Build Your Own Gaming Notebook
Do you think I should purchase the m11x based on my needs?
I really know nothing about computer parts, and I have been reading as much as I could about the m11x to see if it is what I want, and these are the issues that are still stumping me. 1) I would really love to play the newest games to come out on my computer for at least the next 6 years or so at medium settings with 40ish fps and was wondering if I could achieve that with this setup I currently have planned: the Intel® Core™2 Duo SU7300 1.3GHz (3MB Cache), 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 800MHz, and the 500GB SATAII 7,200RPM. This comes to about 1069$ with my student discount. 2) Also, is the CPU in the m11x worse than my core 2 duo T5750 @ 2.00 ghz. I am asking this because I do not know much about computer parts, I'm assuming the m11x's is worse because less ghz means slower (at least what I was led to believe). But I find this hard to believe because I purchased my laptop almost two years ago, I would think that the processor technology would be at the point where even an 11" laptop would have a far stronger CPU than my current Toshiba satellite-A305 that I got for about 800$. 3) Also, will the relatively old CPU on the m11x ever hinder the notebooks ability to play games in the future, as it will not meet minimum requirements? I have been reading a lot about the C2Duo vs the new i3,i5,i7 series, and was not entirely sure if it would be worth waiting for the m11x to have built in nethalem if all I really care about is gaming (no video editing). 4) Also, will the fact that this notebook is constructed with plastic ever cause the computer to warp? I have heard about prior issues like this in plastic builds, and more specifically alienware computers warping their shapes. 5) And, one final note, will the price of the new nethalem processors quickly drop, maybe so much so that if I wait until April, I could get the m11x with an i3 for the same price as I am paying now? (~1069$) 6) If i decide to buy the current setup I have planned, will I be able to easily upgrade my CPU to the nethalem series? How much will that usually cost, if I have alienware do it, without considering the price of the processor. 7) Is it risky for me to buy the first generation of m11x as there may be inherent problems in the design? Is this common for first generation computers, I know it's common for consoles (i.e. red ring of death). Please leave any insight you may have on these issues. Thanks!
Public Comments
- Hi there.
Your configuration is quite ok.
However you should not plan to use this as a main gaming laptop for such a long time as 6 years. Maybe a year or two is ok.
It should plays almost any current game acceptably, but you can not expect that it will be able to play all games coming out in the future.
Think of what this mini laptop is intended for.
It is not a desktop replacement
It is a mobile laptop to carry around everywhere but still be able to play games,
but be aware that it will not be able to play them as well as some 15 or 17 inch laptop.
Concerning the cpu:
The core 2 duo T5750 you mention is about 10% faster than the core 2 duo SU7300. So there certainly have been made advances, so it is almost as fast as noticeably slower clock speeds.
The M11x allows you to overclock the cpu however to about 1,73 ghz, so with that it will be faster. When you have activated overclocking though expect that your battery will not last as long.
The cpu of the M11x is newer than your M5750. Please do not use the clock speed (how many ghz) to judge on how recent a cpu is. Older cpu's went up to almost 4 ghz. Current ones with 2 ghz are much faster than those old 4 ghz pentiums.
You are right however that the M11x cpu is not the most recent. A core i3, i5 or i7 are more recent and faster. We can only speculate why dell/alienware has not used them. Maybe it would have taken them more time to bring the M11x out in that case. People are however anticipating a remake of the M11x in the future that uses such a cpu.
The SU7300 is enough for most games as those games rely more on the graphic card (gpu) which is much stronger in relation.
I'm not sure what you mean with "warping" of plastic elements. I am confident however that the build quality of the M11x will be more than acceptable.
If you wait for an M11x with nehalem, the prices willdefinitelyy have dropped and i guess you will be able to get it about the same or only slightly higher price than the M11x is offered now. However do expect to wait more than just 2-3 months for that. I would say at least half a year.
If you buy the current M11x you will not be able to upgrade the cpu. The nehalem cpus have changed drastically and require a whole new motherboard design. I',m not even sure it is possible to put in a faster core 2 duo cpu.
I cannot tell you if it is risky to buy the M11x right away. If you are unsure if it will live up to what you need, I suggest you wait until about beginning of march when the first few people havereceivedd theirs and write more detailed reviews and tests.
Before you decide to buy this thing, ask yourself for what you want to use it, and if it really fits your requirements. If you need a very mobile system in the first place, but still want to be able to play games with it, then it might be the right one.
If you do not move or tavel around so much or are ok with carrying a somewhat larger laptop then that may be better, because you will get much more performance (but you must expect less battery live too) at possibly a better relative price (it may still cost more, but the cost/performance ratio may be better).
Hope this helps.
