Going from desktop to notebook

[Caple]

Hello everyone.
Lately I've been thinking about changing my desktop for a notebook. It won't be for mobile purposes, but mainly for space issues, less cables, etc.
Right now I have an Asus Maximus Formula, Intel C2Q Q9450, Noctua cooler, 4Gb DDR2 800MHz, HD3850 512Mb PCI-E, Skystar HD2 PCI and 2 HDDs (1x 400GB Seagate and 1x 1TB Samsung).
I'm not doing a lot of encoding right now so I'm thinkg about a C2D notebook and not a C2Q. Specially cause the prices here are huge and there is a huge difference on prices between C2D and C2Q.

Right now I'm between:
http://www.hardstore.com.br/?view=detalhes.produto&c_produto=4185&cat=4
and
http://www.hardstore.com.br/?view=detalhes.produto&c_produto=4233&cat=4

As you can see the C2Q is about 50% more expensive and it has a smaller HD (500GB against 640GB).
The rest is the same.

I can change my Skystar HD2 card for an external one, no problem. And I can keep my 1TB HDD on an external bay.

If you are curious, R$ 1,00 = US$ 1.82 (importing taxes are huge here).

I know I'm losing performance going from a C2Q for a C2D, specially when encoding. But do you guys think I will lose much overall?

[rallynavvie]

What are you doing a lot of if not encoding? That is going to make the biggest difference.

Since you aren't really going to use the battery much (if you're not taking it places think of the battery as a built-in UPS) the C2Q might be worth it but only if you really need it. Both of my good laptops are C2D and they work just fine for everything I don't use my desktop for.

[Caple]

I'm always watching TV on my computer. I also use it as a DVD player connected to my LCD 42' TV. The plus with the notebook will be HDMI out and blue ray feature.
Lately I'm not encoding a lot because I capture most of my stuff with the Skystar card. But my ADVC110 is always pluged to captured analog content, which I need to encode.
I can say I'm not demanding my desktop a lot, I know, but I'm that kind of people they call enthusiast. So I like to have a good hardware, that will be there when I need. Kind of hard to explain in words.
I just don't really know if it's worth the money I will spend.
Maybe the change from a desktop to a notebook all of a suden is not that drastic.

[rallynavvie]

If the capture card is converting your content to what you need it to then you wouldn't need the quad. However converting DV AVI it's handy to have the extra 2 cores chewing on it. I guess you'll have to decide how often you really need to convert analog to a smaller format. If you're just going to watch that analog content soon then just capture the DV to your largest drive and leave it until you're done. It should take more than an overnight to encode most of that with the dual core if you really need to.

I think you'll be fine with the C2D and spend the difference on your new external video capture device which would obviate the need for the C2Q. Then maybe your battery might last a few hours in case you do want to pack it up to take with you somewhere (really the whole point of a laptop IMO).

[Caple]

That's my main concern. Converting the dv files.
I'm still looking for other options.
Thanx for the replies.

[edDV]

Is a laptop really smaller if you consider the capture device, port externder, cooling pad and external hard drives? A small tower sits under the desk. Why have all the cables on the desk vs. under the desk?

[Caple]

Didn't consider a small tower.
But I can't change only the tower, would need to change almost all my hardware. I would not change my motherboard for a smaller motherboard and keep the main system. Would change it all, for an i7 for example.
Could be an option.
An i7 with a small case and a smaller board, like the Asus Gene.
Need to check prices here.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Is a laptop really smaller if you consider the capture device, port externder, cooling pad and external hard drives? A small tower sits under the desk. Why have all the cables on the desk vs. under the desk?

I agree, if you only use a PC at home then you should get a desktop.
Desktops can be upgraded easily(CPU and videocard) and run cooler.

[edDV]

Plus an LCD monitor can mount to the wall vs. take up desk space.

[Caple]

I could mount my monitor to the wall and get rid of this terrible computer desk.
I want a flat desk, not like the one I have, with a place for the monitor, a place for the tower and so on.

[rallynavvie]

Seems a better way to spend the money since your current desktop is faster than either of those laptops.

[ahhaa]

3 other considerations:
win7 is supposedly about to 'change everything'; are you going to be an early or late adopter? might want to hold for a couple months and see what deals and/or probs develop

Using an expensive computer as your main video player is not very cost-effective; especially on hot-running laptops and large hard drives.

Also, I hope you have that gear on a serious UPS!:]