CHOOSING A LAPTOP THAT WORKS WITH SKETCHUP+VRAY+PS

hi to everyone here...this is my first post after joining cgpinoy. i have been reading some forum discussions here and it looks like this is the place for me to ask my questions about purchasing a laptop. i see that many here are good hearted or kind enough to give their professional suggestions and opinions.

im planning to replace my 5 year old (Sony Vaio) laptop and i have been look at models that would suit my needs. I will be using this laptop for mostly Sketchup + Vray , Photoshop, Autocad, 3d Max (occasionally) and other graphic softwares. Portability is a big issue for me because i might use it when i travel and client meetings. So the best size for me is a 15 inch laptop. My current job doesn't really require me to do very high quality renderings like some i see here in this website. My job is mostly doing concept design and design development so i mostly use sketchup and photoshop for my presentations. I just recently went back to using vray(the last time was 2007 using 3dmax+vray..lol...).

I was adviced by some of my friends to purchase a mcbook pro. But Im not comfortable with its system so getting one is not one of my choices. Plus another factor is that its too expensive and not practical. There are other cheaper or same priced options that are more powerful and comfortable to use.

I'm also trying to avoid HP's because of many reviews that many of these laptops are not durable. I have friends too who are complaining about theirs dont last that long....

Here are my top 3 choices:

1. Alienware M14x
Processor: 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM Processor 2.4-3.4GHz
Operating System: Windows 8, Multi-Language Pre-Installed (64bit)
Display:14.0" (35.56 cm) WLED HD+ (900p) display (1600X900)
Memory: DDR3 SDRAM 1600MHz 8GB
Hard Disk:32GB mSATA SSD 7200RPM Hard Drive 750GB
Graphics Card:2 GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
CD-ROM drive:Slot-loading 8X DVD + /-RW optical drive with DVD + R double layer write capability
Weight:2.9kg
PRICE: 14000HK dollars=73,600.00Php

2. MSI GE 60 OND
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM Processor 2.40 GHz
Operating System: Windows 8, Multi-Language Pre-Installed (64bit)
Display:15.6" Full HD Anti-Reflective 1920 x 1080
Memory:DDR3 SDRAM 1600MHz 8GB
Hard Disk:750GB 5400rpm SATA
Graphics Card:nVIDIA GeFORCE GTX 660M 2GB GDDR5 Graphics
CD-ROM drive:Blu-ray Combo Drive
Weight:2.6kg
PRICE: 11000HK dollars=57,800.00Php

3. SONY VAIO VAIO SVS15126PG
Processor: 3rd Gen Intel® Core™ i7-3632QM Processor 2.20 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.20 GHz
Operating System: Windows 8, Multi-Language Pre-Installed (64bit)
Display:15.5 inch wide (Full HD: 1920 x 1080) TFT colour display
Memory: DDR3 SDRAM 1600MHz 8GB (upgradeable up to 12 GB*3)
Hard Disk:750 GB (Serial ATA, 5400 rpm)
Graphics Card:NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 640M LE
CD-ROM drive:DVD SuperMulti Drive
Weight:2.0kg
PRICE: 11500HK dollars=60,500.00Php

The Alienware m14x looks very tough and i've read reviews about its performance in gaming. In most sites they say this is the best 14-15 inch category laptop for gaming. Its made by mainstream Dell so i guess you could trust that the performance and durability is very good. My issue with this unit is the price and weight. If i spend for something like this will be worth it for my needs? I tried holding and carrying one a few weeks ago and damn its a heavy laptop...hehe...

For the MSI GE 60 OND, the best thing i can say is its specs are very good. The price is one thing that made this in my top three list. This laptop model also have good reviews in some websites. The specs and price ratio really makes this option make me want to go for it. But i have a n issue with this laptop. When i saw the actual model and held it, it felt like a "toy" (the m14x look like a toy too but a "good looking toy"...hehe) and a bit "cheap" looking material. It's really a dirt magnet like what in most website reviews. I know the most important thing when presenting your work is your actual design and presentation not the laptop. But based on my experience in presenting with clients especially those executive ones "looks" also is a plus factor. MSI is not really a mainstream brand like Dell. Sony, Asus, Acer, Apple and etc. that is why its quite cheaper than most brands. My concern for this option is would this be reliable and durable? You don't hear or read many durability reviews of this laptop coz not many use this brand. So i'm quite skeptical about it.

For the third option, the SONY VAIO VAIO SVS15126PG seems to me like a combination of all my requirements. It is packaged in a handsome and professional look that you could bring in meetings. It could be at par with the macbook pro in terms of looks....hehe. Another advantage is the weight. Its only 2.0 kg. makes a lot of difference when travelling. From the specs that i can see it seems that it could work ok with sketchup + vray...but im not that sure....the price difference between the MSI GE 60 OND is not that big. But looking at the specs...its looks like the MSI gets a better Graphic capabilities. I've had a Sony Vaio for 5 years and i can say based on my experience its very durable and can be trusted. My main issue with this option is i'm not really sure if this would work well if in case i render in Vray or use 3d max(occasionally).

So, to summarize everything, the Alienware m14x looks very capable and tough but is it worth spending that much for this laptop? MSI GE 60 OND has the best specs and price among the three options but is it durable and reliable? The SONY VAIO VAIO SVS15126PG has the "looks" and the capability (which is im not that very sure) plus the weight factor that you could easily carry it anywhere in comparison to the other 2 options.

I would like to see any comments and suggestions or "If you were me, which one would you choose and why?". It would be of great help for me to know what do you think about these options. my post is quite long already so i would stop now...hehe..

Thank you in advance and hope to see your opinions!!

Your choices are all good. My comments are as follows:

1. Alienware will be your best choice but i think it's the heaviest among the three.
2. MSI is your next choice because of the powerful videocard. Best video card among the 3. My problem with this is the heat it's generating, I'm not sure if this version has upgraded its heat resistance already. Same problem with HP.
3. Sony is my last choice just because it has a lowest spec among the 3.

Also, try to look for an Asus, a toshiba or a lenovo. I think they have the same specs with the 3 choices you posted. I like these laptops because I've had them before. All 3 of them and they performed very well.

Another big deciding factor I consider is the proximity of the service center, make sure that you find one, accidents do happen. It happened to me a lot of times already. That's why it's good to have a service center close to you.

Sorry If I mess up your decision a little bit, but it's just my way of saying that any of these laptops are good enough for your requirements. So you won't really have a hard time deciding. These level are already performance laptops. Just dont get an ultrabook or a macbook pro. They're for another category of use.

Good luck!

I think I would go with the Sony Vaio among your choices. I had a sony vaio for 7 years. Its still around. My HP and lenovo wasn't as tough.
The SONY VAIO VAIO SVS15126PG is the lightest of the three with expandable ram. The graphics card is weaker but probably neglible in real world performance with 3d software.
I don't like MSI, they use very cheap materials.
Alienware looks nice but its too pricey for the specs.
I would check Asus and Acer for similar specs as they tend to offer more for less money with international warranty.
I would only buy a macbook pro if you ever need finalcut but other than that pc based laptops are more versatile.

My brother has an msi laptop. Core i3, which he got 3 yrs ago. And it is still working. He travels with it from Malaysia to the Philippines and back all the time, and it is always turned onmost of the time. It's one really tough laptop.

If i were to pick, i'd get that msi, bang for the buck.

Go check out an ASUS or an ACER also.

I used to have an msi and an acer laptop. Both core i5s. Before i sold them due to financial needs. An i can say that both are good in terms of performance.

