Need some advice on a new work laptop
polycounter lvl 10
So it appears that I'm getting a job at a new studio.
The lead artist told me over phone that they don't have static workstations so I'll have to pick a suitable laptop instead. I don't think it's going to be a major issue because the graphics that they do are for mobile games developed in Unity. But I will need a powerful laptop that is capable of supporting Photoshop and Maya without lag.
So I would need some advice, help and recommendations on specs to look for - or even what brand and model to choose.
Some requirements that I have:
17" screen
Dedicated graphics
Strong CPU - at least a modern quad-core
8+ GB of system RAM
SSD drive
Numpad
Windows 7 (Win 8 is okay if all other specs compensates)
Any experts out there?
The lead artist told me over phone that they don't have static workstations so I'll have to pick a suitable laptop instead. I don't think it's going to be a major issue because the graphics that they do are for mobile games developed in Unity. But I will need a powerful laptop that is capable of supporting Photoshop and Maya without lag.
So I would need some advice, help and recommendations on specs to look for - or even what brand and model to choose.
Some requirements that I have:
17" screen
Dedicated graphics
Strong CPU - at least a modern quad-core
8+ GB of system RAM
SSD drive
Numpad
Windows 7 (Win 8 is okay if all other specs compensates)
Any experts out there?
Replies
I've got one of the MSI GS70 laptops. I use it for teaching game art and animation. I recommend MSI pretty highly. There are only a couple of issues for me.
There is no Windows key on the left side. (Which I use a lot.)
The Home and End keys are FN buttons. (But I just turn off Num Lock and use the number pad when I'm scripting.)
monster: Those are some really nice laptops. GS70 StealthPro-212 seems really robust - something that doesn't have to be replaced after a year.
As someone who has had to repair countless laptop stress breaks I can attest to this.
Yes you can get one with a GeForce GT 750M
Only problem with your recommendation, Jeff, is they don't have a 17" model.
Price differences don't seem too huge, it seems like the cost of machined aluminum vs injection molded plastic rather than an Apple tax.
and for mobile i doubt you'll need super-strong processors nor GPU, these things just tend to run annoyingly hot. the discrete GPU of the MBP will do fine.
I had an Asus laptop and a Lenovo in the past. The Lenovo was cheap and a powerhouse. But it was giant and felt like a kids toy. Also with Windows machines I've had issues in the past just closing the lid and throwing it in my backpack. With the Macbook I never shut it off. I just close the lid all the time.
Yes modeling with the trackpad is bonkers. I normally connect up a mouse. But stuck in an airport or at relatives house for the weekend with no mouse. I can barely move on any Asus or Lenovo trackpad. The Apple one is very responsive and works well with multi-touch.
Regarding Macs: they operate fine as a PC? I'd probably just install bootcamp on it and be in Windows mode all the time.
Are there any drawbacks to that?
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Series-NP700G7C-S01US-17-3-Inch-Laptop/dp/B006MX0WHU"]Amazon.com : Samsung Series 7 Gamer NP700G7C-S01US 17.3-Inch Laptop : Notebook Computers : Computers & Accessories[/ame]
I don't have a single complaint about it. It's faster than my workstation, build quality is great, nothing bad ever happened to it.
Mine also has seen a lot of physical stress. Like sitting on fabrics while the laptop basically cooks itself a new normal. Working in hot rooms, Constant lugging to and fro and constant rotating 360 degrees of the object has occurred as well.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152400
Only thing I don't like is the weight. But it's to be expected. Charge life is sub par and bloat ware comes all over the windows.
I run mine exclusively with Win8 (not even bootcamped) and the reason i use win8 instead of 7 is because on a retina resolution screen you will want for better window scaling which win8 is finally trying to do more of in 8.1 due to the large variation of screen sizes that are appearing on laptops and a push for QHD.
The drivers supplied by apple bootcamp work without any issues from a single installer no headaches whatsoever.
The build quality of these laptops is second to none and on the upper end of the 15inch you still get a nvidia card and a nice designation of 16gb ram.
Get to know the variations of the Haswell processors and you'll see they are all strong on mac. you do get higher variations on 17inch gaming laptops same for the nvidia card you'll acquire but those things arent built to nearly the same spec, when it comes to controlling heat, they are louder, hotter and their exhausts are on the underside requiring table use.
I had a mid 2010 one and it got a bit hot for my liking. In addition, under the Windows OS, the battery only lasted ~2 hours (something about the GPU not switching). Maybe they fixed that now? I felt it was kind of a waste and sold it for a Lenovo W530. The W530 is a bit thicker/heavier but the price/performance is much better. But it's 15" so not exactly what the OP wants.
Has anyone used the Razer Blade Pro? Spec wise, it looks very similar to the macbook proa and has a 17" screen. (Quad Core 2.4, 16GB ram, 860M, 17" 1920x1080, 0.88 inches thin, 6.5 lbs.
http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade-pro
Hmm, the Razer Blade (non-pro) also looks pretty good. It trades the 860M for a 870M, although 8GB instead of 16GB, a 14.0" 3200x180 screen. .7" thin, 4.5lbs.
http://www.razerzone.com/store/razer-blade