Start high-end or leave room for future upgrades?

So I'm almost done configuring a P775DM3-G from HIDEvolution, but I just am looking for one last bit of advice:

Should I start with mid-range parts (say, 16 GB of RAM instead of 32, smaller m.2 SSD, GTX1060 instead of 1070 or 1080, etc) and add upgrades later on, OR...Bite the bullet and pay much more now, which would save on P&L later on down the road.

Argument for mid-range & upgrade: My system build is already around $2700. I have plenty of experience upgrading certain parts and components of laptops, so new RAM and drives aren't a problem. Also, if I decide I want 4K gaming, I can just get a monitor for less than the upgrade cost of a 4K laptop screen. Finally, I'd rather not pay for upgrades with diminishing returns.

Argument for high end: upgrading components myself could void the warranty, and getting better components later could cost extra because of parts & labor.

Any thoughts?

 

Well If I was at you place I would rather wait few more months (2-3 depending on your income) and buy FULL SPEC then upgrade latter. MXM cards are too expensive as example latter.

 

Thanks, I'll definitely try to aim for that, but my current laptop's screen is going downhill fast and the estimate for a new screen & cables is ~$400. Rather put that into a new system than keep the old one going, so I'll hang on as long as I can.

 

Cheap out on everything but GPU and CPU would be my advice, storage and RAM are easily and cheaply upgraded

 

Personally I would absolutely prioritise GPU first and go as high as you can.

With the current situation surrounding MXM (form factor all over the place) as well as G-Sync locking, you may have significant problems down the line sourcing an upgrade card. They tend to be hugely expensive as well. Furthermore, even if you do upgrade later, you'll end up with a left-over MXM card which won't be all that useful (unlike a normal PCIE GPU which is easily re-used/re-sold etc).

CPU on the other hand is fairly generic and you should be able to run any Skylake or Kabylake chip in it which gives you significant options down the line. Storage and RAM are the same and I don't forsee any major changes to those in the near future.

 

The GPU is the main part, everything else is pretty easy

 

Upgrading yourself might save you some money - how much depends on the reseller's cost - but it might result in tech support being limited in troubleshooting. Adding your own drives & RAM is unlikely to void your warranty, but do check with your seller first (it may, at least, risk it).

 

Always max out the GPU.. The rest can be bought later...

 

Or just buy a notebook that has USB type C - Thunderbolt 3 support . Full fat desktop graphic card is always cheaper than MXM card (2 or 3x cheaper) and easier to upgrade (Plug and play)
There are tons of external GPU solution , Razer Core is one of them but it's overpriced
If you don't mind removing the wifi card then EXP GDC Beast is the cheapest route ($50) , it doesn't require USB type C - Thunderbolt 3
Edit : There are some laptops that have USB type C but no support for Thunderbolt 3 . Make sure you double check that

 

Even in the short term the GPU gives the best performance difference in games too

 

Also, with MXM cards, the prices don't always drop as they get older like you would think. Ram and SSDs typically will. But MXM cards might become harder to find and the price won't really drop, at least what I've seen on a lot of those cards.

I'm in agreement, go with the bigger graphics card first, then add in smaller items in later.

 

Do it once, do it good!

That way you will spend more time on the laptop's purpose rather than fretting on the next upgrade!