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    help deciding on some specs - cpu and video

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by tdubya, Jul 27, 2007.

  1. tdubya

    tdubya Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi All,

    I am looking at buying a vostro/inspiron 1500 very soon here in Canada. I have the basic idea about what specs I want but am unable to decide on the cpu and video card and was looking for some advice.

    I am currently between the T7100 and the T7300 processors. Would a 2MB difference in cache really be noticible. I am an engineer and run some intense applications from time to time. However, is the $50-$100 price difference really going to be worth the performance boost?

    Another spec I'm trying to decide on is the video card. I am by no means a gamer and only on a rare occasion will play some old emulated console games like the N64. I am however very interested in video playback, rendering, and encoding. I also do not want any lag in Vista when it comes to graphics. So, I am between the intel X3100 and the Nvidia 8400-GS. I have no problem spending the extra $100 on the NVidia card if I will get better video playback quality and performance in Vista. However, if the advantages of the NVidia card only apply to gaming then I'd rather go with the less expensive solution. Thoughts?
     
    tdubya, Jul 27, 2007
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  2. manzi

    manzi Notebook Evangelist

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    The 8400 has PurVideo HD which smooths out HD video playback. It will also provide more smooth video playback, but i doubt this will be noticable as the X3100 is very good for an integrated card.

    Also if the engineering programs you run are in realtime 3-D then you MUST get the 8400m
     
    manzi, Jul 27, 2007
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  3. Askarii

    Askarii Notebook Consultant

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    I have recently had the same questions myself :p

    I personally thought that the 50$ upgrade from T7100 to T7300 on the D630 was worth it, knowing I am a heavy multitasker.
    If you multitask a lot, I would suggest the T7300, the extra cache may be noticeable when u encode, and the extra processor speed will be handy.

    As for the GFX card, Go for the X3100. Rendering and encoding is mainly cpu work, so the GFX card wont do much for you. Especially if you don't game, the x3100 is excellent. I game a little bit and I chose the X3100 and it has satisfied me so far. Also, the X3100 will give you better battery life because its an integrated chip, while the 8400 is dedicated, and that means more heat, less battery life.
     
    Askarii, Jul 27, 2007
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  4. choy

    choy Company Representative

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    stick with the t7100 and the savings should go to 8400m
     
    choy, Jul 27, 2007
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