Alienware M17 -R1 vs Older PC. What's better for games?
22 replies, posted
So, I currently use the laptop, Alienware M17-R1 (the old model)
[B][I]Laptop:
[/I]CPU: [/B]Q9000 2.0 Ghz[B]
RAM: [/B]8GB[B]
GPU: [/B]ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 512 MB
[B]HDD: [/B]300GB
[B]ROM: [/B]Basic DVD-RW
Has cracked screen so very shit to play games or watch movie even.
About 5-6 Kg weight.
I dont' carry it around or use it as laptop, it's just setup at home.
I was offered the following PC for it:
[B]
[I]PC:
[/I][/B][B]CPU: [/B]Quad Core 2.4GHz Q6600 CPU
[B]RAM: [/B]4GB
[B]HDD: [/B]500GB SATA2
[B]ROM: [/B]MultiFormat DVD Burner with LightScribe
[B]MOBO: [/B]ASRock Penryn1600SLI-110dB
[B]GPU: [/B]ATI Radeon 4670 Graphics Card
[B]CASE: [/B]TrendSonic case with 1 120mm fan and 1 240mm sidemounted fan
Should I swap? I mean any chance it would run games better than my laptop?
The desktop would undoubtedly be better.
The desktops GPU is better by a tiny bit, and the desktops CPU is also quite a bit better.
[QUOTE=paul simon;40808117]The desktops GPU is better by a tiny bit, and the desktops CPU is also quite a bit better.[/QUOTE]
So I assume definetely worth it?
Considering laptop screen has huge crack on it.
Hope I can get some 2nd hand monitor and keyboard with mouse for 50 EUros.
Yes.
Get the desktop, those alienwares are really shit in terms of build quality and reliability.
[QUOTE=paul simon;40808117]The desktops GPU is better by a tiny bit, and the desktops CPU is also quite a bit better.[/QUOTE]
The HD4670 is [I]much[/I] worse than a 3870 x2.
The 3870 x2 has:
300+% more memory bandwidth (140 GB/s vs 34 GB/s)
10% higher texture fill rate (26400 vs 24000 Mtexels/s)
340% higher pixel fill rate (26400 vs 6000 Mpixels/s)
The 3870 x2 is also far better at anti-aliasing (FSAA). Just because the HD4670 is a generation newer, doesn't mean that it's automatically better.
And the Q9000 is also way better than a Q6600. The Q9000 uses the Wolfdale architecture, while the Q6600 uses the older Conroe architecture. Even though the Q9000 is 400 MHz slower, it's more efficient, has more cache, uses far less power (45W vs 105W) and supports more modern instruction sets.
If I were the OP, I'd just buy a replacement screen, that desktop trade is shit.
[QUOTE=GiGaBiTe;40821211]The HD4670 is [I]much[/I] worse than a 3870 x2.
The 3870 x2 has:
300+% more memory bandwidth (140 GB/s vs 34 GB/s)
10% higher texture fill rate (26400 vs 24000 Mtexels/s)
340% higher pixel fill rate (26400 vs 6000 Mpixels/s)
The 3870 x2 is also far better at anti-aliasing (FSAA). Just because the HD4670 is a generation newer, doesn't mean that it's automatically better.
And the Q9000 is also way better than a Q6600. The Q9000 uses the Wolfdale architecture, while the Q6600 uses the older Conroe architecture. Even though the Q9000 is 400 MHz slower, it's more efficient, has more cache, uses far less power (45W vs 105W) and supports more modern instruction sets.
If I were the OP, I'd just buy a replacement screen, that desktop trade is shit.[/QUOTE]
It's two HD3870[B]M[/B]'s, there's a very big difference. As for the CPU, again, a laptop part, sacrifices performance to save power, and the q6600 overclocks like a nutter.
The only difference between conroe and wolfdale is cache, clocks and transistor size. That's it.
[QUOTE='[EG] Pepper;40821263']It's two HD3870[B]M[/B]'s, there's a very big difference.[/QUOTE]
[thumb]http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/3290/radeon.png[/thumb]
The HD3870 x2 and Mobile HD3870 x2 [I]use the same core.[/I] There is no "big difference", just the core and memory clocks are lower because it's a laptop part. And the mobile variant still beats the HD4670.
[QUOTE='[EG] Pepper;40821263']As for the CPU, again, a laptop part, sacrifices performance to save power, and the q6600 overclocks like a nutter.[/QUOTE] Talking about stock performance, not OC.
[QUOTE='[EG] Pepper;40821263']The only difference between conroe and wolfdale is cache, clocks and transistor size. That's it.[/QUOTE]
Nope.
Wolfdale adds SSE4.1, Intel VT-d and TXT (only some Conroes supported this, not the Q6600.)
Well, OP could always replace the vid card in the desktop and still come out ahead.
OP could trade for an inferior machine and spend up to $200 on a new GPU, and more for a newer CPU. Or the OP could spend $50 and get a replacement screen for the laptop:
[url]http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alienware-M17-R1-17-1-WUXGA-Glossy-LCD-Screen-LP171WU3-TL-B3-/161033114710?pt=US_Laptop_Screens_LCD_Panels&hash=item257e525456[/url]
OP can actually upgrade the desktop unlike the laptop if needed, and SSE4.1, Intel VT-d and TXT make a negligible difference in games anyway.
The only edge the q9000 has are the power consumption, which doesn't really matter as the q6600 is a desktop CPU and the instructions. Dunno where you pulled the "far more efficient and better" from.
OP can also overclock the CPU and GPU on the desktop without having to worry as much about cooling restrictions.
And did i mention alienware's horrible reliability?
[editline]29th May 2013[/editline]
And the q9000 has less cache than the q6600 (6MB as opposed to 8MB)
[EG] Pepper, do you even try?
[QUOTE=GiGaBiTe;40822606]OP could trade for an inferior machine and spend up to $200 on a new GPU, and more for a newer CPU. Or the OP could spend $50 and get a replacement screen for the laptop:
[url]http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alienware-M17-R1-17-1-WUXGA-Glossy-LCD-Screen-LP171WU3-TL-B3-/161033114710?pt=US_Laptop_Screens_LCD_Panels&hash=item257e525456[/url][/QUOTE]
Is that 1920x1200? because cheapest 1920x1200 I found was 110 euros
WUXGA is 1920 x 1200, so yes.
I decided to go for the desktop I am being offered. Right now this alienware laptop is just a huge inefficient nuclear power station generating lots of heat yet barely any performance.
Ok, swapped it. But for different one:
processor: intel pentium g860
motherbord: Asus P8Z77-M PRO LGA1155
gpu: pailt gtx 560 (non-ti)
ram: kinston hyper x 8gb
case xigmatex asgard
psu: ocz zt 750watt
hard drive : 500gb
+ pocket scroll android tablet just as a bonus for delivering him everything.
CPU is bit crap but it runs games 100 times better than my laptop.
Now you're almost in the realm of only slightly outdated. :v:
Still better than what you had though.
[QUOTE=Del91;40881580]Now you're almost in the realm of only slightly outdated. :v:
Still better than what you had though.[/QUOTE]
Yeah for laptop to play Metro Last Light I had to force it into Dx 9 and even then it was lagging with like non-native res (lower than it should be)
now:
Dx 11, all at High, right res = not a single lag is given
At least with that motherboard you can get a much better CPU that's still in production like an i5-3570.
oh, is i5-3570 LGA1155?
Yep
[QUOTE='[EG] Pepper;40887585']Yep[/QUOTE]
Nice, I am even happier now.
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