Still Debating on My P151-HM1

So I've been putting a lot more thought into this and reading up on what other people are buying. I've been very set on the P151-HM1 from Malibal but I am beginning to wonder if the P150HM is the better model for me.
I am planning to buy a laptop that I can "future-proof" by swapping for a better CPU, GPU, and RAM some time after I buy it. Is the P150HM better for this?

Also on a similar note, the one and only thing that I do not like about this laptop is the lower battery life (3 hours is a bit of a step down from my current 7 hours). However I had a possible idea on how that can be solved. Is there an aftermarket battery that I can buy that would have more power so it lasts longer? (If not, would some developer maybe want to help with that? I'm sure you could get a more buyers with a longer lasting battery)

 

Nope. There's no way to get more unless they implement a 9-cell or 12-cell step up over the current 8-cell in those machines. Or redesign the motherboard and add a mux switch to swap to the iGPU when you want battery life over the dGPU. Neither of these things would be happening anytime soon though.

As for the life, I understand the need for some life, but if you only want battery life, then a gaming laptop is *not* your best choice. 3 hours is actually previously unheard of on a gaming machine; it only stemmed from the new i7 mobile CPUs about a year and a half ago. Why do you need so much battery life?

 

Then honestly? Buy a desktop for your gaming needs and keep your current system for when you need portability. If you want to game on the go, buy a less-powerful notebook to supplement the desktop - something with Optimus or a comparable AMD Radeon.

 

Because while I would prefer more than 3 hours of battery life, I do not have the space for a desktop right now.

 

Then you're going to have to compromise somewhere, there's no way around it. The only other option would be to actually purchase a second battery pack if you desperately need the extra time unplugged.

 

I may end up doing that. Most of the time though I should be good. It's just I don't want to get caught away from a wall and realize "Oh crap, I have an essay due today." and then be screwed over. (Granted, I can usually BS a good paper in under 3 hours...)

Anyway, What about the first part of my questions? Is the P150HM going to have better compatibility with future upgrades? (I know if I go with the P151-HM1 and I want to upgrade graphics or CPU I will need more power and the better heatsink).

 

There is no "better compatibility". They are the same machine. The 150HM just comes with the extra power in the PSU. Both are good choices for future upgrades.

Mr. Mysterious

 

As Mr. Mysterious pointed out, there isn't any real functional difference between the P150HM and P151HM1. The P150HM has a 180w power brick, a stock glossy screen, and a rubberized exterior. Those are the only differences when compared to the P151HM1, which has a 120w power brick, stock matte screen, and a hard plastic exterior.

When talking in terms of upgrades, as long as you bought yourself the 180w power supply then they can both do the same ones

 

And, you can easily get a hold of the 180w power brick (at least on these forums you can).

 

Altered Phoenix, I'm not going to lie to you, you seem to want to be away from a wall for the whole day, and have access to your machine still. The only thing I can properly suggest to you, if you cannot get a desktop, is to forget heavy gaming and get a good ASUS netbook. That'll give you mobility, paperwork-like abilities, and light gaming (low screen res + low settings = works).

Plus 11 hours or so of battery life. If you get a 2nd battery for your P150HM/P151HM1, you'll still have to have a screwdriver on you or something to replace the un-charged battery, and later in the day you'll need to re-swap them to charge the spent battery too. You should not try getting any kind of gaming machine if you intend to mainly use the battery.

 

For the record, battery swap doesn't require a screwdriver. It's just two push buttons to unlock and remove the battery. You will obviously need to either power off or be on AC to do it though

 

Mine has three huge screws on it. Ya'll lucky.

 

Mine doesn't have any screws.

 

In all honesty, I should be fine. I made my schedule so that at most I have 3 classes at a time. I also know that I won't be able to use my laptop for all three. When I'm not in class I'm either at what we call the HUB where there are countless outlets, or I'm in the library, again countless outlets. The whole issue about the battery life is me wanting to have assurance that if something came up, my laptop would still work. The spare battery would do that fine.
Thanks for all the input though everyone! And since the P151-HM1 and P150HM are basically the same, I'll stick with the P151-HM1. It's cheaper now and when I plan to buy upgrades, the extra PSU will be easy to afford.

 

Me Neither.
Maybe its a "feature" of the older sager chassis, but the 8130/50s are removable just with your thumbs.

Also, if you're looking for a laptop with a little more battery life and some gaming potential, you're talking optimus. something along the lines of the 5160 line, or an alienware M14x.