Dedicated Graphics in Laptops, current CPUs, and brand market

[Zylstra]

Good morning all! Long time no see.
Well, I've had my trusty Dell E1505 laptop fora  few years now and it is showing its age. The case has started cracking, the hard drive no longer meets todays space demands (I never thought I'd use all 120GBs), 2GB of RAM just doesn't do it for me, 30 minute and diminishing battery life is terrible, and despite the fact that I specialize in making old computers run as fast as possible, I just don't get the speed I want anymore.

So, I've decided I need to buy a new laptop rather than upgrading and replacing parts. But! I've not been keeping up with my knowledge on new technology, and this is where I need your help.

I've made a query on Newegg to get me all laptops with dedicated cards, 4GB of RAM (I'll upgrade to 6GB if necessary), 450GB+HDD, and a few other specifics that I want.
I know that if I go Intel for a processor, I want an i7. How do AMD A-Series, Phenom II triple-core, and Athlon II dual-core compare to these? Honestly, I never followed AMD's developments very well so I'm not very familiar with what they can do.

I know the minimum nVidia card I would consider is the GeForceGT 555M, but I'm really thinking about the 630M (and a minimum of 1gb dedicated graphics menory). How do the AMD Radeon HD series compare to these? Where do they match up, and where do the differences start? What about the Radeon HD 6660M, 6750M, 6650M -- where do these start to fall in comparison?

And now the question of brands... Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba -- what are your personal preferences and what attracts you to them? Have you interacted with their customer service? How sturdy are they? (I'd really like to find a manufacturer that is using aluminum casing, but this is not something that has taken off yet).
I'd like to hear personal and technical opinions of these. I know I'm asking a wide variety of questions, I'm prepared to take it all in as disorganized as it will be.
I'll be researching them on the side as well once I figure out some better parameters to research.

For those of you who know me and are wondering what I've been up to: I just got accepted to the University of Idaho: The Lionel Hampton School of Music (sounds fancy, eh?) I'll be attending in August of this year starting out in the study of Music Education with my major instrument being organ. (I have some audition recordings on Youtube, just Youtube "Jesse Zylstra" and click on the third and forth results). Got my degree in Network Administration as well.

[Computer_Commando]

...
1.  So, I've decided I need to buy a new laptop rather than upgrading and replacing parts. But! I've not been keeping up with my knowledge on new technology, and this is where I need your help.

2.  I've made a query on Newegg to get me all laptops with dedicated cards, 4GB of RAM (I'll upgrade to 6GB if necessary), 450GB+HDD, and a few other specifics that I want.
I know that if I go Intel for a processor, I want an i7. How do AMD A-Series, Phenom II triple-core, and Athlon II dual-core compare to these? Honestly, I never followed AMD's developments very well so I'm not very familiar with what they can do.

3.  I know the minimum nVidia card I would consider is the GeForceGT 555M, but I'm really thinking about the 630M (and a minimum of 1gb dedicated graphics menory). How do the AMD Radeon HD series compare to these? Where do they match up, and where do the differences start? What about the Radeon HD 6660M, 6750M, 6650M -- where do these start to fall in comparison?

4.  And now the question of brands... Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba -- what are your personal preferences and what attracts you to them? Have you interacted with their customer service? How sturdy are they? (I'd really like to find a manufacturer that is using aluminum casing, but this is not something that has taken off yet).
I'd like to hear personal and technical opinions of these. I know I'm asking a wide variety of questions, I'm prepared to take it all in as disorganized as it will be.  I'll be researching them on the side as well once I figure out some better parameters to research...

