Advantage of Centrino2

Hey guys. I ordered a xps m1530 a few days ago fully loaded(2.6, 1900 res, 350gb hd, bluray etc) with a 25% discount.

I know dell is preparing the centrino2 line to be revealed pretty soon, but I was wondering what the advantage was to having a centrino2 based laptop other than battery life. Does centrino2 give me faster performance?

I'm using this mostly as a editing machine that will be plugged in most of the time, so battery life isn't that important. Should I cancel and wait or just keep what I have? Thanks.

 

Question about the T9500, did it come default with the configuration or did you upgrade it? In most cases, the T9500 isn't very good price/performance wise.

Centrino 2 also offers new wireless options, and some performance gains.

 

the centrino has a higher fsb 1066 instead of 800
it can use ddr3 ram instead of ddr2
n more
but i'm going to get a m1730 with the 8800mgtx sli get discontuined cause dell isnt tellin us anythin n i dont want to be stuck with a 9800m gtx with no sli

 

a) no problems with the 8400/8600 fiasco
b) up to 25% smaller mobo, probably fit a better 9-series graphics card, lower chance of going high temp
c) better stuffL faster speed ram, new processor
d) as said, less heat, less battery usage= more battery life
e) WiMax, may not be that important to many
f) better integrated graphics, probably wont apply to M1530, unless dell wants a hybrid graphics option(switch between IGP for better battery life, dedicated chip for intensive gaming)
e) probably more expensive/not as much discounts

 

As mentioned above, the T9500 is not worth the money. The 2.4GHz T8300 is a much cheaper solution and you won't notice any performance difference with 200MHz less and half the cache. You also probably mean 250GB, 7200RPM or 5400RPM? I'd save the money from the CPU and invest in a SSD instead. Also, Blu-Ray is a big rip off ($400 for an upgrade from Dell!). You won't notice much difference (if at all) compared to DVDs when on a 15.4" screen. Again, more money you can save or use towards something better.

Centrino 2 won't really give any performance difference compared to the T8300 or T9500 since they are based off the same process. Don't bother canceling to wait for Centrino 2. Maybe if you fill out the FAQ, people could help you make a better decision (ie. do you game?).

 

$400 for a 2x laptop blu-ray burner may not be a deal but I wouldn't call it a big rip off. The desktop burners are still going for like $350 for 4x and laptop drives are typically more expensive for the same thing. Also I don't think anyone is buying a blu-ray drive for their laptop for picture quality when watching a movie. It is just the fact that you can play one period. If you have gone with a blu-ray player at home and all the new movies your are buying or renting are blu-rays you just want to be able to play them period on your laptop too. I know in my case I haven't gotten a new movie on regular DVD in almost a year. I had a specific purpose for getting it on mine because I want to use it a portable blu-ray player and hook it up to a TV via the HDMI away from home. The OP said he is using it as an editing machine so he might need the capacity of a blu-ray burner too. I agree though that waiting around for Centrino 2 is not worth it if you want a laptop now. Faster bus, slightly improved wi-fi card, slightly lower power usage and newer chipset with better integrated graphics didn't really excite me a whole lot especially if you are going to be using a separate GPU.

 

I would call it a big rip off. In the deals thread, you can get Blu-Ray in a laptop under $1000. My Acer has it, and it was around $1100, 2 months ago. I don't think it's worth 1/3 the value of my laptop.

 

How can you go by the total cost of the laptop to determine if the blu-ray is a ripoff? For one your blu-ray is only 1x. 2x is slow enough. Also some of the specs of your machine are alright but you can see how they made it a $1100 machine. It is two months later but I only paid $1450 for mine and except for a few items I got a lot nicer system IMO. I can see the argument you are making and I agree it is an expensive option but again I think calling it a "big ripoff" is going to far. I think it would awesome deal if it was 4x drive.

 

Is the Blu-Ray option more pricey because it deals with a slot load drive? /ignorant

 

The regular drive is slot load also. The blu-ray option is pricey because they all are right now. Standard desktop 4x blu-ray drives are going for $350+. Dell 2x option isn't rock bottom pricing but I just don't think it is a "big ripoff". You can spend $25 easy just on a blank disk. I could see saying blu-ray writers and media in general are a big rip off right now but to just call dell out for $400 2x laptop drive I think is an over statement.

 

And a good jack in the prices.

 

I don't know if they can, if you look at for instance, the Sony FW series which is comparable to the current XPS prices with Centrino 2's and Blu Ray writers in them.

 

That FW sucks. No LED screen, lame graphics card, they put the cheaper of the 2 new Intel wi-fi cards that actually has worse reception than the old one in the XPS and when I configured one as comparable as I could to my XPS it still came out to about $300 more. I personally don't want a screen that big either.

 

Sony FW 11S

@intelCentPerf2c with Intel® Core™2 Duo processor P8400 (2.26 GHz and 1066 MHz FSB) and Intel® PRO/Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (English version)
300 GB Serial ATA 4200 rpm hard disk drive
4 GB DDR2-800 SDRAM (2*2048 MB), maximum 4 GB DDR2-800 SDRAM
16.4" WXGA++ (1600 x 900) Widescreen X-black LCD screen with double lamp technology
ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3470 graphics processing unit with Total Available Graphics Memory of approx. 1530 MB and dedicated Video Memory of 256 MB
Blu-ray Disc™ drive: plays and records Blu-ray Disc™ (BD-R/-RE/-ROM/ DVD±RW/±R DL/RAM)
Built-in 'Motion Eye' Digital Camera (max. 30 frames per second, 1.3 Mega Pixels) with Motion Picture Function (max. resolution (pixels) SXGA/1280*1024)
Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n; Bluetooth® technology
3 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 ports
UK QWERTY keyboard
Exclusive VAIO software: VAIO Music Box, VAIO Movie Story, VAIO Media Plus, Click to Disc/Editor

