Please give me advice before I spend a LOT of cash!

[666]

Hi all,

Thinking about this laptop. Would love/need to use graphic intensive games and somehow future-proof myself a bit.

Any thoughts on the spec below would be hugely appreciated:

Chassis & Display
Defiance Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD IPS LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Processor 6700HQ (2.6GHz, 3.5GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB HyperX IMPACT 2133MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1070 - 8.0GB GDDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1, G-SYNC
FREE GEARS OF WAR 4 with select GTX 10 Series GPUs!
Memory - Hard Disk
240GB KINGSTON UV400 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (550MB/R, 490MB/W)
2nd Hard Disk
960GB HyperX SAVAGE 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Def. Audio + MIC/Headphone + SoundBlaster X-Fi MB3
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & KILLER™ WIRELESS-AC 1535 M.2 GAMING 802.11AC + BLUETOOTH 4.1
USB Options
3 x USB 3.1 Type A, 2 x USB 3.1 Type C AS STANDARD
Battery
Defiance Series 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (60WH)
Keyboard Language
DEFIANCE SERIES RGB BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 2.0 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
QTY
1
£1,594.17ex VAT
£1,913.00inc VAT and Delivery
Current average lead time for this laptop: 14 working days
Current average lead time for other laptops: 8 to 10 working days

 

[mantadog]

Presuming its for gaming it looks pretty solid, but anything at that price would I guess. Unless you are actively looking to save cash or want advice on a desktop equivalent then I don't see anything to add.

 

[Oussebon]

Memory - Hard Disk
240GB KINGSTON UV400 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (550MB/R, 490MB/W)
2nd Hard Disk
960GB HyperX SAVAGE 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)

The UV400 is slower than the HyperX Savage, but I assume as it's the smaller drive that it will be where you put the OS. It would probably count as a rather unconventional choice to have the slower drive for the OS and programs.

You might consider removing the UV400 and going with the 256gb Samsung NVMe PM961 instead (under the M.2 SSD dropdown menu). It only adds £25 to the build which for speeds of "Up to 2800MB/s Read and Up to 1100MB/s Write" is probably worth it.

You might consider the better thermal paste, given that it's a pretty powerful spec to have in a 15.6" chassis.

 

[666]

The UV400 is slower than the HyperX Savage, but I assume as it's the smaller drive that it will be where you put the OS. It would probably count as a rather unconventional choice to have the slower drive for the OS and programs.

You might consider removing the UV400 and going with the 256gb Samsung NVMe PM961 instead (under the M.2 SSD dropdown menu). It only adds £25 to the build which for speeds of "Up to 2800MB/s Read and Up to 1100MB/s Write" is probably worth it.

You might consider the better thermal paste, given that it's a pretty powerful spec to have in a 15.6" chassis.

Thank you for the help and advice.

So the updated spec is now as follows:

Chassis & Display Defiance Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD IPS LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU) Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Processor 6700HQ (2.6GHz, 3.5GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM) 16GB HyperX IMPACT 2133MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1070 - 8.0GB GDDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1, G-SYNC
Memory - Hard Disk NOT REQUIRED
2nd Hard Disk 960GB HyperX SAVAGE 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)
M.2 SSD Drive 256GB SAMSUNG PM961 M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 2800MB/R, 1100MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive NOT REQUIRED
Memory Card Reader Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
AC Adaptor 1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable 1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Thermal Paste ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card Intel 2 Channel High Def. Audio + MIC/Headphone + SoundBlaster X-Fi MB3
Bluetooth & Wireless GIGABIT LAN & KILLER™ WIRELESS-AC 1535 M.2 GAMING 802.11AC + BLUETOOTH 4.1
USB Options 3 x USB 3.1 Type A, 2 x USB 3.1 Type C AS STANDARD
Battery Defiance Series 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (60WH)
Keyboard Language DEFIANCE SERIES RGB BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence
Operating System Language United Kingdom - English Language
DVD Recovery Media Windows 10 (64-bit) Home DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Notebook Mouse INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam INTEGRATED 2.0 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty 3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Pricing Information

Price (excluding VAT) £1,618.33
Price £1,942.00
Order Quantity 1
Bulk Discount £0.00
Total Order price (Ex VAT) £1,618.33
Total Order Price £1,942.00

I am assuming that this set up will future proof me and also allow flawless gaming (high end graphics)?

I am trying to future-proof myself to some extent, and hopefully this has achieved that. Can components be changed in the future? Such as graphics card?

Lastly, is there anything else or laptop (15.6") that I should consider?

Sorry for all the questions, but I am looking at spending quite a lot and all of your comments/help have been great so far!

