parts list, one E6410 i5, no HDD, then bought 6410 ATG top cover, 8G DDR3, then cooling slice, then mobo w/ nVidia, then bigger heatsink for CPU/GPU, then ATG palmrest top, backlit keyboard, and i7 820 QM. It will take the 840QM, but it's cost prohibitive. This whole build is less than $300. I will go over 400 for a bit then come back down as I resell i5, 6410 mobo, palmrest, keyboard and whatever else. The only thing I won't have that I like, is the 3-button bottom on mousepad. This armored build could also be done on an M2400 Precision, which I have. But they don't make the new i-core series in a 14" precision, only M46xx/47xx, no more 2400. The CPU goes up 10 watts, from 35 to 45, but that's do-able, the meatier heatsink and 130 watt charger address this. You need the 130 watt charger to address the additional wattage draw, 10 from the CPU and 14 from the video card. The charger has to supply wattage to run all systems plus the additional charging watts. When you do gaming on these set-ups they really start to heat-up. I use copper shims and quality thermal compound. The m2400 had recent thermal shut downs in its bootlog, when I got it. I thought it was the GPU, upon board inspection, the NB had the thermal discoloration. Put in copper shims and thermal paste and it hasn't shut down since, even graphics intensive games, Portal 2. Crysis 2, etc. The M4400 needed the GPU shimmed to stop all thermal problems. Thermal Pads are corporate planned obsolescence. I could make oven mitts out of thermal pads.
Edited by Xcythe - 1/14/13 at 11:47am
Edited by Xcythe - 1/14/13 at 11:47am