Price £1,199

XPSM1530
Catalog Number / Description Product Code Qty SKU Id

Base:
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T8100 (2.10 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 3 MB L2 cache) 148303 1 [210-20595] 1

Microsoft Operating System:
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium SP1 including Media

Enhanced Service Packs:
1 Year Base Warranty 129878 1

Colour Choice:
2.0 mega pixel Camera & Tuxedo Black for CCFL Display

LCD:
15.4" Widescreen WXGA+ (1440x900) TFT Display with TrueLife™
Biometric Identification:
Biometric Fingerprint Reader with BLACK accent

Memory:
4096MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x2048]

Hard Drive:
320GB (5.400rpm) SATA Hard Drive 129658

Video Card:
NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 8600M GT with 256MB dedicated graphic memory 128207

Optical Devices:
Fixed Blu Ray 2X Slim Slot-Load Drive, including SW

Primary Battery:
Primary 6-cell Lithium-Ion Battery (56 WHr)

Standard Warranty:
1Yr XPS Premium Warranty Support - Priority Call In and Onsite Support 129874

Bluetooth:
Dell™ Wireless 355 Bluetooth 2.0 Module (up to 3Mbps) with Enhanced Data rate - Eur 113308

Wireless Networking:
Intel® Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-Card - Europe - Core 2 Duo Processors

TV Tuner and Remote Control:
Dell™ Travel Remote Control 107775


Microsoft Application Software:
Microsoft® Works 9.0 / English - (Does not include Microsoft® Word)

Price £1,039 so a whole £160 cheaper for the XPS

The XPS has a dodgy graphics card, old Duo core chip and a slightly worse screen

the sony has a not so great but not duff graphics card, a slower HD and a slightly smaller sized HD

As for the screen size, its only 1" bigger all round!

Not a massive difference in price. If Dell want to put more than £160 on the cost to have a Centrino 2 they are going to have problems selling into this market with the likes of Sony and HP.

 

The thing is, if you consider all the stuff that Dell computers comes with in the box, you'd be thinking Sony is a rip off. It's already 160 more yet it doesn't come with the laptop bag, recover disks, and w/e else is in the Dell box. The quality isn't great but it's still something. Also, the materials that the FW uses are magnesium and plastic. Compare that to Dell's build and how much it would cost to design, form, and make that frame? I don't think molding plastic would be very hard. Saves on time and cost wouldn't it now? So about that 160, it's not the best way to compare the systems. Try considering the cost of everything the Dell packs its computers with and see if that number changes and you'll see how much profit the FW is really making.

 

Ah Phaam,
Those extras you get do not come with the UK laptops. You have to buy the bags seperate, its does not come with Cds etc. You get a laptop and a power lead. No earbuds, satchel or anything else you get in the USA.

 

Dude you just posted the lame specs of the FW that I was already talking about. Once again that computer sucks compared to the XPS and it is more money. I don't know pounds but my XPS was $300 cheaper with an LED screen and way faster GPU. I wouldn't even be willing to buy the FW with their screen and GPU offerings and like I said they are using the cheap Intel 5100 Wi-Fi card which gets worse reception than the old Intel card in the XPS. You can read reviews on that thing that say the screen sucks, the speakers suck, the game playing ability sucks. You can keep that piece of crap especially for more money than the XPS.

 

Yeah the FW listed is not good at all for the size and on top of that in US Dollars that's roughly $2400 for that system which is ridiculous. The guy above with the laptop in his sig for $1400 which is roughly 700 Pounds which is vastly cheaper and a better system in my opinion. I personally really dislike Sony and their extraordinary high prices for mediocre systems. I am a fan of the new Z series however but their prices are a bit too high for me considering I got a similar spec system for only half of what Sony is selling their for.

 

The point I was making that in this competative market Dell cannot vastly increase the pricing styructure of a M1520 with a Centrino 2 chip against 5the competition. the Sony was an example.
I really do not know which reviews you have been reading, but to quote one review from Laptop "Image quality from the 1600 x 900 panel is stunning. It employs Sony’s Xbrite-HiColor technology, which claims a higher brightness and wider color gamut than run-of-the-mill LCDs, and it shows. Watching the Blu-ray edition of Live Free or Die Hard (via the preloaded InterVideo WinDVD BD player) was a pleasure on this screen, which exhibited natural colors, good details in shadow areas, and very good motion reproduction."
The complaint on the review on this site was they admit, a pre production screen. Also their PC benchmark makes this laptop better than many other systems including one of the XPS M1530 packages.

AND let's not forget the elephant in the corner, the crappy NVuidia GPU fitted to the XPS M1530

Sure the Sony is expensive, but in the UK, Dell are also expensive and so is the HP Centrino 2 equivalent.
All of these choices are around the same price currently and this brings me back to my original point, that Dell cannot increase the price without losing many sales to the opposition.

 

The XPS M1530 benchmark in that review was a totally slow processor. The faster ones that most people are getting now would be just as fast as the Sony. The nVidia GPU in the XPS M1530 kicks major *** on the one in that Sony. I will take my chances with the die issue that some have had. They said they had issues playing an old game like Half Life 2 with that Sony and that just doesn't fly and I am not even a "big" gamer. I understand that you were just using the Sony as an example but like I said that Sony has a lot of shortcomings to the current XPS and it is still about $300 more configured as close as I could to my XPS even with it cheap Intel Wi-FI card, slow GPU, non-LED screen, 1.3MP camera, etc. so I would still pick a Centrino 2 based XPS at even $400-500 more than the current prices before I would get that Sony and I think a $400-500 would be considered a pretty vast increase. That is the point I was trying to make. Maybe the price structure is different for you guys in the UK.