Hi all. Looking for a desktop replacement notebook for home usage. Requirements include basic features (surf the net, office applications, movies etc) and adobe premiere pro, photoshop applications. Prefer screen size above 15 inches. Thanks a lot.

Budget?

Oops. Sorry, forgot to state my budget. Should be less than RM3k. =)

Dell Vostro 3700.. .

+1 should be the best fit for TS since he need large screen.

Agreed.

vostro 3700 ~ go for it

can consider Acer too

AS5741G-524G50(W7HP64)
15.6" HD, 16:9, i5-520(2.4Ghz/3MB/DDR3 1066Mhz, 35W),2*2GB D3,500GB,DVD,BT,Nvidia 1GB, 6L,CM,5R, 2.6kg
RM2999

Well, as desktop replacement i would go for Dell Vostro 3700..big screen and nice spec ..all under RM3k ...

@hikari
Nice one there, issit comes with GT320M

ya its GT320M so better go for Vostro 3700

Then Vostro 3700 would be a nicer choice ...

agree with friends
Dell Vostro 3700 is a good choice for those interested in big screens (17.4)
acer AS5741G-524G50 is acceptable choice for those who like small scree (15._)



This post has been edited by mzzzk8819: May 12 2010, 12:10 AM

nuff said.

yea, go for Vostro 3700. it will best for u.

since he mentioned need screen bigger than 15" and as desktop replacement, i think he pointing the finger indirectly to Vostro 3700. haha go for it bro!

Adobe Premier? Photoshop?

Honestly speaking, NO notebook with the price range of RM3k can replace desktop.

2 reasons,
No.1)
Turtle-speed notebook HDD.
You NEVER have the feeling like using desktop due to the SLOW notebook HDD. It's kinda jerky and slow response (this is why people try to mod their Velociraptor to fix in notebook ).
Solution: SSD or at least 7200rpm HDD

No.2)
Processor power. Both mobile i3 & i5 processors are always SLOWER than desktop processor.
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php
Therefore, you will NEVER have the smooth feeling like on desktop (don't forget mobile processor tend to throttle to save power).
So, the nearest thing you can get (that close to "desktop) is i7 mobile processor with 4 cores & 8 threads.
You can really feel i7 notebook as smooth as desktop (this is one of the reasons why I dumped my i7 desktop for i7 notebook).
Moreover, you're on Adobe Premier & Photoshop. i7 should be the right choice for you.
Solution: i7 notebook, 4 core & 8 threads. Start having the smooth feeling again.

In short, if possible, top up RM400-800 for i7 notebook + RM400-700 for SSD.
You will not be regret for this upgrade.

Good luck.

P/S The cheapest i7 notebook is about RM3400 (go check from notebook garage sale) or RM3799 (Acer 5745G). Both without SSD.

This post has been edited by ALeUNe: May 12 2010, 05:30 PM

I think vostro 3700 more than enough..
if what Aleune said, then i can surely no 1 will buy notebook ..
Desktop > notebook.. this is sure.. so we CANNOT compare a notebook with desktop..

Since TS want a desktop replacement.. mean that he want to own a portable instead of desktop with at least 10kg ..

Vostro have come with 7200rpm HDD, so is not a problem for loading file..
and if TS have the money, can decide to choose the i5 520 since vostro have 3 diff package..

u dun need a very powerful setup for works like Photoshop...

the main thing abt PS is RAM... my friend has a work rig with Pentium E2180 with 8GB RAM, and it's all smooth sailing in PS...

pardon me but the price of SSD is absurd (to me at least) with short life span... moreover with works like PS, files are counted in hundreds of MB or even GB... HDD is still the choice in this case...

and, desktop CPU would throttle as well... EIST and Cool n' Quiet have been implemented in desktop CPU for sooooooooooo long...

of so many things u talk abt, u only got the i7 part sensible... but i would still prefer i7 dual due to it's high clock speed...

