XPS1330??? Dell is giving me a replacing my old laptop

I have to choose a new computer and I'm not sure what to pick. They're replacing my old e1405 aka 640M (see stats in sig).

I have a small selection of open box units to choose from and don't want a bigger laptop than the one I have... that leaves me with just xps1330s to choose from.

I need to choose quick and was hoping I could get some community help since I don't have time to research.

1) Can I change the exterior colour of the xps (for business reasons)?

2) How much does the dedicated graphics card effect the battery life vs no graphics card on the 6 and 9 cell? Is it worth the loss in battery life to get this? Can I add or remove this later?

3) Are there any known problems with the computer? Common complaints?


Please help!

 

I would avoid the XPS 1330 because it is using a Nvidia card, which are currently known to have problems resulting from a defective soldering weld.

I would look for something that offers on board graphics or an ATI product. Like the studio series. Anticipate some battery life loss, however it shouldn't be significant. I personally would rather have some additional graphics power than longer battery life. Its handy when watching videos.

 

Wrong.

Dell *indeed* has an option for Intel integrated graphics on the M1330, for those who don't want nVidia.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=25025&d=1222894540

 

Have you looked at the Studio 15 model? Its pretty nice... and the m1330 isn't bad either, though I would prefer the 1530 over the 1330..

 

Get the XPS 1330, I am for certain you will be happy about it. You can't change the exterior color easily though, unless your CSR allows you too (usually they don't.) If not, you have to buy the lid somewhere else.

 

How common is the soldering problem? Is dell covering it under warranty? What are the symptoms of the problem?

I currently find my 14.1" laptop too large for my needs so the XPS M1330 is really my only option.

So far, I have it narrowed down to two computers:

Option 1) Matte Black
C2D T7500 2.2ghz
GMA 3100
160gig 7200rpm
9cell
intel 3945 a/g
Standard LCD with Camera
Vista Business
Warranty ends May 2009

Option 2) Midnight Blue
C2D T7250 2.0ghz
GeForce8400M
250Gig hd
6cell
Dell 1505 wireless-N-mini-card
soundblaster audigy
Slim LCD with Camera
Vista home premium
Warranty ends March 2009

Both have:
4gig DDR2 667mhz 2dimm
8x dvd +/-RW
Creative Earbuds
Travel Remote
Fingerprint reader
Bluetooth

 

it seem sliek the winner is option 2. I have no idea what slim LCD is, but the graphics card should be worth it

 

slim lcd is LED display, also dell 1500n series is much faster than g cards.

option 1 is for long battery life, twice the battery life with intel x3100.
option 2 is for performance.

 

I would say the second one. Its features trump the first. however, if you want the battery life, go for the first

 

believe it or not, I'm actually leaning towards the first one. I'll explain my reasoning:

-Faster processor
-Faster hd.. my current 160gig is only half full right now and externals are getting cheaper by the day.
-The 8400M problems scare me plus I have a desktop for gaming so i don't need the dedicated gpu. The power savings of the integrated gpu would be a benefit.
-Better vista program
-I would prefer the black colour as I will be using it for business
-Sound blaster audigy is just a set of drivers that anyone can download (i could be mistaken... but I'm pretty sure it came on my last laptop and the drivers were easily accessible online)

The reasons I would prefere the other:
-Much better screen although camera quality goes down
-GPU could be useful in the future
-better wireless (i have wireless N at home)
-There's a good chance I'll uninstall vista for xp anyways


Please correct me if i'm wrong or should consider anything else

 

It's tough.. If I were buying a new system, what's absent from either system would be deal killers for me..

I would rather look at the latitude E series, if those were an option..

If it really comes down to the two, I'd suggest going for the first.. Yes, the LED backlit display is much better than the standard, ccfl one, and the smaller HDD is also a concern, but IMO, these are offset by the integrated graphics, better Proc, a nine cell battery, and the marginally longer warranty... Of course, you might decide to extend the warranty on either, in which case the choice would be even more difficult..

