New Laptop Config. Inputs please!

Hi everyone. This is my first time purchasing a gaming/customizable laptop and I would like any and all input and advice. Pricing was the main reason I avoided doing this because of school but after having problems with brand name laptops like hp, Toshiba, acer, etc. I decided to go with this option. I have a nice desktop right now but am in need for a laptop for portability. I do light/casual gaming like League of Legends once per day, Stronghold, etc.but mostly videos and school work. In all honesty, I just want a laptop that will last me 5+years, that's reliable and that I can trust. Budget wise, I really would like to stay below $2,000 I chose the Krypton laptop because it was the lest costly with a built-in optical drive. Here are the specs & configs:

Chassis Model: Digital Storm Krypton 17.3 Inch Laptop (Model: S:8298)

Display: 17.3 Inch (16:9) (Resolution: 1920 x 1080) (Anti-glare) LED-Backlit Display
Processor: Intel Core i7 4710MQ (Up to 3.50Ghz) (Quad Core) (6MB Cache)
Thermal Compound: Premium CPU and GPU Thermal Compound (Reduces Thermal & Laptop Noise)
Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz
Storage Drive 1: 128GB Solid State - Samsung 850 PRO
Storage Drive 2: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: DVD/CD 8x Multi-Drive (Writes and Reads DVDs, CDs)
Wireless Card: 802.11 B/G/N Wireless LAN Module + Bluetooth
Graphics Card(s): NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M 6GB with NVIDIA Battery Boost + NVIDIA Optimus
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (64-Bit Edition)

Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows CD)
Virus Protection: FREE: McAfee AntiVirus Plus (1 Year Service Activation Card) (Not Pre-installed) ($35 Value)
Office Suite: - No Thanks
Cooling Pad: - No Thanks
Extra Charger: - No Thanks
Extra Battery: - No Thanks
Carry Bag: - No Thanks
Audio: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
Branded Gear: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty Plan: Life-time Expert Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Part Replacement)

Also what you recommend overclocking CPU once to get more performance?
Thank you.

"Paging Dr. Roykirk.... Dr. Roykirk... Krypton discussion here."


That'll get him moving. Roykirk is the Krypton/Skyrim man and he'll be able to talk to you about all things for your laptop.

For me, I'll just bid you "Welcome!" to the DS forums. Nice to have you.   

Originally posted by FrankW Hi Diehard44501, You can never have too many computers. Especially if they are from Digital Storm. I am not a laptop guy but we have many members who use the Krypton and will be along to help you out. I just wanted to welcome you to the forum. Frank

Of course not. Once I graduate you will be seeing me again but for a desktop

I was also looking at the Forbus. As stated above, I mainly chose the Krypton because it has an internal optical drive and i've heard a lot of positive things but price has me in a vice (did not mean to rhyme there) Why go with either or?

Originally posted by Pacesetter Windows is usually about 30GB but can use upwards of 70GB and many games today are in the 6GB range + upgrades and patches. There is a game coming out that figures in at 60GB. Programs you could use in school also factor in. Chemistry, physics, high math, composition, etc. I have ~85GB on my SDD and 240GB on my HDD. It can add up quickly. I would suggest using the 128Gb SDD for windows, antivirus and programs/applications directly associated with windows ([dot]net 3.5/4.0), networking, etc and putting everything else on the HDD. (games, school work, pictures, etc. You are much better off to have too much storage than not enough. If this is your primary computer and looking to the future, I'd get the second HDD.

Understood and agreed. Thank you for the response.

Originally posted by Snaike "Paging Dr. Roykirk.... Dr. Roykirk... Krypton discussion here." That'll get him moving. Roykirk is the Krypton/Skyrim man and he'll be able to talk to you about all things for your laptop. For me, I'll just bid you "Welcome!" to the DS forums. Nice to have you.

Sorry, I've been away for a few days.  Where were we?

Based on your need for keeping the cost low, your configuration looks good.  My only concern, just like Pacesetter's, is that your only drive is 128GB SSD.  That seems a little small if you plan to install more than a few large apps or games.  If you're not planning on playing more than a few games and not going to install the entirety of Adobe Creative Cloud, then you should be good.  You also have the option of installing another storage drive at a later date.  You're definitely going to need that if you have a lot of data you'll need access to in school.

So you could try out the 128GB, but I'm guessing you'll want more storage soon.  If you can.

Good CPU and GPU choices.  They should last you a good while.  The Krypton has good cooling, but you will want to regularly blow out the dust from the fans.

Tl;dr: Get that second hard drive if you can.  Otherwise you're good to go.

Rotkirk's build and comments make a lot of sense.

You can add the SDD as a boot drive later and migrate windows to it.

The disadvantage of a slower boot time is far outweighed by the advantages he discussed.

Thanks for chiming in, Roykirk.

You are the expert Roykirk! Thank you for dropping in. I looked at the new configuration and it is a bit much upgrading the GPU but I will consider it. I will probably stay away from the Blu-Ray player because of a lack of Blu-Ray dvds. What if I went with a 256GB SSD, would you still recommend having a second HDD? Also, what is your input on a Forbus? All the reviews I have read are about the Krypton and how amazing it is but I haven't seen anything about the Forbus. I am mainly staying away from it because it doesn't have an internal optical drive. Last question, do you believe everyone should go with a premium thermal compound instead of the stock? Thermal compound is important to the longevity of the computer (as I was told) but I do not know the difference between DS stock and thermal.

Originally posted by Pacesetter ...IMO heat is the biggest killer of laptops so I'd recommend the ZALMAN High Performance Notebook Cooler NC11. Overclocking = heat production for not much gain on lower end laptops so I wouldn't recommend this.

Pacesetter, I just saw this post; I'd skimmed over it before.

My Krypton hasn't needed any outside cooler so far, unlike my previous laptop from They Who Shall Not Be Named, so I wouldn't recommend getting a cooler off the bat.  However, if you live in a place where high indoor temps are frequent, then an aftermarket cooler may be necessary at times.

Agree totally about the overclocking.  With laptops it's best to leave it alone unless you build and install your own custom cooling systems for mobile CPUs and GPUs.