Looking for New Laptop for Industrial Design

Hello.

I'm an industrial design student looking for a new laptop. I need to it last at least 4 more years, hoping more. I'll also use it for daily stuff, like internet, presentations, and online schooling. Oh, and I'll be connecting my Wacom Cintiq 13HD (1920x1080 HD display), so it'll need an HDMI port.

I'll be using software such as:
-Adobe Master Collection CS6 (photoshop, indesign, illustrator)
-MS Office
-Sketchbook Pro 6
-AutoCAD
-Rhino5 (recommended open GL graphics)
-SolidWorks
-Maya
-3Ds Max, Alias, Inventor

Other Requirements:
-Windows 7/8 Pro 64-bit
-at least 16GB ram (32GB or upgradable better)
-HDMI Port
-Graphics card for 3D modeling-- not just Intel card
-SD card slot
-USB ports (3 at least)
-500GB hard drive, bigger/faster the better, no real concerns

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I was looking specifically at the Dell Precision line, possibly the M3800 or M4800.
Which workstation would be better for my purposes?
I know the M3800 is lighter and has a touchscreen (but horrible battery life), how is compared to the M4800 with graphics and 3d modeling software? M3800 has the 2GB Nvidia Quadro K1100M while the M4800 has the optional 2GB Nvidia Quadro K2100M...I don't really have a huge knowledge with graphics cards, so do they have a huge difference in performance?
How's the touchscreen and the screen resolution on the M3800?

Thanks!! I really need to choose a laptop soon!

 

Honestly, I would recommend buying something lighter and cheaper (consumer grade) with a dedicated graphics card and an i7. It should be fine for your needs in the first year or two.

This should run your programs fine through your first two years; then you can pick up a heavy grade machine towards the end of your program (when you will actually need the extra horsepower), which will perform better than an equivalent two year old machine.

 

if you are looking at the 3800 and 4800, go with the m4800 with the k2100 for certain especially for your needs. the only other good 15" option is the HP Zbook 15 in my opinion.

if you are a heavier user of CS6 and your apps listed the pro GPU makes quite a WORLD OF difference. I have both the m3800 and 4800 but really use my m6700 and Elitebook 8770W more as I like the bigger screens. now for a sticky bit.. what is your budget and how accurate of color do you need, as you can have a wide gamut full aRGB @ 10Bpp color on the Zbooks with the Dreamcolor screen upgrade and I use it extensively for video editing as well as prepress and REC709 outputs. the m3800 had a decent sRGB range panel ( a bit better than an rMBP 15" for gamut and whitepoints )

on a side note the m3800 has a good battery life... IF you configure it with no 2.5" hard drive and only an mSATA SSD. most do not realize there are two battery options for it. but the 4800 has the extra power, RAM, GPU cooling and docking and slice battery options.

a bit off topic but how do you like the cintiq 13, I use the 24 all the time and have been thinking of grabbing the little guy for on the road work I grabbed the Intuos Pro and hated it.

sometimes a good idea, however if a consumer unit goes down you are out for a week or 8 while it gets repaired and in this type of situation it is a nightmare, I regularly suggest a good business model or workstation just so you have that NDB warranty and support if uptime is most important. it is not as vital in some programs but I know in engineering, Architecture and many of the sciences your laptop breaking for any reason tends to mean run to best buy to buy another while you send your other unit out for repair.

 

No budget, first laptop I'm purchasing so I'd rather buy one and make it last all of my college years.
So you don't recommend the m3800 for 3d modeling software? do you use the touchscreen on yours??
13HD, is pretty good. It has some sort of bug when I sketch on photoshop, I believe wacom and adobe is fixing that. I just hate how it requires so many cables..

 

I agree with you on the cables.

I never use the touch on the m3800... I HATE fingerprints while I am working.

but do recommend the M4800 and Zbook 15 in the 15" range for the fact they are a lot more powerful, a lot more upgradable, more durable and with the bigger quadro card significantly faster in rendering.

 

what do you think about the QHD+ display? is it necessary or is the FHD okay?
Also, an specific i7 configurations?

 

The FHD on the M3800 is quite decent, I can't really comment on the M4800 panel since I haven't seen it, but the QHD will cut a lot out of your battery life on the 4800, not on the 3800 though. If you want to know why, I can always elaborate.

 

FWIW, most schools have computer labs with all of this software. I never did much on my laptop in school, besides internet/email/writing papers, etc.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

true, however it seems more and more students don't want chained to the labs, I have two daughters in college and university now and they prefer having their workstations and doing simulations and renders outside of class and even campus at most of the times.

I had the whole..... " MOM I work better at home or down at the common areas than the labs where I have to deal with idiots and creepers "

 

I've seen the same mentality from the undergrads at my uni, they all want to run everything on their computers so they don't have to be on site unless they absolutely have to.