Which Dell Laptop Would you Recommend?

[Eagle]

Hmm well I would think your looking for something like...

AMD as discussed
512 MB Memory at least (1 GB reccomended if possible)
Onboard ATI/NVIDIA graphics

The rest is up to you....

Hard drive - Get what you need 60 - 100 GB should be good
Optical Drive - At least a CDRW/DVD Combo, maybe a DVD writer
Sound - Shouldn't be a big concern, most laptops have good sound (as good as it gets)
I/O - I would say at least 1 PCMCIA and 2 USB, other ports would depend on if you intend to use a docking station or parallel printer.
Display - Widescreen is nice if you want it
Communications - Definately built in wireless (on processor or not), Internal 56k modem and ethernet connections.
Software - what ever you think you need.
Battery - what ever you think you need.

If I've forgotten anything, someone will surely correct me.

 

[Curious]

Thanks Eagle,

I have contacted HP by email to see if they have any news as to when they will be releasing their Turion powered Laptops. When I hear anything I'll post their reply here.

At present I still don't see a better offer than the Dell 9300...however I have time to wait and will try everything before i buy a Dell.

Thanks,

C.

 

[Curious]

I have contacted HP by email to see if they have any news as to when they will be releasing their Turion powered Laptops. When I hear anything I'll post their reply here.
QUOTE]

HP's reply:

"In response to your e-mail, currently there is no official indication as to whether we will be using any Athlon 64 processors in the near future as we have only just released a new range of notebooks within the last month. However it is possible that in the next range, probably between 3 and 4 months from now we will use this processor."

 

[Curious]

Regarding 256MB Graphics cards and HP laptops:

"Unfortunately at this point we have no details on the plans for any of the specifications for the next range. Currently there isn't a 256MB card, but again it is possible this will be included next time."

 

[Eagle]

Regarding 256MB Graphics cards and HP laptops:

"Unfortunately at this point we have no details on the plans for any of the specifications for the next range. Currently there isn't a 256MB card, but again it is possible this will be included next time."

I'm not sure HP is a wise choice either. Their printers are good but it ends there. I'd prefer Dell to HP.

/me thinks back, remembers Compaq, and shudders.

HP bought Compaq and they didn't really improve on their already disasterous computer systems. I would say avoid HP & Compaq at all costs, they are quite possibly the worst thing out there. If your looking for different models, you might try Acer, Asus, Sony, Gateway, Casio, Alienware, Panasonic, Toshiba, Sharp, IBM, and there are a lot more. I definately don't know all of these compaines personally but I do know HP/Compaq is not to be trusted and I do know Dell's are more expensive than they are worth. Also, even though I know I trash talk Apple, they aren't bad but they are pretty limited on software, especially if you are a gamer.

 

[Eagle]

I just talked to a friend that says he highly reccomends his Fujitsu Lifebook. I personally don't know anything about them either.

 

[Curious]

I'm not sure HP is a wise choice either. Their printers are good but it ends there. I'd prefer Dell to HP.

* Eagle thinks back, remembers Compaq, and shudders.


HP bought Compaq and they didn't really improve on their already disasterous computer systems. I would say avoid HP & Compaq at all costs, they are quite possibly the worst thing out there. If your looking for different models, you might try Acer, Asus, Sony, Gateway, Casio, Alienware, Panasonic, Toshiba, Sharp, IBM, and there are a lot more. I definately don't know all of these compaines personally but I do know HP/Compaq is not to be trusted and I do know Dell's are more expensive than they are worth. Also, even though I know I trash talk Apple, they aren't bad but they are pretty limited on software, especially if you are a gamer.

Thanks again for the advice Eagle. I have heard good things about Fujitsu but thought they were primarily for business use. I have also heard of the Toshiba Qosmio, but I believe Dell's Inspiron 9330 has shot that model out of the water. I did hear a rumor of Dell perhaps using AMD processor in future laptops, maybe wishful thinking on my part. The only big rival to Dell in Ireland, where I am currently working, is HP and HP laptops do use AMD ATHLON 64 processors. Gateway are no longer in Europe, Dell saw to that. I'll have a look at the Fujitsu Lifebook spec and Toshiba. We do also have IBM (forgot about that). What Toshiba or IBM range do you recommend?

Thanks,

C.

