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I am midway through med school - I'll need to run around a lot since I have a number of different internships to do. So I need to be mobile. But I also need my viddy games...
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Jul 17, 2013 22:30
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Frankie! posted:I am midway through med school - I'll need to run around a lot since I have a number of different internships to do. So I need to be mobile. But I also need my viddy games... Just to be a bit clearer, under most circumstances an SLI setup in a laptop will not actually run better/faster than a single dGPU, it's not just a bad idea financially, it's just a bad idea. For the same reason, it will also pretty much melt whatever you put it on.
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Jul 17, 2013 22:37
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QuarkJets posted:If you're willing to wait, try this site for watching for laptop deals. There's a constant stream of Ivy Bridge and Haswell laptops, many with discrete GPUs, passing through there each day. Well I think I'd kind of prefer for the discrete GPU just in case for some reason I'd like to attempt a modern game for some reason. Thanks for the tip about Tech Bargains, I looked at the ENVY and remembered I have a student discount with HP still somehow. So after coupons and the addition of a discrete GPU I get this: code:Worth it? Evil Vin fucked around with this message at 00:58 on Jul 18, 2013 |
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Jul 17, 2013 23:45
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Frankie! posted:I am midway through med school - I'll need to run around a lot since I have a number of different internships to do. So I need to be mobile. But I also need my viddy games... Buy a $700 thinkpad and a $400 console + $100 worth of accessories/controllers + 200 worth of game(s)/stop store credit
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Jul 18, 2013 00:20
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Hadlock posted:Buy a $700 thinkpad and a $400 console + $100 worth of accessories/controllers + 200 worth of game(s)/stop store credit That's great and all but I prefer PC games. Aren't there any other reasonable options between a 700$ work laptop and a 3000$ 'mobility' gaming platform?
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Jul 18, 2013 02:04
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Are Lenovos known for being picky about memory? I have a T400 and I tried to stuff the old 2x2GB DDR3-8500 sticks from my 2010 MBP in it... no boot. Same with trying both sticks separately one at a time so it's not a slot issue. Are ram timing issues really a thing with current-ish hardware? Or should I just assume that both sticks are bad? The 1x2GB DDR3-8500 Samsung stick that came with the laptop works fine.
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Jul 18, 2013 02:10
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Evil Vin posted:Well I think I'd kind of prefer for the discrete GPU just in case for some reason I'd like to attempt a modern game for some reason. HPs are hit and miss and are more often than not junk. For specifics, that's a 15.6" laptop with 768p. That sucks. 14" is the absolute largest you ever want to go with that resolution. It's also got a really slow hard drive, and a GPU that's barely faster than the best Haswell IGP. Frankie! posted:That's great and all but I prefer PC games. Aren't there any other reasonable options between a 700$ work laptop and a 3000$ 'mobility' gaming platform? Gaming laptops universally suck, some just suck less. Build quality, performance, actually portable. Pick 1.5, maybe two if you're lucky. Get a laptop and a desktop or you're going to be sacrificing something important somewhere else. Haswell laptops will be able to play most games at an acceptable (20+) FPS, but as soon as the new consoles launch, software development is going to sprint ahead and AAA games are going to run like poo poo, if at all. For instance, look at a game like BF4, developed for console and ported to PC: it should run just fine on most mid-range mobile GPUs. Crysis 3? It runs like dogshit on anything but the best. Basically, you might as well get a desktop, but your laptop won't run anything new in a few months anyway. BlackMK4 posted:Are Lenovos known for being picky about memory? I have a T400 and I tried to stuff the old 2x2GB DDR3-8500 sticks from my 2010 MBP in it... no boot. Same with trying both sticks separately one at a time so it's not a slot issue. Are ram timing issues really a thing with current-ish hardware? Or should I just assume that both sticks are bad? The 1x2GB DDR3-8500 Samsung stick that came with the laptop works fine. Pretty sure the T400 uses DDR2.
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Jul 18, 2013 02:27
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BlackMK4 posted:Are Lenovos known for being picky about memory? I have a T400 and I tried to stuff the old 2x2GB DDR3-8500 sticks from my 2010 MBP in it... no boot. Same with trying both sticks separately one at a time so it's not a slot issue. Are ram timing issues really a thing with current-ish hardware? Or should I just assume that both sticks are bad? The 1x2GB DDR3-8500 Samsung stick that came with the laptop works fine. Re-seat them. I stuck Mac upgrade kit DDR3 8500 in my T400 and T500 and they were both fine.
