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Well well, right now I am in the London Regent Street Apple Store, playing with the top of the range MacBook Pro (2.6GHz, 17" 1920x1200 LED-backlit, 2GB DDR2, 200GB 7200rpm, 8600M GT 512MB DDR3, 8x SuperDrive).
Whilst I am impressed with the Mac software such as iLife and the cool hardware features like slot-in optical drive, I still don't know if the price is justified since for a slightly cheaper price I can get the top-range Asus G70s (2.6GHz, 17" 1920x1200, 4GB DDR2, 2x 320GB 5400rpm, 2x 8700M GT 1GB DDR3, Blu-ray writer), which is a damn sexy beast and definitely owns the Dell XPS M1730 in terms of appearance (even though Dell offers more powerful NVIDIA cards).
Obviously, portability is not an issue for this class - I care more about the performance and practicality. I do some video and photo editing, with the occasional big 3D games when it's raining (this is England for you!).
So what do you guys think? Let the battle begin!
Apple MacBook Pro 17": http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook_pro?mco=MTE4MTM
Asus G70s: http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=5&l2=23&l3=524&l4=43&model=2215&modelmenu=1
The Macbook pro is kind of like the HTC touch/touch cruise/ touch diamond of the laptop world. It's really pretty and really desired, and the software is pretty ok, but theres always a problem that some manage to live past. For the elf/polaris/diamond, the problem is lack of hardware keyboard. For the macbook pro, it's compatibility issues with some games (most of the major ones work, but some don't). You can always run a vmware to run these games, but i've always felt 2gb of ram inadequate for doing so.
I'd go with the asus for three reasons: more ram, better graphics card, more compatibility.
But for things like video editing and media stuff, the MBP is a great machine (something most diehard wm fanatics don't want to admit). It's just the requirement of gaming that throws it off the proverbial cliff.
Yeah, I totally agree. It's a shame that Mac OS X isn't supposed to run on Windows laptops.
Now I am also considering getting the Dell M1730:
· 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 2 DIMMs
· Intel Core 2 Duo T9500 (2.60GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
· 17" WideScreen TrueLife LCD TFT Display WUXGA (1920x1200) resolution
· Integrated 2MP camera
· DUAL SLI 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTX card
· 400GB Free Fall Sensor Raid 2 x 200Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM)
· Fixed 8x DVD+/-RW
· Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 1
· Dual-link DVI-I
It's cheaper than either of these machines and definitely A LOT more powerful in terms of graphics performance.
Hi everyone,
So I'm going off to college soon and I plan on getting a laptop and a desktop for my dorm (one to fall back on if the other dies for some reason). I am pretty sure I know which laptop I am getting, but I am having a harder time building a decently priced small gaming rig for a desktop.
Approximate Purchase Date: Most likely during the black friday/holiday season
Budget Range: 500-800 w/ rebates
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Surfing the Net, Schoolwork
Parts Not Required: Keyboard, Mouse, RAM (4gb GSkill DDR3), Hard Drive (1.5 TB Samsung 5400 rpm)
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg, Tigerdirect, (any site is okay by me)
Country: USA
Parts Preferences: by brand or type AMD CPU, NZXT Vulcan MicroATX Case, SSD
Overclocking: Maybe
SLI or Crossfire: Maybe
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
Additional Comments: Needs to be small but very powerful, which is why I selected the Vulcan case.
Here is what I have so far:
AMD Phenom II X4 955-109.99
NZXT Vulcan Micro Tower Case-69.99
OCZ 600W PSU- 69.99 (I'm bad at finding PSU's, so this is open to change)
Gigabyte GeForce 560 Ti- 220
Thanks Everyone.
monkeychef said:
Hi everyone,
So I'm going off to college soon and I plan on getting a laptop and a desktop for my dorm (one to fall back on if the other dies for some reason). I am pretty sure I know which laptop I am getting, but I am having a harder time building a decently priced small gaming rig for a desktop.
Approximate Purchase Date: Most likely during the black friday/holiday season
Budget Range: 500-800 w/ rebates
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Surfing the Net, Schoolwork
Parts Not Required: Keyboard, Mouse, RAM (4gb GSkill DDR3), Hard Drive (1.5 TB Samsung 5400 rpm)
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg, Tigerdirect, (any site is okay by me)
Country: USA
Parts Preferences: by brand or type AMD CPU, NZXT Vulcan MicroATX Case, SSD
Overclocking: Maybe
SLI or Crossfire: Maybe
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
Additional Comments: Needs to be small but very powerful, which is why I selected the Vulcan case.
Here is what I have so far:
AMD Phenom II X4 955-109.99
NZXT Vulcan Micro Tower Case-69.99
OCZ 600W PSU- 69.99 (I'm bad at finding PSU's, so this is open to change)
Gigabyte GeForce 560 Ti- 220
Thanks Everyone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stick to one device. Either get a desktop, or just a laptop.
