17'/19' Turion X2 Laptops

[Roger_Rabbit]

When are we going to see any quality large screen Amd Turion X2 laptops? I've been waiting about a month now (the time that i was advised would take companies to come out with these laptops) and every day I've been searching the big companies for these laptops, but I've found nothing. The only quality laptop that I've found is killer's nanobot but its a 14'. So can anyone tell me when these things are going to come out?

 

[Roger_Rabbit]

I've tried to edit the 17 foot/ 19 foot thing but it wont fix, sorry if thats a bit misleading.

 

[killernotebooks]

You know the problem?
AMD!
What a fiasco of a "1st week in May launch of the Turion X2!"
Here we are Essentially "First week in July" and since AMD didn't share anything with channel distribution partners during the design and creation phase of the architecture, we all sit here with nothing... waiting for months while Intel just ROLLS over them.

By the time the thing out (and you can get it with decent machines to put it in) it is going to be just another non-event because Intel will launch the core-duo 2, which from all initial reviews will vaporize it, AND it slides right into machines already out, or can be easily modified by the ODM's. As will their next revision I'm sure.

What the heck have they been waiting for? Intel has had the core duo out for literally HALF A YEAR! Intel has been working with the ODM's to develop a unified platform for notebooks. Intel already has the second revision of the core duo ready to launch (for all intents and purposes) and is geared up for an all out Blitzkreig to take back the market. Intel, INtel, INTEL... I'M SICK OF THEM! But GOD BLESS them, their doing something! They're moving us forward while AMD promises. I don't know about you, but I don't need any more promises in my life. I need action not words.

AMD is supposed to be so superior well, frankly, I don't see it anymore. I sure as heck don't see it in their roadmap until maybe '07 with quad core, but I can't even believe that with roll outs like this one. Who's running things over there... Microsoft with exagerated claims and delay after delay and vaporware and promises and then you get some cut down version of what was promissed very much too late?

So your question about X2 laptops should read...
"Where the fruit are they AMD?!? Where the stuff you promised?!?"

 

[Roger_Rabbit]

Thanks your rant has actually changed my mind (reallly no sarcasm). If i did buy a high end laptop with a core duo, how much do you think it would cost to upgrade to core 2 duo? And compartitively what would you expect gaming to be like between the core duo and the turion x2?

 

[killernotebooks]

Well you have a couple different issues.

1. I buy a core duo right now, how much to upgrade it later.
The core duo right now is in no means a slouch. If you bought a 2.0 T-2500 it isn't like you are going to say, "Oh, this thing is slow, I am just getting by." On the contrary you are probably going to be like me and say, "Holy crap, this is insane for a notebook compared to a year ago!" I honestly don't think when the core-duo 2 comes out you are going to say, "I have to have this (at these prices).
What I am saying is wait until winter, spring, whatever (basically until the price is way down) buy a CPU to upgrade after Conroe, Mermaid yada, yada, yada is out and Intel and AMD beat the snot out of each other on pricing, get yourself a 2.9 Ghz core duo, add another 1.8 Ghz of power to your machine, almost the equivlent of an entire CORE of the biggest Turion X2 at this point. Look on Ebay right now for Pentium M's... they're free, I spend more on a tank of gas than a 2.0 Ghz Pentium M. Same thing is going to happen to the core duo 2. What will it cost to upgrad it? Depends on how soon you have to have it.

2. You asked about gaming between a core duo and a turion X2.
Supposedly AMD is going to be better, but I can't look at any benchmarks for systems that don't even exist. Then again, it isn't going to be better than a core duo 2, and AMD has already admitted that in saying they are going to put dual dualcore cpu's on a single motherboard in the desktop environment to "retain the performance crown", I already said this in another post, but you don't "retain the performance crown" by pitting 2 processors against one... that's idiotic! Do they think Intel is just going to sit there and say, "Oh Cheese! how will we ever come up with a way to counter that! It is going to take so much freaking intelligence to put a second processor on a motherboard like AMD did... I don't think we can do it."

My next question is: What is the Turion X2 going to cost? AMD is kind of famous for charging too much for their products. Look at a Turion MT-40 $220 compared to a Core Duo 1.86 at the same price. Look at the desktop market, same thing... overpriced. Even when the X2's come out they, I am assuming here, will be priced equivalently to the core duo 2.

I also wonder on the heat issue with the Turion X2. I can tell you a core duo has WAY less heat than a Turion single core, and I have 2 units with 6 cell batteries. The Turion lasts an hour and a half if you're lucky and hte Intel lasts 2 1/2.

Finally figure in that AMD tops out at 2.0 Ghz for the dual core. The current Intel core duo runs at 2.33 Ghz and the next generation is already up to 2.9 Ghz. So even if the core duo (or core duo 2) is (for the sake of argument) the exact same gaming power output clock for clock Intel already has 330 Mhz x 2 cores (for the core duo) and 900 mhx x 2 cores for the core duo 2) of firepower they can bring to any battle.

I think that the Intel machines are better quality myself, after seeing them both inside and out.

 

[killernotebooks]

Got an update for you.

The Assassin model I have, will have (pending Sli validation) Dual 7900 GTx 512 MB video cards and the upgrade will be called

the Sword That Takes Lives

{Pronounced: Sat-sue-jean no ken}
Just like we were talking about above... everybody is moving forward AMD, care to join us? I sure would like a Turion X2 in this beast.

