new notebook

[ben]

hi,
my notebook broke down, so i need a new one 

do you have any suggestion about which graphics chip might be a good choice.
It should last a few years and upcoming iMatch features should work.
I am tending to an onboard or even oncpu gpu.

thanks for any hint,
ben

[jch2103]

A very broad question, so a very broad initial response(!):

Some kind of GPU would be very useful for IMatch and other photo-related software. However, as you've figured out, there are lots of options. (I can't speak re AMD, just Intel.) The latest Intel CPU chips (e.g., i5 and i7) include integrated GPUs that are faster and more powerful than earlier versions. A number of laptop manufacturers also provide a separate GPU for more processing power. Naturally, these cost more. There are a lot of trade-offs between/among price, speed, size/weight, battery life, manufacturer reputation, etc.

One thing I'd strongly recommend is a laptop with an SSD. At the lower end of the price scale, manufacturers usually put in a slow hard disk that will result in crummy performance for IMatch, etc. (Of course, these can be replaced with an SSD, but it's an additional cost and aggravation.) Requiring an SSD will automatically limit your choices.

Knowing what your criteria (e.g., trade-offs above) are would help folks here give better advice.

Good luck!

[ben]

Hi,

thanks a lot for discussing this...

>A very broad question, so a very broad initial response(!):

yes i know, i wasn't sure if i would get an answer at all. So, now here come more details.


My trade-offs are roughly:

• CPU, RAM, Busspeed etc: better than the average, but not the premium. Besides iMatch i mainly run the webbrowser and 1-2 virtual machines for some programming. So this doesn't have to be the most current cpu architecture, but definitely better than my last Intel Core 2 Duo 2 Ghz
• GPU: I don't want a separate graphic Card, since it eats up the battery quicker. DirectX11 is a must, DirectX12 would be nice. I don't play games at all, but since more and more image tools utilize the gpu it shouldn't be the worse in terms of computing power
• Harddisk: Definitely SSD, but i already own two Samsung which are really good. So, i hope i can reuse them
• Display: I don't use a separate monitor and I don't wanna buy a "mirror" so display quality should be quite well. I'd love to have an IPS Panel. Size 15''

Ben

[jch2103]

I haven't been tracking the notebook market that closely, but this link might be useful: http://www.anandtech.com/show/9798/best-laptops

Sounds like you may want a 6th generation Skylake processor with integrated GPU, with 8 or 16 GB memory and the 15" IPS screen you mentioned (you'll need to make a 'touch' v 'non-touch' screen decision). That would still leave plenty of decisions and trade-offs to make!

Other thought: Most laptops now have soldered memory & CPU, which means you'll be stuck with your original decisions (no later upgrades). I think you can still swap out most storage devices (HDD and SSD) as long as they use the same interface. Some use newer, faster interfaces which aren't backwards compatible.

[ianrr]

Well I just bought a laptop that met my expectations  .. boy it takes a lot of time to finally get one that meets what I need.

I7 5th gen, GPU ( most important for fast graphics display ) 16G ram and a 17" Screen. SSD 256G for win, and a separate 1T HDD for Data.

USB 3 x 3 , Graphics card Nvidea 965m DVD Optical Drive, Very fast and weights 2.7Kg

I typically use 30" monitors and have no problem with this display size. Did many hours work on it last night at a kitchen table and did not feel at all restricted. I have a number of 15" laptops and they all drive me nuts regarding doing any serious work on photo editing  ... 

I paid $2500 Aust Dollars for it.

Its a MSI gaming computer that met all my needs and price point.  Model MSI GE72  2QE Apache Pro.  link here.  http://www.msi.com/product/notebook/GE72-2QE-Apache-Pro.html#hero-overview

Its a serious and very portable computer that I can plug into a 30" 4k monitor if I need to, but most impressed using as it stands.

Hope that is helpful  ... Ian

[ben]

I think a i5/7 of the 4th generation with 8gb ram will do the job.

I am most unsure about the display. It should be an IPS display. But glare or non-glare (matte)??
How does a IPS matte display compare with a simpler TN glare display. Colors and contrast worse or better?

[jch2103]

I think a i5/7 of the 4th generation with 8gb ram will do the job.

Probably; I don't think the performance differences v 6th generation would be huge. (The number of CPU cores will make a difference.) You would be trading off lower cost against greater efficiency (longer battery life & less heat), but if you use the laptop plugged in that won't be so important.

I am most unsure about the display. It should be an IPS display. But glare or non-glare (matte)??
How does a IPS matte display compare with a simpler TN glare display. Colors and contrast worse or better?

Best to try an visit a store with examples of each. In general, IPS displays have much better viewing angles and are likely to be better color calibrated, especially compared to a cheap TN display. I think you can find examples of matte v shiny in both IPS and TN technologies.

[ianrr]

"Best to try and visit a store with examples of each"  is the best way.  The screen on this unit is quite good and using a colormunki gave very good results. I spent over 3 hours doing photo work on it and felt very comfortable using it, especially considering I work on a Dell 4K 31 inch monitor usually. 

If budget is a limiting factor go with 8gig . For me I find that using a number of programs at the same time and with a browser or two open I need more memory, DO check out a 17" monitor though  .. I have a number of 15" from over the years and find that I cannot do any serious photo work on them ...

Ian