Laptop

[norb]

Haven't gotten a new computer in a few years so I decided to go ahead and get a laptop. Really just looking for a portable computer so that I can bring it with me. Won't arrive until next month and I figured to upgrade the memory and hard drive on my own because it's cheaper and easy to do.

Here's the spec, I'll let you know how it runs the game.

dv7t Quad Ed
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• 3rd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3610QM Processor (2.3 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache)
• NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT 650M Graphics with 2GB GDDR5 memory [HDMI, VGA]
• FREE UPGRADE to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• NO mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel(R) only, No PowerPoint(R)/Outlook(R)
• No additional security software
• 30% off 9 cell Lithium Ion Battery
• 17.3-inch diagonal Full HD Anti-glare LED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080)
• FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam
• Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)
• Backlit Keyboard
• Included 2 Year Warranty
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

[Marching Thru Georgia]

Very nice. You're not going to ruin your vacation by dragging it along, are you? Can you overclock the CPU to 2.5-2.8?

[Davinci]

• 1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

Hmm, I didn't know that newer computers still came with a HDD that runs at 5400 rpm , but I have never owned a laptop.

davinci

[norb]

Yeah, I didn't like the hard drive either, nor the ram. But it was cheaper to upgrade those myself after I got it.

Yes, we used to have a no electronics policy on vacation and it was very nice. But lately we've found that we gain a lot by having a computer, like places to go, online reservations, etc. No vacation until end of July this year. But we will probably bring it.

[Flanyboy]

If that's all you got the laptop for that chip set and graphics card are a bit of overkill... nice work though!

[norb]

No, if this is good enough it will be my main dev machine. I have to try it out first though. I'm switching everything to laptops as although I love building computers. It's very nice to be able to move around easily and take your work with you.

[Flanyboy]

Yea... I built my first last fall, but I got a motherboard with an LGA 1155 socket and an i5 2400. Enough ram slots so I can upgrade my RAM to 32 GB and my graphics card as well so in 2 or 3 years or so when Ivy Bridge prices come down I can upgrade this system cheaply and keep it a pretty high end machine for 5+ years, that way I can then also justify a new high end laptop in 3 years or so when my current one goes out of date.

Desktops are nice, if you plan ahead you can keep it up to date for 5-10 years without having to spend much more to refresh it and then still have money over for new laptops which are unfortunately not as easily upgradable.

[Jonah]

Its always worth buying the best you can afford with a view to further upgrades later as prices come down.
A colleague of mine bought one of thos e PC's thinking he could upgrade got its home took the side to have a nose inside sent it back the next day no upgrade path lol but then he is not into building his own machines like i am. :laugh:

[2nd Texas Infantry]

Haven't gotten a new computer in a few years so I decided to go ahead and get a laptop. Really just looking for a portable computer so that I can bring it with me. Won't arrive until next month and I figured to upgrade the memory and hard drive on my own because it's cheaper and easy to do.

Here's the spec, I'll let you know how it runs the game.

dv7t Quad Ed
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• 3rd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3610QM Processor (2.3 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache)
• NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT 650M Graphics with 2GB GDDR5 memory [HDMI, VGA]
• FREE UPGRADE to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• NO mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel(R) only, No PowerPoint(R)/Outlook(R)
• No additional security software
• 30% off 9 cell Lithium Ion Battery
• 17.3-inch diagonal Full HD Anti-glare LED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080)
• FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam
• Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)
• Backlit Keyboard
• Included 2 Year Warranty
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Almost the same as the one I just purchased last month, spec wise, for NSD map development and artwork. You should get the bill any day now. No personal checks Norb!

[Little Powell]

I am actually in the market for a Desktop now. Mine died a few weeks ago, and I have been troubleshooting it. The fan starts spinning but no POST.. So I started with replacing the power supply. Nope, same problem. Tried all of your other usual troubleshooting steps (reseating memory, other devices) and same problem, so it must be the motherboard. I don't want to go through he hassle of replacing a motherboard that could go bad again in a year, so it's desktop shopping for me..

I do most of my work on my Laptop, but I use a desktop for music production and my wife also uses it for her graphic design work. You need a powerhouse desktop for that kind of stuff.