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14/12/2011 03:14:58

BobW
BobW
Posts: 3 		Hi!
I am planning on purchasing a laptop with an intention of running Muvizu. I am not a gamer and need a laptop for work. The only other resource "heavy" program I would be using is an audio recording program, like Protools. I'm thinking of a price range around $750 US dollars. I'm not super savvy with what components are the most essential for performance. I know I need a 2.4 Ghz or better processor, i5 or i7, a dedicated graphics card and that's about it. Also, I know nothing about the AMD fusions, so if someone has a link to what would be comparable to an i5 with a dedicated graphics card that would be very helpful. So here's an example of a laptop I see in the price range:
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=fncwy21h&m_2=I52430M&m_3=6GB2D13&m_6=DIS1G2&m_8=640GB54&m_11=W7HPCY5&m_16=8XDVDRW&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&model_id=inspiron-17r-n7110
Processor2nd generation Intel® Core™ i5-2430M processor 2.40 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.00 GHz


Operating SystemGenuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64-Bit, English


Memory36GB3 Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz

Hard Drive640GB4 SATA hard drive (5400RPM)
Video CardNVIDIA® GeForce® GT 525M (128-bit) 1GB

In terms of running Muvizu:
1. Is it better to have an i7 and lower Ghz or an i5 with a higher GHz? I see i7's in my price range with a 2.2 GHz processor. Better than an i5 with a 2.4 GHz processor with the same video card in each scenario?

2. Is Turbo Boost 2.0 and things like that important and/or effective?

3. Are dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GT 5XX powerful enough to run Muvizu smoothly without making sacrifices to the detail of the set?

4. Can you upgrade dedicated graphics cards in laptops (i.e. via pcmcia slot - I think that's what its called...the little credit card width slot on the side of laptops)?

5. Is there much practical difference between 2.4 Ghz or say 2.5 GHz?

If anyone wants to scout out some they think would fit the bill I wouldn't mind the least. I just don't want to spend more than I need on things that really have no real impact on performance. Buying a computer for performance is so difficult, its so much easier just picking one out that looks the prettiest. Thanks for your time and input, I really appreciate any advice or experience people have to share. I hope to join your creative ranks shortly after the holiday!
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14/12/2011 10:50:34

Luscan
Luscan
Posts: 176 		Hi,

I'm not 100% sure on the spec of the laptop in question but I can take a shot at it. There are a lot of dedicated hardware websites that'll certainly be able to help you with this one. Take it with a pinch of salt

i7 processors tend to be better than i5 processors and there's very little practical difference between 2.4 ghz and 2.5 ghz that's noticable.

The Turbo Boost thing is a neat little feature in all modern i5 and i7 processors. What it will do for you is keep your processor running at a reduced speed whilst it's not on very heavy duty tasks to conserve battery power (running a web browser and a word processor isn't exactly heavy use so it'll cut back on a few cycles to keep your battery alive longer. You probably won't notice it though). When you really need it though (when you're multitasking a bunch of applications) it'll do a quasi-overclock on your processor and jam it into overdrive for a while at the cost of battery power.

The graphics card in this laptop will be able to handle Muvizu just fine. There are videos of a laptop with a similar spec running RAGE, Crysis 2 and Battlefield 3 at good frame rates so Muvizu shouldn't be a challenge.

As for finding out if you can upgrade your graphics card further down the line you will have to ask the manufacturer. The case of the laptop is what makes the difference here and I'm not sure any advice I could give you would be accurate.

Hopefully that helps.
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14/12/2011 14:58:45

ukBertyMuvizu mogulExperimental user
ukBerty
Posts: 975 		Typically the onboard graphics card is all part of the motherboard and cannot be upgraded. PCMCIA is dying out as peripherals move to USB.

Get the best graphics card built in that you can afford

Berty
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14/12/2011 19:31:57

BobW
BobW
Posts: 3 		Thanks for your responses. It seems in my price range there is a choice, either an i5 running at 2.4 GHz plus a turbo booster that can hit 3.0, or an i7 running at 2.2 GHz with a turbo booster that can peak at 3.1

Which would be better? Muvizu says minimum of 2.4 GHz, but does the CPU compensate for that if its short? I've also seen a few laptops that have the same grade of NVIDIA graphics card, but is 2 GB instead of 1 GB. For all intents and purposes would Muvizu even need the 2GB?

If someone could offer guidance that would be great!

Model 1 (with 2GB video card) : http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=fndoy65h&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&model_id=inspiron-17r-n7110

Model 2 (i5 with 2.4 GHz): http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=fndoy22h&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&model_id=inspiron-17r-n7110

Model 3 (i7 with 2.2 Ghz) http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dncwv98h&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&model_id=inspiron-15r-n5110

Details about their specs are on the right-hand side embedded in a scroll box

Thank you so much for your help!
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15/12/2011 08:00:16

ukBertyMuvizu mogulExperimental user
ukBerty
Posts: 975 		Bob,

As they say - you get what you pay for !

I would want at least a 17" monitor to animate on (personally I use a 24" + 19" dual monitor setup) - so the first model I would say will be the best.

Berty
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15/12/2011 13:02:29

BobW
BobW
Posts: 3 		Thanks Berty!
Went with an i7!
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Muvizu is easy to use 3D animation software that allows anyone to create high quality animations quickly and easily. Muvizu’s animation engine is ideal for storytellers, animators, teachers and businesses looking to engage, enchant and delight audiences with animated content.