 

[Curious]

Good news:
"AMD's Official Turion Announcement
03/10/2005 12:32 AM
Advanced Micro Devices has finally made the offical launch of its Centrino-Killer platform, Turion 64 Mobile Technology. According to CNET News, the Turion is apparently a more power-efficient version of the popular Athlon 64 desktop CPU's. Turions will run at slower speeds than the Athlon 64 and contain dedicated circuitry that will allow dynamic clocking based on usage, in order to effectively throttle power consumption. Acer and Fujistu will have Turion notebooks out by the end of the month. Other big-name manufacturers like Asus, Averatec, BENQ, MSI, and Packard Bell will also support Turion 64.
This CPU is of course going to be directly competing with Intel's revolutionary Pentium M processor and the Centrino platform. What AMD is hoping will allow Turion to stand out is a number of features that the Centrino platform does not support:
· AMD64 Performance delivers leading-edge 32-bit performance today, and can run tomorrow’s 64-bit applications
· HyperTransport™ Technology boosts overall system agility so your applications are more responsive, and you get incredible performance
· Enhanced Virus Protection with Microsoft® Windows® XP Service Pack 2, is designed to help prevent the spread of certain malicious viruses
· AMD PowerNow!™ Technology enables longer battery life and reduced heat generation enabling you to work or play longer
· 3DNow!™ Professional Technology and SSE2 and SSE3 instructions enable stellar performance and playback quality on digital entertainment features such as games, streaming video and audio, DVDs, and music
Other features that AMD cites include 802.11a/b/g readiness and being designed for thin & light form factors, but Centrino has already covered that ground. Also, the latest Centrino revision "Sonoma" features the same hardware-based "Enhanced Virus Protection" that Turion does. The previous Centrino models based on the i855 chipset did not offer this feature.
There are going to be two main lines of the Turion chip, ML and MT. The ML chips have a maximum power consumption of 35W, going from 1.6GHz to 2GHz with varying amounts of L2 Cache. The MT line has a lower thermal ceiling of 25W and runs at the same clock speeds with the same amounts of cache, costing only $5 more each. Below is an unofficial table of Turion's family line.

Unlike Intel, AMD will not be selling Turion as a full mobile package like Centrino. Instead AMD will rely on third-party vendors like SiS and Broadcom to provide the motherboard chipsets and mini-PCI wireless cards. This will inevitably lead to Turion being lower priced than Centrino, thanks to the competition of multiple manufacturer's wanting to supply parts to notebook companies. Turion will offer performance on par with or above that of the Pentium M, given that AMD has confirmed Turion is basically a low-power Athlon 64. The integrated memory controller, high Instruction-Per-Clock Cycle architecture, and efficient HyperTransport Bus carry over with the "AMD64" technology. However, battery life is going to be another issue. Despite similar thermal ceilings, 25W on the ML chips compared to 27W of the Sonoma platform, it remains to be seen what the minimum power consumption will be. The current Sonoma-based Pentium M's use only 10.8W at their lowest 800MHz clock speed. If AMD can beat that in Turion's "idle" state, we may have a contender for the crown of the Thin & Light throne.
Check out our Official Turion 64 Thread, the one-stop shop for all of your Turion needs!

Acer and Arima Notebooks Announced Using AMD Turion 64 Mobile Technology
03/10/2005 12:35 AM
Acer will be offering two new Thin & Light series, the Aspire 5000 and Aspire 5020. Both will be based on AMD's Turion 64 mobile CPU, but the 5020 will offer higher end features. Not many details are available yet, but the Aspire 5020 will reportedly offer Acer's CrystalBrite WXGA screen, ATI Mobility Radeon X700 PCI-E Graphics Card, Dual-Layer DVD burner, and 6-in-1 memory card reader.

