Inspiron 1720 for gaming and school?

I've been reading different threads about the new Inspiron 1720 and I've read some things that I liked, and I have read some stuff that I have disliked. My main question is will I be able to play the new FPS games and games like guild wars with these specs?


PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7300 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB/4MB cache)
DISPLAY High Resolution, glossy widescreen 17.0 inch display (1920 x 1200)
VIDEO CARD 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT
BATTERY OPTIONS 85Whr Lithium Ion Battery (9 cell)

Also since the laptop is so huge will it still fit in a backpack with a laptop pouch built in? My brother has a 15.4'' laptop and when he puts it in his backpack there looks like there is a little extra room in there but not much.

Thanks

 

do you plan to take this laptop to classes with you to be used during class?

 

Dude get it just for the screen. The 1920 x 1200 is amazing. Plus the glossy makes the colors so vibrant. It's big, but I'd rather have that extra screen room. Think of it as a pretty big textbook.

 

Well I was hoping to, but reading how big it is i'm not sure if that will be possible anymore

 

I have a 1705 now. It plays Guild Wars, EQ II, Lord of the Rings, and Wow. Wow looks amazing on it! I play in high resolution with most settings maxed. I hope to get the same or better performance from the 1720.

This one fits in the backpack. It is a bit snug but fits.

Sure wish people would start getting there new laptops so we can get more info.

 

Haha yea, I ordered mine 8 days ago, and from what I was reading it took other people 2-4 weeks to actually get theres after ordering there notebooks

 

you have to remember in bringing a 17" notebook like this to classes you are limited in space with the desks and or tables, depending on the classroom. so with that, the last thing you wanna do is pull out a monster laptop taking up all your space + some; that is my personal $.02 anyway. i know what it's like to use a large laptop in class, that's why i switched from the i8200 size to the i700m size back in 2005 for my last few years of college.

 

Well the thing is I all ready ordered the laptop, and you know what, maybe it is too large for a classroom but I'm going to try it anyways. My main question though is can it run games like battlefield and guildwars with out much/any lag?

 

yea you will be fine for those games

 

You gotta be nuts if youre going to carry that monstrosity to every class. No offense, but stick to a 14.1 if youre going to take it around, if not, a 15.4 at max. But 17 is asking for a trip to a chiropractor.

 

haha I think I can manage 8-10 lbs

 

the thing is is that he does make a valid point. when you have to carry other stuff with you in addition to the laptop, it can get old real fast. and depending on how much walking you will be doing, well that is a major factor. i think everyone just wants you to be sure you really know what you are buying into with this particular size laptop.

 

I understand that, but the campus i'm going to I can walk anywhere that I need to go in 5 mins from my dorm room. And i'm a big gamer so I really want that 17'' screen. If I must sacrifice comfort for a better gaming experience then I will do just that

 

If he is he better get a smaller laptop.

 

all right forget the whole school thing, will the video card and processor that I am getting be sufficient enough to run newer games?

 

Dude do you really need a lappy in class? Just use the old school notebook.
Buy the 17s" if you want them.

 

the thing is i all ready got the dell inspiron 1720 and I should be getting it soon in the mail

 

I wouldn't be so sure about that... unless maybe if you ordered black.

 

I'd still rather get the 1520 if i were you... Its just as powerful as the 1720, only downside for GAMING would be the smaller screen.

Upsides include...

better battery life
less weight
easier to carry

and for gaming
lower resolution will give u better FPS which I think matters more than that extra resolution.

 

well i'm thinking the big screen will make games like starcraft, warcraft, age of empires, command @ conquers, and when starcraft 2 comes out, alot more fun to play. There really is only one class that I have to take the laptop to, other than that the laptop should remain stationary until i go home for winter break, and still it basically isnt going to be lugged around everywhere, so im sticking to my 17'' high resolution laptop. I just want to know if the 8600 GeForce Video Card and the processor I got will be sufficent enough to run these real time strategy games w/o lag

 

I'm running all of those (except starcraft 2 obviously) on the 8400m gs and also CoH just fine, so I don't see the 8600m GT having any trouble with it

 

Awesome, man I can't wait till I get this thing, does anyone all ready have the 1720? How's the keyboard?

ChaosKye, so when you plan WC3 and all those other kind of games it doesnt lag at all?

 

My buddy has an older 17" Dell and he hates taking it to class. It's a monster.