Feedback on my new laptop and will it meet my needs?

[lca806]

I have been looking at this laptop
http/www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16834220124

It is a G series Asus... I know this is for gaming, but I really don't need to game. I need a powerful laptop to run statistics.

I have also been looking at the Tecra's and Satellites from Toshiba in the 2ghz range with C2D processors.

The bottom line is that this laptop will need to last for at least 3 years of my PhD program. I would really like to cap my spending at $2k, but it is not a solid barrier if there is something better and I will notice a serious difference.

Do you guys have any other suggestions that I should be looking at or not looking at?

 

[killernotebooks]

For number crunching as much RAM and fastest CPU you can get is going to be the best. I think allot of the cost of the machine you're looking at is the GPU, which unfortunately you don't need. I would also look at a unit with a 7,200 rpm hard drive.

So in order of importance:
:arrow: T7xxx series CPU (for the 4 MB cache) and faster clocks (T7200 = 2.0 Ghz, T7400 = 2.16 Ghx, T7600 = 2.33 Ghz).
:arrow: 7,200 rpm hard drive (RAID0 Or dual hard drive with Solid State Drive would be fastest)
:arrow: 3 GB RAM

 

[lca806]

I know it sux that the GPU is going to cost me... but any good laptop I want has a GPU...

Anyway... thanks for the input. But will I notice much of a difference between the 2.0 ghz and the 2.16 ghz? it does not seem that much speed would be noticed.

 

[killernotebooks]

Well you specifically said you were going to do extensive number crunching.
That usually will uce every available resource it can get its hands on. Going form 2.0 to 2.16 is going to give you another 8% on two cores for it to play with.

What I really meant though, is in going with the Core2Duo make sure you go with the T7xxx series and not the T5xxx series as the former has a 4 MB cache and the latter a 2 MB cache. That is going to make a difference in the repetitive tasks you are going to be doing.

After the T7xxx and a 7,200 rpm drive, going to a RAID array, specifically a RAID0 Array, is going to give you the most performance per your application spec's. You will get much more usable performance from a RAID0 then you would going from a T7200 to a T400 or higher CPU.

 

[lca806]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that RAID0 was for maximizing speed of loading things up, and would not have much to do with actual computational times. I get what you are saying now about the t7xxx - I had a brain fart when I first read it.

Also with the RAID... I had no idea that laptops were available with 2 hard drives. Are there any specific laptops you are thinking of?

I moved away from the ASUS and started looking at this Tecra,
http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834114328

I would buy a few gigs of ram for it. Are there any other suggestions for this setup?

Thanks for your help!

 

[killernotebooks]

Yes, that is what RAID0 arrays are designed for, but remember, when your system is using more memory than it has, like many of the applications out today, and especially the number crunchering you will be doing, the computer will use a swap file on the hard drive as a place holder for what it is doing.

If that swap file or virtual memory is on considerably faster drives, then your overall computation will be accomplished much faster therefore speeding up the process. Many vendors don't take into account how the components work together to accomplish a task when they are selling a system... which is unfortunate.

You could also use a flash ram or solid state drive in the second drive bay and point the swap file to that drive which would increase the performance of the overall system. What's funny is that this is what is essentially being done with the evolutionary VISTA "ReadyBoost" which is just a hack people have been doing for years that MS has branded.

Reverse that and put a solid state drive in the main bay, have 2 partitions, one fort the OS & one for the swap file and have the secondary drive reserved from programs and media/data. There's a million ways to skin a cat, you just need to convince the cat it is a good idea.

Are there any specific laptops you are thinking of?

The only thing this statement is missing is the drum roll... [buh], [dum]... [bump]

 

[lca806]

OKAY!

I *think* I am ready to purchase. I have been doing a lot of reading and trying to figure out what is most important. I decided to go with the ASUS f3jp

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220142

It is not a 7200 hard drive, but I think it will meet my needs for now, and I may just upgrade it with that seagate momentus. I will definitely buy more ram for it. I am just deciding whether to settle for 2 gigs now, or just go big now.

I decided to with this over the tecra because they were largely the same (same price too) but this one had a dedicated graphics card and 2 years warranty rather than 1 year. The ram speed on this was also 667 rather than 533.

Thanks for your help killernotebooks, I appreciate it!

by the way, is there anything else I will be needing to purchase with this? I am already buying a number keypad to come with it, and I already have a bag that I can use.

 

[seeratlas]

you might take a look at the 699.00 EverexXT5000T on sale at office max.
Amd turion based with the s1 socket which is upgradeable..2 drive bays, single 1gig stick, so for 50.00 more you're at 2gig wihout having to throw away 2 512's. gpu is 7600 Geforce Go...great screen etc. 3 year warranty for 129.00. put it this way, everything but the gpu is upgradeable...starting at 699.. you can build one hell of a little puter for far less money than you're about to spend...

I have a T7200 based Gateway with all the bells and whistles, and two of the Everex machines. I spend all my time on the Everex...just makes me feel good inside to have so much machine for so little money.

At the moment its not as fast of a number cruncher as the intel based boxxes, but there are new chips right round the corner, as in about 40 days..which are going to plug right into the s1 socket.. course you could buy two for what you're about to spend and maybe have some money left over lol.
seer

 

[lca806]

Thanks for the suggestion... But about the ram. I am trying to figure out what the F3Jp has for ram. On Newegg, it says it is a one gig stick, but on the Asus site, it says it is 2 X 512. So I figured if it were two 512's, I would yell at Newegg to compensate me.

I am leaning towards the C2D's for their bandwidth and speeds rather than the turion 64's. This computer may see a game or two, but I don't really need it for that. It will mainly be number crunching and multi tasking (Very annoying when you have to write a paper and refer back and forth to your data on 512 mb of ram).

I am mostly nervous about tooling around in a laptop. I have absolutely no experience opening these other than putting in ram. So swapping CPU's is a little unsettling.

 

[seeratlas]

The OfficeMax sale has apparently ended.
The Everex is designed to be upgradeable. simple hatches right over the cpu/mem compartment, and the drive compartment. Swapping in ram and a new harddrive took me about a minute and a half.

On this machine its trivial. swapping the cpu would take another minute or so, 4 screws on the heatpipe, and 3 on the exhaust fan , that's it. FiC did a good job on this unit. I'm likeing mine a lot and glad I got in on the deal.

If you're looking for a c2d, you might take a look at the Gateway nx869xl.
very fast and cooling is excellent. machine easily overclockable to really spit out integer calcs, well made, etc. The Dell does not come close. My friend has the dell, i have the gateway, side by side we both like the gateway.

Comp Usa had a good deal on an HP 9000 unit a few weeks ago, it might come back. many more bells and whistles than the everex, and i believe it was c2d based. was under 1k too.

seer