On the fence for a sxps 1340!

I have been waiting around for the release of all these new notebooks but I find that this is more within my price range while having solid specs.
I would plan on this build:

• P8800 (2.66ghz)
• 4gb ddr3
• 500gb hdd (maybe 128 ssd)
• 210m gs

For you owners out there:

• Are still any problems with heat or anything after the bios update?
• What battery life should I expect with the 6 cell? or the 9 cell?
• Is the P9600 worth the extra $150?
• Does the leather accent wear easily? Am I better off with just standard glossy?
• Any other concerns? or reasons I should or should not get this?

Sorry if this has already been discussed in the lounge thread, I just figured it would be easier to just make a new thread!

 

There aren't too many things I like about my SXPS 13 but one of them is the backlit keyboard and the ambient light sensors of the media keys. Leather backing is a nice touch as you can grab the laptop without putting fingerprints on it.

Now onto the things I do not like:

- Battery life lasts 2.5-3hours (6 cell battery) at the most by just web browsing and typing up word documents on half brightness level and I have the 9400m gpu. If you opt for the 210m gpu, expect an even lower battery life.

- The frame looks nice but is poorly built. This thing is not sturdy at all. But it could be me but my hinges of the LED display are rubbing against the actual laptop.

- Fingerprint magnet... This laptop smears and smudges like no other. Pretty much the whole laptop is covered with fingerprint-likeable material.

- Screen - I have the LED screen and I'm quite happy with it except that it is glossy (personal opinion) and the webcam quality is crap.

- Weight - This is definitely one of the heaviest 13" laptops you can get.

- Support - I have had a few occasions where I needed support and customer service has been dismal so far and I've owned this laptop for only 2 months.

I'm selling mine on ebay right now so I can get my hands on a Asus UL30.

 

Ah damn, this was one of the reasons that I opted to stray away from Dell for a while (they produce notebooks like crazy but quality has been an issue in my experience), the backlit keys were a big reason I looked into the 1340 but I am a frequent skype user, build quality is a big deal for me since I will be lugging it to class everyday, Thanks CK!

 

Strange, as I really like mine and I have the P9600. I got mine because I do a lot of virtualization with VMware workstation, and I got 8GB of RAM with it. The only issue I had was a ton of BSODs that appear to be related to bad RAM. Once I had the "supported" OS on it (I was using Windows 7 Ultimate since I got it at the beginning of Sept), I contacted them via chat and they shipped new RAM overnight to me. So far, so good. Also, I know this one allows for Intel VT to be enabled in the BIOS without any hacking. I like the unit quite a bit, and I really like having ExpressCard, eSATA, DisplayPort, HDMI, and all the other options it came with. So for me, it's been great.

As for heat, yep, the GPU gets hot when in SLI mode, but I imagine this is a regular issue for machines this small.

 

Oh, and I get 2.5 - 3 hours of battery life with the 6 cell, and just over 5 hours with the 9 cell and I have the 9500M with SLI support. So, you will probably have the same battery life even with the 210M until you kick in SLI mode. Otherwise, it will just use the 9400M which doesn't get that hot during normal usage.

 

I've had mine for a little over half a year and it's been pretty good for me as well, except for one issue with the display (just my luck, but I got it fixed by Dell real fast).

Personally I'd say the only downsides are just the weight and the battery life.

 

well the weight does not bother me since I am lugging a 10 pound monster at the moment, but I think 9 cell would be a definite necessity then

On the 9-cell does it raise the notebook at all or does it come out the back?
And does anyone know if the 210m is still SLI for certain?

 

The 9 cell raises it, and it has an opening where the GPU/CPU fan vent is. I found the temps cooled about 4*C or better using that battery vs. the stock one.

 

Doh maybe this would be a necessity, however I guess I would need to get one from ebay since Dell decided to charge $180 with no upgrade option

 

If you're going to order one, then call them. Don't just limit yourself to the website. If possible, call the EPP (Employee Purchase Plan) group if you have access to them from a work account. They will do whatever you want, and throw in free overnight shipping if you ask for it. They will also throw in other discounts on top of the 7% if you waffle about on the deal. When I ordered mine, the P9600 CPU wasn't even available on the site, nor was my combination of parts and OS. But they built it themselves, since they have access to all the options at once.

 

Yeah definitely would purchase from the EPP or else it would def be out of my price range, thanks for the suggestions I will try to cut some more bargains if I decide to order

 

Any more opinions guys?

 

I'd suggest getting a P8600 (or P8700 if prohibited) if possible and then spending the saved money on an SSD if you are considering one and can live with the reduced storage capacity (in exchange for speed and battery life) or the LED monitor (for brightness and battery life) if you don't have that already (and don't mind the reduced resolution webcam).

My unit has the leather, and though I would not pay extra for it for the fear that it will wear out after a few years (and because I don't really care about hardware aesthetics), it has maintained its shape/structure for the most part for the past ~6 months.

 

Yeah the model for EPP members comes with the P8700 but I would likely at least take the P8800 for $50 and it comes with the LED screen as well, would a SSD really help with the heat/battery life that much?