Just my two cents.

thank you for replying "learn3d"!!!

you are right. Sony Laptops are quite known for their durability. I still have mine. 5 years!!!. its still working but its not that fast for rendering. i can do modelling but if the file gets heavier my vaio goes slow. So I decided its time to upgrade.

I have looked at Acer but not that much....maybe ill review it again and compare it to my top three choices...

Thank you!!!

Thanks Sir arkiedmund for the reply!

your right...the MSi really gives the "bang for the buck. Its good to know more actual user information about this brand. Many are not familiar with it so very few can give "factual information". Thank you for sharing your actual experience in using this laptop!

????...where did my reply to Sir bokkins go?...was it deleted for some reasons or i wasn't able to send it properly?

anyway, thank you sir bokkins!

actually i looked at Asus and Lenovo. They belong to my top choices. I've checked the Asus a few weeks ago. I was not happy with the screen output. I asked the sales person to adjust it to its optimum level i was not impressed. from the inside appearance it quite looks like feels like my old vaio. I also checked on the Lenovo y580. its cheaper than my top three options. It looked a bit like a toy. maybe becasue of the cheaper materials they used. I'm currently working in China and I have some friends here that don't recommend this for durability.

in terms of Servicing, Lenovo has many Service centers here. Dell has some. but Sony's are hard to find. I need to go to Hongkong to find a certified service center for my vaio.

i havent really looked at toshiba....ill look at it later...

again, thank you sir bokkins!!

Try to look for asus n75s,i7-2670 processor,8gb memory,2gb geforce gt 555M CUDA,1TB HDD,17.5'',,I use it everyday for my rendering works,,,,the performance is excellent...i have no problem with heat,,even if i render it for longer hours,,,

Viper_01 wrote:Try to look for asus n75s,i7-2670 processor,8gb memory,2gb geforce gt 555M CUDA,1TB HDD,17.5'',,I use it everyday for my rendering works,,,,the performance is excellent...i have no problem with heat,,even if i render it for longer hours,,,

This is a lower version asus. I don't really recommend this since there area already new ones that has been upgraded already.

darth_05 wrote:????...where did my reply to Sir bokkins go?...was it deleted for some reasons or i wasn't able to send it properly?

anyway, thank you sir bokkins!

actually i looked at Asus and Lenovo. They belong to my top choices. I've checked the Asus a few weeks ago. I was not happy with the screen output. I asked the sales person to adjust it to its optimum level i was not impressed. from the inside appearance it quite looks like feels like my old vaio. I also checked on the Lenovo y580. its cheaper than my top three options. It looked a bit like a toy. maybe becasue of the cheaper materials they used. I'm currently working in China and I have some friends here that don't recommend this for durability.

in terms of Servicing, Lenovo has many Service centers here. Dell has some. but Sony's are hard to find. I need to go to Hongkong to find a certified service center for my vaio.

i havent really looked at toshiba....ill look at it later...

again, thank you sir bokkins!!

I'm using an i5 lenovo right now. Performance is very good. And the sound is awesome, loudest and clearest among other laptops.

Thank you for the replies!

looking at the specs and price ratio, i observed when the graphic card is "GTX" the laptop becomes pricier. I noticed that most of the really powerful gaming laptops have this. For my purpose which is for sketchup + vray and ps, does GTX really have a big advantage over a GT graphic card?

For the Hardisk drive, does a 5400rpm have a bigger advantage over a 7400rpm in terms of modelling and rendering or post processing in PS? this also has an effect to the price, so if im going to spend more on these, is it worth it?

Yes and yes.

Even if its just sketchup, it's still demands a good video card at hd rpm. You wont feel it for small models, but if you're working with high poly's, GTX will always have an edge. You will see the difference.

In terms of render, it's more on the proccessor, so i7 is advisable.

When buying a laptop, it's still all about the buying power. Like for my case, I can only afford an i5, so I bought an i5. Even though I want an i7.

in your choices, i think the MSI is the best in terms of price vs performance ratio.
same lang naman ng specs sa alienware, ang lamang lang ni alienware is ssd, but ssd has a little effect on 3d.
and MSI has a very good Vcard over the alienware, for me the important part aside from cpu is the RAM, since both has i7 processor 2.4ghz, check the ram, and since they have both 8gb ram, the last thing left is the vcard, who got a better vcard? MSI has a better one. nevermind the hardisk, they are the bottleneck of a pc. kahit ssd pa, it has no big effect on a 3D work

MSI na dude! I'm using MSI GE60! Not having a problem kahit madaming components inside sa sketchup but siyempre pag marami na sobra and may materials nadin, lalo na foliage, nako diyan na magsisimula =))

@strider pareho nga pala tayu ng laptop ge70 naman ako.. medyu mainit lang talaga tong variant na to...

sir pag maraming moolah go for gt70 dragon edition....

mmmmm........me issues nga ang MSI sa heating.....I've read in some reviews na pag madalas uminit ung computer na ginagamit mo chances are it reduces the lifespan of your unit or other hardware parts. Is this true? if yes, that means the MSI laptop "could " have a shorter lifespan than my other two options?

for the guys here who use MSI laptops, how old is your unit at gaano kadalas nyo isabak sa pag t3d ung laptop nyo? I mean, kung di naman masyado nagagamit sa hardcore uses it might last longer than 3 -4 years?....or maybe lesser?

@crayzard: i could go for the ge70 kaso di na sya ganun ka portable for me...masyado nang malaki at mabigat kung ngttravel ako....hehe...pero mukhang mas maganda specs nya sa ge 60.

My experience with msi laptops is with the msi wind. Sobra laging overheating kahit watching 1080p videos lang minsan nag self boot. That was my gf laptop though not mine pero lowend naman yan wind. Feels cheap looks cheap. Not sure about the top tier msi laptops. Mas tiwala ako sa asus, acer, sony. Second choices ang hp, lenovo, dell. Haven't tried samsung and don't know anyone with samsung pero number 1 sila sa electronics now so baka ok rin lappy nila.

@learn3d: chneck ko ung samsung with the similar specs ng options ko, ung 15 inch version. The price is a lot cheaper than my first three options. nasa almost 9000hk dollars sya. mga around 47,000.00 php sya. kaso gaya nga ng sabi mo, di ka sigurado sa durability nya in terms of laptops. In one website na naencounter ko sabi nila number 1 ngayon ung samsung....pero1 lang un eh. so im not sure if it is reliable.

i've read more on the topics discussed in the forums here. It seems a desktop really is more appropiate for 3d stuff and heavy graphics. It came into my mind what if just get myself the cheapest laptop i can get that is enough for my needs and then later get myself a good desktop for serious renders. I'm not really into very serious renders, but after looking at the posts here in cgpinoy it made me realize that its very possible i could get more into it. This website inspired me to get back at it again. There are so many things i could learn by looking at what people are doing here! daming malulupit mgrender d2 na di madamot mgbigay ng kanilang opinions.

So lets say im going for this direction(which is im not sure yet), this laptop i found is the cheapest i could get that suits my needs. (in terms of price, specs, and form ratio). ito ung specs nya. im not very sure if this is good.

SAMSUNG NP-550P5CS03HK
Processor: Intel Core i7 3630QM
Chipset: Intel HM76
Fast memory: 6 MB L3 Cache
Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz
Hard Drive: 1TB, ExpressCache 8GB
Hard disk drive speed: 5400RPM
CD-ROM drive: Bluray
Display Screen Size: 15.6 "
The display screen resolution: 1600 x 900
Screen display function: 300nit HD LED
Image display card: GT 650M Graphics, 2GB
Weight: 2.5Kg

My only specification issue with this is the screen resolution. It is not full HD unlike my other options. But mostly is im skeptical about samsung laptop's durability. Known sila for TV's and phones, pero how about laptops? The price/look is quite tempting. actually this is the cheapest among all the options i was looking at. So ayan, nalito na ako...haha! I'f I'm going for this direction I'm sure I will end up getting myself a very capable desktop later. The money I save from not buying a very expensive laptop will be of great help for me to get a proper desktop later. (i looked at the forum's "show me your rig"....naglaway akosa mga gamit na desktop ng iba...haha!) but for now, I'll just get myself a laptop that suit my needs. so yan lang muna iddiscuss natin....hehe.

Among the three, I would suggest the Alienware.

That laptop has the power and the beauty that you need, although its a bit overpriced. One reason for that price is that its calibrated somehow to work well with graphic intensive softwares and games. I have edited a few videos using the GPU and it worked pretty well.

It also gets a bit hot when the GPU is always running, so I suggest getting a cooling pad when your using it most of the time.

Other than that, the built is sturdy and the clean. Unlike the MSI or the Asus (even samsung) the Alienware laptops feels like they can take a lot of punishment ( not that I ahve tried it). The other laptops just feels like toys compared to it. You can also upgrade the HD with a few easy steps including the video card.

Overall its a great laptop... it will be worth it.

darth_05 wrote:@learn3d: chneck ko ung samsung with the similar specs ng options ko, ung 15 inch version. The price is a lot cheaper than my first three options. nasa almost 9000hk dollars sya. mga around 47,000.00 php sya. kaso gaya nga ng sabi mo, di ka sigurado sa durability nya in terms of laptops. In one website na naencounter ko sabi nila number 1 ngayon ung samsung....pero1 lang un eh. so im not sure if it is reliable.

i've read more on the topics discussed in the forums here. It seems a desktop really is more appropiate for 3d stuff and heavy graphics. It came into my mind what if just get myself the cheapest laptop i can get that is enough for my needs and then later get myself a good desktop for serious renders. I'm not really into very serious renders, but after looking at the posts here in cgpinoy it made me realize that its very possible i could get more into it. This website inspired me to get back at it again. There are so many things i could learn by looking at what people are doing here! daming malulupit mgrender d2 na di madamot mgbigay ng kanilang opinions.

So lets say im going for this direction(which is im not sure yet), this laptop i found is the cheapest i could get that suits my needs. (in terms of price, specs, and form ratio). ito ung specs nya. im not very sure if this is good.

SAMSUNG NP-550P5CS03HK
Processor: Intel Core i7 3630QM
Chipset: Intel HM76
Fast memory: 6 MB L3 Cache
Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz
Hard Drive: 1TB, ExpressCache 8GB
Hard disk drive speed: 5400RPM
CD-ROM drive: Bluray
Display Screen Size: 15.6 "
The display screen resolution: 1600 x 900
Screen display function: 300nit HD LED
Image display card: GT 650M Graphics, 2GB
Weight: 2.5Kg

My only specification issue with this is the screen resolution. It is not full HD unlike my other options. But mostly is im skeptical about samsung laptop's durability. Known sila for TV's and phones, pero how about laptops? The price/look is quite tempting. actually this is the cheapest among all the options i was looking at. So ayan, nalito na ako...haha! I'f I'm going for this direction I'm sure I will end up getting myself a very capable desktop later. The money I save from not buying a very expensive laptop will be of great help for me to get a proper desktop later. (i looked at the forum's "show me your rig"....naglaway akosa mga gamit na desktop ng iba...haha!) but for now, I'll just get myself a laptop that suit my needs. so yan lang muna iddiscuss natin....hehe.

The specs look ok. Siguro ang pinaka final clincher nalang is availability of the brand in your area. For me I would go for the best warranty and service since this is a premium item purchase. Nothing beats mac, sony, asus, acer kasi international warranty sila. Any country I've been to madali ma contact support nila and if ever I needed to repair or upgrade its available.
Second besides the warrany and service is the build quality. Nothing beats mac, sony, asus. Acer di masyado konti lang angat nyan sa msi. Itest mo ng matagal mga laptop sa shops. Which one feels sturdy and less squeeky, not using think plastic. I bend the screen and test the hinge, test the keyboard, check the heat before buying a new lappy.
Ang desktop ko pang render nodes but my main workstation is a lappy I7 with only 8gb ram and its enough for me. I don't do heavy archiviz scenes though more on small one man projects.

i bought my ge70 sa msi megamall.. if i have more moolah nag asus rog na lang ako.. (99k yung asus rog 80 k naman yung ge70 kaso more than 1 month ang waiting time ng asus rog) pag rendering with very heavy scenes ang temp ko 86-88... (yung sa friend ko same scene rendering kami eh 60+ lang ang temp nya ) bad trip lang ang viewport ng gt660m mabagal... updated naman na yung gpu driver.. and another cons is hdd speed sobrang bagal ng stock hdd nito. hitachi 5400... accessing textures, preview sa images sa windows explorer, kaya need sya i upgrade sa msata...

yung laptop ko on almost 16 - 20 hours a day everyday, from office hangang sa bahay bukas... almost 6 month na syang ganito.. so far okey naman....

kaya suggestion ko lang for 3d work.. eh choose a 7200 rpm hdd (or ssd), atleast gtx670 and 16 gb of ram..

If you have the budget, I would go for Alienware M14x.. After 8 months of considering which one is best, I finally made up my mind to get Alienware... kung may budget pa, I would go for M17x pero sobrang mahal na. Just as i have posted from the other thread, I wanted to share it that the Sony is optimized for entertainment where Asus, MSI and Alienware are meant for Gaming... MSI have blue screen issues when you start upgrading, Alienware have a better cooling system and can stay much longer when playing games... well, rendering a longer time... you need to see to it that your laptop wont crash due to overheating esp. when you are rushing some very important projects.
But, as I say, ASUS, MSI and Alienware are gaming laptops also.. If you are looking a Laptop that really works in rendering, then you need to step-up higher, This category comes in, they cold it Mobile Workstation such as BOXX, HP Elitebook, Fujitsu and Dell Precission.. They dont look very attractive but they are powerhouse. But, mind you... they are not cheap and can cost 2x or 3x to normal i5 or i7 laptops. These have Intel xeon processors, ECC Ram and Quadro Graphic cards. If you really want to invest, then go for it, Return of Investment (ROI) is also high. Considering, you render 1 high res scene for 2 hours, now you can only do it to 7-20 min. Kung per scene lang naman singilan, then how many scene you can render in 2 hours?

I agree, Alienware has one of the best cooling when it comes sa laptops. Since you will be rendering a lot, you need to have a computer that can last longer when it comes to rendering. Among your selection, Alienware can outlast them rendering wise and gaming wise.

Mobile workstations, like HP elite and Boxx are expensive due to Xeon processors and quadro graphic cards. Performance wise, they do not outperform an i7 processor or a conventional GTX vid card spec to spec. The reason that Xeons are expensive is that they are tougher than the average processor. They can take a lot of punishment and a lot of heat. Thats why they are preferred for rendering, servers and anything that requires 24 hour computing.

Quadros are best for openGL and has more ram than your conventional video card, which is optimized for DirectX rendering. With openGL you can have an awesome viewport but cannot expect to run the best games. You can also work 24 hours a day with this video card.

.. and yes these has a very hefty price.

Mobile workstations can only be cost effective if you really need to have your workhorse along with you all the time. But performance wise, you can do the jobs with the choices you have here. I also agree with the post of Brutus... Xeons comes in 6 cores hyper threaded, they will render faster.

(on a side note, I have the Alienware and I have rendered using that for almost 24 hours. Even at that long, the fans and heating never really went overboard. Sadly I have not tried the others yet but so far I am impressed with the toughness of the alienware)