M4600 vs 8560W

[V_Chip]

As a high school student who uses Solidworks, Creo 1.0, and Autodesk Student, MS Studio 2010, and Photoshop CS 5.1 Extended, I can say it's entirely possible to accomplish all necessary tasks on a 13.3" screen with 1366x768 resolution.. within reason. It's possible, but not viable.

I'd recommend choosing out of the three you have already narrowed it down to. Sure, having to rely on a USB 10key may mean more to carry around and more to worry about, but I doubt your son will NEED it. I get along fine without one.

I wouldn't sacrifice resolution in order to upgrade the CPU. The base configuration will be sufficient when coupled with the GPU. Doing CAD on a 1366x768 13.3" screen? Terrible. 1366x768 15.6"? A nightmare.

A slice battery is a nice addition. I wouldn't worry too much about warranty and build quality. Dell, Lenovo, and HP's business computer divisions are much more reliable than their consumer counterparts. Go with the better computer/configuration.

[Jarhead]

Business-class laptops (workstations, etc) will have much better reliability and customer support than consumer grade laptops. All three companies are well regarded in this, as sgogeta4 pointed out.

From Lenovo, I've had nothing but good times when using my warranty service. A few months after purchase, my original 9-cell was stuck at ~37% and wouldn't charge after that (eh, it happens). Called up IBM (they handle Thinkpads, not Lenovo) and after about five minutes of actual support (not the "is your laptop plugged into the wall?" BS), I was sent a free replacement battery that arrived at my house in less than 24 hours.

Same thing when I accidentally broke off one of the keys on my keyboard while trying to install a mSATA drive. Called IBM again to ask how to pop the key back on, but they offered to just send me an entire keyboard instead. They even offered to send a tech to install it for me, but I declined since I already knew how to (thanks to the hardware manuals online).

[Rykoshet]

If it is a graduation present, I would seriously recommend waiting for Ivy Bridge.

Not only will the i7-3720qm model perform equal to or outperform the i7-2860 you're looking at, it should run cooler and give longer battery, something every college student will be thankful for.

And again, I would really consider downgrading the CPU, and if you need to put the money somewhere, upgrade to the 3000M. Your son will thank you at lan parties.

[Ryan]

3612QM... The 35W Quad goodness..

But again, I also vote to wait, it's not going to be a long wait.

[knight427]

I have only purchased one laptop prior, an HP dv6 mid level consumer grade for the Wife.

It is nice to find a site such as this with helpful friendlies to assist. Let me give you some background as to how I came to my choices before I proceed any further.

Son is like most, he does not want, nor would he carry around a 17" Heavy monster. Hardware wise this would be great, but a waist of money if won't carry it to class. He already has a desktop. He hinted at a 13'-14", but then hardware limits kick in, so 15" is the size. The recommendations from engineers at work were keypads with numbers on the right. I will look into the USB plug-ins further, but this just means more stuff to carry, loose or break. Hardware selection is based on software and usage. He will have WIN7-64, Office 2010 Pro, Adobe CS5.5 Master Suite (Premiere Pro), CATIA and/or Solidworks Student, AutoDesk Student and all the other s/w we use in life. So I have to chosen the best chipset, CPU, graphics, memory and hard drive reasonably priced to fit this size package and usage. 1920x1080 screen resolution is a given, but I may sacrifice ISP for the CPU upgrade. May still go with the lit keys and touch screen. Had already planned to buy an extra battery. This "slice battery" is something I have never heard of until now. Looked it up briefly before this post and will read more later. It is interesting as long as the weight and bulk does not counter the mobility issue the 17" would have created.

So all these things considered, I guess what I need to hear are recommendations regarding reliability, driver issues, warranty and service, easy of use, heat, ect. Not a fan boy of anything but what works best. Please feel free with your suggestions and comments and understand I appreciate all, even though I will make the decision. Be advised I have made a "few" desktops in the past.

Thanks to all.

