Alienware x17 - the best specs for Revit & Enscape

    Hi everyone!


    Ok then, here comes the new Alienware X17 laptop, I was wondering what specs are (most) important to optimal use with Revit & Enscape,

    when you don't want to pay the higest price if not needed?

    I'm working with large (linked) project files in Revit and also important is the use of my HTC Vive Pro VR. Mayby change it to an Pro 2 version.......


    CPU

    - Core i7-11800H, or
    - Core i9-11900HK


    GPU

    - GeForce RTX 3060 (115 W + 15 W Dynamic Boost)
    - GeForce RTX 3070 (125 W + 15 W Dynamic Boost)
    - GeForce RTX 3080 (150 W + 15 W Dynamic Boost)


    RAM

    - 32GB DDR4 3200MHz

    - 64GB DDR4 XMP 3466 MHz


    Display

    - 17.3-inch 1080p 165 Hz 3 ms 300-nits sRGB, or
    - 1080p 360 Hz 1 ms 300-nits sRGB, or
    - 1440p 120 Hz 4 ms 500-nits AdobeRGB

    (also for use as a photographer)


    Do I forget something?


    Thanks all

    Remco

    I have also some thoughts about the fan noise..... it disturbes me - a lot -.


    Can I say the rule is: the more powerfull the laptop > the less fan noise before it exceeds maximum capacity?


    The X17 has an innovative cooling system, with 4 (!) fan units..... does that give inevetably give more noise?

    If you're really considering the Vive Pro 2, then you'll definitely want the RTX 3080. The resolution of this HMD is extremely high, making a top of the range GPU mandatory. Buying laptops with high-end GPUs is often a little tricky, they're usually throttled due to thermals and power consumption, as others have mentioned. Strictly speaking you'd have to compare the clock speeds to their desktop counterparts in order to get an idea of their actual performance.

    Quote from jwal485

    Below is a comparison between the 2.

    https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/…vidia-RTX-3080/3918vs4080.

    That's comparing the desktop 3080. The laptop 3080 is more in the same ballpark as the desktop 1080Ti.

    https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/…080-Laptop/3918vsm1443565


    Although there are such a range of mobile 3080s you really can't make a blanket comparison. Basically you want the highest wattage GPU you can get and the Alienware is at the top end.

    Quote from RemcoNL

    Can I say the rule is: the more powerfull the laptop > the less fan noise before it exceeds maximum capacity?

    The X17 has an innovative cooling system, with 4 (!) fan units..... does that give inevetably give more noise?

    You could broadly say the larger the laptop, the more cooling capacity, and the less fan noise. ("Less" being relative - we've tried a number of gaming laptops for VR, and there is always fan noise. With the Alienware the point of the 4 fans is to hopefully make it quieter; 4 fans spinning at lower velocity should be quieter than 2 fans at maximum. But every generation of laptop advertises better cooling, and they are always still loud. I'm really skeptical of Alienware putting that max wattage GPU in an even thinner form factor than the previous gen. I would like to see the slightly larger M17 updated with 11th gen Intel + 3080, but they seem to have dropped the 3080 option for that one entirely, and no indication of updating the CPU.


    If the fan noise is really a concern I would ask how much you really need the portability. Pre-Covid I mainly used a laptop in the office, but moving to a home office I had to switch to a desktop. With much lower ambient noise at home the laptop fans were always an annoyance. In more "normal" GPU times it would be just as cost-effective to have a desktop at home and in the office (both with better performance) than one maxed-out laptop.