Thoughts on this laptop?

[marute]

Hi all, I'd like to ask you if you would please have a look at the specs below and say what you think? How will it perform for gaming, more specifically how do you think it will perform in Diablo 3?

Screen: 15,6" 1366 x 768
HDD: 500 GB 5400 rpm
Ram: 4 GB DDR3
CPU: Intel Core i5-2450m 2.5 GHz, 2 cores
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GT 630M 2 GB
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
Price: 830 USD

Thanks a lot!

 

[stingstang]

I'd give it a 3/10 for d3 performance.

 

[WR2]

For that price I'd expect to see maybe 6GB of RAM, a Core i7 quad core CPU and a Blu-Ray drive too.

 

[marute]

I see. And why, if you don't mind me asking? What's wrong? It's a bit confusing because people tend to have very different opinions.

Though as far as I have understood, Diablo 3 shouldn't be the most demanding game of times.

Thanks

 

[marute]

For that price I'd expect to see maybe 6GB of RAM, a Core i7 quad core CPU and a Blu-Ray drive too.

You probably could do 6 GB ram but where I live - in Denmark - the above is kinda cheap. For an i7 quad core you would need to pay at least 1050 to 1500 USD.

But does the 2 extra GB of ram matter much? And I've learned that the processor I describe function as a quad core although it has 2 cores - or something like that.

 

[WR2]

Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 15" Notebook $800
Core i7 2670QM 2.20GHz (Turbo 3.1ghz) 6GB RAM, 500GB HDD 15.6" 1366x768 LCD w/ GeForce GT 555M.
It's the 96 core version of GT 555M so it's performance is more like a OC'd GT 550M.

 

[WR2]

You did say $800 and didn't qualify that you'd really meant an equivalent amount in DKK or Euro.

 

[marute]

You did say $800 and didn't qualify that you'd really meant an equivalent amount in DKK or Euro.

Well, I can calculate how much 4500 DKK is in USD and Euro but not how much a 800 USD computer in Denmark is worth in the USA or UK.

But what do you think of the computer I list?

 

[WR2]

It's hard to know for sure till the game comes out.
But if it's about the same as StarCraft II (one rumor I heard) you can probably expect to use medium graphics settings and get decent game play.

If it's important enough to get that type of performance - you really do want to wait till AFTER the game is released do you know for sure.

 

[WR2]

You could have told us you had 4500 DKK and were picking up the laptop from your favorite online store - with a web link.
I don't read Danish but I can find my way around the make/model and spec's just fine.

 

[marute]

I have the requirements for Diablo 3 here but I have a hard time comparing them.

Here (http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-630M.63761.0.html) it is said that the GT 630m should run SC2 on high with 32 fps, though.

Minimum Requirements:

PC:

•Fully-updated Windows® XP/Vista/7 with DirectX 9.0c
•Intel Pentium® D 2.8 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4400+ (or better)
•NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800 GT or ATI Radeon™ X1950 Pro (or better)
•1 GB RAM (with Windows XP)or 1.5 GB RAM (with Vista or Windows 7)
•12 GB available Hard Drive space, DVD-ROM drive (for retail disc versions only)
•Broadband Internet connection
•Video settings reaching a minimum resolution of 1024x768

Recommended Requirements:

PC:

•Fully-updated Windows® Vista/7
•Intel® Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 5600+ 2.8 GHz or better
•At least 2 GB RAM
•NVIDIA® GeForce® 260 or ATI Radeon™ HD 4870 or better

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/4365746905

 

[marute]

Oh, I actually meant to put a link but I forgot. I'm so sorry. Here is the specific link: http://www.fona.dk/default.aspx?m=2&i=81&itemnumber=4400540860

Thanks for your patience!

 

[WR2]

D3 and SCII are not using the same engine.
When I said "about the same as StarCraft II" that could very well mean 25 FPS.

PackardBell hasn't had a very good reputation for notebook quality and reliability in the past. Not sure if that's changed.
But a Core i5-2450M and a GT 630M are good parts.

Not exact model match - but it should give you a pretty good idea about the notebook
Review Packard Bell EasyNote TS11 HR-040UK Notebook
Review Packard Bell EasyNote TS11 Notebook

 

[marute]

Playing Diablo 3 on high with avg. fps of 25 doesn't seem bad to me at all. Imagine I came from a laptop with a Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS. I doubt it would run D3 at anything but low/med with max 20 fps. I'm getting a new one because it recently died due to motherboard failure. It was a HP Dv6, sad it didn't last...

