Enigma III 540 Laptop

K

kyleblyth

Silver Level Poster
Just a couple of quick questions. I have £750 Max to spend

1. In comparison how good would you say the 2gb GT540M is compared to the 460M in the higher priced laptops for gaming?

2.I would be getting the 2630QM as it is the cheapest quad core - how does this compare to dual cores for gaming and also general use? Considering its only 2ghz and might not use all cores?!

3. When ordering a laptop with no OS (got windows 7) is it basically pop the disc in and follow the instructions?

4. I was reading up on the graphics card and the optimus technology. I read a few reviews about the laptop not using the graphics card (and using the built in graphics) when playing some games. Has this problem occurred much when testing the laptops?

5. Any other recommendations? :)

I want to use the laptop for medium to high gaming for at least a couple of years and be able to run games on "low-medium" in 3 years+ but the laptop is mainly for uni. Would the spec below suit my needs?

Spec:
2630qm quad 2gz
8gb ram
500gb (7200 speed) HD


Thanks very much
 
PCS

PCS

Administrator
Staff member
Welcome to our forums :)

1. After a quick search of Google, the 3D mark Vantage benchmarks are as follows: 540M GT: 3498 vs 460M: 6721 - roughly 92% faster, and the 540M we supply is not a GT version.

2. Many modern games can take advantage of 4 cores, and for other applications it all depends on how the program was written. Generally 4 cores are better than two, and certainly for the future.

3. Yes - and we also provide a Welcome Pack detailing exactly how to install the OS in case you need assistance.

4. Providing the drivers are installeed correctly nvidia Optimus technology should work trouble free. We've not experienced any problems in the past.

5. Consider the Optimus II, which is also a great laptop for gaming and multi-tasking.

The spec you've suggested will be very good. Without choosing an SSD drive, there's not much opportunity for improvement here.
 
K

kyleblyth

Silver Level Poster
Thanks couldnt find the benchmarks page, was looking for ages on google and couldnt find the 540. Needed a 15.6 really was looking at the other to begin with. Oh and it says GT 540M 2GB DD3 on the build page - sorry if im mistaken.

Thankyou :)
 
K

kyleblyth

Silver Level Poster
Another couple of questions..

1. Is the hardrive easily replaceable in the future? - thinking of upgrading to a hybrid drive eventually or even solid state

2. Can the DVD drive be swapped for a blue ray one in the future? - can i do it myself or is it a somewhat awkward task?

Thanks :)
 
Meds

Meds

Moderator
Moderator
1. HDD is relatively easy to remove/replace. It has it's own little bay, and there'll be a few screws holding in in place.

2. Same as above, in fact easier! One screw holding it in place, once you have the old one out just transfer the bracket onto the new one and reverse the procedure.
 
PCS

PCS

Administrator
Staff member
Looner said:
I would like to hear an answer these questions as well, please.
Click to expand...

1. The hard drive is easy to replace, it just involves removing a blanking plate on the underside of the laptop.

2. Again, this is relatively easy to replace. You would need to remove the cover on the underside of the laptop and take out a screw holding it in place, then replace.

We tested the Enigma III 520 today for battery life and under idle conditions it lasted 153 minutes, just over 2.5 hours. What was noted however is that this chassis does not support Nvidia Optimus technology, therefore this was using the GT 520M graphics card.

We will be testing the Enigma III 540 tomorrow but in the meantime assume that the 540 does not support Optimus technology.
 
PCS

PCS

Administrator
Staff member
It appears to be so yes, but we will confirm for definite tomorrow.
 
K

kyleblyth

Silver Level Poster
Video looks good :) so would probably get a short film out the Enigma III 520 or an hour or so of web surfing? assuming it will be a bit less on the 540
 
PCS

PCS

Administrator
Staff member
We're going to test the battery life when playing a DVD tomorrow, so we should be able to give you a more accurate answer then. :)
 
A

Ali-W

Member
Any updates on the tests for Enigma 540.

Also can you explain what the tests mean? Does it mean that the graphic card is not good? Or is it just a battery issue

Thanks
 
K

kyleblyth

Silver Level Poster
Might as well ask in here..Where do i cancel the the warrenty thing, it said i would be sent the details via email?! and that i cancel after the first month so i wouldnt be charged. I input my bank details and want to stop it so dont have to pay extra :) Thanks
 
PCS

PCS

Administrator
Staff member
Update: we tested the Enigma III 540 today and I can confirm that it does not support Optimus technology. However, the interesting thing is the battery: it lasted 3 hours 36 minutes playing muted DVD with Core i7 CPU & 8GB of RAM. :)
 
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