First ever gaming laptop, excited..

[AnthonyRob91]

Just ordered this a few days ago and its currently 'processing' and on the second working day and time needs to hurry up!! On my old laptop i only really used it for Football Manager, but i want to start playing more demanding games such as CoD, Battlefield, Skyrim and abit of PES..

I'm just wondering how the laptop will hold up? Also i've seen a lot of members on here recommending cooling fans, are they only recommended when the laptop is located on a desk(or other flat surface)? as i don't really have a gaming desk in my room its too cluttered i just have my laptop on me lap usually, so will a cooling fan be no good on my lap?

Another thing is my two hard drives, the first which is the 240GB KINGSTON SSD and the second which is the 1TB WD SCORPIO BLUE. What should i put on each hard drive? like is there certain things i should definatly have on the SSD such as games and other demanding programmes? and then just music and movies etc on the second?

Also what are the strong and weak components in my laptop?

Chassis & Display Optimus Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU) Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-4900MQ (2.80GHz) 8MB
Memory (RAM) 12GB SAMSUNG 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (3 x 4GB)
Graphics Card NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 765M - 2.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
1st Hard Disk 240GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk 1TB WD SCORPIO BLUE WD10JPVX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 8MB CACHE (5400 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 MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Network Facilities GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® N135 802.11N (150Mbps) + BLUETOOTHUSB Options
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Battery Optimus Series 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (5,200 mAh/76.96WH)
Power Cable 1 x UK Power Lead & 120W AC Adaptor
Operating System Genuine Windows 8 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence
DVD Recovery Media Windows 8 (64-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Keyboard Language OPTIMUS SERIES UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
Mouse INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam INTEGRATED 2.0 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty 3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Dead Pixel Guarantee 1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Intel Anti-Theft Technology FREE 90 Day Intel Anti-Theft Trial - Prevent Data Access upon Theft
Delivery STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time Standard Build - Approximately 11 to 13 working days

Basically im looking for ANY help and set up tips for when my laptop arrives because im an absolute noob and probably a nightmare for people like you lot!

 

[keynes]

I'm just wondering how the laptop will hold up?

Check benchmarks online for the GTX 765m

Also i've seen a lot of members on here recommending cooling fans, are they only recommended when the laptop is located on a desk(or other flat surface)? as i don't really have a gaming desk in my room its too cluttered i just have my laptop on me lap usually, so will a cooling fan be no good on my lap?

You definitely need a cooling fan for your lap.

Another thing is my two hard drives, the first which is the 240GB KINGSTON SSD and the second which is the 1TB WD SCORPIO BLUE. What should i put on each hard drive? like is there certain things i should definatly have on the SSD such as games and other demanding programmes? and then just music and movies etc on the second?

It is up to you, I would put games on the scorpio blue. I would have chosen a scorpio black instead.

How much did you spend? The cpu is overkill if you are just gaming.

 

[AnthonyRob91]

spent about £1100 i think which is probably alot for what it is? im hoping it will last a while though, and yeah its mainly for gaming but i use photoshop and do abit of video editing. is overkill a bad thing in terms of damage to the laptop or just a waste of money on my behalf?

how upgradable are the optimus v laptops? or are they not at all?

 

[keynes]

spent about £1100 i think which is probably alot for what it is? im hoping it will last a while though, and yeah its mainly for gaming but i use photoshop and do abit of video editing. is overkill a bad thing in terms of damage to the laptop or just a waste of money on my behalf?

how upgradable are the optimus v laptops? or are they not at all?

You can't upgrade the GPU with an optimus laptop, considering how much you are spending I would have chosen a Vortex IV LE with a better gpu if it is mainly for gaming.
By overkill I meant that the increase in clock speed of the processor is small but a significant rise in price, it won't damage your laptop but it is just too expensive for what it offers in my opinion.

 

[AnthonyRob91]

OK thanks well i can only blame myself for that, suppose i just wanted the highest clock speed there was when really i probably wont use that much haha my bad!! next time i build one il probably be more clued up.

ive been looking at the benchmark for the gtx 765m and it means nothing to me sorry im such an idiot, will i only be able to play with like low graphics etc?

also how long do you think i will get out of the laptop if looking after it well..

