m1330 vs i1520 over the years

Hi, I'm going to buy a notebook that will be my only computer for 4/5+ years to come.

The m1330 has some nice features over the inspirons (I'm generally a tad dissapointed about them - no DVI/, LED LCD...). From the long-term point of view the XPS might have the edge for me, as with the HDMI, although it probably carries only video.

I do some gaming (no Oblivion or so, just NFS, GTA, SIMS which are basically a bit less demanding, right ) and the GPU is a bit of a concern to me. My GeForce 2 Ti 64MB handled even NFS Most Wanted, GTA SA quite well, but those were the last games that actually worked. So I wonder if the GF 8600 GT vs 8400 GS is going to make a difference after 2,3,4 years or if the GF8 series architecture as a whole might become an issue...The GF 8400's performance will probably be sufficient for a 13.3" screen these days.

When it comes to portability, the 15.4" would be manageable, a 13.3" lot nicer though . I kind of enjoy higher resolutions, but I think I'll get an external display at some point anyway...I guess the reason why I am not that sure about the m1330 is the GPU and the price (there's no i1420 in my country and I can't configure any of the new notebooks yet, they just have their product pages).

I'm gonna be stuck with this machine for a long long time probably, so that's why I have to reconsider it like...four times . Thanks for your thoughts...

 

I think if performance is your concern here, you should definitely go with the 8600GT because it has 2x performance over the 8400GS.
You can also consider other laptops such as F3SV , G1S...
If you care, you can fill the FAQ and post it in the "What notebook should I buy ?" section.

 

I'll second this. The 8600GT that is built in should be around 2.5x the performance with a 3Dmark05 Bench of 6500 as opposed to the 8400GS bench of about 3070. The 8400 will run most current games on a mid-high graphics setting. The 8600 will do quite well setting close to max settings. For time wise, the 8600 will hold it's own for upwards of 4 years, running games 4 years down the road at around mid graphics settings.

I chose the M1330 for these reasons:
1) I fly planes and wanted a small laptop (my 15" is still too big)
2) 3000 3dmark05 points will run everything I want to run
3) 1280x800 is probably too dense for graphics, I can drop the resolution
4) Excellent battery life
4a) I bought a powerful CPU to underclock it...this actually saves more power than buying a weaker CPU and running it at max.
4b) Smaller screen and LCD technology built in
4c) the 9 cell battery does not look as bad with it extended out all the way as opposed to 70% of the way like my Sony. You actually don't notice it after using it for a few days, and it helps cooling A LOT on your lap
5) If I wanted a graphics powerhouse, I'd go for a desktop and keep the card up to date there.
6) I don't use much graphics intensive games

I hope this helps.

Tre

 

Also, a 15.4 XPS is coming out in Q3 or Q4, so if you can wait til then, it may be worth it

 

Thanks people

I might use the "What notebook should I buy ?" section when I know the actual prices. I consider just Dell, because in my country (Czech republic), it's the only choice if you want a fully customizable notebook. The others either don't have dedicated graphics or are 15.4" with 1280x800 resolution only...

I got a hand at my friends 15.4" today and it felt too big and heavy for me (I know it differs across models). I will probably go for the m1330, who knows what will come in 5 years, maybe external graphics for notebooks like the ASUS XG station will be totally common, so I could buy one. Another thing is, I'm 21 so I might loose interest in games anyway...

It's nice about the 15.4", the XPS lineup was missing that, but It certainly wouldn't be in my budget (the m1330 fits perfectly to drain me of all money )

 

Where did you hear about the 15' XPS? So far i didnt find anything about it. Only 13' and 17', not 15' at all.