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At0mic_Cyb0rg

At0mic_Cyb0rg

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Nov 12, 2012
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Hey guys,
I'm getting a new laptop during the End of Financial Year Sales and I found one with the specifications listed below. I was just wondering if anyone could suggest something better value, or just outright better, that I've missed. I intend to play Watch Dogs, Battlefield 4, Assassin's Creed IV and Splinter Cell: Blacklist. If you have any suggestions, please make it known.

Specifications:
Processor: Core i7 3630QM ~3.4GHz
RAM: 8GB DDR3
Hard Drive: 750GB SATA HDD
Graphics Card: 4GB NVIDIA GT650M
Operating System: Windows 8 64 bit
Display: 15.6" LED (1920x1080)

Other Features:
HDMI
USB3.0
Instant On

Price = $1,199 + $19.95 shipping
 
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eh, not bad but you wont be maxing the newer games.. my friend has those specs in his alienware, and it runs games well for a laptop, but he has some definite bottleneck from the gpu (he has the 2gb version). Now 4 gigs sounds a lot better but really its only around 10% increase from the 2 gig model, and probably only noticeable at 1440 resolutions. All that being said that seems like a good computer for the price, it is probably the best laptop you can get without spending insane amounts of money.
 
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that's a normal price for it. i have a 3210m (its younger bro.) with a 650m i think i paid about the same got it a few months back at cyberpowerpc.com if that's not where you're getting it, i recommend seeing how much they sell the same specs for.

but yeah you ain't gettin ripped off. fair price. there's sort of a big step (sort of) from 650m to the next higher one (660m or whatever the hell nvidia has) i mean, the 650m runs everything for me fine in 1080p and that's with the 3210m you'll prolly have a few more frames than i get. i play gw2, rift... cpu intensive games and i can play medium settings 1080p nice frames (gw2 runs about 50-60 fps on low settings and it still looks beautiful.)

but yeah double check with cyberpowerpc.com i'm not a sales rep or nothing i'm just makin sure you checked their price out before takin the plunge. either way you'll appreciate the good reliable nvidia drivers for the card. it runs nicely and that 4core cpu tho i hear is a little warm, will be very fast coupled with an SSD. oh dude just notice there's not an SSD listed with it. bro GET AN SSD. the difference of loadtimes are night day. you NEEED AN SSD at least get a 128gig believe me you'll thank me. sata iii.

and yeah like guitargod says, these specs really are the best for your buck range, any more and the prices just skyrocket for what like 15 percent better? not worth it. fallout 3 runs like butter on it, cod4 runs like butter, (when i mean butter i mean steady 60fps on high settings.)

let us know what mainboard you get with it cuz there's some modified bios for the laptop that most of these components get pumped into, and you can like change fan settings to run em faster and stuff to make the laptop even cooler thereby not burnin yr legs off (i use a cheap logitech laptop lap table i got for like 9 bucks in target fits the 15.6 screen perfectly if you got a 15.6")

but dude you need to get a solid state harddrive. you'll be kicking yourself if you don't. the loadtimes in like gta4 and fallout are practically non-existant. you'll never be able to go back. some laptops can hold 2 harddrives so see if you can have one big spinny drive, and one little ssd. i just have the 128gig so i'm constnatly havin to delete stuff, aight i gotta get goin this ain't my pc lol
 
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You actually get no performance increase with that much vram. The gpu is too weak to be doing higher res/detail that could actually use more than 2gb.

The y500 is currently $880 for the 1080p version. Was $850 a couple days ago. Still the best value around.
 
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Yeah, thanks guys for that. It's good to know I spotted a good value deal... But could you narrow down exactly what I should do (besides get an SSD, I think I understand that) in this case? Depending on exactly how steep the price drop in EoFY Sales is, I might be able to go higher, might be forced to go lower. Might even be forced to just build a desktop. I don't want a laptop because it doesn't need a powerpoint or anything, I want it because I go to a lot of friends places and move around a lot. I'm almost always guaranteed a power socket though. Actually... If you know of a desktop case that has handles or better mobility than a normal bulky desktop, that could change things.
 
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I changed the title because I've decided the personal sacrifice of carrying a desktop around is outweighed by the far lower price of building a one compared to a laptop. So... If I list the parts I have decided to look into, I would greatly appreciate it if you guys and gals could offer up some more advice on those parts.

Here's what I'm looking at currently:
Video Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB
Processor: Intel i7 3820 3.60 GHz
Case: The awesome one suggested earlier.
Hard Drive: 1TB HDD
SSD: 120GB SSD
The only other thing I'm worried about at the moment is the Motherboard. I have no idea how to know if it's compatible with the case, the video card and the processor. That's the one piece of research I'm not looking forward to.

EDIT: The cheaper the better of course but at the moment, there is no actual budget.
 
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ok i suggest that you ditch the i7, if you are mainly gaming. You wont gain any performance from hyperthreading. I say go with an i5 3570k, and spend more on gpu.

cpu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504
Gpu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202008
you would be spending a little extra, but its well worth it in terms of gaming performance. You also get 4 free games, which in theory cut down on price. If you want a nvidea the gtx 670 is the 7970 counterpart. however it isnt as good performance wise, and only comes with 1 game at the moment.
Hard drives look good. For ram i would get http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233185 since 8 gigs is really all you need for gaming.
As for a motherboard, if you go with the bitfenix case you will need to get a microatx mobo, however if you go with the storm scout you can get regular sized.
Examples that would work with your rig:
(Micro) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131887 <this looks very solid for its price.

