Is this spec TOO much?

[666]

Is this spec TOO much? UPDATED SPEC

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.

I am looking in to buying a totally configured laptop, but one of my friends think that I have gone WAY over the top with the spec.

I require the system mainly for gaming (running Skyrim on ULTRA settings with ZERO lag), web editing and general work. It also needs to be able to connect to 2 or 3 external monitors. I am not interested in the larger 17" models and in truth, I am trying to future proof the laptop.

The spec is based on the 15.6" Octane:

- Intel Core i7 Quad Core i7-4790k (4.0GHz) 8MB Cache
- 32GB Kingston Hyper-X Impact 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M - 8.0GB DDR 5 Video RAM
- 240GB Kingston HyperX Savage SSD SATA 6 Gb/s
- Second SSD. 1TB Samsung 850 EVO SSD 6 Gb/s

I do not require a Blu-Ray/DVD drive as I already have an external Samsung unit.

I made the thermal paste, wireless/bluetooth and warranty the best available. And have opted for Windows 7 64-Bit Professional. With all the above the total price (including VAT) is £1987.

Is this, as my friend thinks, totally over the top? And is it possible to swap components in the future to keep up with technology, if needed (such as graphics card, RAM, etc).

Any kind of help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to also call me insane for wanting to spend this sort of money on a laptop!

Thank you in advance.

666

 

[Stephen M]

16GB of RAM is more than enough for gaming and if you want to add another 16 at a later date it is a simple task. The 4790k is for overclocking, which you do not need to do, so the standard will be fine, although i5s are fine for gaming. What is your budget? The Samsung SSDs are great drives but for storage a high speed 7200rpm WD HDD is good enough.

 

[Xailter]

Hi 666,

Yes, you have way too much spec and could easily cut back on a lot of things and not lose much performance.

Suggested spec: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/defiance-15/op0fubWuaB/ (£1,384.00)

I think even this laptop is overkill, but it will certainly last you for a long time gaming. If you're doing an awful lot of web editing then maybe bump up to 16GB RAM. Also consider having a 120GB SSD and a 1TB hard drive as opposed to the 1TB SSD I put into the configuration as this would save you another couple of hundred pounds and you won't really notice the difference.

It is not usually possible to change laptop graphics cards, but I think PCS may offer it on some laptops. You can change the RAM, or add more at a later date, up to the maximum the laptop can support.

-X

 

[Stephen M]

This is the Octane: http://www.notebookcheck.net/One-K73-5N-Clevo-P771ZM-Notebook-Review.135088.0.html
There are some pics of the inside further down the review, the GPU can be changed on this model.

 

[SlimCini]

I'd get the review defiance for £1350

 

[666]

I'd get the review defiance for £1350

Thank you all for the advice!

Guess I won't be spending as much as I thought!

Is there a link to the Review Defiance? Or am I just being clearly stupid and you mean just buy the Defiance?

Any more tips would be great. Thanking you all for support.

 

[amoshi]

I'd get the review defiance for £1350

The review Defiance is 17.3" though.

Thank you all for the advice!

Guess I won't be spending as much as I thought!

Is there a link to the Review Defiance? Or am I just being clearly stupid and you mean just buy the Defiance?

Any more tips would be great. Thanking you all for support.

He means the one here http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/reviews/, unfortuantely it's 17.3".
These machines are discounted if you order them exactly as they are.

 

[666]

Deleted - Outdated Spec

 

[666]

Thank you all for the advice so far - greatly appreciated!

What is the opinion of the forum on this spec?

Chassis & Display Octane Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD IPS LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU) Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4790 (3.6GHz) 8MB Cache
Memory (RAM) 16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X IMPACT 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 970M - 6.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
2nd Graphics Card NONE
Memory - Hard Disk 250GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk 750GB WD BLACK 2.5" WD7500BPKX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE (7200 rpm)
mSATA/M.2 SSD Drive NONE
2nd mSATA/M.2 SSD Drive NONE
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive NONE
External DVD/BLU-RAY Drive NONE
Memory Card Reader Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
Thermal Paste ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® AC-7265 M.2 (867Mbps, 802.11AC) + BLUETOOTH
Wireless Router/HomePlugs NONE
USB Options 4 x USB 3.0 PORTS (1 x POWERED) + 1 e-SATA/USB 3.0 PORT COMBINED
Battery Octane Series 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (82WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor 1 x UK Power Lead & 230W AC Adaptor
Keyboard Language OCTANE SERIES BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
Operating System Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Windows 10 Upgrade FREE Upgrade to Windows 10 with all Windows 7 & Windows 8.1 Purchases*
DVD Recovery Media Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Carry Case NONE
Laptop Cooling Stands NONE
Stand-Alone Monitor NONE
Additional Keyboard NONE
Notebook Mouse INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Gaming Mouse Pad NONE
Game Streaming NONE
Games Controller NONE
External Speakers NONE
Webcam INTEGRATED 2.0 MP FULL HD WEBCAM
Headsets NONE
Surge Protection NONE
Printer NONE
External Hard Drive NONE
Warranty 3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Home Installation NONE
Dead Pixel Guarantee NONE
Insurance 1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days
Pricing Information
Price (excluding VAT) £1,204.17
Price £1,445.00

 

[Stephen M]

Looks fine, although I would say that as it is very similar to the one I have on order
If you wanted to save a few quid you could go for the Standard Kingston RAM, there is not much between the two and I doubt there would be a noticeable difference. You now have the wait from order to delivery, which seems 10 times longer than it really is. I am on day nine so far.

