Looking for a new system

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usasma

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I'm looking to change the way that I use my system - and hoping to consolidate into only one system (I currently have 3).

I primarily do BSOD analysis and surf the web a lot.
I occasionally play the latest FPS games on low resolution (due to eye problems I don't need the detail)
I occasionally travel and will lug a laptop to the sessions that I attend.

What I'm looking for is suggestions for a laptop that'll do all this, and will be easy to tote around the conferences that I attend.
Also, it'll primarily be plugged in (at home) to my 32" monitor and I'll use USB keyboard and trackball while there.

I'll need a large screen, but realize that I'll have to balance that off against portability. My current laptop has a 13" screen, which is about the limit of usability at 800x600.

Budget is about $1000 - but am willing to go as high as $2500 if I have to.

Your thoughts on this?

I don't need a touchscreen, but Win8 is a must.
I'd like an illuminated keyboard
I'd also like a second hard drive bay - but that's not essential as I can easily swap HDD's (if the case is easy to open).
I do plan on moving to an SSD in the near future (probably before Win9 comes out).

I'm also wondering about waiting for 6 months to a year in order to let Win8 mature.
 
If you are going from 3 computers to one, I would get as much power in the CPUs as possible, maybe Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM and as much hard drive as you can, at least 1-2 TB onboard. Or a smaller more expensive SSD drive and an external hard drive for the rest, maybe?

The reason I say this is that you will likely be needing or at least wanting to use VMs. And you need the power and RAM for that as well as hard drive space.
 
There are a lot of factors here... I am usually pretty good at picking out decent laptops for people based on their needs....

I know that you will want something powerful and reliable, as well as have the features you want...

I am having an issue with finding Laptops with Backlit keys... They are usually optional in customized systems and come pretty standard in gaming systems.

I would suggest going for a customized PC...

Dell, Sager, Toshiba and a few others have customizable laptops available for direct order...

There is also the fully-customizable gaming/professional laptops from Origin PC. ORIGIN PC - Custom Computers - Gaming Laptops and Desktops (I am going the Origin route when I save enough money) Unfortunately, they start @ $1500-ish.

I would, personally, go with a 15" screen... I have found them to be portable enough for travel, unless you want to use them in airplanes or busses.... Without being too bulky and/or heavy.

From searching Newegg, I did come across one laptop that looks like it meets your specs pretty nicely, with dedicated video...

DELL XPS XPS 15 (XPS15-1579sLV) Notebook Intel Core i5 3210M(2.50GHz) 15.6" 6GB Memory DDR3 1600 32GB SSD 500GB HDD 7200rpm DVD±R/RW NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M - Newegg.com
 
That is a nice one GZ.

I found a nice one a bit more along the lines of Intel Core i7 but not quite as much RAM as I mentioned (12GB instead of 16GB) but still a great deal:

Its 17.3-inch Full HD 1080p TruBrite LED-backlit display is complemented by built-in premium Harman/Kardon speakers tuned with SRS Premium Sound 3D sound enhancement technology. And it delivers distinctive and durable styling with its Black Widow Styling in diamond-textured aluminum and raised-tile keyboard enhanced with red LED backlighting.

The Qosmio X875 (model X875-Q7190) is packed with powerful computing resources, including a SuperMulti drive that can burn a plethora of disc formats, and plenty of ports and storage to give you the freedom to expand, or hold more files and media. It's also outfitted with four USB 3.0 ports (two of them with Sleep and Charge capabilities), an HDMI video output, and Bluetooth connectivity for wireless audio streaming to speakers or gaming headphones.
Click to expand...

$1299.99 and free shipping at Amazon

Toshiba Qosmio X875-Q7190 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black Widow Styling in Diamond-Textured Aluminum)
 
Hey Carrona,

Here are some of my recommendations.

Firstly, the Dell XPS 15 GZ mentioned (it's the l521x model BTW) is the successor to mine and is a nice machine. HOWEVER, it has some MAJOR WiFi reception issues and thermal issues resulting in severe throttling. Many reviews and forums are reporting this issue:

Review Dell XPS 15 (L521X) Notebook - NotebookCheck.net Reviews (very detailed, comprehensive review)
AnandTech | Dell XPS 15 L521X: A Detailed First Look
XPS 15 L521X WiFi Test Results

That's enough to put me off it. It's lovely to look at and has a great screen but those issues are a problem. I don't know if they're fixed, but I doubt it, it's a design flaw IMHO.

