My review of Dell Inspiron 8600

Well, I just thought I'd give my thought on the Inspiron 8600 after having played with it for a few days.

For the last couple of months, I was truly frustrated with Dell's customer service and technical support, to the point that I was starting to regret ever purchasing from them. Last summer I bought the Inspiron 5150 and as in my previous post, my screen would flicker whenever I was using battery. After months of repair work and complaints to Dell, I was forced to contact the Better Business Bureau. To make a long story short, Dell let me exchange my 5150 for the 8600. And I must admit, I am very pleased with my new machine.

I received a Pentium M 1.7 ghz, 1 GB 333 mhz RAM, 128 MB ATI 9600 video card, Dell 1300 b/g wireless card, 15.4 " WideSXGA screen, DVD/CD-RW Drive, Windows XP Pro, 60 GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive.

The computer is about 1.5" thick and weighs about 6 to 7lbs, although not the lightest, it's a relief compared to the almost 9 lb. 5150 beast I used to own. It's a fairly sleek design for a desktop replacement with a nice silver exterior. The keyboard feels a little bit flimsy but I've gotten used to that. It has both a touch pad and an eraser head pointer stick. On the keyboard are volume control and mute buttons, as well as buttons for CD drive functions. It has 2 USB ports, 1 firewire port, VGA, serial, parallel ports, and S-video port, with 1 PCMCIA slot.

I am very impressed with the speed of this system. I reformatted the drive to get rid of all the excess Dell garbage. To me, this system runs as fast or even faster than my 5150's 3.06 ghz processor without any annoying fan noise! Even at the battery saving 600 mhz speed, all my programs seem to fly.

Since I plays games fairly regulary, I love the ATI 9600 128 MB video card. I recently played Freedom Fighters at max resolution and the frame rate was outstanding. I ran 3dMark 2003 benchmark and got a score of almost 3000. My old 5150 with a 64 MB Geforce 5200 and 1 GB Ram, only got about 1100!

The speakers, while not the greatest, do give adequate sound. However, I wouldn't count on them for sound intensive DVD movies.

I am very impressed with the battery life. I had the wireless connection on the whole time, surfed the net, and got about 3.2 hours on battery. Without wireless, I approached 4.5 hours. Very solid.

Some negatives: I'm not a fan of the plastic Dell uses in the Inspiron series. It doesn't seem very sturdy. The biggest complaint I have of this machine is that the bottom where the RAM is placed gets incredibly hot, almost to the point that in can get uncomfortable on the lap. I'm not sure if it's the type of memory or the amount, but it does get annoying.

After my terrible experience with the 5150 I made sure Dell gave me a 3 year warranty, since I still question the Inspiron quality. However, I will admit, I believe Dell has made a pretty good desktop replacement with the 8600. It really does balance power with mobility.

For those looking for a desktop replacement at a reasonable price, the Dell Inspiron 8600 may not be a bad choice, HOWEVER, do get an extended warranty on it.

Hope this helps!

 

nesbo, glad that your story with the 5150 turned out okay (in the end). I hope the 8600 fairs better, seems you're pretty happy with it now. I totally agree, Dell makes good machines but a warranty is always good. It might be the fact that Dell sells more notebooks than anyone else in the U.S. that we hear so many more complaints about them as far as quality issues with notebooks...after all, people often only speak up when there's a problem and not when things go right.

thanks for the review!

 

Hey Nesbo:

I found it very interesting when you said "To me, this system runs as fast or even faster than my 5150's 3.06 ghz processor" I have tried to stear clear of Pentium M machines because I wanted the power of a 3 ghz P4. I have heard that a 1.6 Pentium M is equal to a 2.4 P4. Could you please elaborate on the speed comparison between the 5150 and the 8600. Do you think I could get as good of performance with a Pentium M as with a high end Pentium 4? Anything you can tell me would be great. Anyone else is also welcome to give their input.

Thanks!

