Optimus V configuration - any good?

V

VicD

Member
Hi, I need a laptop for work. It has to be at least 2.1ghz processing speed and ideally 2.9ghz. I won't be putting anything on it except my work software. Can I have some feedback on the spec below? I haven't a clue about the
SSD and hard drive options. Do I need SSD and how much hard drive is ideal?

Thanks.

Chassis & Display
Optimus Series: 13.3" Matte Full HD LED IPS Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Dual Core Mobile Processor i7-4610M (3.0GHz) 4MB
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 765M - 2.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Free Item
FREE £90 IN-GAME VOUCHER with GTX 650 / 750 /7000M / 8000M Series GPUs
Memory - Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
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 (£9)
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® ULTIMATE N-6300 (450Mbps)
USB Options
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Battery
13.3" Optimus Series 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (62.16WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 120W AC Adaptor
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Keyboard Language
13.3" OPTIMUS SERIES BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 2.0 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
FAST TRACK 5 WORKING DAY DISPATCH (£39)
Quantity
1

Price: £989.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/optimusV-13/UeOJkUDWrk/
 
mantadog

mantadog

Superhero Level Poster
To answer how much HDD space is idea is a very difficult thing. I have a 1Tb HDD that sits, 30-40% with loads of stuff I can delete if needed. But I don't have a huge music collection, many videos or photos stored. I only have a fee games installed at once and rarely install extra software. So in reality I could get away with a 500GB HDD or even less.

What exactly is your work? I would swap that dual core i7 for a quadcore, even though it looks slower, its not. The clock speed isn't all that important these days, more cores = better, that is unless your software is single threaded (read as old).

if its just work, you might not need that much GPU power, I don't know, depends on your type of work.
 
V

VicD

Member
Thanks for your reply. I'm a stenographer. I will only have Word, PDF printer, Adobe and my steno software on the computer. I never have films or games etc. I've put the system requirements from the software website below.

"Hardware & Operating System Recommendations:
Current versions of Total Eclipse will run on computers with at least two gigabytes of RAM; a USB port; Windows XP or above; Internet access; and a hard disk.
As a practical matter, we recommend computers running at 2 Ghz or above with at least 4 gigabytes of RAM. The faster the processor, the better. The more RAM, the better. Multiple USB ports are recommended. A serial port is sometimes required for realtime connection to older client computers or stenographic writers. Since most notebook computers no longer include serial ports, a serial adapter (PC card or USB) is typically installed for this purpose. PC cards tend to be more reliable.
Some inexpensive notebook computers have low-quality ports, which may create problems with printing, audio recording and playback, communications, and/or software protection devices. We recommend business-class notebook computers"
 
mantadog

mantadog

Superhero Level Poster
Those requirements are very low indeed, I think you have over specced your machine somewhat. Have a look at this spec and see if you like it.

Chassis & Display
SkyFire: 14" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i3 Dual Core Mobile Processor i3-4100M (2.50GHz) 3MB More than matches the minimum requirement for that software, clock speed is a poor indictor of performance these days, if you do want to go for an i7 then get the quadcore i7, the 3Ghz dual core is way over priced for what you get
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON SODIMM DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB) 8GB is plenty, no need for 16
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 850M - 2.0GB DDR3 Video RAM - DirectX® 11Nice low end GPU the 765m is more of a gaming card, you don't even need a GPU really.
Free Item
FREE £90 IN-GAME VOUCHER with GTX 650 / 750 /7000M / 8000M Series GPUs
Memory - Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW) Should be fine if its just for work, windows is 40Gb that leaves you about 60GB to play with once its formatted. So if you have less than 60Gb then your fine.

