Which Would You Buy & Why?????

By the way, here are the units I am considering:

1: Dell XPS 17 notebook, six-cell lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and manual
2.00GHz Intel Core i7-2630QM processor, up to 2.90GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0
17.3" diagonal Full HD WLED TrueLife display with 1920x1080 resolution
6GB DDR3 memory
640GB 7200 RPM SATA hard drive
Blu-ray/DVD combo drive
Intel Centrino wireless-N 1000
2.0 megapixel HD webcam with 3D display capability; 3D glasses not included
NVIDIA GeForce GT 550M 1GB graphics
JBL 2.1 speakers
Waves Maxx Audio 3
10/100/1000 Ethernet
Two USB 3.0 ports
HDMI 1.4, USB 2.0, eSATA/USB 2.0 combo with Power Share, mini display, RJ-45 ports
Two headphone jacks, one with S/PDIF support
Mic jack
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium with SP1, 64-bit
Measures approximately 16-3/8"W x 1-3/8"H x 11-3/8"D
UL listed adapter; 1-year LMW

2: Dell XPS 15-2nd generation notebook, nine-cell lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, manual
2.0GHz Intel Core i7-2630QM processor, up to 2.9GHz with Turbo Boost
15.6" diagonal widescreen HD WLED TrueLife display with 720p signal support, 1366x768 resolution
4GB shared dual-channel DDR3 memory
500GB 7200 RPM hard drive
8X DVD+/-RW dual-layer drive
Dell 2GB DataSafe online backup/storage for one year
Intel Centrino wireless-N 1030
Bluetooth 3.0
NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M 1GB graphics with Optimus
JBL 2.1 speakers
Built-in 2.0 megapixel webcam with facial recognition
Backlit keyboard
10/100/1000 Ethernet
Two USB 3.0 ports
HDMI 1.4, eSATA/USB 2.0 combo with Power Share, mini display, RJ-45 ports
Two headphone jacks, one with S/PDIF support
Mic jack
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium, 64-bit
Measures approximately 15"W x 10-3/8"D x 1-3/8"H
UL listed adapter; 2-year LMW

3: HP Envy 17-2070NR notebook, six-cell lithium-ion battery, and AC adapter
2.0GHz Intel Core i7-2630QM processor, up to 2.9GHz with Turbo Boost
17.3" diagonal Full HD HP Ultra BrightView Infinity LED display, 1920x1080 resolution
6GB DDR3 RAM
1000GB 7200 RPM SATA dual hard drive with ProtectSmart
Blu-ray player/SuperMulti DVD burner
802.11a/g/n wireless LAN with WiDi
Bluetooth wireless technology
Radeon HD 6850M graphics with up to 3813MB total memory
Beats Audio with HP triple bass-reflex subwoofer
HP TrueVision HD webcam, integrated microphone
HP Clickpad
Backlit keyboard
10/100/1000 gigabit ethernet
5-in-1 digital media reader: SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro, xD
Two USB 2.0 ports
HDMI, USB 3.0, VGA, RJ-45, eSATA/USB 2.0 ports
Headphone/mic combo jack
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium, 64-bit
Measures approximately 16-3/8"L x 10-7/8"D x 2-1/8"H; weighs 7.71 lbs
UL listed adapter; 1-year LMW

4: HP Envy 14-1260SE, eight-cell lithium-ion battery, AC adapter
2.66GHz Intel Core i5-480M processor, up to 2.9GHz with Turbo Boost
14.5" diagonal HD HP BrightView Infinity LED display, 1366x768 resolution
6GB DDR3 RAM
750GB 5400 RPM SATA hard drive, ProtectSmart hard drive protection
Slot-loading SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW drive, double-layer support
802.11a/g/n WiFi
Bluetooth technology
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 switchable graphics with 1024MB DDR3 RAM, 3738MB total RAM
Beats Audio
HP TrueVision HD webcam, integrated mic
Backlit keyboard
10/100/1000 Ethernet
SD, MMC card reader
Two USB 2.0 ports
HDMI, USB 2.0/eSATA, RJ-45, mini display ports
Headphone/mic combo jack
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium, 64-bit
Measures approximately 14"L x 9-3/8"W x 1-1/8"H; weighs 5.69 lbs
UL listed adapter; 1-year LMW

These are ALL pre-configured, so I will NOT be changing any of the specifications. So, out of that list of 4, what would be your order of preference and why?? Thanks!

Gunny

 

Tell us what you are going to use it for.

 

If you're getting the Dell XPS, you need to get the 1920x1080 B+RGLED display before any other upgrade. Don't buy the XPS 15 if it has the 1366x768 (720p) screen.