 

[666]

Looks fine, although I would say that as it is very similar to the one I have on order
If you wanted to save a few quid you could go for the Standard Kingston RAM, there is not much between the two and I doubt there would be a noticeable difference. You now have the wait from order to delivery, which seems 10 times longer than it really is. I am on day nine so far.

Thank you for the help Stephen!

Are you getting the system to run graphic intensive games/applications?

 

[Stephen M]

It will be for music recording, video work and a lot of multi-tasking with many windows open, including music player and a TV stream. My main programs, apart from Libre Office, will be Ardour, Gimp, Winff (a video converter), Sound Konverter and video editing software but not sure which yet.

 

[666]

High Spec Gaming Machine

Hi all.

I am considering the spec below for high end gaming. Main things are that I want to play Skyrim (with lots of mods/updates) and other, more recent, graphic intensive games at ULTRA level with ZERO lag. And is it possible to upgrade the RAM and GPU at a later date?

I was going to spend £2000 on a machine, but think that even by cutting £500 off I have definitely future-proofed myself.

Spec is:

Chassis & Display Octane Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD IPS LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU) Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4790 (3.6GHz) 8MB Cache
Memory (RAM) 16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X IMPACT 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 970M - 6.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
2nd Graphics Card NONE
Memory - Hard Disk 250GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk 750GB WD BLACK 2.5" WD7500BPKX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE (7200 rpm)
mSATA/M.2 SSD Drive NONE
2nd mSATA/M.2 SSD Drive NONE
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive NONE
External DVD/BLU-RAY Drive NONE
Memory Card Reader Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
Thermal Paste ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® AC-7265 M.2 (867Mbps, 802.11AC) + BLUETOOTH
Wireless Router/HomePlugs NONE
USB Options 4 x USB 3.0 PORTS (1 x POWERED) + 1 e-SATA/USB 3.0 PORT COMBINED
Battery Octane Series 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (82WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor 1 x UK Power Lead & 230W AC Adaptor
Keyboard Language OCTANE SERIES BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
Operating System Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Windows 10 Upgrade FREE Upgrade to Windows 10 with all Windows 7 & Windows 8.1 Purchases*
DVD Recovery Media Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Carry Case NONE
Laptop Cooling Stands NONE
Stand-Alone Monitor NONE
Additional Keyboard NONE
Notebook Mouse INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Gaming Mouse Pad NONE
Game Streaming NONE
Games Controller NONE
External Speakers NONE
Webcam INTEGRATED 2.0 MP FULL HD WEBCAM
Headsets NONE
Surge Protection NONE
Printer NONE
External Hard Drive NONE
Warranty 3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Home Installation NONE
Dead Pixel Guarantee NONE
Insurance 1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days
Pricing Information
Price (excluding VAT) £1,204.17
Price £1,445.00

Any thoughts?

 

[Stephen M]

Have you seen the Azure in the review section: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/reviews/

It is a great rig and highly discounted, you have to click the order now and take it as is, if you reconfigure you lose the discount but if you want to spend a bit extra you can always add stuff once you have it. It has the new Skylake CPU so will be more future proof than the rig above, although that looks decent as well.

 

[SlimCini]

Have you seen the Azure in the review section: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/reviews/

It is a great rig and highly discounted, you have to click the order now and take it as is, if you reconfigure you lose the discount but if you want to spend a bit extra you can always add stuff once you have it. It has the new Skylake CPU so will be more future proof than the rig above, although that looks decent as well.

He's after a laptop.

That laptop looks pricey for one that doesn't have a 980m in it. Planning in upgrading components in a laptop is a pricey affair and relies on bios upgrades which aren't always possible. Standalone mobile gpus often cost the earth too. Upgrading laptops is just a pita.

For your budget you should be fitting in a 980m

 

[Stephen M]

He's after a laptop.

I probably should have noticed that as I have contributed to this thread a few times. New glasses may be needed

 

[dethorpe]

Think the GPUs going to be more important than processor for high end gaming, I'd go for the GTX 980m graphics, and drop the processer down a notch if needed to keep within budget.

I've just ordered a 15.6 Vortex IV with GTX 980m and i7-4810MQ as development and gaming machine, which hoping wil be more than enough for foreseeable future.