1.  I bought a new laptop 7 months ago.
2.  Win7-32 bit can't utilize more than about 3GB RAM,  Win7-64bit can use more, but 8GB is enough for a laptop if you are not a gamer.  I'm more familiar with Intel, but there is nothing wrong with AMD 7 they are generally less expensive.
3.  Dedicated graphics cards are no longer a necessity.  Intel I-series, gen2 integrate the GPU on die with the CPU,gen1 was on chip, not on die.
4.  Rather than brand, concentrate on the features you want, weight, screen size, battery life.  Nowadays 15.5" screen is the most popular & they are in the 5 lb range.  I'm satisfied with my HP ProBook (business class), which has a little better warranty, but still 1 year.  I had a screen problem, they paid Fedex both ways & total turnaround time was 3 days.  I don't believe they do that for home versions.  The laptop surface is aluminum as are the hinges, the bottom is one big access port & is plastic.

[Raptor]

I'd get HP, Dell or Asus. HP is the most environmental friendly brand at the moment. (Greenpeace) Dell and Asus both deliver quality as well.
Also, be careful that they don't sell you one of those horrible Samsung or Hitachi hard drives. Get Western Digital or Seagate.

Check the register before you buy a laptop: http://www.epeat.net/

I've made a query on Newegg to get me all laptops with dedicated cards, 4GB of RAM (I'll upgrade to 6GB if necessary), 450GB+HDD, and a few other specifics that I want.
I know that if I go Intel for a processor, I want an i7. How do AMD A-Series, Phenom II triple-core, and Athlon II dual-core compare to these? Honestly, I never followed AMD's developments very well so I'm not very familiar with what they can do.

I prefer AMD. Mostly because it's all I know and because of that DRM stint Intel had a while back. I also think Intel is overpriced.

4GB is the absolute minimum amount of RAM you should get. I just bought 8GB for my desktop computer but I wouldn't have done so if I wasn't gaming.

Anything below x770 in the ATI HD Radeon series is a budget card in my opinion. Just take a look at the desktop videocards and do a price comparison. The first number dictates generation.

Meh, Wikipedia says it better:

Currently, ATI names each card by generation, series, and by performance.
The first number is the generation number (e.g. 5000) and is related to the chipset used by the video card.
The second number indicates the series quality in the generation, starting from:

    0400 to 0600 at entry level, for media and home theatre,
    0700 for low intensity video games (typically using older graphics engines, or widespread games, such as Starcraft 2 and World of Warcraft) or high-intensity games with lowered settings, and
    0800 for high-intensity games, such as Crysis or Far Cry 2.
    0900 was a special denotation, first used on the Radeon 5970, relating to a dual chip or internal ATI CrossFire card. However, beginning with the Northern Islands GPU series, this denotation is now used to further differentiate between a generation's most powerful single chip offerings. Dual chip video cards are, as of February 2012, represented by the third digit being 9, as seen in the dual-GPU Radeon 6990 video card.

[Zylstra]

Thanks for the input Computer_Commando. I'm definitely getting a 64 bit (for the slight processing advantage but mainly for the RAM resource advantage).
I've never been impressed with integrated graphics, and I know I don't want to go with Intel. I know of the improvements they have made, but they still lack that "oomph".
My current laptop is ~15.5', it is the perfect size. It fits into my bag just fine and is easy enough to carry around.


Good to hear from you Raptor. Huh, ATI choose an interesting series numbering scheme..
Previously I've used Dell, but I have been disappointed in how the case of my laptop is hardly staying together. Screws would constantly fall out, screen hindges seem to be falling apart, the switch that detects the lid being open or closed is messed up, the finish is quite worn. On the other hand, I have an even older Dell Inspiron system from around 2002 that is in nearly perfect condition. I do however like the warranty (Standard of 1 year, but they give you no hassles in getting it fixed).
I've started to get the impression that nearly every laptop manufacturer is equal nowadays -- same "deals", same warranty, same support, same hardware availability, &etc. (Except Samsung, which can stick with making televisions).

What is the top AMD laptop CPU? The question I really want to ask is: What is the AMD equivalent of an i7?

I definitely will be getting at least 8GB of RAM for this laptop. I've included 4GB in my search since it is so easy and cheap to upgrade.

