Need help deciding between two gaming laptops

[mrjoe]

*Accidentally posted to graphics&displays so sorry about double posting*

Lenovo IdeaPad Z585 (59363062): Notebook AMD A-Series A8-4500M(1.90GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory DDR3 1600 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD±R/RW AMD Radeon HD 7670M

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

vs...

Lenovo IdeaPad Z585 (59345759) Notebook AMD A-Series A10-4600M(2.
30GHz) 15.6" 6GB Memory 1TB HDD DVD±R/RW AMD Radeon HD 7660G

http/www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1683...


These laptops are both currently $550. I want to be able to play some of the newer games like BF3, AC3 and Just Cause 2 on MEDIUM (with some low) settings ~35fps.

According to notebookcheck.com: the 7670m is a slightly better graphics card (better fps on most games) but the A10 processor is quite a bit better than the A8.

I suppose my main questions here are:
1) Will bottlenecking occur as I've read about in these forums with the A8-4500m and a 7670m?
2) Will the gaming performance on the second laptop (A-10/7660g shared) be that much a stepdown compared to the first laptop (A-8/7670m 2gb dedicated)?


I ask these questions because I was almost deadset on the first laptop until I stumbled upon the second one. I'm having a difficult time trying to justify the first laptop because of the graphics card over the second laptop due to slightly weaker GPU... BUT it has 2gb more ram, 500gb more hardrive space as well.

 

[aramisathei]

*Accidentally posted to graphics&displays so sorry about double posting*

Lenovo IdeaPad Z585 (59363062): Notebook AMD A-Series A8-4500M(1.90GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory DDR3 1600 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD±R/RW AMD Radeon HD 7670M

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

vs...

Lenovo IdeaPad Z585 (59345759) Notebook AMD A-Series A10-4600M(2.
30GHz) 15.6" 6GB Memory 1TB HDD DVD±R/RW AMD Radeon HD 7660G

http/www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1683...


These laptops are both currently $550. I want to be able to play some of the newer games like BF3, AC3 and Just Cause 2 on MEDIUM (with some low) settings ~35fps.

According to notebookcheck.com: the 7670m is a slightly better graphics card (better fps on most games) but the A10 processor is quite a bit better than the A8.

I suppose my main questions here are:
1) Will bottlenecking occur as I've read about in these forums with the A8-4500m and a 7670m?
2) Will the gaming performance on the second laptop (A-10/7660g shared) be that much a stepdown compared to the first laptop (A-8/7670m 2gb dedicated)?


I ask these questions because I was almost deadset on the first laptop until I stumbled upon the second one. I'm having a difficult time trying to justify the first laptop because of the graphics card over the second laptop due to slightly weaker GPU... BUT it has 2gb more ram, 500gb more hardrive space as well.

Go with the second laptop.
The difference between the two cards don't justify the lower specs for everything else.

 

[ballerslife]

http/configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=FNCWM07h&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&dgc=CJ&cid=47997&lid=4279734

Get the Dell 15r SE. It's $550 with the coupon 2Q?XNXR2DXQ13G

CPU I5-3210M
GPU Radeon HD 7730M
RAM 6GB DDR3
HDD 750GB 5400RPM
Screen 768p
Keyboard Backlit
Weight around 6.4 lbs (2.9 kg)

 

[whyso]

http/configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=FNCWM07h&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&dgc=CJ&cid=47997&lid=4279734

Get the Dell 15r SE. It's $550 with the coupon 2Q?XNXR2DXQ13G

CPU I5-3210M
GPU Radeon HD 7730M
RAM 6GB DDR3
HDD 750GB 5400RPM
Screen 768p
Keyboard Backlit
Weight around 6.4 lbs (2.9 kg)

+1

massively faster than the two apus

 

[mrjoe]

http/configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=FNCWM07h&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&dgc=CJ&cid=47997&lid=4279734

Get the Dell 15r SE. It's $550 with the coupon 2Q?XNXR2DXQ13G

CPU I5-3210M
GPU Radeon HD 7730M
RAM 6GB DDR3
HDD 750GB 5400RPM
Screen 768p
Keyboard Backlit
Weight around 6.4 lbs (2.9 kg)

Wow!!!! I really dislike Dell, but with that coupon it sounds incredibly enticing! Notebookcheck has the 7730m ranked more 60 spots higher than the 7670m.

 

[mrjoe]

My address wasn't going through but somehow it finally accepted it on the dell site. But wow I want to thank you a ton ballerslife. That's one hell of a deal.

I heard sometimes that 7640g/7660g + 7670m crossfire support on many games below dx11 is shaky and causes poor performance and the drivers are hell to update, but for the games that do they rival or even exceed a 7730m's performance (correct me if im wrong) like BF3, AC3, etc. Hopefully I won't have a problem with just ONE dedicated gpu.

 

[whyso]

My address wasn't going through but somehow it finally accepted it on the dell site. But wow I want to thank you a ton ballerslife. That's one hell of a deal.

I heard sometimes that 7640g/7660g + 7670m crossfire support on many games below dx11 is shaky and causes poor performance and the drivers are hell to update, but for the games that do they rival or even exceed a 7730m's performance (correct me if im wrong) like BF3, AC3, etc. Hopefully I won't have a problem with just ONE dedicated gpu.

I doubt the hybrid crossfire will ever really match the 7730m, they don't match a 640m which is similar. And they stutter like hell. 1 gpu>>>>> 2 much weaker gpus.

 

[mrjoe]

Just did a little more research on 7640g + 7670m vs 7730m... I hope I'm wrong but I hear that they both score a 6.6 on Windows Experience Index. Also from what I'm hearing is that future games will be able to utilize and support the 7640G+7670m crossfire graphics better.

Even worse:

http/www.game-debate.com/gaming-pc/index.php?r_id=111451&cpu=Fusion%20A8-4500M%20Quad%20Core&gpu=Radeon%20HD%207640G%20+%20HD%207670M%20Dual&ram=4GB#gamingPCReport

http/www.game-debate.com/gaming-pc/index.php?r_id=137826&cpu=Core%20i5-3210M%202.5GHz&gpu=Radeon%20HD%207730M&ram=4GB#gamingPCReport

Go and Select a game under "top 50 games" then click game analysis for both rigs.

Look at the average fps people are reporting. It looks like 7640g + 7670m crossfire/A-8-4500 is performing slightly better than 7730m/i5-3210. Especially for the newer games...

ex: far cry 3 ppl are averaging 40.1 fps on 7640g + 7670M crossfire/A-8 while only 36.6 fps on 7730M/i5-3210

 

[ballerslife]

Your welcome, and one strong GPU will always beat 2 weaker GPUs. Even if the hybrid did beat the 7730m, the i5 will kill the competition.

 

[mrjoe]

I hope so. One thing is for sure. I heard microstutters are a big problem not just with weaker graphic cards in crossfire like 7640g+7670m but even the top of the line ones.

Does anyone in here with the Dell 15R-SE (inspiron 7520) tell me how it is, I've been looking at reviews and apparently a lot of them are saying there are many problems with the switchable intel hd 4000 + 7730m dedicated graphics, saying games only recognize the intel hd 4000.