Need a laptop...

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2009-07-28 04:17:29

VicktorVauhn: Member; +319|6653|Southern California

nukchebi0 wrote:
let's say I'm in an engineering lab, for example, and need to run a math program/drafting program that would be much quicker on a strong computer with a real graphics card..

Most the software I can imagine you needing will run on anything. Math software is not particularly demanding and will do most stuff with out any significant wait even on shit machines.

3d rendering programs for real academic use don't require as much graphics card as you think since detail usually doesn't need to be THAT good.
Ram is fairly important, but we do our modeling on pretty terrible computers. I would recommend getting more then just standard graphics for modeling if that is what you will be doing. My laptop is a few years old, has a 1.66 C2D, 2 gig ram and vista and will still run solid works with what ever cheap ATI card they offered as a slight upgrade. It was 1k years ago, and its a tablet so that upped the price.

If it could run BF2 on medium it will probably do all the academic graphics you will need.

2009-07-28 04:24:40

max: Vela Incident; +1,652|6828|NYC / Hamburg

nukchebi0 wrote:
Oh, good, the Cooler Master sounds promising, as does its price. I'm assuming, based off of it similarity in size to my Cavalier, that it will be able to accommodate everything easily.

I have an i7 and 2x 295GTX in a 335.

I just realized another issue with taking a computer on the plane, though - security. Won't the X-rays/metal detector mess up the hard drive or other components?

HDDs or other components are not affected by the x-ray machine. The security people might ask you some stupid questions or even test the machine for residues of explosives, so plan in a couple extra minutes.

I'll look for DDR3-1600 kits, then. I really want to get a good overclock out of the Core i7 920. IS it best to look for 3x2GB kits, like suggested above?

Yup. 3x2GB of DDR3-1600 is the best compromise between size, speed and price. When looking for ram, make sure the maximum voltage is 1.65V.

One final question: should I wait on this computer until September/October to allow me to adjust to college, and ensure I qualify for an Evga step-up to a GT 300 GPU?

Build the PC when you need it.

Last edited by max (2009-07-28 04:24:53)

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2009-07-28 19:29:00

nukchebi0: Пушкин, наше всё; +387|6585|New Haven, CT

max wrote:
nukchebi0 wrote:
Oh, good, the Cooler Master sounds promising, as does its price. I'm assuming, based off of it similarity in size to my Cavalier, that it will be able to accommodate everything easily.
I have an i7 and 2x 295GTX in a 335.

Okay, that settles it. When I buy, I'll go for that case.

I just realized another issue with taking a computer on the plane, though - security. Won't the X-rays/metal detector mess up the hard drive or other components?
HDDs or other components are not affected by the x-ray machine. The security people might ask you some stupid questions or even test the machine for residues of explosives, so plan in a couple extra minutes.

Okay, that sounds fine, although it will be a bit weird to walk through an airport holding a computer case. Perhaps there is some luggage I could store it in to ease the transportation? Also, someone else on another forum said they recommended disassembling the computer, putting individual components in their boxes (and then in a suitcase, and reassembling it once I got home. Can you comment on that?

I'll look for DDR3-1600 kits, then. I really want to get a good overclock out of the Core i7 920. IS it best to look for 3x2GB kits, like suggested above?
Yup. 3x2GB of DDR3-1600 is the best compromise between size, speed and price. When looking for ram, make sure the maximum voltage is 1.65V.

I've never paid attention to RAM voltages before, but I'll make sure any prospective kits have them. I assume that 1.65 volts is the standard?

One final question: should I wait on this computer until September/October to allow me to adjust to college, and ensure I qualify for an Evga step-up to a GT 300 GPU?
Build the PC when you need it.

That will most likely be in October, then. Is GT 300 going to be worth getting once it is released?

VicktorVauhn wrote:
nukchebi0 wrote:
let's say I'm in an engineering lab, for example, and need to run a math program/drafting program that would be much quicker on a strong computer with a real graphics card..
Most the software I can imagine you needing will run on anything. Math software is not particularly demanding and will do most stuff with out any significant wait even on shit machines.

