Laptop CPU question

[kostya]

I am looking to get a new laptop in the near future. I will be using it to take notes in class, watch anime, reading pdfs, and some moderate coding. I have a desktop for doing any gaming that I would want to do and the heavy coding. I figure that a mid-range CPU should be good for me. The issue is that I do not know the CPUs that are on the market now. Basically, I know that for Intel that is the Core 2 Duo, but what is a good speed for it? What about AMD? What are their mid-range chips?

Also, since I do plan to use it to play some HD videos, how good of a graphics card would I need? Should I pay attention and research what card I am getting, or will just about any on board graphics card on a new laptop be enough?

[fohfoh]

It's nice to have a dedicated card, though integrated isn't too bad. However, I still opt for the dedicated card.

For what you want, DO NOT GET A 2.0GHz processor. That's basically the bottom line.

Look into the Centrino2 Ps. Ts are OLD and HOT. Not great for a laptop. Not to mention you'll get pretty good battery life for your Centrino 2 + decent power too.

Check the other laptop thread. There's a list of a few examples off newegg that are decent. (Not great, but decent)

[kureshii]

For moderate coding and video playback, a mid-range CPU (2.0GHz and above) is actually decent enough, provided you have an onboard Nvidia GPU to offset decoding to.

I don't know what hardware decode options for ATi video chips are like (or if they even exist), but my Core Duo 1.86GHz (1st generation) can handle 1080p software decoding under CoreAVC, with some framedrop. By extension, any 2.0GHz dual-core (excluding the Atoms, I don't know about their performance in 1080p decoding) should easily suffice, especially if backed by an Nvidia mobile GPU (9300/9400 mGPU series seem to be common).

What you're looking for is probably anything in this category. For best performance you will likely want a processor with 6MB of L2 cache, although for budget reasons (and since you have a desktop to do the 'heavy lifting') you might want to consider the 3MB-L2 variants as an alternative.

You'll notice that the T-series below has similar specifications, but a generally slower FSB and higher TDP. That means the bus link between the CPU and bridge chip is slower (slower peak memory transfer rate), and the processor likely puts out more heat (TDP is an indicator of the amount of cooling power needed for the processor, although not a very reliable one since there is no standard way to measure this).

I'm afraid I don't know very much about the AMD Turions and their performance, general word out there is that clock-for-clock (at the same clock speed) against Intel Merom chips they are slightly slower and hotter. How much slower and how much hotter I don't know, you might want to look up some reviews.

[fohfoh]

Well, the main reason I don't like the Ts are that they're sort of... not quite right.

T3400
T6400
T7200

all run at 2.0GHz. I swear there's an element of overclocking there, which is why it's so damn hot always.

Above T7200 run faster than 2.0Ghz but damn hot. Kills your mobo.

I hear the P series is cooler, but still warm. But not as hot as the T series.

SU and those are terrible. Don't bother. They're basically netbook level power but "ultraportable".

AMD aren't bad procs, but damn they run hot too.

[kostya]

Check the other laptop thread. There's a list of a few examples off newegg that are decent. (Not great, but decent)

That is a good idea. I was going to purchase at Best Buy, but those laptops can give me an idea about specs.

Why purchase at Best Buy you ask? They sell service plans with accident coverage. A friend of mine spilled nail polish on her laptop (it took the paint right off the case) and then started having issues with the buttons on the touch pad. She brought it in to BB, they sent it off and replaced the mobo, case, and monitor. They probably just popped her hard drive out and put it in a new machine.
The only other company that I have heard of doing something that is that good is Dell. All the machines at my work had Dell Gold Coverage. I do not think that they cover accidents but they do not ask too many questions either. They overnight us the parts and include a shipping label to send back the old ones. I wonder if I can get that plan as a consumer?

EDIT: As for AMD chips, what ones are good? Athlon II is, supposedly, budget chips. Are Athlon X2 duos any good? What about Turion II? Turion x2? Is Turion just the mobile version of Athlon?

[fohfoh]

I think Lenovo has coverage similar to that. Lenovo has awesome coverage that covers even accidents. Those things are sorta like a brick though, but I sort of like the look.

