MSI GT627-218 vs. MSI GT725-074

Which one is the better laptop for me?

the pros for the 627-218 would be blue ray
the pros for 725-074 would be a larger screen.

they have different gfx cards, but i wouldn't necessarily call one better then the other.

other then that:
-I plan to duel boot with Ubuntu 64-bit (primarily using ubuntu)
-It is going to be used for programing as I will be a cs major in college
-must be reliable
-weight and portability are not an issue

If reliability is an issue, would I be better off with a Sager np8660?
If I wait 3 or 4 months, will the MSI GT725-075 drop $200-300?

all input is appreciated.

 

I'm using my 627 for programming and have no issues typing on it. for linux I thought I read that the ATI drivers weren't so good? On the other hand if I didn't care about portability so much I would go with the 725.

 

I think you are right >.<" I saw that somewhere also. I guess it is down to sager np8660 vs MST gt627-218 vs sager np5793 now

 

if your choosing between those, it should be between the sager np5793 vs sager np8660

 

Why do we rule out the MSI gt627-218?

 

Well, because if weight and portability are not an issue, look at the price difference between the GT27-218 and the NP5793. It's quite substantial.

 

Ya, and MSI is cheaper. At least at the reseller, I compared with.

UPDATE.
Well, actually kind of the same...

 

first of all, the GPU for the 9800 are in this order from weakest to most powerful: GS<GTS<GT<GTX, graphics memory does not matter unless in super high resolutions, and in those resolutions some games can not even be played. The ATI HD Mobility 4850 is on par with the 9800m GTX, so you get the idea.

 

By games not being able to be played do you mean Crysis and maybe GTA4 at max settings? Don't get me wrong I would have gotten the 725 if I was looking for something to use as my main PC but to say a 9800* < GTX means games will be unplayable is pretty asinine. The amount of games unplayable by a non GTX/4850 card aren't many and those that are, are ones that give most desktop cards problems.

As for NullPointer after all the research I did, and it was way more than I want to admit, if you want a 15.4 inch laptop for < 1400 go with the 627. If you want a 17 inch laptop for < 1400 go for the 725-074. If you want 1080p take the money you save from the -075 and put that towards a 32 inch 1080p TV. At least at 32 inches it will be closer to meaning more than at 17 inches. If price isn't an issue go with the Sager np8660.

P.S.

Sorry if I came off a little strong up there Terminus but my old desktop had a 7800GTX and it can still play most modern games, even though it's worse than a 9600GT which seems to be a 9800M GS(lowest of the 9800's), with no problems. Don't get me wrong I would love to have the most powerful GPU of the week but I don't feel there's really a need.

 

thanks, anyway here is my problem, I would go with the 725-07x but I have heard that ati drivers dont work well with linux, i am required to have linux for what i plan to major in so thsi would be a problem. I know that this was the case with older ati models, as to whether the newer models have better compatability, I do not know.

 

There is a lot of talk about bad ATI drivers in Linux. Don't get wrong they are worse than nVidia's, but its not like you can't run Linux. You just have to jump through more hoops to get 3d compositing working and to get games to run well in Linux. For most other tasks, programming, web browsing, etc you won't have any problems.
For me, I really like to play with 3d compositing and the like so I'll stick with nVidia, but for most folks it really doesn't matter.
To their credit, ATI has made a lot of progress with their drivers as of late.

 

I am currently thinking of getting a gt725, but I'm wondering if the 512mb ATI 4850 is really worth it, compared to the 1gb Nvidia 9800m GS.

I am considering the future-proof-ness and reliability of these laptops. Would having 1gb be an advantage in the long run?

But I worry that the downside to the Nvidia card is that they are 'reportedly' faulty and might give out in a year or two, making it NOT future proof or even reliable.

I would really like it to last at least 3-4 years without any parts breaking down. I know by then, the system might start to get severly outdated, but at the very least, would like it to still be running well.

Any opinions?

Thanks.

 

My only nod to ATI is that FPS is more consistent. Less lag spikes compared to NV solutions. Drivers are bad on both camps. Linux ATI is improving but NV has better Linux drivers. Go with what you want in a card. Both can suit the average joe. if you want HIGH FPS then NV usually can win. if you want better average FPS then ATI is slightly better. Its really not by much. either way both are good in that view. If you want it just for games. Remember most 3d games are designed with Nvidia in mind First since they have market share. Future proof is an illusion. You will never get anything now that isn't rendered obsolete in 6 months. In laptops its around a year. That will change soon since laptops are now selling more than desktops. More monies will go into giving consumer products an edge over the competition.
The 4850 will beat the 9800gs in most cases. in some cases it would be a hard thing to notice. 1 meg would be nice in the ati card vs the NV card. I know of 2 games that will use the extra 'unusable' memory as a very fast buffer for textures. I am sure other games will do the same in the future. as it is with 256bit 512mb is the best spot for actual usability.

 

Yeah, I was going to say plain old 2D apps like browsing, text editors, etc. should work just fine with just about ANY GPU.

The main problems that I have read about ATI drivers for X11 would be as above, compositing, 3d apps, and games. I've also heard that video playback can be a bit iffy. (Mostly read about problems that all seem to come down fglrx IIRC, which I think is the ATI driver component for opengl...)

Also as above it apparently takes a bit more effort to get everything up and running w/ATI products & X11.

The Windows drivers OTOH should be just fine, along with the usual GPU driver caveat that some driver releases just seem to be better than others.

I'm in the same boat as the OP right now, go with the safer, but lower performing GT627-218US or opt for a GT725-074US(my current leaning) and hope for some better X11 drivers soon either from ATI or X.org guys.

Size:
Well, according to the specs on the MSI US site, the 725 is about 1" wider, and .5" or so deeper than the 627, and marginally taller so it doesn't really sound like its all that much larger. It IS a bit heavier, by a pound or so IIRC, but again that's not really much of a difference.

GPU:
Looks like from the 627 and 725 threads that the 4850 is a better GPU,and likely by quite a bit as 9800M GTX card are what's being compred there, and NOT the 9800M GS int he 627.

Most games should run OK though, although you may have to use a lower resolution and maybe some lower settings, so I guess this all really comes down to is the slight size/weight difference a problem to you? (Not for me.)

The just how important are good X11 drivers? (Fairly important to me, but I'm almost willing to experiment with my first ATI GPU in a LONG time...)

Also, there is the Blu Ray question: Do you have BR movies/etc.? (I don't, so the BR is just an extra expense from my point of view. I rarely watch movies on nbs, or use it as a player as I usually a) either don't have a movie with me or b) have "real" players available...

 

Yeah, um I don't think I will get either, I will just go for sager because of better reliability. Thanks anyway guys