Even though I just bought an external monitor for my laptop, I would not trade my IPS screen for the non-IPS+CPU upgrade (even to the most powerful available on mine, 940xm). These 10-bit IPS screens are just awesome, even my IPS external monitor does not compare.

Regarding warranty, I have had lots of experience with HP NBD on-site service. I had three full system replacements and about a half-dozen on-site repairs before my current rock-solid rig. I know that's not a great endorsement for HP hardware, but they supported it well. Oh, and I've had them replace my keyboard 3 times. I think my cat might actually be to blame, but I just tell them what I know for certain, a key popped off, and they replace it, promptly.

Note that HP and Dell include 3yr NBD on-site. The Lenovo comes with 1yr depot which can be upgraded at additional cost.

[V_Chip]

If it is a graduation present, I would seriously recommend waiting for Ivy Bridge.

Not only will the i7-3720qm model perform equal to or outperform the i7-2860 you're looking at, it should run cooler and give longer battery, something every college student will be thankful for.

And again, I would really consider downgrading the CPU, and if you need to put the money somewhere, upgrade to the 3000M. Your son will thank you at lan parties.

Facepalm.

How'd I forget about Ivy Bridge? If it is a graduation present I second the motion to wait until new computers and configuration come out. If anything, the new computers will drop the prices for the ones you're currently looking at.

[knight427]

Facepalm.

How'd I forget about Ivy Bridge? If it is a graduation present I second the motion to wait until new computers and configuration come out. If anything, the new computers will drop the prices for the ones you're currently looking at.

The new workstations MIGHT be out in time for fall semester, but I wouldn't bet on it. Still, living w/o might be worth it.

But if you employ the strategy of using the update to snag a great deal, you might want to consider how picky you seem to be about the specs. I know from past updates that they are pretty smart about how they phase out an old model. They will start to limit upgrade options, bit by bit. When the new product launches, you might even be able to configure the old model for a few weeks overlap, but you will probably be frustrated if you want anything over base spec.

[V_Chip]

The new workstations MIGHT be out in time for fall semester, but I wouldn't bet on it. Still, living w/o might be worth it.

But if you employ the strategy of using the update to snag a great deal, you might want to consider how picky you seem to be about the specs. I know from past updates that they are pretty smart about how they phase out an old model. They will start to limit upgrade options, bit by bit. When the new product launches, you might even be able to configure the old model for a few weeks overlap, but you will probably be frustrated if you want anything over base spec.

Agreed. If it's something you're willing to gamble on it may (or) may not come out in your favor.

Get what you want now for a pretty penny?

vs.

Get (some) of what you want for a (possible) deal.

[frodoz737]

Just finish reading M4600 vs. W520 vs. 8560w. Was informative. Will read the M4600 and 8560W Owners lounges next. This site is great. You folks are coming at me better than most computer sites.

Just a blanket response since last post. Not giving up screen res for cpu bump, giving up ISP, and for Optimus as well if I get Dell. Trying real hard to keep this thing in the low $2000 price. It's a cost compromise and the CPU wins. Thanks for the vote of confidence on Business Class Warranty and Service for these models. The Ivys will be better, but graduation is 5-6 weeks away, and this is his present. The Quadro 3000M would be better, but not available on the 15" chassis. Now if he would "carry" a 17" @7.65 lbs, then hands down I would pay more and get one with a 5010M, but he won't, so I won't. If someone can better inform me on "slice" batteries for these models...

Thanks.

[knight427]

I don't get it. You'd pay an additional $1340 to upgrade a 3000M to 5010M on a M6600, but you are sticking to a $2000 budget because he wants a 15" laptop instead? Of course it's your money, but this just seems odd.

If you are willing to spend that kind of money, consider this. Get him a M4600 from Dell's business outlet, plus invest a large chunk of your savings (when compared to M6600+5010M) in a CD and promise him a Junior year upgrade if his grades stay on track.