 

Well, while I haven't actually run any specific benchmarks regarding speed of my processor, games and programs seem to load and run at least the same as my former Mobile Pentium 4 3.06 ghz. Both had 1 GB RAM and 7200 RPM Hard Drive.

However, again this is just from personal experience and I don't have any hard numbers to give you.

I think if you search in some of the old posts in this section, I believe I posted something that compared high end P4's to PM using various benchmarks.

I'll see if I can find it.

 

This is a post from Dell's Community Forum, someone ran a little informal comparison between the 8600 and 5150:

I just ran a PassMark Performance Test comparison betwixt two fresh Inspirons,

1> My brand-new Inspiron 8600, 1.7GHz P-M, 1GB RAM, 128MB Radeon 9600 Pro Turbo, 60GB 7200RPM 8MB hard disk - appears on the attached chart in Red.

2> A friend's brand-new Inspiron 5150, 3.06GHz P-4M, 512MB RAM, 32MB GeForce Go 5200, 40GB 5400RPM 2MB hard disk - appears on the attached chart in Blue.

Both systems were freshly loaded with WinXP Pro SP1a, and all the appropriate updates and drivers were applied. All unnecessary services were temporarily disabled on both systems. SpeedSwitchXP was used to lock both systems at their top CPU speed.

The I5150, with its speedy processor and 533FSB, walked all over the I8600 during the CPU Mark and Memory Mark tests suites.

The I8600's video card pulled far, far ahead on the Graphics Mark suites - approaching 400% druing the 3D tests. Given the relatively small textures used in the 3D Graphics Mark tests, I submit that the 32MB vs. 128MB video memory means less in this instance, than which GPU is used.

Oddly enough, the I8600's fast hard drive equated to less than a 1.5% performance advantage over the slower, but much less expensive, hard drive in the I5150. I know that the faster drive with the larger cache makes good sense, but you wouldn't know it from the Disk Mark tests.

Summary - need 3D performance in a Dell notebook? Buy the I8600. Need acceptable GUI performance, with blistering processing speed for programming or number crunching? I5150.

(Asides - the I5150 SXGA display is WAAY brighter than the I8600 UXGA display. And that frickin' I5150 130w power brick is a monstrosity!)

Now, as soon as I click the "Submit Post" button, Dell will announce a Radeon 9800 Pro Turbo option in the I5150. That option will almost certainly go live the day after my 30-day guarantee expires ;->

 

Hi Run1track,
I too agree, the pentium M is one fast CPU. You can learn more about it at intel's site, but here is the basics.
I have an IBM R40 with a 1.5Ghz Pentium M CPU and ran SiSandra's CPU benchmarks on it a few weeks back and it beat my desktop system(P4 2.4Ghz) by a 2% margin. I would guess a 1.6M would be right up with a 2.6Ghz P4. The main reasons for this is 1 MB of L2 cache in the M vs. 512k in the P4, better branch prediction, shorter pipeline. You can read more at Tom's hardware as well. http://www.tomshardware.com/mobile/20030205/index.html
On top of it all is that it is done with a small fraction of the power consumption of the P4, so a notebook with a pentium M CPU will have about 3 times the battery life as a P4 notebook. I personally think the pentium M is the coolest thing to come out of Intel in a long time.

Just my opinion
Jack

 

Hey Nesbo,

I've ordered an 8600 with exactly the same specs as yours, and it should be arriving this Tuesday. Will post a review as well after checking it out. [ ]

Funny thing is I do research on nanocomputation (next generation of reversible/quantum processors), and I'll be using the 8600 for simulations and design work on this. Need a microcomputer to design a nanocomputer!!

 

Hi,
First, thanks nesbo for the benchmark tests! I am considering buying a dell laptop (8600 or 5150), what surprised me is that you said that the 5150 screen was much brighter than your 8600... how come? The 8600 has a 300:1 contrast ratio and the 5150 has 250:1 contrast ratio. Is this maybe an assembly problem? I work in the radiology field and the screen quality is a primordial feature for me. Saw the sony XBrite technology and I think it`s a marvellous screen but I don`t like the specs for the price.

Thanks for such a good site!

 

Hi,

Actually, that benchmark was done by someone else and I just posted it here. I agree with you, the 5150 SXGA should not be brighter. I think maybe the person doing the test actually had a 5150 UXGA, because that screen was brighter. (I used to own a 5150 with a UXGA screen)

So, I agree with you, the 8600 should have a brighter screen than the current 5150's out there.

 

I am also looking to purchase either the 5150 or the 8600.

Has anyone tried running AutoCAD 2000, Adobe Premiere 6.0, Photoshop, or Dreamweaver MX with the 8600 compared to the 5150 ?

If these are the applications I plan on running, is the 8600 a wise choice ? I'm another newbie torn between the 5150 and the 8600.
My previous laptop was a Sager - which had it's share of problems,
and now is resting comfortably in pieces.. in my closet...

I'm looking to get OUT my office and do some work on the road.
(with or without a wall outlet close by)

Will the Pentium M processor handle these apps robustly?
I recently read a forum SOMPLACE that the Pent. M chip did not have a math co-processor, but I do believe it DOES. That being said - is the 8600 a better laptop ?

 

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

 

Frankly, having done a radiology rotation in medical school, I would never use an LCD screen to look at images. In fact, most of my attendings were against using LCD screens! One radiologist said, "Leave the LCD screen for the internists to use!:

However, many people love the UXGA screen. I personally don't like it because of the small fonts, but the brightness level was excellent from the one I used on my previous Inspiron 5150.

Also with the 8600, while it doesn't have a specific "line out", you can use a special Y-splitter that allows you to connect to outside speakers.

 

Easy there Phil, my uncle has been a radiologist for 34 years...that's where I get my info from. The medical school he teaches at, does not use LCD screen with their PACS system, simply because they thought the CRT's gave them better results. Thus I was relaying my experiences as well as other experts to others.


What we do in this forum is share our ideas and experiences with laptops. Someone may like Sony screens, some may do not. That is why we share our ideas on this forum.

I use a line out on my Dell and it sounds great, so I want to share that experience with others. Some like it, some don't.

You should not tell someone how they should comment on something. And I was commenting based on my experieneces and others, just like you have. Thanks for sharing your opinion on the matter. This is an open forum, and should remain that way.

 

Hey There Nesbo - I like your reviews and comments.

That being said, Any comments on my previous post ?

>I am also looking to purchase either the 5150 or the 8600.
>Has anyone tried running AutoCAD 2000, Adobe Premiere 6.0, >Photoshop, or Dreamweaver MX with the 8600 compared to the 5150 ?

thanks [8D]

 

I think a higher end PM with 1GB RAM will handle those apps just fine, but the P4 would do a better job. It really just depends how large/intense the files are.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

You might want to see what Dell offers once the new Dothan PM chips come out...a new BIOS came out for the 8600 that supports the newer chips, so perhaps Dell will offer higher speeds on the 8600 in the near future. If that's the case, then I believe the higher speeds with high amount of RAM will adequately run the programs you requested...

 

Thanks for the info -

Being as though I'm cash poor right now,
and really needing to go mobile in the next 30 days,
I might have to bite the bullet and find the best bang for the buck.

I'm thinking the 5100 with a P4 chip, & 1GB of ram from someone other than Dell, (their prices for ram are insane) and I'm good to go.

Good & bad things about the 5100 tho... yes it is heavier and..
yes will run hotter as well, with a bit shorter battery life -
but will ultimately be less expensive right now with Dells anniversay sale.. hmmm..

so.. folks.. which screen will suffice for CAD, Premiere * Deamweaver with decent res. and no flittering ? Nesbo, can you recommend specs for me, for a build to order 5100 ? Or should I just bag the 5100 ?
and get someting else ? I've been reading laptop review for two month already.. still have no idea...[^]

Thanks - zlamporh

 

Well, Dell doesn't sell new 5100's anymore, you can only get a refurbished one. I'm assuming you meant the 5150.

It's not a bad computer as far as performance goes, so if you don't mind the weight, it should suit your needs.

I would recommend the 3.06 ghz with HT. Personally, I think it's a waste of money to get the 3.2 ghz. DEFINTELY by the RAM on your own...1 GB should be plenty for your applications. Also, get the 64 MB video card.

I would also suggest the SXGA screen...it's really nice sharp screen.

I'm not sure if they are offering the 7200 RPM 60 GB Harddrive (the only size that offers the speed) But that is a huge plus, however, that is something you could always upgrade later.

So, to summarize:
3.06 GHZ with HT
at least 512 GB RAM (1 GB if you can afford it)
64 MB video card
SXGA screen.

You should be all set with that.

 

>>I'm assuming you meant the 5150.

Hey There Nesbo -
yes... my bad, the 5150 is the laptop I ment.
I have to admit, the trouble you had with your
5150 makes me a bit nervous tho...

>So, to summarize:
>3.06 GHZ with HT
>at least 512 GB RAM (1 GB if you can afford it)
>64 MB video card
>SXGA screen.

>You should be all set with that.

time will tell..
thanks again..

 

Hi I'm new here, but I used to own a i5150 before I returned it within 30 days.
The i5100/5150 series are infamous for having overheating issues.

My i5150 overheated very quickly especially when watching DVDs or video files.
It overheated quickly, and when it did, the performance became very unstable.
Seriously, it got really annoying. The other solution the Dell forums proposed was to get compressed air and blow the dust out every week, but that would be a hassle too.

I would advice against it.
The new Dothan processor should come out this Summer so personally, I'd go for that instead of a i5150.

 

Good point about the heat issues, I totally forgot about that. Thanks for pointing that out to us.

I never had heat issues with my 5150, but apparently other users have. Apparently, it's a poor heat flow design in that system.

 

man... just when i thought it was safe to order the 5150..
I'm holding out for the new Dothan processor, or opting for an 8600.

>>Hi I'm new here, but I used to own a i5150 before I returned it >>within 30 days. The i5100/5150 series are infamous for having >>overheating issues.

>>Apparently, it's a poor heat flow design in that system.

whew... that was close.
almost purchased the 5150 today [:0]
THANKS!!!!!

 

I do think you will be happier with the 8600, especially with the new processors. Dell is now offering the 8600 with the Dothan chips, but shipments might take a little longer!!

And as always, whenever you do purchase your system, try it out with the programs you use, since you have 30 days to return.

I don't want to make it sound like the 5150 is horrible, but I really do believe the 8600 is a better machine. Especially with a 1.8 ghz processor and 2MB of L2 cache, plus 10% reduction in power...that will be a great machine!

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Run1track

 

for dothans, multiply by 1.65

 

I plan to buy an 8600 and am trying to understand the merits of the different screen options

Here in the UK the Dell site currently lists separately

15.4 inch WXGA
15.4 inch WSXGA+
15.4 inch WUXGA

15.4" WXGA LCD Screen
15.4" WUXGA LCD Screen
15.4" WSXGA LCD Screen

The USA site seems to have about as many options but phrased differently

Any advice or links to useful sites much appreciated thanks!

Chris

 

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

 

Excellent posts from everyone in this thread by the way.

OK, after checking Dell's page last night I discovered a slew of 9100s on the refub rack. The prices were excellent, but they don't seem to be pushing them on the main notebook pages, which makes me think that the 8600 is a better machine to be looking at. I know the weight is less in the 8600 but has anyone else considered the 8600 vs 9100?

Sorry, not in radiology ([ ]) but instead architecture, using AutoCAD, 3ds max 5.1, Photoshop, and the Macromedia Dreamweaver/Fireworks suite, so my 3D needs are heavy (looking at the 9600/9700 Radeons obviously). Any general suggestions/recommendations? 7200RPM drive vs. 5400RPM (for paging file speed)?

And yes, it's my first post here.

 

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