Dell Latitude E6400 on the horizon ... but I have some final questions

Hopefully, I'll be able to order my new E6400 soon, as follows:

CPU: Intel P9700 2.8GHz
GPU: nVIDIA Quadro NVS 160M / ExpressCard
HDD: (whatever is cheapest) I'll replace with a Scorpio Black or Blue (see question 5)
MEM: (whatever is cheapest) I'll replace with 2x2GB of Corsair DDR2-800
WI-FI: (whatever is cheapest) I'll replace with an AR9280 half miniPCIe card
LCD: WXGA+ (1440x900) LED-backlit
- Backlit keyboard, Bluetooth module, 6-cell battery

Keep in mind that I won't be running Windows on this machine, but instead, Linux (Arch Linux x64).

Questions:
1) Is the nVIDIA Quadro NVS 160M enough to run Compiz-Fusion smoothly?
I previously ran Compiz-Fusion with an Intel GMA X3100 integrated GPU and was underwhelmed. Everything worked, but the animations were pretty herky-jerky, most of the time. Aero animations under Windows 7 were similarly not very smooth. I'm hoping for more with the nVIDIA Quadro (I read one report that Aero with an E6400/nVIDIA wasn't very smooth).

2) How bad *really* is the touchpad?
I've heard reports that the touchpad is imprecise and laggy, but I've also heard from people who say they haven't had any issues. Is this a "hit or miss" situation with the hardware, or is it due simply to what people are used to? Or has this been fixed?

3) How durable is the lid/screen?
I've heard reports that "the E6400 is well-built and durable ... except for the display," with no real elaboration. Is there any truth to this? Bending, flexing, etc.? Screen distortions if pressure is applied to the back? Does it seem strong? Feel strong?

4) Does the "brushed-metal" on the back of lid look good in person? Or does it look cheap, fake, tacky, etc ... ?

5) Can I replace the hard-drive?
I heard from one owner that the hard-drives used in the E6400 use a non-standard SATA layout, and thus aftermarket hard-drives cannot be installed. That seemed like it would be a very stupid thing for Dell to do ... but I thought I'd ask.

6) After time (6-12 months), does the display start to wobble when open?
I had an Acer Aspire 4720Z (I know, cheap quality) whose display would wobble when open. At the top of the screen, probably about 1/2" to 3/4" of wobble. The Dell Inspiron 1521 I'm using now does the same thing ... very annoying. Does the E6400 exhibit anything like this even AFTER extended ownership? Say 6 months to a year or more?

7) Is the audio bad?
I've heard from a few people that the audio is simply horrid, even through headphones. I've also heard that disabling PC Spk has fixed it for some people ... is this an outdated issue that has been fixed by Dell?

8) Is there anything else I should know?
If there's anything else that I need to know, I'd love to hear it.


Sorry for so many questions, but this will be a big purchase. Thanks for putting up with me.

 

Can't comment on the rest, but the Quadro NVS 110M in my D820 does both Aero and Compiz without any trouble, so the 160M should be perfectly alright.
The only issue was with the Vista-provided drivers. Installing what Dell provide boosted performance enough to make Aero usable.

 

Some comments using your numbering:

2. The touchpad is OK, but I prefer to use a mouse when working at a desk. I think the complaints relate more to the driver than the touchpad itself.

3. Some people have had problems with the display bezel cracking (this may be the E6500 - see the relevant thread) and the bexel can rub on the palm rest when the computer is closed (fixable with some DIY rubber bumbers), but the overall display unit is sturdy. I've had no cause for concern in nearly 17 months.

4. The brushed metal finish is OK. It's not particularly eye-catching but it's not cheap either.

5. The hard drive is very easy to change: Remove two screws and you can pull it out then remove one screw to release the bezel. Swap to new HDD and insert. The SATA is standard.

6. After nearly 17 months my E6400's display now has 1/2" free movement when vertical. This is not an issue at the moment but something I would plan to get fixed near the end of the 3 year warranty period. Once away from the vertical position the hinges are still quite stiff so there's no risk of the display flopping down under self-weight.

7. The internal audio is very poor. Those big grilles each side of the keyboard conceal 1/2" tweeters. I find the audio quality through external speakers OK, but I haven't tried connecting big speakers.

8a. Get the backlit keyboard. Not only is the backlighting very useful but also this version of the keyboard is generally considered to have better action.

8b. If you haven't browsed the service manual, then do so.