Thank you all.

 

[Oussebon]

Can components be changed in the future? Such as graphics card?

No. Things like memory and storage can be upgraded fairly easily, but I believe the CPU and GPU are soldered. That said, even on laptops where the components like the CPU and GPU can be removed it doesn't necessarily mean that newer models will be compatible - there are plenty of people who might have hoped to upgrade to the 1000 series GPUs from older models who cannot.

While future-proofing isn't an exact science, a GTX 1070 ought to be powerful enough to run most games on very high settings at 1080p for a while to come: http://tinyurl.com/j9rqv3o

 

[666]

No. Things like memory and storage can be upgraded fairly easily, but I believe the CPU and GPU are soldered. That said, even on laptops where the components like the CPU and GPU can be removed it doesn't necessarily mean that newer models will be compatible - there are plenty of people who might have hoped to upgrade to the 1000 series GPUs from older models who cannot.

While future-proofing isn't an exact science, a GTX 1070 ought to be powerful enough to run most games on very high settings at 1080p for a while to come: http://tinyurl.com/j9rqv3o

As ever, thank you for the advice Oussebon!

Am I being a bit hasty with the possible purchase of this laptop? Or is it good enough to last?

I have the most comprehensive warranty (Gold) in case of failure, but obviously I will be using the laptop with cooling stands to attempt to prevent overheating, which I have been told could be an issue with this spec? And I really cannot see a reason to look at the Octane III (the weight alone is 1kg more).

Finally, is there anything you would change or go with this? Or wait in case of deductions in the coming 3-4 weeks?

Once again, please forgive my questions, I just dont want to do something I will regret.

 

[Oussebon]

I'm not sure if PCS do Black Friday deals and stuff. I think I've read on these forums somewhere that "They don't because they have low prices all year round!" (slight cringe). It's also possible prices will (continue to) increase with the situation of the £.

I believe the chassis will be fine with the components you've selected. Gaming laptops aren't known for being cool or quiet, but I don't see that the temps would kill your laptop.

Am I being a bit hasty with the possible purchase of this laptop? Or is it good enough to last?

There's only so much you can really choose with a laptop. You want a 15.6" laptop. You don't want an Octane so your CPU choice is kinda made for you. You have a choice of GTX 1060 or GTX 1070 - and the 1070 is a lot better and you seem willing to spend the cash on it. Other than that it's just quantity of RAM (the answer is always "16gb for gaming") and storage.

It's not like a desktop where you can agonise for days over the motherboard, USB 3.1 options, CPU coolers, the case, etc.

If you don't need your secondary storage to be an SSD you could get a WD Blue instead that's £200 cheaper and you'd still have a spare bay to install another SSD/HDD into in future if you wanted that. I've seen decent enough 1TB SSDs on sale for under £200 before.

 

[mantadog]

I have been here quite a number of years now and have never know PCS to do a special black Friday deal, well I think last year they did £15 off for like 12 hours but that's not something you cant get anyway if you know where to look.

 

[666]

FINAL advice before spending just over £2k on a laptop!

Hi once again ladies and gents.

Can I please have some advice on this spec for what I think is my final build for my laptop.

Before I proceed, can I say thank you to Oussebon and Mantadog for their previous help!

Build is as follows:

Chassis & Display
Defiance Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD IPS LED Widescreen (1920x1080)

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Processor 6700HQ (2.6GHz, 3.5GHz Turbo)

Memory (RAM)
16GB HyperX IMPACT 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 16GB)

Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1070 - 8.0GB GDDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1, G-SYNC

1st Hard Disk
NOT REQUIRED

2nd Hard Disk
960GB HyperX SAVAGE 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)

M.2 SSD Drive
256GB SAMSUNG SM961 M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3100MB/R, 1400MB/W)

1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED

Memory Card Reader
Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)

Power Supply
2 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
2 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)

Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND

Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Def. Audio + MIC/Headphone + SoundBlaster X-Fi MB3

Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN & KILLER™ WIRELESS-AC 1535 M.2 GAMING 802.11AC + BLUETOOTH 4.1

USB Options
3 x USB 3.1 Type A, 2 x USB 3.1 Type C AS STANDARD

Battery
Defiance Series 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (60WH)

Keyboard Language
DEFIANCE SERIES RGB BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD

Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence

Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
DVD Recovery Media
Windows 10 (64-bit) Home DVD with paper sleeve

Office Software
Microsoft® Office 365 Home Premium (12 Month Subscription)

Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode

Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

£2,117 (inc VAT)

I have compared the Definance III to the Octance III, and apart from weight, cannot see reasons to get the Octance (weight is 1kg more alone).

