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970M/980M Laptops: MSI GS60 vs Gigabyte P35Xv3-CF2

Tags:
  • Laptops
  • Gigabyte
October 14, 2014 1:56:15 PM

One major consideration: I'm a very casual computer user. I know of very vague specs of graphics cards and what components do but I am no expert. I would not trust myself to open up my own laptop and would not be comfortable with building a desktop from the ground-up (in a reasonable amount of time).

I'm currently looking at these three laptops:
http://www.xoticpc.com/msi-gs60-ghost-pro064-eta-oct15-...
http://www.xoticpc.com/msi-gs60-ghost-pro044-p-7588.htm...
http://www.xoticpc.com/gigabyte-p35xv3cf2-preorder-p-76...

My current top pick is the GS60-064 over the GS60-044 because it comes with 8GB more RAM (16GB over 8GB) and the 6GB 970M card over the 3GB for $100. Currently, I prefer the MSI laptop over the Gigabyte laptop because over the lighter weight although both have very similar form factors. However, the biggest difference is that the Gigabyte Laptop comes with the 8GB 980M card and is about $250 more over the GS60-064 (spec'd with 16GB RAM over the standard 8GB). The GS60 wins me over the P35X because of the sleek design. However, the P35X features of a hot-swappable drive which is a huge plus over the GS60 because of how complicated it is to get to the SSD/HD (you must basically disconnect everything from the motherboard).

One major consideration for me is longevity. I would like to have the Laptop for years to come. So one consideration that has been at the back of my mind is cooling. Since I play MMOs, I tend to stay on the computer for long hours so the internals may be heated for extended periods of time. Therefore, from deduction, I would assume the laptop with better cooling would last longer without any hardware failures (manufacturing defects aside). I've researched both MSI and Gigabyte laptops and have only found information about MSI laptops overheating. However, the 970M cards seems to run a lot cooler than the 800M series cards.

Major questions:
How much better is the 980M over the 970M?
What about the 970M 3GB vs 6GB?
What does the 6GB card offer over the 3GB card?
Am I better off sticking with the GS60-044 over the GS60-064 (considering long term useability)
Which company uses better cooling methods?
How much RAM would you recommend?

1. What is your budget? Around $2000
2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering? ~15.6"
3. What screen resolution do you want? 1980x1080
4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop? Both
5. How much battery life do you need? At least 3-4 hours. Non issue really.
6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? I mostly play MMOs on medium to high graphics. I don't necessarily play video games on the highest or best graphics, but I would like my video card to be able to handle all future games at a reasonable frame rate / graphics quality.
7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? SolidWorks, MATLAB, CATIA
8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need? Anything over 500GB
9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
10. How long do you want to keep your laptop? 4-5 years
11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc
12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons. I prefer brands without gaudy designs that scream "GAMER" while being sleek and attractive. For example, I really like the design of the Macbook Pro. I do not like the look of most ASUS notebooks.
13. What country do you live in? United States
14. I'm a 4th year engineering student who frequently is travelling between home, apartment, class, and the girlfriends place. My desktop is a 6-7 year old i5 with very basic specs (inherited from my younger brother) and my old laptop is ~3 years old (HP DV6-6173CL). I'm looking for something that will replace both old systems and will be relevant for years to come. At home, I will be using a standard 1080P monitor with a mouse and mechanical keyboard as well as studio monitor speakers.

More about : 970m 980m laptops msi gs60 gigabyte p35xv3 cf2

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