[GRLUG] hardware specs help

Mon Apr 30 08:43:31 EDT 2012

On Mon, 2012-04-30 at 08:22 -0400, John-Thomas Richards wrote: 
> LUG,
> I am probably going to order a laptop today.  I have a question
> regarding specs / performance.  I have my choice narrowed down to two
> manufacturers.  The laptops have nearly identical specs with two notable
> exceptions.  They are:
> Laptop 1                        Laptop 2
> ==============================================================
> Core i3 2350M 2.3GHz            Core i5 2450M 2.50GHz
> nVidia 540M 1GB                 Intel High Definition Graphics
> $1,097                          $923

These prices seem very high.

> The only experience is have with Intel graphics is several years ago
> when it was merely passable.  Is the Core i3/nVidia combo worth $174
> over the Core i5/Intel HD combo?

NO WAY.

My mighty HP DV7-3085DX [an i7] which has nVidia graphics worked great
with nouveau drives.  GNOME shell, multiple displays, as well as
occasionally connecting to a projector.

Unfortunately she died [physically].

My new HP DV7-6B32US [an i7 as well] with Intel Graphics works
flawlessly in GNOME shell and multiple displays.  I'd say that video
performance is slightly almost, impercetably, less when the second
display is added to the mix.  But having an i7 rocks;  you get more
cores, on-board AES encryption/decryption, and VT support.

I prefer Intel graphics as I entirely avoid the nouveau vs. nVidia-BLOB
driver issue.  Sometimes if you install the BLOB it is hard to get rid
of the dratted thing and go back to the noueveau drivers (which for the
DV7-3085DX worked *much better* when there was a second display).

And this i7 laptop cost me less than $800.  So those prices are too
high.

> Both laptops come with Linux preinstalled.  If I go with the nVidia
> system, I would run the binary drivers.

Ugh, I don't know why.  They may be 'faster' but for the flexibility of
a laptop their support regarding external displays was very glitchy.

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