Just to add a few comments on ALeUNe's post:

Capacity really plays a huge part in mobile desktop when you're using mainly PS or 3D rendered stuff. When you need to rely on an external HDD but it fails, you surely won't be happy and you need to bring it along everywhere you go. Plus if your SSD fails, your data recovery cost would be more expensive than the amount of what HDD pays for these days because of it's hardware nature. Lowest cost to recover a 1TB HDD of a bad circuit board- RM1.5k, Lowest cost to recover a 80GB SSD(any condition), RM3k or above.

I repeat
Point 1) You need pretty fast HDD.
You can't do raid 0 in normal notebook. So, SSD is your best bet.
Note: 7200rpm notebook HDD is not as fast as 7200rpm desktop HDD.
http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/systemreqs/


Point 2) You need a quad.
Some said i7 is overkill. Some say Q6600 is doing a decent job.
These guys are talking about desktop processor.
For notebook, the nearest performance to desktop Q6600 and also nearest to your budget is i7 720Q
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/264258-3...-adobe-premiere
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php

Choice is yours.

P/S Member also recommend bigger capacity of memory. Do consider 8GB memory too. Another RM400 for the memory.

and i repeat again

1) files in such programs count in hundreds of MB and even GB... SSD is not going to provide the continuous transfer speed... HDD is still the preferred choice...

2) u dun need a quad... the main thing abt it is still RAM... 4GB is recommended but the more the merrier... however, if u really want 8GB (ie 2x 4GB), that's going to cost u a fortune...

in conclusion, Core i5 + 4GB RAM + 7200rpm HDD is the practical choice... which Vostro 3700 fulfills in anyway...

point 1: i am using a 5400rpm HDD for hmm..2 years? and i don see any problem with that....maybe SSD cuts the loading time for about 20 seconds....but for the 20 seconds u save u spend another RM400 to get SSD? somemore right now SSD rather expensive still...

point 2: same thing, i been using a p8400(2.26Ghz) as well, and everything is very responsive...if u are saying about the mass processing power needed by photoshop, i believe if u get urself a nvidia card, the CUDA plugin will ease ur processor a lot... i7 is good, of coz, but he say just for home use, not enthusiast..

This post has been edited by BBXiong: May 13 2010, 10:40 AM

Still though, what we must think about is TS budget....RM3k only the budget, how can TS want to topup :

SSD - RM400 at least
RAM - 8GB at least will cost RM400 for one 4GB
i7 - RM700 the least

All and all = RM3k + RM400 + RM600 = RM4k

Already exceed TS budget ...

Why we recommend Vostro 3700 as desktop replacement, is because its in TS budget and can do all the thing that TS want, that's all....

If TS said his budget is RM8k, sure no one will recommend Vostro 3700 ..there are many more which is the likes of Sager,Asus, etc etc...consider TS budget liao...not saying what have been said is wrong but then again, budget

This post has been edited by miahahaha: May 13 2010, 10:54 AM

comparison between 5400rpm and 7200rpm just about the same. yes, the different can be feel when games/program load but the margin is not too massive. yet, people willing to choose 7200rpm since the price is almost in same range as 7200rpm.

SSD? bah. with that budget, thats the last thing i would recommend. everyone knows why.

somehow i gotta agree with i7-720. but you can use large amount or ram to compensate if you are not using i7. i think its more logical, but different price for different specs.

TS, just look at a Toshiba or Asus line of laptops. Pick a few that you like then get back to us. It's because of this:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/17/laptop-...a-win-hp-fails/
Ignore the Sony one. That's because they don't have a large enough sample due to their products being overpriced.
Also, it's better you get a hands on test on a few of these laptops yourself first to narrow down your choices. Then, it's easier for us to help you.


Nice try, Xzbiteve Jobs.

lmao JackAlvins, why i can't find those Xzbiteve Jobs quotes?

oh wait....

This post has been edited by Mr.Docter: May 13 2010, 01:54 PM

hmm...i smell fanboy-ism from those edited quote...oh wait.....

