Hi, I'm getting a new laptop because my desktop PC is getting a bit long in the tooth, but I don't want to replace it just yet because I still use a lot of older programs. But after searching the net for days, then finding this site and looking here for days, I'm still undecided on which laptop to go for.
What I want it for is mostly multimedia, watching and editing video, so the screen quality is very important, but it also needs to do normal computing work as I slowly move from my old PC, so the quality of the keyboard is also important. Finally, I want to play some games on it, though mostly not FPS games. I'll be playing older games like Oblivion and Fallout 3, but I also hope to get Skyrim when it comes out. Maxing out games isn't that important to me though.
My initial thought is to go for the Optimus II with the following configuration:
Chassis & Display Optimus II: 17.3" Glossy Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU) Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-2670QM (2.20GHz) 6MB
Memory (RAM) 8GB SAMSUNG 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card nVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M - 2GB DDR3 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - 1st Hard Disk 750GB WD SCORPIO BLACK WD7500BPKT, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE
(7200 rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive 8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)
Memory Card Reader Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)
Thermal Paste ARCTIC COOLING MX-3 HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND (£9)
Sound Card Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Network Facilities GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS 802.11N CARD INC. BLUETOOTH 3.0
USB Options 2 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS AS STANDARD
Battery Optimus Series 6 Cell Lithium-ION Battery - 48.85WH
Power Lead & Adaptor 1 x UK Power Lead & 90W Adaptor (GT 540M) / 120W Adaptor (GT 555M)
Operating System Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£109)
Office Software NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Mouse LOGITECH WIRELESS MOUSE M305 (£27)
Webcam INTEGRATED 1.3 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty 3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
(£5)
Delivery STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Is this adequate for what I want (especially the gpu and cpu), or is it even overkill? How does the screen and the keyboard on the Optimus II compare to the Vortex II? Finally, could I drop down to a 15.6" screen, being used to a 19" monitor? (I know that's a subjective judgement, but my budget could stretch to the 15" Vortex II if necessary, but not the 17").
I should also have mentioned: How does the audio compare between the Optimus and Vortex? Will I need speakers to get decent sound?
What I want it for is mostly multimedia, watching and editing video, so the screen quality is very important, but it also needs to do normal computing work as I slowly move from my old PC, so the quality of the keyboard is also important. Finally, I want to play some games on it, though mostly not FPS games. I'll be playing older games like Oblivion and Fallout 3, but I also hope to get Skyrim when it comes out. Maxing out games isn't that important to me though.
My initial thought is to go for the Optimus II with the following configuration:
Chassis & Display Optimus II: 17.3" Glossy Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU) Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-2670QM (2.20GHz) 6MB
Memory (RAM) 8GB SAMSUNG 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card nVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M - 2GB DDR3 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - 1st Hard Disk 750GB WD SCORPIO BLACK WD7500BPKT, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE
(7200 rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive 8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)
Memory Card Reader Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)
Thermal Paste ARCTIC COOLING MX-3 HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND (£9)
Sound Card Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Network Facilities GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS 802.11N CARD INC. BLUETOOTH 3.0
USB Options 2 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS AS STANDARD
Battery Optimus Series 6 Cell Lithium-ION Battery - 48.85WH
Power Lead & Adaptor 1 x UK Power Lead & 90W Adaptor (GT 540M) / 120W Adaptor (GT 555M)
Operating System Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£109)
Office Software NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Mouse LOGITECH WIRELESS MOUSE M305 (£27)
Webcam INTEGRATED 1.3 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty 3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
(£5)
Delivery STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Is this adequate for what I want (especially the gpu and cpu), or is it even overkill? How does the screen and the keyboard on the Optimus II compare to the Vortex II? Finally, could I drop down to a 15.6" screen, being used to a 19" monitor? (I know that's a subjective judgement, but my budget could stretch to the 15" Vortex II if necessary, but not the 17").
I should also have mentioned: How does the audio compare between the Optimus and Vortex? Will I need speakers to get decent sound?
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