 

My current laptop has a warranty until November of 2009 so I'll be pissed off if they don't extend it out until then.

Trust me when I say those are the only two good options. If I was willing to go to a 15" there would be a couple others, but I don't like a big laptop.

I guess Option 2 really just comes down to the LED screen and extra hard drive space.

 

Hard drives are cheap and getting cheaper. I'd make the decision w/o regard to the included hard drive (but YMMV).

 

My M1330 has never had a single problem. I bought it only a few months after the M1330 was released.

If you have the warranty, what is your concern? My advice is to get the M1330. It is a very portable laptop and powerful as well.

 

If you find your 14.1" too large, and want something lighter, those are the configurations you'll probably want:

"slim" LED display - for less weight and size (I seem to remember they're more energy efficient as well)
integrated Intel graphics - for longer battery life and less problems with the laptop. If you're not doing gaming, skip the nVidia one.
6-cell battery - reduces the weight by a lot, but if you need 7 hours of battery life, go with the 9-cell.

The other stats of the computer doesn't really matter, it's going to be really fast with a 2.0ghz dual core and 4gb ram.

If possible, go for a SSD drive, they are pricey, but consume a fraction of the amount of energy a HDD does. They are also a lot lighter.

 

I'm not sure you understand, I can only buy one computer or the other. I can't configure them unless I do it myself after the fact.

 

definitely the first option. i also opted for the x3100 for the reliability. and all of the other specs are better.

oh, the screen is better for option 2? well i have the worse screen of the two you can get, and i think it's absolutely fine. bright, clear... but of course, i've never tried the other.

 

Colors seem to be better with the LCD screens, but brightness isn't much to write home about. Go for the integrated graphics one, I'd say.

The problems with the nVidia card is just not worth it (check my sig).

Sorry for misunderstanding your post.

 

I'm curious... would the power savings of the Slim LED offset the power usage of the 8400?

 

lol the difference between integrated and the 8400M GS battery life is double now???

If you intend to use the HDMI cable to output to a decent size screen then avoid the integrated graphics.

 

Get the M1330 with integrated Graphics. You are using this for business and reliability is key. You don't want to be on a time sensitive task and then your laptop dies.

 

This is exactly why I want to stay away from the 8400... It would cost me way more money in potential downtime than I would gain from the benefits of a dedicated GPU

What do you mean by this? I'm still curious if I would get a power savings with integrated gpu vs LED screen.

 

Integrated GPU saves a lot more than the LED screen.

 

Can anyone give me an idea of the battery life I will get out of option 1?

C2D T7500 2.2ghz
GMA 3100
160gig 7200rpm
9cell
intel 3945 a/g
Standard LCD with Camera
Vista Business
4gig DDR2 667mhz 2dimm
8x dvd +/-RW
Creative Earbuds
Travel Remote
Fingerprint reader
Bluetooth

My usage is generally medium brightness with wifi on, bluetooth off, two or 3 internet windows open with lots of tabs,ms word, and no multimedia playing.

 

I get more than 5 hours out of my M1330 on Power Saver and the lowest brightness, lasts a full day typing notes down during lectures in school, I never came home with less than 50% battery life left .

I got 9-cell, LED and the 8400m GS (see my profile for full stats).

You should be able to squeeze out between 4-7 hours with wifi on, not a very precise number but I can't give you a better estimation, at least it'll be no more, no less for sure. The wifi drains the battery and so will the LCD probably as well, I don't know if the 8400m GS actually drains the battery any more than the intel one when it's not being used.

 

I went ahead and picked up option 1. I didn't really have a choice because option 2 had already been purchased. LoL. But that being said, thanks to this thread, I had already decided to purchase option 1. So thank you to everybody who helped out.

www.DFSDirect.ca is sending out my computer right away. It's coming from Ontario, Canada and I live in Vancouver so I imagine it will be at least a couple days. I can't wait to get rid of this 14" clunker!!