1.333MHz vs 1.600MHz clocked RAM

[Harrison]

OK, this might actually solve your other ram question.

The i7-2670QM has a 6MB cache and is 2.2GHz. Quad core with hyperthreading (8 threads) and Turbo Boost (3.1GHz max), supporting a maximum DDR3 RAM speed of 1333, so it would be pointless to buy ram any faster if you go for this CPU.

The i7-2760QM has a 6MB cache and is 2.4GHz, which isn't a huge amount more. Quad core and hyperthreading, and Turbo Boost (3.5GHz) which might see a fair speed increase over the other slower CPU. Where is differs the most is its ram support as the 2760QM supports up to 1600 ram with a higher memory bandwidth and twice the total ram (32GB).

So the 2760QM will definitely be the faster chip thanks to the higher turbo boost maximum, and support for higher frequency ram, plus providing more ram bandwidth.

The Thermal properties of both are identical at 45W so that won't make any difference to power consumption or heat produced. Something worth noting is that the RRP for both chips is the same on the Intel website so they shouldn't be costing so much different between them.

[Demon Cleaner]

Ok thanks for your reply, so it's worth going for the 2760QM.

[Harrison]

Yep, you would definitely see better performance from the 2760QM combined with some 1600 ram. That would be a very nice gaming laptop indeed.

[Demon Cleaner]

This week, several components got again more expensive.

They had a promotion last week, giving a 150€ discount. That stopped the 9th

Then also the price of the GPU increased from 170€ to 199€, and the RAM increased from 192€ to 219€.

So in the end I would now have to pay 2.275€, and last week (Saturday) if I would have bought it straight away, it would have been 2.015€, but my girlfriend was the one who was trying all the time to change my mind, and stop me from buying it, with the argument that I already have a laptop (chicks, tss!). I was in doubt then a bit, and wanted to wait a bit. Now I will definitely have to wait again, as I contacted Dell, and they told me that the prices increase/decrease on a regular basis, and that if there's some kind of promotion, it always comes out on Wednesdays.

Anyway, I have still to pay for my gf's driver's license, next exam is the 20th, hopefully she will pass this time, otherwise you can always add 500€ until the next exam.

And after that, I will also have to buy her a car, so the laptop will perhaps not be my first acquisition. Will see.

[Harrison]

I would wait a few months. The i7 Sandy Bridge mobile processors have only been out since November, so are still very close to their original Intel RRP. I think by Easter they will have fallen in price by some margin, and also 1600MHz ram might also start to fall soon too. So you might end up saving quite a bit compared to buying it now.

[Demon Cleaner]

1.600MHz RAM dropped now from 219€ to 140€, same price as the 1.333MHz RAM. The disadvantage with Alienware is always that you don't know when the prices will raise again.

Or was there recently some RAM price dropping?