Considering E6x10 Upgrade. Input Greatly Appreciated. (Questions Within)

Hi All -

I'm considering upgrading to either an E6510 or E6410, but first let me tell you what I have now:

Code:

Dell Latitude D830
Intel Core2 Duo T7500 @ 2.20 GHz
4 GB Ram @ 667 MHz
500 GB HD @ 7200 RPM
1680 x 1050 Screen
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Controller
Windows 7 Professional 32 bit
9-cell battery w/ 6-cell modular bay battery

What I really like about this system: Build quality, modular bay battery, fantastic battery life [when new], and great performance 'in its day'.
What I'm not too happy with: Dim screen, performance not quite suitable for modern heavy multitasking, and the lack of a backlit keyboard.

Now, I'm looking at an E series with specs similar to:

Code:

Intel Core i7-640M @ 2.8 GHz
8 GB RAM @ 1333 MHZ (running at 1066, right?)
256 GB SSD
1920 x 1080 FHD Screen
Intel HD Graphics
Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 802.11a/b/g/n and 802.16e Half Mini Card
Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
Backlit Keyboard
9-cell Battery

First of all, what do you think of this potential upgrade? Worth it? Noticeable?

Now I have a couple specific questions:

1) What could I expect for battery life with the above configuration?

2) Is there a modular bay battery for the E series?

3) I know it's mainly personal preference, but I'm struggling with the 14.1 / 15.6 inch screen decision. I do a decent amount of web design, but no video editing or anything. I'd like the 15.6 screen real estate, but the weight and footprint savings are oh-so tempting. Thoughts?

4) For those of you familiar with both the D and E series, how does the quality compare between the two?

I want to thank everyone in advance. Your time, effort, and input are truly appreciated!

 

1) I'd guess somewhere around 6 hours. Maybe 7 if you try real hard?

2) Sadly, no. I wish they'd kept the feature; Lenovo made it work, why the heck can't Dell...

3) I owned a D830 for a year. I thought it was too big. WUXGA was fantastic, though. Ultimately I just keep my E6400 connected to an external monitor and it's more or less just as good. Even then I use my E6400 largely as a DTR and typically carry around an X200T...

4) The late D-Series machines (Dx20 and Dx30) aren't as slim or sleek, but I feel that the build construction is more durable. The early E-Series (Exx00 and Exx10) go for a more "premium" finish that might look better, but doesn't quite feel as tough.

 

@Commander Wolf - Thank you for that information/opinion. You kind of brought up another point... I'm also tossing around the Lenovo T510. How to you see the comparison between the E6x10, D830, and T510?

I do apologize for asking this question in the Dell forum, when it probably belongs in one of the comparison rooms. However, I'm sure you can understand why I'm bringing it up here.

Thanks again.

 

Let's see... I feel that the T510 might be a bit chunkier and more durable than the E6500; it's probably more similar to the D830 in that regard.

With the T510 you get the ThinkLight instead of a backlit keyboard. Both have their plus and minus. I don't really have a preference for either.

If you want a good trackpoint, go for the T510. Trackpoints on anything but a ThinkPad generally suck pretty hard.

The T510 also has the option of a media bay battery. On the topic of batteries, the T510 might also have switchable discrete graphics (I heard they were implementing Optimus in 'em now), and therefore it may also be more battery friendly.

I do still really like how Dell ships OEM install disks with their machines, rather than a set of recovery disks a la everyone else on the market.

Also easier to upgrade the Exx10 series, thanks to that gigantic panel on the bottom. You have to crack open the T510 in the same way you have to crack open the D830 to get to just about anything.

Ok, this is really rambling... any specific comparison you'd want to know?

 

@Commander Wolf - Thanks! I don't think I require anything more specific, as the single bottom panel is enough of a 'deal-maker' for me. I absolutely love that feature... spent way too much time with little panels and tiny clips.

Could you possibly comment on the comparison of specs? (My current D830 configuration vs. the proposed E6x10 configuration) Do you think I would be gaining the desired performance during heavy multitasking? (Firefox w/ 25+ tabs, Pandora desktop app, IM client, email client, 8-10 Office docs, and obvious anti-virus applications are what I *always* have running, usually more)

 

I don't really think you're CPU limited with your current configuration. I don't even think you're memory limited. I'd consider getting an SSD if you're just after performance.

 

Good to know, though for example I'm currently at 70% Memory use (without anything intensive going on) and CPU use tosses between 10% and 65% rather loosely.

 

You can make an estimate of the CPU and GPU improvements by comparing the benchmark results at notebookcheck (CPU list, GPU list). However, as already noted, an SSD is likely to make a bigger impact on everyday performance.

Keep an eye on the reviews page and you may see an E6410 review or two appear during the next week or so which should provide some useful info to guide your decision.

John

 

I have an E6410 and a E6510 with me currently and the E6410 is so much more portable, quieter and cooler. It maybe because the 6510 has a quad core processor and weight is due to 9cell battery.

The 6410 is surprisingly good with screen real estate (it's 16:10 as opposed to the 6510's 16:9).