AMDBoard reported a Turion-based notebook listed by a company called Arima, which is unknown to the staff at LaptopLogic. The Arima M622-DK8X could indeed turn out to be an ODM model that will be used by larger companies to brand as their own Turion notebooks, but we have nothing beyond speculation at this point. The specifications listed on their site call for support of the Athlon 64, Sempron, and Turion processors, 15" XGA/SXGA+/UXGA screen, DDR400 memory, and ATI PCI-E video cards.
CPU AMD Turion 64 2800+ up to 3200+ (1MB/512KB L2)AMD Sempron 2600+ up to 3100+ (256KB/128KB L2)AMD Athlon 64 2600+ up to 3000+ (1MB/512KB L2)
Interface Socket 754
FSB (HTT) 1600MHz
Chipset ATI RX480+SB400
LCD Panel 15.0" XGA/SXGA+/UXGA
Memory 2xDDR333/400 SO-DIMM (Max. 2GB Total, 2x1GB)
Video Card ATI Mobility Radeon X300 (64MB)/X600 (128MB)
Optical Drive DVD-ROM/CDRW Combo/DVDRW Dual Layer
Hard Drive 40GB/60GB/80GB 2.5"
PC Card 1xType II
Media Card 1 Slot; Supports SD, SD-IO, MMC, MS, MS-Pro
Modem 1xRJ-11 Telephone Jack
LAN 1xRJ-45 Ethernet Port
WLAN 1xMini-PCI Type III 802.11a/b/g
TV Out N/A???
USB 3xUSB2.0 Ports
IEEE 1394 Microphone Input, Headphone Output
VGA Out 1xDB-15 VGA Port
AC Adapter 65W
Dimensions 12.9"x10.5"x0.76"
Weight 5.61lbs
Battery Life Target 4.5 Hours
This model certainly has the makings to present a well rounded Turion notebook, but no details on sale price or availability have emerged. Check out our Official Turion News & Info Thread for complete technical specifications on the Arima M622-DK8X, as well as all current Turion details."

 

[Eagle]

FYI, I found an article on the alienware website that does a very good analogy of the differences between Intel and AMD.

The battle between AMD and Intel has been going on for many years now. At this point, no one has come to a concrete answer on which one is better than the other. This is because their overall performance has been similar and outstanding at the same time, despite the difference in their specifications. The AMD processor, for example, uses a lower clock rate and cache level than the Intel processor, but its overall performance is compensated by their well-designed CPU architecture and resource administration. To put this as an analogy, imagine two cars that need to get to a certain destination. One of the cars is much faster than the other (Intel), but the driver in the second car (AMD) knows all of the shortcuts, allowing him to arrive at the same destination and at the same time than the faster car, and also uses less gas (resources) to get there. Even though this seems to give AMD the advantage, please note that Intel uses more of its resources for failsafe purposes, which guarantee that the data that it processes is accurate.

Intel has a good reputation for their experience in delivering high-quality products. AMD on the other hand is newer to the market, but they also have a good reputation for delivering high-quality products and being ahead of the game when it comes to 64-bit technology.

In conclusion, the battle between AMD and Intel will never end since everyone has their own opinion about which one is better than the other, but it all comes down to personal preference.

 

[Curious]

FYI, I found an article on the alienware website that does a very good analogy of the differences between Intel and AMD.

Thanks Eagle,

That is a very useful analogy. I would favour AMD since it already has a processor in place to meet the needs of the fast approachin 64 Bit technology era.

I think the main problem I have is which manufacturer to go with. I don't see any AMD Anthlon 64 based laptops out there with 256MB Graphics, such as Dell's Inspirion 9300 offers, however i know if I buy Dell and something goes wrong, as it has with some of my friends I'd kick myself. Fujitsu & Acer have confirmed laptops based on Turion 64 however will they offer the similiar spec to Dell's 9300.

My ponderings here are the result of saving me headache later. I have contacted Fujitsu, IBM & Toshsiba with questions about when their Turion 64 based laptops will be available and if they would keep me informed.

I must say I find buying a system this time a lot more difficult than 4 years ago.

C.

 

[Eagle]

I must say I find buying a system this time a lot more difficult than 4 years ago.

Heh, Thats because we are sitting right on the virge of a technological shift. Technology is always moving forward, but right at this moment, its leaping forward. Typically we just improve upon what we have, but every so often we redesign it. When all the components get redesigned at the same time like they are now, thats when it gets complicated. Look at the achievments covering the last year or so and upcoming year. So far we have seen things like Dual Channel DDR, PCI-E, Dual Layer DVD, 64-bit processing, Multi-Core processing, and all this is just the tip of the iceberg. I thought technology was moving fast 5 years ago, but its soaring now.

 

[Curious]

I thought technology was moving fast 5 years ago, but its soaring now.

Its great to see no doubt about it but its so hard to keep up with it all. For instance, which graphics card to go for:


Radeon X800 Pro and XT or Geoforce 6800 Ultra. There doesn't seem to be a great deal of difference between them to me. No bdoubt in a few months time there'll be another graphics card to blow these out of the water.

