Laptop Purchase Help

[drezha]

Right, I'd like a little help with my laptop purchasing descision if I may. :)

I was looking at this one (http://www.meshcomputers.com/Default.aspx?PAGE=PRODUCTVIEWPAGE&USG=PRODUCT&ENT=PRODUCT&KEY=114225) on MESH. This one was pushing my limit (which is £500) but I thought as it came with a case and USB mouse (something I was going to purcahse myself seperately) I thought it work out about right.

Now my dad is helping to fund this purcahse (basically I'm paying him back in installments when each lot has come in). Anyhow he saw an advert for this one (http://vaio.sony-europe.com/view/ShowProduct.action?product=VGN-FS515E&site=ite_en_GB&pageType=Overview&category=VN+FS+Series) in a magazine advert for PC World.
This is now stretching my budget some more and I'm not sure if it's worth it. Both are free postage. (the sony cos I can pick up in town, MESH cos it's free) He's also offered a spare laptop bag he has at home.

Now I was looking at the laptop as a method of doing some uni work in the libraby (the 266MHz beast I was using before, it's HD died and it'd be not worth replacing it) and also using it as a laptop I can take to some TPR LAN meets. We mainly just use the laptops for older games such as Total Annihilation and UT2004. Was also looking for it to run some DC as well.

Based on that and manufacturer's rep, what would you recommend? I'm prefering the AMD really though as Dad is helping to fund I assume he wants me to get a Vaio as he uses them himself. (his last 2 laptops have been Vaio ones....) :roll:

[NeoGen]

The Vaio one you put the link has only 512Megs of RAM. :-(
I strongly discourage that, as my PC has that ammount of memory too and it's frustrating sometimes. Get one with at least 1Gig of RAM, if possible 2Gigs. That should hold you well enough for any software you throw at it in the next 3 years at least, including even heavy stuff like Photoshop (if you're into graphics), Visual Studio 2005 (if you're a programmer) or Autocad (if you're into design) :)

[drezha]

Cheers Neogen. Asked around on TPR and my another site I'm on and they all said the Mesh one.

One was the fact it's got better specs as in more RAM and the nVidia card may not be great but it'll be better than the Intel one.

Graphics..I sometimes use a bit the GIMP everynow and then and I use Autocad a bit at Uni but price wise it's far to expensive to use at home, student wise. :shock:

Now to phone home :lol:

[Empty_5oul]

the vaio probably looks/feels nicer. and would be better for watching DVD's etc.

But for use the mesh is probably better, with extra RAM and a better graphics card.

To me overall the MESH seems the better option.

[drezha]

Just phoned my dad and as expected he wanted me to get the Vaio...I said I wasn't paying more for less :lol: (even if it does look more flash)

And yes it might be easier to get, in the fact that I can walk to town and pick it up.

And yes, I am paying for the laptop bag but I'm sure someone on eBay wants a laptop bag and the laptop bag you'll send me wont be sent, I'll have to pick it up at christmas and what would I carry the laptop in until then? :roll:

[Strongbow]

Hi Drezha,

I would go for one of these...

http://consumer.fujitsu-siemens-shop.co.uk/catalogue/catProductForm.asp?mscssid=%7BF3C4DC8E-6CF7-4493-B8E0-5C3E19A81325%7D&referer=../cmcPage.asp%3FidPage%3D562&idProduct=1071634&flNoRedirect=1&idManufacturer=1222&idRange=1397658

It's an awesome notebook, you won't be wanting for much more - it has a Intel Core Duo processor and would run rings round the other two you mentioned. It is very sturdy and has a great keyboard, but above all, I work for that company so your support would be second to none.

We do do cheaper but believe me this is the one to go for.

If you need more info then PM me at anytime.

[Strongbow]

I've just found it cheaper at DABS going for £589.97 inc VAT...

http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?quicklinx=44MY

[drezha]

Cheers Blackheath...

I would really have to squeeze over the budget to get that one... :?
Thats £90 + postage over my budget.

That MESH one was only really originally considered because it had the back and USB mouse. :?

Must admit the reviews look good for that one. We'll see. :roll:

Doesn't need to be hugely great. I mean mostly it'll be used for work...but I would like to say I have a dual core notebook :lol:

[drezha]

Just checked my emails...