This post has been edited by BBXiong: May 13 2010, 01:15 PM

Upgrade MAC Laptop?
No need. MAC has got the newest i7 with SSD.
You have the option to upgrade to 8GB ram too.
It's meant to replace desktop and also that crappy ipad.
http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/specs.html

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Added on May 14, 2010, 2:37 amNo, for notebook, you can tell the difference between 5400rpm and 7200rpm.
For desktop, you can tell the difference between 7200rpm and 10000rpm.
SSD is much faster than desktop 10000rpm HDD.
Yes, it's a massive performance boost for notebook in that sense.

Read my post#16, i said he couldn't get "desktop replacement notebook" with the budget of RM3K.
I made points. I said he needed to top up a bit if he wanted a "desktop replacement notebook".

This post has been edited by ALeUNe: May 14 2010, 02:37 AM

I do not think dunkiedonuts to buy macbook pro because his budget is <3k.






then, for budget <3k, dell Vostro 3700 is the best option .. I agree with miahahaha

This post has been edited by mzzzk8819: May 14 2010, 04:01 AM

u still dun get the main pt, do u???

budget aside (which already is the biggest reason why SSD is not feasible), SSD dun ve the speed needed to deal with LARGE files... by large i mean hundreds of MB or even GB... they excel in burst reading, but not continuous reading...

it's very simple to see... try copying dramas/anime from ur so-called fast thumbdrive/SD card and external 3.5" HDD... the difference is obvious...

u seem to be in ur own performance lala land, thinking watever works for u will work for others as well... but sorry, most of us here are after performance : price ratio, which is wat TS needs since he has a budget to begin with...

and to be fair, some ppl are still using P4, 512MB Ram and a 6600GT for their desktop, so if they mean a laptop can can give them similar performance and experience to their current desktop, i think a laptop around 3k can give them even faster experience...

the term 'desktop replacement' is really subjective, for gamers and enthusiast or high end fan boys, it's always overpriced, but for normal home users that do lite surfing, word processing, watching movies once in a while and doing normal photo-editing, a 3K laptop would be enough i'd say...

photoshop can always use nVidia CUDA to help performance boost, a simple fact of GPU > CPU in raw performance

ahh nevermind. just forget about it. hate spending my weekend in this thread..

This post has been edited by Mr.Docter: May 14 2010, 11:17 AM

unless the 3k that TS mention is USD, i don think we are anything near macbooks, let alone with i7 and SSD..

7.2k RPM HDD is still acceptable, but honestly la, SSD, price/GB is way way too overpriced, right now is 40GB for RM430...install W7 and u have ~30GB left, too impractical...i know there are bigger size that goes up to 160GB, but the SSD alone will cost TS half his budget...so unless we are talking in a thread that have 10k for laptop budget, i don think we need to further mention SSD anymore...it's just an overpriced piece of tech right now

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Added on May 14, 2010, 12:02 pmlol...just dump ur message here and come check on monday lo...lol
agree with that u posted actually

This post has been edited by BBXiong: May 14 2010, 12:02 PM

no offense but only fanboy unrealistic fella will keep suggesting something that they like/owned when the situation is not allowed (budget, screen size), and there is other specs which way better than that.

don't deny it. i saw you'd even suggesting i7 in lappy's gaming thread.

EDIT : typo.

