QuadCore A8 or Corei3/i5 ??

[akash.harlalka]

Hi everyone, I am a Designer indulging loads of work in high end softwares. But since my hands are tight now, I have outlined a few models under rs40000 budget. Please Guide!
(OS not a problem for me, but MW3 is )

Model One: HP Pavilion G6-2005AX Rs 34000
Specs: APU QuadCore A8 4500M variant/ 1.9GHz/ 4mb L2cache/ 4gb DDR3 Ram expandable upto 8gb/ 500gb HDD 5400rpm/ ATI Radeon 7670M + AMD Radeon 7640G 1GB

Model Two: Asus K53SM-SX010D Rs 40000
Specs: Core i5 2450M/ 2.5GHz / 3mbL3 cache / 4gb DDR3 RAM expandable upto 8gb/ 750gb HDD 5400rpm / NVdia GeForce 630M 2gb DDR3

Model Three: Hp G6-2008tx Rs40000
Specs: Core i3-2350M /2.3 GHz /3 MB L3 Cache / 4 GB 1600 MHz DDR3/ 500GB 5400 rpm/ AMD Radeon HD 7670M 2 GB DDR3

Model Four: Lenovo IdeaPad Z Series Z570 (59-315954) rs38500
Specs: Core-i3 2350M / 2.3 ghz / 3mb L3 / 4gb DDR3 expandable upto 8gb / 500gb 5400rpm / 2gb Nvdia Geforce GT540M

Here is a separate comparison sheet I created for some ease of access.

 

[RON28]

^^^Asus is better but consider also HP trinity

 

[akbsol]

Hi everyone, I am a Designer indulging loads of work in high end softwares. But since my hands are tight now, I have outlined a few models under rs40000 budget. Please Guide!
(OS not a problem for me, but MW3 is )

Model One: HP Pavilion G6-2005AX Rs 34000
Specs: APU QuadCore A8 4500M variant/ 1.9GHz/ 4mb L2cache/ 4gb DDR3 Ram expandable upto 8gb/ 500gb HDD 5400rpm/ ATI Radeon 7670M + AMD Radeon 7640G 1GB

Model Two: Asus K53SM-SX010D Rs 40000
Specs: Core i5 2450M/ 2.5GHz / 3mbL3 cache / 4gb DDR3 RAM expandable upto 8gb/ 750gb HDD 5400rpm / NVdia GeForce 630M 2gb DDR3

Model Three: Hp G6-2008tx Rs40000
Specs: Core i3-2350M /2.3 GHz /3 MB L3 Cache / 4 GB 1600 MHz DDR3/ 500GB 5400 rpm/ AMD Radeon HD 7670M 2 GB DDR3

Model Four: Lenovo IdeaPad Z Series Z570 (59-315954) rs38500
Specs: Core-i3 2350M / 2.3 ghz / 3mb L3 / 4gb DDR3 expandable upto 8gb / 500gb 5400rpm / 2gb Nvdia Geforce GT540M

Here is a separate comparison sheet I created for some ease of access.

Hi Akash,

Another Akash here I recently bought a HP G6-2005AX after nearly 3 months of exhaustive searching and calculating pros n cons of every possible model in my budget which was also 40k max. Though I wanted to keep it around 30K only.

As you have already shortlisted the models, let me try to put my perspective here. Remove the option 3 & 4 from your list. They are not worth it.

I needed a decent modern CPU, discreet GFX, chiclet keyboard and USB 3.0 to remain future-ready. Let me tell you how I went on selecting the perfect one for me.

1. Consider that brand which makes the most reliable notebooks. ASUS wins in this case. A vote for your option two.

2. Either buy a AMD CPU + AMD GPU combo or a Intel + Nvidia. Intel + AMD GPU don't gel that well (if what I feel after reading a bit on web). You option 3 gets crossed.

3. If going for Lenovo, go for thinkpad series. Others aren't that price-worthy.

After all deliberations HP won me because:

1. I got a quad core latest gen CPU of AMD combined with a GPU whose performance ever surpasses Nvidia 540M/630M. In cross-firing mode it should be running even better for high end gaming.

2. CPU is never a bottleneck in modern day systems. Both Intel and AMD are making excellent CPUs. Benchmarks might say something else but I would equate the current trinity to somewhere near i5, may be even better due to more cores. And now that I am using it, I don't see a single lag no matter how many dozens of apps I am running at a time. CPU usage still stays within 8-12% only. Only while gaming or watching HD it rises above that..