 

[keynes]

You need to look at the fps and resolution, the native resolution of your laptop is 1920x1080 and you should be aiming for anything above 30fps. For Tomb raider you could get 31.7fps at ultra but for Far Cry 3 you get only 13.8 fps which means you would need to lower the settings and resolution slightly.
http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-765M.92907.0.html
For your budget I would go with the vortex IV LE with the gtx 770m which is a better gpu.

 

[AnthonyRob91]

ok cheers mate thanks for the info, its too late now ive already ordered it!!

 

[hexem]

ok cheers mate thanks for the info, its too late now ive already ordered it!!

If it's in processing then you could probably still call up and have them change it over for a new model as recommended, the GPU is going to be the limiting factor and the CPU is not going to give you an increase to performance when gaming, it's best to get it right from the get go as laptops are not easily upgraded once built.

 

[AnthonyRob91]

It says pre production, probably too late for any amending

 

[Rakk]

It says pre production, probably too late for any amending

Up until the QA (afaik) stage you can change bits and pieces, though if you're in building or later you will get charged an admin fee for changing stuff - given that a 'take apart again and rebuild' would be involved, but given you're still in pre-prod you can change stuff for free.

 

[AnthonyRob91]

so whilst its in pre production now I can change bits and pieces? I'm abit gutted I've just customized a vortex IV and upgraded the graphic card and nocked down the processor abit and the cost is about the same, wish I could start again now and pick that one

 

[AnthonyRob91]

or I could cancel my order and start again?

 

[keynes]

or I could cancel my order and start again?

If you are not happy with your order you could cancel and re-order.

 

[AnthonyRob91]

Should I cancel my order for this..

Ok basically I rushed into customizing my laptop because I was excited like an idiot and last night received a bit of advice regarding my laptop. I got told that basically the processor I chosen was too much and I won't really need that a processor that high and also that my graphics card could be abit higher for gaming.. So I fiddled about customizing again trying to see what I could do and I nocked down my processor speed abit and upgraded the gpu, and now I'm caught in two minds over canceling my standing order for another model.

This is what I have on order at the moment:

Chassis & Display Optimus Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU) Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-4900MQ (2.80GHz) 8MB
Memory (RAM) 12GB SAMSUNG 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (3 x 4GB)
Graphics Card NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 765M - 2.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
2nd Graphics Card NONE
Memory - 1st Hard Disk 240GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk 1TB WD SCORPIO BLUE WD10JPVX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 8MB CACHE (5400 rpm)
RAID NONE
SSD CACHE DRIVE NONE
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 MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Network Facilities GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® N135 802.11N (150Mbps) + BLUETOOTH
Wireless Router NONE
USB Options 3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Battery Optimus Series 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (5,200 mAh/76.96WH)
Power Cable 1 x UK Power Lead & 120W AC Adaptor
Operating System Genuine Windows 8 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence
DVD Recovery Media Windows 8 (64-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Laptop Cooling Stands NONE
Carry Case NONE
Monitor NONE
Keyboard Language OPTIMUS SERIES UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
Keyboard & Mouse NONE
Mouse INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Gaming Mouse Pad NONE
Speakers NONE
Webcam INTEGRATED 2.0 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Headsets NONE
Surge Protection NONE
Printer NONE
External Hard Drive NONE
Warranty 3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Home Installation NONE
Dead Pixel Guarantee 1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Intel Anti-Theft Technology FREE 90 Day Intel Anti-Theft Trial - Prevent Data Access upon Theft
Insurance NONE
Data Recovery NONE
Delivery STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time Standard Build - Approximately 11 to 13 working days
Pricing Information
Price (excluding VAT) £1,160.00
Price £1,392.00
Order Quantity 1
Bulk Discount £0.00
Total Order price (Ex VAT) £1,160.00
Total Order Price £1,392.00

and I'm just wondering weather it will be worth canceling the optimus v and sacrificing abit if processor speed and then paying another £260 for the upgraded gpu, ram and also a sexy backlit keyboard in this vortex IV:

Chassis & Display Vortex Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU) Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-4700MQ (2.40GHz) 6MB
Memory (RAM) 16GB SAMSUNG 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 780M - 4.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
2nd Graphics Card NONE
Memory - 1st Hard Disk 240GB KINGSTON V300 SSD, SATA 6 Gb (450MB/R, 450MB/W)
2nd Hard Disk 1TB WD SCORPIO BLUE WD10JPVX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 8MB CACHE (5400 rpm)
RAID NONE
SSD CACHE DRIVE NONE
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 MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card Intel 5.1 Channel High Definition Audio + SPDIF/MIC/Headphone Jack
Network Facilities GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® N135 802.11N (150Mbps) + BLUETOOTH
Wireless Router NONE
USB Options 3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Firewire 1 X 1394a FIREWIRE PORT
Battery Vortex Series 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (5,200 mAh/76.96WH)
Power Cable 1 x UK Power Lead & 230W AC Adaptor
Operating System Genuine Windows 8 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence
DVD Recovery Media Windows 8 (64-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Laptop Cooling Stands NONE
Carry Case NONE
Monitor NONE
Keyboard Language INTEGRATED BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
Keyboard & Mouse NONE
Mouse INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Gaming Mouse Pad NONE
Speakers NONE
Webcam INTEGRATED 2.0 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Headsets NONE
Surge Protection NONE
Printer NONE
External Hard Drive NONE
Warranty 3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Home Installation NONE
Dead Pixel Guarantee 1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Intel Anti-Theft Technology FREE 90 Day Intel Anti-Theft Trial - Prevent Data Access upon Theft
Insurance 1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Data Recovery NONE
Delivery STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time Standard Build - Approximately 11 to 13 working days
Pricing Information
Price (excluding VAT) £1,375.00
Price £1,650.00

what do you guys think, I just want it to be a solid gaming laptop and not have a bit of a weak link in the gpu, so I dont mind paying the extra if that what it takes..

 

[keynes]

what do you guys think, I just want it to be a solid gaming laptop and not have a bit of a weak link in the gpu, so I dont mind paying the extra if that what it takes..

In the review section you can get the Vortex IV with the GTX 780m for £1449.
http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/reviews/

Chassis & Display
Vortex Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-4700MQ (2.40GHz) 6MB
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 780M - 4.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON V300 SSD, SATA 6 Gb (450MB/R, 450MB/W)
2nd Hard Disk
750GB WD SCORPIO BLACK WD7500BPKX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE (7200 rpm)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
6x BLURAY ROM, 8x DVD ±R/±RW & CYBERLINK SOFTWARE
Memory Card Reader
Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
Intel 5.1 Channel High Definition Audio + SPDIF/MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & KILLER™ 1202 WIRELESS GAMING 802.11N + BLUETOOTH 4.0
USB Options
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Firewire
1 X 1394a FIREWIRE PORT
Battery
Vortex Series 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (5,200 mAh/76.96WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 230W AC Adaptor
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Keyboard Language
INTEGRATED BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 2.0 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Intel Anti-Theft Technology
FREE 90 Day Intel Anti-Theft Trial - Prevent Data Access upon Theft
Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 11 to 13 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £1,449.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/vortexIV-17/JR70bgTLq4/
16gb RAM is not needed for gaming.
Whether you cancel your order or not depends on you, if it is for gaming you will benefit from a better gpu.

 

[AnthonyRob91]

Just checked that out, the OS is windows 7 and not 8, and to get it for that price you have to have the exact spec it mentions, any amending and you lose that quote which is abit crap

 

[keynes]

Just checked that out, the OS is windows 7 and not 8, and to get it for that price you have to have the exact spec it mentions, any amending and you lose that quote which is abit crap

It is a reviewed spec with a heavy discount, I think you are able to request the change of OS once you place your order and warranty but nothing more. I don't see anything wrong with the review spec, pretty good value for money as it is.

 

[AnthonyRob91]

yeah im gonna go for it mate ive requested the team to cancel my current order and as soon as thats gone through i will attempt to fast track my new vortex, thanks for all your help!!