I have an email from dabs.com...

reciept for a http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?quicklinx=44MY

turns out the one I bought the other day, they didn't give me a proper refund, they gave a credit note so my dad just used that again.
£578 on a business account. He said he'd put some money towards it so looks like I'm lucky there.

We'll see what it's like when I get it. Appears to be a desktop replacement machine really :twisted:

[Strongbow]

Good choice matey, now with all that dual core power when are you coming to crunch for us lot??? :twisted:

[drezha]

I think it would be unethical to crunch for AMD User's with an Intel :lol: ;)

Though it might like to Riesel Sieve LLR a bit...and TPR dont have a team in that...http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/drezha/Simlies/plotting.gif

And it is dual core so I can run LLR on one and folding@home. :D

[Strongbow]

So?????

Has it arrived and have you got it crunching? ...let's see the benchmarks (and the points for AMDusers :wink: )

[gatekeeper53]

Blackheath,

Any way to tweak these benchmarks any higher?

Domain name terry-754751da2
Local Standard Time UTC -6 hours
Name terry-754751da2
Created 14 Sep 2006 20:54:17 UTC
Total Credit 17,583.80
Recent average credit 954.72
CPU type AuthenticAMD
AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4800+
Number of CPUs 2
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP
Professional Edition, Service Pack 2, (05.01.2600.00)
Memory 3070.46 MB
Cache 976.56 KB
Swap space 4956.2 MB
Total disk space 61.92 GB
Free Disk Space 28.74 GB
Measured floating point speed 4251.8 million ops/sec
Measured integer speed 13887.66 million ops/sec
Average upload rate 34.27 KB/sec
Average download rate 76.4 KB/sec
Average turnaround time 0.02 days
Maximum daily WU quota per CPU 500/day
Results 1063

BTW I have it OC'd to 3.03GHz with standard cooler.

[Strongbow]

A 4800+ at 3.03GHz with a standard cooler! :shock:

You must be running that at above 1.5V, if that's the case then it will be well hot (unless you live near polar bears)! I'd strongly advise you to change your cooler for something decent say one of the Zalman Aero Flowers or similar else you'll be forced to buy a replacement processor before the end of the year!

Also, what optimized BOINC are you using?

[gatekeeper53]

1.7V, The cooler is already ordered (around 60 or 61 degrees) and SSE2. I have throttled back to 1.5 and 2.91 I just had to see what it would do. I did leave it there for about 3 days. Don't want to have to replace this one but I do hope to get another one before the end of the year.

[drezha]

blackheath, I need a hand.

It arrived today nice and shiny and new and very nice :)

Run it through CPU-Z and got this
http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=125382

Nice..I was runing nothing so I assumed 800Mhz was fine. Now I have two lots of Riesel Sieve running because I thought it easiest to get it working nicely to start.

Now it's 100% on both CPU's. Set both to have an affinity for one each.
but it's still at 800Mhz. And I cant see why :? Help! I'd like to be at 100% of 1.6GHz!
Any help appriciated :)

[drezha]

It looks like I've just figured it out.
There was a button on the top of the laptop that has a picture of a fan under it and I'd turned that on earlier as I assumed it was fan :shrug:

Anyhow turning that off has upped it's speed :D Now showing 1600MHz in CPU-Z :)

So what is the fan button? :?:

[Strongbow]

Sounds like you're running it in 'whisper mode'

Press the relevant 'picture of a fan' easy launch key and it should give you a serious boost in performance!

[Strongbow]

replied at the same time you found the button.

The whisper mode reduces the processor and graphics performance to about half and therefore saving battery life (oh yes, it also makes it 'whisper' quiet! :roll: :lol: )

[drezha]

:lol:

It's pretty much a whisper running 2xLLR clients for riesel ATM at 100% for the last couple of hours. Seems like speed fans a bit poo and doesn't really work. Seems it's at a constant 56 degrees C

Not sure if thats good or bad.
But then it was 56 when I wasn't running anything else either. Looks like the cake cooling rack's working wonders :)

[Strongbow]

I must admit, why on earth would a cruncher want a button on his laptop to slow everything down! :roll:

Seriously though it really is only there for battery life - if you're running out of juice and you're in the middle of nowhere then hit the button and you may get a few more mins to do whatever you're doing in the middle of nowhere! ...we really should have called it "middle of nowhere without much juice" button! :lol: :roll: