i9300 vs. d810!

hey guys, first post..

I'm probably asking a very similar question to those being posted. I have read through about 7 pages of posts but if I could receive a little personalized help from the veterans it would be greatly appreciated.

You've all heard this story before.. a college student getting a first laptop, unsure of what to expect or his needs in college.

I picked Dell because of their comparative high value, and I've singled the systems down to a I9300 and a D810. I've chosen basically desktop replacements because the college told me that hardly anyone brings laptops to class (the walk to class is about 10-20 minutes), and the laptops are basically cherished for the ability to be transported from home to dorm easily and the occasional use in a library or lounge.

I9300

1.73 Ghz
256 MB RAM (2x512 MB bought separately)
WSXGA+
Geforce Go 6800
60 GB 7200RPM HD
8X DVD Burner
3 YR Warranty
~1,375+120(memory) = $1495 before taxes/shipping

(largely thanks to the huge 40% off coupon recently posted)

D810

1.86 GHz
2x256 MB RAM (free upgrade deal, future 1GB perhaps)
ATI X600 128 MB
60 GB 7200RPM HD
8X DVD Burner
3 Yr Warranty
~$1526 before taxes/shipping (w/ $500 off coupon )

here's the problem- I'm leaning towards the I9300 because of good graphics, but i'm worried about the build quality and i've heard problems of light leakage and flimsy parts. Besides, its all plastic.

The latitude would be a better overall construction, has some metal parts, plus I've read that the keyboard tactile feel is better.

Alright, despite all my wishy washy b.s., the real question is.. is the Latitude significantly better built and more sturdy/durable that I should forgo good graphics of the Inspiron? i'm concerned that the inspiron will slowly wear away and cause problems in the next four years.

any help would be great! :decision:

 

"i'm concerned that the inspiron will slowly wear away and cause problems in the next four years."

Well that's what your 3 year warrenty is for right?
I can't really help you much about this topic because I have the same problem as you. I want the geforce go 6800, but the D810 is better built and has weaker video card. However, this 40% off deal makes the I9300 a much better deal in my opinion.

 

after 4 years, it won't matter which model you bought. the technology will be long outdated and any machine will have plenty of wear and tear on it by then.

 

The only people who can really give you a comparison based on empirical experience rather than a combination of hearsay and published specs are those who have used both the i9300 and the D810. Most of course have only the experience of the one! As for gpu, there is a D810 with an underclocked version of the 6800: it's called the M70.
Whatever you do, get Complete Cover for 3 years (or for whatever period you plan to use it).

 

The latitude is business oriented , if you want gaming then go with the 9300 .

Yet the Latitude might have advantage in the screen , keyboard department - search for reviews .

I agree with drumfu , they usually go out of date long before for any demanding use like gaming , I got a new 9300 with the go6800 and expect it will have hard time running games in 2 years .

Today computers turn into consumables so I always go cheapest for the specs & features I want , especially if you get 3 years warranty with which you are covered .

 

The inspiron 9300 is very solid and well built, not entirely magnesium alloy like the d810 but certainly no slouch, there is no flex in my machine and its very sturdy. The base and lcd lid are magnesium alloy, just as the d810, the 9300 performs much better than a d810 with larger screen , better graphics card and subwoofer which improves the sound plus it costs less.

 

Previous posters are correct, in four years, your laptop will be obselete. Users of the older inpsirons that were not built as good as the current ones report their lappies lasted four years, obselescence aside. No laptop will last you four years unless you take care of it and handle it with care anyhow. Four years of spilling bongwater, leaving the thing plugged in all the time, greasy fingers and so on will take their toll on either model. Keep it clean, keep the beer and bongwater away and store it in its case when not in use, you shouldnt have any trouble getting four years or more out of your laptop.
The 9300 will offer you more flexibility for the future and better bang for your buck than the D810. The M70 as antskip has mentioned, is also a nice system but you can have two 9300's for the price of one M70.

 

I test drove both of them, and returned both.

D810, UXGA. Solid laptop, but I just didn't like the hires screen. Nice with pictures and such, but hard for me to read using internet. Folks will say you can down res the UXGA, but my experience is at any resolution other than native the current crop of lappy LCDs don't do as well. Reminded me alot of my current 8600 and docked just fine with the 8600 APR. The 9300 doesn't have port replicator capability if thats impt to you. There was a slightly more solid feel to the 810, though I wouldn't call it a big delta. You also get all the system software with the 810s - you have to ask for it (pay?) with the 9300. D810 with the WSXGA+ screen might be worth a try.

9300, WSXGA+. The screen sucked big time, a somewhat common issue with the Dell 17in rigs. There was substantial light leakage at bottom and top. Just didn't think the screen was up to the standards of what is a very capable laptop with top of the line GPU. To me the screen is 75% of the deal with lappies, so the Dells with their so so screens are falling behind some competitors. In the 17in region, I believe both the Fujitsu 6210 and Gateway M680 have significantly better displays, though neither has the GPU muscle of the 9300 (though of late the M680XL now has the 6800 option).

 

First off the 9300 is a very sturdy, well built machine, the latitude is completely magnesium alloy, but the 9300 does have a magnesium alloy base and lcd lid which make it very solid, there is no creaking or flex anywhere on mine, the 9300 offers you a much better video card with the 6800 go nvidia 256 megs compared to the much lower performing x600 ati card in the D810. the 9300 gives you a bigger screen, firewire port, six usb ports so rest easy, the 9300 is not all plastic, its very very solid, as for light leakage? this is a problem with all lcd laptops, mine had alot of light leakage at first but this does dissipate with time and use, after a month mine is all gone and was really only noticeable on a solid black screen to begin with. The keyboard on my 9300 is a joy to type on, very much like an IBM keyboard and I notice no difference in keyboard quality between the latitude d810 and the 9300 except that there is no annoying trackstick on the 9300 to get in your way while typing.
You will experience light leakage with either system and as users report with both an lg or samsung screen, this does in fact go away as I've stated.

Rest Easy, I was in the same boat you are in and IM very happy with my 9300.

 

You will experience light leakage on any laptop lcd, my IBM R40 had light leakage, not bad though, as all users of the dell machines report, the light leakage will in fact dissipate with time and use, usually about a month again depending on usage. Dont let this steer you away from these awesome machines, I am very picky and love my WXGA screen (samsung x4766) on my 9300.

 

There are any number of port replicators that you can buy aftermarket that can be used with the 9300, they just dont "dock" like some other laptops which have a dedicated port to do so, If a "dock" is that important to a laptop owner, why not just get a desktop to begin with?? Seems awfully silly to me but to each his own.

 

The m70 is a professional workstation, with a quadro card that is almost but not quite on par with the 6800 go card, the m70 is a nice system however for the price of an M70 you can have TWO 9300's. The M70 lacks a DVI port and firewire port.

 

Are you sure you bought a 9300? there is no WSXGA resolution available on the 9300. ALL NOTEBOOKS HAVE LIGHT LEAKAGE, and in the case of the 9300 panels, this leakage dissipates for the most part after a month or so of use depending on actual usage during that time, give or take more or less, mine leaked awful when I got it, by that I mean when looking at a black screen, something most of you must do alot for hours on end day in and day out, anyhow.... after about two weeks I started to notice the dissipation and after six weeks its nearly all but gone. The m680 is not a well built machine. Fujitsus do have great displays but they eat batteries for breakfast as a result of their high 300nits of brigthness, great screens though I must agree.

 

conghelach..y are u posting again and again right after your posts??..just use the edit button!!!!!!!!

 

he, sorry lucky, I was multi tasking at the time LOL.

 

oooo..lol..it's ok