Inspiron 6400 vs 1520.

Okay,

I have an Inspiron 6400 and an Inspiron 1520, both ancient laptops. One runs, one doesn't. The 6400 is dead with a dead cpu fan. The 1520 is flaky.

Here's my question: The 6400 has a T2080 + Radeon X1400 in it, while the 1520 has a T5250 + Integrated graphics. My question is....which of these is worth using? I'm waiting for Ivy Bridge to release before I pick up a new laptop and toss both of these, but I need to make one survive for a few more months. Upgrading the CPU + a new fan in the 6400 would be around $50, and I've already rigged a 1680x1050 display onto it, while the 1520 has a 1280x800 display. So.... I ask you all for your expert (or as close as possible) opinions on the matter. Thanks

 

If you're only going to keep it until IB, keep the one that's going to be cheaper to repair. The performance difference between the two is more or less negligible in the grand scheme of things. You can swap the 6400 display into the 1520 if the latter is the one you end up keeping.

 

Well I don't know how far past ivy's launch it's going to need to last is the problem. And I'd prefer to be able to give my dad the laptop once I move to Ivy, I'm typing from the 1520 right now I just reloaded Windows 7 and it's decently fast, I'm more worried about 1080p content playing back on a TV connected via VGA, I figured the x1400 gpu would be better for that, the 1520 has no discernable issues that I can tell. It's just old.

Edit: Discernable Issue: Battery is a glorified UPS now, 10 minutes~.

 

If the 1520 is fine and the 6400 only has a bad fan, just replace the fan and hold onto both. If one dies, you can use the other. The fan shouldn't cost more than $10.

Furthermore, unless you can offload video playback to either GPU (which I do not believe you can), the video card isn't going to a limiting factor in 1080p playback; you will be purely CPU limited.

And then if 1080p playback is your primary concern, and neither machine's current CPU is up to the task, the 1520 is the better choice to upgrade as a T7500 or T8100 will only run about $20, whereas a comparable CPU for the 6400 (T7400, T7600), can be more than three times that.

 

The x1400 has the AVIVO engine, how good it is I'm not really sure, MPCHC supposedly can utilize the x1400 to be useful, but if a t8100 will only cost me $20 and will play back 1080p w/ high bitrates no problem then that's the route I'll go.

 

I'm fairly certain a T8100 will give smooth 1080p playback in most scenarios, but as I never run anything higher than 720p, it's hard for me to give a definitive answer. Use your Google-fu I suppose.

 

Well, with some Dremel work, I have swapped the screen on the 6400 to the 1520. It is original a latitude d820 screen, so that's why the dremel was necessary, but it is matte and beautiful <3