OR

• Microsoft® Windows® 7 Ultimate; 64-bit

is that true? I don't really use all the extra features, so I'll take the lowest one I can...

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WIRELESS:

• Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 802.11A/B/G/N LAN Card

(I've read that the Bigfoot card can process much faster speeds, up to 450 Mb/s. So going with this one because I'm using a 100 Mb/s connection at home, and probably planning for a 200 MB/s connection once it becomes available. Not sure if it includes Bluetooth or not, but I don't really use Bluetooth anyway...)

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COOLING:

• IC Diamond 7 Thermal Compound, CPU & GPU

(Because it seems to be the best and the coolest. )

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KEYBOARD:

• English: US & Canada

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POWER CORD:

• US & Canada

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BRANDING:

• Black Edition

(Any possibility of having my own logo emblem on the laptop? But if it costs a lot more, I'd rather not...)

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BUILD TIME:

• 5-7 Business Days

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WARRANTY:

• LIFETIME Ltd. Labor and 2 Year Parts Warranty with 24/7 Support (CA)

(Probably going with this, because I don't want it to break down along the way.)

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NOTEBOOK COOLERS:
Do I need a cooler? Or can I go without one?

I've never used an external cooler before with my laptops because they're so bulky, and I don't like the noise of the fans.

Does such a monstrous build require a cooler because of the excess heat? Or is it ok without a notebook cooler?

I'd rather not use one...

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Well, those are the stats I have in mind, along with my questions.

I think it comes to around... $4000 or so...

Not cheap, but if it does good, I can always sell it off before upgrading in the future, with such high specs... Maybe?

And probably could last at least 3 to 5 years I hope

If anyone has any suggestions, or advice, feel free to point them out.

Sorry for the bother.

Looking for as much speed and power as possible, while having a stable build that can last a while...

Also, just in case you need it, I copied and pasted this form:

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1) What is your budget?
Less than $4500.

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
15" and above...

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
I'm from Canada, but I'll probably be buying this online.

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: Sager
b. Dislike: Acer

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?
No. Not at all...

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
Do business work on Microsoft Office...
Doing design work on Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.
Doing design work on various 3D model rendering tools, like Lightwave, etc.
Surfing the web.
Playing online multiplayer flash games.

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
Mostly will be leaving it on the desk 95% of the time. May travel with it, but not very often. I'll use my other laptop for travelling...

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?
Just simple online flash games.

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?
1 to 2 hours is enough. I don't really use it with the power cable. I just use the battery for backup in case there's a power outage.

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
Buying online is ok.

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or Windows 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Windows 7

Screen Specifics

12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer? Keep in mind screen size in conjunction with resolution will play a large role in overall viewing comfort level. Everyone is different. Some like really small text, while others like their text big and easy to read. Click here for Screen resolution information.
The one I mentioned above is ok...

13) Do you want a Glossy/reflective screen or a Matte/non-glossy screen?
Prefer a matte screen...

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
No...

15) When are you buying this laptop?
Probably by today if possible, or maybe tomorrow... I've been doing the research for a few weeks now, so I think it's time to take action.

16) How long do you want this laptop to last?
5 to 7 years if possible.

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 640GB? Do you want a SSD drive?
500GB and above I guess. The more the merrier. Probably no SSD. Way to expensive. Considering hybrid if it's a good choice...

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
DVD burner should be ok... Like mentioned above...

 

The price jumps on the CPU and ram are extremely high, I would never pay the $790 upcharge on the CPU or the $750 for the 24gb of ram.

Personally, I'd go with the stock or middle CPU, 12GB of ram. dual 6970s or 6990s. A SSD main drive with a 500gb or 750gb slave.

The money you save on the CPU and ram upgrades could be spent in other areas, but that's just my 2c.

 

Oh I see...

Now that you mention it, it does seem that the 980 CPU does seem quite close to the 990X in power. But does the Extreme in the version add any big difference?

Also, is the extra 12 GB of RAM for a 24 GB not worth the price? Or does it not add a significant enough amount of speed to make it worth it?

And thanks a lot for the insights.

 

Save that money and get the P270WM.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...ay-nov-14-but-no-news-p270wm.html#post8074503

 

I also agree with holding off until the P270WM. It uses the Sandy Bridge-E ("Extreme")/X79/LGA2011 platform. In all of the things you listed (3D rendering, animation, CAD), the X79 platform (P270WM) is up to 30% faster than the X58 platform (X7200).

If you are truly looking for extreme power, then you need to wait until the P270WM is released. It should be out late December to mid January. If you can wait, you should.

Also, babyhemi linked to an article today noting that the P270WM would be compatible with Ivy Bridge-E later on, which is rumored to have an 8 Core / 16 Thread CPU in the works. Fun! That would destroy 3D rendering and what not.

Hope that helps you out.

 

Oh I see...

Thanks a lot Patrck_744 and ettornio.

That sounds like something worth waiting for. Well, I guess it's just a month more, so nothing wrong with waiting...

I'll take your advice.