The thing I have noticed with current AMD ATHLON 64 laptops is that the ones I have looked at do not come with 256MB graphics cards, whereas Dell (yes Dell again) has 256MB Graphics cards with its 9300. Any reason for this?

C.

 

[sheik124]

Its great to see no doubt about it but its so hard to keep up with it all. For instance, which graphics card to go for:


Radeon X800 Pro and XT or Geoforce 6800 Ultra. There doesn't seem to be a great deal of difference between them to me. No bdoubt in a few months time there'll be another graphics card to blow these out of the water.

The thing I have noticed with current AMD ATHLON 64 laptops is that the ones I have looked at do not come with 256MB graphics cards, whereas Dell (yes Dell again) has 256MB Graphics cards with its 9300. Any reason for this?

C.

why, because it makes NO FUCKING DIFFERENCE /sarcasm
seriously, don't go looking after numbers, they mean shit. Dell could have a 256 MB Radeon 9600 Pro, but the A64 might have a 128 MB X800, now tell me, whats more important?

 

[smegforbrain]

FYI, I found an article on the alienware website that does a very good analogy of the differences between Intel and AMD.

Kudos, mate!

I've been wanting a summary like this of the two for awhile now.

 

[Jakob]

curious: if you want to buy a dell, by a dell.

Just be forewarned that dell will go proprietary with any part they can, artificially inflate stats even if it has no real bearing on performance and lie their asses off, why? Simple, they're trying to sell you a product and they know their typically customer is computer illiterate and their customers will take the numbers at face value.

 

[Curious]

curious: if you want to buy a dell, by a dell.

There is a lot more involved in buying a PC than just the spec, as we all know. Dell, at least in Europe have lousy Customer Service. If I am going to spend between €1500 and €2000 on a pc this is one important factor to me. I have my mind set on a new Turion 64 powered laptop, at the moment I quite like the ACER brand, although I haven't heard much about Acer until now.

Eagle and Clements advice regarding the 64 Bit era has been a big factor in my going the Turion 64 road, that added to the fact that a good Friend of mine has also steered me in that direction.

I no doubt will have more an more questions to ask to help me get the best spec for my money, and would like to thank you all for all your help.

Dell could have a 256 MB Radeon 9600 Pro, but the A64 might have a 128 MB X800, now tell me, whats more important?

On the subject of graphics Cards I am at a complete lost. Can someone please talk me through which graphica card they recommend. I have always stuck with ATI, but I hear good things about Geforce.

I mentioned 256MB Graphics Cards as I wish to play games such as HL2, and Black & White 2 (if ever released).

Thanks again for all your great advice.

C.

 

[Clements]

Yeah, but FX 5200s, for example, can come with 256MB but the card is not great to begin with so the memory won't help any. The speed and type of memory is more important for me than it's size.

When buying a graphics card, I look at performance benchmarks, as well as the features offered by the card and other factors. Yes 256MB is nice if you play at 1600x1200 all the time, but on a laptop you are probably not going to use that amount.

GeForce Go 6800 Ultra looks to be the fastest money can buy, but Mobility Radeons of X700 and up will offer solid performance for future games too.

Check:

http://www.anandtech.com/video/

 

[Curious]

Thanks Clements.

 

[Curious]

A question concerning ACER laptops. After much frustration I was able to locate Acer Resellers in Ireland. I must say their prices are a lot more expensive than Dell's are and for a far lesser spec. Also they don't seem to be big on customizing your spec. For anything that deviates from their assigned specs, they sell the parts but won't customise for you.

Has anyone had experience dealing with ACER, because for the amount of money they are charging I can get a top of the range laptop from Dell and still have money over.

Thanks,

C.

 

[Curious]

A question concerning ACER laptops. After much frustration I was able to locate Acer Resellers in Ireland. I must say their prices are a lot more expensive than Dell's are and for a far lesser spec.

