Can you share your experiences/thoughts? I'm considering buying this ThinkPad P50 laptop with Xeon processor. I've kind of always wanted a ThinkPad and a Xeon processor. http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/p-series/p50/ http://www.ebay.com/itm/291702823395?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Completely unnecessary given that it's just a Skylake based processor of which the i7 variant also is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skylake_(microarchitecture) Do you really need "System Bus 9GT/s, max memory bandwidth of 34.1GB/s dual channel memory"? Seriously doubtful you'll see *any* performance difference based on the equivalent 2.8ghz i7 based CPU. The difference is they don't sell the matching i7 chip (6970HQ) in that ThinkPad line. Check the specs, the one they offer below the Xeon (6820HQ) is basically the same, albeit 2.7ghz. The only real difference is the 256GB SSD vs 512GB SSD on the "Xeon" spec'ed model and the GPU has 2GB more RAM (which you'll never remotely need). Also, SATA SSDs? Macbook Pros have been using PCIe SSDs for a couple of years now.
I've been using Xeons in desktop workstations for years. Many of them cost about the same as their ix-Core counterparts. I would neither avoid nor strive to have a Xeon... certainly not if it costs significantly more. In a trading environment, the CPU usually sits idle 99% of the time.
I recently bought a MSI ge72 6700hq 17.3 inch. Mostly because of the excellent cooling. Lots of power and more than you probably need. Should be about the same price as your Lenovo.
It depends on what you are using now.. you can get 32 gb RAM max if you upgrade that mobile. Ddr3 mobile is 16 GB MAX.
I have really no logical of scientific reasoning for wanting that ThinkPad P50 laptop with Xeon processor. I have just kind of always wanted a Thinkpad laptop...a ThinkPad is like the Original laptop, the Standard. Well, it atleast felt like it...when it was owned by IBM...until 2005, when Lenovo bought the brand name. As for the Xeon processor...there's this kind of mystique or prestige or eliteness with that class of processor. I don't Need to Upgrade, just want to -- I currently have a i7 CPU (first or second generation) HP laptop, 750GB standard hard drive, 4GB ram, 1GB video card. Win7 Pro 64-bit. 15.6" screen.
i7 is essentially xeon architecture for consumer market. There are some differences in memory controller, cache size durability and reliability. Check Lenovo. There were old press reports about them installing lots of software with some of it being more than the usual bloatware raising some concerns about security and privacy. I am not sure if this is still the issue now.
I bought a thinkpad about 1.5 year ago and was glad it did not have not many bloatwares. Xeon is more stable and more reliable and so is often used in servers.
Each line of processors are unique so there is no general rule regarding differences. Notwithstanding the aforementioned, many; I would venture to say most, current and prior Xeon and corresponding non-Xeon CPUs are physically identical in almost every way. Most differences advertised to the public are features that can be turned on or off either at the factory on the CPU or within the chipset/bios of the motherboard. If one were to generalize and apply a rule to all Xeon vs. non-Xeon CPUs, the most fitting would be that Xeon CPUs play nice with others. Most (not all) Xeon CPUs allow for multiple-socket configurations (more than one CPU per motherboard) while the retail counterpart traditionally does not. The only other broadly applied nuance would be ecc vs. non-ecc RAM. Generally, Xeon CPUs play nice with ECC RAM while their non-Xeon counterparts do not. In both cases (multiple socket configurations as well as ECC RAM), these settings are predominantly controlled at the BIOS (flashed software to the motherboard, nothing to do with hardware or the CPU) and motherboard chipset rather than within the physical CPU. At the same time, many Xeon CPUs have more robust physical build materials and/or testing/quality control requirements. That said, many non-Xeon CPUs are simply CPUs that came off the Xeon dies and didn't make the QC cut and are subsequently "tuned down" to conform to the requirements of a lower model/class CPU. An i7 CPU could have come from a Xeon production line and it simply did not make the clock frequency or hyper-threading QC tests. In an instance such as the aforementioned, the "Xeon" CPU would then be given an i7 serial number and settings at the factory. From that point forward the serial number (and enabled/disabled settings) would only be recognized or compatible with certain motherboards, chipsets, BIOS firmware, memory types, etc. It would essentially be a modified or "de-tuned" Xeon CPU that was re-branded as an i7.