 

Yeah, it would be helpful if you told us what your intentions are with the laptop...
But, in terms of mobility, I would choose the Envy 14 because the Envy is lighter than the XPS 15, has a better screen (i agree with edit, if you're going for dell xps, the screen is arguably the most important), Beats Audio is not as good as the JBL speakers but pretty comparable.
But I am guessing you do not care about the mobility of the laptops since you chose two desktop replacement laptops...The Envy 17 and XPS 17 are very similar. I would go with the XPS 17 just because I am in love with XPS 15 and they're pretty much the same except the graphics card is better and the speakers are oddly on the palmrest where your wrists touch...but I am enjoying the experience of my XPS 15 that I recommend XPS 17 because of the beautiful screen (the best i ever seen), JBL speakers (best I ever heard on a laptop) and even though the dell xps is not groundbreaking in terms of design in years past, I think they nailed the xps line this time around for build quality. Sure, they could of lowered the bulkiness just a bit and made the touchpad a bit more user friendly, but besides these small gripes. I am in love with my XPS 15

 

Well I plan on using it for the everyday things, such as; Internet, MS Office 2007, Email, and of course GAMING! The game types I will be playing are; Dragon Age 2 & 3, ME 2 & 3, Elder Scrolls IV, Dead Space 2, Crysis 2, COD Series and Battlefield 3, etc.... This will be replacing my desktop that has fried its MB after 7 years of use. So, with this info in hand, which would you recommend. Oh, I will also be attaching an external HDMI 1080p 23" monitor to the Laptop of choice. Mobility is nice, but not really a bench mark consideration............ Thanks!

Gunny

PS: Since I will be attaching an external monitor, I will have no need to upgrade any displays, so please make your choices from the options above, with no modifications..

 

1366x768 is a low resolution for a 15.6" screen because it makes things onscreen big and limits you to about one window onscreen at a time (read: multitasking is really difficult). The reason it makes things so large is because 1366x768 is the same resolution used in 12-inch laptops. Aside from the low resolution itself, 1366x768 screens generally have terrible image quality (low contrast). However, the 1920x1080 B+RGLED display in the XPS 15 is one of the best quality 15-inch displays currently available. There is a significant difference between the two screen options available with the XPS 15. I have personally seen both, and I can easily tell which one I am looking at while standing 15 feet away (especially when darker images are being displayed).

Doesn't matter what your external monitor is, you can still use the laptop's internal display in a dual-monitor setup. Plus, the whole point of buying a laptop over a desktop is the ability to use it in different locations. If you're going to use this portability, upgrade the display so you have a decent screen to use on-the-go. External monitors cannot replace your internal display because you can't bring them with you, even around the house. If you're not going to bring the laptop away from the desk, just get a desktop.

Either way, it's a total waste of money to buy the Dell XPS 15 with the 1366x768 display. Either upgrade to 1920x1080 or don't buy the XPS 15 at all. You should not be buying the Dell XPS 15 if you are not going to get the 1920x1080 display, it's a waste. Take a cheaper base model with an i5 processor and upgrade to the 1920x1080 display, downgrade to an i5 processor and upgrade to the 1920x1080 display, or just add the 1920x1080 display to your current model if it's within budget, but if you're not going to upgrade the screen then take the XPS 15 off of your list because in that case it's not worth buying.

And, if you're not concerned with portability, there's not much reason to keep the Envy 14 on the list either.


If you're concerned with game performance, the Envy 17 has the most powerful GPU, so it would probably be your best option.

 

There was no reason to buy the Envy 14 once the Radiance display option was gone.

All the games listed, the GPU's won't suffice for pretty much any of the laptops listed if you want to play above low detail. Why not consider like a Sager NP8130 or NP8150 or other rebrands? They also offer high resolution screens as well as 70-97% NTSC color gamut screens matte or glossy.

 

Actually most of those games will play on medium to high fine with atleast 30fps. So i dont know what your res and fps standards are but laptop gamers are no way as near the likes of a desktop user.

 

This good, Very Good Card, Full HD:
HP Envy 17-2070NR notebook, six-cell lithium-ion battery, and AC adapter

Dell unfair by user. on dell malaysia. Xps Cpu free update. I7-2630qm -->2670qm, that is better.

 

So at this point, I am leaning heavily towards the HP Envy 17-2070NR notebook (plus it comes with 2 batteries, a 6 cell and 9 cell. Plus the 6850 has 1GB of GDDR5). It just seems like the right fit.

 

Solid choice imo. I was exploring the Envy/DV-quad when I ended up with my XPS 17. I think the Envy hadn't been updated to Sandy Bridge yet at that time.

 

I wouldn't buy any of them, I bought 2 xps 15z and returned them and an XPS 17 but I gave it to my friend as a gift ( it came with a dead pixel but my friend doesn't care abt it), then I bought another XPS 15 and it had issues with the warranty and screen had to be fixed since it was bad from day 1... so I decided to give them another shot and I ordered another one.. already they replaced the heatsink and fan, hard disk.. and now I notice my keyboard is getting hot which doesn't make any sense to me so today I decided to return it and I don't want a laptop anymore, I spent 1800$ on the laptop and it sux..

NEVER buy anything from HP, they have a really bad reputation when it comes to laptops and I tried 2 and never again, I dunno about their desktops

Over all the good thing about Dell is they will take anything back and try to fix as much as they can, but sometimes repair is not needed.. like they always offer to replace hardware and the issue is with the software.. I would recommend that you wait few months until the new processors kick in and then spend your money there..