My old laptop — my mid-2010 Macbook with Snow Leopard — has served me very well over the past several years. It has been with me as I started back to school for computer science and made my way from undergrad newbie to someone my department trusts to teach new students. Even after 5.5 years, it still works quite efficiently, for the most part. It will let me:
- Write, compile, and test programs
- Edit and view my website
- Enjoy music and media
- Do some simple photo editing
- Even play some games
That said, I was really starting to want more from a laptop. For example, I find it really helpful when I can have a lot of programs open at once so that I can more easily shift between them as I do my work. Also, I was finding that the resources being more extensively consumed than they had been in the past. Moreover, I want to get into some other endeavors beyond what I’ve done before, and I want the computer power to do that. Finally, software is simply getting more complex and requires more power.
Originally, I was just going to look for another Mac — stick with what works, right? Unfortunately, I found that Apple’s customization options were simply too limited for me. I also looked at other companies, like Dell, to see what was offered. It did offer a larger range of options, but I still felt something was missing.
Eventually, I found out about these boutique PC builders who specialize in customized machines for gamers and professionals. I did lots of research to see which companies were considered the best — without spending a ridiculous amount of money, either….There were several options that seemed viable: Xotic PC, AVADirect, CyberPowerPC, Digital Storm, etc. I spent time at sites like ResellerRatings, reading people’s reviews and experiences. I also looked at the discussions on company customer forums, for companies whose sites offered that.
I soon ended up deciding on Origin PC, which seemed to offer a number of things I liked:
- A good reputation for customer service
- Extensive warranty and service options
- Lots of options for customization
- A shipping process that I could really feel good about — including a wooden crate for protection
Once I made my order, I was really impressed with how things moved along. There was a bit of a delay for the initial payment processing, but that might be just because I made the order on a Friday. Come Monday, things started to move along. My sales rep (Oliver) e-mailed me to tell me there would be a delay in shipping, but I was actually not upset about it because I appreciated his honesty in doing so. He gave me frequent updates, and he was very responsive…helping me to feel really good about the overall process.!
The laptop ended up shipping and arriving even sooner than I had originally expected! It arrived on Monday, 2/15/2016, and I was quite eager to unbox it and turn it on. Below, you may see the photos of the unboxing process:
Some people will make entire videos of the unboxing, but I figured that would be rather awkward, so I settled for photos. I did, however, make a video of me turning it on for the first time!
So far, I can say that I am very pleased with how the machine has been working! The first thing I did was install some security software — namely, Kaspersky Internet Security and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. In addition to that, I’ve installed a lot of other programs I expect to be using frequently: Python 3.4, MS Office, Photoshop, Sublime Text 3, and more.
I have been strategic about my setup. First, since I have two SSDs on here, I use the better one for OS and programs, while I use the other one for my personal files and such. (In addition, I have a 7200 1 TB HDD that I will use for files I don’t need to access regularly but want to keep close by.) I also have two user accounts: A more privileged account that I use for administrative tasks, plus a limited user account that I use for everyday things.
As an example of how well the system works…earlier today, Kaspersky performed a full scan of my system…in 10 minutes, 9 seconds! It reached an operating temperature of around 57 degrees Celsius, in so doing. Well within the safe range. So, yes, I am happy.
Admittedly, it’s still a challenge adjusting to a Windows environment and PC keyboard, but I’m getting there. Working on becoming more proficient with the Windows command line environment and writing batch files, too. It’s a learning process, but I like it.
Tech Specs:
Laptop Platform: EON17-X
Laptop Exterior: ORIGIN PC Black
Display Type: EON17-X 1920 x 1080 17.3″ Backlit Matte Display
Screen Calibration: ORIGIN PC LCD Screen Calibration
Keyboard and Touchpad: Customizable Backlit Keyboard w/ Three Lighting Zones and Multiple Color options and Multi-gesture Touchpad
Graphic Cards: Single 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M
Processors: Intel Core i7 6700K Quad-Core 4.0GHz (4.2GHz TurboBoost)
Thermal Compound: GELID GC-Extreme CPU Application
Thermal Compound: GELID GC-Extreme Graphics Card Application
Memory: 16GB ORIGIN PC Approved DDR4 2133MHz (2 X 8GB)
Operating System: MS Windows 10 Home
m.2 SSD Option: m.2 SSD OS Drive
m.2 SSD Drive: 256GB Samsung 950 Pro PCIe m.2
m.2 SSD Drive Two: None
Hard Drive: FREE 250GB Samsung 850 Evo Series
Hard Drive Two: 1TB ORIGIN PC Approved 7200RPM Hard Drive
Audio: Integrated High-Definition Audio powered by Sound Blaster Xfi MB5 w/ external 7.1 support
Onboard LAN: Killer™ E2400
Networking: Intel PRO Wireless AC 7265 + BT Wireless LAN Combo
SuperSpeed USB 3.0: SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Ports
SuperSpeed+ USB 3.1 Type-C: USB 3.1 Type-C
Media Card Reader: Media Card Reader
Finger Print Reader: Integrated Biometric Fingerprint Reader
Integrated Camera: Built-in 2.0 Megapixel Video Camera