 

[Roger_Rabbit]

thanks alot. You've changed my mind and I'm going core duo. Thanks again.

 

[Mech]

lol KN, I thought you've always been a Turion advocate? Or is the Core Duo really that much better?

 

[killernotebooks]

Part of it is my frustration with AMD.

I mean, let's just leave the AMD fans on the sidelines with big foam #1 fingers on as Intel runs up and down the field and our team isn't even here!

I like the performance of the core duo, I have been waiting several months now for the silver bullet Turion X2 from AMD, but since there are no chassis out I can't even give a decent benchmark for the thing. From what I have benchmarked myself the core duo 1.86 (T2400) is about the same to slightly faster than a Turion MT-40. A 2.0 Ghz T2500 is quite a bit faster, the 2.16 Ghz T2600 can't even see it in it's rear view mirror and the 2.33 Ghz T2700 just laughs at it and walks away.

Now add another core to the Turion and it's going to change... but when? Certainly not the 1st week in May like they said, definately not the 1'st week in June, no, we're here a month later and crossing our fingers for the first week in July.

The core duo 2 looks like it is going to smoke the Turion X2, but it is all speculation as a freaking core duo will smoke it right now because on my test bench are core duo T2500 machines with x1600 or 7900 GTX graphics vs. just the Turion X2 2.0 Ghz CPU because I have nothing to put it in!

What am I using? A Wakizachi with Core Duo T2600 2.16 Ghz, 2 Gigs DDR2, 100 Gig 7,200 rpm and I have a hard time believing that a Turion X2 (or BigFoot - if he does exist) is going to put this down. Even if it can, the screen is so stinking sweet on this, the chassis is sturdy as a rock (which both of those are issues with AMD based machines IMHO) and most importantly I HAVE IT! Not only that... I can upgrade it! AMD is on my "Do Not Call List" until they get their act together.

-----FOR SALE-----

 

[HardWareBoss]

Me thinks the delay from AMD is. The are revising their X2. To compete with Intel's new core2.

 

[killernotebooks]

I hope so, but you would think that they would announce that, or have it in their roadmap somewhere of, "This is our plan... this is why it is better..." SOMEthing.

 

[Mech]

I agree with ya, KN. I've been waiting forever to see notebooks with Turion X2's, and as of now, they have been "released" and "announced" but not many of them have hit the streets yet.
Kinda sad that one month after the announcement we're still not seeing anything from AMD....
Btw, do you think u can get integrated bluetooth into your Wakizachi anytime soon?

 

[HardWareBoss]

The same reason I went with Intel when I built my PC 3 years ago. AMD Hammer was suposed to be out. Sledgehammer. Mike Hammer. No hammer. So I wnet with Intel. Since AMD had nothing at that time that matched Intel.

 

[killernotebooks]

I can look into the integrated BlueTooth. I believe the SXGA+ that is coming out has it built in already (or can option out to it). The one problem with the Wakizachi is that the mini-pci card is not a standard size, it is this new INTEL designed mini size, which is great (but then why not put 2 in the systems) but there is very little out to put in them yet.

I was getting 108 Mbps wireless cards form Europe last year because htey were no where to be found in the USA. I will keep an eye out for them there. I'm sure Atheros will develop something rather quickly for this market.

 

[drcroubie]

Good, so it's not just me who can't find Turion X2 (or indeed any socket S1) laptops.

Currently, the only plus i can see for buying a socket S1 laptop is that i can upgrade the processor for as long as AMD makes CPUs that fit the socket (ditto desktops). Worrying about chipset compatibility gets really tedious when trying to buy a system today to fit a new processor tomorrow.

well, i could, if i could find that system today.

(at least i'm not in the market for a laptop now, maybe by the end of the year they might have something worthwhile, or at least something)

 

[killernotebooks]

By the end of the year everything we are talking about now will have come to pass, and we'll then be waiting for DDR3 memory, dual core GPU's and quad-core processors.

 

[HardWareBoss]

The good stuff.

 

[killernotebooks]

Exactly... the stuff we can't live without.
"How did we ever write WORD documents without 256 Mb of video memory?"

 

[Archaggelos]

Hey guys, im new to the forums, but anyways I am looking into getting a laptop (I need one for school in september and would like to have the laptop by September 10th at the latest preferably earlier). I am intersted in the turion x2 but since hardly any laptops are available with it, it is hard to tell if the x2s are any good. I am posting to ask KN if the nanobot notebook has good performance compared to a similarly configured core duo. Anyways, thanks for any help.

edit: I just found a 15.4" turion 64 x2 tl-50 notebook, too bad it has crappy graphics. Here is the link
http/shopper.cnet.com/Acer_Aspire_5102WLMi_Turion_64_TL_50_1_6_GHz_15_4_TFT/4014-3121_9-31958803.html?tag=pl

 

[killernotebooks]

At this point I would wait for the Core 2 Duo. I am getting one at the end of the week and testing it in the Executioner & hopefully Wakizachi.

The Executioner was just upgraded so it should work no problem, the Wakizachi, I am worried will need a BIOS upgrade, and since the CPU isn't even released for a couple more months the likelyhood of a BIOS existing for it is nil.