Custom build laptops come at a premium but are normally nice. Many custom companies base their laptops around a Clevo barebones (CLEVO - Products). In the UK their are two popular custom laptop companies, CyberPower UK and PC Specialist.

On the other side of the pond, their are some popular companies. CyberPowerPC, Sager Notebooks, XOTIC PC are just some of them. Dell are also worth a look, I have had many a system from them. Not the best spec wise, but customisable and decent value. However, as mentioned, the new XPS 15 isn't great.

LilBambi - I think that Toshiba is the same laptop as Mike (Writhziden) bought to replace his Sony (feel free to correct me here Mike :-)). I wonder what he thinks of it, it looks nice.

A 15" machine is the best balance for portability and power, but they almost always only have 1 HDD bay. You would probably need to get a ODD caddy from EBay or something so you could put a HDD in the DVD bay.

The Samsung Series 7 Chronos is getting good reviews --> Review Samsung Series 7 Chronos 770Z7E Notebook - NotebookCheck.net Reviews
 
Luckily, a lot of new laptops are coming with mini-SATA ports which give the option of running a SSD and standard HDD.

One of the reasons I chose the Dell was it's Aluminum body and the fact it already came with the SSD and HDD...

I can't read the reviews you linked right now, will do as soon as I get home.

EDIT:

I was able to read the first linked review (wasn't blocked by forefront) and the overall review was quite good except for it's thermal properties under unusually high-stress situations.
 
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GZ said:
From searching Newegg, I did come across one laptop that looks like it meets your specs pretty nicely, with dedicated video...

DELL XPS XPS 15 (XPS15-1579sLV) Notebook Intel Core i5 3210M(2.50GHz) 15.6" 6GB Memory DDR3 1600 32GB SSD 500GB HDD 7200rpm DVD±R/RW NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M - Newegg.com
Click to expand...

Amazon has the same (via TigerDirect) but at $949.99 , Amazon.com: Dell XPS XPS15-1579sLV 15-Inch Laptop: Computers & Accessories


  • Intel Core i5 3210M 2.5 GHzNVIDIA GeForce GT 630M with 1GBIntel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 with Bluetooth 4.0Backlit Keyboard65WHr battery; 9-Cell Li-Polymer (built-in)
  • 15.6" FHD 1080p Truelife WLED Display and Skype-Certified HD Webcam
  • Windows 8
  • 6GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz
  • 500 GB 7200 rpm Hard Drive + 32 GB Solid-State Drive

Description shows backlit keyboard but none of the images display it backlit.
 
Corrine said:
GZ said:
From searching Newegg, I did come across one laptop that looks like it meets your specs pretty nicely, with dedicated video...

DELL XPS XPS 15 (XPS15-1579sLV) Notebook Intel Core i5 3210M(2.50GHz) 15.6" 6GB Memory DDR3 1600 32GB SSD 500GB HDD 7200rpm DVD±R/RW NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M - Newegg.com
Click to expand...

Amazon has the same (via TigerDirect) but at $949.99 , Amazon.com: Dell XPS XPS15-1579sLV 15-Inch Laptop: Computers & Accessories


  • Intel Core i5 3210M 2.5 GHzNVIDIA GeForce GT 630M with 1GBIntel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 with Bluetooth 4.0Backlit Keyboard65WHr battery; 9-Cell Li-Polymer (built-in)
  • 15.6" FHD 1080p Truelife WLED Display and Skype-Certified HD Webcam
  • Windows 8
  • 6GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz
  • 500 GB 7200 rpm Hard Drive + 32 GB Solid-State Drive

Description shows backlit keyboard but none of the images display it backlit.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Corrine... I didn't have time to do any shopping! :grin:
 
Tekno Venus said:
LilBambi - I think that Toshiba is the same laptop as Mike (Writhziden) bought to replace his Sony (feel free to correct me here Mike :-)). I wonder what he thinks of it, it looks nice. [/URL]
Click to expand...

Technically, you are incorrect, but looking at the specs and comparing them side by side, I see absolutely no difference between the two. :lol:

I have a X875-Q7380. If you can spot a difference between it and the X875-Q7190, I'd be shocked. The Q7190 is a bit cheaper, for some reason... Amazon lists mine as a 3.4 GHz processor by mistake, and also gives the wrong maximum resolution as mine also runs at 1920x1080, but minus those typos, I see no difference whatsoever.