3d rendering programs for real academic use don't require as much graphics card as you think since detail usually doesn't need to be THAT good.
Ram is fairly important, but we do our modeling on pretty terrible computers. I would recommend getting more then just standard graphics for modeling if that is what you will be doing. My laptop is a few years old, has a 1.66 C2D, 2 gig ram and vista and will still run solid works with what ever cheap ATI card they offered as a slight upgrade. It was 1k years ago, and its a tablet so that upped the price.

If it could run BF2 on medium it will probably do all the academic graphics you will need.

Okay, thanks for the input. Based on what I can tell, then, I'll be needing a third of a the $1300 desktop's 'value' for increased power in modeling (a luxury rather than necessity), a third of it to future proof, and a third of it to just have a strong computer. With that delineated, is it still worth it to aim for having such performance at all?

Last edited by nukchebi0 (2009-07-28 19:34:51)

2009-07-28 23:39:52

max: Vela Incident; +1,652|6828|NYC / Hamburg

I'm just about to leave but here's a quick note.

Don't disassemble. It's just a lot of work and won't really save any space. If you put the PC in a bag the security checks won't go any quicker. Just be friendly to the security guys, tell 'em you're talking your PC with you and it'll go pretty quickly. Hell, sometimes they'll take you out of the line, check you somewhere else and you'll be done before everyone else.

1.65V is standard for i7 kits.

Not sure about GT300, it's been postponed so many times that I have no idea when it will finally get released. PM Panzer

2009-07-29 01:08:45

GC_PaNzerFIN: Work and study @ Technical Uni; +528|6675|Finland

GT300 WILL cost $500, its competitor of HD 5870 X2. Can you afford it? There will be some cheaper ones out too, but they are still costly at first and availability is expected to be minimal at launch.

If you need fast gamin PC right now, grab good GPU and don't wait. If you feel like 'meh, light gaming for 2009', you can just grab yourself one of those decent cheapo cards and wait for the new generation that will again blow your minds (and wallets).

As for ram, 6GB is MUST. It has huge impat in minimum fps of games and overall performance. All kits designed for i7 are running at or below Intels top spec of 1.65V. I wouldn't suggest running them any higher for long time. (there really isn't need to either, ram multipliers are there for reason)

Are you going to overclock? Because, you could easily get huge benefits (I went from 2.66GHz to 4GHz), 3.8GHz is pretty standard for every i7.

The stock cooler sucks. SUCKS. Runs hot and reminds me of the time with my C2D stock cooler. i7 is so hot the poor fan needs to spin way too fast to be pleasant for ears. I guess you could live with it when running at stock, but really if you value silence at all, grab aftermarket cooler from the higher end.

If you did say yes to OC, here are few nice coolers for consideration: Prolimatech Megahalems, Xigmatek Thor's Hammer, Noctua NH-U12P SE1366, Scythe Mugen 2. You need to get fans for mega and xigggy yourself which makes them even more costly but they are the best. Mugen 2 is best performance/price, but the mounting sucks. Xiggy and mega and noctua have excellent mountings. Noctua is good all around performer comig with 2 fans and good mounting (mine came with poor base tho).

Any of those coolers mentioned above will do nicely.

(Sorry TRUE fans I must exclude TRUE from my cooler recommendations from now on because competition just got better mountings for same price and same performance.)

Last edited by GC_PaNzerFIN (2009-07-29 01:11:43)

3930K | H100i | RIVF | 16GB DDR3 | GTX 480 | AX750 | 800D | 512GB SSD | 3TB HDD | Xonar DX | W8

2009-07-29 02:38:20

nukchebi0: Пушкин, наше всё; +387|6585|New Haven, CT

The fast gaming PC isn't essential until OFP2 comes out. I'll edit in my response to the rest of your comments later.

Also, as a nice note, I get Vista Business free through my college, so I've saved $100 in the overall cost. I'd prefer not to expand it into the space filled by that reduction, but if necessary, I would be willing use the liberated budget allocation for better parts.

