How does this notebook look for fsx ?

[Chairman]

I'm looking for a new notebook and this one keeps coming through my searches - link below but in a nutshell

- Sony Vaio E 15.5"
- i7-3632QM
- 4gb ram (needs more)
- 1TB hdd (but only 5400rpm)
- Radeon 7650M graphics with 2gb dedicated video memory (is that out of the 4gb ram?)
- windows 8 (it's all you can get now) 64bit

Any astute observations from people who know more about this than me ? Mainly wanted as a backup machine and for light general computing / playing movies but I don't want something that keeps me waiting every time I press a key, and it has to play games too, including fsx and/or fs9.

Product page on Sony NZ website

Thanks
Gary

[Timmo]

It will be adequate in terms of processor and graphics....but it would really benefit from more RAM (assuming 64 bit OS) and a faster harddrive (mainly for faster scenery load times)

[Mynameisnemo]

If you don't like Windows 8 on the laptop, you can always downgrade to Windows 7, as Timmo has said could do with 8GB of ram though and a slightly faster HDD, although I was running FSX on a 384MB integrated chip on 4GB of ram and it ran fairly well!

the dedicated RAM should be fully dedicated though, a lot of manufacturers are moving away from shared graphics!

[Chairman]

Thanks

Ram is easy enough but the price pretty much goes up by half as soon as you start looking for anything as flash as a fast hard drive :-/ Is that something I could easily change myself if I bought one a bit further down the road ?

Cheers
Gary

[jpreou]

For your comparison, I'm using an HP DV7-7008tx and it seems ok. It's a core i7 3610qm 2.3GHz, 8GB mem, 2GB [dedicated] Nvidia GT650M graphics and 2x 1TB hard disk (5400rpm too) with 30GB solid state 'accelerator', Win7 64-bit.
Can't honestly say I have too much problem with it and FSX / ORBX. It still can't drive two screens at a sensible frame rate though and I stick to just the big external screen when using FSX. Doesn't drive FSX at stupid frame rates but I have it set to 25fps and seems ok except when scenery gets heavy, especially some airports at night with the lights. Otherwise fine 95% of the time.

[Chairman]

Thanks Jeff

How does it cope with complex aircraft like the PMDG ones ? I don't run scenery except VLC and the most complex thing I'd be flying here is probably the J41 so my main issue would be the aircraft.

Cheers
Gary

[Ian Warren]

QUOTE (Chairman @ Apr 8 2013,2:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Jeff

How does it cope with complex aircraft like the PMDG ones ? I don't run scenery except VLC and the most complex thing I'd be flying here is probably the J41 so my main issue would be the aircraft.

Cheers
Gary

Gary , i have FSX on my i5 and it run the AerosoftA320 Extended on the laptop no problems

[Chairman]

Cool thanks Ian

[jpreou]

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Apr 8 2013,11:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Gary , i have FSX on my i5 and it run the AerosoftA320 Extended on the laptop no problems

Actually, I don't have much in the way of add-in aircraft, except the Aerosoft F-16 and one or two other minor ones. Mostly looking for whatever realism I can get for the Alpha 160 and local area scenery.
Only time it really slows is heavy clouds and lights at dusk / dawn. Otherwise it is fine. I have done absolutely no 'go fast' tweaks of any sort, either on the laptop or within FSX. In fact, all I do is disable the AV and leave everything else running.
On that basis I have no complaints. No doubt I could streamline this thing and I'm no stranger to that being in IT for a good number of years, but when I get home I can't be bothered to fiddle with computers and evert to 'dumb user' :-)
Cheers