According to your two reviews, I'd say that it seems like Packard Bell in this case delivers a very good quality notebook. They have only positive things to say about the quality of the screen, keyboard, the case etc.

Your links warn that the placements of the USB's might give a caple mess and be a bit in the way. I kind of agree but then again, you cannot have it all.

The model I showed to you doesn't have USB 3, though. It would be nice to have I guess but I don't own an USB 3 device anyway.

I'm glad to hear you approve of the i5-2450M and the GT 630M.

 

[marute]

Should I be worried that the GT 630M is rated 5.8 for 3D gaming in Windows Experience Index on the machine showed in the store? The performance for Windows Aero is rated 3.4, but I imagine that is because it's the CPU that takes care of that, am I right?

 

[RetiredChief]

^ Thoughs WEI ratings sound LOW and may infact be based on the iGPU, not the dGPU

As to performance, It is listed in the bottom 3rd of Class 2.
http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-630M.63761.0.html
If you scoot down the left side you can get a good idea on how it would perform for a good number of games.

 

[marute]

By iGPU and dGPU I assume you mean integrated and dedicated, right?

It's weird because notebookcheck.net rates the GT630M above my brothers Ati Mobility Radeon HD 5650+AMD M880G Ati Mobility Radeon HD 4250 in their benchmarks, yet WEI rates my brother's card(s) at 6.7 for gaming and the GT630M at a max of 6.1 for gaming with the store saying 5.8. ( notebookcheck.net). How should one read that?

 

[WR2]

It's weird because notebookcheck.net rates the GT630M above my brothers Ati Mobility Radeon HD 5650+AMD M880G Ati Mobility Radeon HD 4250

Your brother has a desktop Radeon HD 5650.

 

[marute]

A desktop card in a laptop? Sure about that? That would explain why WEI rates it higher but the benchmarks lower - I must have checked the wrong card then. Though it's still called "mobility"?

 

[RetiredChief]

I have a i5-2410m w/540M (Samsung RF711-S01). The 540m is just below your's.
My wei scorres are:
CPU - 6.9
Memory - 7.4
Graphics - 6.7
Gaming - 6.7
HDD - 7.9 Yes a pair ofr curcial 128 gig M4's

Our scores suold be very close for Graphics - Reason I said it sounds like scores are either based on iGPU (HD3000), or the laptop is not set up for Performance.

 

[marute]

Nice machine. How much ram and how expensive if you don't mind me asking?

That's also why I'm wondering how WEI according to notebookcheck.net says that they rate the GT 630M at a max of 6.1 but the GT 540M, as you say and notebookcheck.net agrees, can reach 6.7 yet their very own benchmarks rate the GT 630M higher (or equal) than (to) the 540M?? So what kind of performance to expect really? The cards should be the same yet there is a difference of 0.6.

I'd also like to ask how you prevent your "Graphics" score (not gaming) to read the Intel HD Graphics? Because the computer in the shop clearly use the Intel HD Graphics as it reads 3,4. Not that it matter much really I'm just curious.

 

[RetiredChief]

$750 @ Newegg (was on Sale). http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834131116
.. Came with a Blu-ray Rom/DVD-RW drive. Saved me having to swap it out. I swapped out the DVD drive in both my toshibia A205 and A305 for a Blu-ray drive - $100 each
.. Came with one 4 gig memory module which made it run in single channel mode (low memory wei score). So added a 2nd 4 gig Module which then ran in daul channel mode - Cheap upgrade. If it had come with 2 x 2 modules would have had to replace both for 8 gigs.
.. Think it came with a 500 gig HDD, But bought two curcial M4 SSDs (Laptop had two HDD bays, One of my requirements when looking for a laptop.
.. It's a 17.3in laptop but the weight is very close to my 15.6" Toshibia Laptop.
Which is fine except when on a Plane and there even a 15.6" is a little big for the tray when watching a DVD movie

Comment - For Desktops I always by ati/amd GPUs, but for SB notebooks the Nvidia GPU is a better choice, haven't checked recently but Nvidia had beter control over switching between iGPU and dGPU when switching between 2D and 3D applications. Since the 630m and the 540m are so close in performance, I'd probably go with the 540m

Would not pay to much attention to the wei score, for gaming you want to look at the performance runing furmark which will also show that it is using the dGPU - This is what would be important that it does switch.