ok, i know this is a site for phone devs but im sure some of you guys have built yourself a computer or to. i have built them but never assembled by hand. im trying to re build an old Compaq using a new mother bored and video card ( even a new power supply if needed) i would like to use all my old parts if possible other then the ram ( that can be new) id like it to be a high powered computer with DDR3 ram for gaming and media editing ( it needs to have more then 2 monitors plugged into it) if i have to i will buy a new case but i would very much like to use AS MANY of the existing parts as i can (ex: HD,fans, disk drive ..etc... my price range for the new parts is about $300-600 over time . (so i will buy the parts one at a time)
(it will run win 7 x64 or Linux upon completion ) if anyone knows ..how to *ehem* get ahold of the OS in an easy fashion please post/pm me
here is a link to the specs
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883107288
General Spec
Brand
COMPAQ
Series
Presario
Model
SR2150NX(RR790AA)
Type
Home / Home Office
Processor
Intel Celeron D 356(3.33GHz)
Processor Main Features
64 bit Processor
Cache Per Processor
512KB L2 Cache
Memory
512MB PC2-4200 DDR2
Hard Drive
120GB 7200RPM SATA
Optical Drive 1
SuperMulti DVD Burner with LightScribe Technology
Graphics
ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 Graphics with 64MB dedicated graphics memory. Up to 128MB Total Available Graphics Memory as allocated by Windows Vista
Audio
Integrated audio
Ethernet
10/100BaseT network interface
Operating System
Windows Vista Home Basic
Motherboard
Chipset
ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 Chipset
CPU
CPU Type
Celeron D
Installed Qty
1
CPU FSB
533MHz
CPU Speed
356(3.33GHz)
L2 Cache Per CPU
512KB
CPU Main Features
64 bit Processor
Graphics
GPU/VPU Type
ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 Integrated
Graphics Interface
Integrated video
Memory
Memory Speed
DDR2 533
Form Factor
DIMM 240-pin
Memory Spec
1000MB x 2
Memory Slots (Available/Total)
1/2
Hard Drive
HDD Capacity
120GBx2
HDD Interface
SATA
HDD RPM
7200rpm
HDD Spec
SATA 3Gb/s
Audio
Audio Chipset
Integrated
Communications
Modem
56k modem
LAN Chipset
Integrated
LAN Speed
10/100Mbps
Front Panel Ports
Front USB
2
Front Audio Ports
Headphone
Back Panel Ports
PS/2
2
Video Ports
1 VGA
Rear USB
2
RJ45
1 port
Rear Audio Ports
Microphone/line-in/line-out
Expansion
PCI Slots (Available/Total)
(2/3) PCI slots
(1/1) PCI Express x16 Slot
front
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/83-107-288-05.jpg
inside
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/83-107-288-10.jpg
back
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/83-107-288-12.jpg
thank you for your help!
.
Thread moved. Would advise you to read forum rules and post in correct section.
Failure to comply with forum rules will result in an infraction and/or ban depending on severity of rule break.
The only thing that you can get from that is a working PSU, all the fans, RAM, HDDs, CD/DVD drive and the casing itself. Based on your preference, you have to change the motherboard and the processor to a newer one.
OR, you can stick with the old setup, but with liquid cooling for extreme overclocking and higher spec PSU. I think there is a PCIe slot in it, doesn't it? So stick in a higher end GPU and voila! XD
Budget? Dunno, there is so much difference in monetary exchange I lose my calculation.
drpsyko said:
The only thing that you can get from that is a working PSU, all the fans, RAM, HDDs, CD/DVD drive and the casing itself. Based on your preference, you have to change the motherboard and the processor to a newer one.
OR, you can stick with the old setup, but with liquid cooling for extreme overclocking and higher spec PSU. I think there is a PCIe slot in it, doesn't it? So stick in a higher end GPU and voila! XD
Budget? Dunno, there is so much difference in monetary exchange I lose my calculation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was planning to upgrade the mother bored and put a i7 in it with a new video card a bit later . I should be saving a bunch of money by recycling the old components. Considering I'm only going to need the mother and the i7 right away. Then mby a power supply ( which I may be able to take from an old computer somewhere )
It has 2 PCi and 1 pci e ( I was going to just upgrade with a video card at one point but the computer is just so slow and incompatible with most new cards )
I don't have much in terms of monetary funding so I was planning to do this over time .
sent from my Atrix 4g using tapatalk 2
ianwardell said:
I was planning to upgrade the mother bored and put a i7 in it with a new video card a bit later . I should be saving a bunch of money by recycling the old components. Considering I'm only going to need the mother and the i7 right away. Then mby a power supply ( which I may be able to take from an old computer somewhere )
It has 2 PCi and 1 pci e ( I was going to just upgrade with a video card at one point but the computer is just so slow and incompatible with most new cards )
I don't have much in terms of monetary funding so I was planning to do this over time .
sent from my Atrix 4g using tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't buy parts over time.
You will end up kicking yourself.
OmegaRED^ said:
Don't buy parts over time.
You will end up kicking yourself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK , so its better to save up and buy at the same time then?
sent from my Atrix 4g using tapatalk 2
OmegaRED^ said:
Don't buy parts over time.
You will end up kicking yourself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So true. Though this is a bad time to purchase parts. Urgh, how I wish I bought my PC from back then before the flood happen. But then, purchasing all of it in one go is a good thing. You can get bundle price, freebies, and you ought to buy different things in that specific time, given that you have accumulate enough money. Aaaand, all the prices will be lower eventually. So, it's best for you now to start saving money and generate patience.
Since i often help guys with upgrades and so on.
I would suggest you please take my advice.
Too many people i know hurt them self by not saving and buying a entire new machine.
Sometimes they end up wasting way more than what was planned.
Also ask yourself this question "what am I using my PC for?"
Because i7 is way hardcore overpowered... but a very good choice for gaming.
Best of luck.
I'm on a:
AMD Phenom II x6 T1100
8GB ram
"Hybrid" gpu setup "not recommended to AMD 2GB 7890HD + n-vidia 250gtx on crossfire board"
It's not the best.. but it's a bang for what i paid.
So far nothing lags my pc... ever.
i can play "lol" while compiling in the background, watching anime and still have loads of resources left.
OmegaRED^ said:
I'm on a:
AMD Phenom II x6 T1100
8GB ram
"Hybrid" gpu setup "not recommended to AMD 2GB 7890HD + n-vidia 250gtx on crossfire board"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dat setup!
Damn, you made me jelly. It really is not recommended, but that firepower...even Unigene would cry.
drpsyko said:
Dat setup!
Damn, you made me jelly. It really is not recommended, but that firepower...even Unigene would cry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know... completely overpowered.
And the price wasn't even that bad.
And i can safely say stability is spot on with intel.
drpsyko said:
So true. Though this is a bad time to purchase parts. Urgh, how I wish I bought my PC from back then before the flood happen. But then, purchasing all of it in one go is a good thing. You can get bundle price, freebies, and you ought to buy different things in that specific time, given that you have accumulate enough money. Aaaand, all the prices will be lower eventually. So, it's best for you now to start saving money and generate patience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a laptop that has an i7 chip in it and a dedicated graphics card + an integrated one
. So I can't have a desktop with less power then my laptop . ( I used a replacement to get this laptop ) verizon expert care or w/e its called is amazing ! I told them " the reason my computer failed is because of the inter grated graphics card" and they said OK and showed me computers with dedicated ones ( it was a true statement ) . I have started saving up for the computer and Im hoping if I get the money right before win 8 is out I can by the parts cheeper because the company have new parts coming out at that time.when I used to have the money I would buy a new system . But I just can't spend 1 grand on a computer...when what I really want is a project and something to have fun with and video edit+ play games .
OmegaRED^ said:
Since i often help guys with upgrades and so on.
I would suggest you please take my advice.
Too many people i know hurt them self by not saving and buying a entire new machine.
Sometimes they end up wasting way more than what was planned.
Also ask yourself this question "what am I using my PC for?"
Because i7 is way hardcore overpowered... but a very good choice for gaming.
Best of luck.
I'm on a:
AMD Phenom II x6 T1100
8GB ram
"Hybrid" gpu setup "not recommended to AMD 2GB 7890HD + n-vidia 250gtx on crossfire board"
It's not the best.. but it's a bang for what i paid.
So far nothing lags my pc... ever.
i can play "lol" while compiling in the background, watching anime and still have loads of resources left.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im going to use it for gaming and video editing + school
sent from my Atrix 4g using tapatalk 2
ianwardell said:
I have a laptop that has an i7 chip in it and a dedicated graphics card + an integrated one
. So I can't have a desktop with less power then my laptop . ( I used a replacement to get this laptop ) verizon expert care or w/e its called is amazing ! I told them " the reason my computer failed is because of the inter grated graphics card" and they said OK and showed me computers with dedicated ones ( it was a true statement ) . I have started saving up for the computer and Im hoping if I get the money right before win 8 is out I can by the parts cheeper because the company have new parts coming out at that time.when I used to have the money I would buy a new system . But I just can't spend 1 grand on a computer...when what I really want is a project and something to have fun with and video edit+ play games .
Im going to use it for gaming and video editing + school
sent from my Atrix 4g using tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then go for power.. save up.. buy once.
Phenom II should serve you well.
Nothing less than the T1050... and i suggest you stay away from the new bulldozer chips.
They need to mature more first.
Else core i5 if your a bit AMD shy.
OmegaRED^ said:
Then go for power.. save up.. buy once.
Phenom II should serve you well.
Nothing less than the T1050... and i suggest you stay away from the new bulldozer chips.
They need to mature more first.
Else core i5 if your a bit AMD shy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am AMD shy, im sorry to say i am a huge Intel fan ( due to the fact that most of the computers i have had that are AMD haven't lasted but the Intel ones have) im working on saving up the money , i should have enough in about a month or two i hope
OmegaRED^ said:
Then go for power.. save up.. buy once.
Phenom II should serve you well.
Nothing less than the T1050... and i suggest you stay away from the new bulldozer chips.
They need to mature more first.
Else core i5 if your a bit AMD shy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
ianwardell said:
i am AMD shy, im sorry to say i am a huge Intel fan ( due to the fact that most of the computers i have had that are AMD haven't lasted but the Intel ones have) im working on saving up the money , i should have enough in about a month or two i hope
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry for your AMD loss.
Good luck with the savings and the new computer.
drpsyko said:
+1
I'm sorry for your AMD loss.
Good luck with the savings and the new computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i appreciate it !
what i have picked thus far
i chose liquid cooling due to the fact that the case i am using is small and doesn't have very much air flow.
(push pull configuration from back fan)
the PSU is variable but so far to be safe im going with a 500W
the memory is also something i might lower to 1x4gb however at this moment im going with 8
the I7 is so the computer has more power then my laptop
what i need to decide upon is a good Micro ATX motherboard that can handle the equipment im using and be able to have more then one 4 pin fan plug in
the motherboard also needs to be able to use all 4 of the PCIe/PCI slots on my computer with the ability to use the existing front USB (2x) ports and the 1 headphone jack also in front
i also need a good video card, i would like to be able to at some point fit 2 in (as an upgrade in the future ) but that is wishful thinking im going to be installing a wireless N card (at some point) so the MB needs to be able to have that with the video card
any ideas on a video card?
( i like nvida as a #1 and ATI as #2) in order of my favs
thanks for your help, also the links to the parts above are below .!
TOPOWER ZU-500W 500W ATX12V Ver. 2.0 Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817101011
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16820231314
Antec Kuhler H2O 620 Liquid Cooling System
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835209049
Intel Core i7-2600 Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 ...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115071
motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=n8p9f7wlxa1y
this is the micro ATX board i thought was the best i could find. any ideas? i am measuring to see if i could put an ATX instead of a micro atx (i believe i might be able to get one to fit)
*edit*
im looking for full size cases just to see if i could get a bigger board (and more fan space) so that means for the time being im looking at both micro atx and atx
*edit #2 *
I decided to get a new case so i can put a full ATX board in and have the ability to cool the machine.
im still looking at motherboards and video cards i have everything else either picked out or i own the part already
NEW CART
COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233
TOPOWER ZU-500W 500W ATX12V Ver. 2.0 Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817101011
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314
Antec Kuhler H2O 620 Liquid Cooling System
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835209049
Intel Core i7-2600 Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I72600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115071
*edit 4*
here are the mother and the video card and the new case
LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58 Black CECC Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112237
XFX Double D HD-695X-CDFC Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with ...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150549
ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.892323
what i have picked
ok what case should i go with
Rosewill BLACKHAWK Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, come with Five Fans, window side panel, top HDD dock
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.892323
vs
LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58 Black CECC Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112237
Hmmm...seems like a decent setup. But then, please revise your selection of PSU. The HD 6950 could drain a lot of power from that PSU as high as 300w. And for future expandability, I would recommend you to use higher output PSU. That is if you planning to use SLI or crossfire configuration. The casing is an OK, but for me, I don't really emphasis on casing. I'm a DIY user, that is. Hehe. As my opinion on the cooling system, there is no need for the processor's liquid cooling. For now, it is best for you to use stock cooling block as it is already adequate enough.
As for the alternative option, you can change entire casing and cooling system into custom liquid cooling system from Koolance. IF, you have extra budget to spare AND planning for expanding your setup or overclocking your processor and GPU.
drpsyko said:
Hmmm...seems like a decent setup. But then, please revise your selection of PSU. The HD 6950 could drain a lot of power from that PSU as high as 300w. And for future expandability, I would recommend you to use higher output PSU. That is if you planning to use SLI or crossfire configuration. The casing is an OK, but for me, I don't really emphasis on casing. I'm a DIY user, that is. Hehe. As my opinion on the cooling system, there is no need for the processor's liquid cooling. For now, it is best for you to use stock cooling block as it is already adequate enough.
As for the alternative option, you can change entire casing and cooling system into custom liquid cooling system from Koolance. IF, you have extra budget to spare AND planning for expanding your setup or overclocking your processor and GPU.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what would you recommend as a good enough PSU? also i figured that if i off the bat installed liquid cooling in that one spot then when i did upgrade further (another day) and put in another video card i could still be safe in knowing that certain parts will stay cool .
like this one? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817159126
I'm interested in building my own gaming pc, something that can run games like BF3 and Fallout 3, New Vegas on full graphics. If I had to throw a price out there, I would say something under $700, the cheaper the better. I don't have a preference in parts since I am not experienced at all in this. I have looked at different videos and tutorials on this but I wanted peoples opinions on specific combinations, part brands, etc. Thank you beforehand! :good:
I asked this question here before, a member recommended me to go to overclocked.net they could help you out alot there on how to build a computer and what parts fit your specific needs
Sent from my LG-VM696 using Tapatalk 2
I think this isn't very helpful but you should check alienware. They have that desktop for 700 bucks which has great specs.
Georges2251 said:
I think this isn't very helpful but you should check alienware. They have that desktop for 700 bucks which has great specs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DO NOT get an alienware. They are the apple of PC's. You pay a huge premium for fancy lights.
Get a computer with something along these lines:
Nvidia gtx 670
8-16 gig ram
Because of your price range you might have to go i5 as your processor
Asus motherboards are the bomb.
A cool case but don't spend more than 40 bucks on the case.
Any store you would recommend for the parts, something maybe cheaper and as reliable as New Egg?
Moved to Off-topic.
tigerdirect.com is a great place for parts
quad core CPU i5 or i7 $200
8gb ram 1600mhz or above $40
500 or 600 gtx series nvidia video card $200
SSD 128gb or above $200
750w power supply $50
Those prices are a guestimation based on average market prices. You don't need to trick out your case IMO, any that will fit your motherboard and everything else is fine. Frys electronics is a local electronics store near me that sells it all if you have one near you go there.
Thanks guys, this really gives me a good idea on what I need. What about in regards to the monitor and such. Anything good for the money? Any tips will be really appreciated.
valdesr11 said:
Thanks guys, this really gives me a good idea on what I need. What about in regards to the monitor and such. Anything good for the money? Any tips will be really appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was as close as I could get on newegg:
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811129042
$54.99
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822152185
$69.99
Acer G215HVAbd Black 21.5" Full HD WideScreen LCD Monitor
Item #: N82E16824009306
$119.99
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card (100314-3L )
Item #: N82E16814102948
$169.99
Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
Item #: N82E16817371030
$59.99
G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-8GBNT
Item #: N82E16820231422
$39.99
Intel BOXDZ77SL50K LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813121618
$119.99
Intel Core i3-2120 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I32120
Item #: N82E16819115077
$124.99
Total before shipping+tax: $759.92
Could probably be brought down some by going with cheaper/ghetto on many of the parts like power supply, mobo, vid card, memory, case.
Also this does not take into account a copy of Windows (could be had cheaply if you are a college student through your school most likely) and keyboard+mouse.
Also could shop around for prices, Amazon can be pretty good as well as other sites mentioned.
I mostly stick with Antec for cases/power supplies these days, they're not super-gamer oriented by they have good 12v amperage and reliability.
I've been going intel not only CPUs but also Mobos for the same reasons, they are no frills reference boards. Simple and reliable. I see the appeal of overclocking but it just has never been a priority, spending more money on proper mobo+cooling to possibly reduce video encode times by seconds, maybe minutes?
Same with SLI/Crossfire, by the time I think I could benefit from a 2nd card the newer cards are already as good if not better for around what I paid for the first one.
If you did expand your budget I'd recommend a Crucial SSD drive over beefing up the CPU and mobo. You'll get more real performance gains from an SSD. Just don't benchmark it every day like a moron, they do have limited write cycles but it will last many many years with normal use not continuous torture testing.
Nice choice.. but it would be better if you go for i5 or i7 quad core processor.. they will give you higher fps and smoother performance..
Sent from the Underdog..
heinrichkaiser said:
Nice choice.. but it would be better if you go for i5 or i7 quad core processor.. they will give you higher fps and smoother performance..
Sent from the Underdog..
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Click to collapse
Considering his budget I'd stick with the i3. An i5 won't give any meaningful performance gains for the majority of games out there as they are usually not multi-threaded.
Google for: "The Clarkdale Review: Intel's Core i5 661, i3 540 & i3 530"
It's an AnandTech review, there is a gaming page and it shows there really is only a 3-7 frame difference between the processors, and that's with the FPS being over 70.
Also as I said aside from the graphics card a Crucial SSD would provide the biggest performance gains overall. For games it will significantly cut down launch and load times. And it will make everything else faster, but with the budget as it is that will probably be an upgrade for later (though the prices have come down quite a bit, they are now under the $1/1GB ratio).
Also if you are on a budget, I'd also recommend picking up a basic Dell with an i3 processor and a PCI-Express slot and then getting a Radeon 6850 or 6870. Then expand the ram out yourself as well. It would probably be the cheapest way to get a decent base that you could upgrade to gaming duty.
I'm not really on a budget, I just wouldn't want to spend too much. I do play, but not to an extent that I would go all out. I play maybe a couple of times a week, mostly online with BF3 and story modes on games like Fallout and Skyrim. I decided to sell my laptop since my family got me an Ipad for my birthday, and with the PC that I build with this I can sell my Xbox as well with all its games. Then I'll use my PC for school, games, and surfing the web. The Ipad for traveling and taking it to school. You guys know more than me about what is best when it comes to gaming PC's, I just want to get my money's worth and not make a mistake when putting it together. If I need to go over my "budget" a bit, its no big deal, same with letting me know if you think I shouldn't even build one and just get a Dell like you said, and upgrade the main parts for gaming in order to save money.
valdesr11 said:
I'm not really on a budget, I just wouldn't want to spend too much. I do play, but not to an extent that I would go all out. I play maybe a couple of times a week, mostly online with BF3 and story modes on games like Fallout and Skyrim. I decided to sell my laptop since my family got me an Ipad for my birthday, and with the PC that I build with this I can sell my Xbox as well with all its games. Then I'll use my PC for school, games, and surfing the web. The Ipad for traveling and taking it to school. You guys know more than me about what is best when it comes to gaming PC's, I just want to get my money's worth and not make a mistake when putting it together. If I need to go over my "budget" a bit, its no big deal, same with letting me know if you think I shouldn't even build one and just get a Dell like you said, and upgrade the main parts for gaming in order to save money.
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Click to collapse
Building a PC isn't too bad nowadays but there are weird little quirks you can run into.
For instance, I build a system for my wife and got a case with USB3.0 front ports but the mobo only had USB2.0 front panel connectors, oops. Ended up having to buy an adapter from another case manufacturer, wasn't a huge deal but was a little annoying. I've also had issues with cases having more fans and plug harnesses than the motherboard had but that is less the case as a lot of case fans use molex harnesses.
frank_jaeger said:
Building a PC isn't too bad nowadays but there are weird little quirks you can run into.
For instance, I build a system for my wife and got a case with USB3.0 front ports but the mobo only had USB2.0 front panel connectors, oops. Ended up having to buy an adapter from another case manufacturer, wasn't a huge deal but was a little annoying. I've also had issues with cases having more fans and plug harnesses than the motherboard had but that is less the case as a lot of case fans use molex harnesses.
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Click to collapse
Yeah stuff like this is what I want to avoid.
Sent from my PG86100 using xda premium
valdesr11 said:
Yeah stuff like this is what I want to avoid.
Sent from my PG86100 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
What I listed earlier is a pretty decent start point I think.
Case obviously is very much up to taste, I like the Antec 300 because it has a lot of bays, large rear and top fans and looks nice. No chrome and lights n stuff.
Video card could be swapped based on brand/manufacturer preference.
