dell d630 concerns

Hello !
I just got a dell d630 (c2duo t7300, 2 gb ram, nvidia nvs 135, win xp pro sp3 32 bit) a few wks ago and I have a few concerns:
1. I currently run 2 gb ram ddr2 667; would I get any performance increase with 4 gb ram? and, if yes, can i upgrade to ddr2 800 ? ocz's website says that not all 4 gb would be recognized.
2. is nvidia nvs 135 suporting 1080i external monitor via using a docking port w/ dvi port? i want to play some high def dvds, blue rays
3. Can I upgrade the current cpu with a higher speed cpu ? let's say the t8300 or t9100? (when the price will come down); i don't want to replace the whole motherboard... lol
4. is there any docking station available with a esata port? usb& firewire are too slow for the large files i work with.
Thank you,
Simona

 

1. Yes performance increase; yes but it will downclock to 667mhz so its pointless to spend more money on the 800mhz ram; 4gb is recognized if you use a 64 bit operating system. Between 3 and 3.5 will be recognized on a 32bit operating system.

2. yes

3. yes, but it will void your warranty

4. not that i know of, but you could get an esata express card slot.

 

I would expect that resolution to work... and I would expect it to work with the built-in VGA too. However, some discs may require HDCP (content protection). I doubt if the docking station's DVI supports that (though I'm not really sure). If not, and the disc requires it, the playback software may refuse to play the disc at high resolutions.

I don't know... you could look in to NAS (over ethernet)... I don't know too much about it though, so I'm not really sure how fast it would be.

As for your other two questions, I agree with Nizzy and I have nothing more to add.

 

nizzy, swarmer, thank you both for your answers. I still have a few qs, if you don't mind:
1. Do I lose any audio/ video quality by using the dvi to hdmi cable? There's no docking port w/ hdmi port yet.
2. which would be acceptable temps of this dual core ? does it automatically shut down if it gets too warm ?
3. the laptop has no sd& xd card slot. What choice is better for a fast transfer of data/ photos, large video files ie: shall I use a pcmcia card with internal slot or the usb cable or another combination ?
Thanks again

 

Yes, it will support that resolution, but I’m not sure how you expect to play Bluray or HD-DVD discs since the Latitudes don’t offer such a drive as an option, as far as I know. I guess you could have an external drive…

No, there is no ESATA for the D-series. USB and Firewire are your two fastest options for external drives, and NAS would be slower than either option.

There is no ExpressCard slot on a D630 - PCMCIA only. You can use a 34mm ExpressCard with an adapter, but that uses the USB interface anyway.

No, you wouldn’t suffer a loss in video quality using a DVI to HDMI video cable, but you wouldn’t get audio over the HDMI interface.

You use the word “yet” there, but there probably won’t be any other docking stations. The D-series Latitudes will likely be discontinued shortly after the release of the E-series this summer.

To be honest, I’m not sure. I’m sure you’ll know if it gets too warm.

Either way would work fine. I would prefer a PC-Card since it would sit flush with the slot and could be left in the computer when not in use – one less thing to forget when I put the computer in the bag. As far as a speed difference between the USB and PCMCIA card readers, you’d probably be more limited by the read/write speeds of the memory card itself.

 

The D/Dock provides a PCI slot in which you can put an eSATA card into.

Here's a PDF regarding the D/Dock, D/APR, and accessories: http://www.dell.com/downloads/us/products/latit/dfamily_docking.pdf

 

Thank you, captang. Great infos ! I should answer to your ideas:
1. I'd add that dell d630 has PC l/ll slot, which gives the option to use only one type of PC card a a time. I'm currently using an Express card adaptor for eSATA and have no problems. I'm trying to find an Express card adaptor for sdhc cards (faster than sd). I presume every d630 has been designed like that.
2. Since hdmi offers no audio support, how can I get a good audio signal: from the laptop's headphones' port or from the docking port?
3. Interestingly, the d630 has 4 USB, but d830 only has 3 USB, one of which is "powered USB". I wonder what is the use for it and why the d630 doesn't have one?
4. I only have a cd rw/dvd combo drive. I will get an external blueray some day. I'm thinking of how to connect it together with the external monitor to the docking port via dvi/ hdmi...
Thanks again. I'm still new to this laptop and hope you'll excuse me if I'm repeating qs asked by other users.

 

Both the dock and the laptop should have S/PDIF outputs, I think the laptop uses the headphone jack for both regular headphone output and S/PDIF output. For convenience though, you might want to connect it to your dock so it's easier to take the laptop out.

 

Thank you, Meh.
I forgot to ask something: since "between 3 and 3.5 GB will be recognized on a 32bit operating system" to cite nizzy, isn't it wiser to upgrade from 2x1 GB to 1+2 GB ?
My work does not need 64 bit yet.

 

Maybe. Replacing one of your 1GB sticks will cost you about US$30 (I reckon you're not in the US, though). A pair of 2GB sticks (4GB total) will cost you at least US$65. You end up with 0.5GB more usable memory (at most) for twice the cost.

If it were me, I'd probably just buy a single 2GB stick for now, but I'm pretty cheap.

 

Thanks, capntang. Will follow your advices.