Anyone had any experience with xoticpc.com?

[djkeenan]

another case

http://www.xoticpc.com/msi-16f2-barebone-laptop-p-3080.html not sure if its better or worse

The HD is 320gb with 7200rpm not sure of cache

The OS im gonna try and get from my uni with student discount

The i7 i havnt looked for yet but a quick browse and i guessed £100 for a 2ghz one. Which i think is all you need with any game today.

 

[WR2]

The HD is 320gb with 7200rpm not sure of cache

Size, not capacity. 2.5" or 3.5"?

 

[djkeenan]

2.5" ofcourse lol 😀

But good work checking that

Ive taken a few acer aspires apart and replaced the mobos (bit of a nightmare) and one i couldnt repair so ive still got the bits including the 320gb HD

also another great site i found

http://www.rkcomputer.net/rkcnotebooks/

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Why buy from a US distributor when there are (at least were) many Clevo resellers in your neck of the woods ....scroll down the distributor list here

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/91510-clevo-guide-v2-0-faq-reseller-info.html

 

[djkeenan]

Wow thats an awesome list. Im gonna get sumin to eat then im gonna read through that.

thank you

 

[djkeenan]

Why buy from a US distributor when there are (at least were) many Clevo resellers in your neck of the woods ....scroll down the distributor list here

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/91510-clevo-guide-v2-0-faq-reseller-info.html

Ok all the uk companys are either of business or dont seem to sell sager anymore (except rock)

 

[WR2]

How do Rock prices compare to PC Specialist?

 

[djkeenan]

£1300 for a laptop thats nowhere near the spec i want 🙁

 

[djkeenan]

Just found this little beauty for $1150 shipped to uk.

http://rjtech.com/shop/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=30028

Its a barebones but you can choose the graphics card it ships with. How awesomes that!

thing is im not sure where or how im suppose to pay the VAT...

 

[djkeenan]

If i add a 2.2ghz i7 to this for £150

Plus an OS for £60

Then i add ram for £5 (4gb)

Thats £215 plus the £717 for the case i have far more powerful laptop than the one i was looking at earlier for only £32 more. £932 for the lot

The beauty is (im hopeing) i wont have to pay tax on the laptop case as its just a shell and not a fully assembled laptop!

 

[djkeenan]

Right guys ive been reading up on VAT and apparently anything over the value of £18 is taxed %20 of its value unless its food. So i think im gonna have to bight the bullet and buy a vortex 2 http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/vortexII-17/

Anyone know anything about the vortex brand?

 

[AntiZig]

that vortex looks like W150/170 clevo case

 

[djkeenan]

Ok guys this is great. Were making progress because im pretty sure the Vortex II 17 is a clevo np170hm which is just what i wanted 😀. SO i think i might buy this laptop. Can i just ask a couple questions about the upgrade options?

1. Is it worth spending an extra £89 upgrading the i7 cpu from 2.2ghz to 2.4ghz. Will a 2.2ghz hold back my graphics card potential? Keep in mind i do like to play RTS like company of heroes.

2. Should i opt to not have a DVD drive and install my own from home that i got from an old acer aspire laptop? I would save a little cash if i could use my own. Do you know if laptop dvd drives are a universal size?

3. Is it worth upgrading the standard thermal paste to arctic silver for £9? Does thermal paste really make any difference with regards to laptops?

4. Whats the point of buying a year long "no dead pixel gurantee" if the laptop come with a warrany? Also are laptops with HD prone to dead pixels?

5. is a 17" screen worth the extra £70? I mean im sure a 17" laptop cools better than the 15" version because of its size but a 15" is a little bit cheaper...

Sorry the intro and questions seem rushed out. I wrote a long intro thanking you guys for your help but firefox crashed and i lost the stuff i typed, my current laptop is rubbish (its chrager is held together with an alastic band )

 

[AntiZig]

sorry to burst your bubble but that thing doesn't look like p170, it's more likely a W170 (see here)

1. probably not it'd be more reasonable if you listed which model you upgrading from and to
2. don't know, I think they are all the same but not sure 100% maybe wr2 knows
4. dead pixel covers your screen developing problems, basically if you get dead pixels they will replace the screen for you for free. general warranty doesn't cover that
5. it's a matter of preference, there's really only screen real estate of difference

 

[WR2]

1. Not worth it IMO.
2. Compare to the cost of a new ODD you can install your self.
3. Yes.
4. Cost? What is the 'standard' no charge dead pixel standard? A few dead or bright dot pixels will not trigger a replacement under a standard warranty.
5. Are you still talking 1920x1080 for both? Your choice then.

 

[djkeenan]

Nope Vortex II 17 is a P170HM. See the finger print scanner. Anyway, to summarise the answers as ive interpreted them:

1. processor speed makes little difference if the technology is as far a ahead as the i7 core (for current gen games)
2. Laptop DVD drives all come in a standard set size so i should use the spare dvd drive i have at home
3. arctic silver is good but just realised i have diamond so if the card is running hot ill replace the standard thermal paste with the diamond paste.
4. still not sure of the likelihood of getting dead pixels and a years warrants is £30 so thats a good deal?
5. im gonna go 17" for the full experience

 

[RRWms]

I received an Alienware 17 from Xotic PC (their order #104449) that did not work. The screen was completely black. After an extensive run-around I was referred to Alienware for repairs (because they would send a technician to my home and it would be much faster for me). When I returned the computer to Alienware (Dell) via an RMA, I was then told it contained 3rd party components that voided the warranty. They refused to repair the system.

I now have 22 pages of documentation of the farce that resulted from my order of a system from Xotic PC. I've now cancelled the order.
* If you feel you must work with this company, don't take the bait and use the 3% discount for cash payment. My credit card company's dispute resolution process was the only leverage I had. That and sharing the truth about Xotic PC through this type of forum.
* If you must buy from Xotic PC, please be aware that their warranty isn't really THEIR warranty. The COO of Xotic PC told me (via e-mail, so I have documentation) that they don't sell warranties, those are just the warranties of the original manufacturer. That means that if the manufacturer even agrees to work on the "3rd party" system, the only components they will replace/repair are the original manufacturer's parts. That is, Xotic PC doesn't warrant the very components you are going to them to get -- all the "upgrades".

Be very careful if you order from Xotic PC. And document EVERYTHING. Hopefully you'll get lucky. But be forewarned: They will tell you whatever they feel they need to in order to get you to agree to what they want. I was told my system had a compatibility issue that sometimes surfaced “later”; then the Service Manager told me he knew of no such compatibility issue. Then I was told that the first service person was telling me there was a compatibility issue in order to “steer me” toward the stock (Dell) screen. The “upgraded” screen was the primary reason for ordering from Xotic PC.

You get the picture – be a strong skeptic when dealing with this organization.