3. Trinity runs super cool than the legacy AMD processors.

4. I am not that of a judge but its said that HP screens are bit better than the rest in the same price bracket.

5. Last but the most important thing. I could get it in just ~31K that is around 8-9K cheaper than the comparable ASUS. I didn't want to spend 40K on a ASUS. I expect ASUS to keep its prices 4-5K lower for same config than other companies. If I was getting K53SM for somewhere below 35K, I would have grabbed it just because of the reliability attached with the ASUS brand. No doubt ASUS makes good boxes but has a very small service network. I didn't want to spend more that 30K on the item of brand whose after sales service is doubtful. That is why my other choice was Asus K53TA which I was getting in market for 27K.

6. HP was/is running a special, offering 1yr extended warranty for 1K extra

-Regards,
Akash

 

[akash.harlalka]

@akbsol aka Akash,
that was very informative! Thanks for the review. I am boiling down to Hp g6-2005ax though Asus k53sm still has a place in my heart!

Hey but hows the battery life of the hp one? and does heating issue bother too much?

Waise I still have 2 weeks time before I travel Delhi and get to Nehru Place for more offers!! My city dealers is offering me the model at Rs 34000.

 

[akbsol]

I haven't done any extensive battery testing but on mid-low brightness under a power saving profile with wifi on and browsing and downloading it lasted for 4.5 hours.

Laptop stays cool on normal usage even if you keep it on all the time. Only while gaming does it blow hot air out of the vents. Thats when the GPU power of it comes into play. Even then the rest of the laptop body, keyboard, touchpad etc stays cool.

 

[akash.harlalka]

I haven't done any extensive battery testing but on mid-low brightness under a power saving profile with wifi on and browsing and downloading it lasted for 4.5 hours.

Laptop stays cool on normal usage even if you keep it on all the time. Only while gaming does it blow hot air out of the vents. Thats when the GPU power of it comes into play. Even then the rest of the laptop body, keyboard, touchpad etc stays cool.

So is there no option for switching graphics cards as well as between CPU and GPU while working?
and Nehru Place Dealer suggestion also required, which ones should I consider?!

 

[coderunknown]

So is there no option for switching graphics cards as well as between CPU and GPU while working?
and Nehru Place Dealer suggestion also required, which ones should I consider?!

there is way to switch to the discrete+fGPU (i.e. fusion GPU) or just fGPU turning the GPU off.

If you want to buy Asus, try SMCInternational. Visit their website also. They have Asus laptops at really low price. If you can wait, better wait for a revised edition of K53 with Ivy Bridge.

 

[dashing.sujay]

2. Either buy a AMD CPU + AMD GPU combo or a Intel + Nvidia. Intel + AMD GPU don't gel that well (if what I feel after reading a bit on web).

Where did you read that?

 

[akbsol]

there is way to switch to the discrete+fGPU (i.e. fusion GPU) or just fGPU turning the GPU off.

If you want to buy Asus, try SMCInternational. Visit their website also. They have Asus laptops at really low price. If you can wait, better wait for a revised edition of K53 with Ivy Bridge.

Do call them though before ordering from their site. They don't update the stock and prices that often. I visited them in NP also and the sales people weren't much friendly sort

Where did you read that?

Honestly don't remember. I have been reading (not writing) about hardware on web since ages and this thought could have creeped in at any point of time from some random statement somewhere and might not be true. Now its just a personal preference that if on tight budget, get a AMD+ATI otherwise go for Intel+Nvidia.

So you can ignore my statement above outright

there is way to switch to the discrete+fGPU (i.e. fusion GPU) or just fGPU turning the GPU off.

Its not straight forward like that. There are two GPU adapters listed in the system:

HD 7640G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics
HD 7670M

The AMD Vision Control center provides the options to switch a application/game's graphics between "High Performance Graphics" and "Power Saving Graphics".

Now which one is what? If the first one is power saving and you switch the application to latter which is the discreet GPU, then don't you loose the cross-fire advantage?

Or may be I am reading more that what it actually is ???

 

[kartikoli]

Hi Akash,

Another Akash here I recently bought a HP G6-2005AX after nearly 3 months of exhaustive searching and calculating pros n cons of every possible model in my budget which was also 40k max. Though I wanted to keep it around 30K only.

As you have already shortlisted the models, let me try to put my perspective here. Remove the option 3 & 4 from your list. They are not worth it.

I needed a decent modern CPU, discreet GFX, chiclet keyboard and USB 3.0 to remain future-ready. Let me tell you how I went on selecting the perfect one for me.

1. Consider that brand which makes the most reliable notebooks. ASUS wins in this case. A vote for your option two.

2. Either buy a AMD CPU + AMD GPU combo or a Intel + Nvidia. Intel + AMD GPU don't gel that well (if what I feel after reading a bit on web). You option 3 gets crossed.

3. If going for Lenovo, go for thinkpad series. Others aren't that price-worthy.

After all deliberations HP won me because:

1. I got a quad core latest gen CPU of AMD combined with a GPU whose performance ever surpasses Nvidia 540M/630M. In cross-firing mode it should be running even better for high end gaming.