This post has been edited by Mr.Docter: May 14 2010, 12:24 PM

ya la....he keep fail to notice that TS is under a tight budget...core i7 is expensive and out of reach for 3k budget...


i guess TS you should just consider Dell Vostro, maybe Asus if u can get decent spec....if u want gaming..i think before this i saw on ebay got Asus's Refurbished G51 that's using GTX260M, price + import is around 2.7k, but draw back is US warranty only, and warranty only for 3 months...

i can accept i7 in this case. but SSD.. man. for real? why you really want to rush? can't wait of loading 20 more secs?

i'd use 5400rpm for my last Acer for gaming and everything, no problem that i faced. yep, it slower like what? 4 5 secs? i have no problem for wait. after some times, i upgraded to 500GB 7200rpm, almost no significant improvement. i'd tried both speed personally. so i know what i am talking about, not based on some benchmarking result or somethin'.

if you have an extra bucks, then you can consider SSD. came onn sir. be realistic.

yeah...same here, somemore it's not like u gonna reboot every 5 minutes, then the 20-30 seconds would be significant...just just press the power button and do other things while u wait la...no one force u to stare at the laptop mah...

lol...i think we are kinda off topic here with i7 and SSD....better stick back original case..

i7 is only good for multitasking, and the programs u run are optimized for HTT, or else, get an i5 with decent clock speed and it'll get ur job done..it's good to have a future proof laptop, but do not throw in too much money to get stuff that is gonna be easily upgradable and will be cheaper in the future, like SSD...

I stand on my points.
I have been transferring 50-60GBs of MKVs from SSD to SSD, from SSD to HDD, from HDD to SSD, from SSD to USB 2.0 HDD etc.
What continuous reading are you talking about? I see it transferring files fast. It doesn't suffer from transferring huge file.

I have been overclocking my PCs in the past 20 years. I know what is cost vs performance.
Is price paid on SSD worth it? Absolutely yes.
How so? Because this is the freaking BEST hardware add-on to your notebook that can freaking boost the performance.
Name me ONE hardware for notebook that can boost the performance like SSD.
Think again, is it worth the price? Yes.
You pay what you get. I give my advice - the decision is on the buyer.

Spending on SSD is much better than spending on premium brand like Alienware, Sony etc.

emm soooo sir, for conclusion, what is the best model that have all the criteria that you want and suit TS budget, again?

You failed to read.

Read my post again, I speak from the viewpoint of getting a "desktop replacement notebook".
I made my points,
1) i7
2) SSD
3) He can't get "desktop replacement notebook" with 3K.

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Added on May 14, 2010, 3:29 pmThe conclusion is, he can't get a "desktop replacement" notebook with 3K.
Desktop is still faster and better option in that sense.

Is it so difficult to understand?

This post has been edited by ALeUNe: May 14 2010, 03:29 PM

'Desktop Replacement' typed is created for a reason.

simple. the reason is we want portability. EVERYONE know its stupid to compare real desktop with desktop-replacement desktop.

do you understand that in the first place?

/no offense.

Do you read?
Read the #1 post again, he NEVER mentioned portability.
He wanted a notebook that can replace desktop.
I'm not going to recommend a notebook that runs slower than desktop.
I'm recommending a notebook setup that runs close to desktop performance.

It's not stupid.
Current i7 is already a breakthrough. Likewise the Radeon 5870. Likewise the SSD.
i7 + SSD + Rad5870 is already a pretty kickass desktop-replacement setup.
I have used and tested it. Yes, this setup is GOOD enough to replace desktop.

so creating thread in Mobile Computing does not concern with portability then? lulz.

yes, it is stupid. unless you willing to carry that tower + monitor + speaker + everything anywhere you go.

So, you mean the i7 + SSD notebook is not portable?
Of course, I recommend a "desktop-replacement" notebook that is EQUALLY portable.
In fact, SSD is lighter than generic HDD.

Again thread starter did not ask for portability. Why divert to fit your illusion of portability?

This post has been edited by ALeUNe: May 14 2010, 03:52 PM

Can it totally decrease a laptop's weight by 10%?? If it's 5%, then there's no meaning at all since you won't feel much about it.

I know. Read my point again, it's EQUALLY portable.
In fact, I'm not the one that raise the "portability".

I'm recommending a "desktop-replacement" notebook.

listen here my VIP friend.

1 - i (we?) do not have problem with your suggestion of i7 & SSD. because what you said is true - it is powerful. no one dare to doubt that since it is a fact.

