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Thread: Laptop buying Guide

  1. #121
    therussian's Avatar Use your imagination
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    I've been reading up a bit on SSDs and I'm more than likely going to buy one for the new laptop, but I have a questions: do I install it INTO the laptop? If so, does it completely replace the HDD, or supplement it?

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  2. #122
    karamazovmm's Avatar スマトラ警備隊
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    Depends on what format you buy and how many bays there are.

    commonly we have the mSATA, which is a very small SSD.

    we also have the usual 2.5 which is the same size as of the HDD and will go in its place if no other HDD bay is available

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  3. #123
    therussian's Avatar Use your imagination
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    How would I find out if its able to supplement it? For example I'm shooting for the P151SM1, and probably a Samsung 840 250gb. Would it work as a supplement, or would it be a complete replacement?

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  4. #124
    karamazovmm's Avatar スマトラ警備隊
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    on the p151sm there is a msata and 1 HDD bay.

    You can however use the ODD slot for a caddy.

    Basically when the model offers you the choice, its up to you to define if its a supplement or a replacement

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820249031

    this is a good one, however as per the controller, the best size is 480gb, so that you get full performance. The problem is that crucial aint delivering the 480gb and I dont know if plextor will do it as well.

    we are on the brink of moving to NGFF/m.2, we see some of those already available, I dont know how it will be for the future of msata compatibility, I know that for sata they are fully compatible

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  5. #125
    therussian's Avatar Use your imagination
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    So basically what you are saying is that the mSATA (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085J17UA) and SATA (http://amzn.com/B004W2JKZI) are more or less the same thing, the mSATA is just a smaller version?

    I'm just trying to mix practicality, performance, and price here on this one point. If they are the same, then I figure I should just go ahead and get the p151sm and add an mSATA to go along with the HDD, as opposed to either:
    1) replacing the HDD with an SSD (for the same price as adding an mSATA) or
    2)getting a more expensive laptop with tWo HDD bays and adding a SATA to supplement a one existing HDD

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  6. #126
    karamazovmm's Avatar スマトラ警備隊
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    kind of, in terms of performance the msata first run took a hit. with the m5m that hit is very low, if you find the p941 from samsung its a bit slower than the 840 projust be warned that after I saw some pics there are physical differences from msata to m.2/NGFF thus they more than probably wont be compatibleso in the end the 2.5 may give you usage for the SSD latter on.

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  7. #127
    Audacia's Avatar Give Life Back to Music
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    I hope this is the right thread for what I'm asking about. I'm going to college in the fall, and I am looking to purchase a laptop that won't be super bulky or loud when I'm carrying it around campus or I'm in the library. Design is very important to me...so something sleek would be ideal. The problem is, I want to be able to play games like Rome II...Skyrim...Fallout 3, so I need a high performance laptop with a powerful processing unit and graphics card. I would prefer to run Windows 7 and I'm open to any brand that fits what I'm looking for. I would prefer a 15in 1080p screen.

    Im looking for a balance between design and performance. I don't particularly want to carry around a 17in glowing Alienware machine. Any help would be greatly appreciated. My budget is $2000. I should note I have been looking at the Dell XPS 15 but I'm not sure that has the graphics ability to get the job done, not to mention it lacks a dedicated cooling system.

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  8. #128
    karamazovmm's Avatar スマトラ警備隊
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    You just described the razer blade.

    http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade

    and the dell xps 15 doesnt exist, just repeat after me, it doesnt exist

    if you are OS agnostic, the mbp retina 15 is also a good choice, though I doubt it should actually be on par to the gpu power that the blade offers.

    current blade owners hands on, say that its a great machine, very great build quality, with an average screen, good power, good cooling, great KB and touchpad, very light and small psu (afterall you are going to carry that thing)

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  9. #129
    Audacia's Avatar Give Life Back to Music
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    What do you mean when you say the XPS doesn't exist?

    I've been looking at the Blade, I just haven't been convinced that it's what I want quite yet. It doesn't have an optical drive and it also lacks the 1080p screen. Everything else about it seems great though. I should also note I would opt for the newer 14in model rather than the 17in.

    Do you really think the MBP 15 retina will get the job done with games like Skyrim or Total War? I'm definitely open to the idea of a Mac...I might even consider purchasing Windows to run on it. I'm primarily concerned with its thermals...I've heard that it can get very, very hot.
    Last edited by Audacia; June 29, 2013 at 08:08 PM.

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  10. #130
    karamazovmm's Avatar スマトラ警備隊
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    Quote Originally Posted by Audacia View Post
    What do you mean when you say the XPS doesn't exist?

    I've been looking at the Blade, I just haven't been convinced that it's what I want quite yet. It doesn't have an optical drive and it also lacks the 1080p screen. Everything else about it seems great though. I should also note I would opt for the newer 14in model rather than the 17in.

    Do you really think the MBP 15 retina will get the job done with games like Skyrim or Total War? I'm definitely open to the idea of a Mac...I might even consider purchasing Windows to run on it. I'm primarily concerned with its thermals...I've heard that it can get very, very hot.
    simply put, the xps 15 is the best pure garbage that dell ever made. They have finally mastered on how to not do something and put all that effort into the xps 15

    there isnt really a big difference between a 900p and 1080p screen, I dont know why you still need an ODD, really I dont. And yes I was talking about the 14, hence blade, not the 17 called blade pro

    in the end I think those 2 models are good buys, the rmbp 15 has throttling problems if you go outside of the base cpu (which for you aint a problem, with your budget), lets see what apple brings on the haswell refresh, lots of speculation and good things to come. the blade 14 is one notebook that I actually want for myself, not in its current state but maybe next year it can be what I want (IGZO + TB2 + 16gb+)

    now if you go for the other thin and lights, like asus U500/UX51 it has very serious throttling issues (aside the usual now asus QA problems), the samsung series 7 (also called now ativ booq some random crap number) has as well serious throttling issues. The new envy 15 is just updated crap pavilion, with clear dated design cues, so as you to think that its a HP (is that actually good? wise? smart?)

