XPS 1530 or Inspiron 1420

Hey I am looking at these two based on a number of reasons.

I am a college student who will mainly use this laptop from home, but occasional portability to class or the library may be needed.

Light gaming may be an option (such as Starcraft 2), but other than that I use my xbox for the heavier stuff.

I really like the 1530's design but the 1420 has a 14.1 inch screen which seems more portable to me. (I already looked at the 1330 and decided it was too small.)

My decision basically comes down to this. Is the 1530 just as portable as the 1420 based on its slim design?

By the way there is a coupon for $400 off any inspiron notebook over 1200, so a nicely configured 1420 can be had for just over $1000. (7200 rpm hardrive, n wireless, 128mb Graphics card, 2.2 ghz processor, etc.) This should be my deciding factor, but I do not neccesarily need the laptop right now, so I could wait to see if the 1530 gets a coupon discount, but my main concern is the size of the 1530, is it too big?

One more thing, is 7200rpm that much of a difference from 5400rpm?

 

here is the coupon code that you can enter in the cart
LNTDX46MB$2CVB

 

I'd say they're about the same portabilitywise. But it also depends on the size and shape of your backpack and what else you have to carry.

Here are the dimensions, if it's any help...

1420
Weight: Starting at 5.39 lbs (2.45kg)
Width: 13.13" (33.3cm)
Height: 1.26" (3.2cm) front - 1.53" (3.9cm) back
Depth: 9.61" (24.4cm)

M1530
Weight: Starting at 5.78 lbs (2.62 kg)
Width: 14.06" (357 mm)
Height: 0.93" - 1.38" (23.7 mm - 35.1 mm wedge)
Depth: 10.34" (263 mm)

 

hey thanks man, how about the specs, if there configured the same they should perform the same right, I mean there both Dell's. Or am I naive in thinking this.

 

I don't know if the video card in the 1420 uses GDDR3 or GDDR2.
The one in the M1530 is supposed to use GDDR3.

Since you're not playing any demanding games, that may not matter anyway.

 

I think the 1420 uses DDR2.

 

yea the card is not that big of a deal anyway. I saw some 15'' models in best buy today, and the machines were mammoths (HP, Sony, Acer, Compaq), but I know the dell xps 1530 is one of the slimmest 15'' around so I found it hard to compare. I really like the look and appeal of the xps. Does anyone know if there are quality concerns with the 1420, or is it just as durable and reliable as the 1530?

Also I can't find a store that carries the 1530 so I can get a look at it, Staples had nothing (even though they advertise dell) and bestbuy only had the 1330. Anybody know if they have kiosks or something that I can maybe lookup a location on.

 

Wrong. Among all 8xxxM cards, only the 8600M GT has a DDR2 version. Since the 1420 uses 8400M GS, it definitely has GDDR3, which does not matter because it's a weak card anyway. The 1530 has the GDDR3 version of the 8600M GT. [My Vostro, on the other hand, has the DDR2 version, but that's beside the point].

I don't know about StarCraft 2, but if by "light gaming" you mean playing some games on low-medium settings, then the 8400M GS should work fine. Just don't expect too much.

From what I've seen in reviews, even though the 1420 is "smaller" [14" screen VS 15" in the 1530], it isn't that much portable at all because it's quite bulky and thick; it's probably around the same weight as the 1530.

 

Ah yes, I see. I wasn't paying attention and thought we were comparing two 8600M GT cards. Sorry about that.

 

Yea I was looking at the dimensions posed by chelet and they r almost the same

 

I went with the 1420 because it has high ratings from every single pc website like pc magazine, Cnet, etc etc.. It's good quality for a small price. I would have went with the XPS 1330 if it didn't cost several hundred dollars more than the inspiron with the same specs...

 

yea I am still on the fence, the 1420 currently has a $400 coupon, but I just found out that I can save money on the xps too (100 coupon:
FKVNR8FG9PM2W7.)

 

7200rpm will give you faster boot time and download speed. Also copy/pasting and loading speed. Its worth the extra money. Id pick the XPS personally

 

Also, I dont know if your past this point already, but you should Consider the HP models.

dv6700t = 15"
dv2700t = 14"

 

yea i am looking into the hp models as well, I am currently leaning towards the xps w/ a 7200 rpm harddrive, 1.6 ghz processor, and will upgrade the mem to 2 gb after it ships and save $50.

 

Yeah its always better to upgrade the memory aftermarket. Ok, just wanted to inform you of HP's incase you didnt know.

 

thanks good looking out

 

Well, right now I'm using a family members m1330, it's great but a size too small in terms of the screen size for me.

I've settled on a 14.1" (HP dv2700) but if dell would have put penryn processors in the m1530 already I might have got one of those instead, because it is nice and thin.

 

Yea, the m1530 is nice and thin unlike the bulky Inspirons. The HP is skinny to i have to say, but the M1530 probably does beat it (i guess you would know if you are using one now)

 

I haven't seen the m1530 since i'm using an m1330 but I've seen the dv2700 in a store and although it is thicker on paper compared to the m1330 i'd say the difference isn't very big at all.

 

Yeah, i agree, sorry, i meant to say M1330 in my post.

 

so if i do get the 1530, any recommendations on the mem upgrade (brand or w/e). I still have to check that mem tools website.

 

Crucial are a well respected manufacturer and stick to 667mhz instead of 800mhz since the current generation of core 2 duos can't utilize 800mhz it just clocks it down to 667mhz.

 

ill do that, thanxs

 

What i was going to say exactly!

+1 rep