Price: £690.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/SkyFireIII-14/0g3Mm77DVm/

OR


Chassis & Display
UltraNote: 14" Glossy HD LED Backlit Widescreen (1366x768) Lower res screen, but at this size it wont be too noticeable at all.
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i3 Dual Core Mobile Processor i3-4100M (2.50GHz) 3MB
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON SODIMM DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
INTEL® HD GRAPHICS MEDIA ACCELERATOR 4600
Memory - Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)

Price: £497.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/ultraNoteII-14/3dajKqdd9B/

The 1st is a better chassis, higher quality with slightly better components, well ... just the GPU is different and the screen really. the 2nd one is going to perform just as well for our needs, just a question of how much your happy to spend. Oh yeah and theyre both 14 inch... that .7 inch might make a difference to you I don't know....
 
V

VicD

Member
I did look at the 14" laptops, but I can't not get something with 3 USB 3s, 1 USB 2 and a VGA output - I've not seen that elsewhere in such a small laptop. I always need at least 3 USBs when I'm working, or 2 and a VGA.

If I get the 240/480 Kingston HyperX - is this a solid state drive that Windows and programmes will boot up onto? If I have that do I need to have a mSATA SSD drive? Sorry if that's an obvious question but I've never done this before.

Thanks for your advice so far, it's much appreciated.
 
mantadog

mantadog

Superhero Level Poster
mSATA and a 'normal' SSD are both exactly the same as far as you are concerned as a user. If you just grab a single SSD it will work just fine, the only downside is the if it fails you loose everything, but they are more reliable than a traditional HDD so its not too much of a concern, but as always just keep everything backed up. The OS + all files and applications will run just fine from a single drive.

if you must have the 13 inch chassis then its fine so long as you change the CPU to the 4710MQ. It is by miles a faster chip than the 3GHZ dual core i7 you have. if you swap the CPU and grab the 240GB Kingston hyper x it costs about the same price for a very capable laptop. If you happy with the overall spend then it looks good, my specs are just as powerful but cheaper, however if you must have the connectivity then this is your only option I guess
 
V

VicD

Member
Could I have your views on this one? I've changed the CPU and hard disk.

Chassis & Display
Optimus Series: 13.3" Matte Full HD LED IPS Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-4910MQ (2.90GHz) 8MB
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 765M - 2.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Free Item
FREE £90 IN-GAME VOUCHER with GTX 650 / 750 /7000M / 8000M Series GPUs
Memory - Hard Disk
480GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 450MB/sW)
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 (£9)
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® ULTIMATE N-6300 (450Mbps)
USB Options
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Battery
13.3" Optimus Series 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (62.16WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 120W AC Adaptor
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Keyboard Language
13.3" OPTIMUS SERIES BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
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
FAST TRACK 5 WORKING DAY DISPATCH (£39)
Quantity
1

Price: £1,359.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/optimusV-13/IP2jpbCuZw/
 
V

VicD

Member
Before I click "buy"....

I'd appreciate final thoughts on this spec. It's for work, I need a small laptop with as many USBs as I can and a VGA output. I've got the CPU on mantadog's advice. Is there anything between the Samsung and the Kingston SSDs for the hard drive?


The specification below has been formatted so you can easily copy and paste this to our forums when discussing your specification. Once you've copied the specification, please click here to continue.


Chassis & Display
Optimus Series: 13.3" Matte Full HD LED IPS Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-4710MQ (2.50GHz) 6MB
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 765M - 2.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - Hard Disk
480GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 450MB/sW)
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 (£9)
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + 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
Battery
13.3" Optimus Series 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (62.16WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 120W AC Adaptor
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Keyboard Language
13.3" OPTIMUS SERIES BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
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
Data Recovery
1 x Hard Drive Data Recovery Service - Protect 1 Hard Drive Against Failure (£29)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
FAST TRACK 5 WORKING DAY DISPATCH (£39)
Quantity
1

Price: £1,166.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/optimusV-13/Vjk_CRM2oG/
 
mantadog

mantadog

Superhero Level Poster
From an everyday practical standpoint the SSD's will mostly be the same. You would never be able to tell which one you had, I'd go for the Samsung as its significantly cheaper and is a very well reviewed drive. 6 and half a dozen though.
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
You don't need to open a new thread, you could continue with the old one so others know what you intended use is. Same advice as mantadog, i7-4710mq and 8gb ram.
 
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