Looking to replace my e1705

So I'm looking to replace my e1705. It has served me well, but after installing Assassin's Creed, it's starting to show it's age (almost 2 years).

So I've not been paying much attention to Dell and what they're been doing since. I know they acquired AlienWare.

But now I come back and I see all this Vostro stuff and I'm wondering, what's right for me?

What would you guys recommend for <$1500 that can play games well? I would like a 17 incher, but I can work with a 15.4.

Right now my system is a 2.0GHz Core Duo, with a 7900 GS and 2GB of ram with a 100GB HDD.

I would like to be able to play Blu-Ray if not burn some as well. Also want ram expandable to 4gb, but I can upgrade it aftermarket cause I work in a computer store.

 

Please fill out the faq so we can help you better

Check out the Asus M50sv-b1. It features a blu ray player for $1399.

 

I think your 7900 would be on par with the 8600 GT that dell offers in the 15'' and 17'' except for the M1730 which is above your budget. You might want to look at the Gateway that is being sold at Best Buy it comes with the 8800 GTS for $1249.

 

sorry, didn't see teh faq.

==========

General Questions

1) What is your budget?
~$1,500

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen

3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.


4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
I would prefer Dell

5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Gaming, Photoshop, general multimedia, Internet and email

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Mainly transporting it between work and home, but I already have a bag for my current 17 inch laptop.

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Battlefield 2/142, Assassin's Creed, Crysis maybe

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Max

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Nope

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Prefer XP, but I know some games are going to want DX10 and Vista.

Screen Specifics

11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Widescreen

12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
WUXGA - 1920x1200; Wider viewing version of UXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.

13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Glossy/reflective

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Not terribly important, but I don't want it to look like a ThinkPad

15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Whenever, and as long as it can.

Notebook Components

16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB?
160GB-320Gb

17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
CD & DVD+/-RW Burner, Blu-Ray playback optional

==========

 

so this is what I have pieced together, and I would like to think what you guys think of it compared to my current system:

e1705 (current system):
Intel® Core™ Duo T2500 (2GHz/667Mhz FSB/2MB L2 Cache)
Genuine Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2
High Resolution, glossy widescreen 17.0 inch display (1920 x 1200)
256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 7900 GS
100GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
CD / DVD writer (DVD+/-RW Drive)
Dell Wireless 1390 WLAN Mini-Card
85Whr Lithium Ion Battery (9 cell)

Inspiron 1720 ($1,578.00 before S&H + Taxes):
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB/3MB cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition
3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
High Resolution, glossy widescreen 17.0 inch display (1920 x 1200)
256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT
320GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
CD / DVD writer (DVD+/-RW Drive)
ExpressCard Sound Blaster X-Fi® Xtreme Audio Sound Card
Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-Card
85Whr Lithium Ion Battery (9 cell)

 

I honestly dont think it is that much of an upgrade. Try optimizing your current laptop. It should play the game fine.

 

The game does run off of the harddrive, is there a chance that upgrading to a 7200 RPM hdd will fix the lag? I don't have fraps installed, but I can tell you the FPS is not 30 fps. Assassin's Creed kind of feels like it's running at 75% of full speed, like the audio of a character speaking will finish before he video of him speaking does by like 3-5 seconds on average.

 

A faster hard drive will increase loading times, but will not affect the framerate. However, the audio lag you experience may be indicating a driver problem, have you tried drivers other than the stock ones provided by Nvidia? (Hint: LaptopVideo2Go forums)

 

I've got the 84.69, I'm pretty sure it's Dells. I know I've installed LaptopVideo2Go drivers before, i just can't remember which is the best.

 

We've got both systems and the 1705 is better for gaming. The video card in the 1720 isn't as good as what you are already using. I would've kept the 1705 and let my husband use the 1720.. except my 1720 is flamingo pink and I didn't think he would appreciate it

If you do go for it do some research on the sound card. I haven't kept up with it lately but at the time I purchased it wasn't recommended by any users.

Bukket

 

your sys are still good enough for most of the game around.
unless you really hate your system, you should buy a new one.
or try this one, buy a 7200rpm HDD, reinstall the OS, update the drive. this should save to a lot.
if you consider my opinions, please give me a +rep.