Laptop cases and keyboards

[jubei]

Hi guys,

I have only just discovered this website and love what I am seeing price/service wise. However i would like some peoples opinions on the laptop cases supplied here.

I understand the cases are Clevo cases, but i have no idea what this really means to the end user having never owned a laptop. Judging by the pictures they look quite plain which i actually like, but i cant tell if they are a brushed metal or a plastic chassis? Do they look/feel like quality or are they not very highly regarded in comparison to for example a dell xps L502x?

Guess i am really just curious about the build quality and aesthetics along with portability?

Also what are the keyboards like to type on, are they spongy? Also are there any backlit keyboards or are they just normal keys as i cant really make it out from the pictures.

Thanks all

Rob

 

[Music Guy123]

There aren't any backlit keyboards. The cases are plastic, with a brushed metal finish but this varies from case to case, some of the 15" ones have a weird texture. Take a look at the reveiws in the 'show of your pc' section. You can see what each individual chassis is like. The aesthetics in general aren't great but the build quality is very good. The keyboards are generally known to be nice to type on. As I said before, have a look at some reviews of previously bought products to get an idea. What build are you looking at? Post your spec here, we will try and help you with it!

 

[jubei]

Well main use would(should ) be programming. But i move around a lot between my house and girlfriends so portability is a factor. Was thinking of the 15" laptop with 1080p and not too sure on the diff between screens.

Second use would be some gaming, as my pc is getting a little long in the tooth now (Q6600, 4gig, sata hdd and a 5850 gfx). As i dont use it that much now due to always being at the g/f was thinking of getting a laptop capable of some decent gaming, for ssf4ae, wow, diablo3 when comes out etc. So where i was initially looking at the optimus with the 555 as seems to be common in 'gaming' laptops, have since been looking at the vortex for a 560+. Ideally wanna keep the price under a grand, but at the same time it needs to last me a good few years.

Will check out those reviews thanks

 

[Music Guy123]

Well, this would be a good start:

Chassis & Display
Vortex II: 15.6" 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
1.5GB nVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560M - DirectX® 11 (15.6" Vortex II)
Memory - Hard Disk
500GB SEAGATE MOMENTUS, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE (7200 rpm)
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 (£9)
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
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
Vortex Series 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (5,200 mAh/76.96WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 180W AC Adaptor
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Keyboard Language
INTEGRATED 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)
Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £1,069.00 including VAT and delivery.

Configure Here: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/vortexII-15/

Here is a good review of a similarly specced laptop: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/forum...S-Vortex-II-15-Review&highlight=Vortex+review

 

[jubei]

Dont want to keep making new threads so will just ask this here. How 'big' is a 17" laptop? Have been speccing up a vortex with a 6990m card in it for roughly 1500 but am undecided on matte/gloss screen, and the 17 vs 15. All i can think is...its 2 inches, how is that suddenly lacking portability? lol. But having never really used many laptops i have no hands on knowledge of the subject.

Is it a bad idea to have a 6990 in a 15" due to heat or is it fine? Which screens are generally better for normal day to day use, primarily programming and some gaming?

As for the chassis, which is the nicer looking of the 2?

Cheers

 

[Music Guy123]

The chassis size will have a little effect on cooling. Personally i would go for the 17" screen but it really is personal preference. I would go for the bigger screen as you get another hdd bay and I love the bigger screen. Have a look in the detailed spec to see dimensions and weight that way you can figure our if it is portable. I do think they are but it is your choice.