Asus G1 VS. Dell 6400

Hi Guys,
I'm new here, this is indeed a great website. I was a Dell fan for a very long time and I did recommend it to all my friends, now I want to try something different, I was searching the market for a long time and finally choosed the Asus G1 or Dell 6400.

I don't play games at all, my main job in renderings, presentations, 3DMAX, autocad, photoshop, powerpoint, dreamweaver...

Now dell has 25% off deal on Inspiron 6400, same configurations compared to Asus G1 (subtract video card 512 + camera + line in sound card) dell will be less by $200... i don't care about operating system since i have vista ultimate already so i'll format and install a clean copy.

I also record sound and need the line in option, if I choosed Dell, i'll purchase PCMCIA sound card, if I choosed Asus i'll stick with the line in (is it a good quality sound card?)

So, from your experience with Asus laptops, do you guys think I should switch to Asus or they are pretty the same?

 

Asus makes notebooks that have much better build quality than Dell notebooks. If you want to save some money, get the Dell. If you'd like to try out something new with much better quality, get the G1.

 

I wouldn't bother with the G1 unless I was going to be gaming. I agree with the above poster though, in that Asus laptops tend to be much better-built than Dell's.

Tell us your budget and I think we can find your a suitable solution.

 

If so, I would not choose either of them.

Fill out the FAQ for better recommendations.

 

if I consider buying the PCMCIA sound card for Dell to use the line in ($100) + about $100 taxes then the price will be the same. I'll buy Asus from newegg (no taxes) so I'll get what I'm paying for... what do you think?

 

Personally, I'd say you should take an Apple Macbook Pro or Asus V1JP.

 

I believe Asus laptops use Azalia HD sound chipsets, so it's very good quality.



Again, don't get the G1. Not worth it for you.

 

The Dell Inspiron 6400 is a budget notebook and it's not worth spending more than 1000$ on it, imho. The G1 is not worth buying it if you don't game.

Also, you can get a notebook with professional video card, which will be better choice for 3D apps.

Fill out the FAQ if you want to get adequate suggestions.

 

Neither of them have 2GB RAM

 

is there a better video card than the G1 512MB? I thought I'll use the G1 gaming power into my applications

 

Around $1800 - $1900

 

The mid-range video cards are not powerful enough to use more than 256MB of dedicated RAM effectively...

The Fire GL V5250 will give you better performance since it's optimized for that.

Check out the ThinkPad T60p and HP nw8440. Both have light years better build quality than the notebooks you selected.

As for the RAM, it's cheap and easily upgradable, it would be cheaper if you buy a notebook with 1Gb RAM and add another stick RAM aftermarket.

Good Luck.

 

Hm...

http://1toppc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=V1JP&Category_Code=Notebook
and
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231069

$1900 total, great laptop.

 

Oh, and if you want a true mobile workstation, check out the Dell Precision series.

 

Probably, you should check out the Dell Precision series, because the only 15.4" "true workstation" that Dell offers has so much weaker video card than the true worstations that I mentioned above.

 

Dell Precision are very expensive for me, also I don't like HP from the bad experience my friends got. I liked the Asus V1J Series, but it doesn't have Line in Jack, 2 USB's only, weaker video card comparing to G1

 

The V1 has 3 USB, and the G1 doesn't have an Express Card.

 

and I've never suggested a Dell Precision...

HP makes different notebooks, their business series is excellent...

Have you checked the ThinkPad T60p, that's if you want to have a really good notebook, of course.

Otherwise, the Asus V1J is business-class, far superior than the G1. The V1J has so much better build quality - metal and carbon fiber chassis, spill-proof keyboard...etc. , it's lighter, looks better and has some other features... The G1 has *slightly* better video card and that's all.... unless you are fan of the green lights...

 

Thanks Guys so much for your help, I was going to order the G1, but because of your advise i'll go ahead and purchase the Asus V1J and buy extra Rams for it... is this the best Idea? that will be about $400 more than Dell 6400... does it really worth it? if so, I'll go ahead and buy now

 

Note that I'm changing my laptop every 2-3 years... for example I purchased my other 3 dell laptops (highest configurations every time) and they don't woth anything before upgrading to the new one.

 

I believe you're making the right choice, fwiw.

 

Actually ASUS is the one who builds the Apple MacBook and MacBook Pros for what it's worth

In my experience, Dell sucks big time! At least the inspiron and latitudes (we have about 100 total) are the worst computers ever built, not sure about the higher end Dells like XPS, but the build and component quality of Dell leaves too much to be desired. We also have many bad experiences with desktop like the Optiplex series and some Precision series at work (about 300 total).

 

I just want to chime in because I love my G1 and am not a gamer. I find the build quality just fine. My plastic Toshiba Satellite looks excellent after 4 years of hard use so good quality plastic is fine with me. I'm not saying that the V1 isn't an excellent computer - I'm sure it is.

The G1 has a larger case so it's excellent for cooling. The laptop stays cool or not more than lukewarm when I'm using it. I'll be able to use it on bare skin during the summer (probably not if I was gaming, but I don't). Also The V1 has a huge vent on the right instead of the back vent of the G1. I like the back vent far better. I love the looks of the black G1 more than the professional looking V1. I don't notice it looking like a gaming laptop. I turned out the lights on the side and I can't see the sides of the screen when using it anyway. I just see the green on the webcam, keys and touchpad as accents. I would never have thought it was a gaming notebook if someone had given it to me as a gift. I find the G1 very comfortable to use and am enjoying it a lot.

The V1 was a close contender and I really like it. I do think the G1 can be an excellent choice for non-gamers. Both have the same excellent screen (in the US models).

 

After doing a lot of research (I mean a lot) I decided to buy the G1 to use it as my work base laptop.

V1 is great but I'll never use the portable bay, 1lb less in weight is not a big deal, security finger prints is not a big deal to me also due to available programs which fill out the passwords for you. I didn't like the Fn key which replaced control key position (I use shortcuts)

I need a powerfull notebook with "line in" for my records, media controls, huge capacity, 2Gb, 4USB which all available in the G1

I can use the side lights to alert me when i receive emails.

my question is: Can I replace the 4 green gaming keys in the keyboard with regular keys?

 

Well, as long as you're happy.

I don't think you can replace those keys unless you can find replacements in the right size.

 

The keyboard for the asus a6 should be compatible. Definitely not sure on that.

Its for sale at the asus estore.

 

I totally agree! I currently own Inspiron 6000, which has similar chasis as 6400. I've personally compare my laptop to an Asus W3j. Conclusion? Dell STINKS! Inpiron is cheap looking, boxy, ugly, and overpriced. The chasis of cheap plastic also creaks everytime I lift the laptop. Anyway, don't get Dell unless you're REALLY on a budget. However, I still feel that Dell is still overpriced in terms of what you get.

In addition, Dell is extremely stingy on the extras. Besides bunch of bloatwares, you get NOTHING. When I purchased my laptop, I didn't even get reinstallation CDs for XP!. WIth Asus, you get carrying cases, mouse, and other goodies.