Comments and tips on this build please

[Ninjax]

Hi All ,
Finally the time has come for me to place my order ( was awaiting funds , lol )
please comment on the following build :

Vortex Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-3740QM (2.70GHz) 6MB
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (4 x 4GB)
2 x AMD® Radeon® HD 7970M - 2GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
1st hdd 750GB SEAGATE MOMENTUS XT HYBRID, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB CACHE (7200 rpm)
2nd hdd 1TB WD SCORPIO BLUE WD10JPVT, SATA 3 Gb/s, 8MB CACHE (5400 rpm)
8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND (£9)
Intel 5.1 Channel High Definition Audio + SPDIF/MIC/Headphone Jack
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® N135 802.11N (150Mbps) + BLUETOOTH
4 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Vortex Extreme 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (5,800 mAh/89.21WH)
2 x UK Power Lead & 300W AC Adaptor (£65)
TARGUS XL CITY GEAR 16" - 17.3" LAPTOP CASE TCG417 (£43)
INTEGRATED BACKLIT USA KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs (£19)
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
No OS/etc

I have a few questions :
is the processor overkill ? ( I want something comparable to desktop 2600k) but dont want to spend too much on chip ...

is the 750gig hybrid hdd good ? speed wise, longevity-wise ? should I simply go with a single 1tb ? and upgrade later to 2tb (when they come out) ?

is the targus bag big enough for this laptop ?

do I need the extra power pack ? I live in zimbabwe and power is erratic, and getting a replacement is the current one fails
will be a nightmare ....

any comments on the usa keyboard ?

please if anyone can let me know if any of these parts attract any extra labour-time ?
this laptop will be a replacement over my desktop - 2600k/5870/8gig ram / 3 x 2tb hdd / 27inch screen ...
build = £1,807.00 so far , lol

as always , I appreciate any and all comments ;-)

 

[slake]

If I were you I would rather spend that on a desktop rather then a laptop.

Is there any real reason as to why you want a gaming laptop?

 

[Iroquois Pliskin]

I have a few questions :
is the processor overkill ? ( I want something comparable to desktop 2600k) but dont want to spend too much on chip ...

An i7-3740QM has a 300 MHz higher base and Turbo clock, compared to i7-3630QM - both of them are between a desktop i5-2500K & an i7-2600K when it comes to performance.

http://ark.intel.com/products/71459/Intel-Core-i7-3630QM-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_40-GHz
http://ark.intel.com/products/70847/Intel-Core-i7-3740QM-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_70-GHz

http://ark.intel.com/compare/71459,70847

Worth it? Probably, but only for hardcore video encoding.

is the 750gig hybrid hdd good ? speed wise, longevity-wise ? should I simply go with a single 1tb ? and upgrade later to 2tb (when they come out) ?

I have no experience with hybrids, I'd rather have either an SSD or a 0.75-1 TB 7200 RPM WD drive. The Scorpio Black 2.5" is the best laptop form-factor HDD, even the Scorpio Blue 5400 has capable performance, meaning you can game & recording via Fraps at the same time with no issues.

is the targus bag big enough for this laptop ?

It should be.

do I need the extra power pack ? I live in zimbabwe and power is erratic, and getting a replacement is the current one fails
will be a nightmare ....

Do you mean a battery? Your choice, but battery power is not something you will be using on such a powerful machine, since you won't get even 2.5 hours out of it at considerable load.

If I were you I would rather spend that on a desktop rather then a laptop.

Is there any real reason as to why you want a gaming laptop?

Why not? Desktop towers are being phased out, especially with Win 8 lauch. Besides, I'd like to play Crysis when I'm climbing the Everest. xD

 

[slake]

You can just get a lot more for your money if you spend the same amount on a desktop rather then a laptop, but that's just my preference.