Regarding graphics: I almost never play games, but when I do, I want the best speed possible and the best graphics available for a reasonable cost.

At the moment, this is one of my top pics on the Intel side:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215266
Thoughts?
Still researching and trying to figure out what the minimum AMD processor I want is.

[Raptor]

I've started to get the impression that nearly every laptop manufacturer is equal nowadays -- same "deals", same warranty, same support, same hardware availability, &etc. (Except Samsung, which can stick with making televisions).

Don't forget about Acer, most overrated brand I've ever seen. They should stick to doing absolutely nothing. I see a lot of dead Acer laptops, they all stop working after 3 years or so because the users aren't maintaining them properly. Mostly dead motherboards.

You might have a point with the other brands so buy them based on preferred brands and what the EPEAT register says.

What is the top AMD laptop CPU? The question I really want to ask is: What is the AMD equivalent of an i7?

That would probably be the Bulldozer architecture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulldozer_%28microarchitecture%29

[Computer_Commando]

1.  ... I know I don't want to go with Intel. I know of the improvements they have made, but they still lack that "oomph".
2.  At the moment, this is one of my top pics on the Intel side:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215266
3.  Still researching and trying to figure out what the minimum AMD processor I want is.

These are conflicting statements.
1. You don't want Intel
2.  Your top pick is Intel.
3.  You want AMD.

Do some more research on the latest Intel I-series integrated graphics, Intel Sandy Bridge.  It's nothing like you are used to.  Sandy Bridge will soon be superceded by Ivy Bridge.  Intel wants to recapture the graphics market.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20109037-64/sandy-bridge-driver-update-boosts-windows-game-performance/

[Raptor]

Intel wants to recapture the graphics market.

Uh, did they ever capture it in the first place? That must have been a gazillion years ago.

[Zylstra]

These are conflicting statements.
1. You don't want Intel
2.  Your top pick is Intel.
3.  You want AMD.

Do some more research on the latest Intel I-series integrated graphics, Intel Sandy Bridge.  It's nothing like you are used to.  Sandy Bridge will soon be superceded by Ivy Bridge.  Intel wants to recapture the graphics market.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20109037-64/sandy-bridge-driver-update-boosts-windows-game-performance/

I see I've been unclear. I don't want Intel for graphics (in regards to "oomph"). I'm hearing what you are saying, but I just don't think Intel yet offers what I want.
My top pick for a processor is an Intel i7 /right now/. I'm still looking over AMD processors.

My recent visit to Toms Hardware Guide didn't reveal anything in the world of Intel Integrated Graphics. Also, the 2010 CPU results don't say a whole lot of the AMD processors they tested, but I plan to look into a few other sources (I'm not so sure they tested AMD products to the same extend as Intel products).

I'm wondering if Acer recently stepped up their quality. I've seen a lot of people with new Acer laptops lately and they report to me that they have been happy with what they got. I think I'm going to read some of the lower-end Acer laptop reviews and see what the recent impressions have been.

[Computer_Commando]

Do more research; you don't realize how much things have changed in the past 2 years.  Integrated Video is not on the motherboard & requires no bridge chip to the CPU; it's on the same piece of silicon as the cpu.  It's faster, runs cooler, use less battery power, etc.  The 2nd gen. I-Series mobile chips are ahead of the desktop chips.  These features are quite a bit different from the 1st generation I-Series.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Intel-HD-Graphics-3000-graphics-solution.43710.0.html

[Raptor]

What's the obsession with Acer? All Acer equipment I've seen is simply low-quality despite the flashy finish.

HP and Dell both provide the service manuals to any equipment you may buy, free of charge and right there on their website. Do you see Acer do that? No. And know why? Because Acer is a cheap budget title that caters to people who think electronic devices are discardable products.