Edits: No disassembling, then. Regarding the suitcase, though, it would be great to walk around an airport without lugging around an unwieldy desktop, and I'll also have a regular suitcase to watch out for while checking in at the Hartford Airport.

I'll assume any mainstream brand DDR3-1600 kit meets specifications, although I'll check to make sure before I buy.

I definitely will not be able to afford a $500 video card by myself, nor would I be able to justify financial assistance for it form my parents. I was under the impression it would be released as a real series with cards at the $200, $350, and $500 price points, rather than how Nvidia initially released G80 with just the 8800 GTX. I guess I'll just wait until October, get either a GTX 260 or GTX 275, and hope Nvidia is nice enough to let step-up work properly

With above, I think I've definitely settled the RAM question. 3x2GB DDR3-1600 at 1.65v, no further questioning required.

I am planning on OCing, as I've heard its a waste of the i7 920 not to. I was thinking a conservative 3.0 - 3.2 until I started actually needing the performance, though. It's kind of a shame the stock cooler sucks so much (the LGA775 ones were a joke), so I'll look into the ones you suggested. Cheapness and a lack of bulk would be preferable considering my need for travel and desire to minimize cost within the budget point, so I think I'll look at the Noctua. I had already disregarded the TRUE for its price and excessive size; I see it wasn't such a bad idea at all.

And with this all said, I still really don't know how much time I'll have for gaming in college. I'm pretty sure it will be much less than I've had in high school. It's another reason why I'm waiting until October to build it, since I might be inclined to spend a bit less if I won't be using the computer or desire (non-addiction, you know what I mean) to use the computer as much as I thought I initially would.

Last edited by nukchebi0 (2009-07-29 04:25:58)

2009-07-30 01:52:53

nukchebi0: Пушкин, наше всё; +387|6585|New Haven, CT

Also, now that I have essentially decided on this route, can anyone recommend a laptop to get for the $500 - $800 price range. After reconsidering, I'm not sure that Lenovo is the best deal, so input on this would be appreciated.

Also, for the laptop, would it be a better idea to get the G5 or the MX518?

Last edited by nukchebi0 (2009-07-30 04:35:20)

2009-07-30 06:29:40

nickb64: formerly from OC (it's EXACTLY like on tv)[truth]; +77|5872|Greatest Nation on Earth(USA)

I'm going to hijack and ask, what do you guys think of this laptop for school work(word processing, non intensive stuff), most intense it will be used for is web surfing/flash games.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications … etailspecs

2009-07-30 13:04:38

CanadianLoser: Meow :3 :3; +1,148|6769

SpIk3y wrote:
I just spent about $1700 on a Lenovo T500 and couldn't be more happy with it. Highly recommend Lenovo. Just go on their site and customize an R500 or T500 to your liking.

posting from my lenovo sl500 that was delivered within the last hour. love it so far. go lenovo

2009-07-30 19:01:04

nukchebi0: Пушкин, наше всё; +387|6585|New Haven, CT

Okay, go with Lenovo seems to be a general policy. Anyone else have any input on that, positive or negative?

Also, input on the two mouses would be appreciated. I love the MX518, and would prefer it, but I didn't know if the G5 is better in general, and better for using with a laptop in the absence of a mousepad.

2009-07-30 19:18:16

Reddhedd: trolawlawl; +188|6706|EE Chat

Perhaps there is some luggage I could store it in to ease the transportation? Also, someone else on another forum said they recommended disassembling the computer, putting individual components in their boxes (and then in a suitcase, and reassembling it once I got home. Can you comment on that?

I don't know how you feel about this but
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications … No=1632009
if you are taking a monitor too.
http://www.3dsupply.de/shop/detail.php? … =13.110.68
EDIT: If you want full bag
http://www.xpcgear.com/lanpartybag.html

Last edited by Reddhedd (2009-07-30 19:21:02)

2009-07-30 20:08:35

VicktorVauhn: Member; +319|6653|Southern California

nickb64 wrote:
I'm going to hijack and ask, what do you guys think of this laptop for school work(word processing, non intensive stuff), most intense it will be used for is web surfing/flash games.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications … etailspecs

Cell phones can surf and do flash. If its new it will be fine. Do some comparative shopping and review the brand.

Nuk, mouse pads are fucking worthless... haven't used one in years.

And incredibly shiny surface (glossy paper like a book cover) can confuse the optic sensors, and SOME wood grain patterns can do the same...
But I have been using my optical mouses on my wood desk, or on my bed sheet, or on my pant leg, or on school desks for years with no problems.
My current desk has ONE spot where the wood grain messes with it but I just don't use the mouse of that spot.

I have a logitech wireless, and a Microsoft standard USB (both optical) but this includes every random optical mouse I have used for years. Mouse pads are more for texture/hardness IMO.

I wouldn't buy either of those mouses. Just get something cheap and put the money into the laptop. Get the best graphics card you can in a reasonably priced lappy, upgrade the ram on your own and call it good.

2009-07-30 23:28:12

nukchebi0: Пушкин, наше всё; +387|6585|New Haven, CT

I've decided on the desktop + laptop route, though, so I'll need a mouse. I don't like skimping on the mouse anyways, and really like the MX518, so I think I'll get that. I was just afraid because it doesn't work on my table, but on closer inspection, it seems the table is rather uneven and grainy. Thanks for the input.

The laptop I'm pretty sure I will be getting in the Lenovo R500 - its $705 with an aftermarket RAM upgrade, has a better processor than any laptop I've seen at this price, and has the build quality/durability I think might be useful for college (plus, its not good-looking, so it attracts less attention). While it only has Vista Basic as the default OS, I get both Vista Business and XP Pro for free, so that becomes a non-issue. Does anyone have any input on this? I know 15.4" inches is kind of big for a dedicated portable laptop, but I've checked with a friend's and it fits in my backpack fine. At this price, I'd prefer a bit of performance over portability, as long as it is relatively portable. Thanks to everyone who has helped me through this - I'm almost done asking questions.

2009-07-31 00:58:23

VicktorVauhn: Member; +319|6653|Southern California

Ahh, ok...

I was too lazy to read much and it sounded like you were talking about a second mouse for the laptop only.

2009-07-31 01:25:44

nukchebi0: Пушкин, наше всё; +387|6585|New Haven, CT

Oh, its fine. I don't think I made it very clear I'm be attaching the mouse to a front USB port on the desktop so I could take it when I needed it for the laptop. My apologies for the misunderstanding.

2009-07-31 08:24:39

FFLink: There is.; +1,380|6952|Devon, England

Mouse Mats do make a difference. If you haven't used one for years, you wouldn't know that.

Get a decent mouse mat/pad.

2009-07-31 08:31:34

CrazeD: Member; +368|6934|Maine

FFLink wrote:
Mouse Mats do make a difference. If you haven't used one for years, you wouldn't know that.

Get a decent mouse mat/pad.

Agreed.

2009-07-31 19:19:06

VicktorVauhn: Member; +319|6653|Southern California

CrazeD wrote:
FFLink wrote:
Mouse Mats do make a difference. If you haven't used one for years, you wouldn't know that.

Get a decent mouse mat/pad.
Agreed.

I don't mean I have not touched one in years, I just mean that I haven't made a point of using one in years. We have them at school, I have one next to me, my parents have them, some other computers I use have them, ect...

The only difference they make is the actual feeling of the mouse sliding over it. And my mouse will slide over my desk just fine if you keep the friction pads clean. It will feel different then a mouse pad... for 10 minutes until your used to it, much like having a cord on a mouse vs not having a cord on a mouse(for the feel)

My cheapo Microsoft mouse tracks every bit as well on my pant leg sitting back in a chair as it does on any mouse pad I have ever used.

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nukchebi0 wrote:

nukchebi0 wrote:

max wrote:

nukchebi0 wrote:

VicktorVauhn wrote:

nukchebi0 wrote:

SpIk3y wrote:

nickb64 wrote:

FFLink wrote:

CrazeD wrote:

FFLink wrote:

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