I know this thread is meant for desktop evaluations, but since there isn't a specific section for laptops, I'll just drop it here. I'm basically trying to figure out what a fair asking price would be for this machine. Just a heads-up, I have no clue what the original retail price was because it was given to me.
HP Envy TouchSmart 17-j 121 Intel Core i7-4710MQ with Intel HD Graphics 4600 (2.5 GHz, 6 MB cache, 4 cores) 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 RAM Nvidia GeForce 840m (2 GB DDR3 dedicated) 2* 1 TB HDD WD10jPVX 5400 RPM FHD LED-backlit touch screen Beats Audio with 4 speakers and 2 subwoofers 1 multi-format SD media card reader 1 HDMI 1 headphone/microphone combo 4 USB 3.0 (1 HP USB Boost) 1 RJ-45 6-cell, 62 Wh Li-ion battery HP TrueVision HD Webcam (front-facing) with integrated dual array digital microphone Fingerprint reader Dimensions: 41.6 x 27.52 x 3.34 cm Weight: 3.2 kg
It's running the original Windows. The laptop works great, but I guess it's just become too impractical due to its size and weight.
Yeah, I've got an apartment in Washington, D.C., that needs a total overhaul. And I’m expecting to inherit about a sixth of some land plus half a floor of a house in Malibu sometime in the next 20 to 30 years. Though that house will probably need a massive renovation too—I'm thinking at least $10k to $15k per floor.
No worries for now. My parents are healthy, active, and still working away in our wonderful private sector.
Professional CAD cards are great for 3D work, just not for gaming. The drivers act like a total bottleneck. They’re optimized specifically for 2D/3D CAD/CAM software—things like 3D rendering, simulations, and complex models (CATIA is a beast when it comes to 3D CAD). Basically, Quadro or FirePro cards and CAD/CAM/CAE programs are best friends and make really efficient use of those specific resources. But in a game? Any high-end gaming card will leave them in the dust. It's like comparing apples and oranges. Sure, they're both fruit, just different kinds. Not to mention the insane price gap. High-end workstation cards are priced through the roof (a FirePro W9100 can run $3,000+ while a GTX Titan X is around $1,000), plus there's the power draw and cooling requirements to consider. While raw hardware might favor workstation graphics sometimes, the drivers are tuned for a completely different job. I guess if someone actually made drivers optimized for gaming, the comparison might be a bit fairer. Sorry for going off-topic, I just wanted to add something to darkowl72's post.
Which version of Windows 7 64-bit are you using? Dell likes to play games by suggesting drivers that aren't actually their official ones. I won't get into the weeds on how they do it, but I'd say just grab a high-quality version of Windows, do a clean install, and then install everything directly from their site—just make sure they actually match the specific version of Windows you have installed. It would also be a good idea to check exactly which components are inside that specific laptop model. They use multiple different suppliers, so not every Dell Latitude has the exact same hardware. When you're hunting for drivers on their website, the easiest way is to use the serial number to find the precise model and series, then just pick your OS and grab the drivers you need.
Thanks for all the advice. To you and Amy Vaughn12 too. Your guidelines are great, especially regarding the graphics card. I think 128 GB is cutting it pretty close for people who tend to overload their systems. I'll be running Windows 10 / Mint 17, CATIA, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, and MATLAB on this one. 128 GB should be just enough for that setup. I don't really need an IPS screen. This specific Acer model just happens to have one linked, but I was mostly looking for something with a 960M, an SSD, and a decent processor without breaking the bank. I guess the biggest difference will be how the memory holds up when I start running some renders. If you think this Acer model is a solid choice, I might just pull the trigger. My psychological limit was around one month's salary, and I can live with that. Sorry for the hassle and any silly questions—I honestly just don't have the time to stay on top of PC hardware anymore.
