Specifications to look for when Buying a new laptop

PFA

Hi guys!
I'm currently looking for a good laptop that renders images faster then my current laptop it's is a G771JW :

Processor

Intel® Core™ i7 4720HQ Processor,
 

• Chipset

  Intel® HM87 Express Chipset

• Memory

  DDR3L 1600 MHz SDRAM, 2 x SO-DIMM socket for expansion up to 16 GB SDRAM 

• Display

  17.3" Auto IPS FHD (1920x1080)/Wide View Angle

• Graphic

  Integrated Intel® HD Graphics 4600 
  NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960M with 2G/4G GDDR5 VRAM

• Storage

  2.5" 9.5mm SATA3
  - 1TB HDD 5400 RPM 
  - 1.5TB HDD 5400 RPM 
  - 2TB HDD 5400 RPM 
  - 500GB HDD 7200 RPM 
  - 750GB HDD 7200 RPM 
  - 1TB 7200 RPM 
  - 128GB SSD 
  - 256GB SSD 
  PCIE x 4 256G / 512G

It takes hours and sometimes nights to render an image properly, which really slows down my work.
I would be really thankful if someone could let me know good specifications to look for when buying a new laptop.

 

 

SimonJM

The CPU should be ok (not checked it to find number of cores/threads it supports).  The system RAM is probably the lowest you'd want at 16gB, but it looks not to be upgradeable, which may become an issue.  The graphics card, the 4GB version, is really the lowest you'd want (the 2GB is probably not even worth considering if you plan to use Iray) For physical storage, if it supports just one drive, go for the 2TB (if it will suppert two, consider the 256GB SSD as a boot drive and the 2TB for data, etc.)

It all depends on what you plan to do with ti, and for how long you intend to keep it, noy to mention how much money is burning a hole in your pocket!  If you plan to make decent use of Iray (semi-complex scenes, 2 or more clothed figures) you probably would be better off with an nVidia card with, at least, 8GB VRAM..  Remember that Windows 10 reserves a (reasonably sizable) portion of VRAM for it's own 'nefarious' use!

I know you are a PA so not sure, exactly, what would be best for that, but as you seem to be getting by with what you currently have and if this is a BIG step up then by all means.  However, for a little future-proofing I'd look for a computer able to support more than 16GB (32 GB maybe?), plus a gfx card with 8GB VRAM.  You could use an external (USB) HDD for data/content, etc., so you could get away with a smaller internal HDD, maybe just an SSD to hold OS, programs,and core data,  etc.

It's not mentioned but as a laptop I'd assume it has the correct/enough network capability for your needs (WiFi, ethernet, etc.)

kenshaw011267

Buying a laptop for rendering is a bad idea. It will always cost a lot more than a much less powerful desktop. If you absolutely have to have a laptop then all that really matters is getting the newest Nvidia GPU with the most VRAM you can afford (look for "gaming" laptops. Try to get 6Gb of VRAM at least. 

Generally speaking for buying a laptop you want an SSD boot drive and either a second drive with real storage capacity or an empty, and easily accessible, bay/M.2 slot so you can add one later. The same applies to RAM. You want easy access to the RAM slots and preferably empty slots so you can add extra RAM when you can afford it. You should look for a lappie that supports at least 802.11ac Wifi. 

Finally you should look at the I/O on the machine. The more the better generally. USB 3 is basically a must have for a laptop you plan to do 3D graphics on (you'll need an external drive for asset storage pretty quickly). If you have or expect to have acess to wired internet at any time soon try and get a machine with an ethernet connection.

Unless your budget is well over $2000 you'll have to compromise on some stuff so decide what is most important to you and let the other stuff slide (just don't get less VRAM on the GPU unless you absolutely have to).