8c. The E6410 is expected to appear sometime in the next few months. Info so far suggests that this will include the new Intel platform and CPUs but there won't be any significant changes to the chassis.

John

 

>>WI-FI: (whatever is cheapest) I'll replace with an AR9280 half miniPCIe card

My Intel 5300 from Dell has worked fine. First use on n last week was 107Mbps.

>> - Backlit keyboard, Bluetooth module, 6-cell battery

All worked for me. Backlit KB is a must. Recommend a BT mouse.

>>2) How bad *really* is the touchpad?

It's not really bad or else Dell would not push it out. Adjust the settings and get a BT mouse.

>>3) How durable is the lid/screen?

It is minimalist... don't be careless with it and it will serve you. Me, I tend to open the lid evenly with both hands, or with one hand from the center edge. Whipping the lid up carelessly from one side starts to feel... careless... but you can do this more slowly with care without feeling like you are torquing the lid.

>>4) Does the "brushed-metal" on the back of lid look good in person? Or does it look cheap, fake, tacky, etc ... ?

The whole unit has a classy, integrated look... not a tank but sufficient.

>>6) After time (6-12 months), does the display start to wobble when open?

No wobble after 13 months. But the 6-cell battery is packing it in... I got a new one off eBay but have not tried it yet.

7) Is the audio bad?

Internal speakers are usable but not great sound. My user will listen to music on them when too lazy to connect 2.1 external speakers which sound fine.

My 6/09 update of the IDT driver resulted in sound that ever so slightly warbled. I removed that driver and let Vista install its driver. That fixed the warble and I have not looked back.

>>8) Is there anything else I should know?

A sleeve works well to protect and transport the unit, but you want to avoid packing it in so that the matte LCD does not wear against the keyboard.

See my sig below for link to some E6400 install notes I posted here. Not for Linux but may help.

GK

 

Thank you guys for the very useful comments.

I do plan on using an external mouse (Bluetooth as GKDesigns notes). On my last Acer laptop, the touchpad was fine but I used my external mouse probably about 85-90% of the time. I would just like to have a usable touchpad for the times when I'm laying on the couch, etc.

And a related question: are there any key-combinations to disable touchpad and/or trackpoint? I couldn't see any obvious looking ones when looking at the pictures, but even my cheap Acer had an Fn key combo for this ...

That's disappointing, but oh well. Have you looked at it at all to see if it is user-repairable?

Yeah, laptop speakers in general I just accept as mostly garbage. 99% of the time, I plan on using headphones, so that's what I'm wondering about.

I definitely plan on putting a few rubber bumpers along the edge of the screen bezel to keep it nice. I have a North Face backpack (which has a dedicated, padding laptop compartment), but I also plan on putting it in the backpack inside a sleeve (possibly a ZeroShock III), which I could also use with my messenger bag.

And if I understand it correctly, once I receive the laptop, I have 21 days during which I can return it for a refund with no re-stocking fee? If that's the case, I could always return it and try a T400 if I'm not happy ...

Thanks again for the responses, guys.

 

I've used the Intel 5300 wifi card in both Fedora and Ubuntu, and it works fine, so I don't think you need to bother upgrading there.

 

Oh, I'm sure the Intel card is just fine, but I've just always preferred Atheros cards for the atk5k/ath9k driver.

I'll probably order it with an Intel card anyway, just so I have another card laying around that isn't the Dell (which I believe is Broadcom).

 

Do most laptops exhibit some kind of wobbly screen after extended use? I've tightened the screws on a Dell Inspiron 1521 which was wobbly, and it didn't do *much*, leading me to believe it was something in the hinge mechanism itself which has weakened over time.

So, is this something that would happen after a year or so with any laptop? Say a ThinkPad, or a MacBook?

 

Of all my laptops, the HP is the only one that has any significant free play. But then again, the HP has always had that amount of free play, so it hasn't increased with its lifetime.

 

There's an option in the driver to disable the internal pointing devices when an external USB mouse is present. An Fn key shortcut wouldn't be so easy to implement since it would need several options, eg: disable touchpad, disable pointing stick, disable both, disable none. Personally, I don't disable the internal devices since I sometimes use them although a mouse is also present.

One former member suggested a couple of screws that can be tightened, but they are tight. The looseness in the vertical position is an internal feature of the hinges. I have a 3 year NBD warranty which I will call on when I think the looseness has become too much.

I used these and cut half the domes off once stuck in place (and they stick very well.

John