2. CPU is never a bottleneck in modern day systems. Both Intel and AMD are making excellent CPUs. Benchmarks might say something else but I would equate the current trinity to somewhere near i5, may be even better due to more cores. And now that I am using it, I don't see a single lag no matter how many dozens of apps I am running at a time. CPU usage still stays within 8-12% only. Only while gaming or watching HD it rises above that..

3. Trinity runs super cool than the legacy AMD processors.

4. I am not that of a judge but its said that HP screens are bit better than the rest in the same price bracket.

5. Last but the most important thing. I could get it in just ~31K that is around 8-9K cheaper than the comparable ASUS. I didn't want to spend 40K on a ASUS. I expect ASUS to keep its prices 4-5K lower for same config than other companies. If I was getting K53SM for somewhere below 35K, I would have grabbed it just because of the reliability attached with the ASUS brand. No doubt ASUS makes good boxes but has a very small service network. I didn't want to spend more that 30K on the item of brand whose after sales service is doubtful. That is why my other choice was Asus K53TA which I was getting in market for 27K.

6. HP was/is running a special, offering 1yr extended warranty for 1K extra

-Regards,
Akash

thanks very much for the review i am also shortlisting this laptop for me and i can get it for 32k .. where did you get it for 31k

HP Pavilion G6-2005AX Laptop With HP Branded Backpack - Buy Laptops Online at Lowest Prices on Snapdeal.com

 

[akbsol]

thanks very much for the review i am also shortlisting this laptop for me and i can get it for 32k .. where did you get it for 31k

HP Pavilion G6-2005AX Laptop With HP Branded Backpack - Buy Laptops Online at Lowest Prices on Snapdeal.com

You are welcome. I bought it offline from a multi-brand IT retail store in Delhi. In market you should be able to get it for around 31.5, cheaper than Snapdeal.

 

[kartikoli]

time for some window shopping

any other alternate in sub 30k range

 

[coderunknown]

Its not straight forward like that. There are two GPU adapters listed in the system:

HD 7640G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics
HD 7670M

The AMD Vision Control center provides the options to switch a application/game's graphics between "High Performance Graphics" and "Power Saving Graphics".

Now which one is what? If the first one is power saving and you switch the application to latter which is the discreet GPU, then don't you loose the cross-fire advantage?

Or may be I am reading more that what it actually is ???

it was possible in X53TA

any other alternate in sub 30k range

honestly you loose a lot when you drop below the 30k level. Before this laptop was launched there are few alternates that made sense going for but this one brings in better performance, slightly more battery and is light. 32k is valid price considering most similar laptops lack OS as well a bag. With this you are also getting a midrange GPU.

 

[kartikoli]

thanks sam
i dont want to lose a good product for a margin of 2~3k

for me OS dont matter as i will be installing W7 ultimate eventually so if there is an alternate with NO OS and less HD then i dont mind

 

[Neuron]

Its not straight forward like that. There are two GPU adapters listed in the system:

HD 7640G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics
HD 7670M

The AMD Vision Control center provides the options to switch a application/game's graphics between "High Performance Graphics" and "Power Saving Graphics".

Now which one is what? If the first one is power saving and you switch the application to latter which is the discreet GPU, then don't you loose the cross-fire advantage?

Or may be I am reading more that what it actually is ???

Here is how my x53ta behaves. If you choose 'power saving' the dedicated gpu will not be used by that application.But, if you choose high performance,according to AMD system monitor, not all applications will use the dedicated gpu. Example is Cinebench r11.5 ,even if you choose 'high performance' it runs on the fusion GPU (which is the 6520G in my case). So is the case with Counter strike 1.6 and most of the normal applications.

 

[aakash.mukherjee]

Hi Akash's,
this is another aakash...im quite impressed by ur knoledge akash,
though not a single person hd this kinda similar feedback regarding these 2 lappies!
Its a co-incidence that im also narrowed down to these 2 lappes but after a lot of research i found out what i shud go wid...The Asus hs been a leader in motherboards & they have been making impeccable laptops also.
Flipkart has incresed k53sm's price tag a grand more so dat proves dat its a quite a bestseller!>> Asus K53SM-SX010D / 2nd Gen Ci5/4 GB/750 GB/2GB graphics DOS: Flipkart.com: Compare, Review Asus Notebook

In the other hand the Hp is giving an EQUIVALENT DEAL.I wud call dis equivalent becuz its comin wid a 7670m which is bettr dan 630m in terms of rankings>>> PassMark Software - Video Card Benchmark Charts - Video Card Model List
But the amd is givin only 1 gb vram verelse the asus (630m) has a 2gb vram...
dat is nt wat u shud worry becuz integrated + dedicated adds to 1.5gb in this hp>>> HP Pavilion G6-2005AX Laptop AMD A8 Quad Core/4GB/500GB/Win 7 HB/1GB Graphics: Flipkart.com: Compare, Review HP Notebook

I admit its vry difficult to choose frm these two! But i finally made a choice & dat is the Asus K53sm-sx01d becus 1stly asus s a very reliable brand, 2ndly its givin a 2gb 630m and lastly but not the least is the made quality/
Asus beats HP anyday in its impeccable design and superb finish including its keyboard!!

