Some final questions before ordering (1645)

So I am about to order the SXPS 16 via phone, and I have a few final questions before taking the plunge. Below these questions i'll list out my general uses for this laptop.

(1) overheating/throttling: can you disable i7 cores (e.g. disable 2)?
Everybody has a different story about the overheating/throttling issue. Collectively, there are probably more stories told than Shakespeare's plays have been performed. but everybody who has throttling issues seems to keep all 4 cores enabled. what of the users who disabled 2 cores? is this possible through the BIOS, or not at all? i have searched high and low to find out if the user can manually disable the cores of an i7, but couldn't find any word of this. any advice?

(2) keeping the lid closed: does this affect the overall temperatures of the noteobook?
When I'm using my notebook, the lid is almost always closed. I use a USB keyboard and mouse with an external monitor. The only time I used the notebook's screen is when I am traveling or if I need that rare bit of extra screen real estate and go into the Extended Desktop mode (Win 7). Since there is less power draw due to the LCD panel being kept off and that the heat vent is not blocked, will there be a lower CPU/GPU temperature in general?

(3) cooling pads: is it a necessity, or a just-in-case accessory?
I currently have an HP nc6400 notebook (T7200) that, to this day, does not require a cooling pad even when under heavy loads. It maxes out at ~72C even on a hot sunny day. keep in mind that at home, the max room temperature is probably 18-20C during the summer (office is A/C'd all the time). Is a cooling pad absolutely required for an i7 equipped 1645?

(4) build quality: some say it's great, some say otherwise. verdict?
My personal notebook is the HP NC6400 (I own), and my work notebook is a Dell Latitude D620 (company notebook). In both cases, the body is made from a magnesium-alloy which means very durable, solid feeling plastic-like bodies. I have had my HP for 4 good years, and it has had its fair share of drops yet doesn't show any signs of wear. The Dell I have had for 1.5 years, and though never dropped, it is a solid machine just the same. This is the kind of build quality I am accustomed to. I have used a Dell Inspiron on several occasions (one of the older 14.1" from 2-3 years ago) and while the plastic itself feels cheap the overall build seemed relatively sturdy. To me, it "feels" cheap simply because I am not used to an all-plastic body on a notebook. Is this what to expect of the SXPS 16?

I will mainly be using the laptop for work (MS Visual Studio, MS Sql Server, Adobe CS4, Eclipse for Java/PHP) and for casual use like web browsing, e-mail, Youtube, etc. I now consider using it as a Bluray DVD player via the HDMI output to my TV. I will probably play the occasional game such as COD MW1/2 or Fallout 3, but that's about it.

Thanks!

 

1. I'm not entirely sure...but I'm fairly sure disabling two cores is quite doable either through the registry if not the BIOS. Why you would do that is a whole 'nother issue.

2. Keeping the lid closed=Cooler system, no doubt about it. The airflow is drastically improves meaning it keeps cooler.

3. Cooling pad is more of a necessity with certain BIOS iterations due to thermal throttling, but based on how you intend to use the machine it would be more of a just in case thing.

4. The build quality is quite nice actually it's a solid, fancy looking piece of equipment it feels plenty sturdy and turns heads when you use it in public. The build quality isn't an issue here. Although it does collect fingerprints and dust like a...

 

most of the time i don't need 4 cores. MSBuild does a great job of using any available "processors" (included HyperThreaded ones), so if there are 4 "processors (2 cores + HT) available, that should be plenty. and if disabling cores (so that they cannot be used at all) means an overall cooler system, then why not?

just what i was hoping for.

i have been looking around for cooling pads on the side. many are much cheaper than i thought. i always hear about Zalman this, Zalman that. but i just came across the CoolerMaster line of coolers, and see they are quite reputable for $20-30 (versus the $75+ Zalmans). maybe i'll pick one up anyways, it couldn't hurt right?

that's excellent to hear. i never really thought that Dell would use cheap plastics, but i just didn't know if it were anything like the older Inspiron series that I've handled. more than anything i just needed a littler reassurance that the build quality is as great as reviewers say it is. i understand that there are many lemons out there with corners peeling or plastic bending back. i took those into consideration, but also that for every 15 units sold there's always a lemon (and those poor souls have to deal with warranties and exchanges, etc.) im not too worried about fingerprints or scratches since (thankfully) i don't care much about that. it's like putting chrome bumpers on a '68 Barracuda Hemi: who cares about the chrome, it's what's under the hood that really matters. nothing that a shirt sleeve can't fix.

thanks!

