Top spec laptop

k4p84 · #1 27-01-09, 10:53 AM

hey all,

mate of mine has been asked to get a laptop for work.

It is to run as a server, web server, Database server, it will be to demo products to clients.

they have a budget of about £3000.

so it needs to be a powerful machine.

I know you can shell out near £5000 for an Alienware but you are paying a lot for the badge and gfx which are not essential.

Since it will be running a virtual server etc i think we are looking at the sort of 3ghz CPU area and 8gb ram.

Plus with the budget i have suggested popping in an SSD.

Any help finding a notebook to cover all the bases would be appreciated.

ED

deathwish · #2 27-01-09, 02:17 PM

Lenovo W700

up to 8gb of ram and supports raid

soapsupah · #3 27-01-09, 02:41 PM

http://www.malibal.com/ look for their nine series, you can add stuff on it so you will see for yourself

also they arent cheap, but pretty are good. you can put even a Q9650 one it

Sihastru · #4 27-01-09, 02:57 PM

If it is for work, then graphics power is not important, so we're talking business class. It should NOT have shared VRAM. Output ports are important, he should be able to hook it up to a bigger screen or a projector.

I would get something with the mobile Quads, Q9000 for example, true it's got a lower clock speed, but two extra cores do make a bigger difference in business applications then the extra clock speed of a dual core.

8GB or RAM is a must for database/server jobs, even if they are only temporary demonstrations. I would get a 17" or a 15". He should think a lot before buying how mobile he wants to be. I have a 17" Inspiron and at times it feels heavy after a full work day.

Don't get a laptop with a desktop Quad, it will be very heavy and the battery will be gone before you can finish a sandwich.

If he has the money one or two SSDs are a must. There are laptops (17") that can carry two of them in RAID0, or maybe one SSD for speed and one normal, slower but larger HDD for storage.

In the business world presentation is important, so you can only get something like Lenovo (IBM), Dell or HP. Anything else and you're not a professional.

The Lenovo W700 looks sweet and expensive if he wants a Quad, there is one with QX9300 @2.53GHz. If he'll go with a Dual Core, the Lenove W500 will serve him well, for a lot less money.

Rastalovich · #5 27-01-09, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by name='deathwish'

Lenovo W700

up to 8gb of ram and supports raid

Dunno about allocating cash to a quadro fx based laptop.

Sihastru · #6 27-01-09, 03:45 PM

Quadro FX 2700 is just a rebranded 9700m GTS 512MB, so what's the problem with it? Small OpenGL optimizations for CAD and that's about it. Price? Well, it's a business machine, so high price is a given.

Rastalovich · #7 27-01-09, 04:19 PM

We saying a 9700m? card can do what a Quadro FX 2700 can ? and vice versa.

Sihastru · #8 27-01-09, 07:09 PM

Not exactly, I am saying that the Quadro can do whatever the GTS can do. The GTS can do most things the Quadro can. But both products use the same GPU.

But for the intended use of the laptop, there is no difference.

charlie-j · #9 27-01-09, 07:24 PM

I wouldn't spend money on fast hard drives because its not for the server, its for managing the server.

Sihastru · #10 27-01-09, 07:33 PM

If it's for remote management of a server, then any junker will do, he only needs a 10" netbook with an Atom CPU with 512MB of ram and integrated graphics... lol.

I thought he was one of those power user blokes we hear so little about.