New gaming laptop - help appreciated

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Hi all,

I'll looking to get a powerful new laptop to pretty much replace my existing desktop machine for gaming. Money isn't really the limiting factor but I would like to get the most bang per buck from each component.

Questions and ramblings follow.

Size/screen
I'm really torn about how big I should go. I'd like something that can actually be used on my lap from time to time, but also don't want to skimp on the screen size. Is the Vortex III 17" simply too large for lap use? I don't want size to be the deciding factor but I am also worried that for 1080p gaming a 15.6" screen is too small for such a high resolution. If I were to go down the 15.6" route, is it advisable to get the 95% Gamut version, bearing in mind its primary use will be for gaming?

Cooling stand
Knowing how hot laptops can get, especially under load, I quite like the idea of a cooling stand. It seems quite a few people recommend the Cooler Master U2/U3, however I'd like to potentially use the laptop on my lap and therefore need something comfortable that I'm not likely to stab myself with or buckle under its intense combined weight. I'm therefore thinking about getting the Notepal X2 which looks to strike a good balance between comfort and cooling. Does anyone have any experience of this one?

CPU
For the CPU, I'm considering an entry level i7 quad core (3630QM). Am I right in thinking this is likely to be a better choice over one of the quicker i5 processors due to a larger turbo boost, more cache and more cores, despite the lower frequency? From looking up some benchmarks, I understand some games now utilise multiple cores (e.g. Guild Wars 2) so I guess having 4 could provide a good boost for future games.

GPU
For 1080p smooth gaming, it seems I need at least a Geforce 675MX. I'm not particularly fussed about whether the GPU is AMD or Nvidia, but it does seem that the AMD 7970m provides great performance at a significantly lower price compared to a 680M. I'm a little worried about some of the reports I've read about the 7970m having huge frame rate spikes - have the latest drivers sorted this out? Is there much difference in operating temperature of the 680m/7970m?

Drive
I'm looking at a 240GB SSD as the primary drive. Is there much difference in real world performance between an Intel 335 and 520?

Thanks in advance for your help and insight!

 

[swiftstep]

Hey. I have the vortex 3 with a similar set of specs. 3630qm, 7970m and an SSD, as well as the cooler master u2 stand.

Firstly the laptop runs great. I have had some heating issues with the 7970m, but there's plenty online that can help you reduce it (and of course not everyone has issues). It is a BEAST however and the latest drivers have fixed many of the earlier issues. I was getting BSOD's quite often in windows 7 but after a clean install of windows 8 it is PERFECT! not one BSOD yet. Yes windows 8 metro sucks but just get the start8 start button program and it will feel just like windows 7. tThe laptop has yet to struggle with any game! I run Far Cry 3, hit man absolution, max payne 3 with nor probs AT ALL!

The CPU is great. Fast, no issues whatsoever. I would never go for a dual core simply because I do a lot of media work where I need to render movies, work in 3D etc so the quad cores really help!

Also my SSD is not the quickest. I think the one you have spec'd would be faster and my windows loads up in around 12 seconds from when I press the power button! That is INSANE! Compared to my last rig which took around a minute!

I have a 15.6" screen and have had no issues. My previous laptop was 17" and felt really large and heavy. I love the 15.6" screen. For gaming 1080p looks GREAT! No issues so far, its well big enough to game on and clearly see whats going in. Remember it's only going to be around one foot away (roughly) from your eyes when on your lap! My eyesight isnt the best so sometimes I reduce the resolution a TAD if my head hurts but still looks great and seeing as 1080p for gaming is what your worried about, let me wipe your fears away as you won't regret it. the smaller screen also makes the laptop lighter and more portable which is key for me as i commute to work.

The cooler master u2 is comfortable on your lap and easily strong enough to hold the laptop. It's great as it allows better air circulation for your laptop and it knocks off a few degrees on the temp for my gpu.

Anyways hope this helped. Just from personal experience I would DEFINATELY recommend this laptop spec.

If you have any other Q's then please ask and I will try to answer them the best I can

 

[Keithg]

The screen size tends to be decided by how portable you need the laptop to be. I move it between the living room and bedroom and so went 17", but if I were to be carrying it about with me more regularly then I may have gone 15". Neither requires the gamut screen, the standard matt I have is fantastic. I would have only considered the gamut screen if i need accurate colour representation for photo editing for just gaming the standard screen is great.

I have seen it said that guild wards requires a beefy CPU and high clock speed, more so than most games which tend to be gpu bound. I have the i7 3610QM which is the same chip just 100mhz less and I happy run Guild wars 2 with 45-50fps pve and min 30fps in Lions arch all with a nvidia GTX 660m (all settings max except reflections off and shadows medium). I have not tried wvwvw. The only issue is higher cpu's are very expensive, but for me I am happy.