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Jul 18, 2013 02:31
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Bob Morales posted:Re-seat them. I stuck Mac upgrade kit DDR3 8500 in my T400 and T500 and they were both fine. Hmm, I'll try that. I didn't realized memory prices had gone up lately(?). Last time I bought some I think I paid like $30 for 2x4GB. InstantInfidel posted:Pretty sure the T400 uses DDR2. BlackMK4 fucked around with this message at 02:58 on Jul 18, 2013 |
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Jul 18, 2013 02:56
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InstantInfidel posted:HPs are hit and miss and are more often than not junk. For specifics, that's a 15.6" laptop with 768p. That sucks. 14" is the absolute largest you ever want to go with that resolution. It's also got a really slow hard drive, and a GPU that's barely faster than the best Haswell IGP. Good thing I rechecked the thread before I went crazy spending my money. What manufacturer would you recommend for my $500-$800 price range? Like if I were to stick with HP and just edit some of the setting for an additional $30 I can get this: HP ENVY TouchSmart 15t-j000 Quad Edition Notebook PC Windows 8 64 4th generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4700MQ Processor NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M Graphics with 2048MB of dedicated video memory 15.6-inch diagonal Full HD BrightView LED-backlit Display (1920x1080) 8GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm) 1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive 24GB mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache No Additional Office Software No additional security software 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery No Internal DVD or CD Drive Standard Keyboard HP TrueVision HD Webcam w/ integrated digital mic 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R) Or I can drop the GPU for a "Intel HD Graphics 4600".
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Jul 18, 2013 03:06
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I suggest looking into getting a cheaper laptop (ivy bridge) plus a small desktop. If you really do need to be able to play games on your laptop, the discrete NVidia GPU won't buy you much except a bigger price tag and a heavy energy hog laptop. Haswell integrated graphics are good enough for 99% of all games out there right now, the NVidia GPU will just take an extra year or so to become completely obsolete (so gently caress buying an NVidia GPU laptop, get a desktop for gaming, you'll spend less and be able to make upgrades later)
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Jul 18, 2013 03:19
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BlackMK4 posted:Hmm, I'll try that. I didn't realized memory prices had gone up lately(?). Last time I bought some I think I paid like $30 for 2x4GB. Yeah, you're right. I googled it, and apparently there are some weird comparability issues with T400 memory upgrades. I couldn't actually find any rhyme or reason, just lots of people complaining about certain sticks working in one PC and not in their T400. Evil Vin posted:Good thing I rechecked the thread before I went crazy spending my money. What manufacturer would you recommend for my $500-$800 price range? That's not the worst you could do, but $700 is really not going to buy you anything remotely capable. $700 will, however, buy you a desktop that will trade blows with $1800 laptops. I'd consider a small form factor desktop and just hanging on to your netbook. e;fb for googling
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Jul 18, 2013 03:26
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Evil Vin posted:Good thing I rechecked the thread before I went crazy spending my money. What manufacturer would you recommend for my $500-$800 price range? I had a last gen 15" Envy for about a week before I returned it. The trackpad was uneven and there was a large gap between it and the chasis. The hinges where already beginning to fray and come apart. I was pretty disappointed and ended up getting a refund. My brother bought a 15" 1080p Asus a couple years back with an nVidia 540M and even though its entirely plastic its built like a tank. He is really rough with his stuff and there's hardly a scratch on it to this day.
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Jul 18, 2013 03:44
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InstantInfidel posted:Yeah, you're right. I googled it, and apparently there are some weird comparability issues with T400 memory upgrades. I couldn't actually find any rhyme or reason, just lots of people complaining about certain sticks working in one PC and not in their T400. At the moment I'm really looking for something I can bring to work and mess around with during times when nothings going or bring over my girlfriends place. A desktop really wouldn't accomplish that. Though I'll look into the small form factor ones, since just quick googling makes that sound almost reasonable. clonedrobojesus posted:I had a last gen 15" Envy for about a week before I returned it. The trackpad was uneven and there was a large gap between it and the chasis. The hinges where already beginning to fray and come apart. I was pretty disappointed and ended up getting a refund. My brother bought a 15" 1080p Asus a couple years back with an nVidia 540M and even though its entirely plastic its built like a tank. He is really rough with his stuff and there's hardly a scratch on it to this day. That's kind of scary I'll stay away from that then.
