just bought a m1210

hey guys i'm fairly new to the forums but i just bought a dell xps m1210 off delloutlet. i didnt get the EXACT build i wanted but im fairly happy.

XPS M1210 Notebook: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5600 (1.86GHz/667MHz/2MB) Genuine Windows XP Pro

24X CD RW/DVD Combo Drive
3945 802.11a/g Wireless Mini Card
12.1 inch WXGA Notebook Screen
80 GB EIDE Hard Drive (5400 RPM)
Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 950
9 Cell Primary Battery
1 GB DDR2 SDRAM 677MHz (2 DIMMs)
65W Adapter

i really wanted the nvidia card and i know im going to be kicking myself for it but i think ill be ok for now. $877.70 shipped. I thought that this was a decent deal so I pulled the trigger. What do you guys think? is there anyway to upgrade the gpu . btw this was without a coupon. i wouldve gotten a 2ghz version but the coupons didnt work/expired or something so i just got the cheaper one. college budget ftl

 

That looks like a pretty good price.

 

also im a student so is there any way to get EPP from dell outlet? i think im going to call them to see if they can do anything for me since the ship date is not for awhile.

 

Great price for everything you got

 

The bad news is that there is no way to upgrade the GPU but the GOOD news is that that is a very good price. The most important thing is that it meets your needs, you can afford it & you save quite a few extra bucks for something else. I'm sure you'll love your system. Good luck & enjoy your new M1210.

 

last night a bunch of the m1210 popped out and i was torn between the system i got and a GREAT system.

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7400 (2.16GHz/667MHz/4MB)
2GB Dual Shared Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz (2 Dimms)
100 gig (7200 rpm)
7400 nvidia
9 cell battery
Additional 9 cell battery
8x dvd/rw
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945a/g
bluetooth
and a bunch of other stuff

$1405 shipped to my door. i couldnt really justify the extra 500 bucks but it seemed like a great deal.

 

i think it's worth the upgrade. the T7400 has a 4MB cache, the dedicated video is excellent for extreme gaming. the 7200 rpm is overhyped but while encoding videos, it seemed faster. i got almost the same specs (no additional battery but with 1500 wireless card and external TV tuner) for $1,258 and it's well worth the upgrade, not to mention better resale value in 1 year or so. i already sold the tv tuner sinc i have slingbox anyway and got $80 back from my friend so for under $1,200, it's probably the best balance of power/portability in the market today.

 

If you're not a hardcore gamer you don't need a better video card. You got a very nice computer for a good price. Congratulations on your purchase.

 

where do you guys go to get such good deals? I'm tempted to buy from America next time I visit!

 

Not to make you feel bad, but that is a killer configuration (almost like mine, see below). You will find that 1GB is not enough, and since your system occupies both DIMM slots, you are going to have to BUY all 2GB to upgrade ($200). Despite what anybody says, 7200RPM is just plain fast. All my notebooks I can certainly tell the difference between 5400 vs. 7200rpm drives (using normal size drives, not the gargantuan 160GB I have in my E1705), everything is just zippier. Two nine cell batteries...you could have sold one of them on ebay for $100, then the DVD burner and T7400 CPU with that nVidia 7400 would have only cost $200!!! Did you price out that system new? It would have been close to $2000. But, it all comes down to $$$...if you don't have it, it doesn't really matter!

 

If you aren't going to play any games then you may as well get the integrated graphics. And if the nvidia card is the free upgrade that they are offering then try to wait for a different free upgrade that you may get more use out of, like a bigger or faster HDD.

I would definitely go with the 9-cell, even if it does stick out a bit. It really isn't that big of a deal and any perceived loss of aesthetic beauty will be reclaimed with the extra (unplugged) usage time it provides. And if you are going to start college soon you will see how nice of a feature that long battery life is!

 

It's a great config for the price. It would always be nice to have the dedicated GPU, especially if you play any games at all. But if you don't need it, why waste the money? It just creates heat and kills battery life. So I think you got a great deal. An M1210 for under $1k is a heck of a deal. Period.

 

yea i think i made the right decision. plus the extra $500 wasn't really worth it to me although i know i wouldve been much happier with that setup, it wasnt necessary for my needs. the extra 9 cell battery on the more powerful system really was the deciding factor though cause I knew it was worth some $$ and a good accessory.

oh well. now i just want my notebook to come in the mail..