Yep. Anything with a 960M is going to run you north of $1,300. Though, most of those deals usually include an SSD and a few other extras anyway. Take this one, for instance—it might not be the absolute best pick out there, but the combo of the GPU, the SSD, the screen size, and that i7 processor caught my eye. It seems pretty solid: http://www.architect.com/shop/index.php...ducts_id=12982
So, here’s my dilemma. Do I grab the one you suggested, save up a bit more, and just slap an SSD in later? Or should I just scrape everything together now and buy something like the one above? I know, I know—it sounds like I'm moving the goalposts on my budget, but I'm looking for a laptop to last me the next two or three years, and I'd really love some peace of mind. The price gap between the first option with the SSD and this second one is about $100. I'm not exactly a genius here, since I'm already blowing past my original budget anyway.
Thanks. I linked what I managed to find for a 17'' screen in that price range. Honestly, it’s a weak selection, and I get that the budget for this category is pretty tight. I don't follow mobile GPUs closely, and that 4GB Radeon spec totally threw me off. I assume this GTX has CUDA cores too? Because some of the software I use can really push them. 🙂 My main focus is 2D/3D CAD/CAM work and a bit of programming; Photoshop is just for quick fixes—like slapping a texture on an image instead of rendering the whole model, or maybe retouching some phone/camera photos. The one you suggested looks good to me. What would you recommend regarding an SSD? This M.2 slot drive is about $333. Is it worth it, or would it be better to grab a caddy and a drive to replace the optical drive? I haven't used an optical drive in years and don't really need one since I use digital downloads or just stick to USB/external HDDs. I'll be running Windows and Linux on it, along with my work software. Games and everything else will go on the HDD.
After years of loyal service, my old HP is starting to struggle, and I think it’s finally time to upgrade to something newer.
So, hey everyone, I could really use some help here.
My requirements: A 17'' screen with HD resolution, ideally with an anti-glare coating. An SSD or at least the option to install one later. The longer the Warranty, the better; if there's an option for an extended one, that would be great.
Usage: Besides the usual web browsing and Office work, I want to play newer games (as long as they run smoothly on medium settings), amateur Photoshop, and some 3D modeling (using Dassault or Autodesk programs). The modeling part is pretty graphics-heavy, but I don't plan on doing heavy rendering on a laptop—mostly just modeling.
My budget is up to $2500, though I might stretch it to about $8,000 if it’s actually worth it. I'm paying for this with solar savings (cash from the sun).
I don't strictly need Windows, but everything I've found seems to come with it anyway. My plan is to set up a dual boot with Windows and Linux.
I’d prefer to avoid the HP Probook series; I just don't really like them.
I'm based in Chicago, but I'm totally fine ordering online.
Here is what I've found so far: — unfortunately, it's out of stock right now.
Haha, so you're from that era :P Not everyone ended up at a technical high school like that 😉 But man, you know how much those programs can test your patience. Especially when you're trying to get stuff done on a deadline and everything just crawls. That r7 is definitely a step up from integrated graphics, though—if you end up gaming at all, you'll be glad you have it. Enjoy the new rig, Terminator! 🙂
Robert Rodriguez2 said:If they're just working from home for school projects or some hobby, an integrated chip will get the job done. No need for anything overkill.