The laptop is a little bulky for traveling, but it's not as heavy as I expected and is fairly portable. It may be too big for working on an airplane (haven't tried), but it would be great in a hotel room or bringing to the office (I bring mine to work fairly often).
 
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A decent SSD is a must, even if you have to put it in yourself.

I just retrofitted one to my laptop inplace of the HDD and as well as the obvious speed increase it also resulted in vastly increased battery life (spinning chunks of metal at 5400 or 7200RPM does take a decent amount of energy after all).
 
If you want to downsize to just one computer, do you really want it to be a notebook? Contrary to what the notebook maker's marketing weenies would like us to believe, notebooks do NOT make great "desktop replacements" or gaming machines.

The problem is, they can easily pack PC power inside those tiny, super thin notebook cases, but they cannot pack the necessary cooling to allow all that hardware to run at full potentials all the time. If you think about how much of a challenge it is with regular PC cases (with multiple large case fans) to keep our heat sensitive devices cool, it is no wonder notebook cases are simply incapable of that task.

Plus, with a PC case, you can remove the side and perform deep cleaning to rid the interior of all that heat trapping dust drawn in by the fans. Thorough cleaning of notebooks interiors is just as critical, but nearly impossible for most users.

Also, notebooks, especially ones that travel, get dropped, left in sizzling hot or freezing cold cars, banged around, left behind, or worse - they grow legs and wander off when left unattended - for just a few split seconds. If you have just one computer and it goes missing or breaks, you will end up a vile creek without a paddle. Even with a current backup, what good is it?

So at the very least, I would urge you to keep at least one PC to use at home, at least as a backup device for your data.
 
I'm resurrecting this topic. I dragged my feet back in March, and decided to wait for Win8 to mature and for the Haswell version of the Intel i7.
Well, that's here now - so are there any different suggestions?

I'm open to 2 different things:
- a Desktop replacement that can play games and is portable enough to lug around conferences that I attend.
- or a light laptop for travel (no games, but a 15"+ screen) - and I'll then buy a new desktop that can handle the games

It will primarily be plugged into my monitor on my desk and used about 3 or 4 hours a day - mostly doing BSOD analysis and surfing the web. I use Sleep/Hybrid Sleep, so boot speed isn't important.

As new games come out, I want to play them. I'll use low-resolution, so it's not bleeding edge graphics that I need - but I do need something that can keep up with the latest releases. I'm looking at keeping the laptop for 3 years (but I said that about my last one - and it's been 7 years!)

OS will be Win8Pro x64. Any benefit to going with the Haswell vs the Ivy Bridge? Battery life isn't real critical to me.
 
Haswell benefits: faster graphics on-chip (battery life).

Drawbacks: reports of them running hotter than expected.

I'd want to wait a few weeks/couple of months to get the low-down from early adopters before making that choice over IvyBridge.
 
For either if you are going to use dedicated graphics(Nvidia or ATI ) for games then it really won't make a difference between the 2.
Did you have a price point?
 
If it's a desktop replacement, then up to $2500 (but I really don't want to spend that much)
If it's just a light laptop, then around $1200.

I talked with a couple of people yesterday, and am leaning towards a light laptop. I'll then get a new desktop with the money that I've saved.
 
You can build a desktop nowadays for less than $1000 that will handle current-gen video games at high-res and handle all games in the future for a fair bit. Nothing too incredibly special, just a 2/3 GB GPU, SSD, decent case with nice airflow, AMD or Intel (I'd recommend going Ivy), compatible motherboard, cheap 8/12 GB DDR RAM from Corsair, etc.

What you could do is build the desktop for gaming, and have the laptop that you take around and use it for analysis as well.
 
I like the Samsung laptops. I've worked on quite a few at work and they seem reliable - although I'm not a fan of ATI/AMD graphics. I haven't tried the touchscreen model, but will give it a look when I get to work today (if we have one).
 
The one we have does not have a touch screen but does have a DVD drive and Nvidia graphics, I'd get you a model number but it's visiting Ocean City for the week :)
Must have a really good battery since the charger is still here plugged in and I haven't heard any complaints yet :lol:
 

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