If you don't have enough money to buy the specifications you want from another brand but somehow Acer does manage to bring you the same specifications for less then you should probably lower your standards because Acer cuts corners to do so.

Buy whatever you want but don't make it Acer and make sure it doesn't come with a Samsung hard drive. That's all the advice I got to offer you.

[Zylstra]

I dropped my want to get the Acer today, I was talking to some other people who've been dealing with them more recently than I and did not hear good things -- especially about the screens.
The only thing they had going for them was the right hardware for the right price -- but of course it is a moot point if the hardware isn't going to keep working. I work on pipe organs, I know all about cutting corners...
The price and specs I am aiming for do land a few other brands (Lenovo being one), and I think I'll go towards one of those.

(Off topic: Remember when Western Digital used to be bad? Ha! Fun days.)
I've maybe found some more reasonable deals, care to look?
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=684476&CatId=4939
7200RPM HDD, 1GBDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6490M, pretty *censored* good battery life if they were being honest. Right on my max price.

>>http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=552781&CatId=4938 <<
nVidia GeForece GT 540 with 1GBDDR3.  << I'm thinking this one.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1753822&CatId=4938
Bigger drive, slightly worse videocard (NVIDIA GeForce GT 610M) with 2GB of "VRAM" (Looked it up, it was DDR3)...
(nVidia 540M is actually better than the 610M, much faster core -- 1344 MHz vs. 900 MHz)

User reviews on Toms Hardware Guide say that the nVidia 540M is better than the Radeon 6490M. I might eliminate that first one based on that.

[Raptor]

Why don't you just buy a desktop, actually? I'm noy sure about the Nvidia one but the I have a 5770 and I have trouble playing some of the more modern games. (Men of War, Rage) I doubt that 6490 is going to fare any better.

[Computer_Commando]

..
(Off topic: Remember when Western Digital used to be bad? Ha! Fun days.)
I've maybe found some more reasonable deals, care to look?
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=684476&CatId=4939
7200RPM HDD, 1GBDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6490M, pretty *censored* good battery life if they were being honest. Right on my max price.
...

That's my ProBook 4530s; was 1/2 that price 7 months ago.
Difference is i3 instead of i7 & no dedicated graphics card.  Is that worth an extra $400 to you?  It wasn't to me. 
Specs are wrong, it has 1-USB 3.0 port.
BTW, that vendor never has the best prices and is not know to be very truthful; their stores are worse.

[Zylstra]

I've found what I've been looking for and purchased:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/280831632447?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
A Lenovo.
i7 second generation, 500gb hdd/7200RPM, 8GB RAM, nVidia GeForce GT 555m (best of the series from comparing specs sheets). Battery life -- eh, but better than what I have now (3-4hours).
I will be replacing Windows 7 Home with Professional once I get a chance (I have keys in higher places... thanks MSDN) for personal reasons (Oh, I'll tell you: Remote Desktop support).
3 USB 3.0 ports. Number pad on keyboard (not sure how they fit all of it in, but they did). N Wireless (standard now, but not something I've ever had), 1GBPS network jack. JBL speakers and separate mic and headphone ports (also important to me since I do recording).
It had the small minor details that I wanted for a price that I could afford and computing resources that will make it functional for years to come.

I almost went with Intel Integrated since the battery life rating with any Intel intergrated graphics laptop is insane (not to mention the cost savings), but found that SandyBridge technology did not (as I suspected) meet the requirements of the two games I play. 555m is better than the 540, 550, 630 and a few others I looked at.


Well, that's it! Too late to change my mind, I just wanted to let you all know I made a decision. I consulted many people about this and did my extreme bargain shopping, but I especially valued the input I got back from here -- it really pressed me to look into new technologies that I wouldn't have cared about before and prevented me from going Acer or Samsung, which I would have done without all your moral support.

Best,
Jesse Zylstra

[Raptor]

Haven't worked on many Lenovo machines but as long they're not desktops, I think they're O.K.