Buying an M1330 for Gaming (Warcraft, DOTA, maybe Starcraft 2)

OK, so I need a laptop for traveling so it needs to be small (less than 5lbs!!). And the other requirement I had was the ability to play games, like Warcraft 3 (DOTA) and possibly Starcraft 2 in the future (though the specs for this one are not clear yet).

After some research the M1330 seems like a great option with the new SSD and the Led screen, and the dedicated video card.

But, after even more research (rigth here on this forum, and then on other sites as well) I found out there are issues with the GPU overheating.

So, I'm wondering now if it is possible to use the M1330 to play DOTA for say 4-5 hours in a row (on AC power) without burning the laptop, and without opening the laptop up and putting extra thermal grease inside like another topic here describes.

 

SSD's are too small in capacity for me to consider as great new technology that you must have and buy quickly.

You have to open it up and do the copper modification to prevent all the goo from melting all over the place. Though yes, you should be able to play DOTA for 4-5 hours or more no problem just keep in mind that the thermal goo on the inside of your notebook might be moving around a bit, though it won't be bothersome unless you open up your laptop and see the gooey mess.

Link to Copper Mod for M1330.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=268081

You should have no problems playing Starcraft 2 since blizzard is known for making the requirements good for low end and high end graphics cards.

 

I don't care about capacity that much. I currently have 40GB laptop and that's enough right now, probably 128GB would still be too much

I'm more worried about the fan issues, and the defective GPUs problems. Have those been fixed on the new models>?

 

There's really no problem with the gpu and I'd wait for a refresh dell's xps line they will just be better all around, unless you really need it right away then get one now

 

I would need one by Xmas time. I don't really need one now.

 

If you value price, you should get it now. If not... then wait. Good things come to those who wait.

 

then wait.... unless u see a loaded m1330 under $1000......

thing is with the refresh + montevina, usually laptops are more expensive(or dont offer that much discounts)

 

Well there are those cupons that offer discounts of about 700$ for what I'm trying to buy (down from 2400$). That's one of my questions actually ... do these discount coupons come by every month or is it just a special offer now?

 

they come maybe once every few months.. but u probably wont see any (or much) discounts on Montevina laptops until ~5 months after release...

 

I'm not interested in Montevina laptops. I've had a Intel Pentium M 1Gh with 512 MB of RAM for 4 years now, I think I can cope with the specs of M1330

I was so ready to buy it until I discovered the whole fiasco about the overheating graphic cards ...

 

Yeah, but the problem really hasn't happened yet. Despite smaller die packaging, it is really unknown as to when the GFX card will actually fail and no one has had one fail as a result of it. It could probably last for years for all we know. What we know is this. Despite the defect, many M1530's side their first release a year ago are still working great.

 

montevina dell xps laptop means new design = probably no overheating graphics card

dell+nVidia said they changed the graphics card and all 8400 cards are fine, but do u believe it?

and m1330 = bad cooling mechanism.... my GPU is now idling around 65degC in a 28degC room... hopefully the montevina refresh would change it a bit

 

I don't know what to belive. Have you played games on your M1330? Did it die during the game?

 

The official SEC statement stated that all GPUs manufactured after I believe early July will not have the die problem. Though you must consider the fact that it is possible that Dell is still trying to rid of their current stock, or the initial batches of the 9600GT may be affected by the die problem, or maybe a year from now there will be other problems that have been announced.

The 8400 cards are also potentially affected since many sources point out that the G86(8400) and G84(8600) are affected.

The cooling mechanism is not good due to design. Though it can be helped using the Copper Mode I posted earlier.

 

idling+ surfing net, no video playback(no youtube....) just Opera + Hwmonitor+i8kfan...i8kfan set to turn fans on high when GPU reaches 75, on low between 65 to 75


Copper mod will take about 10-15 degrees off.... laptop cooler will take maybe 2-5degrees off...

ur choice, do u want m1330 now?

 

So what happens when you actually play a game for 4 hours? It explodes?