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  11. #131
    Audacia's Avatar Give Life Back to Music
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    I've been reading more and more about the MacBook being able to handle games and I'm liking what I'm reading. I guess the only real downside with it is the exorbitant price. Is there anything quite like it with many of the same features besides the ones you mentioned?

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  12. #132
    karamazovmm's Avatar スマトラ警備隊
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    no there isnt. thats something that doesnt come cheap. I would still go for the blade, its a windows machine (if you plan on running windows only on the rmbp 15 forget about it, it doesnt have gpu switching on windows, OSX on the other hand is quite great)

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  13. #133
    Heinz Guderian's Avatar *takes off trousers
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    1) What is your budget?
    £700 to £999

    2) What size notebook would you prefer?a. Netbook; 10” screen or less

    d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
    e. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen

    3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.

    UK or Germany

    4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

    Any except PC Specialist


    5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?
    Yes
    6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
    Running intensive business applications, gaming,
    looking at videos of women

    7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
    Desk (work provides a laptop for mobility)

    8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?
    Skyrim, Witcher 2 & 3, Mount and Blade Bannerlord, R2TW, Company of Heroes 2
    9) How many hours of battery life do you need?
    doesnt matter
    10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
    either

    11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (Windows 7 / 8), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
    Windows 7 preferably or Windows 8
    Screen Specifics

    12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer? Keep in mind screen size in conjunction with resolution will play a large role in overall viewing comfort level. Everyone is different. Some like really small text, while others like their text big and easy to read. Click here for Screen resolution information.

    Full HD preferably
    13) Do you want a Glossy/reflective screen or a Matte/non-glossy screen?
    Matte
    Build Quality and Design

    14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
    No, you should see my wedding pics

    15) When are you buying this laptop?

    Before September so i can claim tax expenses

    16) How long do you want this laptop to last?
    3 years
    Notebook Components

    17) How much hard drive space do you need? Do you want a SSD drive?
    750GB to 1TB at 7,2000 rpm, maybe a 60GB SSD? Doesnt have to have a SSD

    18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD Burner, Blu-ray Reader or Blu-Ray Burner?
    not really
    ==========
    END COPY
    Last edited by Heinz Guderian; July 07, 2013 at 07:38 AM.

  14. #134
    karamazovmm's Avatar スマトラ警備隊
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    given the budget clevos are a good option, the p151sm and p157sm are a good option

    http://forum.notebookreview.com/sage...-union-v1.html

    buying in germany is going to be cheaper

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  15. #135
    Heinz Guderian's Avatar *takes off trousers
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    thanks. does anyone in the know if there is going to be a "summer" sale soon? if not, i'm gonna have to drop a grand on a new laptop before August 31st.

  16. #136
    karamazovmm's Avatar スマトラ警備隊
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    well the summers sales are already going on, but for clevo those are usually as terrible as they come

    I would set my lower limit on the 765m, its a cut down gk106 and it features in the 13" clevo and the razer blade

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  17. #137
    Heinz Guderian's Avatar *takes off trousers
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    Karam - what do you think of this UK offer :

    http://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-np7...820501#tooltip

    it doesnt have a disc player and the HD is 5400rpm though. John Lewis gives a no quibble 2 year warranty as standard and is a highly respected store here in the UK. How much would it be (if its possible) to fit a 128GB SSD on it? Its got a 8870M card.

  18. #138
    karamazovmm's Avatar スマトラ警備隊
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    avoid that one it throttles

    samsung doesnt make a single notebook without a flaw

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  19. #139
    Heinz Guderian's Avatar *takes off trousers
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    damn it. thanks. still trying to convince the wife to allow me to spend my own money on a new laptop. i think i'm going to end up hitting her again.

  20. #140
    Blau&Gruen's Avatar Civitate
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    Default Re: Laptop buying Guide

    Check these out

    Listed on Amazon UK (version without GPU)
    £899.99: Acer Aspire R7-571 15.6-inch Notebook (Intel Core i5 1.8GHz, 8GB RAM, 500GB HDD, Windows 8)
    Listed on Amazon UK (version with GPU)
    £1,099.99: Acer Aspire R7-571G 15.6-inch Notebook (Intel Core i7 2GHz, 8GB RAM, 500GB HDD, Windows 8)

    -> Consumer written reviews on Amazon Germany for a variant of the smaller one with GPU and 750 HDD (see below)
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    Acer Aspire R7-571G-53338G75ass 39,6 cm (15,6 Zoll) Notebook (Intel Core i5 3337U, 1,8GHz, 8GB RAM, 750GB HDD, NVIDIA GT 750M, Touchscreen, Win 8) silber

    -> Critical reviews here: http://www.notebookcheck.com/Acer-As...e.96911.0.html
    major points:
    - weight
    - batteries

    - Another review: http://newnotebookspecifications.com...cs-review.html
    - same but for the US version: http://newnotebookspecifications.com...iew-specs.html
    Last edited by Blau&Gruen; July 15, 2013 at 04:36 AM.
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