MichaelJones
Active member
My laptop died. 17" Dell Inspiron 1750 (Core 2 duo T9600, EDIT: 4gb, not 8GB ram) running Linux Mint on a SSD.
The Cosmos IV i7 8gb (DDR3) seems a good value replacement, and I'll use my SSD in there.
I don't need portability (laptop gets moved to a table in evenings, runs on mains AC, and put away again at night); a mini desktop with screen would probably be impractical, and as I like tinkering with the kit I don't want an all-in-one as I hear they are harder to open up.
Since I'm upgrading, I want the improved 1920x1080 resolution and some USB-3 (over the Dell). I don't play games (except some on the web). The M.2 SSD can take my root system, and my old SSD can take my home partition. I also like the idea of being able to pop in another HD or SSD (for backups). The i7 is there because, unlike ram, that's a part that I could probably not upgrade later.
I figure at <£600 this is affordable, but wonder if I should go for the DDR4 model. The DDR4 (confusingly also called a Cosmos IV on the configurator, but links to a 'CosmosV' url) version is about £100 more expensive, but that seems to be because of the NVIDIA (vs Intel) graphics card. PCS told me the DDR4 uses a different motherboard.
To further confuse me, the next model up is the Optimus VII which is also DDR3.
Specific Questions:
* Is it better to stay with a DDR3 system, since it may be 'older tech' and more compatible with Linux Mint?
In terms of cost, I can afford whatever is good value, so I'd rather spend more now if that gets be more bang for my bucks.
* There is no option for 2 x 4GB ram, so is 1 stick of 8GB acceptable?
* I could go for the full 16GB now (if not, I'm sure I'll get an 8GB stick later, just because....).
* Is the INTEL® HD GRAPHICS 530 going to be OK?
Any other suggestions gratefully received.
Thanks,
Michael.
My proposed system:
Chassis & Display
Cosmos Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Processor 6700HQ (2.6GHz, 3.5GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
8GB Kingston SODIMM DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
INTEL® HD GRAPHICS 530 - 1.7GB Max DDR3 Video RAM - DirectX® 12
Memory - Hard Disk
NOT REQUIRED
M.2 SSD Drive
128GB M.2 2280, SATA 6Gb/s (534MB/R, 150MB/W)
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)
AC Adaptor
1 x 90W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND (£9)
Sound Card
Via® 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
WIRELESS INTEL® AC-3160 M.2 (433Mbps, 802.11AC) + BT
USB Options
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Battery
Cosmos Series 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (48.84WH)
Keyboard Language
COSMOS 17" SERIES UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
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)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
30 Day Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs (£12)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days
Quantity
1
Price: £588.00 including VAT and delivery.
The Cosmos IV i7 8gb (DDR3) seems a good value replacement, and I'll use my SSD in there.
I don't need portability (laptop gets moved to a table in evenings, runs on mains AC, and put away again at night); a mini desktop with screen would probably be impractical, and as I like tinkering with the kit I don't want an all-in-one as I hear they are harder to open up.
Since I'm upgrading, I want the improved 1920x1080 resolution and some USB-3 (over the Dell). I don't play games (except some on the web). The M.2 SSD can take my root system, and my old SSD can take my home partition. I also like the idea of being able to pop in another HD or SSD (for backups). The i7 is there because, unlike ram, that's a part that I could probably not upgrade later.
I figure at <£600 this is affordable, but wonder if I should go for the DDR4 model. The DDR4 (confusingly also called a Cosmos IV on the configurator, but links to a 'CosmosV' url) version is about £100 more expensive, but that seems to be because of the NVIDIA (vs Intel) graphics card. PCS told me the DDR4 uses a different motherboard.
To further confuse me, the next model up is the Optimus VII which is also DDR3.
Specific Questions:
* Is it better to stay with a DDR3 system, since it may be 'older tech' and more compatible with Linux Mint?
In terms of cost, I can afford whatever is good value, so I'd rather spend more now if that gets be more bang for my bucks.
* There is no option for 2 x 4GB ram, so is 1 stick of 8GB acceptable?
* I could go for the full 16GB now (if not, I'm sure I'll get an 8GB stick later, just because....).
* Is the INTEL® HD GRAPHICS 530 going to be OK?
Any other suggestions gratefully received.
Thanks,
Michael.
My proposed system:
Chassis & Display
Cosmos Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Processor 6700HQ (2.6GHz, 3.5GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
8GB Kingston SODIMM DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
INTEL® HD GRAPHICS 530 - 1.7GB Max DDR3 Video RAM - DirectX® 12
Memory - Hard Disk
NOT REQUIRED
M.2 SSD Drive
128GB M.2 2280, SATA 6Gb/s (534MB/R, 150MB/W)
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)
AC Adaptor
1 x 90W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND (£9)
Sound Card
Via® 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
WIRELESS INTEL® AC-3160 M.2 (433Mbps, 802.11AC) + BT
USB Options
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Battery
Cosmos Series 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (48.84WH)
Keyboard Language
COSMOS 17" SERIES UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
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)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
30 Day Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs (£12)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days
Quantity
1
Price: £588.00 including VAT and delivery.
Last edited: