M50vm-A1 or M50vm-B1?

I'm about to get rid of a Dell M1530 that I absolutely HATE. Aside from their terrible customer service which can't seem to fix my notebook, the stupid thing ran so hot I couldn't use it on my lap and the fan ran pretty much non-stop. I'm not sure if that's par for the course for that laptop, but since they can't seem to get it right, I need to move on.

I've pretty much decided on the M50vm, but not sure about the A1 or B1. From all the reviews I've read here (plus the temperature chart this thread) it seems to run faily cool when not under load and is nearly silent. I want to make sure whatever I get can still be used as a laptop and this seems to fit the bill.

As far as "games" go, I only really play X-plane, and probably spore when that comes out. The rest of my time is either spent in Visual Studio or on the interwebs. I know what's under the hood in this laptop is probably overkill, but it's nice to know that it's there when I need it

If I went with the slower procesor in the A1 (P8400), would there be any realy noticable difference in my daily routine? More importantly, would it be cooler than the T9400 in the B1?

 

I recommend that you look in this thread, many people have asked the very same question, and if you want more specifics, you'll get more answers there...

 

In the absence of high intensity cpu apps (i.e. encoding, etc) the difference between the 84xx and 94xx cpu's is going to be noticeable *only* in benchmarks -- you'll never tell the difference in daily usage.

Both are going to be lightning fast, but how much you really care about the difference is a question you alone can answer.

 

Yeah, I'd say to go for the -A1. For one, you can get one now. And the difference in CPUs will not be noticeable in any real-world applications. I'd hang on to that extra ~$150.

 

I personally would say M50Vm-A1 for P8400 processor, unless you need the power. The processor speed is about 10% difference, but when you include all the processing time on RAM, Hard Drive, and LCD, you may not feel the difference.

Good Luck on your search!

 

Oh, and don't forget that the -A1's processor has a better TDP: 25W vs. 35W. That will translate directly to lower heat and better battery life.