 

Fenikkusu said everything that I would have, and more concisely than I ever would have (Read: I write too dang much sometimes ). I'll just comment on the coolers: I use the Zalman nc2000 and I can recommend it. It's effective (enough for me IMO), it's quite light for its size, it's QUIET, its one of the sturdiest products I've bought in a while (and I know it'll last, hopefully the fans back up my aspirations for them), and did I mention that it is QUIET! Either way I just thought I'd try to explain a little why people might talk so much about this expensive cooler. For me it's just worth the price (I got the silver color for $55). I really wanted the NZXT Cryo LX, which would have cost more than the Zalman, but I'm not sad I got this one. Good luck with your laptop purchase though.

 

Has anyone every tried removing the film that blocks the intakes on these laptops? I assume that would cool things down quite a bit. As for shutting down cores, why buy a quad core just to turn around and use it as a dual core? Why not just buy the i5 version?

 

I haven't but I certainly did think about it........ Give it a go and let us know how much/if it affects your temps.....

 

When mine comes in Ill be doing a few tests if I can get over the excitement of a new laptop and settle down. Basically I will be doing a 30min - 1 hour per test on 4 configurations:

stock with vents blocked
stock with vents blocked and using cooler
vents unblocked
vents unblocked with cooler

Ill probably do my usual gaming while doing light multitasking as that seems to produce the highest temps on any system I have had. I do not know what cooler I want to use (modded NZXT cryo or my mobile cooler) Im leaning towards the mobile cooler as it will be the cooler I use mostly for my 1645. Wish me luck on focusing on this as I tend to lose focus when getting a new laptop with all the ISO's backups and reformatting that goes on as well as the giddy nature I get in....oh and the ADHD kicks in HARD.

 

haha, def. let us know your findings.

 

LOL a 1645 with blocked vents. I think we'll be reading about a small explosion soon.

 

... And I'd like to watch : )

 

Ditto. Hey, can you make your tests a video?

 

That would be awesome....

 

thanks Fenikkusu and E.D.U. for the replies about the cooling pad. i should have mentioned that I live in Vancouver, Canada, the Land of the Premiums, where a Zalman NC2000 is $67 + tax (at NCIX) or $67+shipping+tax if ordered online (Newegg.ca). and it's HUGE. I am considering the CoolerMaster Notepal U2: It seems like the most portable option for <$50 (it's basically a wireframe!) I also like the concept of being able to move the fans around to concentrate on the hottest parts of the laptop's base. As I understand, the intake vent on the SXPS16 is on the bottom near the rear of the unit; focusing a fan there should help the system cool better. Just my thoughts though. But if you have more suggestions for cooling pads (the Zalman is still a consideration, but the size/lack of portability is the biggest problem), please let me know!

when i called in to get quotes (these are basically the stock quotes from the agent without any haggling),
1) i7-720 + 8GB + ati 5730 + BD-ROM is ~$1500,
2) i5-540 + 6GB + ati 4670 + DVD-RW is ~$1500,
3) i7-620 + 6GB + ati 4670 + BD-ROM is ~$1700

with those specs and prices, wouldn't you go for the quad package too? more memory, better GPU and Bluray for the same price is kind of bang-for-buck to me. i live in the "Why Not" country, but with a bit of a budget.

i know, it does seem tremendously stupid to disable half the cores just to try to keep things cooler internally, but i thought i'd ask and try it out if possible. i multi-task heavily. i usually have 3-4 visual studio solutions open, often with 20-30 projects in each solution, a 1-2 MS SQL Server 2008, Outlook + e-mails, a few Opera+Firefox+IE sessions with many tabs for testing, MSN, Photosohp/Dreamweaver/Flash, Eclipse, etc. but in these cases the memory is doing most of the work. rarely ever do i have anything hogging up both cores of my current laptop's processor for more than 10-15 minutes at a time.

as well Visual Studio 2008 isn't completely multi-processor/multi-core efficient, but i've heard lots of good things for VS2010. so in the event our company buys an enterprise license for VS2010, i can just pump up the CPU back to 4 cores again.

i guess i should have mentioned that disabling cores is more of a "if i can do it, i'd try it out to see if it's worth it" thing to do. if it turns out that it doesn't make much of a difference, thermally, or that it turns out that i can make better use out of cores 2 & 3, then i'll just enable them again.