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116986
$99.99
Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #: N82E16820148443
$179.99
Adding the OS (Win7 Home 64-bit OEM) and the SSD drive bumps the total up to $1,035.90.
The SSD drive would be for OS, games, programs. And any big files like movies, music, etc could go on the regular 1TB.
As far as actually assembling it you can probably find some pretty good generic guides but really just need to take it slow and follow the directions. The case comes with these kind of "post" screws, that you put on first and then the MB sits on those and then you use the normal little screws. And check everything to make sure the screws you use are the correct threading for where you put them.
Oh and IO panel cover that comes with the MB goes into the case first before mounting the MB itself.
One weird area is connecting all the front panel switches and lights (power, hdd activity) from the case to the MB, usually isn't too bad as the case plugs are labeled and then you just color match.
I honestly think an i3 will be sufficient for normal use and gaming. Additional threads/cores won't really show their worth unless you're doing 3D rendering or lots of encoding jobs.
Only thing is with the OEM license it would be paired to the motherboard at license time. The retail license which you can move between complete systems is an additional $80.
frank_jaeger said:
What I listed earlier is a pretty decent start point I think.
Case obviously is very much up to taste, I like the Antec 300 because it has a lot of bays, large rear and top fans and looks nice. No chrome and lights n stuff.
Video card could be swapped based on brand/manufacturer preference.
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116986
$99.99
Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #: N82E16820148443
$179.99
Adding the OS (Win7 Home 64-bit OEM) and the SSD drive bumps the total up to $1,035.90.
The SSD drive would be for OS, games, programs. And any big files like movies, music, etc could go on the regular 1TB.
As far as actually assembling it you can probably find some pretty good generic guides but really just need to take it slow and follow the directions. The case comes with these kind of "post" screws, that you put on first and then the MB sits on those and then you use the normal little screws. And check everything to make sure the screws you use are the correct threading for where you put them.
Oh and IO panel cover that comes with the MB goes into the case first before mounting the MB itself.
One weird area is connecting all the front panel switches and lights (power, hdd activity) from the case to the MB, usually isn't too bad as the case plugs are labeled and then you just color match.
I honestly think an i3 will be sufficient for normal use and gaming. Additional threads/cores won't really show their worth unless you're doing 3D rendering or lots of encoding jobs.
Only thing is with the OEM license it would be paired to the motherboard at license time. The retail license which you can move between complete systems is an additional $80.
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Click to collapse
Fortunately, my school provides us with Windows 7 (all versions) for free. So that's $100 I can save. Building it doesn't worry me as much as getting the right parts and making sure they work for what I need them for. What is the deal with AMD and why do people love Intel so much over it?
valdesr11 said:
Fortunately, my school provides us with Windows 7 (all versions) for free. So that's $100 I can save. Building it doesn't worry me as much as getting the right parts and making sure they work for what I need them for. What is the deal with AMD and why do people love Intel so much over it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Intel hit a homerun with the initial Core 2 Duo/Quad processors after the old Core Duo pieces of crap. Since then they haven't let their quality and performance drop. They were the SSD leaders for awhile as well but Crucial took that away from them, Samsung is making noise but still hasn't been proven.
Really though it just comes down to preference. I'm not really up to date on what AMDs current cpu offerings are, I switched from AMD to Intel during the Core 2 Duo days and stuck into the Core i series. Basically it seems the AMD cpus are sub-par compared to Intel offerings and to counter-balance AMD cuts the price.
Granted while I have no preference for AMDs processors I love their GPUs. The Radeon HD 4870 made a lot of waves when it came out and they've continued to deliver. The 6850/70/90 have excellent performance to price ratios.
That's another item you could swap, is the 6850 for the 6870 (what I'm running currently) or a comparable Nvidia card, just check the reviews on sites like anandtech, tomshardware, legitreviews. Again this is all opinion but the card manufacturers I've been partial to lately are Sapphire/XFX/EVGA, mostly Sapphire because they are the least expensive and I've had great results with them. ASUS and Gigabyte would probably be ok.
Also as an earlier posted said you can most likely get better info/recommendations from a dedicated site like overclock.net.
SKYNET 1.0
Good morning everyone,
I thought I should share the official build I purchased last night. Came out to a little more expensive than I wanted but it will be worth it in the end.
And that's with not doing exactly what I wanted of having two monitors and throwing in there a home theater system build as well.
So I just kept it as a gaming system for now. I will either be upgrading it as I go or sell it in the future and build my second one when I have money for it with exactly what I want, and possibly learn to overclock
1 x Logitech MK550 Black USB RF Wireless Ergonomic Wave Combo
1 x APC BE450G 450 VA 257 Watts UPS
1 x ASRock B75 PRO3 LGA 1155 Intel B75 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
1 x Newegg Free CPU Magazine Coupon
1 x Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, ...
1 x ASUS VH242H Black 23.6" 5ms HDMI Full 1080P Widescreen LCD Monitor W/Speakers
1 x SAMSUNG 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model MV-3V4G3D/US
1 x EVGA 012-P3-1571-KR GeForce GTX 570 HD w/Display-Port (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready ...
1 x Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
1 x Rosewill CAPSTONE Series CAPSTONE-450-M 450W ATX12V v2.31 & EPS12V v2.92 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD ...
1 x ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
1 x Intel Core i5-3470 Ivy Bridge 3.2GHz (3.6GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics ...
Everything including shipping came out to $1,077.18 - $30 in rebates.
I'll post some pictures later on of the building process just to share with you guys.
