Alienware m7700

Peeps,

Is the below laptop of decent quality. How does the GPU compare to todays standards. Is this machine much better if all than my vostro showing in my av.

Alienware m7700 Laptop -
AMD Athlon 64 4000+ CPU
2.4GHZ Processor
WXGA+ Widescreen 17.1" LCD Display
1440 x 900 Maximum Rezolution
PCIx nVidia 7800 GTX 256MB Video Card
RAM 512MB DDR Dual Channel
DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive
80GB High Performance RAID Storage
2x 40GB SATA Hard Drives
Gigabit 10/100/1000 Network Card
56K Modem
4x USB 2.0 ports, 2x Mini IEEE1394a ports
Built-in 10-in-1 Card Reader
Windows XP Home Edition installed

Great laptop, upgradeable to dual optical drives, and dual hard drives.
CPU is upgradeable to 2.6GHz dual core (socket 939).
WUXGA screens, and internal webcams are also available.
This laptop is in A+ condition, with protective film still on the unit. Item is packaged in Alienware retail box.
The unit includes the driver disc, Microsoft OEM OS disc and COA, laptop case, battery, AC adapter, phone cable, and power cable

 

I think this thread may be of some assistance to answering your question!

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=293694

As I see it, I think the 7800 GTX has a greater performance than the 8600 GT in your Vostro.

 

Oceanus,

Thanx that at least, lets me know the GPU is better. What about the CPU ?

Been a while since i understood AMD and Intel and could compre the two. Were talking back in the pentium 4 and AMD XP days

 

Here we are. A CPU comparison guide.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=166906

 

Well, the GPU is only marginally better than the 8600mGT: http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-Go-7800-GTX.2136.0.html

Also, you won't have any warranty on the laptop and your Vostro is, very likely, a more safe bet. That laptop has no HDD space, no RAM, which you will probably have to upgrade yourself.

So I don't think it's a good move, going backwards from your Vostro to the m7700.

 

Well the question is, is he going to have both of these notebooks or is he planning on trading/selling his Vostro for the m7700?

Also, good morning Milcs.

 

Good morning to you too Oceanus!!!

You have a point there... But as he questions whether the laptop is better than his vostro... I would say, globally... a big NO.

Why don't you look in AW's Ebay outlet? They have laptops there with warranty and more recent. And quite cheap as well...

 

Mm, yeah, I agree. Anyway, it's morning for me also but there's an 8 hour gap between where we live. Barely officially turned morning for me so I'm going to head off.

Be back to argue with you later on some other rubbish in like 12 hours. =p

 

the 7800GTX can still outperform even 9600M GT's.

most benchmarks do not reflect a high-end cards power over a mid-range.

the 7800GTX may have close 3DMark06 scores as the 8600M and 9600M.... but it will destroy those mid-range card in high resolution games/tests.

7800GTX = 256-bit memory interface (high-end)
8600M GT = 128-bit memory interface (mid-range)
9600M GT = 128-bit memory interface (mid-range)

 

Unfortunatley i dont think the UK side of Alien ware do an outlet
I have searched and i am unable to find any outlet store on ebay or a link on their site

To add if i cant sell my Vostro i have around $1000 to buy a new machine, but idealy i need it to be UK based, as our goverment slap so much customs tax on the machine buying from America isnto always as cheal as i would like even though the cost to buy is alot lower, UK goverment then make a big killing and charge a massive amount for the pleasure of buying from the states

Anyone got any ideas

 

In the end... I really didn't get where do you live.
I would study my solutions carefully... Buying an AW from Ebay or something similar is a big risk. There is not warranty (as this is not transferable to new owners) and you can expect these laptops to have been pretty much tested to their limits (that's why they hare high end gaming machines).
In the US (at least) you can find the AW outlet in Ebay pretty easily. If you want a second hand or refurbished AW laptop, that's the way to go.

If you still want power and don't have much more money... try and get a dell or some other brand that will give you some sort of hardware warranty. Sometimes what looks cheaper, ends up being much more expensive.

 

As per my last post, i live in the UK