 

[Ninjax]

yes , I build a lot of gaming desktops over the years, and indeed I have always advocated going for desktop ...for obv replacement/upgrade reasons ...
however I have 3 desktops at the moment, 2600k/2400/C2D2,4 with 5870/5870/5770 respectively , and I have spent quite a bit of time and money
on all these, but since I now have good internet at home, and power cuts, I have been using my work macbook more and more ( like 15hrs a day+), and during the week I leave my pc at work, ( i take it to and fro) , now to me, spending upwards of $2000 on my pc alone (besides the other 2 ) ,
and using the work laptop more than my pc is just not money well spent , I should be spending the 15hrs+ on my $2k desktop ....
so long story short , I will get this laptop to replace my desktop, then sell at least 2 of the desktops off ....make sense yes ??
to add , the 2x7970m formular is better than the desktop 680GTX(and this is like twice as good as my 5870s') in some games, so
all I need this laptop to do is like 2 to 3 years of good use, then I will have had my moneys worth, and will sell it and buy another ....
trust me , I have been involved in gaming pcs' for over 12years now and I have never brought a laptop for myself, till now ....lmao,
brought for the gf and stuff , he he he ....


and @ Iroquois , I meant power pack (transformer) , I would've wished to get 2 x batteries and 2 x power packs , but seems pcs only has
spare power packs at this moment ....I need to place my order soon (like this coming monday) since I dont know build time, and it needs
to be done and delivered by end of november .....
and on the hdds, I will prob go for the 750gig scorpio black ( was wary of hybrid ) , and on the processor iirc the one in my build is
at least 10-15% better in most things vs my 2600k , and thats good news for me ( considering the 2-3year timeline from now) ....

any other thoughts ?

 

[Iroquois Pliskin]

You can just get a lot more for your money if you spend the same amount on a desktop rather then a laptop, but that's just my preference.

Different utility - what use is a desktop if you're traveling the world, or if you don't want to litter the house in cables & redundant complexity, when a laptop form factor provides the same performance, albeit at a premium and you have a keyboard, a display and a mouse with you at all times.

Not to mention a 45 W CPU & a 100 Watt GPU provide comparable performance to desktop equivalents within reason, so there's no need to run 1 kW power stations, which frankly has become a joke in the desktop space. Power density/performance > raw performance.

The premium we pay is only due to relatively low volume of sales, compared to desktop components. As demand picks up for All-in-One Windows 8 PCs, such as this one - http://www.guru3d.com/news_story/asus_et2300_all_in_one_can_collapse.html (Running desktop 3770 & mobile MXM GT 630M), along with convertible-hybrid tablet notebooks, everything will equalize.

Apple's iMac is also sporting a mobile GTX 680MX in its chassis - http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/693683-nvidia-gtx-680mx.html

Ninjax, here's an up-to-date benchmark list with most of mobile & desktop processors currently in existence, http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html

The i7-3740QM is equal to the i7-2600K, while 3630QM is not that far behind, only by 7-8%.

 

[Ninjax]

tough decision , the 3630QM vs 3740QM , although I feel that the 3740 is the more "balanced" chip , its like 90pounds more expensive than 3630m ,
and in games we know that a 10% max diff in cpu may only translate into a 3 or 4 frame/sec diff yes ?
to make it easier , does anyone know if there are any build-time differences between the 2 chips ?
i.e is there any delays getting one chip over the other ?

 

[Ninjax]

with 3630QM + 750gig scorpio black the total = £1,671.00

 

[Iroquois Pliskin]

tough decision , the 3630QM vs 3740QM , although I feel that the 3740 is the more "balanced" chip , its like 90pounds more expensive than 3630m

It is a balanced chip from the range that Intel has release into the mobile market. I would also go for the 3740QM, but that's me and I do a lot of video encoding & general multitasking - "Review Intel Ivy Bridge Quad-core Refresh" (http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Intel-Ivy-Bridge-Quad-core-Refresh.82948.0.html)

For gaming -> see below.

and in games we know that a 10% max diff in cpu may only translate into a 3 or 4 frame/sec diff yes ?
to make it easier

Numbers tell the story - "Intel Ivy Bridge Guide for Gamers" (http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Ivy-Bridge-Guide-for-Gamers.81855.0.html)

Negligible difference in gaming between these two.

does anyone know if there are any build-time differences between the 2 chips ?
i.e is there any delays getting one chip over the other ?

Shouldn't be any, both models are in stock probably.

with 3630QM + 750gig scorpio black the total = £1,671.00

Now you could use the extra £130 for an SSD.

 

[Ninjax]

there is this one - 240GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)

I dont know much about ssd :
are they reliable ? (my general knowledge says they have limited lifespan compared to hdd)
and are the speed gains quite noticeble ?
are there better choices than above concerning ssd ?

the thing I was also worried about is the size of ssd in general, most games these days install around 15-18gig of data ,
so I'm guessing will have to install the games to the 2nd hdd yes ? or maybe install most common games to sdd and not so played ones to hdd ? ideas?

btw Iroquois , really enjoy your posts, I appreciate the advice and insights (and links) ,

 

[Ninjax]

seems 240 3k kingston has a 3yr warranty ,
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1961/1/

and some concerning longevity
http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/storage/41669-kingston-hyperx-3k-ssd-240gb/

and other showing intel 240gig
240GB INTEL® 520 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...37-kingston-hyperx-3k-240gb-ssd-review-3.html

 

[Ninjax]

interesting conclusion on the ssd

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...7-kingston-hyperx-3k-240gb-ssd-review-12.html

and something extra on intel 240gig
http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/intel_series_520_240gb_ssd_review,16.html
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...ntel-520-240gb-cherryville-ssd-review-15.html

 

[Ninjax]

also on the wireless solutions , is there any range differences between them ?

 

[Iroquois Pliskin]

If you want peace of mind, Intel 330 180/240 GB SSD is a good price/performance device.

Killer 1103 WiFi has the lowest ping/highest upload rates per this review, http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/killer-wireless-n-1103-wi-fi-benchmark,3164.html Both points are very important for online gaming.

The above review also features Intel's 6300 Ultimate, so your choice should be between these two.

 

[Ninjax]

yes looking at this page
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/killer-wireless-n-1103-wi-fi-benchmark,3164-6.html
seems the intel 6300 has a better range @ 20feet , I'm not into online gaming as yet, but u never know for the future ,
for now the better range will be a plus for me indeed , and def there is a big price step up to the killer card ,
interesting stuff ;-) ,

 

[Ninjax]

so far it looks as follows :

Vortex Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-3630QM (2.40GHz) 6MB
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (4 x 4GB)
2 x AMD® Radeon® HD 7970M - 2GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
240GB INTEL® 520 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
750GB WD SCORPIO BLACK WD7500BPKT, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE (7200 rpm)
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND (£9)
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® ULTIMATE-N 6300 (450Mbps)
Vortex Extreme 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (5,800 mAh/89.21WH)
2 x UK Power Lead & 300W AC Adaptor (£65)
TARGUS XL CITY GEAR 16" - 17.3" LAPTOP CASE TCG417 (£43)
INTEGRATED BACKLIT USA KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs (£19)
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
total = £1,785.00

what would you all say about this one now ? I prefer the slightly better intel520 240gig ssd over the other ssd , still I encourage any more thoughts on all matters ;-)

 

[Iroquois Pliskin]

Looks good. The only difference between Intel's 520 & 330 SSDs is the 5 year manufacturer's warranty for the former and 3 years for the 330 AFAIK. Performance-wise, you should expect the 520 to be faster by 50 MB/s at both write & read speeds.

 

[Ninjax]

yeah seems quite balanced , no real bottlenecks anywhere ( if I had a bigger budget I would go with faster cpu)
hard drives are the common bottle neck, imo , some ppl have blazing fast cup and gpu , but a snail hdd , then brings down the whole performance ....
I really wish I didnt have to buy the extra power pack, but in zimbabwe we are very far away from u.k and I would rather be safe than sorry ,
guess I could always leave one PPack at work and the other at home , lol , they seem quite bulky ;-)

 

[Wake]

Ditch that bag and get a Pakuma Akara K1 - I have had mine for 4 ish years and have thrashed it round Europe and Asia with 2 laptops in it and up to 7 days worth of clothes, stuff for work and associated wires, mobile phones etc - fantastic bag and will fit a 17 inch laptop. £40 on Amazon. Lifetime guarantee.

 

[Iroquois Pliskin]

Re. aftermarket: Swissgear Ibex is a shexy backpack from... you've guess it - Switzerland! Holds a 17" with a lot of extra room for anything from books to laptop coolers. Build quality is second to none.