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Jul 18, 2013 04:32
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Evil Vin posted:At the moment I'm really looking for something I can bring to work and mess around with during times when nothings going or bring over my girlfriends place. A desktop really wouldn't accomplish that. Though I'll look into the small form factor ones, since just quick googling makes that sound almost reasonable. You probably don't want a discrete GPU, then
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Jul 18, 2013 04:55
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So, my boss is super low balling the laptop budget for our sales guys at 350$ per. I understand that I can\t get anything very good at all at that price, but I think I might be able to convince him to go with this. What do you guys think about it? All they need to do is get on the web for email and CRM stuff, and to type up word docs.
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Jul 18, 2013 05:20
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A memory upgrade on my T400 worked fine. I think I used the Crucial configurator and bought it from their site.
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Jul 18, 2013 05:35
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Alright, I read this thread and I totally understand that gaming laptops are lovely and overpriced compared to desktops, but I don't care about portability or battery life or power consumption or trackpad/keyboard at all. I have a specific case in that I spend roughly equal time at three different houses and want this laptop so I have a computer that I can transport between them, but it doesn't have to be easy, just a lot easier than a desktop. So that having been said, what I really want is: 1) 15 inch or bigger with a 2) 240+ SSD (this is important to me and is what's making this difficult) 3) that runs any game without lag on the lowest settings (yes, lowest, I don't care about graphics as long as it runs smoothly) 4) without getting too hot (I'm weird about my laptop getting too hot even internally, it just really bothers me.) Looking in the under $1300 price range. I'm currently looking at the Clevo W350ST but I've been reading that it has some issues with getting really hot too, and is honestly a bit overpowered for what I need it for; I think an i5 will be fine for running games smoothly on low settings for the next few years, although I am happy to go with a powerful machine if it runs cool. Does anyone have another suggestion? I am having real difficulties finding non-Apple laptops with SSDs. PS: And, noob question, if I did end up going with Sager, would the W370ST generally run hotter than an equally configured W350ST because the 17.3 inch screen takes more processing power to render on than a 15.6, or would the W350ST run hotter because the smaller laptop has reduced airflow? Deschain fucked around with this message at 07:28 on Jul 18, 2013 |
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Jul 18, 2013 06:04
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Edit: think of something useful to say
shrughes fucked around with this message at 07:10 on Jul 18, 2013 |
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Jul 18, 2013 07:05
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Deschain posted:Alright, I read this thread and I totally understand that gaming laptops are lovely and overpriced compared to desktops, but I don't care about portability or battery life or power consumption or trackpad/keyboard at all. I have a specific case in that I spend roughly equal time at three different houses and want this laptop so I have a computer that I can transport between them, but it doesn't have to be easy, just a lot easier than a desktop. How low of a framerate can you handle before you say to yourself "boy this sure is laggy"? If this value is low enough, then you just need a high-end Haswell with integrated graphics; you'll be able to play anything currently out on minimum settings, and you'll run cool. If you need more graphical power, then you'll need a dedicated GPU and you'll run so hot that you'll be able to feel the heat coming off of your keyboard. Beyond that, it's cheaper to just upgrade the hard drive yourself and reinstall the OEM operating system (which will also get rid of any bloatware that might have come with the laptop). 15" is a pretty standard and good size, if you want to game then try to avoid 768p screens, try to get something that's 1080p.
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Jul 18, 2013 08:19
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When will I be able to buy a 13" Haswell laptop with a 1080p IPS screen? How about if I throw "convertible" in there too?
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Jul 18, 2013 09:04
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Magic Underwear posted:When will I be able to buy a 13" Haswell laptop with a 1080p IPS screen? How about if I throw "convertible" in there too? Today, today. 13" Vaio Pro, 13" Vaio Duo. Also the Clevo W230ST.
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Jul 18, 2013 10:12
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I have a question on behalf of my little brother. He wants something he can take to uni to access his lecture slides, and maybe take notes/work on some projects. He was originally planning to get an ipad, but I'm not sure that he'd be able to work properly without a keyboard. I showed him the Chromebooks at JB Hi Fi, and he's done a bit of googling tonight, and he seems generally interested. What we would like to know is whether he would be able to use a flashdrive to access the slides (as powerpoint or as pdf) offline, as his wireless access is sporadic at best. Also, the Pixel doesn't seem to be available in Aus, so out of the Samsung and the Acer, which is better? I suggested the Samsung because of the 6.5hr battery life, and even as the more expensive Chromebook, it's still cheaper than an ipad.
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Jul 18, 2013 12:39
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Schmetterling posted:I have a question on behalf of my little brother. He wants something he can take to uni to access his lecture slides, and maybe take notes/work on some projects. He was originally planning to get an ipad, but I'm not sure that he'd be able to work properly without a keyboard. I showed him the Chromebooks at JB Hi Fi, and he's done a bit of googling tonight, and he seems generally interested. What we would like to know is whether he would be able to use a flashdrive to access the slides (as powerpoint or as pdf) offline, as his wireless access is sporadic at best.
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Jul 18, 2013 14:25
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QuarkJets posted:How low of a framerate can you handle before you say to yourself "boy this sure is laggy"? If this value is low enough, then you just need a high-end Haswell with integrated graphics; you'll be able to play anything currently out on minimum settings, and you'll run cool. If you need more graphical power, then you'll need a dedicated GPU and you'll run so hot that you'll be able to feel the heat coming off of your keyboard. If what I just said is correct, let's say I was thinking about the Clevo W650SZ. If I had a 15.6'' with a 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-4700MQ Processor but my video was just this listed "4th Generation Intel® 4600 GMA HD Dynamic Video Memory Technology," (which I guess means integrated graphics?) I would be able to run WoW or, say, Darksiders II on low settings without input lag and without my computer heating up much, it would just look like poo poo? Also, if that's correct, would there be any reason at all to opt for 16 GB of RAM over 8 for an extra $80 or would I never even reach using 8?
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Jul 18, 2013 15:16
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You'll never touch 8, and that would run WoW and Darksiders no problem. Probably even on medium/high.
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Jul 18, 2013 15:19
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Evil Vin posted:Good thing I rechecked the thread before I went crazy spending my money. What manufacturer would you recommend for my $500-$800 price range? I got this without the dGPU and with the backlit keyboard. I've only had it about a week, but so far I think it's perfect for me and the wife. Still getting used to Windows 8, not too bad with touch screen. She is all about work crap and web, while I've used it a bunch already for CIV 5 in the comfort of my bed. Like I said, I've only had for a week, but build quality seems decent and I've had zero touchpad (or other) issues. There is keyboard flex by wrists but it's also thin at that point and it doesn't bother me anyway. My only annoyance is they put the nvidia sticker on it with no nvidia card.
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Jul 18, 2013 15:47
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So, if leaks are to be believed, Dell will be launching a 15.6" Precision workstation with a 3,200 x 1,800 display option: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/18/dell-precision-m3800-workstation-leak/ What are the odds that this spurs Lenovo into including a similarly insane panel option for the W-series update?
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Jul 18, 2013 15:48
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If all you're wanting to run is WoW and Darksiders, you can get a much smaller and thinner laptop. I'm on my phone, but Has well ultrabooks come with a pretty big selection of ULV processors, some of which have the better graphics. Edit: ^^^ right around zero, but that laptop looks awesome and there's no reason to prefer a ThinkPad over a Dell workstation.
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Jul 18, 2013 15:55
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It would be so odd for an M3800 to not have a docking station port. So many of my Precision customers have their systems live in docking stations.Magic Underwear posted:When will I be able to buy a 13" Haswell laptop with a 1080p IPS screen? How about if I throw "convertible" in there too? If you're willing to go to a 12" screen, the Dell XPS 12 is an option. I should be receiving my Haswell XPS 12 next week and will write up a report for you dudes.
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Jul 18, 2013 16:14
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Octopode posted:So, if leaks are to be believed, Dell will be launching a 15.6" Precision workstation with a 3,200 x 1,800 display option: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/18/dell-precision-m3800-workstation-leak/ Nice panel. But .7 inches thick with a real quad core? Going to throttle like a motherfucker. And for a "workstation" (and the price) that is simply unacceptable. That said, if by some miraculous chance that it doesn't throttle I'll have VERY high hopes for the XPS 15 haswell update.
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Jul 18, 2013 18:21
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Seamonster posted:Nice panel. But .7 inches thick with a real quad core? Going to throttle like a motherfucker. And for a "workstation" (and the price) that is simply unacceptable. The rMBP is .71" thick and has had very minor problems with Ivy Bridge quad cores. Professional-grade laptops are engineered and then overengineered for good measure, I would be shocked if this had thermal issues.
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Jul 18, 2013 19:13
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InstantInfidel posted:The rMBP is .71" thick and has had very minor problems with Ivy Bridge quad cores. Professional-grade laptops are engineered and then overengineered for good measure, I would be shocked if this had thermal issues. Yeah it's doable so long as you don't mind a price tag in the $2ks. It's the cheap crappy ones that run into trouble. Cheap computers have come a long way, but you get what you pay for still applies much of the time.
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Jul 18, 2013 19:16
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InstantInfidel posted:
Honestly not trying to be argumentative (because I'm sure plenty of people have 'gaming' laptops crap out on them quickly), but I have a now 2 year old Sager laptop that runs 95% of modern PC games at medium to high or better graphics settings at 30+ fps. My laptop was about $1800 in 2011, which would fit his 'something between a $700 and $3000 laptop' criteria. I didn't buy my laptop as a desktop replacement as I still have both, but two years later I still do most of my gaming on my laptop. I guess my point is that not every 'gaming' or 'performance' laptop is a horrible, laughable investment that no one should ever consider.
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Jul 18, 2013 19:44
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I'm so confused. Pricing out my Thinkpad t430 it says that it's $80 to upgrade to 8gb of RAM. I go onto New Egg and its $75 for 8gb of Crucial RAM. Is the RAM I'm getting from Lenovo not as good as Crucial RAM because I don't see the big price difference of $5 installing it myself. Also looking into a 128 GB SSD to install to my mSATA drive. I need to purchase a caddy as well for installation? Like this: http://www.newmodeus.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_7&products_id=392 Looking into this for a mSATA drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148612 Why is this way cheaper than a 2.5 SSD? GZA Genius fucked around with this message at 20:09 on Jul 18, 2013 |
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Jul 18, 2013 19:55
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GZA Genius posted:I'm so confused. Pricing out my Thinkpad t430 it says that it's $80 to upgrade to 8gb of RAM. I go onto New Egg and its $75 for 8gb of Crucial RAM. Is the RAM I'm getting from Lenovo not as good as Crucial RAM because I don't see the big price difference of $5 installing it myself. You are paying $80 for an extra 4gb, a total of 8gb. If you were to buy that 8gb stick from newegg and install it yourself you would have 12gbs total.
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Jul 18, 2013 19:57
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If there are only 2 dimm slots though wouldn't it just be better to replace the stock 4gb with 2x4gb sticks from the same manufacturer? So the $80 sticker is a moot point?
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Jul 18, 2013 20:04
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Creative Bicycle posted:Honestly not trying to be argumentative (because I'm sure plenty of people have 'gaming' laptops crap out on them quickly), but I have a now 2 year old Sager laptop that runs 95% of modern PC games at medium to high or better graphics settings at 30+ fps. My laptop was about $1800 in 2011, which would fit his 'something between a $700 and $3000 laptop' criteria. I didn't buy my laptop as a desktop replacement as I still have both, but two years later I still do most of my gaming on my laptop. I guess my point is that not every 'gaming' or 'performance' laptop is a horrible, laughable investment that no one should ever consider. Exactly, if you need the portability and don't mind the extra cost gaming laptops are reasonable choices. Granted the $3000 alienware monstrosities are rarely a good choice, but decent laptops with good gpus exist and can be had for reasonable prices.
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Jul 18, 2013 20:33
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GZA Genius posted:If there are only 2 dimm slots though wouldn't it just be better to replace the stock 4gb with 2x4gb sticks from the same manufacturer? So the $80 sticker is a moot point? You're comparing buying 4 GB from Lenovo for $80 and buying 8 GB from Newegg for $75. That is the price difference in buying from OEM vs doing it yourself that you said you didn't understand.
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Jul 18, 2013 20:35
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GZA Genius posted:If there are only 2 dimm slots though wouldn't it just be better to replace the stock 4gb with 2x4gb sticks from the same manufacturer? So the $80 sticker is a moot point? If you actually have one 4GB dimm in your T400 right now, you should buy one 4GB dimm of Crucial RAM (or some other manufacturer) and then have 2x4 GB. You might have 2 x 2GB right now, though. e: also if Dell is selling a 0.7" Precision, I guess it'll only have 2 RAM slots. In which case.. it's not really a workstation 
shrughes fucked around with this message at 20:52 on Jul 18, 2013 |
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Jul 18, 2013 20:50
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