P.S. Thank you guys for all the advice and mad credit to everyone from the overclock.net community. You were all great and a big influence on my build.
Nice!!!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Ok, so erm, I live in London, and own an XBOX but it obviously can't compare to the PC MASTER RACE, so I have decided to buy a laptop that I can play my favourite games on. I have been saving up quite a lot of cash, around £500, and I need some professional gamer knowledge to decide which laptop to buy, to play the games I want, obviously the laptop must be powerful enough to run the games on... I guess at least high graphics. For more information on what games I will play:
Conan Exiles
Mass Effect Andromeda
SWTOR
Age of Conan (that is still a MAYBE, but still good to consider)
Neverwinter Online (this would be THE BEST if it was on max settings with highest performance)
Witcher 3?
Skyrim
Fallout 4
Return of Reckoning
Warhammer Total War
Dragon Age Origins
Warframe
For Honor (that is a big MAYBE, the game so far is too **** to play)
Dragons Dogma Dark Arisen
Kingdom Come Deliverance
World of Warcraft (another BIG MAYBE, however I will be willing to check it out)
Those are the games that first come to mind. However, if a laptop that can run these good enough costs more, I am still willing to consider it. What I mostly care about is a good laptop that I should save up for if I don't have enough, or a laptop I should buy.
GarrusN7 said:
Ok, so erm, I live in London, and own an XBOX but it obviously can't compare to the PC MASTER RACE, so I have decided to buy a laptop that I can play my favourite games on. I have been saving up quite a lot of cash, around £500, and I need some professional gamer knowledge to decide which laptop to buy, to play the games I want, obviously the laptop must be powerful enough to run the games on... I guess at least high graphics. For more information on what games I will play:
Conan Exiles
Mass Effect Andromeda
SWTOR
Age of Conan (that is still a MAYBE, but still good to consider)
Neverwinter Online (this would be THE BEST if it was on max settings with highest performance)
Witcher 3?
Skyrim
Fallout 4
Return of Reckoning
Warhammer Total War
Dragon Age Origins
Warframe
For Honor (that is a big MAYBE, the game so far is too **** to play)
Dragons Dogma Dark Arisen
Kingdom Come Deliverance
World of Warcraft (another BIG MAYBE, however I will be willing to check it out)
Those are the games that first come to mind. However, if a laptop that can run these good enough costs more, I am still willing to consider it. What I mostly care about is a good laptop that I should save up for if I don't have enough, or a laptop I should buy.
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Click to collapse
Do you definitely need a laptop? Because a desktop would give way more performance for way less cost. If you build your own, you could do it for under $700 USD. However, gaming laptops are very hard to cool, very expensive, and more importantly, they can't perform as well as a desktop because you can't get a full-size GPU into them.
Geza
gezafisch said:
Do you definitely need a laptop? Because a desktop would give way more performance for way less cost. If you build your own, you could do it for under $700 USD. However, gaming laptops are very hard to cool, very expensive, and more importantly, they can't perform as well as a desktop because you can't get a full-size GPU into them.
Geza
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Click to collapse
I need something to play on while away. It's quite important to me.
GarrusN7 said:
I need something to play on while away. It's quite important to me.
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Click to collapse
That's fine, just be aware that you will have to pay upwards of $1000 USD to even get a used gaming laptop with decent specs.
Figured. Still, £800 doesn't sound too bad. As long as all my games run, fine with me.
Also, the laptop doesn't necessarily have to be a gaming one, as long as the specs are good, just to add.
GarrusN7 said:
Figured. Still, £800 doesn't sound too bad. As long as all my games run, fine with me.
Also, the laptop doesn't necessarily have to be a gaming one, as long as the specs are good, just to add.
(sorry for double post but it got bugged)
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Click to collapse
Alright so here's the deal. You probably won't be able to play all those games at high settings unless you pay $1700 or more. I just did some research and see several companies to shop from, Alienware (Dell), MSI, Asus, Razer, HP, and Gigabyte. The HP Omen 17 looks like a good one, as it is a midrange gaming laptop, MSRP $1400. Now I would suggest you buy from ebay, as they are offering the same laptop for around $1000 new.
My advice? Do some research on the products of those companies and decide what is important to you. Do you value battery life over screen res? Do you want a light laptop with a plastic frame or do you want a 2 lbs heavier laptop with an aluminum frame? All this is stuff you have to decide. Also, try not to buy new from the company. Go refurbished or used and save half a grand off the MSRP.
Hope this helps!
Geza
gezafisch said:
Alright so here's the deal. You probably won't be able to play all those games at high settings unless you pay $1700 or more. I just did some research and see several companies to shop from, Alienware (Dell), MSI, Asus, Razer, HP, and Gigabyte. The HP Omen 17 looks like a good one, as it is a midrange gaming laptop, MSRP $1400. Now I would suggest you buy from ebay, as they are offering the same laptop for around $1000 new.
My advice? Do some research on the products of those companies and decide what is important to you. Do you value battery life over screen res? Do you want a light laptop with a plastic frame or do you want a 2 lbs heavier laptop with an aluminum frame? All this is stuff you have to decide. Also, try not to buy new from the company. Go refurbished or used and save half a grand off the MSRP.
Hope this helps!