 

No, you can play for 9 hours, or an entire day, two days straight, whatever. The problem Nvidia says is heat cycling, which is caused by constant fluctuations in temperature. Because Nvidia hasn't said too much, theres been lots people that have been randomly coming up with their own conclusions, but essentially its like this:

You have a piece of metal, you bend it backwards and forwards, backwards, then forwards, until it gets so weak that at some point, the piece of metal breaks.

Its not going to explode, but essentially it will burn out once that layer of heat protection is completely burnt away. The reason why I am recommending people to play a graphics intensive game when they first get their system, is to try to "bend the metal as far back as they can" so if it breaks, artifacting, flashing, etc. can usually be caught early on.

Remember, heat cycling, typically refers more to sudden changes in temperature, and the biggest change typically occurs every time you start up the computer since there is a sudden burst of heat that gets everything going.

Think of it as, you've been taking a hot shower, and you jump into an outdoor pool and it feel FREEZING. The GPU undergoes something similar to that every time you start up the laptop. What the A09 bios upgrade does is make it so that the fans kick in as soon as you turn on the computer in order to minimize the effect of this from happening. Kinda of like, you taking a cold shower before getting into an outdoor pool so that when you get into the water, you won't be freezing that first initial jump into it.

So despite everyone saying that the bios update is a band-aid fix, which it kinda is, though it is not just something that makes your fans kick on more and consumes a ton of battery (only about 10 minutes) and does help with the temperatures to prevent such fluctuations.

Of course most people assume that omg, heat cycling... ok, so it has problems dealing with heat... ok, so when you game, the GPU gets hot... and then it dies... ok.... were all screwed.

Though as I explained above, it really isn't that big of a deal. This is precisely why there are many people who have bought the M1530s since the beginning but are still gaming like crazy. Despite the temps rising when its gaming, its still a gradual increase and is not like turning on your computer where its a sudden change.

Like I said, most problems can be noticed early on as long as you stress out the GPU, but no one on the forums has actually suffered from the weak die packaging except for a small number of people who had their GPUs fail right out of the box or two days into use.

Just because it has a weaker die packaging that can't handle heat cycling as it should, the fans do help it in some way. Of course you have to consider whether the sudden temperature change when turning on is able to be negated or eased by the fans, but that depends on how weak the die packaging actually is, how big of a difference the fan makes, which really isn't as weak as many think it to be. No thanks to Nvidia who does not elaborate more on this, but the truth is, the majority of the people with M1530's are safe, especially with the A09 upgrade.

So its not really as big of a deal as people are making it to be. Though Nvidia should provide more details, but are leaving it pretty open ended. I'd say the M1330 is still a good buy.

 

Thanks for the explanation. So nobody had their GPU die on them after 6 months is that what you're saying That's good news. If it dies in the first couple of days I'll get a replacement, not worried about that.

 

There have been many people with the system over a year ago and havn't had their GPU die on them. It is safe. You have the right mindset.

Just make sure to put some stress on your GPU by gaming a bit for a couple of hours to make sure its not defective. If it is.. just return it. You have 21 days, thats plenty of time. You may want to check out what settings people are able to play for certain games so that you know what settings you should set your games to that would max out the settings, yet make it playable at reasonable frames per second. If you notice sudden lag after gaming for some time, your artifacting, flashing, etc. Theres a problem, request a replacement.

Or if you want to you could call in for a replacement and since you get to hang onto your first one, you can compare the two identical units side by side and decide which one you want to keep if one feels better than the other just for the sake of doing it. Dell pays for the shipping and the return shipping too.

 

Hehehe I'm still working with a Pentium M 1.73ghz with 512mb. But I'm waiting for the refresh...probably I'll spend like 2,500 - 3,200 in a new computer. But the good thing is that I'll be able to work with it for a long time. (mine has almost 4 years)

So...my recommendation is to wait a little...probably 2 - 4 weeks more and we'll see the new XPS line.

 

My son plays Team Fortress 2, HL2 and Portal for up to two hours at a time, and I've had no problems whatsoever.

does this mean I won't have a problem in the future? No, but there's no guarantee with ANY computer that I won't have a problem in the future.

I have in home/office support, so if it has a failure of the GPU or some other problem which Dell can't fix over the phone, they'll send a tech to my office or home the next business day (if they have the part), and it'll be fixed.

Not sure what everyone is having a hissy fit about... if it breaks, dell will repair it. I'm not going to pass on a great machine, lightweight, powerful and serves my needs perfectly, all for a reasonable price, simply because there MAY be a problem in six months, a year, two years... whatever......

By the way, Team Fortress 2 is amazing! I haven't played games in years, and I can't believe what a great game that is! Plays smooth as silk on my m1330 as well, no stuttering, no crashes, great graphics.....

 

Finally someone says something useful. The only decision I have to make now is between the M1530 and the M1330 I'm going to check a BestBuy tonite see which one looks better

Shel, do you have the 9-cell or the 6-cell battery?

 

get 9-cell if u can..

9-cell more battery, a little more weight, but raises the laptop higher = better cooling

my 2 bestbuys nearby only has m1530... while the one 60 miles away only has m1330.... try staples if u dont see it(i see the m1330 in my local staples)


i would recommend m1330+ external 20" LCD if u want portability, but m1530 if u really like gaming

definitely get LED LCD.....

 

Yeah I'm into Gaming but at home I have a dedicated desktop for that Problem is I travel quite often so I want to have some backup gaming device (and a travel companion). The M1530 is great, but it might just have too much weight / size ... I have to see them live.

 

Valval
I purchased from Dell Outlet, so battery choice wasn't my main concern. I have the 6-cell. It provides a lighter laptop, but obviously, you don't have as long a charge.

I might have gone with the 9 cell if I was CTO my laptop, not really sure. Depends on how much you travel, and if you think two, two and a half hours is sufficient for when you're away from a plug. I'm not away that often, usually, even when I take my laptop outdoors there's a convenient plug.

The 9 cell also probably provides more ventillation, as it raises the back of the m1330 somewhat.

I really think you'll be thrilled with either machine, and anyways, Dell gives you 21 days to decide. In 21 days, you'll either love it, or you'll send it back!

Good luck!

Oh, one last thing. I went with the standard, non-LED screen, and saved some money. It also gave me the better 2MP camera on my m1330. I then used the $$$ I saved, and picked up an HP 22" monitor, which is simply amazing! Play Team Fortress or Portal (or other games, I'm sure) on this thing and it's AMAZING!

Gives you a GREAT monitor for when you're at home, and portability (and a better camera, if you use that) for on the road.

I also hear the LED screen is great.... guess it's another tough decision!

 

If it makes you feel any better about it... my friends 1330 has been going strong for a year now, and he's had it on all day, almost every day, and plays a lot of games on it. However... the problem is worth taking into consideration (like how long you plan to keep the laptop out of the warranty period, and if you do decide to keep it, I'd say you definitely should get an extended warranty as a safety net.)

I have both of the affected cards in my laptops... I use my MBP to game almost every day (sometimes I have the game running for almost 5 hours on weekends) and it's been a year and it's still going strong. This thing even idles at 60-70, and has maxed out at 91, although once the fans get into full blast it keeps everything at 80. Even with these huge temperature shifts it's survived a year, so the problem isn't *too* large from what I can tell. (Too large as in you're not going to be replacing it every 2 months, like the panic I see in people here seems to imply). I still say there's a good chance that this thing will break within the time I own it. As for my 8400.... idk that card hasn't even reached 52C under load yet, lol. But I can't speak for the temps on the m1330.

 

I personally believe the LED screen is worth it. It is noticeably thinner which if you're going to bring it around really helps and the brightness is great. It is super bright on Max and the power consumption is much lower than the normal ones. I can only see benefits from this. Not only that, the color rendition is great. A friend who has a Sony SZ said that the screen I had looked amazing.