2.0Ghz might be too low for you. It's just barely enough. No good for multi-tasker fiends like me. (word, internet, music, torrents, chatrooms, IRC, msn etc. simult) But yeah. Both my laptops use T7200s. Decent power, but too much heat. I sometimes wish I spent the extra couple hundred for the P processor... but SZ vs SR Vaio... Carbon Fibre seemed sexier and lighter. Not to mention the semi dedicated card.

[kureshii]

Well, the main reason I don't like the Ts are that they're sort of... not quite right.

T3400
T6400
T7200

all run at 2.0GHz. I swear there's an element of overclocking there, which is why it's so damn hot always.

I don't know about the overclocking, but from the specs on Wikipedia (busy at the moment so I didn't bother to verify them against Intel's processor database) they seem to be the "lower-quality" binned processors from Intel's 45nm manufacturing process for Penryn.

Notice that:
1) T-series is labelled as 'standard-voltage', P-series is labelled as 'medium-voltage'. I'm guessing that means the T-series is running at a higher voltage, presumably because it was unstable at lower voltages during Intel's QC testing. Again, I'm busy at the moment so I can't verify this.

2) T-series has a 35W TDP, vs 25W TDP for P-series. This supports the above idea that the T-series is binned for operation at a higher voltage and so produces more heat. I have no idea why their stated operating voltages on Wikipedia are the same, maybe I'll check this up when I am free.

3) In general, the P-series was released later than the T-series. During this period of 6-12 months, Intel probably made some advances in their 45nm process, enabling them to produce a more power-efficient Penryn processor (the P-series).

Long story short, P-series > T-series.



Buying a laptop with a good warranty policy and comprehensive accident coverage is a good idea (unless you buy laptops to disassemble and toy with their innards). Unlike with a desktop, you can't replace most parts when they stop working; upgrades/replacements are mainly limited to the hard disk, memory and CPU (depending on whether it's socketed or soldered). So you will need the manufacturer to do any repairs/replacements, and you can't do that cheaply unless you have said warranty policy and accident coverage.

[fohfoh]

Maybe I should have clarified. I mean't there's some type of Bios setup that makes then run faster that is similar to overclocking. (but not really, since it's a manufacturer "standard")

But yes, T use more power than P. That's also a reason why they're hotter. And also yes. Ps are newer than Ts.

Some companies are "bitches" when it comes to upgrades. I know Lenovo allows you to upgrade ram and HDDs without fear of killing your warranty. They even have info on how to do it in the box. (Dunno if it's still the same now). HP voids all warranty if you peek in let alone touch the ram or HDD. Dell might allow touching of Ram or HDD... not sure. Toshiba doesn't really allow for touching of innards IMO. Idk about Asus though, but I think MSi is fine with mods. Authorized Sony repair people don't care about mods. But The actual Sony repair places are very anal.

[Klocknov]

If I remember correctly dell allows you to swap the HDDs and that is all, otherwise my friend pulled a really lucky one. HP will sometimes tell you to remove the HDD before shipping it to them, past that if you touch the warranty is void. Other then that I don't know much in that area other then Dell and BB have a really good protection plan. Though Dell has a quicker replacement setup for business consumers then personal consumers.

[fohfoh]

If I remember correctly dell allows you to swap the HDDs and that is all, otherwise my friend pulled a really lucky one. HP will sometimes tell you to remove the HDD before shipping it to them, past that if you touch the warranty is void. Other then that I don't know much in that area other then Dell and BB have a really good protection plan. Though Dell has a quicker replacement setup for business consumers then personal consumers.

I believe you're allowed ram as well for Dell. Essentially, anything you can touch, you're allowed to mod. But if your mod kills the laptop, it's your fault and warranty doesn't cover it. (ie: if you upgrade to a shitty HDD, the HDD overheats killing your mobo, it's your fault. But if you swap the old one back and claim it was that fault, you can sort of lie your way around it)

I'm pretty sure that there's many things you can touch yourself to a certain extent, because they have an option to send parts to your home and allow you to fix your computer yourself.


HP on the other hand I know you can't really mod anything. They put sealing stickers on everything and if that sticker is "broken", your whole warranty is void.