Inspiron 9400/e1705

I've been researching for notebook the past few weeks, and finally came into conclusion that this is the best performance notebook in my price range.

Here's the spec:
Intel C2D T5500 1.66 ghz 2mb cache
GeForce 7900GS 256mb (nice!)
17" WXGA+ TFT with TrueLife 1440x900
2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
120GB 5400 SATA

Now my questions:
1. I've heard a few overheating problems with this laptop even with no overclocking, is that true?
2. Is it built to last long? I don't want it to start breaking apart in 2 years. Mind you, it will be a desktop replacement; so it will mainly be on my desk.
3. Is the C2D T5500 sufficient enough for gaming? or should I upgrade to the T7200? (VERY pricey!)
4. Is the 1440x900 good enough for gaming? I'd love to take the 1920x1200, but I'm scared that it will slow down heavy games in the future.
5. Last question, For those 9400/e1705 owner, have you ever had to repair your notebook? If so, how many times and in how long? I really really need reliability as I can't afford to lose my laptop for 1-2 weeks every half a year or so...not to mention if it's already past the 1 year warranty.

This is a very very good value for money, just tell me what's the catch please...I'm well prepared to listen to it
(other than the horrible design )

 

For gaming, usually the bottleneck is the GPU not the CPU. [But I think T5600 will be better because it has Virtualization - it means that you can run Linux inside windows or Vice-Versa at a good speed]
But I don't know whether getting a 8600GT is not a better choice.The 8600GT is just a little weaker than 7900GS [according the the first reviews] and it's DX10.

 

I'm in australia, which means that it won't come out for at least 3 months from now. My desktop PC is falling apart and I need a replacement ASAP

Beside that, my 9400 build is already pushing at my budget. And I'd think that with the 8600gt it'd cost even more.

One more question though, how is Dell compared with other mainstream notebook brands such as hp, asus or toshiba in term of durability? my sister's compaq hp has been running for 3 years without needing even a single service; and I've seen an almost 10 year old toshiba notebook still working smoothly!
But 3-4 years should be enough for me Do you think this will last 3-4 years? I have the impression that Dell would use cheap parts to press price...

 

You are correct...Dell's Inspiron line has mediocre build quality. HP notebooks are better built.

 

i think all of the talk about poor build quality is overblown. I have had mine for half a year or so and it still feels solid as a rock. The only build quality issues I have had is the cd drive vibrates when it gets going, and my left arrow key popped up a few times from intense use in gaming. The frame is very solid, no give even when picking it up from one corner with one hand. The screen hinges are still solid as well. The only problem I had with this purchase was Dell customer service is terrible to deal with, but that was only when I was actually ordering it since then I have not had to talk to them----also, you can fix the cd drive vibrating yourself really easily if you bother

 

Thanks for the responses guys.

Any comments on:
1. I've heard a few overheating problems with this laptop even with no overclocking, is that true?
4. Is the 1440x900 good enough for gaming? I'd love to take the 1920x1200, but I'm scared that it will slow down heavy games in the future.

And do you think it will last for at least 3 years without major problem? This is my first dell product, and I'm very worried with their durability...

 

games depend on the resolution they are run in... 1920*1200 would be a bit difficult i guess.. but u also get 1080p with that while watching movies.. so i think u should take the 1920*1200...

 

how do u actually fix the cd vib? I wanted to do that since I got the notebook.

 

What about the overheating issues? This is an issue for me as I will use this for gaming a lot! I've heard some overheating issue with this laptop with the go7800, but I'm not so sure with the 7900gs. Does anyone have any overheating issue with this setup?

 

people can have overheating issues when pushing any laptop, as far as im aware dell aren't any more likely to overheat than any other laptop.
Aslong as you keep it well ventilated and free of dust, also keep an eye on the temps, it should be fine.
And if somthing was wrong with it your warranty would cover it.

 

Where have u heard this ?
That thing is huge and has two fans, and utilities to control the fan ops.
It should not overheat.

I used an older inspiron (not as well built as the e1705).
It worked fine for 5 years, survived a 3 feet fall to ground while on.
Finally it just became obsolete (still runs fine).

The E1705 is a great machine, see my comments here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=97803

 

Thanks! I think I'm getting this next week. Now just need to haggle for extras with those Dell salesmen/women

 

i read that the e1705 overheat surprisenly on hte base, is it true?

 

WHERE are you reading this ?? Post some links man.

 

They are confusing, hot for overheating.
Just because they get hot doesn't mean they over heat.
To overheat a loptop it would need to go to about 120c.
The highest mines has ever gone is 80c, and that was with 2 games running and
a few other apps.
My temp now is 50c, thats about normal for me.
Putting my hand on the base right now, it feels warm, i wouldn't even say hot.

 

The only 'overheating' issue I think I have had is while playing Stalker but I can't be certain. I got the blue screen of death telling me I had a hardware issue of some sort and the back was extremely warm. I found a thread on it however and may not be related to my GPU or anything at all. Other than that I'm very pleased with it and its great for gaming. Just keep it in a well ventilated area during intense gaming.

 

i don't now what is the difference bewteen the inspiron 9400 and the e1705, can any one tell me

 

I had some heating issues when i first got my E1705. It was fixed with A fan control program. The E1705 is an outstanding Laptop for the money im more then pleased with mine no regrets at all.

 

I had thought they are the same.

 

It's the exact same notebook, just with different names. (I think it might be called the 9400 in canada or something like that). Also, check the dell coupon codes, you'll save a lot of $$ there.

About overheating, I've had my E1705 for about a month now and have had no issues at all. If you're really worried, I guess you could get one of those external cooler things. You also might be able to save some money by getting less ram and then buy a stick of newegg.com or something for less and install yourself. Overall, I think you'll be happy with the 1705, it's been good to me so far.

Edit: Ooops, didn't see that you don't live in the US. Can't use those coupon codes =\. I guess you could always have someone in the US buy it for you and ship it over.

 

fixing the cd drive....i just basically glued a very thin piece of rubber on the outer edge of the drive...works

 

It's called e1705 only in america, everywhere else it's called the 9400.
Not sure why.

 

Just paid for my order yesterday, managed to haggle down the T7200 to a very good price (they almost double charged this upgrade). Can't wait for it to arrive to my door! (10-12 business days )

Thanks a lot for the replies guys! This is a really good site if you want to find info about notebooks!

 

Well, congrats on ordering one. But just to add my own experience -- I've never had overheating issues, and I overclock my video card to fairly high settings -- 580/740, and I don't have a problem with it. Never had to repair my notebook either, though I took it apart once to put AS5 on the CPU and GPU, which was completely voluntary.