Never though I'd come back to Dell but...maybe you can answer some questions?

Well, thanks to the people on some other boards who told me not to buy a Dell (I had major issues witht he XPS 630) or any desktop gaming rig and instead build my own...got me off my a$$ to where I finally did my own with the help of those forums, to my exact specs, and it's the best machine I've ever owned and only cost about $2300 compared to similar machines selling for $5k.

It was a huge success and great accomplishment for me (very rewarding) and even though I spent hours each night reading and researching, by the time I was done it was a mini-hobby and I loved it.

Building your own laptop is not a very promising option right now but I think in a few years, it might be mainstream enough to warrant it.

Sooooooo... although I never thought I'd go back to Dell, I bought my fiancee an Inspiron e1505 a couple years back and that thing has been a HORSE. No problems at all *knock on wood*

So I thought well, if there is one thing left that Dell does ok with still, it is laptops. Most reviews for the XPS1530 or XPS1330 are very nice though just like with desktop hardware on NewEgg, you will always find issues that make you second guess. And laptops have even more given how people use them.

All that said, here are my questions:

1) In ordering the 1530, I plan to swap out the hard drive with one of the new 7200's coming out. Is there any reason I can't pull out one generic 250GB 5400 and throw in a new 7200 rpm drive? (I'll link it when I can find where I put the darn link)

2) From everything I've read, most suggest to go with the LED LCD from Dell instead of the regular one since it is thinner, uses less energy, is brighter, and runs less hot...but of course costs ~$150 more. Sounds like a winner, right? Just making sure there isn't anything else to be aware of.

3) I love to game but have my great desktop for it so I don't technically need such a 8600M GT but it can't hurt - as long as it doesn't run very hot when idle or not gaming. Anyone have any experience?

4) I went with the 9300 processor for the extra cache and because I'm hoping 45nm runs cooler in mobile chips as well vs. the 65nm. Is that a safe assumption?

5) I want to buy a second AC adaptor so I can have one running behind my desk where I will have it at home and one I can always keep in my bag as I'm too lazy to swap all the time. Is there a cheaper way to get one than through Dell? Not even sure what they charge...

THANKS!

BTW, here is what I can get with a great coupon+EPP for about $1495 not including shipping and tax:

(Note: The only way to get this price was to include what you see otherwise I'd have gone with cheapest hard drive and memory and upgrade them myselves but came out cheaper this way - Also I couldn't upgrade the battery with this deal so will call them to manually do it as need a 9-cell)

XPS M1530 (Tuxedo Black)
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T9300 (2.5GHz/800Mhz FSB, 6MB Cache)
4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz (2 Dimms)
High Resolution, glossy widescreen 15.4 inch LED LCD (1440x900)
2.0 Megapixel integrated web cam
256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT
320GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
Slot Load DVD+/-RW (DVD/CD read/write)
Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD Software Edition
Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card
56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Warranty & Service 3Yr In-Home Service, Parts Labor, 24x7 Phone Support
Finger Print Reader XPS M1530
Verizon Wireless built-in cellular mobile broadband (EVDO Rev A)
Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Internal (2.0+Enhanced Data Rate)

 

The performance of the 5400RPMs isn't too bad at all. I have a 7200RPM in my desktop (specs below) and honestly don't notice a difference with the 5400RPM in my laptop.

The 9300 is a good CPU, if you want you can save a bit and go with the T8300 even, it's great too. Both are 45nm. Run cool.

8600M Gt is a good idea. Seems to run cool when not playing games.

Personally I think the regular 1440x900 screen would be fine too. I'd rather upgrade something else personally. I did however get the 1920x1200 for more desktop space.

And by the way the Verizon Wireless Built in Card is something I doubt you want. It's got a month fee if you want to use it. And it's $150 card. My guess is that it is bundled in currently and thats why you got it. I would take it out of you can.

 

If I were you I would definitely consider using a 7200 drive in your laptop. While other users may comment about density of higher GB 5400 drives, it really doesn't compare when looking at a 7200 drive for large loads... so stick with a 7200 drive IMHO.

Also, a 8600 would be a decent idea for you, but know that it is not a high performance GPU for the notebook market, it is still a mid range card which I think would work fine for you.

Lastly, with the 8600 as a GPU, that will be the bottleneck in your system (most GPUs are even in desktops). So unless you are doing programs that are VERY CPU intensive I wouldn't bother getting a CPU over the 2.0 Ghz C2D mark...

Hope this helps!

 

Yep, it was definitely part of a bundle. I happen to be with Verizon as where I live, they have the best network for my pocket PC phone (windows mobile 6 pro) so it might come in handy one day, but no plans as I can always tether my phone if I need to.

Funny thing is Dell always has wierd deals where sometimes a more expensive system (i.e. the one I priced above) comes out cheaper than an almost barebones 1530 given how the EPP and coupons work. Well, in playing with different configurations, one allowed me to add the Verizon card...for $150!

Uhhhh-huuh (tm)

 

Thanks for the info. In my experience, even with high-end laptops today, the hard drive is always the bottleneck unless you are doing something that requires extreme video processing in which case it's a no-brainer to get a strong video card.

But in your average session for your average use and even (especially) power users, the hard drive by far is still the bottle neck.

So yes, I am going to upgrade that drive to one of the new 7200's coming out in a week or two by either Hitachi or...forgot who. I know the desktop market inside and out and now I'm catching up on 2.5" drives.

I'll link the new one coming out as by all accounts, it's the best single 2.5" drive out there when it releases similar to what the Velociraptor just did to enthusiast desktop systems.

 

http://www.hitachigst.com/portal/site/en/menuitem.57ddeb9b412fed7ac41d3814eac4f0a0/

Allegedly uses the same power as 5400 RPM drives.

That was the one - but until I hear some great things from people using it, I'm a Western Digital fanboy and Hitachi is usually about #11 out of 10 when it comes to desktop harddrives for me, though maybe they are great at laptop drives...

What would most consider one of the best performance for power consumption and noise drives out there? Do not consider $$$, just performance as it compares to power consumption and noise.

Thanks!

 

I would go with either Seagate or Samsung personally...

 

1) Play with the 250GB 5400RPM drive, if it doesn't satisfy you, you can either get a 7200RPM drive and swap your current one into an external enclosure or if prices are right, maybe even go for an SSD. 250GB ext. storage + 32 or 64GB SSD is an awesome combo.

2) The LED is like SSD, better in basically all aspects but more expensive. I would get the LED.

3) 8600M GT is mid level card, though note the nVidia is having some issues with their G8x M series.

4) Any T8xxx and T9xxx use the 45nm process. The T8300 is more than enough for you. I would save the money since upgrading to T9300 is $125 and not worth it for the extra 100MHz and double cache (you won't notice the difference). The money from the CPU can go to LED

5) Buy the A/C adapter from Dell, it's only $30 more.