Is the HP Envy 17-j053ea 17" laptop a good laptop for game rendering

something11

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Jun 18, 2014
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I am planning on purchasing a new laptop for myself and i found this one, i want to do game creating in my spare time as i have found a keen interest in it, but want a laptop that is capable of running the software (Unity, Blender etc) and other everyday software such as Word, Python etc with ease.

I am very inexperienced with new laptops as have had the same one for 7 years and everything is new to me.

Please could you offer some advice as to whether this is a good buy or not. The spec for the laptop is below.

Operating System - Windows 8
Processor - Intel Core i7-4700MQ (2.4Ghz, 3.4Ghz, with Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
RAM - 12GB DDR3
Graphics Card - NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M (2 GB)
Storage - 1TB HDD 5400 rpm
Screen Size - 17"
Screen Type - LED
Screen Resolution - 1920x1080
Sound - Beats Audio

Cost - £899

I would be open to any suggestions and am looking for a long term laptop, not looking to change the laptop for a long time yet.

I do not really want to be spending any more on a laptop than this, this is sort of top of the budget for me.
 
Solution
Although I would be inclined to recommend better (higher budget), it appears to be a system that'll do the job you're asking of it. You may find some slowing during heavier tasks but I would blame that on the HDD performance. I might suggest looking to put an SSD internal later (as a upgrade) and using an external USB 3.0 HDD. I think that'd give you a little better response.
Overall, I'd say it's value for the expected performance is good.
Although I would be inclined to recommend better (higher budget), it appears to be a system that'll do the job you're asking of it. You may find some slowing during heavier tasks but I would blame that on the HDD performance. I might suggest looking to put an SSD internal later (as a upgrade) and using an external USB 3.0 HDD. I think that'd give you a little better response.
Overall, I'd say it's value for the expected performance is good.
 
Solution

something11

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Jun 18, 2014
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Thanks, i read another post that says that the HP Envy 17 has 2 slots for a HDD or SSD so may consider doing that.
"Overall, I'd say it's value for the expected performance is good". Are you saying that it is not really very good or that it will do what i need it to do.

Thanks
 
Given my druthers, I'd want to see a GTX780M in there but you'd be looking at another $1000+. What I was trying to say is that it is a good system for the money. I'd be surprised if you could find a better value. The CPU is great for what you want, the graphics is a little on the weak side (can't be helped at your budget), the 5400 RPM HDD is the only real crippler and even then, only when large files are read/written.
 

something11

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Jun 18, 2014
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4,510
Hi again, thankyou for your previous response. I have been looking at the HP laptop more and found another alternative and managed to gather some more money. The laptop in question is the AlienWare 17, £1548.99, I understand that these are gaming laptops and are intended for this purpose so was questioning whether it was suitable for other functions such as running Word and Python etc as before as well as being able to run softare such as Unity and Blender etc.

The spec is below.

Processor - 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4710MQ Processor (6MB Cache, up to 3.5GHz w/ Intel® Turbo Boost)

Operating System - Windows 8.1

Video Card - AMD Radeon™ R9 M290X with 4GB GDDR5

Memory - 16GB Dual Channel DDR3L at 1600MHz

Hard Drive - 500GB (8GB Hybrid, 5400 RPM, 64MB Cache) SATA 6Gb/s w/NCQ

Optical Drive - Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (9.5mm)

Display - 17.3" (439.42 mm) WLED FHD Anti-Glare Display (1920 x 1080)

Battery - 8-cell Lithium Ion (86 wHr) Battery

What does this mean - (2x) Audio Out 1/8" Ports (One compatible with inline mic headset)

Again, I do not want it to slow down quickly or have to buy another one for quite some time but am guessing that this one will be better than the HP laptop.

Thankyou for your time on this post
 
The Alienware (Dell's Gaming Division) lineup are nice systems but a little on the pricy side - that looks to be a significant budget increase. I might suggest looking at custom laptops or other "gaming" laptops - I'm thinking better deals can be found and in many cases some customization can be done. I'm personally liking this one, the PCSpecialist 17.3" SkyFire III You'll need to do some configuring to it; 1) Change CPU to Core i7-4710MQ, 2) Up ram to 16 GB (2x8GB), 3) Change HDD 1 to WD Scorpio Black (500GB?), add HDD 2 WD Scorpio Black, 4) Add MSata SSD drive (120GB Kingston SSDNow), by my reckoning it comes to ~£1220 including VAT. But do search custom laptops for other similar boutique builders, you may find something better. I should point out I am not familiar with PCSpecialists, so you'll want to check some local reviews before committing.
 

something11

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Jun 18, 2014
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4,510
OK, im not too keen on customisation because i would be afraid of doing the wrong thing, i think i may just stick with the AlienWare laptop, as long as it can do the things i need that i spoke about above which i'm not entirely sure it can, not because of performance but because it may not support it.

Do you know whether it would be able to or not, if it can then i think this will be the laptop i get but may look into customisation, thanks for suggesting it to me.
 
The Alienware would be a good system for your wants, better than the HP IMO. I'd think responsiveness would be vastly superior along with more future-proofed hardware. Your are paying for the label (along with their support - the Alienware 17 has a 4yr warranty option, it's pricey too) there but again, it should perform well. I wouldn't expect long battery run times while performing demanding tasks but I would expect it to perform solidly for a few years.
I can't think of a reason it wouldn't do all you are asking of it (and then some)
 

something11

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Jun 18, 2014
6
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4,510
Thankyou, you have been a lot of help, i feel i'm going to go for the AlienWare 17, I can afford it and i want it to last a long time and run the software I need and it looks like it can, thankyou for all your help on this post and spending time on it.