D620 or D630?

I'm looking for a laptop to use for DJing. I'm not a professional so I looking for something that I can "play" with but I'd like to be able to use it for day to day stuff. I realize that the d630 is newer but I've read of some of the Nvidia issues they have had. I considered just looking for a d630 with the intel graphics or go with the d620 (which tend to be cheaper) but seem to be to do the job (Intel CPU comparisons seem to peg the T2700 as fast as the T7200). Actually, it seems that the T2600, T2700, T5600, T7200 all benchmark around the same (over a spread of 150pts).

BTW - I have a D800 that I use for work and I have the dock, so I like the idea that can swap computers at home.

Any suggestions?

 

My dad has a D820, T7200, 4gb, Nvidia, and it is still rock solid.

 

If you get the Nvidia flavor of either the D620 or the D630, they're both pretty much prone to the same problems. I'd go for a D630... they really aren't that expensive these days; I think it's fairly easy to find 'em around $300, especially ones with integrated graphics.

 

I would recommend a D630 with Intel graphics and at least a T7300 CPU.

The D630 also supports up to 8GB RAM, and if have 4GB RAM with a 64-bit OS, it will show 4GB (D620 will only show 3GB).

 

I just got a D630 for my GF and it has the NVS135m but I went to the local sheet metal shop and got some copper sheet to replace the thermal fail pads and used AC Ceramique along with underclocking the GPU and undervolting the CPU I don't expect the GPU issue to be too prevelant with this machine

I'm also going to try and lock the 135m to 8 shaders with RivaTuner to further reduce heat.

In the next paychek or 2 I'm also going to get a 60gb Mushkin Callisto SSD and once the dell warranty is over in 145 days I'll further mod the machine if I can find useful ways to do so

 

Speakers are absolutely horrible on the D620/D630, while reasonably good on the D820/D830 (15.4").

Of course you'll be using the audio output, and not the speakers when you're DJ'ing, but if you work with the machine elsewhere, the D620/D630 speaker (yes, speaker, one) will drive you crazy.

I'm not certain you can engineer around the NVS135M defect. It is not a problem of heat, but rather, of thermal fatigue inside the chip itself. Once it hits a certain number of cycles, wham, something breaks and/or no longer meets a minimum standard of performance, and all hell breaks loose. Buy the Intel chipset just to be sure.

I believe you might face sanction if you mention that on these forums, although its certainly a way to cut down on the nuisance of reinstalling a duly licensed copy of Windows 7.