Hope this helps
Cheers,
Aakash

 

[akbsol]

Hi Akash's,
this is another aakash...im quite impressed by ur knoledge akash,
though not a single person hd this kinda similar feedback regarding these 2 lappies!
Its a co-incidence that im also narrowed down to these 2 lappes but after a lot of research i found out what i shud go wid...The Asus hs been a leader in motherboards & they have been making impeccable laptops also.
Flipkart has incresed k53sm's price tag a grand more so dat proves dat its a quite a bestseller!>> Asus K53SM-SX010D / 2nd Gen Ci5/4 GB/750 GB/2GB graphics DOS: Flipkart.com: Compare, Review Asus Notebook

In the other hand the Hp is giving an EQUIVALENT DEAL.I wud call dis equivalent becuz its comin wid a 7670m which is bettr dan 630m in terms of rankings>>> PassMark Software - Video Card Benchmark Charts - Video Card Model List
But the amd is givin only 1 gb vram verelse the asus (630m) has a 2gb vram...
dat is nt wat u shud worry becuz integrated + dedicated adds to 1.5gb in this hp>>> HP Pavilion G6-2005AX Laptop AMD A8 Quad Core/4GB/500GB/Win 7 HB/1GB Graphics: Flipkart.com: Compare, Review HP Notebook

I admit its vry difficult to choose frm these two! But i finally made a choice & dat is the Asus K53sm-sx01d becus 1stly asus s a very reliable brand, 2ndly its givin a 2gb 630m and lastly but not the least is the made quality/
Asus beats HP anyday in its impeccable design and superb finish including its keyboard!!

Hope this helps
Cheers,
Aakash

Thanks for your compliments. Congrats dude. You have chosen the perfect one. VRAM doesn't matter that much though. 1 GB is more than enough for playing all current games. If only ASUS was little cheaper even I would have bought it instead of HP. I just found HP G6 to be a value for money piece just like ASUS K53TA.

 

[kartikoli]

Hi Akash's,
this is another aakash...im quite impressed by ur knoledge akash,
though not a single person hd this kinda similar feedback regarding these 2 lappies!
Its a co-incidence that im also narrowed down to these 2 lappes but after a lot of research i found out what i shud go wid...The Asus hs been a leader in motherboards & they have been making impeccable laptops also.
Flipkart has incresed k53sm's price tag a grand more so dat proves dat its a quite a bestseller!>> Asus K53SM-SX010D / 2nd Gen Ci5/4 GB/750 GB/2GB graphics DOS: Flipkart.com: Compare, Review Asus Notebook

In the other hand the Hp is giving an EQUIVALENT DEAL.I wud call dis equivalent becuz its comin wid a 7670m which is bettr dan 630m in terms of rankings>>> PassMark Software - Video Card Benchmark Charts - Video Card Model List
But the amd is givin only 1 gb vram verelse the asus (630m) has a 2gb vram...
dat is nt wat u shud worry becuz integrated + dedicated adds to 1.5gb in this hp>>> HP Pavilion G6-2005AX Laptop AMD A8 Quad Core/4GB/500GB/Win 7 HB/1GB Graphics: Flipkart.com: Compare, Review HP Notebook

I admit its vry difficult to choose frm these two! But i finally made a choice & dat is the Asus K53sm-sx01d becus 1stly asus s a very reliable brand, 2ndly its givin a 2gb 630m and lastly but not the least is the made quality/
Asus beats HP anyday in its impeccable design and superb finish including its keyboard!!

Hope this helps
Cheers,
Aakash

difference on ~8k made my choice simple
HP is available for 32k on infibeam and amex card users can get more 500off through coupon

i am going to order through saholic BLUE color for 32800

even though i cant find the blue color screenshot any where

 

[akbsol]

difference on ~8k made my choice simple
HP is available for 32k on infibeam and amex card users can get more 500off through coupon

i am going to order through saholic BLUE color for 32800

even though i cant find the blue color screenshot any where

Didn't knew that its available in blue color also Didn't see any in showrooms either.

 

[coderunknown]

i am going to order through saholic BLUE color for 32800

even though i cant find the blue color screenshot any where

make sure you are getting the blue and not wasting 1k. Been a while since i saw a blue HP.