Advice on purchasing new XPS M1530

Hi,

After spending time searching for the perfect laptop for college I ended up with the Dell XPS M1530.

But before I'm going to configure stuff and order it I'd like to ask some questions about it.

First of all, I'm doubting which screen to get, the 1280x800 or 1440x900, I'd prefer the latter, but I've read some stuff that the 1440x900 version hasn't got the same quality as the lower resolution one (grainy pictures etc.)?

I'm also doubting about the RAM, I could either get 3 or 4 GB, but that depends on which version of Vista is included with the Dell, if its the 32-bit version then 4 GB will be useless, unless its free to upgrade to Vista 64-bit.
BTW, are there any serious performance differences between 3 and 4 GB? (I'm talking about asymmetrical dual-chanel versus regular dual-channel).

I'm also not sure which processor I should get, I'd probably go for the T8300, Unless there is a huge performance benefit with the T9300's 6 MB cache.

And do all 8600 GT based M1530 models come with GDDR3 VRAM?

I also would like to know whether the build quality of the XPS is pretty good or not, since I will be taking it to school with me nearly everyday.

BTW, would there be any Montevina-based laptops available before August, and if so, is it worth waiting for those?

Thanks in advance ,

 

Go with the 1440x900 LED LCD. best bang for you're buck

i'd go with 4gb of ram, even if it is 32 bit because it'll allow you to dual channel. and if you ever wanted to upgrade your ram that 1 gb stick would be thrown away for a new 2gb stick.

processor-wise the 8300 is defintely your better option. the price it costs to upgrade to the 9300 is not worth the performance differenece which is minimal

 

1. Screen Resolution: I haven't heard any stories about the 1440 x 900 problem, but I don't follow Dell threads apparently as much as you. Regardless, upgrading the screen resolution is definitely worth it, especially if your thinking of using an external monitor or writing papers. Even if the text would be smaller, your still getting a much brighter and better looking picture.

2. RAM: I understand gkizzle3622's point on the option of upgrading at a later point, but I have to ask why would u need to upgrade if you have 3 or 4 gigs? I have 2 right now, and granted I don't game on my laptop, but I think two is sufficient and 3 will be more than enough. Unless your thinking of upgrading now, in which case I would tell you to buy the lowest amount for starters, or upgrading in the future due to the quality of RAM that comes from Dell, I would say go with 3. Sorry, that was mostly ramblings, but honestly 3 should be more than enough.

3. Processor: If you have the money to spare, I would upgrade, though the money would probably be better spent on upgrading the video card if your concerned about gaming performance. In terms of day-to-day performance, your still going to be screaming with an 8300. Also, I really would wait until Montevina drops. Dell usually releases laptops with the chips about 1-2 months after the announcement, which will cut it close for school. Just remember, it usually takes about 1-2 weeks for Dell to create your laptop, and if worse comes to worst, the price on the laptop will not go up in the interim time.

XPS has been known to be more stylistic and overall a better build-quality than what Dell has previously produced. As a loyal Dell customer, I would recommend it.

I hope that gives you a few things to think about

 

either go 2gb or 4gb. don't go 3gb for ram

 

and the led screen is the way to go. thinner, lighter, brighter, and longer battery life

 

Another vote for the LED screen. This is the best panel I've ever used.

 

Hi,

Thanks for the replies,

Okay, then I'm gonna go for 1440x900, Although it wont be a LED screen, since they don't have a LED version available where I live (Holland).

Yes, 3 GB is probably gonna be more than enough, but its not the amount that matters, its the bandwidth, with 4 GB of memory you will have 2 equal chips of 4 GB installed, which means you can run the the memory in dual-channel mode, which means that you have double memory bandwidth, but with 3 GB that isn't really possible because the memory chips aren't equal (2 GB + 1 GB), and I can't get a 2 GB Dell XPS here in Holland, the option is simply not available on the website, and considering Vista requires a decent amount of RAM, more than 2 GB wouldn't hurt.

Yeah, the T8300 seems to be the sweetspot in terms of price, but the T9300 has 6 MB of cache, which in some (future) multi-threaded applications could mean a decent performance increase, but I'm not too sure whether more cache would seriously improve performance in real-world conditions.

As for Montevina, I'm realizing its probably gonna be too late late for me.
Montevina is going to be introduced on the 14th of July if I remember correctly, and if its gonna take another month or two for Dell or any other brand to come up with a decent Montevina-based laptop its gonna be too late for me.
I definitely need a laptop before 20th of August, and probably a week before that to get my laptop configured the way I want it.
School starts on August the 20th for me, and since I'm studying ICT its required for all students to have a laptop, showing up without one is gonna be a problem.
Not to mention that sometimes it takes over a month for Dell to deliver their product (there's actually a whole "Dell shipping issues" thread on the Dutch forum Tweakers.net).

So, for instance, I could make two configurations:

The cheap one:

T8300
1440x900 display
3 GB RAM
250 GB HD

around 880 euros.

The more expensive one:

T9300
1440x900 display
4 GB RAM
320 GB HD

around 1000 euros.

Or the 'more expensive' configuration with a T8300 processor: around 935 euros.