Questions about M1330

I figured we needed a thread that actually talked about the hardware of the M1330 instead of the deals, so if anyone else has a hardware-related question they can ask it here too...(after mine's are answered of course... )

What do you guys think about a 9 cell vs a 6 cell...is the extra battery life worth it sticking out.

And does anyone know if the screen can bend much more than 90 degrees backwards; from all the video I have seen of it, it looks like it has the same problem as the macbook pros; and this problem would be worse with the angle the 9 cell battery creates.

O, and does anyone know how I can just buy a single battery...in case I want to get a 6-cell and a 9-cell (it's not the same as the 1210 is it?)

 

It's up to you, how much you want to carry v. battery life and aesthetics.

It's not really a decision that can be made by anyone else, but to answer your question, you can buy a single battery. (That's all that comes with it by default, which is the 6 cell)

 

personally i would go for the lightest battery possible
i think if you are buying the m1330 the looks and weight of the laptop is very important to you, then why go for the 9 cell that sticks out the back like a its got cancer?

 

I ould get the 9 cell + a 4 cell. Use both for different situations/

 

The video of the M1330 that Dell released on it's blog shows the screen bending more than 90 degrees away from the keyboard. Not sure what the maximum range of motion on the hinge is.
http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/06/26/19139.aspx

 

I have a question,
is getting the graphics card worth it compared to using the intergrated graphics? especially since the geforce 8400 gs is the least powerfull dx10 graphics card, Is it capable of running all current games at even medium levels? cheers for any replys

 

If you plan on doing any sort of gaming you want to get a discrete card (the 8400gs in this case). That said, sub 14" models with powerful GPU's don't exist. Look up the 'go 7400 screenshot thread' in the gaming subforum. The 8400gs will get slightly/noticably better results than the go 7400 depending on the game and settings and drivers and all that.

 

Yea, i'd definitely go with the discrete graphics. Huge improvement for little money.

 

The 8400M GS will definitely run games better than discrete graphics. The 8400M GS is not the least powerfull DX10 GPU as there is a 8400M G that every other 13" Santa Rosa notebook is carrying. The 8400M GS is much more powerful than the Go 7400. It is closer in performance to the Go 7600.

 

Does any1 know if the top of the screen is metal or plastic? Thanx

 

Hey guys- which wireless card did y'all choose? I opted for the standard Dell one but now people are tellling me the Intel one is the way to go...willl I see a big improvement with the Intel meaning is it worth me waiting ON HOLD for 20 mins to change it? TIA

 

I ordered mine with a Dell card. There are no major difference between the Dell and Intel. I actually found that my Dell card would rarely drop while my Inspiron with the Intel card would drop from time to time and I'd have to disable and re-enable it. That might not be true for everyone but it has been my experience. The only thing that might hold you back from the Dell is if you're planning on using Linux and want the full wireless feature set. The Dell card doesn't use open-source software so only limited features are available on Linux. It still works though.

 

Hey

I have some questions about ram. First off, does anyone know if the 1gig option comes as 2x512mb sticks or as a 1x1024mb stick? I've never purchased a Dell before so don't know what to expect there. Also can the system run pc2 6400 (800mhz) memory instead of the 667mhz stuff it comes with? I know the processor itself supports a FSB of 800mhz.

 

Most likely 2x512mb

 

I wish they had a 6 cell + 9 cell option. To me the difference in weight between the 4 cell and 6 cell is negligible, so I'd rather go with the 6 cell for a bit of extra battery life while still keeping the slimmer form factor. If they don't end up offering then when I order, I might just buy the 6 cell and call em up to ask them how much it would cost to add a 9 cell to the order.

I don't think I've heard of any reviews with the 4 cell option, only the 6 or 9 cell.

 

Because there is a drastic difference in battery life between the 6 cell and 9 cell battery. It doesn't stick out that far. I have the 9 cell on my new M1210 and I would never downgrade to the 6 cell. A laptop is meant for portability and having to constantly be on an AC adapter doesn't equal better portability even if the laptop is a little lighter with the 6 cell.

 

Thanks Nukey ! I will NOT rock the boat unnecessarily then (except for the printer as I just bought a new one a month ago!)....

 

That was very well-stated. I actually have a 12-cell on my hp and I agree with his sentiments exactly. I kinda buckled to "common" consensus and got the 6-cell with the m1330 - I hope I won't regret it ! I'm hoping that Dell batteries last much longer than HPs. I might buy a 9-cell on eBay down the road. The battery on a laptop seems to Drain so quickly that it does make sense to have as much juice as possible esp. on the go !

 

I couldn't agree more with that, its my only real issue with ordering the system

 

wow thanks alot guys, great answers cheers

 

I thought of this carefully and what i didn't want is for the battery to stick out at all!!!!!!!! so the 9 cell was pretty much out right off the bat. Also weight wise the 4 cell is .5lbs, 6 cell .7lbs, and 9 cell 1.1lbs. The fact that the 6 cell doesn't stick out, only weighs .2lbs more than the 4, and gets you roughly* up to* 50% more battery life, it was worth the upgrade. The 9 cell though weighing more tha double the 4cell and half a pound more than the 6 cell and sticking out so much it just wasn't an option for me.

 

not sure if anyone answered this, still looking through the thread, however to my understanding the outside of the 1330 is all plastic while the inside is brushed aluminum

 

This Dell has the 8400GS which is not the lowest 8400 series. Also, checking on dell's site it has DDR3 ram as opposed to DDR2 which I've seen on almost every other 8400GS laptop out there. The M1330 has a 3dmark05 of around 3050 points.

My current laptop (sony VGN-FE790) has a 7600go with a 3dmark05 of 3000 points. Most 7600go's out there get from 2000-2500 due to cheap ram. The maximum 7600 has around 3500 points. I can overclock my card to 3800 points before it becomes unstable. At all stable ranges, my card temp stays at around 70 C, only 5 C more than non-overclocked temp.

That all being said, this card can run all your current games out there pretty well and medium to max settings. WoW can run maxed. Oblivion can run Mid-high settings. Halo and Halo 2 maxed.

My 15 inch has 1280x800 resolution, same as the M1330...which means if it's too compressed, I can drop the resolution and it'll perform better. A faster regular CPU also helps with the graphics performance. For those of you doubters, underclock your CPU to say 75% and bench...you'll see you lose some performance on 3Dmark and game FPS

My M1330 will be here in late Aug to mid Sept and I'll give a full benched review then.

 

I would have gone a 6 cell and a 9 cell, but allas Dell only had the option for a 4 cell and a 9 cell. But use the 4 cell around the house and 9 cell on the road. This was your 9 cell does not see heavy use and should last longer.