(normal) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157304

Now to know if it will be compatable with processor check the socket. The i5 is 1155 socket type. As for gpu if the mobo has pci 2.0-3.0 it will work. (should also work with pci 1, but not pci express)

almost forgot psu http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182133
 
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let me make this a little more organized lol

Suggested build:
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504
GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202008
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233185
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182133
MOBO: (micro) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131887
(regular) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157304
CASE: (requires micro atx mobo) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811345020&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-Computer+Cases-_-N82E16811345020&gclid=CPeA1_bUn7cCFYJi7AodUykAag
WIRELESS: http://www.amazon.com/PCE-N15-performance-Wireless-N-Transmit-interface/dp/B0054L9PWO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1366229643&sr=8-3&keywords=wireless+card
 
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I don't know what you mean by it won't work with pcie. Gpus are typically pcie not pci. Compatibility issues with 1.0 is irrelevant to a modern build with 3.0 being the standard. The high heat spreaders on the ram will get in the way of any decent air cooler. No point in 750w if the mobo can't cf/sli, you want to be around 50% for better efficiency. I realize it's not much more because it's on sale, but at least get a mobo that can cf/sli if you are going to suggest it. You should really get an aftermarket heatsink, the stock one really is ineffective. Just an fyi, intel is releasing their new cpus in 2 weeks so would suggest you wait. They replace current price points so shouldn't cost more but will suggest a build for now. Handles on a case isn't necessary, I still prefer to hold it from the bottom but will put that case in there for now. If you live by a microcenter, you can get the i5 for $190 plus they will have mobo combos.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Tactical 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($93.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($253.29 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($76.96 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $950.16
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-19 22:14 EDT-0400)
 
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i meant pci express x1.. the stock coolers are fine, as long as you arent overclocking, my dad has been using his i7 stock cooler for half a year, no issues with heat. the atx mobo cant crossfire, but how the hell would you fit 2 massive gpus in a small form factor case? i picked 750w so there would be plenty of breathing space. i had chosen 2 motherboards depending on which case he wanted. the regular sized mobo i chose can xfire, but i suggested the powerful gpu because there are plenty of issues with crossfire that an inexperienced user would have trouble dealing with. also the heatsinks on the ram wont get in the way of the stock cooler, or a watercooler. i know because i used to have them on my rig, but gave them to a friend.
 
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"(should also work with pci 1, but not pci express)" I'm talking about this. So you are saying it should have been "should work in pcie 1.0 but not in pcie x1"?

The atx mobo second slot is 2.0 x4, you do not want to put a gpu in that. The matx mobo only has 1 pcie slot so is irrelevant for that. But you will find cf/sli matx mobos and mini towers such as this which will still fit. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352008 That bitfenix case is mini itx and will not fit matx. I wouldn't suggest mitx unless you are really sure you will never need more expansion slots and don't mind getting rid of old ram if you upgrade. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128568 Generally cf has no issues, I did not suggest it starting off but it can be a cheaper upgrade path rather then shelving a gpu and getting a new one. Wc or clc would be a waste of money, the stock cooler is obviously not a decent cooler though I should have said aftermarket and lp ram can be found for cheaper. The stock cooler temps do get a bit high when gaming and while it is safe and not the concern, it can be pretty loud.
 
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A few questions...

1. What do I do about an Optical Drive? Gaming does require games, ultimately.
2. I'm going to use the BitFenix case sooo... What about fans?
3. Where might I find a well-priced 1920x1080 Monitor? Keep in mind both gaming AND mobility.
4. Somewhere in the setup so far, are there Ethernet ports? A Wireless Card is great, but Ethernet is still important.
5. I think I need a Sound Card as well so... Yeah, I would appreciate it if you guys could look these up for me.

Those are the main doubts, but I would also like to know if you guys could find a good keyboard and headset at a reasonable price... If you want to take the time to look into it. They don't necessarily have to be designed for gaming, especially if that flicks the price up a bit, but they do need to be quality. Keyboard could be slim/portable but headset just has to be quality and well priced. These are minor because I could look into them myself, but I'm going to you guys for the expertise.
PCPartPicker Build
 
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1. You could get an optical drive or reuse an old one. Personally I haven't bought one for any pc for over 5 yrs now, everyone has digital distribution nowadays.
2. The case comes with fans.
3. Any online retailer. The smallest 1080p monitors are usually 21.5" http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009437
4. They all have ethernet on the back.
5. The issue with the bitfneix case is it uses mitx which as I pointed out has no expansion slots except for one for the graphics card. You really don't need a sound card unless you're an audiophile though as the integrated are pretty good these days. Unless there is some other reason you need one.

The mobo you chose does not fit in the bitfenix case. It is mini itx not micro atx. You should also get z75 or z77 to oc otherwise don't get a k cpu. You could save a couple bucks on the ram. Any reason you are getting a slower green hdd? No point in the 750w, go with the hive 550. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-power-supply-hive550
 
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Ok so, k114, could you please post exactly what parts you suggest I get (the essentials for a functional desktop - not the peripherals) so that I have a clear understanding because so far different suggestions have been added and subtracted between posts and a simple list would be great.
 
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Just remember intel is releasing their new cpus in 2 weeks so suggest you wait. The high ram heat spreaders don't matter for mitx since you won't have room for a 120mm cooler anyways. As you may have noticed, prices for parts change daily causing a change in parts.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($218.25 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard ($118.97 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($51.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1084.16
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-21 14:22 EDT-0400)
 
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Thanks for that k1114. And also thank you guitargod213 for your input. If either of you find an improvement to the parts listed above, please post it. I'll repost here when I've desided to lock in what I want so until I do that, I'm completely open to suggestions.

P.S. I'll wait at least 2 weeks, but possibly longer depending on how the money is going lol.
 
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