But if this is their actual job—if it's how they put food on the table—then yeah, absolutely. A good card will jump their productivity to a whole different level.🙂
I mean, I basically agree with you. This is mostly just coming from my own experience, I guess. I'm not saying he needs an ATI FirePro or an Nvidia Quadro right this second, but having a decent mid-range gaming card definitely helps. Especially with 3D work. Integrated graphics will get the job done—honestly, today's integrated chips are probably better than the old discrete cards I used during my freshman year when we were first learning computer-aided design and engineering graphics (the card in his laptop is already older than that, XD). It’ll work, but it might be slow as hell, especially if he starts tackling more complex stuff in SolidWorks involving 3D assemblies—the kind of things you hit in upper-level classes. I’m assuming the OP is a mechanical, marine, or aerospace engineering student? If he gets into it and starts experimenting, a discrete GPU would definitely speed things up. Just wanted to share this so someone else doesn't run into the same headaches I did. If you set a render to run and then head out for a couple of coffees only to find things didn't go as planned... well, yeah. Just a friendly tip: if you can stretch your budget a little, definitely grab a decent graphics card. It’ll make everything run way faster and cut down on that annoying stuttering. But, if you're mostly doing 2D work, you can probably just ignore everything I've said here. 😉
SolidWorks is a 3D CAD program, and much like its sibling SolidWorks, it really craves a decent graphics card. I guess it would be pretty useful to throw some solid graphics in there just for rendering 3D models—especially when you're dealing with complex assemblies. Once you start adding lighting and different materials, it tends to push both the CPU and the GPU pretty hard. I'm assuming you're using the student version of V5R19. It really depends on what you're actually doing in the software, though; if you're just making simple models, you probably don't need anything too powerful.
Never mind, I figured out what the deal is. Basically, since my motherboard is fine, I'll just grab some RAM, an SSD, and a new GPU, and I can get this sorted for about half the cost. Thanks to Tiki and Halek. We can lock this thread now. 🙂
Haha, money doesn't grow on trees. Honestly, I'm just seeing how much I can stretch my budget and pay in installments to build something that holds up for a few years. When I put this together, my goal was to make sure it lasts at least 3 to 5 years. I just don't have the time to keep up with all the latest PC hardware news like I used to. The motherboard supports AM3, so I'm guessing an AM3+ socket CPU won't fit. But you guys gave me a great starting point, so I'll take some time to do some reading, figure out the right combo, and then pull the trigger. Like I said, I'm no tech expert—it’s just that things move so fast these days that if you aren't watching constantly, you get lost. Then you have no clue where to even start. Anyway, thanks a ton for the advice.
P.S. The people in this link used those damn rivets to secure the motherboard and the GPU. Has anyone actually managed to remove them without having to drill through them?
Thanks. I’ll probably grab a bigger case since everything is pretty cramped in there right now. Not sure exactly how it died, but the smell coming from the graphics card said it all. I think the motherboard might actually be fine, though—it’s an ASUS Motherboard. The PC belongs to my brother. He mostly just uses it for AutoCAD and occasionally SolidWorks. As for what they play lately, it's mostly RPGs, with some FPS games thrown in here and there. I'm definitely getting more RAM, too; the system is hungry for a new Solid.
Hey everyone! So, after a long time, my trusty desktop finally gave up the ghost 😢 Specifically, the graphics card and motherboard both died on me. Since this rig is getting pretty old, I'm stuck wondering what the best move is.
Here’s the old setup—basically everything that hasn't died yet. CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 955 RAM: PC-10600, CRUCIAL, DDR3, 1333 MHz, 3x2 GB Disk: HDD 1000.0 GB HITACHI, SATA, 16MB c., 7200 rpm Power Supply: 400W, CORSAIR CX Series CMPSU-400CXEU, ATX2 v2.2, 120mm fan DVD drive, some LG model, still works Case: COOLERMASTER Elite 332 MIDI, which probably needs replacing since it's pretty small Peripherals: Not needed
The big question is: what should I do? Should I just buy a completely new build, or try to salvage the working parts from the old one and mix them with new components?
My budget is around $1667, ideally something I can put on a credit card with 12 monthly installments. I'd likely shop around at Best Buy. I know how to put things together myself if I go the upgrade route, but if I decide to go for a full new build, I'd rather have someone else assemble it because I'm feeling pretty lazy.
I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions on what to do or what to buy.
Mainly, besides standard web browsing and movies, I want to do some casual gaming—ideally newer titles, along with World of Warcraft and League of Legends. I also need to run Photoshop and SolidWorks, maybe some light AutoCAD, and some Java programming.