The M11x R3 i7 Processor

Hi,

I'm a high school graduate going to college very soon, and I need to buy a new laptop. Thing is I already own a G73, but I need something a little more portable for class. I want to go for the m11x R3, but I don't know what to expect with the processor. I understand that its ultralow voltage and all, but what exactly does that entail? Apart from games I need to be able to program and use MS office extensively...etc. My question is...will the R3 be able to handle all these mundane tasks? Is the processor really THAT weak? I understand that its a gaming laptop ....but still. I need to be able to be working on a word document while listening to some music and web browsing. What exactly are the limitations of this processor?

Please let me know. Thanks!

 

i had an atom 1.6 processor that allowed me to view power points and listen to music at the same time. the i7 will do just fine with those tasks

the m11x is a great machine, but if you are buying it just for the portability, there are better options for class. if you are the type of person that needs to be able to game on every machine you have, the its by far the best option.

 

If I was in your situation I'd take the G73 and leave it as a DTR and maybe invest in a little, inexpensive, netbook for taking notes and carrying around all day. Just a thought.

The R3's processor is going to be absolutely fine for the everyday mundane tasks you've asked, why would you think otherwise? It's been designed to handle videogames after all. If you're hell bent on an R3 and only going to be using it on word processing and web surfing (a complete waste imo) then the i3 version (if you can get it) would be absolutely fine.

 

The processor is overkill for office. Especially when one considers netbooks with a 1.6GHz atom processor (single core) run office you're asking if a 1.4GHz dual core that can boost to 2.7GHz can handle it. Answer is, very, very easily.

The weak processors more apply to other versions of the m11x, one of the r3's biggest claim to fame is that it has a beefier processor.

Likely the only place you'll notice the impact is if you do video editing. There are better machines for that (4+ cores and faster). Trying to encode an HD movie can take hours on a good machine it's almost all CPU, it will take longer on the m11x. The m11x r3 does have one trick up its sleeve, the nVidia 540m video card can assist encoding video (with CUDA). Even though it's not the best for it, I still use the m11x for video editing particularly at night if I'm travelling. I just have it encode the video and then go to sleep I think that's likely the biggest issue the m11x will struggle with compared to others.

Being someone who's already done it with college the m11x is perfect for it. It's a joy to use, quiet, and battery life is excellent when not gaming. I get over 4 hours without doing too much tweaking. I don't recommend a netbook, maybe they are different today but I started with one and found the 600 pixel tall display incredibly annoying (mine was 10.1"). It's amazing how many things require at least 768 pixels height (1024 x 768) or movies 720p (1280×720) once you have one. I had to keep scrolling up/down or zoom out, or deal with buttons and icons mashing into each other as they couldn't fit a 600 pixel high screen and had to try to minimize the task bars and toolbars just for more realestate. That was one of the better things of the m11x now everything fits, particularly web browsing.

As a tip pick yourself up an external monitor that can rotate 90 degrees (it can be wide, or rotate to be tall instead). You can rotate the display of an external monitor on the m11x and see a lot more of your document. I found it incredibly productive with Word and browsing... wished I didn't go through my first few years without it.

 

Sweet.

I just got overwhelmed by all these reviews telling people the processor is ultralow voltage and what not. Don't worry I plan to use it for a lot of on-the-go gaming....otherwise I would have gone for a thinkpad. I doubt i'm going to be editing videos, so this should be awesome . I'll use my G73 maybe with an external monitor in my room as a desktop, and the m11x whenever I travel.

When I listed those random tasks the r3 should be able to do together, I wasn't really asking if it can handle office...I was just wondering how bad it'll be compared to a normal pc (which usually has quite a few things open at a time).

Anyway, thanks for the input guys! Really appreciate it. Probably going to order mine tonight

 

I forgot to mention that i'm a computer science major. Shouldn't have any problems programming either right? Sorry if all these questions seem stupid. I'd rather ask them than pay the price later. Don't exactly know to what extent programming and coding utilizes the processor...or anything else.

 

You shouldn't, the screen is a little small for that though. The programs & applications you'll typically use the m11x will handle with ease.

My only concern is that you're picking Computer Science over CIS if you live in the USA. I am a comp sci major, and wish I hadn't picked it. I learned all about hooks, and interrupts, and programming chips, and binary, and about a dozen other languages, and math to Calc IV, linear, history of math... then went to look for a job. You know anyone building calculators or computer components in the USA or would prefer you took Calc IV vs. statistics? A business is happier you took statistics than Calc IV. There's a few companies and if you can get in you'll be making a whole lot of $ but they are very few and far between. How many companies need a computer department or support? I would say about every single one of them, and all want CIS not Comp Sci. My boss hates the fact I didn't learn business, accounting, statistics, and marketing and wants me to go to college to learn CIS. I look all the time for computer science jobs and they're not around anymore. There's no assembly language, binary, and eeprom programming work out there anymore. I would really think about being a CIS major instead because every company needs one... whereas comp sci you are really limiting yourself (again only if you live in the USA) with what companies are still around. Maybe silicone valley is better than here. I would really think about that...

 

Well noted. But I AM a CIS Major (just used to saying computer science). I'm doing it at Penn. Starting this week ! Penn doesn't have a CS program, only a CIS one.

 

dont know about computer prog majors, but if you need a cd drive might want to pick up a m14x. they dont cost much more and the graphics card is more powerful. obviously you sacrifice portability, and the weight goes up, but it has significant advantages over the m11x in performance.