Now, the dreaded questions:

• Is there a difference between the Display Port and Mini Display Port? Totally unclear on how this works, but have used multiple screens in the past and want to continue to have the chance to use 2/3 when need arises.
• Is it possible to install a CD/DVD drive in the spare bay?
• Is Thunderbolt REALLY needed, or would I just be paying for a new bit of tech that I wouldnt utilise (Octance Series)?
• Is Win10 Pro really needed in favour of Win10 Home? I did upgrade previous version of Win7 just to have Virtual XP Desktop.
• The XBox Wireless Adapter will work on this rig, if I am not mistaken?
• Any/much difference in speakers? Although I will mostly be using this via jack connection to my home media.

Once again, I thank any and all of you for any help and suggestions with this.

I have been told that this is a VERY high end machine that will run Extreme Game Graphics (which is one thing I want) and this build will future-proof me for a while to come. I have opted for 2 power supplies to prevent the need for carrying them around. Not that worried about Anti-Virus as I already use BullGuard, but have been told that there are better Free Anti-Virus which I will investigate.

I just really do not want to do something that I am going to regret!

My sincere thanks for any replies.

 

[Oussebon]

Is there a difference between the Display Port and Mini Display Port? Totally unclear on how this works, but have used multiple screens in the past and want to continue to have the chance to use 2/3 when need arises.

As far as I know the only difference is the size of the socket/plug. So if your monitor has, say, a DP input and the laptop has miniDP output, you'd need a cable with miniDP on one end and regular DP on the other.

Is it possible to install a CD/DVD drive in the spare bay?

I believe not: http://www.clevo.com/clevo_prodetail.asp?id=941&lang=en If you look at the chassis there'd be nowhere for one to open out of, even if there were space inside.

Is Thunderbolt REALLY needed, or would I just be paying for a new bit of tech that I wouldnt utilise (Octance Series)?

How many Thunderbolt devices do you have? If you need to think about that or if the answer is none, you probably have your answer

Is Win10 Pro really needed in favour of Win10 Home? I did upgrade previous version of Win7 just to have Virtual XP Desktop.

If you're asking that question the answer is probably no. Windows 10 Pro has certain features that Windows 10 Home does not. if you don't know what they are (e.g. Bitlocker) then you probably don't use them, and so don't need to buy them.

The XBox Wireless Adapter will work on this rig, if I am not mistaken?

No idea, sorry.

Any/much difference in speakers? Although I will mostly be using this via jack connection to my home media.

Can only suggest you look at reviews and see what people have said.
User reviews on the PCS website are generally found here: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?15-Show-off-your-new-PC-Laptop!
You can also google the chassis models and see if reviews of those chassis have comments on the speakers. Model numbers and specs are here:
Defiance http://www.clevo.com/clevo_prodetail.asp?id=941&lang=en
Octane: http://www.clevo.com/clevo_prodetail.asp?id=946&lang=en
But they appear to have the same sound devices, which means the fidelity of the audio itself (as opposed to the laptop's own speakers) ought to be the same when used with external kit. I vaguely recall reading some threads on various forums where people were trying to work out if the chassis used for the Octane would have a specific slightly better DAC, but tbh anyone that bothered and who owns decent enough hi-fi gear to notice the difference probably wants to be using an external DAC anyway.

Memory (RAM)
16GB HyperX IMPACT 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 16GB)

I'd always advocate for RAM faster than 2133MHz where possible. However, I'm puzzled as to why PCS aren't offering 2x8gb DDR4 2400MHz. Because at 16gb RAM it seems you have the choice of 2x8gb 2133MHz DDR4, which is a slower speed, or 1x16gb 2400MHz which is only going to run single channel. Especially since they sell 1x8gb 2400MHz DDR4 as an option, so it's not like they don't stock 8gb sticks of the stuff.

It's not like the difference is generally that big between single channel and dual channel performance in practice: http://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/1349-ram-how-dual-channel-works-vs-single-channel/Page-3
There are even some articles showing mixed results: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/does-dual-channel-memory-make-difference-in-gaming-performance/4/ though goodness knows how
But it's still strange there isn't a 2x8gb 2400MHz option. Perhaps there's an obvious explanation I've overlooked.

 

[Oussebon]

And one other thing that occurred to me. I don't see the Gears of War 4 offer bundled with that GPU so it might have ended? However Watch Dogs 2 will be given away with the GTX 1070 soon (it's speculated later this week I think) so you might hold off if the free game is of interest http://hexus.net/gaming/news/pc/99325-watch-dogs-2-bundled-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1080-1070/