What options do I need?

Hi All,

I've an XPS on order right now and am having double thoughts on the config I ordered:

• I7-740M
• GT 435M
• FHD LED screen
• 4GB RAM
• 500GB 7200RPM HDD
• Blu ray read only
• Intel 1000 wifi
• Backlit keyboard
• Bluetooth
• 9 Cell battery

My primary purpose would be gaming. I'm hoping it can play L4D @ 1920*1080 @ 60fps with med settings. I'll probably get AC Brotherhood when it comes out for PC.

I primarily use the laptop plugged in. That's why I think I can do with a 6 cell battery. I stream Netflix movie on my XBOX and have a external blu-ray player hooked up to LCD TV. Reason why I think I won't have any use for the blu-ray player.

I think I still have time to call in and get the config changed, 6 cell battery+ DVD drive would save me a good 150$. Any thoughts and suggestions.

Regards,
Nik

 

I think you config is good. I'm not really sure about L4D2 playing full HD @ 60 fps but it should run pretty solid think.
The only things I have added additionally to your config is the blu ray player because I want to relieve my ps3 and the 9 cell.
Your config is pretty solid so stick with it.

 

The Blu-ray and the 9 cell are already there, I'm thinking of dropping them. Did you also get a TV Tuner with yours. Actually the site is not really clear on what the TV tuner adds to the laptop. What does that do anyways?

 

I'm going to expand the thread a bit, for playing L4D @ 1080p what would you prefer:

1) Envy 15 1080p LED BrightView screen with 5830 HD 1GB.
OR
2) XPS 15 with 15.6FHD TLF LCD + GT 435M 2GB.

I think the extra GB in gfx mem is hardly going to matter.

 

Oh ok I got that wrong. I think the 9 cell is good and maybe necessary sometimes but Blu Ray is up to you. Are you planning to watch Blu Ray movies anytime soon?
No I don't have ordered the TV Tuner because I don't watch TV with my laptop... You can plug your antenna cable in there and watch TV via your PC and record programms and such things I think

 

Yes ,the one extra GB of graphics memory are pretty useless in my opinion. Also I'm not sure where to place the 435 gt against the 5830. Maybe they are on par but maybe the 5830 is a bit better.
If you are into games none of these laptops is high end. But both should handle modern games well in medium to high settings. Depending on the resolution. But none of these gfx cards are able to handle high demanding games in their native resolution but L4D2 is not a high demanding game.

 

Not really, that's what I was thinking later on, "What am I going to do with Blu-ray since the media is not accepted for delivering games. Except movies there's no use for it".. I just got carried away I suppose

I watch a lot of movies, but all on Netflix and only online..

 

Definately the envy.
The 5830 is significantly more powerful

 

Agreed, here's why I'm getting what I'm getting:

• I want something < 16" to begin with.
• I want a really good display quality. This is very important to me.
• I don't want to spend 1500+ $.

I could potentially go for a MSI. But the screen wouldn't even come close to the XPS. Why can't manufacturers put decent quality displays in supposedly gaming laptop is beyond me?

(do appreciate your input)

 

What about the screen, the greatest pull for me is the review on Anandtech and high praises for the FHD Led display on XPS 15.
A few days back I got a Studio 1558 with FHD WLED display and blew my mind away. Can't even imagine what the XPS would be like. But the 5470 on it sucked hard and I sold my laptop the next day.

 

Yea well... there's your delema
im sure the envy screen wont be too bad, it is WLED backlit also but only has a 60% colour gamut

seems to get a good reveiw here apart from the anoying brightness changing which im sure you could switch to manual

 

If you want a great screen you don't have any other chance rather than getting the dell xps with B+RG LED or a MacBook Pro. No other Laptop comes even close to these brilliant screens. Except the HP radiance screen but it's not avaliable anymore...

 

I'm being tempted by fate right now... There's a Sager NP8690 which just popped on CL for sale:

Intel i7 Quad Core 820QM
1920x1080 Full HD 15" screen
Nvidia 280m GTX Video Card
Blu Ray.
4GB / 320GB
Bought Feb/2010.

The guy is asking 1100$.. I checked on Anandtech, this is not even a LED display and the color gamut is nothing exceptional..

@JKLeiss - is the color gamut on the 1080P display with BrightView only 60%? If so, yeah that's definitely out of the equation.. I don't think the gain from 5830 justifies sacrificing that much on screen quality..

 

yep thats wat it says on HP site

 

I'd like to ask on this - I see that the US Dell site is configuring the XPS 15 series with 6GB main memory as default , and the UK Dell site has 4GB . Is the 6GB really necessary ?

 

I had to snoop hard around the Dell site to find a configuration that starts with 4GB RAM and 500GB HDD.
Dell UK XPS 15
Personally, I'm happy with 4GBs for the next few years. Currently I own a Studio 1537 w/
T9400
1920*1200 CCFL LCD
4GB RAM
256MB HD3450
500GB 7200RPM HDD

If this laptop lacked anything was:
A Backlit keyboard.

 

whoops.. you need the link for US site.. here..

 

Thanks nikhil170 - I gather that you never seeing all the 4GB in use .

 

No - I run a very lean OS config.. all extra BS services turned off.. For the longest time I didn't even keep a wallpaper.. The memory has never been an issue for me even.. The browsers leak memory or are bad at managin them.. so I recyle my tabs if I've them open for days.. and that's also very rare..