Help me replace my overheating 5100

To shorten the saga: my 6 month old 5100 was one of those subject to what I have come to learn is a fairly well known overheating problem that caused to first slow down and then shut down repeatedly without warning. [ !] Every part but the monitor has been replaced.

It's a dog, it's going back.

I need to replace it but I am cash strapped right now. It probably will have to be another Dell unless you all have better suggestions.

5100 specs:
15" xga, p4 2.8, 512 mb ram, 32mb graphics card.

I do a lot of number crunching and use it primarily as a desktop replacement. I have been known to kill time playing a game or two from time to time!

I am considering the 8600 or the 600m with the pentium M chip--since it's supposed to run cooler.

Here are my questions:

1) 600m with a pentium m, is the heat issue at the left wrist a problem? I will be using it a lot.

2) That giagantic screen on the 8600, probably will get sxga, what is the best (most appropriate) graphics card to go with it?

3) Have read in these forums that inspirons were shoddy of late, is that still true, is it safe to buy one now? Do either of the above models have overheating problems?

4) Also am considering (because of cost issues, these are in the ballpark) the HP zd7000 (which runs a Mobile P4) and the HP z3000 (because it uses the PM). Any thoughts, experiences?

Have to do this today, appreciate any and all advice!

Thanks!![ ]

 

So is there any good solution here at all?

Any brand of laptop that has better cooling, is less subject to overheating?

 

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the 8600 is just as hot. The RAM typically reaches about 70°C and the GPU reaches about 100°C during heavy use. Mine hasn;t shut down because of this yet, but at temperatures hot enough to boil water, it probably will soon.
You are right about the pentium M though, it is much cooler. The funny thing is, I figured out how to OC my GPU, but it is already overheated. I can't figure out how to OC my CPU, yet it is only 45°C!!! There is massive overclocking potential, but dell disabled it! lol.

 

You said, "It probably will have to be another Dell unless you all have better suggestions."

With all the trouble that you have had with Dell(your not alone by a long shot their quality has gone way downhill the past two years)
Why would you reward them and be a repeat customer only to be bitten again in the near future?

Try Toshiba, IBM & Fujitsu, They are at the top of quality and reliability While Dell has been down at the bottom since 2002.

Here are the links to PCmagazine's latest service & reliability review.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1185200,00.asp
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1185057,00.asp

Jack

 

The ONLY reason I would be a repeat customer is the cost issue--cash poor at the moment and though I'd love a toshiba or an ibm, they are lots more expensive than a similarly equiped dell.

To be fair to dell, they are taking the 5100 back for a refund and they did send someone out to service it very quickly once I got through what all we dell users know is really, really bad techinical service. When I finally got to a level of technician that recognized the problem (after about 3 calls) they did repair it but acknowledged that it wasn't a long term fix.

Those things are (despite the aggravation of the call in tech support) pretty good service.

I will run specs and price on Fujitsu.

Thanks Jack!

 

Hi gotalemon,
The better machines are not always more expensive, you just have to shop around some. What is your budget?
Have a look over at www.newegg.com they have really good prices on toshiba & IBM mabye for fujitsu too.

Jack

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by gotalemon

 

Thanks for the effort Andrew. Unfortuanately, I have been all over the Dell site looking for what others have tried, many people have tried the program you suggest to figure out what is going on..........there just doesn't seem to be a solution. It really is a fatal design flaw of this model.

No one there has gotten acceptable results from anything, and many have had multiple total rebuilds of their systems. Mine is being boxed up tomorrow and sent back. [xx(]

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Andrew