2 - the problem is when you keep stressing that fact, yet TS budget is not sufficient to afford that.

3 - since TS is insufficient funds to buy a desktop replacement laptop, you suggest to go for desktop instead because its cheaper yet powerful.

4 - when i said desktop replacement is created for portability, you'd answer TS does not want/care about portability since he'd not mention it in the first post.

5 - i answer back - so posting in Mobile Computing thread instead of Desktop thread have nothing to do with portability?

6 - then you told me that i am divert this discussion.

everything is related. its just up to ones wheter he can relate it or not.


/anything that i missed, fella?

my ancient desktop!!!!!! P4, 2.2GB ram and my legend AGP, Radeon 9600!!!!! (yea, i've been using ATi since 2002) 6600GT better than Radeon 9600 a lot right??
aiyo, dont have to get good desktop replacement 1 ma.... to some ppl, vostro 3700 already enough to replace their desktop lor

5%? lulz. not even there when we talk about desktop replacement laptop.

Did you miss something?
Yes.

I repeat, he can't get desktop replacement with the budget of 3K.
If he can't afford, it is better to stick to his desktop (unless he's using an ancient P4 and an ancient version of Adobe Premier Pro).
I repeat, I'm not going to recommend a notebook that runs slower than desktop.
I don't advise him to downgrade.

u still fail to grab the pt of desktop replacement did u???

who says that a desktop replacement must come with i7 in the first place???

the main pt of a desktop replacement needs only to provide the experience of using a desktop while facing only a laptop...

and by that, the emphasis is on the monitor size...

if only i7 QM + SSD + HD5870 is a desktop replacement (desktop equivalent would be i7 800 series + SSD + HD5770), then tell me, wat's a desktop with Pentium G6950 + WD Caviar Green 320GB + Intel GMA HD? is that not a desktop?

personally i think you spent too much time in desktop world, and just entering this laptop world.

its okay. everyone learning

/passing my baton to whoever willing

this sentence is lulz.

TS, try this AVADirect

NOTEBOOK Clevo W870CU Core™i7 Gaming Notebook, 17.3" Full HD TFT Glossy LCD, GeForce® GTX 285M / Radeon™ HD 5870 / Quadro® FX 2800M Graphics

my bad..dint read TS budget when i post

This post has been edited by iRonTech: May 14 2010, 04:38 PM

What is Intel G6950? I don't know what is G6950.
Assuming this is desktop, i think it's old desktop. WD Green 320GB? It pales when it compares to Velociraptor.
SSD is the "faster than Velociraptor" for notebook.
Moreoever, 7200rpm notebook HDD is slower than desktop WD Green 7200rpm 320GB.
So, moving from WD Green 7200rpm 320GB to 7200rpm notebook HDD is a DOWNGRADE.

I'm not suggesting thread starter to spend 3K to downgrade system (unless he owns a P3 or P4 desktop system).
Who fails to understand desktop-replacement notebook?

This post has been edited by ALeUNe: May 14 2010, 04:38 PM

u should understand that no matter how powerful a notebook is, it still cant pawn desktop...

nice one sir!

honestly - you

If you still don't grab what this means, then it'll be pointless to talk about your "desktop replacement" anymore...

so, for budget <3k, dell Vostro 3700 is the best option

I just don't see the point here...ALeUNe just seems not to be able to grab the meaning of desktop replacement notebook ...everyone here understand but why ALeUNe kinda in the dark about this..please read again what we wrote...we are not saying what you are saying is wrong but please be reasonable...

This is MOBILE COMPUTING Section..not HARDWARE!!!!

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Added on May 14, 2010, 4:46 pmReasonable when want a notebook that is almost equally can match desktop, what you stated is true, no denying that but TS want a desktop-replacement notebook that is under RM3k which Vostro 3700 can give...still blur???