Geza
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Click to collapse
Ok I have that, can you tell me a list of laptops that well...fit my needs but with different options, like those you mentioned (frame, resolution etc). Basically the laptops you would recommend (like 5-6) and I will check what they have and then decide from there. Main reason being that I have NO DAMN CLUE how specs work and I have no idea about hardware, even though I use pc everyday XD
GarrusN7 said:
Ok I have that, can you tell me a list of laptops that well...fit my needs but with different options, like those you mentioned (frame, resolution etc). Basically the laptops you would recommend (like 5-6) and I will check what they have and then decide from there. Main reason being that I have NO DAMN CLUE how specs work and I have no idea about hardware, even though I use pc everyday XD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When looking for a gaming laptop there are a few things that matter. One is the CPU. There are 2 major brands of PC CPU's, Intel and AMD. I am only experienced with Intel CPU's and therefore will only focus on those. i7 = High end, i5= Mid-range, and i3 = low end. For a good gaming laptop, you either want an i5 or and i7. There are also different generations of the "i" series, so make sure you get either the latest or second latest gen. The Intel Core i7-6700HQ seems like the ideal CPU for your price range.
The second is the GPU. GPU's are also made by 2 different major brands. Nvidia and AMD. I would go for a Nvidia as they are the easiest to figure out. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 are all good GPU's for gaming. The higher the number, the better performance, generally.
The third is RAM. I can't really tell you a lot about the exact method of choosing the best RAM, but make sure it is DDR4. You will probably want 16 GB of RAM in your laptop.
The fourth is Hard drives. You can either get an HDD or an SSD. SSD's are soo much better than HDD's that I wouldn't even consider an HDD.
The fifth is screen size and resolution. Just because a screen is big, doesn't mean it is high quality. You want to look at screen resolution. Shoot for 1080p or 1920x1080. If you get a better screen than that, you may have to scale down the game window resolution so that it can render faster. That's why I don't think that 4k screens are good in gaming laptops, because the computer can't handle them.
Here are a few of my suggestions. If you choose to buy any of these, make sure you get the one with the specs I've mentioned as there are several versions of each laptop, and some may not be as good as the others.
The Alienware 13. Make sure the specs match these: Intel Core i7-6700HQ, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060. The RAM size is up to you, as it comes in 8GB and 16GB. It has a 13.3" screen so it may be a little small, but that is up to you. This laptop has pretty loud fans when running at full performance.
HP Omen 17. Intel Core i7-6700HQ, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070, RAM 16GB.
Acer Predator 15 (G9-593-72VT). Intel Core i7-6700HQ, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, RAM 16GB
Gigabyte P55Wv6. Intel Core i7-6700HQ, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060.
MSI GT62VR. Intel Core i7-6700HQ, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060.
All of the above laptops are comparable. Check them out and see what you like and what is the best for you, spec wise and price wise.
Geza
gezafisch said:
When looking for a gaming laptop there are a few things that matter. One is the CPU. There are 2 major brands of PC CPU's, Intel and AMD. I am only experienced with Intel CPU's and therefore will only focus on those. i7 = High end, i5= Mid-range, and i3 = low end. For a good gaming laptop, you either want an i5 or and i7. There are also different generations of the "i" series, so make sure you get either the latest or second latest gen. The Intel Core i7-6700HQ seems like the ideal CPU for your price range.
The second is the GPU. GPU's are also made by 2 different major brands. Nvidia and AMD. I would go for a Nvidia as they are the easiest to figure out. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 are all good GPU's for gaming. The higher the number, the better performance, generally.
The third is RAM. I can't really tell you a lot about the exact method of choosing the best RAM, but make sure it is DDR4. You will probably want 16 GB of RAM in your laptop.
The fourth is Hard drives. You can either get an HDD or an SSD. SSD's are soo much better than HDD's that I wouldn't even consider an HDD.
The fifth is screen size and resolution. Just because a screen is big, doesn't mean it is high quality. You want to look at screen resolution. Shoot for 1080p or 1920x1080. If you get a better screen than that, you may have to scale down the game window resolution so that it can render faster. That's why I don't think that 4k screens are good in gaming laptops, because the computer can't handle them.
Here are a few of my suggestions. If you choose to buy any of these, make sure you get the one with the specs I've mentioned as there are several versions of each laptop, and some may not be as good as the others.
The Alienware 13. Make sure the specs match these: Intel Core i7-6700HQ, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060. The RAM size is up to you, as it comes in 8GB and 16GB. It has a 13.3" screen so it may be a little small, but that is up to you. This laptop has pretty loud fans when running at full performance.
HP Omen 17. Intel Core i7-6700HQ, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070, RAM 16GB.
Acer Predator 15 (G9-593-72VT). Intel Core i7-6700HQ, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, RAM 16GB
Gigabyte P55Wv6. Intel Core i7-6700HQ, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060.
MSI GT62VR. Intel Core i7-6700HQ, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060.
All of the above laptops are comparable. Check them out and see what you like and what is the best for you, spec wise and price wise.
Geza
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Click to collapse
Thanks a lot.
Just to clarify, is the alienware screen is quite small or is it only slightly smaller than most screens?
Also, how do I know what gen is it, and which gen us the newest?
I personally wouldn't mind a 13" screen because I am currently using a 14" and 1" smaller wouldn't be a problem for me. However, if you're currently using a 15"+ screen, it may shock you a bit at first, until you get used to it. I kinda like the idea of a 13" because it is more portable and generally lighter.
The underlined portion of the below CPU model number shows what defines the generation and version of the CPU.
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
Geza