skill a pure Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 hey guys this is like my 3rd post about help and stuff and black friday but since its so close, i wanted to know what exactly i should get.alright, so the computer that I want to get would naturally cost me $1489 + tax... if im to get the computer of my choice... i need it to be $1300 or lower with tax and everything...i was wondering if black friday for alienwares will have a 25% sale? so anyways... now for the help on getting the rigt specs for me.the thing im really not sure about is if i should get a i5 processor, or an i7?? so here's my situation...1. i DONT do alot of gaming on computers, no hardcore gaming atleast... i will probably be doing some low end games, but nothing like bf3 or anything...2. i would love it if my laptop stayed relatively colder and not to the hot side - ( which i heard i7's give out alot more heat than i5)3. i can save more money getting i5 with 8 gb 1337 ram instead of i7 with 8gb 1600 ram...so can someone please let me know which one is better? i mean i know im sitting here and already sounding like i want an i5 instead i7 but idk...next thing... is it worth it getting the 3gb graphics? or should i stick with 1.5... i currently chose the 1.5 but i want to know because its not customizable in the future might aswell get someone worth it now... let me know on this too?the other specs are pretty simple so i guess i can do all that stuff... but yeah if someone can help me choose whats best for me, would be coolthanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0x29A Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 (edited) Gaming is generally GPU dependent, so regardless of a CPU of your choice even with the weaker GPU option, so GT 555m 1.5GB (which really isn't such a bad card), you will still be able to play games, e.g. BF3. The difference between 1.5Gb and 3GB version isn't anyway drastic, so if you are not going to play games the difference of those 100-150 bucks isn't worth it. For the CPU, i5s and i7s available for m14x significantly differ: i5 2430M features 2 cores and 4 threads while even the weakest i7 2670QM has 4 cores and 8 threads and twice as much cache. This pretty much makes such an i7 CPUs quite potent, while the i5 remains 'regularly' efficient (meaning no thrills). If you won't game hard and play around with overclocking your GPU and so on, the laptop should not overheat. You can always on the fly switch off the dedicated Nvidia GPU and run everything just using the CPU and the Intel integrated graphics built into the CPU, and hence gaining battery life and lower temperatures. You can also apply high quality thermal paste to lower temperatures even more, but in case of m14x that's quite complicated for a beginner. All of this means I would strongly suggest to get an i7. If you don't want to spend too much, already 2670QM will do just fine. A stronger i7 processor will deliver much higher efficiency and will be somewhat more time-proof. According to alienware.com the difference i5 2430M vs i7 2670QM, including the cost of faster memory, is 140 bucks. That's not that much, is it? Worth spending. Edit: BTW, 2670QM does not support 1600Mhz RAM. There is a mistake there forcing you to upgrade to faster/more expensive RAM. Better call them and order the laptop by the phone. I mean, faster RAM will be somewhat faster anyway even if the CPU is stuck at 'talking' to memory at 1333, yet it seems you don't want to pay too much, so stay with generic 1333. You may also want to invest in two other things: a 1600x900 display and an SSD drive. SSDs drives truly make all the difference. Choose the cheapest disk option when ordering the laptop and buy an SSD disk separately. It will be much cheaper this way. BTW, if you want your laptop to run reasonably cooled, keep its back a bit elevated, as the air intake is placed on the bottom and sucks the air from below your laptop. You don't need a laptop cooler for that (laptop coolers don't really work, let's face it). Something like Belkin Coolstrip will do just fine. Edited November 23, 2011 by 0x29A alienware RAM speed bullshit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0x29A Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Re price. You can always negotiate prices with Alienware. Call and ask for a discount. If that rep refuses, call another one. In such a way I actually managed to pay 450 EUR less for my M18x this summer. It was the 6th rep I tried that day who finally agreed to cut the price. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svl7 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 You don't need a laptop cooler for that (laptop coolers don't really work, let's face it). Something like Belkin Coolstrip will do just fine. Or just use a book and save your bucks Just make sure you don't block the holes for the vents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0x29A Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 (edited) I used a book for two months with the m18x. the laptop was too heavy and kept on sliding down. that was quite annoying, plus I damaged the book. That thing from Belkin costs less than 10 bucks and is very stable. Edited November 23, 2011 by 0x29A 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svl7 Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Well, ok... if it costs less than a book, nice solution 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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