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Added on May 14, 2010, 4:49 pmWe dun even know what TS desktop at home configured with what setting...maybe :

Intel Pentium 4, 80GB HDD 5400RPM, 2GB, Intel GMA....

What do you think, can Vostro 3700 be a replacement??

This post has been edited by miahahaha: May 14 2010, 04:49 PM

be cool friends...
all friend have good point ...
all our friend help dunkiedonuts to choose a good laptop...

dunkiedonuts can go to Vostro 3700 if ur budget <3k..
or go to other option for 3k>..

This post has been edited by mzzzk8819: May 14 2010, 04:54 PM

i made a statement on the term 'desktop replacement' already...

and u are asking where did TS mention he needs portability? from right the start, he wants a laptop, and second, he says preferably 15'', if he werent up for portability, he would already specify size doesnt matter...

since u are so positive on what u are suggesting is best for TS, show me la, which laptop can have SSD + i7 that is only 3k?

i wouldnt be bothered if u are suggesting someone with high budget that kind of spec...but OPEN UR EYE AND READ PROPERLY my friend, it's 3k budget, RM3000, not $3000 USD, so u either get back to real life and suggest a proper spec for him, or just stay away from this tread and find some enthusiast laptop performance thread and brag about ur i7+SSD, we care about value here...obviously SSD aint the best one with it comes to size/price, and most of us here, including TS, wouldnt mind sparing another 20 seconds on boot instead of paying another few thousands for that 'Ultimate Creation' called SSD that u like so much...


and also, TS just say desktop replacement that can run PS and some apps, he didnt say boot up, load photoshop and all the other application in 10 seconds

This post has been edited by BBXiong: May 14 2010, 05:36 PM

lulz at the "VIP" tag

^ +1.

you do not understand the basic concept. nuff said.

did u juz said u ve been dealing with computers for 20ys???

u sir, have failed miserably...

This post has been edited by astria: May 14 2010, 06:35 PM

haha ^^...so into i7 & SSD, didn't even know about anything in the value line ..just

or may i simplify your sentence into one word - fanboy.

no?

You sir are ...

@Aleune

I would like to point out that this is a Recommendation thread,not a Discussion thread

You sir are lost

hey you better watch out your word!! later i ask you you don't have i7 and SSD then u lost too!!

I sked..dun wan become like this

then i shall show him my GPU that have 10 times more power then his i7, and my super cheap ultra worth 500GB 2.5'' HDD that cost me just RM200++

This post has been edited by BBXiong: May 14 2010, 08:33 PM

speechless... lol

VIP ???? stubborn

This post has been edited by cy-yang: May 15 2010, 12:01 AM

haven't you heard that VIP tag = bigger e-penor?

Astria is one of the fella which deserve that tag for all his contributions in this subtopic.


/professionalism is applied. nothing personal.

This post has been edited by Mr.Docter: May 15 2010, 06:47 AM

It's getting a bit tense here. Chill guys and girls. Actually I was looking for a desktop replacement notebook, which can actually replace my desktop at home. Main reason is because I want to cut down on my electricity bill, as the power consumption when using a desktop is actually higher than using a notebook (read from some website), and also having a notebook rather than a desktop actually saves space (and less wiring and cables here and there). This notebook will be stationary at home (most of the time) and used by my family members (including me). It need not be that powerful (ie i7) as although I may be using some photoshop and premiere pro here and there, it will just be for some light assignments or for fun. Rendering and speedy processing of files do not matter. =) Anyway, thanks for your inputs! Sure I will be considering some of the laptops recommended here.

of course desktop consumes more power... juz the CPU (Intel, dual core) already 65W TDP... probably already more than wat a laptop requires...

however, i ve to admit that desktop brings much more performance than a laptop (for the same price), easier to upgrade (thus won't become obsolete easily), and easier to maintain (spoil parts, juz swop)...

perhaps u can consider some of the low powered desktop hardware??? for eg AMD Athlon II x4 610e is merely 45W TDP, coupled with HD5730 (18W TDP idle)...