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    Which i5 chip should I get for my XPS 1647?

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by npecho, Mar 16, 2010.

  1. npecho

    npecho Newbie

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    Hi there, I'm wondering if it's really worth upgrading the CPU to the i5-540M or if the i5-430M will be good enough (it's $150 to upgrade)? I'm not a big gamer, I'm a software developer (VS Studio 2008, etc...), run some virtual machines, and do some photoshop work. Also, will 4GB of RAM be sufficient? I'm upgrading from an old Inspiron 9300, so I'm sure I'll be happy, but if I'm going to fork over $1600+, I want to make sure I make the right decisions. Thanks!

    Here is the config I am looking at currently (will likely upgrade to a better warranty):

    Obsidian Black High Gloss Finish edit
    PROCESSOR NEW 2010 Intel® Core™ i5-430M (2.26GHz, 4Threads, turbo boost up to 2.53Ghz, 3M cache) edit
    OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows ® 7 Home Premium Edition edit
    OFFICE SOFTWARE Microsoft Works edit
    SECURITY SOFTWARE McAfee SecurityCenter, 15-Months edit
    HARDWARE SERVICES 1 Year Limited Warranty w/1 Year Return To Depot Service edit
    LCD AND CAMERA Edge-to-Edge FullHD Widescreen 16.0 inch RGBLED LCD (1920x1080) W/2.0 MP edit
    MEMORY 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 edit
    HARD DRIVE 500GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive edit
    GRAPHICS CARD ATI Mobility RADEON® HD 4670 – 1GB edit
    OPTICAL DRIVE Slot Load Blu -ray Disc (DVD/CD read/write + BD read) edit
    BATTERY OPTIONS 9-cell Battery edit
    WIRELESS CARD Intel© Centrino© Advanced-N 6200 edit
    BLUETOOTH Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module (2.1+EDR) edit
    SOUND OPTIONS High Definition Audio 2.0 with SRS Premium Sound

    Price is $1619 ($201 discount), this is on dell.ca.
     
    npecho, Mar 16, 2010
    #1
  2. EGM92

    EGM92 Notebook Evangelist

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    If you can, stay the hell away from the Dell XPS series. Too many problems. This is coming from a 1640 owner and future 1647 owner... I'd seriously look into an ASUS machine if I were you. Though if you're bent on getting a Dell a i5 540m would be nice but apparently you can't get switchable graphics that's on the processor.
     
    EGM92, Mar 16, 2010
    #2
  3. chidlebaugh

    chidlebaugh Notebook Geek

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    my advice would be to opt for the 4 year warranty with complete care....
     
    chidlebaugh, Mar 16, 2010
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  4. bac5.2

    bac5.2 Notebook Consultant

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    This is for sure!

    My 1645 replaced a continually failing series of 1340's. This 1645 needed the keyboard replaced immediately, and less than 7 days later, the DVD drive crapped the bed.
     
    bac5.2, Mar 16, 2010
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