Laptop suggestions

[Gorgon]

I need it for

 

Compiling.

3dsmax. 

Unreal Engine. 

Photoshop and the like.

 

 

I cant afford (or don't want) to pay for a top of the line machine mostly because of the sense of getting so little for my money once I enter the laptop scene. With no form factor and little in the way of interchangeability producers for the high end market can get away with nearly anything. 

 

So I guess an 'expandable' is the keyword here.

 

External GPU, maybe one of those wacom digitizer plates if a digitizer screen is too expensive. 

 

You can't run all that on battery though and at some point it all adds up and you might as well get a small form factor PC. What do I realistically have room for in my bag ?. I guess one 'thing' other than the laptop.

 

 

 

 

[Deadly_Nightshade]

Do you have a general sense of how much you're willing to spend?

[Gorgon]

Neighbourhood of 1100 Euros, bear in mind that I don't actually have much of an idea of what laptops cost. (screw you Donald Trump for strengthing the dollar)

[Humanoid]

I don't think it's a realistic budget for your needs. For that kind of money you'd only really swing a mid-upper "multimedia" notebook like one in this list.

[Gorgon]

Yeah I'm starting to realise it would come to twice that at least. However, with an external GPU and options, i dunno how good they are haven't used one, for compiling with GPUs. 

 

I mean that would be the point of an external GPU, you get a middle of the road laptop and spend the money on an upgradable GPU package and just lug it around with you whenever you need it. 

[Gorgon]

Most of the EGPUu adaptors I've seen are very bulky. They need their own PSU after all. Probably not something you can just lug around. And there are DYI versions without a PSU which are just the connectors, they don't enclose the card. Probably not a long term solution, one wrong tug at the wires and you break everything. 

 

It really can't take up much more space than the GPU itself and still call itself portable. I think EGPUs are mostly meant to sit at home enabling you to plug your laptop into a bigger screen, the EGPU and the charging station. 

[mkreku]

If you can sell a kidney or something I would recommend the Gigabyte Aero 14.

 

• NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060 GDDR5 6GB
• 6th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processor
• 94.24Wh Huge Battery Capacity for Full-Day Productivity
• Only 19.9mm slim, 1.89kg Lightweight
• Unique Aesthetics with all aluminum robust body
• Slim and light Adapter with USB Charging Port
• QHD IPS Display with Wide Viewing Angle
• Blazing-fast M.2 PCIe Gen3 X4 SSD: Reach 2000MB/s (optional)
• USB 3.1 Type-C: 10Gbps / 5V 3A
• HDMI 2.0: Ultra HD 4K 60Hz Output
• DDR4 2133/2400 MHZ – Up to 32GB
• Dolby Digital Plus™: Surround Sound Anywhere, Everywhere

 

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=6135#kf

 

It would cover all your needs, but the problem is the price. Like you predicted, it would probably end up closer to 2200 than 1100€.

[Gorgon]

They aren't selling in Europe near as I can tell.

 

http://www.pricerunner.dk/pi/27-3402658/Baerbar/ASUS-GL502VS-FY081T-Produkt-Info

 

Anyway this one sports a 1070 and it's cheaper. Of course they cut corners elsewhere. Only 512 gb total, 1080p display and It doesn't have the huge battery. 

[Gorgon]

What the hell kind of name is GL502VS-FY081T anyway. That's like the opposite of branding. 

[Gorth]

My trusty old made to order Alienware laptop is still going strong, 3 years later. Runs physically based rendering without problems (except for massive heat generation, so not for small rooms) and just about every game/application I've thrown at it like a dream. The price was not for the faint of heart though. Yes, I know, ostensibly a gaming machine, but that's probably what I use it the least for.

[Gorgon]

That's another thing. I'm a bit of a noise freak and the constant high pitch whine from a small fan could be a deal breaker for me.

 

Any unconventional cooling out there ?

[Sarex]

There are addons that you mount on the laptop that provide external cooling, thus reducing the amount of cooling need by the laptop fan. Just google laptop cooler pad.

[Gorgon]

Yeah I know of these. I suppose it helps, although it's not actively cooling the places that need cooling the most. And it's another thing that needs power.

[Sarex]

How about this thing?

https://www.amazon.com/LC05-Cooling-Auto-Temp-Detection-Compatible/dp/B00XKU47Y2

[Gorgon]

Only works with side vents. The Asus above sucks air from the bottom. 

 

 

Near as ai can tell It's not one size fits all. Looks like it's on there with superglue as well. I mean if I had a laptop that was making a lot of noise and I was getting desperate that's probably the route I'd go. It's a bit clunky to be on anyone's wish list to from the get go though.

[Gorgon]

So I'm considering getting one of these ridiculous things instead. 

 

http://www.wacom.com/en-sg/products/pen-computers/wacom-mobilestudio-pro

 

It's a ****load of money.

 

Really want it though. Can't say I feel the same about owning any laptop nomatter how powerful it is. 

[Gorgon]

The most expensive model will run me 3200 Euros. The cheapest one is 1600. If I get the cheapest one I can just about get that AND a laptop like the above. 

 

There is a lot of Goldilocks marketing going on with the Wacoms though. Like offering 64 gb drives and 8 gb ram on the higher end versions (arguably inadequate) to try and steer you towards a more expensive purchase. What you really want is the superior digitiser, not Wacom's tablet computer that it is stuck to it. (bad value, few options for upgrade etc)

[Gorgon]

Anyone know how capable the Quadro M600M is. Supposedly that's a workstation chip suitable for CAD/design whathaveyou. 

[Humanoid]

Hardware-wise it's about equivalent to a GTX 940M from what I can see. Absolute entry level.

[Gorgon]

8 gb ram, 256 gb hdd a core i5 and and that chip in a wacom tablet pc. Estimated battery life in moderate to heavy load. 3 hrs.

 

2000 Euro.

 

lol.

 

I guess they know their market. 

[Gorgon]

I still want one though.

 

 

Damn. I can feel my restraint slipping away. 

[Gorgon]

Aaaand I failed. Ordered the most expensive version. I feel guity now. And those 5-7 days can't go fast enough.

 

 

• Intel® CoreTM i7

• 512GB

• 16GB

• NVIDIA Quadro M1000M graphics with 4GB GDDDR5 VRAM

[Gorgon]

Only a dual core though. Didn't know they even still made those. Still should be the business for design.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

Only a dual core though. Didn't know they even still made those. Still should be the business for design.

 

Is it an ultra low voltage chip? Those are normally dual core.

[Gorgon]

Maybe to save on TPD because it's a mobile device ?

 

Wacom got a lot of flak with the last iteration of their tablet PC because of fan noise and heat.