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Alright...it's my turn to make one of these threads hahah.
I need to buy a Laptop in the next couple of days.
I am going to be using it 99% of the time for things like internet/email, listening to Mp3's, msn, Webcam, DVD's/movies while travelling, and very rarely playing a game (nothing crazy...maybe something like GTA3).
Price must be less than $1500.
I've never had a laptop before so forgive me if I ask some n00b questions. I haven't paid much attention to PC's lately so I have no idea as to what is new and what is standard equipment these days.
I am looking right now at the Dell Inspiron 9400 right now.
It has the following specs:
- Intel® Core™ Duo Processor T2250 (1.73GHz/533MHz FSB)
- 17" wide screen
- 512MB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz
- 80GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
- Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card (54Mbps)
- Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 (add $100 for 256mb ATI X1400)
- Integrated sound
Price: $1299 w/ free printer/copier/scanner (probably POS but it's fine as long as it works) and free upgrade to 8x CD/DVD burner. Free shipping.
What is your opinion on this computer?
How reliable are Dells these days? The only PC I have ever bought from Dell was way back in 1993 when they first started. That PC was pretty good and I still actually have it (I actually still use the monitor on a ghetto PC I have setup).
My concerns:
- 512mb ram seems kinda low but it seems like it's pretty much standard on most but some have 1gb. Will 512 serve my purpose or should I get an extra stick to push it to 1gb?
- Is the onboard video good enough? I'm not going to be gaming on it or anything as I spend 99% of my time studying. This is a stupid question but how different is the performance of an onboard card vs a seperate video card? For just watching the occasional movie while travelling will I notice a difference? Can I play a game like GTA3 using it? Can I upgrade at a later time if I choose the onboard card for now? I have a 128mb card on my other PC and I play games fine, I'm not like crazy picky about OMG the graphics aren't the best they could be.
- Battery life with 17" monitor. After checking out laptops at Future Shop I really like the size of a 17" vs a 15". Maybe if they weren't widescreen I would go with the 15" but since they are widescreen the 15" seems tiny. Will 17" totally own me for battery time?
Another Option:
Dell Inspiron 6400 Dual Core
- Intel® Core™ Duo processor T2500 (2MB Cache/2GHz/667MHz FSB)
- 15.4" screen
- 120GB 5400rpm Hard Drive (not SATA it seems...does it matter?)
- 1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm
- Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card (54Mbps)
- 128MB ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X1300 HyperMemory™ [Included in Price] Add $20 for 256mb X1400
- integrated sound
Price: $1,299, same free stuff included (printer/upgraded dvd/free shipping).
Now that I look at it this one seems like a better deal. Faster, more RAM, bigger HD, proper video card. Only thing that bugs me is the 15" screen though. Argh.
So which one would you choose? I'm kinda leaning towards the 6400 now...seems like the better deal but for some reason I just ignored it earlier because I was so stuck on the 17".
Any suggestions/advice/info will really be appreciated.
Thanks yo.
I need to buy a Laptop in the next couple of days.
I am going to be using it 99% of the time for things like internet/email, listening to Mp3's, msn, Webcam, DVD's/movies while travelling, and very rarely playing a game (nothing crazy...maybe something like GTA3).
Price must be less than $1500.
I've never had a laptop before so forgive me if I ask some n00b questions. I haven't paid much attention to PC's lately so I have no idea as to what is new and what is standard equipment these days.
I am looking right now at the Dell Inspiron 9400 right now.
It has the following specs:
- Intel® Core™ Duo Processor T2250 (1.73GHz/533MHz FSB)
- 17" wide screen
- 512MB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz
- 80GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
- Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card (54Mbps)
- Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 (add $100 for 256mb ATI X1400)
- Integrated sound
Price: $1299 w/ free printer/copier/scanner (probably POS but it's fine as long as it works) and free upgrade to 8x CD/DVD burner. Free shipping.
What is your opinion on this computer?
How reliable are Dells these days? The only PC I have ever bought from Dell was way back in 1993 when they first started. That PC was pretty good and I still actually have it (I actually still use the monitor on a ghetto PC I have setup).
My concerns:
- 512mb ram seems kinda low but it seems like it's pretty much standard on most but some have 1gb. Will 512 serve my purpose or should I get an extra stick to push it to 1gb?
- Is the onboard video good enough? I'm not going to be gaming on it or anything as I spend 99% of my time studying. This is a stupid question but how different is the performance of an onboard card vs a seperate video card? For just watching the occasional movie while travelling will I notice a difference? Can I play a game like GTA3 using it? Can I upgrade at a later time if I choose the onboard card for now? I have a 128mb card on my other PC and I play games fine, I'm not like crazy picky about OMG the graphics aren't the best they could be.
- Battery life with 17" monitor. After checking out laptops at Future Shop I really like the size of a 17" vs a 15". Maybe if they weren't widescreen I would go with the 15" but since they are widescreen the 15" seems tiny. Will 17" totally own me for battery time?
Another Option:
Dell Inspiron 6400 Dual Core
- Intel® Core™ Duo processor T2500 (2MB Cache/2GHz/667MHz FSB)
- 15.4" screen
- 120GB 5400rpm Hard Drive (not SATA it seems...does it matter?)
- 1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm
- Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card (54Mbps)
- 128MB ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X1300 HyperMemory™ [Included in Price] Add $20 for 256mb X1400
- integrated sound
Price: $1,299, same free stuff included (printer/upgraded dvd/free shipping).
Now that I look at it this one seems like a better deal. Faster, more RAM, bigger HD, proper video card. Only thing that bugs me is the 15" screen though. Argh.
So which one would you choose? I'm kinda leaning towards the 6400 now...seems like the better deal but for some reason I just ignored it earlier because I was so stuck on the 17".
Any suggestions/advice/info will really be appreciated.
Thanks yo.
good choice on the upgrade to 256 vid card. I think dell has alienwares software for tech support. if anything goes wrong u just activate this button and tell them whats wrong and they can access ur comp while ur at home.
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