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QUAD 2.0 Ghz or Dual 2.8 for the new M17x??

post #1 of 17
7/10/09 at 7:02pm
Thread Starter 
I'm looking forward to get the new system soon, but I still can't decide for which to go for?

Requirements: I will be doing heavy multi-tasking and mostly photoshop CS4 and a quite a bit of autocad + 3dsmax
I will be having 2 more extra monitors attached to the notebook (that would make it 3 in total, including the notebook screen itellf)

Which am i better off for the best experience?
Quad 2.0 Ghz
or the Dual @ 2.8 Ghz
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post #2 of 17
7/10/09 at 7:05pm
I believe in the number game. Go with the Dual@2.8ghz

Furthermore, you want to review your apps system requirement and see if they can take advantage of the Quad Core architect.

cheers ...
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post #3 of 17
7/10/09 at 7:12pm
Thread Starter 
Think i've seen an article somewhere which says that most applications don't support 4 cores, except for 3D studio max....

however, will it make much difference if i do lots of stuff on the system? for instance, photoshop on one monitor, while running itunes/msn on the other, and also opening Adobe bridge on the other? would i be better off with a quad then? or do you still think dual 2.8 is the way to go, since the 2.0 ghz is too far lower clock speed
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post #4 of 17
7/10/09 at 7:21pm
Sure QuadCore is something that everyone would shoot for at the moment. My take is that one has not yet got the full potential out of the Dual Core architect yet, even for doing a lots of things on the system as you described.

cheers ...
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post #5 of 17
7/11/09 at 9:53am
I think you should go for quad core (better for multi tasking/gaming).
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post #6 of 17
7/11/09 at 1:08pm
I dont know if you can hook up two other monitors to the laptop but maybe I am wrong...
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post #7 of 17
7/11/09 at 1:35pm
I use Village VTBook PCMCIA display adapter and can hook up to 3 displays to my notebook.

http://www.villagetronic.com/vtbook/index.html

cheers ...
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post #8 of 17
7/12/09 at 7:52am
Thread Starter 
i've done a bit of research on QUAD for gaming, it sucks currently... there are almost no games that benefits from the QUAD, except for supreme commander and one other game (farcry?).... games are dependent on the dual core clock speed for maximum performance

All i want to know is how better a performance can quad deliver for multi-tasking on several monitors

and yes you can hook up, up to 3 external displays using the Matrox Triplehead2go
http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/gxm/th2go/

but i rather have the Matrox DualHead2Go as you can get better res..
and 2 extra monitors is more than enough


but i still have to confirm with matrox for the geforce 260m support
imagine buying it and you bringing it home only to find out that it does not support the graphic card in the alienware notebook
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post #9 of 17
7/13/09 at 1:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steele404 View Post
i've done a bit of research on QUAD for gaming, it sucks currently... there are almost no games that benefits from the QUAD, except for supreme commander and one other game (farcry?).... games are dependent on the dual core clock speed for maximum performance

All i want to know is how better a performance can quad deliver for multi-tasking on several monitors

and yes you can hook up, up to 3 external displays using the Matrox Triplehead2go
http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/gxm/th2go/

but i rather have the Matrox DualHead2Go as you can get better res..
and 2 extra monitors is more than enough


but i still have to confirm with matrox for the geforce 260m support
imagine buying it and you bringing it home only to find out that it does not support the graphic card in the alienware notebook
What you said is correct, there are only a few games that takes advantages of 2 or more cores.
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post #10 of 17
7/13/09 at 11:18am
Yes yes, you are talking about current games and apps BUT what about FUTURE games and apps that will utilize "Quad Core" over time.

The question is how long you plan on having this system for? If you intend to upgrade after a year or 2 then sure, go for dual and save some cash. If you plan on keeping it longer, then why not "Future Proof" your system for the next few years?
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post #11 of 17
8/4/09 at 3:24pm
You might find this usefull. From cnet
I just read this on cnet:

"Higher up the laptop performance scale are Core i7 mobile processors, also due around the same time that Windows 7 hits the streets. Eden showed how the gigahertz speed--or "clock speed"--of individual mobile processor cores will instantly spike in performance to accomplish a task then, in the next instant, go idle--what Intel calls HUGI or Hurry Up and Get Idle.

HUGI is a power-saving technology: the faster a task is accomplished, the faster the processor can return to idle mode--a state that uses only the bare minimum of power. Along these lines, Eden did a demonstration of Turbo Boost technology.

In the demonstration, one of the cores (inside, let's say, a mobile quad-core chip), would jump well over the processor's rated speed. For example, a processor rated at 2.0GHz, for example, may run one of the cores at 2.60GHz (or higher) while the other cores are idle. In the gaming world, this is referred to as overclocking."

They are talking about the new quad cores which should be out in around two months (if you are not in a hurry)
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post #12 of 17
8/5/09 at 9:43pm
I just read about an alienware notebook that is quad cvore and has a 2 GB video card in it. 2 GB video card! Wow! I'd love to see it in person!
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post #13 of 17
8/5/09 at 10:14pm
there are 2x1 Gig video cards in it...not a single 2 gig video card....
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post #14 of 17
8/5/09 at 10:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by h0bbes View Post
You might find this usefull. From cnet
I just read this on cnet:

"Higher up the laptop performance scale are Core i7 mobile processors, also due around the same time that Windows 7 hits the streets. Eden showed how the gigahertz speed--or "clock speed"--of individual mobile processor cores will instantly spike in performance to accomplish a task then, in the next instant, go idle--what Intel calls HUGI or Hurry Up and Get Idle.

HUGI is a power-saving technology: the faster a task is accomplished, the faster the processor can return to idle mode--a state that uses only the bare minimum of power. Along these lines, Eden did a demonstration of Turbo Boost technology.

In the demonstration, one of the cores (inside, let's say, a mobile quad-core chip), would jump well over the processor's rated speed. For example, a processor rated at 2.0GHz, for example, may run one of the cores at 2.60GHz (or higher) while the other cores are idle. In the gaming world, this is referred to as overclocking."

They are talking about the new quad cores which should be out in around two months (if you are not in a hurry)
The new i7 quad CPUs will be better than the current dual-core CPUs for single- or dual-core performance (shutting down 2-3 cores while overclocking the remaining 1-2 cores up to between 2.8 - 3.2 Ghz (depending on model) despite having a comparatively low frequency (1.6 - 2 Ghz, depending on model) when in full quad-core mode. Ironically, this means that for single- and dual-core programs and games, the new i7 processors will be the most powerful, but for programs that can actually utilize quad-core capabilities (according to my calculations), the current mobile quads should actually be more powerful than the new ones.
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post #15 of 17
8/11/09 at 5:33am
Photoshop CS4 (and CS3) will use all 4 cores and boy is it a joy to work on things on such a machine. You will love it.

looks like Im about to pull the trigger on an M17x myself.
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post #16 of 17
8/20/09 at 12:52am
I say put the money on the dual core now, and upgrade later on.
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post #17 of 17
8/20/09 at 1:14am
OK so settled on Dual? Good choice. Now get a Sager/Clevo and you will be right were you wanna be.
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