Suggestions for new laptop/video chipset for hard-core encoding

[chojen]

Ok,

It's time to replace my laptop (this Dell Pentium M is crap) (hell, there is duct-tape on the side of this thing). I use a remote VNC connection to my dedicated media machine (overclocked Core-Duo 3.4Ghz) for my encodes and I HAVE to have something better.

I don't keep up with PC hardware anymore. So, when I go to Anandtech or Toms-Hardware you get benchmarks of "stuff". That does not tell me "and the winner is". Gaming is not a priority.

The process type will most likely be an Intel 760QM quad core. Well it was but it seems the OEMs have quickly switched over to the Sandy-Bridge. But why get a Sandy-Bridge i7 if you are going to have a dedicate GPU (now, an unlocked i5 is a totally different story).

And, if I use my favorite encoding apps (Handbrake, VirtualDub, etc..) will I even be able to take advantage of a high-horse power GPU for encoding and maybe I should spend the money on a better main process.

Trying not to break the bank (i.e. no over-price Dell XPS or Alienware). Target budget is in the $1,200-ish ball park.

Thanks..

[† L4ugh]

Afraid the only laptops I really use or look at anymore are netbooks but I almost always buy from Newegg. Have you tried checking that site out yet? I would just go to the laptops tab then use the power search function to look at the laptops of any manufacturer you prefer and set the max to your 1200 limit.

I really wouldn't feel comfortable telling you a specific brand or model because everyone has their own opinion and $1,200 is alot to spend on the opinion of someone you don't even know. Newegg does have customer reviews and ratings, and the bulk opinions of a large group of people would have to be better then the opinion of one or two.

I wouldn't recommend using a laptop for encoding because it would overheat alot easier then a desktop would. You are squeezing all the hardware close together then asking it to work full throttle for hours at a time.

I would recommend that once you pick a laptop you like to do a bit of research on how hard (if you even can) upgrading the system would be. Some systems are real easy and others are a total nightmare.

[RikuoAmero]

Hmmm...well a few weeks ago, when I was looking at a chipset perfect for a HTPC, I looked at the Intel Core i7 2600K. It's Sandy Bridge, and here's the link

http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=52214

It's a quad core, clocked at 3.4GHz, overclockable to 3.8. And it has the latest Intel HD integrated graphics. I know, I know, integrated...but I saw a demo of this thing in action, and they were able to play Crysis on medium settings. This is the processor working alone, no graphics card.

I suggest this because its simply a processor, you won't need to worry about getting a GPU. However, if you absolutely must have the fastest video encoding times, then I suggest anything from the Radeon HD 6000 series: I don't have a link for this, but I heard a while back that Radeon cards scored higher on video playback and video encoding/decoding than Geforce cards.

[1337ninja]

I suggest a Lenovo IdeaPad Y Series. I have a Y550 and it works great! Last year Lenovo introduced the Y460, Y560, etc. and this May the Y470, Y570, etc. will be out. The new ones coming out this May will include Optional USB 3.0 connectivity, Up to 2nd generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor, Up to NVIDIA® GT555m 1GB switchable graphics, SRS® Advanced Audio™ with single-touch optimization, and a 10 second boot time with SSD.

It can get pretty expensive if you want the best they offer, but you can adjust the setting to get the price you want.

Easter sale is going on now as well. http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/special-offers.workflow:ShowPromo?LandingPage=/All/US/Landing_pages/Promos/IdeaPad/weekly-sale/series3

[s0teric]

Go with what rikou suggested. Yes, I'd suggest a better processor, as encoding is both gpu and processor intensive. That's what I'd focus on and I believe the 2600k is one of the best mass produced processors out right now.