Perfect cpu to go with gt 640m and gt 730m

[karbom]

Hi,

As i understand both GT 640M AND GT 730M are mid-range cards so they don't need a powerful CPUs to avoid CPU bottleneck. so my question is, is ulv processors like i3 3227u(ulv processor 1.9GHz) enough for them, will it give them noticeable FPS about 20-30% more in gaming specially CPU intensive games(MMOs, Stategy, BF3, Hitman Absolution etc.) while moving to main stream processors like i3 or i5 (consider only dual cores) considering the fact that both GPUs may reach their limits before stronger CPUs can be utilized 100%. I will appreciate your suggestions!

 

[NTMBK]

You're likely to be at risk of a CPU bottleneck with that. I'd at least try for a standard voltage i3- something in about the 2.5GHz range would be better. Don't forget to consider the rest of your laptop too- a higher-resolution screen will put more load on the GPU, so a 1080p screen would make you less likely to hit a CPU bottleneck (by making your performance slower in general, of course). An SSD would help with loading times and data streaming, too.

 

[Hubb1e]

If you're planning on gaming with this laptop then go with a full voltage CPU. The low wattage CPUs run out of thermal headroom quickly and start to throttle. And yes, a dual core CPU at 2ghz will bottleneck in many games.

Bottleneck is kinda hard to define though. A GPU is only bottlenecked if you're already at the lowest graphics settings. A 640m will likely not bottleneck on MMOs and strategy gamessince you will still be able to lower settings on it, but might on BF3 because the minimum for BF3 is quite high. But there aren't many things you can do to reduce CPU load so they tend to be a real fixed bottleneck to a game. If you're planning on doing any real gaming besides casually trying WOW while on a trip, then you'll want to get the best CPU you can drop in. My brother got the Sony S series with a quad core and it's performing pretty well in games like Civ5 and SimCity.

 

[karbom]

Thank you to you both. But NTMBK, what do you think about i5-3337U processor (turbo boost upto 2.5 Ghz both cores, upto 2.7 Ghz single core), is it enough. i have till tonight to cancel my order, should I? Help me!

 

[NTMBK]

Thank you NTMBK. but what do you think about i5-3337U processor (turbo boost upto 2.5 Ghz both cores, upto 2.7 Ghz single core), is it enough. i have till tonight to cancel my order, should I? Help me!

It depends on what the rest of the laptop is like, and what you want from a laptop.

That processor is a 17W one. This should let you have a much thinner laptop than you could otherwise have, as it runs cooler (smaller fans) and uses less power (smaller battery). A more powerful processor will let your games run faster, but it will also give you a heavier laptop that is tougher to carry around. Which would you prefer? If your laptop is something like this Acer Aspire M3, then I would probably be happy with it. But if the laptop is already a bit chunky and heavy, I'd look for something more powerful.

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

I really like the ultra low voltage processors but it is important to understand their limitations. The biggest thing is the performance that you will see when on battery is not going to be near the performance you see when it is plugged in due to the battery saving features.

 

[karbom]

Thanks Hubb1e. You guys are just great. Hope you won't mind if I nag you with some more questions.

 

[karbom]

It depends on what the rest of the laptop is like, and what you want from a laptop.

That processor is a 17W one. This should let you have a much thinner laptop than you could otherwise have, as it runs cooler (smaller fans) and uses less power (smaller battery). A more powerful processor will let your games run faster, but it will also give you a heavier laptop that is tougher to carry around. Which would you prefer? If your laptop is something like this Acer Aspire M3, then I would probably be happy with it. But if the laptop is already a bit chunky and heavy, I'd look for something more powerful.

i got this laptop. What do you think about it, honestly! Is it a good buy, not only in terms of price but portability vs performance.
Weight:2.09kg(4.61lbs);height:25.35mm (1.00") front,28.75mm (1.13") rear;Depth: 245mm (9.65)

Inspiron 14
Unit Price: Rs.36,290.00(664.11USD)

Processor
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i3-3227U processor (3M Cache, 1.9 GHz, with GT730M 2GB base)
Operating System
Windows 8 Single Language, English (64bit)
Memory
4GB 1 DIMM (4GB x1) DDR3 1600Mhz
Hard Drive
500GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
Video Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT730M 2GB DDR3

 

[Eureka]

I really like the ultra low voltage processors but it is important to understand their limitations. The biggest thing is the performance that you will see when on battery is not going to be near the performance you see when it is plugged in due to the battery saving features.

Is that a hardware design? I thought you could override it in Windows power management.

 

[Enigmoid]

i3 ULV is a no-go. No turbo really kills it. i5 ULV is significantly faster.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Is that a hardware design? I thought you could override it in Windows power management.

You can, but it'll murder your battery-life... :\

 

[karbom]

I would have really liked to have i5(ulv off-course) in my laptop but it does not make any sense to spend extra 220-250 USD for i5 plus touchscreen and aluminum body which i dont want.

 

[GamingFan]

i got this laptop. What do you think about it, honestly! Is it a good buy, not only in terms of price but portability vs performance. Weight:2.09kg(4.61lbs);height:25.35mm (1.00") front,28.75mm (1.13") rear;Depth: 245mm (9.65) Inspiron 14 Unit Price: Rs.36,290.00(664.11USD) Processor 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i3-3227U processor (3M Cache, 1.9 GHz, with GT730M 2GB base) Operating System Windows 8 Single Language, English (64bit) Memory 4GB 1 DIMM (4GB x1) DDR3 1600Mhz Hard Drive 500GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive Video Card NVIDIA® GeForce® GT730M 2GB DDR3

Hi Karbom,

I am also planning to buy the same laptop. Can you please check here - http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri & let me know if the i3-3227U processor is enough to run games like Crysis 3, Max Payne 3 & Hit Man Absolution.

This site will quickly analyze your system & will tell you if the CPU is supported to play the game.

You help would beappreciable!!

Thanks

 

[karbom]

Hi Karbom,

I am also planning to buy the same laptop. Can you please check here - http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri & let me know if the i3-3227U processor is enough to run games like Crysis 3, Max Payne 3 & Hit Man Absolution.

This site will quickly analyze your system & will tell you if the CPU is supported to play the game.

You help would beappreciable!!

Thanks

Don't worry it's a very nice gaming Laptop and a very good quality notebook. Played metro 2033 Maxed out on battery no problem(without any driver update), heating: only slightly while gaming , very minimal bloatwares so does not need re-installation of OS(From the instance of pressing of On button to getting to the desktop(via Metro) takes just about 5 secs). Definitely a buy IMO. Hope this Helps. And don't worry about processor unless you prefer on doing a lot of heavy multitasking. Most of the time you won't feel a difference.

 

[Sweepr]

You'll be fine with that i3. I was impressed by the i3-3217U (2C/4T 1.8GHz) in the ASUS X202E. It should be capable to handle the GT730M, we're talking GT640 (desktop GPU) level of performance here, so it doesnt require insanely fast CPUs.