ARGH! Studio 17 or wait for XPS updates?

Dell's running an even better sale on the Studio 17 this weekend. Ends up $1800ish for me pretty decked out.

The Studio 17 is *almost* what I want-Blu Ray, LED backlight, and a decent GPU...

but if Dell comes out with something else with an LED backlight and a much better GPU I'm going to be really disappointed I think (unless it's like $4000 or something).

I don't know, I just can't decide. Wish the 1730 had the 1735's LED backlit screen as an option. I'd buy that in a second

 

Depends when you really need it. If you are planning on getting it for school, then get the Studio 17 now. Chances are slim that it will be out in late August.

 

Nope, I don't really need it at any particular time, I'm just sick of waiting and the Studio 17 is close to being perfect (and on sale)

 

What GPU are you looking at with the Studio? Wondering if the Nvidia is an option and if that is a wise choice. I don't think the studio line uses them however.

 

The fact is, the SEC has already released the official statement that the production lines for the affected cards have already had a change in dye packaging so future units will definitely not have this problem. Only question remains is if Dell is still getting rid of the old stock, or if they are shipping the new corrected stock.

Regardless, the large majority of the cards work great even for those who purchased their notebook a year ago.

 

What does the SEC have to do with Nvidia's manufacturing process? Keep in mind, the SEC is taking what Nvidia is telling them at face value. They don't verify that the issue is solved. I for one would not be purchasing any Nvidia GPU until more is known. ATI for now folks. (unless or until Dell or others step up and says "we will replace any faulty GPU regardless of warrantly status for the life of the notebook" That would keep me happy and in line for a new Dell today.

and yes most cards are working fine now, but the question is for how long? Just because they work fine today, does not mean the problem is absent from the GPU. This problem is a combination of laptop, heat, and importantly time. When it will fail is anyone's guess.

 

No, the SEC isn't that careless as you think.
Though I agree ATI doesn't make bad cards, though they are still considered underneath Nvidia. Who knows, maybe this announcement will change things for the future, but ATI really needs to pack more of a punch first.

 

I would wait for the XPS btw, if in no rush, by then the prices on the studio will be less and you will have a better choice. Anybody have an idea when the XPS update is to hit?

 

Its not being 'careless' its just not their job to verify any of this issue. What proof is there from the SEC or elsewhere that the problem is solved? What did the SEC do to verify this? They took Nvidia's statement and released it. Do you have the SEC statement btw? I would like to see it.

 

Why are you operating from the assumption that Nvidia is lying? I've read some tech articles in the past week that think that idea is...not correct

At any rate, I would still pick an Nvidia card over ATi any day. Even if there was some problem, it's a moot point for me as I'm getting a 4 year warranty. On notebooks ATi's only once been competitive (and that was years ago), and I still have far fewer problems with Nvidia's drivers.

The Studio line unfortunately only offers ATi hardware. It's close enough to the 8600GT (I think...) that I'm willing to go with it since it's probably good enough for me.

I'd rather have something more like an 8800 class GPU though

 

I AM the SEC.

lol ok, I'm not. That would be fun to say if it were true. Anyhoo, the official statement is linked in a thread which I don't want to bother digging right now, but someone else can go dig.

As for warranty, I don't like the fact you still get a refurb notebook. If that was the case, I wouldve bought from the Dell outlet.

Believe me at this point you do NOT want to see an 8800 class GPU in an XPS 15.4'' just because of all the weight it adds and the MAJOR power consumption it takes. Thats one of the main reasons why Alienware is not a viable option as even though it packs power, it comes with major sacrifices in weight, battery, etc.

The ATI hardware in the Studio does not perform anywhere close to the 8600GT with the exception of the one in the 17'' notebook. I'd much rather have the 8600GT thats in a 15.4''.

 

Yeah, I'm only looking at the 17" Studio since it has the 3650 which I guess should be fairly comparable to an 8600GT (though I'd still much rather have an 8600GT, even if it was a bit worse). I think I'd rather have a 17" notebook anyway since when I use it at home I think a 17" screen should be usable for me-I wouldn't need to hook it up to a larger screen...

...although maybe it'll still seem small, and I'd be better off with a smaller notebook and just hooking it to an external screen. Oh well...

 

Yeah, 17'' for me is just.. the whole additional weight, requiring bigger case, having to lug it around, blech. Its just not my thing. The 3650 comes close to the 8600GT, but it is noticably slower in terms of gaming performance and is not really totally up to par.... So in both aspects the 8600GT beats it, which isn't really a bad thing since the 8600M GT fits in a 15.4'' notebook with reasonable power consumption while the 3650 consumes slightly less power, but gets more added weight being in a 17'' notebook. Doesn't make too much sense,but all signs point to the XPS M1530 as the winner.

 

Dang nabbit, if they'd just throw an LED backlight on the 1730 I'd be more than happy with that