To Illustrate the above point which of these Specs is the most expensive:

Ferrari 3400LMi AMD 64bit 3000+, 512Mb, 80Gb, DVD Super Multi, VGA 128Mb Dedicated, Bluetooth, Wired&Wireless LAN, 15" TFT, Windows XP Pro SP2

CPU Family: AMD Athlon 64 (Mobile)
Product Series: Acer Ferrari 3400 Series
L1 Cache: 128KB
Maximum RAM: 2048MB
Height: 3.1cm
Chipset: VIA Apollo K8T800
Integrated Modem: Yes
Integrated Network: Yes
Integrated Sound: Yes
Integrated VGA: Yes
PCMCIA Slots: 1 x Type II
Network Card: Broadcom
Network Card Data Link Protocol: Ethernet
Network Card Speeds: 10/100/1000MBps
Network Interface Options: Integrated
Wireless Network Speed: 54MB/s
CPU Speed: 2000MHz
Modem Interface: Integrated
Form Factor: Notebook
RF Network Standard: IEEE 802.11b/g
Weight: 3.014kg
Width: 33.0cm
Sound Device: RealTek ALC202A
Floppy Disk Drive: Optional
Hard Disk Size: 80GB
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Video Card: ATI Mobility Radeon 9700
Video Card Maximum Resolution: 2040 x 1536Pixels
Video Card Memory: 128MB
Bluetooth: Bluetooth Enabled
RJ-45 Ports: 1 x RJ-45
Modem Port: 1 x RJ-11
Removable Flash Memory Media: 4 in 1 Card Reader
Depth: 27.2cm
Battery: Lithium-Ion (8 cell)
Docking Port: 1 x 100-pin port replicator connector
Audio Line In Ports: 1
Battery Re-charge (System On): 4.5Hours
Headphone Ports: 1
Battery Life: 3Hours
Screen Resolution: 1400 x 1050Pixels
Screen Type: TFT
Screen Size: 15.0ins
Modem: 56 Kbps data (V.92)
Screen Res. Type: SXGA+
Optical Drive Type: DVD SuperMulti
L2 Cache: 512KB
Battery Re-charge (System Off): 2Hours
Memory Slot: 2 (0) x SODIMM
Processor Number: 3000+
Package: 754-pin lidless micro PGA
Memory Type: DDR SDRAM
Memory Size: 512MB
Memory Bus Speed: 333MHz
USB Ports: 4 x USB 2.0
Microphone In Port: 1
Infrared Port: 1 x Fast Infrared Port
IEEE 1394 (Firewire) Port: 1
Parallel Ports: 1
Fax Modes: Wake-on-Ring ready

Or:

DEll InspironTM 9300
Intel® CentrinoTM Mobile Technology: up to Intel® Pentium® M Processor 770 (2.13 GHz, 2 MB L2 Cache, 533 MHz FSB) & Intel® Pro/Wireless 2200 (802.11b/g) wireless network connection
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
Eye-catching 17" Dell UltraSharpTM wide-aspect displays deliver an impressive gaming and wide screen DVD viewing experience. You can choose between two resolutions - WUXGA (1920x1200) with TrueLifeTM or WXGA+ (1440x900). TrueLifeTM displays are designed to be brighter and have a higher contrast ratio than typical screens with anti-glare coatings
For more intensive 3D, Direct X 9.0® -compatible applications, you can choose between three PCI-Express x16 technology based graphics cards: ATI® MobilityTM Radeon® X300 with 64MB or 128MB of DDR video memory or the NVIDIA® GeforceTM Go 6800 with 256MB of DDR video memory
Lightweight desktop replacement design: the Inspiron 9300's starting weight of 3.59 kg (7.85 lbs) includes a 17" WXGA+ wide-aspect display, DVD drive and 6-cell battery
A stylish new Inspiron design, in artic silver and white, incorporating new design details such as a wide-aspect touchpad for improved ergonomics and convenient, front-access multimedia buttons to control volume and start, stop, play and forward to CD tracks or DVD chapters
Enhanced communications including integrated 10/100 Ethernet LAN card and a modem 56 Kbps for wired network access in the home or office. The Inspiron 9300 is also equipped with an Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 (802.11b/g) network card which gives you the freedom to access your e-mail, the Internet - even your company network - anywhere you have access to a wireless network such as airports or hotels.
Integrated dual band antennae (2.4/5GHz) to support 802.11a/b/g wireless networking standards and Bluetooth® 2.0 wireless networking options
Complete expandability for peripheral & CE devices with 6 USB 2.0, DVI-D, VGA, Fire wire, & S-video Out (TV-Out) ports

Believe it or not the Acer is between €300 & €400 more expensive at €2,077.47!