Sager NP5797 or NP 9280

[snake123]

Hi,I'm new here and I will purchase my first gaming notebook (after dealing with slow but reliable Aspire 5920G). After some researches, I found that Sager,Rock, and Alienware are the best. Did I make a right choice by choosing Sager? (Rock and Alienware are overpriced, so I turned my eyes to Sager now). If you guys have other recommendations, please let my know :).

Now for the 2 laptops that I want (for now):

NP 5797

17" WUXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1200)
Intel® P9700 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.8GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
nVidia GeForce GTX 280M 1,024MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10
6,144MB DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS)
2X Blu-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
320GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)


NP 9280

17" WUXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1200)
Intel Core i7 Quad (Nehalem) 920 2.66GHz 8MB Cache 130W
nVidia GeForce GTX 280M 1,024MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10
6,144MB DDR3 1066MHz Memory (3 SODIMMS)
2X Blu-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
320GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)

last question (sorry for asking too many questions), I don't quite get about intel core i7 quad. Is it faster than Intel® P9700 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo?

Hope I can get some assistances here,thanks

[powerpack]

Yes the I7 you ask of is faster than the P9700. This is regardless of single/dual/quad threaded apps. You can't compare clocks equally across different generation architecture. Even mobile vs desktop, but that is minor with C2's

To give an idea, link (http://cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html). PassMark has the I7 920 2.66Ghz at 5,444 and the T9600 2.8Ghz (same clocks as P9700) 1,921. So even if PassMark is quad threaded cut the I7 score in half. You get 2,722 far above the 1,921.

9280 does crush on performance but heavier.

[snake123]

So, is i7 920 enough for a long run, let's say 2 years min, or should I choose 950? I'll primarily use this laptop for gaming. Is my 9280 projected specs good enough already?

[powerpack]

$305 is a lot of money. I don't think it is needed but if money not an issue I see why some go for the 950. I don't think I would. You could upgrade yourself later if needed. In two years the will have better CPU's. Some likely not even compatible with the I7's MoBo's.

[snake123]

Well, I try not to surpass $3000 mark, since I want to buy PSPGo too. Maybe I'll better save that $305. Thanks for the advice man

[fallenxlionheart]

i gotta say...i got the 9280...and it destroys everything

[snake123]

Which sound card is suitable for gaming and movies? should i just stick with the original or should I pay $99-$119 more for better sound?

[Woody]

Which sound card is suitable for gaming and movies? should i just stick with the original or should I pay $99-$119 more for better sound?

Some games are a little sketchy with on board audio for some reason. I bought an express card Creative X-Fi and I find it offers superior sound in both games and movies. I am running a 9262 with Windows 7 (previously XP).

You can use the on board speakers just fine with the Creative X-Fi card. I highly recommend this.

As far as the two computers: Both are going to offer outstanding performance in games and other applications. The 9280 will be quite a bit faster for CPU intensive tasks such as encoding and some games but it is bulkier, heavier, and some might think a little more spartan in appearance. I'm not sure what the cost difference is of the two configurations you listed.

[snake123]

Both will have similar prices, around $2800. Thanks for the recommendation :)