Gx620

Hey guys.

Anyone here got the GX620? Because I'm having trouble choosing between it and the GX630. The only difference is the HDD and the Processor.. Not sure which would be better for WoW gaming..

Anyone?

 

I've got a GX620, and am happy with it. Do you have a particular model in mind? It looks like Newegg only has the GX620-001us in stock, so I think you are right in that the only differences between that one and the GX630 are the hard drive and the CPU (they had another model of the 620 that had 1680x1050 resolution).
I'm pretty sure the HD in the 620 is 7200rpm, but I'm not sure about the one in the 630. The cpu should be a fair amount faster (I think I've heard that the intel chips are about 20% faster than an equally clocked AMD, plus this one has a 10% clock advantage... so roughly 30% faster?). It should also have slightly better battery life, if that matters to you (I hardly ever run on battery). I think either can handle WoW, but the 620 should be slightly better based on the CPU. Is that worth $100? That's a tough call...

 

Here are the links to the two I can afford and are comparing.

GX620

GX630

Not the best GX620 model, the best one is like.. $200-$300 more. Not worth the 0.14ghz more.

 

Would the processor make any difference to how games run?
WoW in particular? And if so, will the difference be majorly noticeable or just a minor improvement? Thanks.

 

For WoW, I think any difference the processor makes will be pretty minor. For some other games (I haven't played any of them, but it sounds like GTA IV, Crysis and some of the other new high-end games) the CPU can make a big difference, if you've got a high end GPU, but I'm guessing for the 9600m, either the Turion of the Core 2 Duo can keep up just fine.
I went with the GX620 -098 because a) I really wanted the 1680 x 1050 resolution, and at the time the rebate made it the same price as the -001 and b) I do some video encoding, and the 2.4 processor would make a bigger difference with that.
Without the rebate (or if it was $200 more than the -001), I'd probably still be looking.
If you are mostly going to be playing WoW, and other games to a lesser extent, I don't think you'll notice much of a difference between the two, and for web browsing and the like they should work equally well. Battery life will probably be better on the 620, but that only matters if you are on the road a lot. I think the AMD chips run a bit hotter, but I'm guessing you won't have the system on your lap while playing WoW, so that probably won't be a problem. So, I guess I'd say, if you're going to notice the $100 extra the 620 costs, get the GX630, it will work fine.
Oh, by the way, have you considered NewEgg? They have the 630 for $699 and the 620 for $799 (after a $50 rebate). Or, if you don't mind a 17" laptop, they have the GT735 with a 2.2 Turion and the ATI 3850 for $699 after rebate.

Edit: Saw this in one of the reviews on the GT735 at Newegg:
World of Warcraft: All settings at Ultra and maximum resolution (1680x1050): very playable, usually above 25 fps, which appear very smooth... All except in Dalaran, which comes in at a respectable 8 fps (my desktop's GeForce 9800 GTX+ XXX can only muster 13 fps on the same settings).

 

Lots of people have bought the GX630 for WoW, and here are some things they've said.

- This game murders most games. For an 800$ laptop and sub-par CPU, that is impressive. Runs Crysis on Medium settings (1280x800). Runs AoC on the same (1280x800). Runs WoW, any Source game, L4D, Warhammer Online, F.E.A.R, and the beta for Darkfall Online on Max settings.

- Has handled most games I've thrown at it on highest graphics settings with no lag or hiccups (WoW, Fallout 3, Prince of Persia, Far Cry 2), the turbo mode is great, makes a noticeable difference. Numpad is a nice addon.

- Same as stated in all other reviews. Great for my work and play. Runs WoW on max w/no hiccups.

I'm thinking of just saving money and getting that. I think it has all I need..