Laptop for animation editing but not rendering, under $1500

[elseven]

Hi all. I'm getting into animation on the prosumer level and already have a desktop system that I'm comfortable with (which I built based on advice gotten here). I'm looking for a laptop to do work on when not at home, or even when at home but not locked away in my little room. It should be capable of real-time content creation and editing, but the rendering part can be done on my desktop. I have a Quadro FX1800 card on my desktop and I'm assuming that would render faster than the notebooks I can afford? Am I correct that for animation I would do better with a quad core i7-740QM @ 1.73GHz which can boost up to 2.93GHz than a dual core i5-460M @ 2.53GHz? Should I have more than 4GB ram? Thinking of either an ASUS G53JW with a Nvidia 460M or MSI GX660R with an ATI HD5870, but would certainly consider other suggestions. Sorry for so many questions but I thought I'd take advantage of some expert advice. Thanks, Don

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: 2/15/2011

BUDGET RANGE: $1200-$1500 / After Rebates

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Animation content creation using Blender and Daz Studio, video/audio editing with Vegas Pro

WT: under 8 lbs

SCREEN SIZE: 15.6"

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

PARTS PREFERENCES: 4 USB

OVERCLOCKING: ONLY IF SELECTABLE WITH FRONT PANEL BUTTON

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1366 x 768 or 1920 x 1080

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Thanks for taking the time to reply to this post!

 

[WR2]

Hello elseven;

What do you have in the way of a CPU/RAM to go with that Quadro FX1800?

Besides the i7-740QM @ 2.93GHz turbo for a single core the i5-460M will run @ 2.8GHz on a single core.
i5 480M 2 @ 2.66Ghz and 1 @ 2.9GHz.

In your budget range there is no reason to settle for less than 1600x900 or even 1920x1080 resolution.
ASUS G53JW 15.6" 1920x1080 w/ Nvidia 460M $1200 is the ticket I think.

 

[WR2]

Asus G53JW reviews Really excellent review scores. Asus has a well deserved excellent reputation for its notebooks.

 

[WR2]

I suppose a 3D screen version is a bit over the top? Review Asus G53JW 3D Gaming Notebook

 

[elseven]

I suppose a 3D screen version is a bit over the top? Review Asus G53JW 3D Gaming Notebook

Thanks for the fast reply! For my desktop I have an i7-930 and 6GB ram. I agree with you, ASUS seems the better choice, just need to decide on which model. I've lusted after the G53JW 3D but it's more than I want to spend for just the novelty of the 3d since I don't want this solely for gaming - HOWEVER - since you brought it up - I also have a Benq 3D capable projector that I would probably want to experiment with. To add to the mix, Newegg also has the G73JW-A1 with 8GB ram, larger screen, same weight, 1TB disk space, and bluray drive for $1599 after rebate, which might be the better way to go, though just a bit over my budget. What do you think?

 

[WR2]

Larger screen but same resolution. Do you need more than 500GB HDD?
Im thinking ASUS G53JW-XN1 and upgrade the RAM yourself. G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 204-Pin SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 Dual Channel Kit Laptop RAM $43
Im also thinking it would be cheaper to buy your own Blu-Ray drive if you need one.

 

[elseven]

Larger screen but same resolution. Do you need more than 500GB HDD?
Im thinking ASUS G53JW-XN1 and upgrade the RAM yourself. G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 204-Pin SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 Dual Channel Kit Laptop RAM $43
Im also thinking it would be cheaper to buy your own Blu-Ray drive if you need one.

Thanks for the reality check. You're right, I don't need the blu-ray drive and I don't need the larger hard drive. The G53JW-XN1 was my original thought - that's the one I'm going with. Thanks for your help! Don

 

[WR2]

You're welcome.
Let us know how things turn out.

 

[elseven]

Best answer selected by elseven.

 

[Maziar]

This topic has been closed by Maziar